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He’s never been to America. But in China, he’s Trump

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Mr Ryan Chen has made a name for himself as “Chinese Trump” with his pitch-perfect impersonations of the US president.

PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM TRUMPBYRYAN/INSTAGRAM

Andrew Higgins

Summary

• Mr Ryan Chen, Chinese Trump, gained fame mimicking US President Donald Trump on social media, mastering his accent and mannerisms through videos.
• Mr Chen avoids political commentary, focusing on humour, but faces challenges in monetising his content due to plagiarism and platform restrictions.
• Aiming to showcase Chongqing and Chinese humour, Mr Chen hopes to meet Mr Trump and expand his audience, using social media as a career backup.

AI generated

BEIJING - Mr Ryan Chen has never set foot in the United States. He learned English at high school in the western Chinese city of Chongqing and from watching pirated versions of Friends, Two and a Half Men and other sitcoms in college.

Yet he has made a name for himself as “Chinese Trump”, attracting millions of fans on social media in China and abroad with his pitch-perfect impersonations and gentle ribbing of the president of the United States.