Outstretching his hands in a signature pose of US President Donald Trump, impersonator Ryan Chen (陳睿) mimics the US leader’s voice and gestures with such accuracy that he has become a social media phenomenon with his funny videos.
The 42-year-old from southwest China does not engage in political satire — a minefield in the country that can lead to account suspension — but has amassed millions of followers across Instagram, TikTok and Chinese platforms.
“Trump is an endless well that never runs dry, because he draws more online traffic than anyone else on the planet,” Chen told reporters in his hometown of Chongqing, which itself has gone viral over its labyrinthine cityscape and spicy food.
Photo: AFP
During his videos, which are primarily in English with Chinese subtitles, Chen lightheartedly presents Chinese cuisine, customs, cultural differences, jokes with foreigners and dances to the Village People’s YMCA, one of Trump’s trademark stage songs.
His clips are peppered with Trump’s unmistakable mannerisms and buzzwords such as “tremendous” and “amazing.”
“I’m not into politics, but I think he is a very good entertainer,” Chen said of the president, whom he followed when Trump hosted the reality TV show The Apprentice.
“If I imitate him, it’s not to make fun of him. It’s to get attention,” he told reporters. “With that attention, I can boost my career, as well as promote China and my hometown.”
Chen stumbled across his online fame by chance, only taking off last year with Trump’s return to the White House.
The fan of Friends and The Big Bang Theory — who had never visited the US before this year — started making online videos to teach English as a “back-up plan” from his job in architecture, a sector hit hard by the property crisis in China.
He had moderate success, but his videos only went viral after a friend challenged him to imitate Trump.
Chen said Trump has become such a big part of his life that he now feels a certain familiarity with him, “like a next-door neighbor.”
He sees himself as a “bridge” between international Internet users eager to discover urban China, its “lively” atmosphere, and Chinese keen to understand foreign humor and cultures.
Chen, who learned English by watching his favorite American series, said that his secret is to sound like a “native speaker.”
Another imperative is to “stay tuned” to news on Trump, who is “a goldmine of funny material,” Chen said.
He makes a living from his work through promotion, events and corporate parties.
“My main source of income is advertising,” he said, with brands for vehicles, digital products, games and milk hiring him for their campaigns.
In a sign his work has not upset the Trump administration, Chen announced in a video he had obtained a visa for the US, where he is visiting for the first time.
With Trump set to visit China this year, Chen called on the president to travel to Chongqing and “try our hotpot,” which is famously spicy.
While a meeting between the real Trump and his Chinese impersonator would “probably be cool,” Chen said he has no “burning desire” to do so because it would quickly become a diplomatic affair.
“I’m just a comedian,” he said. “I have no political aspirations.”
Four contenders are squaring up to succeed Antonio Guterres as secretary-general of the UN, which faces unprecedented global instability, wars and its own crushing budget crisis. Chile’s Michelle Bachelet, Argentina’s Rafael Grossi, Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan and Senegal’s Macky Sall are each to face grillings by 193 member states and non-governmental organizations for three hours today and tomorrow. It is only the second time the UN has held a public question-and-answer, a format created in 2016 to boost transparency. Ultimately the five permanent members of the UN’s top body, the Security Council, hold the power, wielding vetoes over who leads the
A humanoid robot that won a half-marathon race for robots in Beijing on Sunday ran faster than the human world record in a show of China’s technological leaps. The winner from Honor, a Chinese smartphone maker, completed the 21km race in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, said a WeChat post by the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, also known as Beijing E-Town, where the race began. That was faster than the human world record holder, Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo, who finished the same distance in about 57 minutes in March at the Lisbon road race. The performance by the robot marked a significant step forward
An earthquake registering a preliminary magnitude of 7.7 off northern Japan on Monday prompted a short-lived tsunami alert and the advisory of a higher risk of a possible mega-quake for coastal areas there. The Cabinet Office and the Japan Meteorological Agency said there was a 1% chance for a mega-quake, compared to a 0.1% chance during normal times, in the next week or so following the powerful quake near the Chishima and Japan trenches. Officials said the advisory was not a quake prediction but urged residents in 182 towns along the northeastern coasts to raise their preparedness while continuing their daily lives. Prime
HAZARDOUS CONDITION: The typhoon’s sheer size, with winds extending 443km from its center, slowed down the ability of responders to help communities, an official said The US Coast Guard was searching for six people after losing contact with their disabled boat off the coast of Guam following Typhoon Sinlaku. The crew of the 44m dry cargo vessel, the US-registered Mariana, on Wednesday notified the coast guard that the boat had lost its starboard engine and needed assistance, Petty Officer 3rd Class Avery Tibbets said yesterday. The coast guard set up a one-hour communication schedule with the vessel, but lost contact on Thursday. A Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules aircraft was launched to search for the six people on board, but it had to return to Guam because of
RSS