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.”
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