‘China’s Trump’ told us how he went viral. And yes, it started as a bet

By Mike Valerio, CNN

Chongqing, China (CNN) — Employing the casual hyperbole of his presidential idol, the “Chinese Trump” gave our interview a 67 out of 10.

He said it calmly. Cheerfully. With absolute confidence. Like people do when they’re standing in a megacity with fans seemingly on every street corner.

Here in Chongqing, southwestern China, population 32 million, business manager Ryan Chen has mastered an impression so uncanny that strangers stop eating lunch to look up, mid-bite, when they hear his voice.

As we moved through the crowded, fog-rimmed October streets, the same day as Trump’s long-anticipated summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea, Chen’s fame became apparent.

Fans mobbed him like a Hollywood star. Another phone was thrust into his orbit. Another group photo. Another, “Can you do the voice?”

And then comes his Trump schtick.

Chen pairs his pitch-perfect Trump impression with a Trump-style salesmanship of the best of China.

Delectable hotpot in Chongqing? “The best, the finest.” Glittering skylines that make his hometown look like Hong Kong on steroids? “Totally incredible.”

“Ask me how do I feel today? I’ll tell you. I feel fantastic,” Chen declared, with that mix of bombast and deadpan that’s both satire and sincerity.

Chen mimics Trump’s voice with eerie precision, but it’s a talent that’s only been in the public sphere since January – and all because Chen lost a bet.

“I went into a truth and dare with my friend, and I lost,” he told me. “And (my friend) dared me to do Trump, and put it on my account, see how it goes.”

The video went viral.

For millions across China, especially those who watch the US from a fascinated digital distance, Chen became a one-man portal into the American presidency, without the clunky geopolitical baggage.

Chen is now one of China’s most popular English-language creators, with more than two million followers combined on Instagram and Douyin, China’s version of TikTok.

He understands the American media feed better than many who grew up inside it – a startling achievement for a man who’s never been to the United States.

And he uses his Trump impression to promote his hometown of Chongqing – and China – as a tourist destination. But on China’s closely monitored social-media platforms, his videos walk a tightrope.

“I try to keep everything non-political,” he said. “I’m promoting my culture, my food, showing basically what’s real about China.”

Which is how I found myself joining Chen for a day, experiencing a meticulously curated Trumpian sales pitch of Chongqing.

We ate lunch inside a packed restaurant with red-checkered tablecloths and a dozen tables. Steam blasted out of the kitchen like the cooks were trying to season the air. Chen ordered all the courses.

Tofu pudding with piping-hot dipping sauce. Pork with Sichuan seasoning. And the chef’s signature: braised pork belly with fermented cabbage at the bottom.

“This one’s my regular go-to… When you put it in your mouth it just melts,” Chen said.

“So incredible, only in Chongqing,” he added, hands moving like he’s playing an invisible accordion.

Then came the thousand-year egg. “It tastes like MSG,” Chen offered. And when diners nearby half-turned their heads to check if the foreigner liked it, Chen saw my expression of delight. In his Trump voice, he declared, “I love this guy! He likes everything! He likes every controversial food!”

Outside, skyscrapers broke through the fog like theatrical scenery. More fans. More phones. And then, a visit to Chen’s barber, Mr. Tom.

This is the man who tends to Chen’s all-important hair. “He’s very professional, this guy,” roared the Trump voice.

Chen sat. The shears hummed. He coached the cut like a director choreographing his own silhouette.

“I’m gonna look 30 pounds lighter after this. We had a promise, right? A deal is a deal, right?”

Cut. Dust. Brush. Reveal.

“Tremendous,” Chen said, as he examined his reflection.

Mr. Tom echoed, on command: “Tremendous!”

Chen says he enjoys what he does because laughter bridges barriers, even between superpowers. His fans say the same thing – that he shows them a China that feels confident, funny, and cosmopolitan.

And as someone who arrived in China only weeks ago, I found myself unexpectedly enlightened by a Trump impersonator in a part of the country that’s not typically high on tourist itineraries.

Chen’s broad appeal with audiences in the US and China shows that language is no barrier when it comes to sharing a laugh.

As for what’s next? He’s slowly winding down his day job in an architecture firm and would like to pursue acting full-time.

There’s also his dream – audacious, perhaps cinematic – of visiting America for the first time.

More to the point, he’d like to dive into New York, the city that gave us Trump.

“I’d like to experience, embrace the chaos a little bit to see how it really feels,” Chen said.

Yes, Chen’s voice is astonishing. Yes, the viral fame is ascendant.

But by dusk in Chongqing, it hit me that the loudest thing Chen wants from his imitation is perhaps also the simplest: joy.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.