In one of the most unexpected and viral moments on the internet this week, American streamer IShowSpeed found himself face-to-face with a man many are now calling the “Chinese Donald Trump.” The bizarre yet hilarious encounter took place during Speed’s recent trip to Chongqing, China, and has since taken social media by storm.
The viral clip shows the popular YouTuber, real name Darren Watkins Jr, reacting with complete disbelief as his local guide suddenly breaks into a scarily accurate impersonation of former US President Donald Trump, complete with tone, inflection, and even hand gestures.
“Why do you talk like that? Why do you sound like Trump?” Speed exclaims in shock, unable to contain his laughter. “You’re really the Chinese Trump, bro!”
Meet Ryan, aka Chen Rui
The man behind the viral persona is Chen Rui, a marketing professional from Chongqing who goes by the English name Ryan and uses the Instagram handle [@trumpbyryan]. Despite having never visited the United States, Chen has spent years perfecting his Trump impersonation, which he initially began sharing on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok.
In the now-famous clip, Chen doesn’t just mimic Trump’s voice; he also embodies the former president’s cadence and iconic body language with uncanny precision. From “Folks, you’re in Chongqing CHAI-na” to “Look at the size of the traffic. It’s incredible,” Ryan’s Trump character had viewers convinced.
Internet Reacts
Netizens have flooded the comments section with praise and amusement. One user joked, “He does Trump better than Trump himself,” while another added, “Looks like if Kim Jong Un and Trump had a baby.” Another popular comment read, “China really has a copy of everything.”
The impersonation, made even more impressive by the fact that English is not Chen’s first language, has earned him over 342,000 followers online and a fresh wave of global attention.
IShowSpeed, known for his high-energy and unfiltered content, has a history of creating viral moments. But this encounter seems to have struck a unique chord, blending humor, international culture, and surprisingly spot-on political parody.
This isn’t the only highlight of Speed’s China trip. The streamer also collaborated with actor Zhenwei Wang, best known for his role as Cheng in The Karate Kid (2010), to recreate the film’s iconic basketball scene, which also quickly went viral.
