A video mocking President Donald Trump’s recent tariff announcement has surfaced online, and people are divided. Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ global tariffs have exacerbated global tensions, plunging the stock market and fanning the embers of a trade war. And now, following Trump’s recent statement that he will hit China with even more tariffs, a TikTok video has appeared that appears to parody the president.
The video, which was posted on the TikTok account @axiang67, claims to depict a bunch of AI-generated workers in factories performing hard labor, with Chinese music playing in the background.
The video is captioned: “Make America great again～#tariff #america.” Each worker in the video looked fatigued and dissatisfied as they sewed clothing on machines and assembled smartphones. At the end of the video, the scene fades away, and the phrase ‘Make America Great Again’ appears.
Chinese launch racist humiliation campaign mocking Trump’s tariffs | Chris Melore, Daily Mail
A new AI-generated video believed to have been created by a Chinese TikToker depicts a depressing America under Donald Trump’s tariffs.
The video shows morbidly obese Americans in… pic.twitter.com/o62vXSHSrl
— Owen Gregorian (@OwenGregorian) April 9, 2025
People were convinced that the AI footage was ridiculing the tariffs, emphasising the possibility of manufacturing jobs returning to the United States in the wake of the tariff announcement. One person commented: “iPhones are about to cost $5000 and come with no charger.” While another added: “Maybe manufacturing comes back—but without the jobs. Even in China they’re automating all the processes.”
And a third said: “This would be the best case scenario. The reality is AI and robots will make everything there won’t be ANY jobs.” Others disagreed, with another writing: “I see people working, earning a living to support their families.”
The tariff war between the United States and China has escalated this week, with Donald Trump threatening to double taxes to a staggering 104%. President Trump first announced the global tariffs last week, in what he calls the ‘Liberation Day’.
“We’ve been waiting for a long time, April 2, 2025, will forever be remembered as the day American industry was reborn, the day America’s destiny was reclaimed, and the day that we began to ‘Make America Wealthy Again’,” he said.
During the announcement, Trump showed the crowd a ‘Reciprocal duties’ chart, outlining exactly what duties he wanted to impose on each country. China was slammed with a 54% duty at the time, but Trump has now said that he will increase this by another 50% after China vowed to ‘fight to the end’ and refused to remove its own 34% tariffs imposed in retaliation.
Trump Voters Breakdown In Tears Realizing TARIFFS Hurt Them! #FAFO Season Continues https://t.co/kSooal8ebs via @YouTube
— ScreenWarrior (@Wolf_X5) April 7, 2025
Trade specialists, including Deborah Elms from the Hinrich Foundation, caution that the current trajectory of tariff increases may lead to broader economic instability. With significant retaliatory measures, the capacity for further escalation remains high, leaving the ultimate resolution uncertain.
The tensions between the US and China has led experts to become increasingly concerned, with Deborah Elms, Head of Trade Policy at the Hinrich Foundation in Singapore, telling the BBC: “You can only tariff so much for so long. But there are other ways both countries can hit each other. So you might say it can’t possibly get worse, but there are many ways in which it can.”
“… How will this end? No-one knows. I’m really concerned about the speed and escalation. The future is much more challenging and the risks are just so high,” he adds.
