The first months of President Donald Trump’s second term are being described online as the “Great Leap Backward.”
The slogan—a sarcastic play on the “Great Leap Forward,” the disastrous economic and social campaign carried out from 1958 to 1962 by Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong—has become a mainstay on social media as Trump’s policies ravage the country.
Why is Trump’s new term called the ‘Great Leap Backward’?
The similarities are startling, given the Great Leap Foward featured cult-like support for a strongman leader, a purge of disloyal government employees, and attacks on universities,
Communist-style propaganda posters featuring Trump have sprung up on platforms such as X in protest of Trump’s policies.
“I quite like this name, because the Great Leap Forward was the disastrous beginning of China’s rise,” one user wrote. “Now the Great Leap Backwards will be the disastrous event that cements China’s place on the zenith of global politics.
Trump’s trade policy, particularly in relation to tariffs, has also led to an uptick in the term’s use amid a plummeting stock market and fears of price hikes.
The president has even gone as far as to warn automakers against raising prices in response to the tariffs, leading many to compare him to the Chinese dictator, issuing a call for price controls that would not be out of place in a communist government.
“Dear Leader’s Great Leap Backward,” another wrote above a Communist-style propaganda poster of Trump.
Viral AI videos showing overweight Americans working in sweatshops were also shared alongside the term in an effort to show Trump’s perceived vision for America.
“The Great Leap Backward,” another wrote.
The term has been used so readily that many are cementing it as a permanent meme for the Trump years. A screenshot of a purported Wikipedia page about Trump’s Great Leap Backward has gone viral as well, although the page doesn’t actually exist.
“Birth of a meme: The Great Leap Backward,” another wrote.
Birth of a meme: The Great Leap Backward. https://t.co/eXvMJArTYw
— Andrew Coyne(@acoyne) April 9, 2025
Although the term has exploded in recent days, it’s not the first time it has been used. The Great Leap Backward has repeatedly been uttered over the years to criticize modern Chinese policies. However, it was never used, at least not to this degree, to describe the U.S.
And if Trump refuses to change course, it’s likely the term will remain throughout the rest of his presidency and beyond.
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