--- title: Tiananmen Protester: Donald Trump Sounds Like a Communist description: “Riot" is the word that the Chinese Communist Party uses for its massacre, which spilled innocent blood canonical: https://time.com/4258064/tiananmen-protester-donald-trump-sounds-like-a-communist-leader/ author: Wang Dan Wang Dan article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-03-14T18:56:04.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T15:53:15.295Z article:section: Ideas og:title: Tiananmen Protester: Donald Trump Sounds Like a Communist og:description: “Riot" is the word that the Chinese Communist Party uses for its massacre og:url: https://time.com/4258064/tiananmen-protester-donald-trump-sounds-like-a-communist-leader/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7e057182d15be8af/69888ae5196cf4277d03abc1/tianenmen-square-tanks-china.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2500 og:image:height: 1406 og:image:alt: 11/06/1989. LES CHARS SUR LA PLACE TIEN AN MEN og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Tiananmen Protester: Donald Trump Sounds Like a Communist twitter:description: “Riot" is the word that the Chinese Communist Party uses for its massacre twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7e057182d15be8af/69888ae5196cf4277d03abc1/tianenmen-square-tanks-china.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Tiananmen Protester: Donald Trump Sounds Like a Communist Leader > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=b1d47376-6517-4d80-8830-df9ad4bf00fc&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | Subscribers | Open rate | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | 540,000 | 45.6% | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | 430,000 | 50.7% | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Daily | 240,000 | 54.1% | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Tuesday and Saturday (2x per week) | 40,000 | 31.7% | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | 85,000 | 37.0% | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | 40,000 | 34.2% | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | 25,000 | 28.6% | Source: TIME, August 2026. Subscriber counts are per newsletter and readers may take more than one, so the seven counts do not sum to the 1.1 million+ unique newsletter audience. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Highest open rate | 54.1%, Health Matters | TIME, August 2026 | | Largest list | 540,000, The Brief | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=b1d47376-6517-4d80-8830-df9ad4bf00fc&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=b1d47376-6517-4d80-8830-df9ad4bf00fc&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (daily health), Worth Your Time (culture, twice weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. by [Wang Dan Wang Dan](https://time.com/author/wang-dan/) ## Wang Dan Wang Dan Mar 14, 2016 6:56 PM UTC  The tanks on Tiananmen Square in Beijing China on June 11, 1989. The tanks on Tiananmen Square in Beijing China on June 11, 1989. Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images by [Wang Dan Wang Dan](https://time.com/author/wang-dan/) ## Wang Dan Wang Dan Mar 14, 2016 6:56 PM UTC In July 1989, a month after the Tiananmen massacre in Beijing, [I was thrown into prison](https://www.hrw.org/legacy/campaigns/china/scholars/t15/wangdan.htm) because of my leadership of the Chinese student movement. Since then, I have committed myself to a long-term struggle against the Communist Party of China’s authoritarian government. It has been 27 years since I was a student at Peking University calling for government reform and accountability in [Tiananmen Square](http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/04/world/asia/china-tiananmen-activists/). I’m often asked if I have any regrets? My answer, even though I am in exile in the U.S. and have not seen my parents for more than a quarter century, is always, “No regrets.” My reasons are simple: Although there is no freedom of speech in China, in much of the world—especially in the U.S., where I have been living for 18 years—I have been heartened by the support for the crushed Chinese student movement. I have drawn comfort from the consistent condemnation by Americans of the Chinese Communist government’s slaughter of peaceful protesters. It makes me feel like I am on the right side of history. That is, until I heard Donald Trump’s words in a GOP debate in which he called the [nonviolent movement at Tiananmen a “riot](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/03/11/trump-just-called-tiananmen-square-a-riot-the-communist-party-will-be-pleased/).” This description—“a riot”—is the same one that the Chinese Communist Party uses for its massacre, which left innocent blood flowing through the heart of Beijing. Mr. Trump went on to praise the Chinese government that butchered civilians as “strong, powerful.” As a student leader at Tiananmen, whose fellow youth were killed or imprisoned by a government that is still in charge in China, I am disappointed by and angry at Mr. Trump’s words. If a bloody repression can be praised as a “strong, powerful” action, what does this mean about American values, especially when this blatant mischaracterization comes from a presidential candidate? In China, because of the Communist Party’s omissions from history books and mounting online censorship, people—young ones, especially—may have no idea about the idealism and hopes of the students at Tiananmen. They may know nothing of the bloodshed that was unleashed on June 4, 1989\. Americans know, however. I want to ask Mr. Trump: How can you say these things about Tiananmen? As a long-time resident of the United States, I am deeply worried about a great country’s future. Maybe Mr. Trump will spin a defense for himself. But his description of the student movement as a “riot” was very clear. There is no room for misunderstanding on this point. Yet I can say with confidence that it is only Chinese Communist Party officials who will agree with him. So, I will tell Mr. Trump this: “Congratulations, you are already qualified to become a member of the Communist Party of China.” _Wang Dan was No. 1 on the Chinese Communist Party’s most-wanted list for his leadership of the 1989 student movement at Tiananmen._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4258064/tiananmen-protester-donald-trump-sounds-like-a-communist-leader/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4258064/tiananmen-protester-donald-trump-sounds-like-a-communist-leader/"},"headline":"Tiananmen Protester: Donald Trump Sounds Like a Communist Leader","datePublished":"2016-03-14T18:56:04.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T15:53:15.295Z","description":"“Riot\" is the word that the Chinese Communist Party uses for its massacre, which spilled innocent blood","url":"https://time.com/4258064/tiananmen-protester-donald-trump-sounds-like-a-communist-leader/","keywords":["politics","China","Donald Trump","2016 Campaign","Tiananmen Square"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7e057182d15be8af/69888ae5196cf4277d03abc1/tianenmen-square-tanks-china.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Wang Dan Wang Dan","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/wang-dan/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7e057182d15be8af/69888ae5196cf4277d03abc1/tianenmen-square-tanks-china.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"11/06/1989. LES CHARS SUR LA PLACE TIEN AN MEN","caption":"The tanks on Tiananmen Square in Beijing China on June 11, 1989.","creditText":"Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/politics/","name":"politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4258064/tiananmen-protester-donald-trump-sounds-like-a-communist-leader/","name":"Tiananmen Protester: Donald Trump Sounds Like a Communist Leader"}}]}] ```