TimRunsHisMouth Talks Falun Gong and CCP Persecution
Here is the exchange on X
On a recent episode of Tim Runs His Mouth, host Tim Young welcomed Shen Yun emcee Leeshai Lemish and Falun Dafa spokesman Ben Maloney for a wide-ranging discussion centered on the Chinese Communist Party’s decades-long persecution of Falun Gong and the covert influence of TikTok as a digital Trojan horse.
Leeshai Lemish began by recounting how his academic background in Chinese studies and his personal spiritual journey led to a greater understanding of the brutality of the CCP. He described the evolution of Shen Yun from a performing arts group reviving traditional Chinese culture to a global symbol of resistance against tyranny. Lemish noted that the very act of performing stories that depict the CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong believers has made Shen Yun a target of coordinated sabotage efforts by the regime.
Ben Maloney provided a broader view of the CCP’s tactics, highlighting how its international efforts are just an extension of what has been happening in China since 1999: mass arrests, torture, propaganda campaigns, and psychological warfare aimed at eradicating Falun Gong. He explained that the performers of Shen Yun, many of whom are themselves Falun Gong practitioners or have fled China, are often directly targeted by the regime’s transnational intimidation. This includes bomb threats at theaters, cyberattacks, and organized pressure on venues to cancel shows.
The conversation turned to the digital front, with a focus on TikTok. Young and Maloney emphasized that the CCP’s influence has entered a more subtle and insidious phase. TikTok, owned by ByteDance, is deeply tied to Chinese state interests. While appearing as a harmless entertainment app, it has become a powerful cultural weapon. They argued that through control over the platform’s algorithm, the CCP is able to manipulate American youth, suppress politically sensitive content, and slowly normalize authoritarian viewpoints under the guise of light-hearted videos and trending challenges.
Lemish explained that while the physical acts of sabotage against Shen Yun are overt and traceable, the dangers posed by TikTok are harder to detect and more difficult to combat. It’s a form of digital psychological warfare that inserts itself directly into the daily lives of American users, particularly the young and impressionable. The app doesn’t just entertain—it curates thinking, mutes dissent, and distorts perception in ways favorable to the regime.
Maloney pointed out that this level of influence, paired with mainstream media’s reluctance to address it, creates a dangerous environment. He criticized legacy outlets that have downplayed the persecution of Falun Gong or, worse, run pieces aligned with the CCP’s narrative. Instead of defending a persecuted group or calling out cultural infiltration, much of the media either turns a blind eye or attacks the messengers.
Despite the long odds and persistent threats, Lemish spoke to the resilience of the Shen Yun team. Against the backdrop of bomb threats, disinformation campaigns, and bureaucratic resistance, the group continues to perform globally, sharing ancient Chinese values rooted in truth, compassion, and tolerance—values the CCP has spent decades trying to destroy.
Young framed the entire conversation as a warning. The CCP’s strategy is no longer limited to prisons and propaganda posters; it’s being carried out in theaters and on smartphones. The old tools of tyranny are merging with new platforms of influence. Whether through threats against dance performances or the hypnotic effect of short videos, the objective remains the same: suppress truth, control thought, and export authoritarian control under the radar.
The interview concluded with a unified message: awareness must precede action. The threats are real, the stakes are high, and the time to confront CCP influence—whether physical or digital—is now.
