This paper explores yellow peril trope development in a US political discourse subset via close textual analysis of Mitt Romney’s rhetoric pending the 2012 U.S. presidential campaign. Romney reviewed yellow danger tropes of the Chinese as unethical, fierce butts to establish China as economic yellow danger. In turn, the threat stated by this danger is increased by Romney’s use of anti-communist tropes, which use deeply rooted Cold War frights to situate the United States and China as opponents. This project offers insight into anti-China appeal functions in U.S. presidential campaign discourse.