"It's really bizarre, the American animus towards Asian cars."

Based on the evidence, there is no American animus towards Asian cars.

Toyota, Honda, Kia, Hyundai--heck, even Nissan--all sell well in the USA and have for decades.

It is not animus that drives American policy on any foreign car, it is fear. Toyota broke the American Big 3 back in the '70s, and BYD would destroy whatever hope there was for an American EV industry.