Trump softens stance on movie tariffs, saying, “I’m not trying to hurt the industry.”
Following tremendous outrage in Hollywood and beyond over his shocking announcement of 100% tariffs on movies “produced in foreign lands,” Donald Trump seems to be moderating his stance, claiming he was “not looking to hurt the industry.”
Trump stated in comments cited by CNBC that he intended to talk about the concept with executives in the film business. “I want to support the industry; I don’t want to harm it.”
“So we’re going to meet with the industry,” he continued. We’re all about our jobs, so I want to make sure they’re satisfied.
The film industry “has been decimated by other countries taking them out, and also by incompetence, like in Los Angeles, the governor [Gavin Newsom] is a grossly incompetent man, he’s just allowed it to be taken away from,” Trump said, returning to his criticism of California state governor Gavin Newsom.
“Hollywood doesn’t do very much of that business,” Trump continued, “even though they have a nice sign and everything is fine.”
“Governor Newsom continues to champion California’s iconic film and television industry – acknowledging it as a cornerstone of the state’s economy, one that sustains hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs across every sector throughout the state,” Newsom said in a statement in response.
He is committed to keeping production domestic, helping workers, and preserving California’s position as the world’s leading entertainment state, as seen by his plan to more than double the state’s film and television tax credit. We will examine the idea if the President releases it with additional information.
“Building on our successful state program, we’re eager to partner with the Trump administration to further strengthen domestic production,” Newsom said in a statement to Variety in response to Trump’s announcement, which included a proposal for a $7.5 billion federal tax incentive plan. In April, Newsom revealed a plan to increase California’s tax incentive program to $750 million. Currently, tax incentive programs in the US are state-by-state.
“Blanket tariffs on all films would have unintended and potentially damaging impacts, [but] we have an opportunity to work together to pass a major federal film tax credit to re-shore American jobs in the industry,” said California Senator Adam Schiff, who also criticized Trump’s proposed tariffs while supporting calls for a federal tax credit program.
Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon, late-night television hosts, also expressed their shock and confusion at Trump’s proposal. Kimmel remarked that Trump was “now aiming his wrecking ball at Hollywood” and asked if, as Trump claimed, foreign-produced films posed a “national security threat.” “Where they’re created doesn’t matter to me. I don’t. The late, great Hannibal Lecter would have probably preferred it. Sonic, the hedgehog who is an illegal immigrant,
must be stopped because he poses a threat to national security.
“This is where he reportedly got the tariff movies idea – from Angelina Jolie’s 86-year-old father she won’t talk to,” Kimmel said, mocking actor Jon Voight’s part in Trump’s thinking. What a fantastic concept. The White Lotus will take place at a Hampton Inn next year.
“It will be entertaining to see the next Lord of the Rings filmed in Bayonne, New Jersey,” Fallon added, criticizing Trump’s suggestion that foreign locales were somehow forbidden. “If you don’t like that, you can also watch Emily in Des Moines [instead of Emily in Paris].” It is equally endearing.