Donald Trump Says He’ll Slap Massive Tariffs on Foreign-Made Movies
President Donald Trump vowed to impose massive tariffs on foreign-made movies and blasted California Governor Gavin Newsom in a new Truth Social post, a move that could send shockwaves through Hollywood and its global partners.
Donald Trump says he wants to slap a massive tariff on movies made outside the U.S., and he paired the promise with a shot at California and Gov. Gavin Newsom. Yes, this is about films, and yes, the number he gave is 100%.
The quick version
- Platform: In a new post on Truth Social, President Donald Trump laid out the idea.
- The promise: A 100% tariff on any and all movies produced outside the United States.
- His argument: He says other countries have been 'stealing' the U.S. movie business.
- The California angle: He claimed the state has been hit especially hard and called Gov. Gavin Newsom 'weak and incompetent'.
- Earlier vow: He previously said he would get movies made in the U.S. again and name-checked actor Jon Voight as his 'special ambassador' to Hollywood working on a plan. No plan has surfaced yet.
What he posted
Trump framed the tariff as a fix for a long-running problem and positioned California as the cautionary tale. The gist is that foreign production has drained the American film industry, and a big tax at the border would bring it back. Here is the key part of his message:
"Our movie making business has been stolen from the United States of America, by other Countries, just like stealing 'candy from a baby.' California, with its weak and incompetent Governor, has been particularly hard hit. Therefore, in order to solve this long time, never ending problem, I will be imposing a 100% Tariff on any and all movies that are made outside of the United States. Thank you for your attention to this matter."
Where this leaves things
This is not the first time Trump has promised to go after the movie business to push production back home, and he previously pointed to Jon Voight as the guy sketching out the roadmap. But as of now, there is no actual plan out in the world. If he really tries to levy a 100% tariff on foreign-made films, that would be a huge swing for the industry. Whether or how it would happen is the part we have not seen yet.