Trump proposes 100% tariffs on foreign-made films as Governor Gavin Newsom and celebrities respond to the plan aimed at reviving the struggling Hollywood industry.
Four months after initially threatening a 100% tariff on U.S. films that are produced in other countries other than the United States, President Donald Trump further advanced the plan by announcing his solution to the „never-ending problem“ that is allegedly killing Hollywood.
„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!“ Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday. „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. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!“, he concluded.
Governor Gavin Newsom’s press office responded with a statement on X: „The Governor tried to explain this to Trump months ago — when this was initially proposed — that his actions will cause irreparable damage to the U.S. film industry. Today’s move is 100% stupid.“
When it comes to the future of Hollywood, Steve Honig, founder of the Honig Company, told Fox News Digital that the once glamorous home of filmmaking has truly „lost itself.“
„Unfortunately, Hollywood, and the entire metropolitan Los Angeles area, has been dying a slow death for several years now as far as runaway production goes“, said Honig. „The cost of living and doing business in the area has become beyond cost-prohibitive, with other parts of the country and the world offering a lot more for a lot less.“
„The problem is not limited to just Southern California but rather the entire state“, he continued. „While the current administration has tried to increase tax incentives for productions, it hasn’t been enough to really move the needle very much. In addition to losing business, Hollywood has found itself with a reputation problem.“
„The Los Angeles area has become synonymous with high-costs and low-value among people in the industry, in particular the decision-makers“, he added. „This is going to be a tough issue to remedy because the problem goes a lot deeper than just tax incentives; it plays into the very soul of the city. Hollywood has lost itself in bad politics and economics.“
Doug Eldridge, founder of Achilles PR, says that Hollywood is not dead yet, but if the industry continues on this trajectory, a „call to hospice is not far away.“
„Why? Because of the decentralization of the creative process over the last 40 years.
