Jon Voight gave Donald Trump advice before announcing new tariffs for movie industry
Actor Jon Voight revealed that he had discussed how to revive Hollywood in a meeting with Donald Trump before the politician unveiled plans to introduce tariffs on non-American-made movies.
On May 4th, Trump took to Truth Social to claim that the US film industry is dying a “very fast death” and alleged it is a result of “a concerted effort by other Nations and, therefore, a National Security threat.” He is now in discussions with the Department of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative to “immediately begin the process of instituting a 100% tariff on any and all movies coming into our country that are produced in foreign lands”.
Voight has a close relationship with Trump, and now, in a video on X titled ‘Plan to rescue Hollywood,’ he has confirmed that the two held discussions before the president made his announcement.
He explained: “I recently met with our president, Donald J. Trump, who loves the entertainment business. (He) wants to see Hollywood thrive and make films bigger and greater than ever before, as he says, and see productions come back to American Hollywood. The Hollywood that I fell in love with when I was a child and was honored to contribute to during my career.”
Voight continued: “Our industry recently has suffered greatly over these past few years and many Americans have lost jobs to productions that have gone overseas. It’s been very serious. People have people have lost their homes. Can’t feed their families.”
The actor claimed that Trump’s aim is to “see Hollywood thrive and make films bigger and greater than ever before, as he says, and see productions come back to American Hollywood.”
Voight then said the industry is now unrecognisable in his eyes from the one he entered many decades ago, adding, “The Hollywood that I fell in love with when I was a child and was honored to contribute to during my career. Our industry recently has suffered greatly over these past few years and many Americans have lost jobs to productions that have gone overseas. It’s been very serious. People have people have lost their homes. Can’t feed their families.”
In recent years, the UK has become a powerhouse in the movie industry, with many major blockbuster productions such as Wicked, Barbie and the upcoming Jurassic World: Rebirth shooting in Great Britain rather than Los Angeles.
This is a result of a UK government incentive scheme that began in 2007 and designed to drive investment in the UK’s film industry. It reimburses studios up to 25.5 per cent of the sum they spend on making a movie in the UK, provided that at least 10 per cent of its total cost is incurred on British soil.
Following Trump’s planned tariffs, California Governor Gavin Newsom has similarly unveiled plans for a new tax incentive scheme, worth $7.5 billion. He said: “Building on our successful state programme, we’re eager to partner with the Trump administration to further strengthen domestic production and Make America Film Again.”
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