President Donald Trump has officially endorsed a bipartisan federal production incentive to keep film and television jobs in the United States. Taking to Truth Social, Trump called on lawmakers from both sides of the aisle to immediately craft legislation to rescue an entertainment industry struggling with domestic slowdowns and international competition.
“Hollywood is a Complete and Total Disaster!” Trump wrote, pointing to the flight of American film and television shoots to international hubs in Canada, Europe, and the UK. “Congress should approve, immediately, a Federal Production Incentive to create Entertainment Jobs in America… Let’s get this done!”
The announcement marks a significant policy evolution for Trump, who had previously floated the idea of imposing a steep 100% tariff on foreign-produced films to penalize studios shooting abroad. Following extensive behind-the-scenes lobbying by veteran actor Jon Voight, the Motion Picture Association, and the Entertainment Union Coalition, Trump shifted toward a market-driven solution modeled after the federal tax credits used by other major film-producing nations.
Credit for the policy shift was given directly to Voight, who met with Trump at the White House to advocate for federal incentives that would help American below-the-line crew members and creative talent stay employed locally. Voight has publicly floated a 20% federal credit, though Trump’s post stopped short of endorsing that specific figure.
Despite the deeply polarized political climate, the call for a federal tax credit drew swift, rare consensus from traditional political foes. California Senator Adam Schiff, who famously led Trump’s first impeachment trial, expressed enthusiastic support on social media. “I am in strong agreement with the President,” Schiff wrote. “Congress should immediately take up and pass a federal film tax incentive to bring back these good-paying jobs that we’ve lost to other countries. Let’s work together, Republicans and Democrats, to get this done, and bring the movie magic back to America.”
Industry leaders also hailed the move as a transformative moment for American entertainment economics. Charles Rivkin, Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association, released an official statement welcoming the president’s endorsement. “A federal incentive would be a landmark step toward bringing more production to local communities in all 50 states, strengthening our nation’s economy, and making our country a more competitive place to produce, create, and tell great stories,” Rivkin said.
Currently, American film financing relies on a patchwork of state-level tax incentives, with hubs in Georgia, New York, and California competing against each other.
A federal tax credit would establish a nationwide baseline that could stack on top of existing state programs, making the U.S. more competitive with aggressive international rebates in places like the UK, Australia, and Eastern Europe, while making states without local film offices newly viable for production.
With meetings being scheduled with bipartisan leaders on Capitol Hill, entertainment union reps and studio executives are working quickly to draft baseline spend thresholds to ensure both major blockbusters and mid-tier independent projects can benefit.
