OAN Staff James Meyers
12:08 PM – Tuesday, May 6, 2025
Legendary actor Jon Voight has revealed that he was the one who suggested the idea of placing tariffs on foreign made films to President Donald Trump before the president mentioned the idea over the weekend.
“After meeting with many of the entertainment leaders, I have brought forward recommendations to the president for certain tax provisions that can help the industry — some provisions that could be extended and others that could be revived or instituted,” Voight said in a video statement Monday evening.
“This would help the movie and television production and our beloved theaters that are so important to the American family experience,” he added.
On Sunday, the 47th president announced on Truth Social that he was authorizing the Department of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative to begin the process of putting in place a 100% tariff on American films produced in foreign nations.
However, the Trump administration said on Monday it is an idea they are exploring.
“Our film industry has been decimated,” Trump told reporters on Monday. “It has abandoned the USA.”
Voight and Trump highlighted in their proposal that Americans in the film industry have lost their jobs due to film productions moving overseas.
“Our industry recently has suffered greatly over these past few years, and many Americans have lost jobs to productions that have gone overseas,” Voight said. “It’s been very serious.”
“The Movie Industry in America is DYING a very fast death. Other Countries are offering all sorts of incentives to draw our filmmakers and studios away from the United States,” Trump said. “Hollywood, and many other areas within the U.S.A., are being devastated.”
The actor also mentioned that the president “loves the entertainment industry,” and wants to see Hollywood “bigger and greater than ever before.”
The famous actor has been a known ally of Trump and a strong conservative voice in Hollywood.
Voight’s announcement comes as Trump appointed him, along with actors Mel Gibson and Sylvester Stallone, as special ambassadors tasked with promoting business opportunities in Hollywood
“I’m proud to call the 47th president of the United States of America my friend, and as I’ve said before he’s the greatest president since Abraham Lincoln, and yes Sly, George Washington — that’s Sly Stallone — my buddy,” Voight said.
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