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Trump Meets Voight to Push for Film Tax Incentives
· Confirmed
In Short: President Donald Trump met with actor Jon Voight to discuss the need for federal film and TV tax incentives.
Donald Trump official portrait.
President Donald Trump met with actor Jon Voight at the White House to discuss the need for federal film and TV tax incentives, according to a post by Trump on social media.
Voight, whom Trump has designated as his “Hollywood ambassador,” has been advocating for the Hollywood tax incentive bill, which would provide a 20%-30% rebate on domestic labor costs for films and TV shows.
Voight made an impassioned speech in support of the bill, emphasizing the urgency of the situation.
Voight and his team, Steven Paul and Scott Karol, were at the White House to urge the president to push for the film incentive during the lame duck session of Congress.
According to Variety, the challenge is finding a legislative vehicle to include the incentive bill.
Voight noted that he was working with Sen. Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California, to support the bill.
Schiff wrote on X that Congress should immediately take up and pass a federal film tax incentive to bring back good-paying jobs lost to other countries.
Charles Rivkin, CEO of the Motion Picture Association, said in a statement that the group applauded Trump’s support for tax incentives.
Trump’s post also mentioned that he met with Voight and concluded there is “no incentive” to work in Hollywood anymore, which is hurting California very badly.
Supporters of the incentive hope that Trump’s post will encourage lawmakers to make it a priority.
The Los Angeles Times reported that last year, 45% of all U.S. Films and scripted television shows were shot internationally, up from about 33% in 2022.
Schiff said at an event in March that state programs cannot simply substitute for the kind of global, federal, and competitive tax incentives needed to bring production back to American soil.
What this adds
The meeting between Trump and Voight highlights the growing concern over the offshoring of film and TV production.
What's confirmed
- President Donald Trump met with actor Jon Voight at the White House to discuss the need for federal film and TV tax incentives, according to a post by Trump on social media.
- Voight, whom Trump has designated as his “Hollywood ambassador,” has been advocating for the Hollywood tax incentive bill, which would provide a 20%-30% rebate on domestic labor costs for films and TV shows.
- Voight made an impassioned speech in support of the bill, emphasizing the urgency of the situation.
- Voight and his team, Steven Paul and Scott Karol, were at the White House to urge the president to push for the film incentive during the lame duck session of Congress.
- According to Variety, the challenge is finding a legislative vehicle to include the incentive bill.
- Voight noted that he was working with Sen. Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California, to support the bill.
- Schiff wrote on X that Congress should immediately take up and pass a federal film tax incentive to bring back good-paying jobs lost to other countries.
- Charles Rivkin, CEO of the Motion Picture Association, said in a statement that the group applauded Trump’s support for tax incentives.
- Trump’s post also mentioned that he met with Voight and concluded there is “no incentive” to work in Hollywood anymore, which is hurting California very badly.
- Supporters of the incentive hope that Trump’s post will encourage lawmakers to make it a priority.
- The Los Angeles Times reported that last year, 45% of all U.S. Films and scripted television shows were shot internationally, up from about 33% in 2022.
- Schiff said at an event in March that state programs cannot simply substitute for the kind of global, federal, and competitive tax incentives needed to bring production back to American soil.
What's still developing
- “There’s good energy on both sides,” he said.
- President Donald Trump on Monday called for bipartisan tax incentives to help a domestic TV and movie industry that has seen large chunks of its business move overseas in recent years.
- Voight, whom Trump has called his “Hollywood ambassador,” has helped shape Trump’s policy toward the entertainment industry during his second term.
- “The urgency could not be greater.” Trump has previously floated more aggressive measures, including a threat to impose tariffs on foreign-made films, but that idea did not gain traction.