News network CNN broke into its regular programming this morning to deliver a breaking news bulletin regarding Donald Trump‘s newest proposal, a 100 percent tariff on films produced outside the United States. The declaration, which Trump also promoted on Truth Social, was presented as an effort to safeguard American film production, but both entertainment industry experts and audiences voiced doubt almost instantly. On his social media platform, Trump posted, “Our movie making business has been stolen from the United States of America, by other Countries, just like stealing ‘candy from a baby.'”
He branded California’s governor as “weak and incompetent” and described foreign film competition as a “long time, never ending problem.”
The White House has not yet issued a comprehensive explanation of how the tariffs would be implemented, creating numerous unanswered questions about how such a policy would function in reality.
Although CNN handled the story as breaking news, much of the public reaction ridiculed the concept. One social media user responded by posting, “Okay, this is kind of silly. Foreign themed movies, or movies with foreign scenes have to be filmed in those specific regions.”
Another challenged the practicalities completely, inquiring, “How will a movie be classified foreign? Actors, production, editing, location, direction?” One individual humorously responded to the news with a meme, sharing a GIF of the “Now That’s What I Call Music” album covers altered to say, “Now that’s what I call a distraction from the epstein files.”
Another quipped, “But Hollywood still hates him…oh the irony.
“Next step is to tariff unfavorable news,” another person chimed in. A different critic questioned, “And what national security concern is this?” “That’s great, but still gonna need those Epstein files,” another jested.
Another comment read, “They should tariff his hotels and golf courses outside of the US. Let his businesses return to the states.”
The entertainment industry itself has expressed concerns mirroring this confusion. Modern Hollywood productions are often international in scope, with filming locations, funding, visual effects, and post-production spread across several countries. Experts suggest that defining what constitutes a “foreign film” would be challenging, and implementing tariffs could spark widespread disputes.
An insider revealed to CNN that upon initial review, the proposal “is shocking and would represent a virtually complete halt of production,” but conceded that enforcing such a system would be “too complex.”
Trump has previously attempted to shift his position, asserting, “I’m not trying to hurt the industry.” However, critics contend the tariff is impractical and could jeopardize projects that depend on international cooperation.
It’s been observed that Trump’s expansive trade agenda has already strained industries beyond cinema, with looming tariffs on furniture, pharmaceuticals, and other imports. Given this backdrop, the announcement of movie tariffs could be as much a political move as an economic one.
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