“We want films made in the USA again”: Donald Trump worries about Hollywood – and reaches for the tariff hammer

Hollywood isn't cutting it anymore. That's not what some European cultural pessimist is saying. It's Donald Trump, who is worried about American cinema. "The movie industry in America is dying a very fast death," he writes on the social network "Truth Social." Hollywood is dying.

Trump isn't speaking as the nation's top film critic. As is typical of him, he speaks as a self-proclaimed trade expert. After his cascade of tariffs on trade, he's now trying his hand at moving images. Trump, who presumably sees himself as the "Thor" of trade policy, is swinging the tariff hammer.

The American president wants to impose a 100 percent tariff on films not produced in his country. He sees an urgent need for action. Trump writes that national security is threatened. Nothing less. Because foreign countries are poaching American filmmakers and studios. He is presumably referring primarily to tax credits that have made Great Britain, Hungary, and Canada attractive for filming. The next "Avengers" film, for example, is set to be shot in London, while "Avatar" is being filmed in New Zealand.

Trump laments that the secession movement is not only "devastating" for Hollywood and other parts of the country. He speaks of a "concerted" action by other countries aimed at "messaging and propaganda." He doesn't elaborate on what he means by this. Perhaps European cinema is too woke for him, and he doesn't want American moviegoers exposed to overly progressive ideas? In any case, he declares the expectation loudly and in caps: "WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN."

Trump's objection is not entirely unfounded. Los Angeles has long been struggling with production companies looking for filming locations all over the world. He emphasized to the television channel C-Span that he had "conducted very thorough research." His conclusion: "We are making very few movies anymore." He also blames the "extremely incompetent governor" of California, Gavin Newsom.

While he is trying to make Los Angeles a more attractive production location with extensive tax credits, this doesn't seem to be the path Trump wants to take. After taking office, he appointed Sylvester Stallone, Mel Gibson, and Jon Voight as "ambassadors" for Hollywood, tasked with getting the industry back on track. While the first two have not contributed so far, Voight has been lobbying for support for the film industry. According to the "Hollywood Reporter," it is Angelina Jolie's father who sparked Trump's film-political activism.

The President has tasked Trade Representative Jamieson Greer with implementing the tariffs on films. It's now up to him to interpret his boss's words. How does Trump envision the tariffs? Will they be imposed on individual scenes set abroad? Will "Mission: Impossible" soon be set only in North America? Whether Trump is fundamentally opposed to foreign content in American households remains unclear. Can American consumers still watch "Squid Game" on Netflix, or will the streamer have to pay punitive tariffs for the Korean savage?

Things are getting complicated. Shortly after Trump's vote, the White House released an AI image of the president as a muscle-bound Jedi Knight. Trump is clearly trying to curry favor with fans who celebrate "Star Wars" Day on May 4. The fact that the next "Star Wars" film is set to be shot in London apparently escaped him.