Host Jimmy Kimmel devoted his late-night monologue to skewering President Donald Trump’s proposal to slap a 100% tariff on films made outside the United States.
“Trump’s now aiming his wrecking ball at Hollywood,” Kimmel began. The comedian’s disdain for the proposal was clear, but it also served as a platform for Kimmel to roast both the president and conservative actor Jon Voight, who had recently met with Trump to discuss the state of the film industry.
According to Kimmel, the proposal was influenced by Voight’s reported recommendations. “He said, ‘I have done some very strong research over the last week,’ which means he had brunch with Jon Voight at Mar-A-Lago this weekend,” Kimmel quipped.
Kimmel then read directly from Trump’s Truth Social post, where the president outlined his vision for reshaping the film industry through tariffs.
Trump wrote that the U.S. film industry “is DYING a very fast death,” and blamed other nations for luring American productions abroad with incentives.
“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 USA are being devastated,” the president continued. He also called the trend a “National Security threat,” linking it to “messaging and propaganda.”
“I am therefore authorizing the U.S. Trade Representative and the Department of Commerce to immediately begin the process of instituting a 100 percent tariff on any and all Movies coming to our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands,” Trump continued.
“WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN,” he added in all caps.
“We do? Because I don’t care where they’re made. I really don’t,” Kimmel replied.
He followed up by comparing Trump’s reasoning to his tendency to reference the fictional serial killer from “Silence Of The Lambs.”
“It’s what the late, great Hannibal Lecter would’ve wanted… Sonic — the illegal immigrant hedgehog — is a national security threat and he must be stopped!” Kimmel mocked.
The comedian also poked fun at the reported inspiration behind the proposal. “This is where he reportedly got the tariff, the movies idea — from Angelina Jolie’s 86-year-old father she won’t talk to,” Kimmel said, referring to Voight.
Trump claims “We got a lot of votes because of Hannibal Lecter.”
Hannibal Lecter eats the rich. Trump just lets them loot the economy. pic.twitter.com/0j7kKHaViH
— The Vivlia (@TVivlia) March 26, 2025
He then joked about the potential consequences of domestic-only filming. “Next year, The White Lotus is gonna be set at a Hampton Inn,” he joked.
While Kimmel’s barbs dominated the segment, the background to Trump’s proposal does involve an attempt to address long-standing industry trends.
Voight, a vocal supporter of the president and a veteran actor, was tasked by Trump to help find ways to bring film production back to American soil.
In a video message titled “Plan to rescue Hollywood,” Voight described his meeting with Trump.
“I recently met with our president, Donald J. Trump, who loves the entertainment business,” he said.
“[He] wants to see Hollywood thrive and make films bigger and greater than ever before, as he says, and see productions come back to American Hollywood.”
Plan to rescue Hollywood pic.twitter.com/VPq9McMG7b
— Jon Voight (@jonvoight) May 6, 2025
Voight noted the toll that globalization has taken on domestic film workers in Hollywood.
“Our industry recently has suffered greatly, over these past few years, and many Americans have lost jobs to productions that have gone overseas,” he pointed out. “It’s been very serious. People have … lost their homes. Can’t feed their families.”
According to Voight, his meeting with Trump included policy suggestions beyond just tariffs.
“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,” he stated.
These included proposals to extend or revive specific tax credits and incentives meant to support film and theater production.
Voight’s own recommendations were more measured than the tariff proposal Trump released publicly.
He had advocated for tariffs “in certain limited circumstances.” Trump’s sweeping plan, however, made no mention of limitations or any of Voight’s other suggestions.
Trump had previously appointed Voight, along with actors Mel Gibson and Sylvester Stallone, as “special ambassadors” to Hollywood. Their role: promote opportunities for revitalizing American entertainment.
In an interview with Variety, Voight made it clear that he sees this effort to revitalize Hollywood as nonpartisan.
“This shouldn’t be political,” he said. “I don’t know the political identities of the people we’ve talked to. We’ve talked to a lot of people here. I don’t distinguish them on their party affiliation.”
Voight explained that Trump’s vision is to revive “the Hollywood of old,” a place he remembered fondly.
“He has a great love for Hollywood in that way,” Voight said of Trump. “We’ve got to roll up our sleeves here. We can’t let it go down the drain like Detroit.”
.@POTUS on tariffing the film industry: “Our film industry has been decimated by other countries… It’s an industry now that’s abandoned the USA where it started, and we’ll get it back.” pic.twitter.com/Ff3m9TFghi
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 5, 2025
On Monday, Trump said he wants to “help the industry” and would meet with Hollywood insiders to hammer out a deal.
“I’m not looking to hurt the industry; I want to help the industry,” he commented. “We’re going to meet with the industry. I want to make sure they’re happy with it, because we’re all about jobs.”
“Hollywood doesn’t do very much of that business. They have the nice sign and everything’s good, but they don’t do very much,” Trump added.
California’s Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom rejected Trump’s proposal, and is instead asking for the president to “partner” with him on a proposed $7.5 billion federal tax credit for Hollywood.