Jimmy Kimmel took aim at Donald Trump and his latest plan to levy major tariffs on films produced in ‘Foreign Lands’ in the monologue of his late-night show on Monday.
‘Trump’s now aiming his wrecking ball at Hollywood,’ Kimmel said on Jimmy Kimmel Live! before mocking the president for announcing his plan one day after the conservative actor Jon Voight reportedly proposed a series of film-industry tariffs to Trump.
The 57-year-old comedian then read out the social media post in which Trump announced on Truth Social his new plan to institute 100 percents on films made outside of America.
Trump wrote that the American film industry ‘is DYING a very fast death’ following its latest strong post-Covid weekend at the box office.
‘Other countries are offering all sorts of incentives to draw our filmmakers and studios away from the United States,’ he claimed. ‘Hollywood and many other areas within the USA are being devastated.
‘This is a concerted effort by other Nations and therefore a National Security threat,’ the president declared.
Jimmy Kimmel took aim at Donald Trump and his latest plan to levy major tariffs on films produced in ‘Foreign Lands’ in the monologue of his late-night show on Monday
‘Trump’s now aiming his wrecking ball at Hollywood,’ Kimmel said on Jimmy Kimmel Live! before mocking the president for announcing his plan a day after conservative actor Jon Voight reportedly proposed film-industry tariffs to him; pictured Monday in Washington, DC
‘It is, in addition to everything else, messaging and propaganda.’
Trump wrote that he was authorizing the Department of Commerce and the US Trade Representative 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.
‘WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN,’ he concluded.
‘We do?’ Kimmel shot back. ‘Because I don’t care where they’re made. I really don’t.’
‘You know what? 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!’ he continued, mocking Trump’s campaign trail preoccupation with the fictional Silence Of The Lambs character.
Kimmel added that the announcement of the new tariffs wasn’t just a ‘whim’ for Trump.
‘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,’ he continued
Kimmel wasn’t just using the famous Hollywood Republican as a punchline, as Voight did meet with Trump a day before he shared his Hollywood tariff plan.
Trump wrote that the American film industry ‘is DYING a very fast death’ following its latest strong post-Covid weekend at the box office
A day earlier, Jon Voight proposed multiple plans to save the US film industry, with tariffs ‘in certain limited circumstances’ being only one of many suggestions; pictured January 19 in Washington, DC
‘What a great idea. Next year, The White Lotus is gonna be set at a Hampton Inn,’ Kimmel joked; pictured May 2 in Beverly Hills
Elsewhere in his monologue, Kimmel poked fun at Trump for posting an AI-generated image of himself dressed as the pope on Truth Social
Trump previously appointed Voight as a ‘special ambassador’ to Hollywood, and he tasked the actor with creating a plan to bring film productions back to the US, as movies have increasing been shot abroad to save money and take advantage of favorable tax credits.
‘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 continued.
‘What a great idea. Next year, The White Lotus is gonna be set at a Hampton Inn,’ he joked.
Voight’s reportedly recommended multiple solutions, including tax incentives and changes to the tax code, potential subsidies for theaters and film companies and treaties with foreign countries regarding international co-productions, according to The Guardian.
Voight also proposed tariffs, but only ‘in certain limited circumstances,’ but Trump’s announcement seemed to ignore that caution with his far more sweeping declaration, which he didn’t announce any of the other recommendations Voight made.
The lack of details in the announcement made it unclear if Trump was only targeting foreign films, or if he would also institute tariffs on films financed by American companies that are shot abroad, or even for films made in the US but owned by foreign companies.
Industry analysts have indicated the proposed tariffs could be devastating for the film industry in general, and not just for foreign-made films.
Elsewhere in his monologue, Kimmel poked fun at Trump for posting an AI-generated image of himself dressed as the pope on Truth Social, as well as the White House’s official account for posting an AI picture of the president with rippling muscles as he held a lightsaber for May 4 — Star Wars Day.
However, eagle-eyed Star Wars fans noted that Trump held a red lightsaber, which is usually associated with the Dark Side of the Force.
