Trump calls on Congress to pass federal film and TV production tax incentives

President Trump on Monday posted on Truth Social urging Congress to "immediately" approve a Federal Production Incentive to create entertainment jobs in America, framing the move as necessary to restore U.S. competitiveness in film and television production. Trump wrote that the effort "will benefit ALL of America" and called for bipartisan meetings with congressional leaders to begin crafting legislation.

Trump said the push came after meetings with Jon Voight, whom he designated as a special U.S. ambassador to Hollywood. Voight and others in the industry, Trump wrote, had been advocating for federal tax incentives to reverse production losses. The president also described Hollywood's current state as "a complete and total disaster," saying there is "no incentive to be there."

The industry's decline has been measurable: Fox News, citing Bureau of Labor Statistics data, reported that Hollywood has lost 49,000 jobs since 2022, a drop attributed in part to the COVID-19 pandemic and the collapse of the streaming bubble. Film and TV production has moved to states like Georgia and New York — which allocate more than $1 billion and roughly $800 million, respectively, in production tax breaks — as well as to Canada and the United Kingdom, which offer their own generous incentives.