Jon Voight accuses Hollywood of treating him and Trump 'unfairly' as he defends film tariff plan
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Jon Voight has accused the Hollywood community of treating him and Donald Trump “unfairly” after the president announced a potential 100% tariff on movies made outside the US.
The 86-year-old Oscar-winning actor, who was appointed a “Special Ambassador” to Hollywood by the president earlier this year, told Variety, “I think he’s been treated unfairly. I think I have, too. But what’s the difference? Who cares?”
“I mean, there’s been a battle, but now it’s time to put that aside. And I must say, in all of the interactions we’ve had [on addressing runaway production], politics has never come up. Never,” he expressed.
Jon Voight says Donald Trump cares greatly about Hollywood and movies
Praising the Republican leader, the ‘Anaconda’ star claimed that the film industry has reached a "point where we really do need help, and thank God the president cares about Hollywood and movies.”
“He has a great love for Hollywood in that way. We’ve got to roll up our sleeves here. We can’t let it go down the drain like Detroit,” Voight added.
The actor is working with the president to “give people back their dignity and their jobs.” He stressed, “Something has to be done, and it’s way past time.”
Voight also revealed that, despite the media’s largely negative reaction, not everyone is against the new policy.
“We’ve gotten a lot of good responses from people. We’re really rolling up our sleeves and working. I think we have a good plan, and we’re just beginning. This little team of mine has worked very hard to try to figure out things,” he explained.
Voight also mentioned, “The union people and producers give their expertise and understanding to this problem, and we’re working together. A lot of people had a lot of input and we’re listening to everybody.”
Donald Trump claimed the American movie industry is ‘dying a very fast death’
On Sunday, May 4, Donald Trump took to Truth Social to write, “The Movie Industry in America is DYING a very fast death. Other Countries are offering all sorts of incentives to draw our filmmakers and studios away from the United States. 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. It is, in addition to everything else, messaging and propaganda!” the 78-year-old commander-in-chief alleged.
“Therefore, I am authorizing the Department of Commerce, and the United States Trade Representative, to immediately begin the process of instituting a 100% Tariff on any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands. WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!” Trump stressed.
