Kristen Stewart unsure about living in US under Trump's presidency: ‘Can’t work freely’

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Actress and director Kristen Stewart has raised doubts about her future in the United States under Donald Trump’s presidency, saying she “probably won’t stay in the US” though she doesn’t want to give up entirely. 

While promoting her directorial debut feature film 'The Chronology of Water', Stewart opened up about the challenges she faces in the current political and cultural climate in America. Her comments addressed her personal history with Trump, his impact on the film industry, and her transition into directing.

Kristen Stewart criticizes Trump tariffs on films

Stewart responded “probably not” when asked if she thought she would stay in the US while Trump remains president. Stewart is currently promoting her feature-length directorial debut, which was filmed in Latvia after she said it would have been “impossible” to make in the US.

Stewart described the situation to The Sunday Times by saying, “Reality is breaking completely under Trump,” adding that despite this, “we should take a page out of his book and create the reality we want to live in.” 

Stewart called Trump’s threat of tariffs on films made outside the US “terrifying” for the industry, and stated that she “can’t work freely” in the States. Nonetheless, she insisted she doesn’t want to give up completely, expressing a desire to “make movies in Europe and then shove them down the throat of the American people.”

In September, four months after first raising the idea, Trump formally proposed tariff's on films produced outside the US. At the time, he claimed the American film industry had been undermined by foreign countries.

Writing on Truth Social, he said, “Our movie making business has been stolen from the United States of America, by other Countries, just like stealing ‘candy from a baby.’ California, with its weak and incompetent Governor, has been particularly hard hit!”

He went on to argue that the measure was necessary to address what he described as a long-standing issue, adding, “Therefore, in order to solve this long time, never-ending problem, I will be imposing a 100% Tariff on any and all movies that are made outside of the United States.”

Kristen Stewart on Trump’s tweets and her directorial debut

Stewart and Trump have crossed paths over the years. Trump tweeted in 2012 about her personal life, referencing her Twilight co-star Robert Pattinson and her infidelity in a past relationship, writing that Pattinson “should not take back Kristen Stewart” and claiming she would cheat again.

In response to Trump’s past tweets about her, Stewart mocked them in a 2017 opening monologue when she hosted Saturday Night Live. She joked directly about how Trump might feel, saying, “Donald, if you didn’t like me then, you’re probably really not going to like me now… Because I’m hosting SNL and I’m, like, so gay, dude.”

Stewart also shared details of her personal life, noting that she married screenwriter and producer Dylan Meyer in April of the previous year.

The 'Chronology of Water' has received mixed reviews, with praise aimed at lead actor Imogen Poots for her portrayal of Lidia Yuknavitch, on whose memoir the film is based. Stewart faced difficulties getting the film off the ground after first announcing the project at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018.

Explaining her decision to work outside the US, she said at the time “It’s a fledgling film culture there. Look, I’m all about the way we make movies here [in the US], but I needed a sort of radical detachment. I am not a director yet. I need to make a student film. I can’t do that here.”

The film was also characterized as a throwback to the Nineties indie scene and a passionate expression of the filmmaker’s personal vision.