Trump backs federal tax incentives for Hollywood after meeting with Jon Voight

Trump says he met his Hollywood ambassador Jon Voight and will urge Congress to craft bipartisan legislation offering a federal production incentive to bring movie and television jobs back to America.

First Published: August 31, 2026, 6:21 PM ET

WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald Trump said he will press Congress to pass a federal production incentive for the movie and television industry after meeting his self-styled Hollywood ambassador, the Academy Award-winning actor Jon Voight. Trump framed the push as a bipartisan rescue for American entertainment work he said has drained overseas.

Trump said the plan would repay itself many times over, arguing the money spent on tax incentives would return tenfold as revenue flowing into the Treasury. He said he is arranging meetings with leaders of both parties and urged lawmakers to act immediately.

“What we watch on the Silver Screen should be made in what was once the Movie and Motion Picture Capital of the World,” Trump said in the post. He called Hollywood “a Complete and Total Disaster” and said production had moved to Canada and other countries. He tied the decline to California and other states he described as largely Blue, saying the loss of work is hurting the state badly.

Here is the full post on truthsocial: “I just had a GREAT and very interesting meeting with my Hollywood Ambassador and Movie Legend,Jon Voight! He is a fantastic man who loves our Country, and feels strongly about the Motion Picture and Television Industry. He hates what’s happened to it! It is being dissipated in its entirety. It has moved to Canada, and other Countries, with very little work being done anymore in the United States. Hollywood is a Complete and Total Disaster! Despite the name, it is getting very little work. There is no incentive to be there, and it is hurting California very badly. Jon, and many others in the Industry, are suggesting we do Federal Tax Incentives in order to Make our Movie and Television Production Business GREAT AGAIN, perhaps GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE! The amount of money spent on Tax Incentives will be made up tenfold by the money pouring into the Treasury’s coffers. Meetings are being set up with the Leaders of both Parties in order to get this done. It should be Bipartisan, especially since so much money is being lost in California, and other largely Blue States. I am going to suggest that Republicans and Democrats get together, and immediately craft Legislation to save the Movie, Television, and Entertainment Business in America. Congress should approve, immediately, a Federal Production Incentive to create Entertainment Jobs in America. It can be done quickly, accurately, efficiently and, importantly, will benefit ALL of America. What we watch on the Silver Screen should be made in what was once the Movie and Motion Picture Capital of the World. Let’s get this done! Trump” on August 31, 2026 at 6:10 PM ET.

Actor Jon Voight met with President Donald J. Trump at Washington D.C.

This is Trump’s 13th message released today, and the last post was 45 minutes ago, and it is not part of a thread. On average, Trump produces 18 posts per day since his inauguration on January 20, 2025. The move fits a broader pattern in Trump’s recent messaging, with 61 of his 649 posts over the last 30 days classified as Domestic Policy posts.

Jon Voight, born December 29, 1938, in Yonkers, New York, is an American actor who has received an Academy Award and three Golden Globe Awards according to letterboxd. Voight came to prominence in the late 1960s with his performance in “Midnight Cowboy” (1969) and won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as a paraplegic Vietnam veteran in “Coming Home” (1978) according to letterboxd. He drew acclaim for later roles including a ruthless bank robber in “Runaway Train” (1985) and a biographical turn as sportscaster Howard Cosell in “Ali” (2001) according to rottentomatoes.

Voight has taken a hard turn into national politics in recent years, praising Trump and criticizing his opponents in a series of public videos according to independent.co.uk. He endorsed Trump for president in 2016 according to eonline. President-Elect Trump named Voight, along with Mel Gibson and Sylvester Stallone, as special ambassadors to a “very troubled” Hollywood on January 17, 2025 according to eonline.