Motion Picture Association (MPA) and California Democratic senator Adam Schiff have backed a call by president Donald Trump urging bipartisan support for a federal production incentive.
Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that following a discussion with his Hollywood ambassador Jon Voight, meetings with Democrat and Republican leaders were being set up to fast-track a nationwide apparatus to support US film and television production.
The president posted, “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.” Trump added that the amount of money spent on tax incentives would be “made up tenfold by the money pouring into the Treasury’s coffers”. Screen has not verified that claim at time of writing.
MPA chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin said in a statement, “A federal incentive would be a landmark step toward bringing more production to local communities in all 50 states, strengthening our nation’s economy, and making our country a more competitive place to produce, create, and tell great stories. We applaud President Trump’s support for this vital action, and we look forward to continuing to work with the White House and bipartisan leaders in Congress to enact a meaningful and effective national incentive into law.”
Meanwhile Schiff, a longtime advocate for a federal incentive, posted on X: ”I am in strong agreement with the President. Congress should immediately take up and pass a federal film tax incentive to bring back these good-paying jobs that we’ve lost to other countries. Let’s work together — Republicans and Democrats — to get this done, and bring the movie magic back to America.”
Trump claimed in his post that legislation could be achieved “quickly, accurately, efficiently and, importantly, will benefit ALL of America”. However while a federal incentive could become a strong pro-jobs card for Trump heading into November’s mid-term elections, there is no guarantee that an expedited process to enact it into law could muscle its way onto Congress’s legislative agenda.
It is unlikely that Schiff enjoys high standing in the president’s estimation after he served as lead manager of Trump’s first impeachment in 2019. Schiff also clashed with FBI director Kash Patel during a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing into the Jeffrey Epstein files in September 2025.
Voight, whose screen roles include Deliverance, Coming Home, and Runaway Train, has previously advocated for a national production incentive.
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