Late-night hosts are entering the conversation surrounding President Donald Trump’s proposed movie tariffs shaking up Hollywood.
Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel kicked off their respective talk shows on Monday, blasting Trump for “now aiming his wrecking ball at Hollywood,” the latter host said.
“The Movie Industry in America is DYING a very fast death,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform Sunday. “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 U.S.A., 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 president continued, “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!”
“We do?” Kimmel questioned in response before adding, “Because I don’t care where they’re made. I really don’t. I guess it’s what the late, great Hannibal Lecter would’ve wanted. Sonic, the illegal immigrant hedgehog, is a national security threat and he must be stopped!”
Kimmel continued on Monday’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, “And this wasn’t just another late Sunday night whim for Trump. He said, ‘I have done some very strong research over the last week,’ which means he had brunch with Jon Voight at Mar-a-Lago this weekend.”
The host noted that he wasn’t joking, as Voight — one of Trump’s “special ambassadors” to Hollywood — revealed earlier Monday that he seemingly had a plan to bring more production back to the U.S.
“This is where he reportedly got the tariff movies idea — from Angelina Jolie’s 86-year-old father she won’t talk to,” Kimmel quipped. “What a great idea. Next year, The White Lotus is gonna be set at a Hampton Inn.”
As for Fallon, he teased some potential filming locations for upcoming movies and television shows if they have to shoot in the U.S.
“Gonna be fun seeing the next Lord of the Rings filmed in Bayonne, New Jersey,” he host said on The Tonight Show, before attempting to reenact scenes from the epic fantasy adventure films, but with a New Jersey accent.
Fallon continued, “If you don’t like that, you can also watch Emily in Des Moines,” instead of Netflix’s Emily in Paris. “It’s just as charming,” he joked.
Following Trump’s initial post on Truth Social, the White House clarified in a statement on Monday that “no final decisions on foreign film tariffs have been made” but that “the administration is exploring all options” with an intent on “Making Hollywood Great Again.”