Film lovers are giving President Donald Trump’s plan to impose 100 percent tariffs on foreign films two thumbs down, in meme form. The Sunday announcement claimed to be an effort to save the U.S. movie industry, but no one can figure out how it would even work, let alone come up with a reason why it would be a good idea. All they’ve got are memes.
Fans of movies filmed in other countries, which include Lord of the Rings and Star Wars favorites, have resorted to begging Tom Cruise to fix this.
‘WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!’
Trump declared this announcement from his Truth Social account on May 4, 2025.
“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,” he said.
“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!”
There has yet to be an explanation for how this would work, since films are pieces of intellectual property rather than goods, and most of what goes into producing them are services. Maybe that’s why the White House quickly backpedaled, claiming that they hadn’t yet decided to subject foreign films to tariffs.
“Although no final decisions on foreign film tariffs have been made, the administration is exploring all options to deliver on President Trump’s directive to safeguard our country’s national and economic security while Making Hollywood Great Again,” a spokesperson told the Hollywood Reporter.
Save us, Tom Cruise
Film buffs wasted no time with their jokes, and one of the most popular genres calls on actor Tom Cruise. Fans hope the actor’s massive fame and influence might give him enough pull to make Trump reverse his non-decision, and even think Cruise may have had something to do with the backtracking from the White House.
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Check on your local film bros
Those who make foreign films their whole personalities are being hit hardest right now. These folks and anime fans can be so adverse to anything made in the U.S. that some are joking they may be ready to do something drastic.
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‘White Lotus: Cleveland’
Others are predicting what we all have to look forward to when our movies can only be filmed in the U.S. And if Trump doesn’t back down, TV shows could be next. White Lotus would certainly get worse, and the fantasy genre could also suffer with New Zealand out of reach.
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More Trump foreign film tariff memes
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