President Donald Trump is looking at a new way to bring American jobs back home — and this time, his attention is focused on an industry many conservatives might not expect: Hollywood.
New details have emerged from Trump’s private meeting with television personality and former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt at an exclusive Southern California fundraiser Tuesday. According to Pratt and the White House, the conversation included a potentially significant proposal for America’s entertainment industry: a 25% federal film tax credit aimed at bringing movie and television production back to the United States.
The proposal comes as California’s once-dominant entertainment industry faces major job losses and increasing competition from Canada, the United Kingdom, Hungary and other international production destinations.
For Trump, the idea could become another piece of his broader economic message emphasizing American jobs, domestic investment and industries producing more of their goods and services inside the United States.
But could Washington really help bring Hollywood back?
Trump And Spencer Pratt Discuss Bringing Hollywood Back
Pratt met with Trump at Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles, where the president was attending a private fundraiser.
Afterward, Pratt revealed that the two discussed ways to revive America’s film and television industry, including the possibility of establishing a 25% federal film tax credit.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Trump’s interest in revitalizing Hollywood.
Leavitt told the New York Post that Trump has long discussed making Hollywood successful again and supports efforts to restore America’s once-iconic film industry.
The White House also indicated that Trump has developed considerable respect for Pratt following his campaign for mayor of Los Angeles.
Pratt used the meeting to make a broader argument about California’s economic problems, criticizing state leadership while calling for entertainment production jobs to return to the United States.
His position is that America should not stand by while other countries attract productions that once would have been filmed in Hollywood and elsewhere in the United States.
Trump’s Proposed 25% Film Tax Credit Explained
The proposal discussed by Trump and Pratt could potentially give qualifying film and television productions a 25% federal tax credit for producing projects in America.
The basic argument behind such incentives is economic competitiveness.
Producing a major movie or television series can require hundreds or even thousands of workers. Studios consider labor expenses, locations, regulations, taxes and government incentives when deciding where to film.
Foreign governments have increasingly used financial incentives to attract American productions.
Canada, the United Kingdom and Hungary have all become major competitors for film and television projects.
Supporters of a federal tax incentive argue that America should compete for those productions rather than allowing jobs and investment to continue moving abroad.
However, important questions remain.
Any eventual federal proposal would need specific eligibility rules, and lawmakers would have to consider its cost, economic impact and potential return for taxpayers.
The proposal discussed with Pratt therefore represents an idea under consideration rather than a finalized federal policy.
California Has Lost More Than 100,000 Creative Jobs
The economic problems facing California’s entertainment industry are substantial.
A recent study from Otis College of Art and Design, produced in partnership with Westwood Economics and Planning Consultants, found that California’s creative economy lost approximately 114,000 jobs between 2022 and 2025.
That represents an estimated decline of about 14% in only three years.
Some entertainment sectors experienced considerably larger losses.
Employment connected to film, television and sound reportedly dropped nearly 30%, while traditional media employment declined by almost 34%.
Those figures illustrate why Hollywood’s problems extend well beyond famous actors and wealthy studio executives.
Thousands of ordinary workers depend on entertainment production for their livelihoods.
Hollywood Jobs Affect Working Americans
When most Americans hear the word “Hollywood,” they may immediately think of movie stars, red carpets and multimillion-dollar contracts.
But that represents only a small portion of the entertainment economy.
A major production can provide work for electricians, carpenters, camera operators, drivers, editors, costume designers, makeup artists, construction crews, caterers, security personnel, sound technicians and numerous small businesses.
Hotels, restaurants and local suppliers can also benefit when productions spend weeks or months filming in a community.
When a production moves from California to Canada, Britain or another foreign destination, many of those economic benefits can move with it.
That helps explain why bringing film production back to America has attracted support from people who may disagree on other political issues.
California Republicans Welcome Trump’s Hollywood Push
The possibility of encouraging more entertainment production in America is already attracting support from California Republicans.
Steve Hilton, the Republican candidate for governor of California, called the development “fantastic news” and said entertainment remains one of California’s signature industries.
Hilton has been working on his own proposal called Bringing Hollywood Home, which also includes federal tax incentives.
He said he has been discussing the industry’s future with actor Jon Voight and others involved in entertainment.
Scott Meyers, a Republican congressional candidate in California’s 30th District, which includes Burbank and Hollywood, also praised Pratt’s involvement.
Meyers argued that Los Angeles needs leaders who prioritize results, economic growth and practical solutions over political ideology.
According to the New York Post, a source within the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees also expressed support for Pratt’s advocacy and welcomed Trump’s involvement.
The interest from entertainment workers is significant because the economic health of Hollywood directly affects union members and skilled tradespeople whose jobs depend on productions remaining in the United States.
Trump Has Already Recruited Hollywood Stars
Trump’s meeting with Pratt isn’t his first move aimed at Hollywood.
In January 2025, Trump selected three well-known actors — Mel Gibson, Sylvester Stallone and Jon Voight — to serve as special ambassadors to Hollywood.
Trump said they would serve as his representatives to an entertainment industry he wanted to see become stronger and more successful.
The appointments attracted considerable attention because Hollywood has traditionally leaned heavily toward Democratic politics.
But Trump’s approach focuses less on Hollywood’s political reputation and more on its economic importance.
Movies and television programs remain major American exports, while the entertainment industry supports jobs and businesses throughout the country.
Trump’s argument is that an iconic American industry should be producing more of its content on American soil.
Why Are Movies Leaving Hollywood?
There isn’t one single reason productions have moved away from California.
Film studios consider numerous factors when choosing where to shoot, including production costs, wages, taxes, regulations, available workers, studio infrastructure and government incentives.
Competition between jurisdictions has become especially intense.
Governments around the world recognize that major productions can inject substantial amounts of money into local economies, so many have created incentives designed specifically to attract Hollywood studios.
California has its own film and television tax incentive programs, but the continuing decline in employment has fueled arguments over whether more needs to be done.
Critics of California’s political leadership also contend that high costs and the state’s broader business environment have made it more difficult to keep jobs.
A federal incentive could change the calculation by offering studios a benefit for choosing the United States regardless of which American state ultimately hosts the production.
Would A 25% Tax Credit Actually Work?
That’s likely to become the central economic question if Trump’s proposal moves forward.
Supporters could argue that sacrificing some federal tax revenue would be worthwhile if the policy generates enough new domestic employment, business activity and investment.
Critics could counter that taxpayers should not subsidize large entertainment companies and that the market should determine where movies are produced.
There is also the question of how a federal program would interact with existing state incentives.
Productions potentially could qualify for both federal and state benefits, depending on how any future legislation is structured.
Those details will matter considerably.
For now, the reported discussion between Trump and Pratt signals that the administration is exploring ways to make American film production more competitive.
Pratt’s Relationship With Trump Has Grown
The Hollywood conversation comes as Pratt appears to be developing a closer relationship with Trump.
In early July, Pratt posted a photograph showing himself and his son meeting with the president inside the Oval Office.
“I will never stop fighting for my community,” Pratt wrote alongside the image.
Trump had previously spoken positively about Pratt’s unsuccessful campaign for Los Angeles mayor.
Before the primary, Trump said he wanted to see Pratt “do well” and described him as a “character.”
After Pratt failed to advance to the runoff election, Trump publicly questioned the result and encouraged him to challenge his loss.
The latest meeting shows that their discussions have now moved beyond Los Angeles politics and into national economic policy.
Hollywood’s Problems Could Become A Political Issue
The declining entertainment industry creates an interesting political challenge for California.
Hollywood has been closely associated with liberal politics for decades, and many of its most prominent celebrities have been outspoken critics of Trump and the Republican Party.
Yet the workers affected by declining production aren’t necessarily celebrities.
They include middle-class Americans whose paychecks depend on keeping productions operating.
That creates an opening for Republicans to make a jobs-first argument.
Instead of focusing on Hollywood’s politics, Trump and his allies can focus on a simple economic question:
Why should American entertainment jobs move overseas if America can compete to keep them here?
For conservatives, the debate also raises an important question about the proper role of government.
A tax credit designed to encourage domestic production could fit Trump’s “America First” economic philosophy, but fiscal conservatives may still want evidence that such an incentive would generate enough economic activity to justify its cost.
That debate could become more important if the administration develops the proposal into an actual legislative plan.
Bringing Hollywood Jobs Back To America
Trump has made rebuilding American industry a major theme throughout his political career.
Manufacturing, automobiles, energy and international trade have received most of the attention.
Hollywood represents something different.
Unlike a steel mill or automobile factory, America’s entertainment industry produces intellectual property and cultural products that are consumed around the world.
Keeping more production inside the United States could therefore have both economic and cultural implications.
Supporters see an opportunity to strengthen an iconic American industry while providing work for thousands of skilled employees.
Whether a 25% federal film tax credit is ultimately the right solution remains an open question.
But the conversation itself shows that Hollywood’s economic decline is attracting attention at the highest levels of government.
What Happens Next?
For now, the 25% federal film tax credit remains a proposal discussed by Trump and Pratt rather than an enacted policy.
There has been no indication that Congress has approved such a nationwide incentive.
Any serious effort to establish one would likely generate debate over eligibility requirements, costs, potential job creation and whether taxpayer incentives should be used to encourage entertainment companies to produce domestically.
Those details will determine whether the proposal becomes a major economic initiative or remains simply an idea.
But with California losing tens of thousands of creative-sector jobs, pressure for action isn’t likely to disappear.
The Bottom Line
President Trump’s private meeting with Spencer Pratt has revealed a potentially significant new front in the debate over American jobs.
The two discussed a 25% federal film tax credit intended to encourage Hollywood studios to bring movie and television production back to the United States, according to Pratt.
The timing is notable.
California’s creative economy reportedly lost approximately 114,000 jobs from 2022 through 2025, while film, television and sound employment suffered particularly steep declines.
Trump and his allies believe the United States should compete more aggressively against Canada, the United Kingdom, Hungary and other international production destinations.
Supporters see an opportunity to restore American jobs and revive one of the country’s most famous industries. Skeptics will want to know what the proposal would cost taxpayers and whether the promised economic benefits would materialize.
Either way, Hollywood’s struggles are no longer simply an entertainment story.
They are becoming an American jobs, taxes and economic competitiveness story — and President Trump appears determined to put himself in the middle of it.