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Trump Slammed Over Plan To Impose Massive Tariff On Films Made Outside The U.S.
"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."
" 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!"
"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!"
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social
Speaking to reporters Sunday night after returning from another weekend spent in Florida on the taxpayers' dime, Trump said:
"Other nations have been stealing the movie-making capabilities from the United States. If they’re not willing to make a movie inside the United States we should have a tariff on movies that come in."
People are giving Trump’s latest proclamation all the seriousness it deserves.
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People who actually know about film production say Trump's latest tariff target makes no logical or logistical sense.
Entertainment consultant Kathryn Arnold told TIME:
"I know it’s not the U.S. government or the President’s job to understand how movies are made, but if you understand how complex and interconnected the global film market is—both on a production and a distribution level—it’s devastating and doesn’t make any sense."
Trump didn't provide any details. One thing industry insiders asked to have clarified is how movies shot on location around the world would be taxed and who would have to pay the tariff.
But instead of answers, Monday brought more waffling from the Trump administration which now says the tariffs aren't a definite thing until they speak to the film industry.
Maybe Trump should have started with that step.
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'White Lotus' Stars Hilariously Shut Down Fan-Fueled Feud Rumors With Iconic Photoshoot
Jason Isaacs, who played chaotic financier Timothy Ratliff, described the set as “a theater camp, but to some extent an open prison camp” in The Guardian, mentioning that “alliances, romances, and friendships formed and broke,” and admitting he wasn’t immune to the off-screen drama. His wife, he said, called some castmates “mad.”
Meanwhile, Walton Goggins, who played the emotionally distant Rick Hatchett, spoke to Cultured about his intense method acting, saying he remained isolated during filming to reflect his character’s solitude. He said a co-star complimented his work on Fallout, and he said of the filming process for the new hit show that “Every day was f**king horrible.”
But any lingering gossip was put to rest on May 3, when Isaacs posted playful photos of himself and Goggins on Instagram, clearly on good terms. “Hey, all you genius online sleuths — see any beef?!! #RicksAlive!!!” he joked in the caption.
Their post had fans breathing a sigh of relief—and laughing at how quickly the internet’s drama radar can go off the rails.
People were pretty much immediately impressed and amused.
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The fact that they even addressed it had people laughing.
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Some folks needed more information.
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Many people found the fact that Isaacs tagged Duke University in the photo hilarious. The university recently came forward and condemned an episode of White Lotus where Isaac’s character Timothy, who notably is a Duke alum in the series, imagined a murder-suicide as part of an episode while wearing Duke attire.
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But really, folks were just happy to see them getting along.
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White Lotus is viewable on Max.
Billie Lourd Shares Sweet Photo Of Her Kids To Honor Late Mom Carrie Fisher For Star Wars Day
This year, actor Billie Lourd, who played Lieutenant Kaydel Ko Connix in Star Wars episodes 7-9—The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker—shared a special tribute.
In addition to being a member of the Star Wars cast, Lourd is the only child of franchise icon Carrie Fisher. A cast member of the original 1977 film, A New Hope, Fisher played Princess diplomat-turned rebel General Leia Organa through six of nine films and other related Star Wars productions even after her death in 2016.
To honor Star Wars Day and her late mother, Lourd shared a photo on Instagram of her own children watching their grandmother in Return of the Jedi.
You can see her post here:
The photo features her 4-year-old son, Kingston Fisher Rydell, and 2-year-old daughter, Jackson Joanne Rydell, who she shares with husband, actor Austen Rydell.
The official Star Wars franchise account shared some love.
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People loved the tribute to the late beloved actor.
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On May 4, 2023, Lourd accepted her mother's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Germany Claps Back After Marco Rubio Criticizes Them For Surveilling Far-Right Party
He posted:
"Germany just gave its spy agency new powers to surveil the opposition. That’s not democracy—it’s tyranny in disguise."
"What is truly extremist is not the popular AfD—which took second in the recent election—but rather the establishment’s deadly open border immigration policies that the AfD opposes."
"Germany should reverse course."
Alternative für Deutschland (AfD)—Alternative for Germany in English—is a far-right political party in Germany. They oppose immigration and citizenship for those not "ethnically" German—a.k.a. Aryan. Their antisemitic, White supremacist, and Christian nationalist rhetoric matches the things spouted by similar groups in the United States that have allied themselves with Trump's MAGA movement.
Unwilling to take advice from an administration that supports and pardons domestic terrorists, the German Foreign Office responded to Rubio's post.
They wrote:
"This is democracy. This decision is the result of a thorough & independent investigation to protect our Constitution & the rule of law."
"It is independent courts that will have the final say. We have learnt from our history that rightwing extremism needs to be stopped."
The Trump administration has publicly embraced and promoted the AfD, including holding meetings between AfD leadership and Vice President JD Vance and by Elon Musk appearing virtually at their national convention.
People called out the Trump administration's audacity.
This latest exchange has pundits wondering what allies the United States still has.
Trump Ripped After Declaring That He Wants To Reopen Alcatraz As A Prison
Now a major historical landmark and popular tourist destination, Alcatraz Island was once one of the most heavily fortified military installations on the West Coast. In 1934, it was converted into a maximum-security federal penitentiary, gaining notoriety as a “last resort” prison reserved for the most dangerous and disruptive inmates.
Trump now wants to revive Alcatraz, as he said in a post on Truth Social:
"REBUILD, AND OPEN ALCATRAZ! For too long, America has been plagued by vicious, violent, and repeat Criminal Offenders, the dregs of society, who will never contribute anything other than Misery and Suffering. When we were a more serious Nation, in times past, we did not hesitate to lock up the most dangerous criminals, and keep them far away from anyone they could harm."
"That's the way it's supposed to be. No longer will we tolerate these Serial Offenders who spread filth, bloodshed, and mayhem on our streets. That is why, today, I am directing the Bureau of Prisons, together with the Department of Justice, FBI, and Homeland Security, to reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt ALCATRAZ, to house America's most ruthless and violent Offenders."
"We will no longer be held hostage to criminals, thugs, and Judges that are afraid to do their job and allow us to remove criminals, who came into our Country illegally. The reopening of ALCATRAZ will serve as a symbol of Law, Order, and JUSTICE. We will, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"
You can see his post below.
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social
But Trump's proposal ignores some crucial facts.
By the time Alcatraz prison shut down in 1963, its facilities had deteriorated significantly, with salty sea air corroding its walls. The federal government estimated that restoring and maintaining the site would cost between $3 million and $5 million—excluding daily operating expenses.
After its closure, the island remained largely unused until 1969, when Native American activists occupied it for 19 months, citing the Treaty of Fort Laramie and demanding its return.
Today, Alcatraz is managed by the National Park Service and attracts around 1.2 million tourists annually. Reopening it as a prison would not only forfeit that tourism revenue but also disrupt the island’s vibrant bird habitat.
When asked how he came up with the idea to reopen Alcatraz, Trump made a comment about being a "moviemaker" at heart and said the site "represents something very strong and powerful in terms of law and order," adding:
"It housed the most violent criminals in the world and nobody ever escaped. ... It represented something strong having to do with law and order. We need law and order in this country so we're going to be looking at it. We'll see if we can bring it back in large form, add a lot."
"I think it represents something but right now it's a big hulk that's sitting there rusting and rotting. ... It sort of represents something that's horrible and beautiful and strong and miserable. Weak. It's got a lot of qualities that are interesting."
You can hear what he said in the video below.
Trump was swiftly called out.
Federal corrections experts and historians caution that reopening Alcatraz would be largely for “the optics,” not practicality.
Michael Esslinger, a historian who’s written extensively on the island, said the plan “doesn’t make the most sense financially,” especially considering the high cost of restoring the facility and the fact that it’s “nearly three times more expensive to operate” than other federal prisons.
Experts also note the broader strain on the prison system, including staffing shortages and a federal mandate to reduce spending, making such a project “symbolic” at best.