Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel mocks Donald Trump’s vague and controversial movie tariff plan, linking it to a brunch with Jon Voight and poking fun at its national security logic.
Trump’s “100% Movie Tariff” Plan Gets Roasted by Jimmy Kimmel: “Sonic the Hedgehog Is a National Security Threat Now”
Donald Trump’s murky proposal to rescue Hollywood by slapping a 100% tariff on foreign-made films became prime comedic material on Jimmy Kimmel Live Monday night. The late-night host didn’t hold back while analyzing the former president’s latest announcement, which Kimmel described as “aiming his wrecking ball at Hollywood.”
Reading directly from Trump’s post on Truth Social, Kimmel highlighted Trump’s claim that the U.S. movie industry was dying and that other nations were luring away American studios with tax incentives. Trump framed this exodus as a “national security threat,” prompting him to “authorize” the U.S. Commerce Department and Trade Representative to impose a sweeping 100% tariff on all foreign-produced films.
Kimmel, unfazed by the bombast, quipped, “We do? Because I don’t care where they’re made. I really don’t.”
In true Kimmel fashion, the host blended satire and absurdity: “It’s what the late, great Hannibal Lecter would’ve wanted… Sonic — the illegal immigrant hedgehog — is a national security threat and must be stopped!”
He also ridiculed Trump’s assertion that he had done “very strong research” over the past week, joking that it likely meant a brunch with actor Jon Voight at Mar-a-Lago. “This is where he reportedly got the idea — from Angelina Jolie’s 86-year-old father she doesn’t even talk to,” Kimmel added, to laughter.
Trump’s vague pronouncement raised eyebrows across Hollywood, with many unclear on the plan’s actual mechanics — or legality. Films, unlike imported goods, are intangible intellectual properties, making enforcement of such a tariff both unprecedented and highly complex.
As Variety reported, Trump’s statement followed a meeting with Jon Voight and producer Steven Paul, who proposed a broader entertainment industry recovery plan. Their agenda includes production incentives, tax code revisions, co-production treaties, and infrastructure support — with tariffs suggested only in “limited circumstances.” Trump, however, zeroed in on the most controversial element.
While Hollywood insiders continue to scratch their heads, Kimmel and the internet seem to agree: the proposal is more dramatic than any summer blockbuster.