President Donald Trump came away from a meeting with actor Jon Voight and two Hollywood producers very supportive of a federal tax incentive for film and TV productions. Something that may have caught Trump’s attention was the explanation by one of the producers that he would be forced to shoot a planned biopic of Richard Nixon outside of the U.S. unless there was an American tax incentive.
At Monday’s meeting at the White House with Trump, actor Jon Voight — who is Trump’s “special ambassador” to Hollywood — was joined by SP Media Group chairman and CEO Steven Paul and president Scott Karol. The meeting marked the latest step in an initiative that began when President Trump asked Voight, Paul and Karol to assess the challenges facing the U.S. entertainment industry and recommend measures to restore domestic production.
During the Aug. 31 meeting, Voight, Paul and Karol told the president that the industry had reached a critical point, with thousands of workers already losing jobs as producers are increasingly turning to Canada, the U.K., Australia and other markets offering competitive incentives.
Indeed, Paul cited his upcoming film about Nixon’s early years — which he said would need to be produced overseas without a viable U.S. tax incentive.
“President Trump’s public support is a major step forward for American film and television production,” Paul said in a statement. “This is about rebuilding an industry that creates high-paying jobs across the country and ensuring that American stories are made by American workers here at home. We look forward to working with leaders in both parties to turn this momentum into legislation.”
Karol told Trump that a federal incentive could revitalize the industry, return vital economic activity to the U.S. and support local communities nationwide, citing a forthcoming economic impact report prepared by the Motion Picture Association and the coalition.
“The president’s call for immediate, bipartisan action reflects the urgency facing American production,” Karol said. “A competitive federal incentive can help put crews back to work, keep investment in U.S. communities and create lasting economic benefits across the country.”
Voight, for his part, read an “impassioned letter” urging the president to respond to the industry’s growing workforce and production crisis, according to the group.
The group helped form a broad coalition supporting the initiative, following extensive discussions with entertainment unions, guilds, studio and streaming executives, producers, writers, directors, actors, talent agencies, state film commissioners and other industry leaders. The coalition includes the Motion Picture Association (MPA), SAG-AFTRA, Teamsters, the Writers Guild of America East and West, the Directors Guild of America, the Independent Film & Television Alliance, Producers United, IATSE, the Coalition of American Producers, Film USA and the Producers Guild of America.
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As part of the effort, Voight, Paul and Karol also met with MPA Chairman and CEO Charlie Rivkin and SVPs of federal government affairs Josh Rogin and Hap Rigby.
The MPA has been working with Voight to push for a 20% tax credit for U.S.-based productions.
The group first presented its recommendations to President Trump at Mar-a-Lago, identifying a federal film and television production incentive as its leading priority. After Trump initially raised the prospect of tariffs on films made outside of the U.S. as a possible solution, Voight, Paul and Karol continued working with the coalition, White House advisers and members of Congress to focus the proposal on a federal incentive. A subsequent White House meeting in May further advanced the approach as the group detailed production slowdowns across the country, including in Georgia.
Following Monday’s meeting, Trump posted on Truth Social: “Congress should approve, immediately, a Federal Production Incentive to create Entertainment Jobs in America,” calling on Republicans and Democrats to work together and immediately craft legislation.
In a follow-up post Tuesday, Trump wrote: “Great bipartisan response and support in Congress for the Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act. We will bring this once great industry BACK TO AMERICA. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Paul is an independent film producer and chairman and CEO of SP Media Group, based on the Paramount Pictures lot in Hollywood. SPMG maintains a co-financing agreement with Paramount Pictures to co-produce feature films and has financed and produced over 30 motion pictures in the past five years.
Pictured above (l. to r.): Jon Voight, Steven Paul, Donald Trump and Scott Karol in the Oval Office in May 2026
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