President Donald Trump has found an unlikely ally as he pushes Congress to help rescue America’s struggling film and television industry.
One of Trump’s most persistent political adversaries now says he is in “strong agreement” with the president and wants Republicans and Democrats to work together.
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The agreement comes as Trump calls for a new federal production incentive designed to bring entertainment jobs back to the United States.
The proposal quickly earned the backing of Democratic California Sen. Adam Schiff, who has spent years battling Trump politically.
“I am in strong agreement with the President,” Schiff said in a post on X.
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“Congress should immediately take up and pass a federal film tax incentive to bring back these good-paying jobs that we’ve lost to other countries,” the California Democrat continued.
Schiff then made an unusually cooperative appeal after years of intense political conflict between the two men.
“Let’s work together — Republicans and Democrats — to get this done, and bring the movie magic back to America,” he said.
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Trump and Schiff finding common ground is particularly notable given their long and contentious history.
Schiff played a leading role in Trump’s first impeachment while serving in the House and has remained one of the president’s most prominent Democratic critics since Trump returned to the White House.
Their unexpected agreement comes amid significant difficulties for Hollywood following the COVID-19 pandemic and upheaval created by changes in the streaming business.
The motion picture and video industries have lost approximately 49,000 jobs since 2022, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics figures cited by Fox News.
Trump recently met with actor Jon Voight, who serves as a special ambassador to Hollywood, before publicly throwing his support behind federal incentives intended to encourage domestic film and television production.
Trump urged congressional leaders from both parties to move quickly on legislation.
“Congress should approve, immediately, a Federal Production Incentive to create Entertainment Jobs in America,” Trump said.
“It can be done quickly, accurately, efficiently and, importantly, will benefit ALL of America,” the president added.
Getting legislation through Congress quickly could prove difficult as lawmakers face a shortened September schedule before attention increasingly shifts toward the midterm elections.
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Trump nevertheless argues that immediate action is necessary as productions increasingly choose locations outside Hollywood and, in some cases, outside the United States.
California has already attempted to combat the problem by more than doubling its Film & Television Tax Credit Program to $750 million.
However, the state continues to face significant competition from other production hubs.
Georgia provides more than $1 billion in production tax incentives, while New York offers roughly $800 million, according to Fox News.
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American productions are also being lured overseas by incentives offered in countries including Canada and the United Kingdom.
Trump argued that the competitive disadvantage has severely damaged California’s entertainment industry.
“There is no incentive to be there, and it is hurting California very badly,” Trump said.
The president said Voight and others within the entertainment industry have encouraged the federal government to create tax incentives capable of making domestic production more competitive.
Trump said the goal would be to “Make our Movie and Television Production Business GREAT AGAIN, perhaps GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE!”
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Whether Congress ultimately embraces the proposal remains uncertain, but Trump has already secured support from one Democrat few would have expected to join him, Fox News reported.
I am in strong agreement with the President. Congress should immediately take up and pass a federal film tax incentive to bring back these good-paying jobs that we’ve lost to other countries.
Let’s work together — Republicans and Democrats — to get this done, and bring the movie… pic.twitter.com/adeBFYtbM3
— Senator Adam Schiff (@SenAdamSchiff) August 31, 2026
For once, Trump and Schiff agree that Washington should act — and Schiff is publicly asking both parties to work together to make it happen.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
