Earlier this month, President of the United States Donald Trump made a big, bold, splashy announcement. He announced that the next NFL draft will take place in Washington, D.C. Then, on May 5, 2025, the White House dropped a major centennial surprise that rocked the sports and entertainment worlds. This announcement was just a few days before Trump’s widely condemned proposal for a tariff on all foreign-made films.
While delivering his speech from the White House, Trump announced something quite audacious. To do so, he will first slap a 100% tariff on any movies not made in America. Well, he said at least he would meet with Hollywood studios to test out their appetite for such a proposal. “So we’re going to meet with the industry, I want to make sure they’re happy with it because we’re all about jobs,” Trump said.
The announcement regarding the NFL draft is seen as a strategic move to strengthen the relationship between sports and the nation’s capital. Trump emphasized the importance of this event, which will attract attention from fans and media alike.
A day before the scheduled hearing on tariffs on foreign content Trump did just that. This is the purpose of the Section 232 invocation, authorizing the Commerce Department and the U.S. trade representative to pursue the remedy. In his social media post, he expressed his intent 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.” This courageous action is intended to defend independent U.S. filmmakers and strengthen the American film industry.
In private meetings and conferences, Trump comforted industry stakeholders that he certainly did not want to destroy their business, just give them the means to prosper. “I’m not looking to hurt the industry, I want to help the industry,” he reiterated during his remarks at the White House.
As these conversations progress, everyone involved in the often-forgotten cross-section between the sports and entertainment industries are left waiting to see how this all plays out. The NFL draft’s location in Washington provides an opportunity for greater engagement between government officials and sports executives, while the proposed film tariffs present significant implications for international trade relationships.