Reality television personality Spencer Pratt said he met with President Donald Trump on Aug. 4 at Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, to discuss a 25 percent federal tax credit for the film and television industry.
Pratt, a former Los Angeles mayoral candidate, announced his collaboration with the president to "bring back Hollywood."
California Gov. Gavin Newsom's office said the federal tax credit idea originated with Newsom last year. Pratt criticized Newsom, claiming the governor's film commissioner actively outsources production jobs to Hungary. Pratt also accused California Attorney General Rob Bonta of trying to harm state production companies.
Bonta's office is pursuing an antitrust lawsuit against the proposed $111 billion merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery. Pratt has publicly opposed the lawsuit, arguing it attempts to cripple two major film studios.
Support for a federal film tax credit extends beyond Pratt and the White House. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. has long advocated for such a program. Rep. Laura Friedman, D-Calif. and Rep. Brian Jack, R-Ga. are also key backers of potential legislation.
Industry unions SAG-AFTRA, the DGA and the WGA, along with studio executives and lobby groups, have championed a stackable incentive. Jon Voight, an actor and Trump's special ambassador to Hollywood, submitted a proposal in May to the White House for a 10 to 20 percent incentive.
Scott Karol, president of SP Media Group and part of Voight's advocacy team, said he welcomed support from anyone with the president's ear. Karol said the goal is securing a meaningful federal incentive and bringing well-paying jobs back to the United States.
The White House has not commented on the specifics of the conversation between Trump and Pratt. A representative for Pratt also declined to offer further details on the Aug. 4 meeting.
The entertainment industry has seen production levels drop in recent years, driven by the end of the "Peak TV" era, changing consumer habits and the 2023 Hollywood strikes. Pratt contends that Canada, the United Kingdom and Hungary have drawn production away from the United States with their own incentives.
California currently offers a $750 million incentives program. The proposed federal credit aims to complement existing state-level incentives, with proponents arguing it would make the United States more competitive globally.
David Ellison, head of Paramount Skydance, also traveled to Washington to lobby Republicans on the federal tax credit.
