PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order to simplify filming processes in the city.
👥 Who’s Involved: Mayor Karen Bass, President Donald J. Trump, entertainment professionals, and the Department of Commerce.
📍 Where & When: Los Angeles, California; announcement made Tuesday, May 20, two weeks after President Trump’s tariff declaration.
💬 Key Quote: “Keeping entertainment production in L.A. means keeping good-paying jobs in L.A., and that’s what we are fighting for,” said Bass.
⚠️ Impact: The directive seeks to retain entertainment jobs in Los Angeles amidst competition from other U.S. locations and foreign countries.
IN FULL:
Democratic Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order on Tuesday designed to streamline the filmmaking process in Los Angeles, declaring her intent to keep entertainment production within the city. The announcement comes over two weeks after President Donald J. Trump revealed plans for a 100 percent tariff on foreign-produced movies, citing concerns over national security and economic harm.
Bass’s announcement appears to largely align with Trump’s push to reshore film productions, running counter to efforts by national Democratic Party leaders to undermine the President’s trade agenda. The National Pulse previously reported that Trump’s film tariff announcement also received backing from the Teamsters.
Bass’s directive aims to cut bureaucratic hurdles for filmmakers, making it easier to shoot at popular Los Angeles locations such as the Griffith Observatory, the L.A. Central Library, and the Port of Los Angeles. Additionally, the order reduces the requirement for city employees to be present during filming to just one, a move intended to lower costs for production teams.
“We are going to fight now,” Bass stated, continuing: “While we push for the tax credits to be passed in Sacramento, we need to do what we can today to impact building in Los Angeles.” She added: “Keeping entertainment production in L.A. means keeping good-paying jobs in L.A., and that’s what we are fighting for.”
The executive order comes amid increasing competition from other U.S. cities and foreign countries offering more affordable and accessible production options.
President Trump recently criticized Hollywood’s reliance on foreign incentives, describing it as a “national security threat” and a source of economic devastation. In a Truth Social post earlier this month, Trump explained his decision to authorize a 100 percent tariff on foreign-made films, stating, “Hollywood, and many other areas within the U.S.A., are being devastated… WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!”
Trump also highlighted the role of foreign film incentives in what he called “messaging and propaganda,” instructing the Department of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative to initiate the tariff process.
Image via U.S. Institute of Peace.
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