Director Spike Lee is the latest woke Hollywood celebrity to take aim at President Donald Trump’s suggestion of a 100 percent U.S. tariff on foreign film imports at Cannes this season’s festival.
During a panel this week, the Highest 2 Lowest director was asked what he thought about the ill effects of social media on society. But Lee used that question to pivot to an attack on Trump.
“I don’t know how much we can talk about American values considering who is the president,” he exclaimed, according to Variety.
“My wife said, ‘Spike, be very careful what you say!’ But here’s the thing, I don’t think we can condemn social media. People say the same thing about film or whatever. So, I’m not going to demonize the form,” he added.
He also addressed the tariff issue a few moments later and noted that people are “hurting.”
“No one’s working,” Lee explained. “The guy just said he wanted to put a tariff on every film that shot… I don’t know how that’s going to work.”
“People are hurting,” Lee continued, “no one’s working. There’s this guy [Trump] who wants to put a tariff on every film that shoots [outside the U.S.]. I don’t know how that’s going to work. I don’t have the answer, but I love to shoot [in New York]… There’s just some things you can replicate. It’s the vibe, it’s an energy. I’m very lucky that I’ve been able to shoot films that place in New York.”
WATCH:
Spike Lee on Donald Trump's plan to put a tariff on movies shot outside the U.S.: "The guy just said he wanted to put a tariff on every film that shot… I don’t know how that’s going to work. I don’t have the answer for that, but I love to shoot." https://t.co/EkomLqCvtT pic.twitter.com/DN4OJPlwZT
— Variety (@Variety) May 20, 2025
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