Kristen Stewart Says Trump’s Film Policies Could Push Her Out of the U.S.

Actor Kristen Stewart says she may leave the United States because of President Donald Trump’s America-first approach to the film industry, which she argues is making it harder for artists to work freely.

In an interview with The Times, Stewart said she is increasingly focused on developing her career in Europe, where she believes independent filmmaking is more viable under current conditions.

Stewart pointed to Trump’s proposed tariffs on movies made outside the United States as a major concern for filmmakers. She described the idea of imposing tariffs on foreign-made films as “terrifying” for the global film industry, warning that it could discourage collaboration and limit creative freedom.

Although the tariff proposal has not moved forward, Stewart said the threat alone has had a chilling effect.

Her directorial debut, The Chronology of Water, was filmed in Latvia, a decision Stewart said was necessary because making the film in the U.S. would have been “impossible.”

She explained that she needed what she described as a radical detachment from the American system in order to make her first film as a director.

While Stewart said she does not want to completely abandon the U.S., she made clear that Europe is becoming central to her creative future. Trump’s proposed film tariffs remain under discussion but have not yet been implemented.