Spencer Pratt — reality television personality, former Los Angeles mayoral candidate, and self-styled Hollywood advocate — says he met with President Donald Trump to discuss a 25% federal tax credit for the film and television industry.

Pratt announced the plan on Instagram and X on August 7, 2026, posting a photo of himself with Trump and the caption: "Working with the President on a 25% FEDERAL film tax credit to bring back Hollywood" (Deadline). The photo was taken at Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, on August 4 (Deadline).

The 25% figure refers to a proposed federal tax credit — a government incentive that reduces the tax bill of qualifying productions, encouraging studios to film domestically rather than abroad. Most existing film tax credits in the United States operate at the state level, with states like Georgia and New York offering competitive packages to lure productions. A federal credit would be a new mechanism, applied nationwide.

Pratt, best known for appearing on the MTV reality series The Hills, has spent the past year building an unlikely political profile. He ran for mayor of Los Angeles in 2026, launching his campaign on the one-year anniversary of the wildfires that devastated parts of the city. He finished third in the election, missing a runoff spot that went to incumbent Karen Bass and Councilmember Nithya Raman (Deadline; Wikipedia).

Trump endorsed Pratt's mayoral bid in June 2026, calling him "A Big MAGA Person" on social media (The Hollywood Reporter via X). At the time, The Hollywood Reporter noted that Trump's endorsement could hurt Pratt's chances in a heavily Democratic city.

Beyond the tax credit, Pratt has been waging a separate fight against media consolidation. On X, he has argued that the proposed Paramount Skydance–Warner Bros. merger is "illegal and not a done deal" and stated he is continuing to make his case in court (X/@spencerpratt). He has framed the merger as harmful to consumers, posting that "when massive corporations consolidate power, prices go up and quality goes down."

He has also posted sharp criticism directed at an unnamed individual — "He has ZERO problem with Hollywood crashing and burning. Mark already got his bag" — in a July 24 message on X (X/@spencerpratt). The reference and its target have not been clarified.

What makes this unusual is the messenger. Pratt has no background in film finance, tax policy, or studio administration. His career has been built entirely in reality television and social media. Yet he is now positioning himself as an advocate for the entertainment industry at the federal level, meeting with a sitting president and publicly opposing a major corporate merger.

Whether the proposed 25% federal film tax credit advances beyond a conversation is not yet known. No legislation has been introduced, and the White House has not issued a statement on the proposal independently of Pratt's posts. The film and television industry has lobbied for federal production incentives for years without success; state-level credits remain the primary tool for attracting productions.

For an industry watching jobs migrate to other states and countries with more generous incentives, the idea of a federal credit is not new. The fact that Spencer Pratt is the one bringing it to the Oval Office is.