Hollywood's biggest fears about Donald Trump are coming true: From Taylor Swift to Stephen Colbert, what celebrities got right about Trump's second term
One issue that was brought up time and again was Trump's threats to marginalised communities, anti-diversity policies, aggressive immigration enforcement, and more. Rosie O'Donnell, who shares a nonbinary child with her late ex-wife Michelle Rounds, moved to Ireland three months ago. She has been clear about her reasons: 'He is a dangerous old soulless man with dementia who lacks empathy, compassion, and basic humanity—I stand in direct opposition to all he represents, so do millions of others.' Her fears about losing equal rights for her family were far from unfounded. Since day one of his second term, the administration has issued executive actions targeting the LGBTQ+ community, in healthcare, legal system, and education. On July 17, the government reportedly ended the nation's specialised mental health services for LGBTQ+ individuals. Trump began his second term with a focus on declaring the U.S. would recognise only two sexes, male and female. Many of his policies have rolled back protections for LGBTQ+ people, especially targeting transgender rights, including ban on judicial appointments and military enlistment.
Jamie Lee Curtis, whose daughter is trans, has also been vocal about policies. 'We're going to have to fight for trans rights again. They're going to try to take that away.' Eva Longoria called the country 'dystopian' and revealed concerns for those who don't have money to leave America, unlike other Hollywood A-listers fleeing the country.
Also Read: 'Donald Trump asked me out right after my divorce': Emma Thompson claims she could have changed the course of American political history
Hollywood is not very happy about President Donald Trump's idea of imposing a 100% tax on films made outside of the United States. Several Hollywood producers, most of whom chose to remain anonymous, said the plan will hurt movie business a lot. They say it might stop movies from being made because making movies in other countries is cheaper. Hollywood often shoots movies outside the U.S. to save money. 'If the stunt is Tom Cruise climbing up the Eiffel Tower, what are we supposed to do, shoot at the replica Eiffel Tower in Las Vegas?' said an entertainment lawyer to CNN earlier.
Meanwhile, Trump cited the reason as to protect the 'fast death' of American film industry saying other countries are 'stealing' movie jobs by making films there instead of the U.S. and he wants to protect the jobs and make Hollywood stronger again.
Also Read: Stephen Colbert slams Donald Trump's India tariffs, warns it will hurt Americans: 'Never a great sign to be compared to…'
Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi moving to the UK permanently is one of the clearest examples of how Donald Trump's presidency has pushed away those who oppose him. The list includes America Ferrera and Rosie O'Donnell, who left citing exhaustion and fear. Richard Gere, though a vocal Trump critic, hasn't directly linked his move to this, but Sharon Stone and Cher have both threatened to leave the US. Eva Longoria, calling the country 'dystopian,' said she's moving full-time to Spain and Mexico with her family. By the time election results came in, Courtney Love had already left for London, planning to apply for UK citizenship, fearing the 'frightening' US government. Even Meghan Markle's former 'Suits' co-star Gabriel Macht announced in March that he and his family were leaving the US.
Donald Trump ran his entire presidential campaign on immigration policies as part of his Make America Great Again agenda. For weeks now, aggressive ICE raids have wrecked havoc in the country, and many celebs have spoken out against the mass arrests and deportations, even targeting immigrants who live here legally. Stars like Olivia Rodrigo, Tyler, the Creator, Kim Kardashian, and others have raised their voices in support of immigrants. Selena Gomez even shared a tearful video after Trump's inauguration, mourning the children and families being torn apart.
One of the biggest issues where Donald Trump started losing women supporters was his push to ban abortion. Soon after taking office, he pardoned people convicted of blocking abortion clinics. The government also scrapped a rule that helped active military members and their families travel to get reproductive health services, including abortion, in restricted states. According to the Associated Press, the administration is working to end emergency abortion protections along with other related rules. Stars like Jennifer Lawrence, Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Chelsea Handler, Oprah Winfrey, and many others have spoken out strongly for reproductive rights. Trump, however, says he has no regrets about his handpicked Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022.
Simply put, Donald Trump isn't a fan of certain Hollywood figures, including late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, and Jimmy Fallon, as well as pop stars like Taylor Swift, many of whom he has openly criticised. Kimmel has targeted Trump repeatedly, who fired back by calling him 'talentless' and suggested he'll be the next to get booted off the air after Colbert. Rumours swirled that Colbert was dropped because of his jab at Trump during a 60 Minutes interview, though CBS denies it. Trump, however, has gloated about Colbert's exit, claiming he was partly responsible.
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Economic Times
2 minutes ago
- Economic Times
The nearly 150-year old law that Trump is testing with domestic troop deployment
AP As President Donald Trump pushes the bounds of military activity on domestic soil, a debate has emerged over a nearly 150-year old law that regulates when federal troops can intervene in state issues. About 800 National Guard troops filed into Washington, D.C., on Tuesday after President Donald Trump said - without substantiation - that they were needed to reduce crime in the "lawless" national capital. Thousands of miles away, a judge in California is hearing arguments about whether the president's recent decision to federalize Guard personnel in Los Angeles during protests against immigration raids violated federal law. Trump has also created militarized zones along the U.S.-Mexico border as part of a major shift that has thrust the army into immigration enforcement like never before. The cases in both California and Washington mainly hinge on Posse Comitatus Act, which passed in 1878 and largely prevents the military from enforcing domestic laws. Experts say that in both cases there are clear limitations to the law's enforcement. Here is what to know about the law. Posse Comitatus Act stops military from enforcing US law The Posse Comitatus Act is a criminal statute that prevents the military from enforcing domestic law. It also prevents the military from investigating local crimes, overriding local law enforcement or compelling certain behavior. Posse Comitatus can be bypassed by a congressional vote or in order to defend the Constitution. The Insurrection Act of 1807 can also trigger the suspension of the Posse Comitatus Act and allows the president to deploy the military domestically in cases of invasion or rebellion. There is an exception for the U.S. Coast Guard, which has some law enforcement responsibility. The military is also allowed to share intelligence and certain resources if there is an overlwith civilian law enforcement jurisdiction, according to the Library of Congress. Law was enacted after Reconstruction era The law was enacted in 1878 following the post-Civil War era known as Reconstruction. Pro-segregationist representatives in Congress wanted to keep the military from blocking the enforcement of Jim Crow laws that allowed racial segregation. But the spirit of the law also has roots going all the way back to the Revolutionary War, when the founders of the United States were scarred by the British monarchy's absolute military control, said William C. Banks, a professor at the Syracuse University College of Law. "We have a tradition in the United States, which is more a norm than a law, that we want law enforcement to be conducted by civilians, not the military," Banks said. That ethos - ingrained in National Guard personnel starting in basic training - becomes especially powerful in the case of the Posse Comitatus Act, because the law has hardly been tested before now, said Steve Vladeck, a professor of law at the Georgetown University Law Center. "There is no authoritative precedent on exactly where these lines are, and so that's why over the years the military's own interpretation has been so important," Vladeck said. Law applies to 'federalized' troops The Posse Comitatus Act typically doesn't apply to the National Guard because members of the Guard report to the governor, not the federal government. But when Guard personnel are "federalized" they are bound by the act until they are returned to state control, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. The state of California said in a federal lawsuit that the Trump administration violated the act when it deployed National Guard soldiers and U.S. Marines to Los Angeles following June protests over immigration raids. The Trump administration has argued that the Posse Comitatus Act does not apply because the president used a provision known as Title 10 to federalize the troops. It allows the president to call the National Guard into federal service when the country "is invaded," when "there is a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government," or when the president is otherwise unable "to execute the laws of the United States." Attorneys for the federal government also argue that the troops are not enforcing domestic laws and are only acting to protect federal property and agents. In Washington, by contrast, the president is already in charge of the National Guard and can legally deploy troops for 30 days without congressional approval. Vladeck said that both deployments over the past three months suggest that the Trump administration "appears to be trying to dance around the Posse Comitatus Act" rather than disregard it altogether. "There is a lot in the water about the Trump administration being lawless. What is striking is actually how much the administration is trying to wrap itself in the law," Vladeck said. Law depends on executive branch policing itself Beyond the legal exceptions written into the law, there is a practical question of how to enforce it, said Joseph Nunn, counsel in the Brennan Center for Justice's Liberty and National Security Program. Because the Posse Comitatus Act is a criminal statute, not a civil one, the U.S. Department of Justice is responsible for prosecution in criminal court, Nunn said. "It's premised on the executive branch policing itself," he said. That leaves unclear legal standing for whether a state government like California's has a right to sue in civil court in the first place. The ruling in the California case will likely be a narrow interpretation based on the circumstances of the Guard's deployment in Los Angeles, Vladeck said. But he said it could still dictate how the administration uses the Guard in other cities like Chicago and New York, where Trump has threatened to federalize troops next. 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Indian Express
2 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Our relationship with both India and Pakistan is ‘good': US
America's relationship with both India and Pakistan is 'good', the US State Department has said, asserting that the diplomats are 'committed to both nations'. Speaking at a briefing on Tuesday, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said that the US working with both nations is good news for the region and the world, and will promote a beneficial future. 'I would say that our relationship with both nations is as it has been, which is good. And that is the benefit of having a President who knows everyone, talks to everyone, and that is how we can bring differences together in this case. So it's clear that the diplomats here are committed to both nations,' Bruce said. She was responding to a question on the possibility of increased US assistance to Islamabad in terms of arms sales following Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir's meeting with Trump, and whether this was coming at the cost of Trump's relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Referring to the May conflict between India and Pakistan, Bruce added, 'Obviously, we had an experience with Pakistan and India when there was a conflict, one that could have developed into something quite horrible.' She said that there was 'immediate concern and immediate movement' with Vice President J D Vance, President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in 'addressing the nature of what was happening….we described the nature of the phone calls, the work that we did to stop the attacks and to then bring the parties together so we could have something that was enduring.' She also claimed that top leaders in the US were involved in 'stopping that potential catastrophe.' New Delhi has been maintaining that India and Pakistan halted their military actions following direct talks between their militaries without any mediation by the US. Bruce added that the recent peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan 'follows negotiated peace arrangements between Cambodia and Thailand, Israel and Iran, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, India and Pakistan, Egypt and Ethiopia and Serbia and Kosovo.' Meanwhile, in an interview on Tuesday, Rubio said that 'credit goes to' Trump for helping bring several conflicts around the world to an end. Trump says he wants 'to be the President of peace. And so any time we see a conflict where we think we can make a difference, we get involved, and we've had good success in that regard. India-Pakistan, Thailand-Cambodia, the peace deal with Azerbaijan and Armenia, just a few days ago,' he said in an interview with 'Sid and Friends in the Morning'.
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Business Standard
2 minutes ago
- Business Standard
US to end 'Dropbox' visa renewals from Sept 2: Students, workers to be hit
The United States will soon shut down its Interview Waiver Programme—better known as the 'Dropbox' facility—for most non-immigrant visas, including work and student categories. The change takes effect from September 2, 2025, and will force the majority of applicants to attend in-person interviews, even if they have a clean visa history. For years, Dropbox allowed eligible travellers to skip the face-to-face interview and submit documents at a designated location instead. It was a faster, less stressful option, particularly for Indian professionals and students. But as part of US President Donald Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act', signed on July 4, the policy is being rolled back in the name of 'enhancing security' and tightening screening. Immigration attorney Emily Neumann warned, 'If you're planning international travel or visa renewal this autumn, don't assume you're eligible for interview waiver (Dropbox) processing anymore. The State Department is ending waiver eligibility for most visa categories, including H-1B, L-1, F-1, and J-1.' What is changing under the new policy • Most interview waivers for visa renewals, including H-1B, H-4, L1, F, M, O1 and J, will end. • Children under 14 and seniors over 79 will no longer qualify. • Only certain diplomatic or official visas—A, G, NATO and TECRO—remain eligible. • A narrow set of B-1/B-2 tourist and business visa renewals can still avoid interviews, but only under strict criteria. • Even if you qualify, a consular officer can still require an interview. Why the change hits India hard India is among the top users of the Dropbox service. US consulates in India already face some of the world's longest visa wait times, and removing this facility is expected to: • Spike demand for interview slots • Push wait times into several months • Disrupt project schedules for companies employing H-1B staff • Delay academic plans for students Some applicants have already seen Dropbox slots for August and September cancelled, with instructions to book in-person interviews instead. What applicants should do if appointments are cancelled • Check your email for a cancellation notice from your US consular post. • Log in to your visa profile to confirm and rebook. • Restart the application to respond to updated eligibility questions. • Note that cancellations do not count towards your maximum number of reschedules. Practical impact for travellers and employers 'The impact of these changes will be immediate and far-reaching,' said immigration lawyer Reddy. 'Consular posts will see increased demand for appointments, especially in high-volume categories such as student and work visas. Wait times, backlogs and delays are expected through the autumn and holiday seasons.' Reddy added, 'Anyone in the United States on valid status but with an expired visa—or whose most recent visa was in a different category—should be cautious about travelling. These individuals will now need an in-person interview before re-entering the US, and given the risk of delays or denials, non-essential travel should be avoided.' Steps to prepare for the change • Begin the DS-160 application early and pay the MRV fee promptly. • Gather all supporting documents in advance. • Monitor the website of your local US embassy or consulate for updates. • Allow extra time for both interview booking and visa processing. • Employers should adjust onboarding or travel plans for staff accordingly. Who can still use the interview waiver A narrow set of applicants will retain interview waiver eligibility: • Diplomatic and official visas: A-1, A-2, C-3 (except attendants/servants), G-1 to G-4, NATO-1 to NATO-6, and TECRO E-1. • Certain B-1/B-2 tourist and business visa or Border Crossing Card renewals—only if the previous visa was full-validity, expired within the last 12 months, was issued when the applicant was over 18, and is being renewed in the same category in the country of nationality or residence, with no prior refusals or ineligibility. Even then, consular officers may require an interview at their discretion.
