‘I’ve Heard of Worse Things’: Trump Laughs Off China Blocking Hollywood Releases In Retaliation to Tariffs

President Donald Trump laughed off China blocking the release of Hollywood movies in retaliation against his tariffs.

China’s National Film Administration announced on Thursday that they will be reducing the number of American movies allowed to be released in the country amid a trade war with the United States. The news followed reports that the country’s communist party was considering a complete ban on Hollywood movies.

While Trump paused many of his tariffs this week, he increased China tariffs to more than 100%. That followed China putting in place their own retaliatory tariffs.

China officials announced Thursday that Trump’s “abuse [of] tariffs on China will inevitably further reduce the domestic audience’s favorability towards American films.”

China has become a shrinking market for Hollywood as the country already limits the number of releases and sometimes requires reedits so movies meet their communist government’s standards. It does, however, remain a major earner. A Minecraft Movie opened to more than $140 million last weekend.

Trump said at a cabinet meeting on Thursday that China has “ripped off” the United States for too long in trade deals.

The president said:

They have taken advantage for a long time, ripped us off. How people stood for it, sitting my position is not even believable. We’re talking about many presidents, not just a couple. They did. All we are doing is putting it back in shape, resetting the table. I’m sure we’ll be able to get along very well. I have great respect for president XI. He has been, in a true sense he has been a friend of mine for a long period of time. That will end up working out.

Asked about the news that China is retaliating by further reducing the amount of American releases, Trump said, “I’ve heard of worse things,” as he and his cabinet members laughed.

Watch above via Fox News.