Former President Donald Trump will host a film screening of the anti-human trafficking film “Sound of Freedom” at his Bedminster, NJ golf course next week, his campaign announced Thursday.
Starring Jim Cavielzel, the movie is based on the real-life mission of Tim Ballard, a Homeland Security agent who fought to rescue children from sex traffickers in Colombia. Ballard will attend the screening with Trump and the film’s director, Eduardo Verástegui, who previously served on Trump’s Advisory Committee on Hispanic Prosperity.
"Club members and supporters” will also be present at the screening, according to a press release.
The screening comes as the film continues to face attacks for alleged links to QAnon. Cavielzel, an open believer of the “big tent” conspiracy, twice spoke at QAnon conventions in the past to describe the dangers of traffickers’ supposed child blood-harvesting tactics.
As a result, outlets such as Los Angeles Times and The Hollywood Reporter have refused to pen reviews of “Sound of Freedom.” Other publications, such as Rolling Stone, have openly lambasted the film, likening it to “a superhero movie for dads with brainworms.” An article in The Guardian said that “decent people who wish to live good, happy lives” should avoid searching for the film via Twitter.
Despite these attacks, the low-budget film beat Disney’s “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” in ticket sales on its opening day.
During his presidency, Trump took an aggressive stance against child trafficking, signing an executive order directing law enforcement to prioritize efforts against trafficking in his first month in office. In 2017, U.S. human trafficking convictions rose by 14%.
In 2019, Ballard and Trump met at the White House to discuss anti-trafficking strategies, such as a wall along the southern Mexico border and other immigration policies. Trump also backed nine pieces of bipartisan legislation that combatted human trafficking.