Rubio pushes military to reschedule 'Sound of Freedom' screenings

Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio wants United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) to reschedule planned screenings of the anti-trafficking film "Sound of Freedom."

SOUTHCOM previously planned to show the film on Aug. 28 and Oct. 19, with U.S. Army Garrison-Miami (USAG-M) stating that the screenings would help to educate military personnel about a relevant issue to their station. SOUTHCOM claimed it feared copyright infringement claims should it host the screenings.

Rubio, however, is urging the military to reconsider and wrote to SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Laura Richardson on Wednesday, The Hill reported. The Florida senator observed that "the producers and distributors of 'Sound of Freedom' have consented" to the screenings and noted that Angel Studios had offered to meet with SOUTHCOM over the matter.

"Since the concern which led to the cancellation has now been addressed, I urge you to rectify this situation and ensure that the screenings of the film be rescheduled without delay," he told Richardson.

The film is based on the true story of Department of Homeland Security Agent Tim Ballard, who left his position to rescue child-trafficking victims. The film stars Jim Caviezel and has become a surprise hit at the box office. "Sound of Freedom" has attracted scrutiny from left-wing outlets, however, which have excoriated the movie as "QAnon-adjacent."

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.