President Donald Trump met with Mel Gibson backstage during UFC 290 on Saturday, fresh on the heels of the anti-child trafficking film Sound of Freedom, which Gibson urged everyone to go see earlier this month.
Gibson said last week, One of the most disturbing problems in our world today is human trafficking and particularly the trafficking of children.”
UFC boss Dana White also pledged to pay for all of his employees to see the groundbreaking film.
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Trump was joined by Gibson and Roger Stone backstage at the highly anticipated UFC event, which created a massive buzz given the fact that such strong personalities with outspoken views were together under such circumstances.
Trump emerged from backstage accompanied by UFC boss Dana White to a loving reception from an enthusiastic crowd.
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The ‘Sound of Freedom film surpassed $10 million in presales, with over one million tickets sold ahead of its premiere today, July 4.
The anti-child trafficking film received a 92 percent “fresh” rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and a 100 percent rating from audiences who have seen the movie ahead of its premiere.
In a review for Variety, Owen Gleiberman said, “You needn’t hold extreme beliefs to experience ‘Sound of Freedom’ as a compelling movie that shines an authentic light on one of the crucial criminal horrors of our time, one that Hollywood has mostly shied away from.”
Gleiberman added that the media shows drug trafficking in excess, but “Child sex trafficking, by contrast, isn’t a subject that lends itself to ‘entertainment.'”
“But as ‘Sound of Freedom’ informs us, it’s the fastest growing international criminal network the world has ever seen,” Gleiberman wrote.
“A closing title states — accurately — that there are more people enslaved now by sex trafficking than when slavery was legal,” he added.
Sound of Freedom is based on the true story of former government agent Tim Ballard who embarked on a mission to save children from human traffickers and pedophiles.
In the film, actor Jim Caviezel, who portrays Ballard, addresses the audience with a heartfelt message, acknowledging the obstacles faced by the film during production and highlighting the horrors of the sex trafficking industry.
CEO of Angel Studios, Neal Harmon, spoke about the film’s success, saying, “This movie has now taken on a life of its own to become something more than that, a grassroots movement.”
READ: Trump Pledges to Seek the Death Penalty on Human Traffickers When Back in White House
