Senatorial candidate and mayor of Riverton, Utah, Trent Staggs (R) expressed support for Utah’s celebrity anti-trafficking activist Tim Ballard, who has suffered the brunt of leftist attacks in recent weeks over a newly released movie based on his life, as it documents a sex trafficking rescue operation he headed.
On Friday, Staggs lauded Utah native and former Homeland Security agent Tim Ballard — the subject of Sound of Freedom — the crowd-funded film based on his pursuit to rescue child sex trafficking victims.
Mayor Trent Staggs (Facebook/Mayor Trent Staggs)
In an exclusive statement to Breitbart News, Staggs praised Ballard for having “done more to bring awareness to the greatest humanitarian crisis of our day than almost anyone alive.”
“Every parent alive should be thankful,” he continued. “He has put his life on the line to protect children across the globe and shine a light on the darkest part of our society.”
According to Staggs, the “leftist attack” on Ballard is “just a sign of the dark times we live in.”
“Few will ever do more for humanity than Tim. Few will ever risk so much. Those who attempt to destroy him for a political agenda must know that we will not sit silent,” he concluded.
On Thursday, the Riverton mayor encouraged everyone to see the “incredible” film and “become educated on the horrific reality of human trafficking and commit to do all in our power to stop these atrocities.”
Alisha and I were finally able to see #SoundOfFreedom last night. I encourage everyone to see this incredible movie and become educated on the horrific reality of human trafficking and commit to do all in our power to stop these atrocities. God bless @TimBallard for his courage… pic.twitter.com/gOoAVZe7oV
— Mayor Trent Staggs (@MayorStaggs) July 21, 2023
He also commended Ballard for his “courage and dedication to rescuing those who have been enslaved.”
“God’s children are not for sale!” he declared.
Sound of Freedom, released on July 4 by Angel Studios — the company behind the runaway hit series The Chosen — features Jim Caviezel, the Hollywood veteran best known as the leading man in The Passion of the Christ.
Producer Eduardo Verástegui said he was drawn to the story of Ballard after meeting with the former agent and hearing about the horrific realities of the sex trafficking industry.
Left-wing media outlets, including Vice and NPR, have attacked Ballard, as the movie’s success spurred the mainstream news media to launch a coordinated smear campaign, with CNN, the New York Times, the Guardian, and Rolling Stone all repeating the allegation that the movie supports “QAnon” — the left’s catch-all term used to smear conservatives as conspiracy theorists.
The movie’s star, Jim Caviezel, responded to the smears, arguing that the media establishment is “scared” and “quaking in their boots” over the movie’s message and success.
On Wednesday, former President Donald Trump hosted a screening of Sound of Freedom at his club in Bedminster, New Jersey, with Ballard and Caviezel in attendance.
4 years ago Tim Ballard met with President Trump to explain exactly why we need a wall. pic.twitter.com/7BvQMGYy7f
— Will (@WillSaveTheKids) July 5, 2023
In 2019, President Trump met with Ballard at the White House to discuss the importance of Trump’s border wall in deterring child trafficking.
Follow Joshua Klein on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.