U.S. Southern Command planned, and then canceled, two showings of the Christian-faith-based thriller “Sound of Freedom” at its headquarters this summer. The movie’s been a runaway hit, grossing more than $200 million, but its lead actor has publicly linked the film’s anti-sex-trafficking plot to baseless QAnon conspiracy theories.

By playing the movie on a federal base, some critics have questioned whether SOUTHCOM’s leadership is following a policy that requires troops to remain apolitical at work – as QAnon followers have spread false rumors about and bashed President Joe Biden’s administration – and to maintain a separation of church and state, considering the film’s heavy Christian narrative.

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