the breakdown
- President Trump was heckled during a Ford factory tour in Dearborn, Michigan.
- A Ford employee called him a 'pedophile protector.'
- Trump responded by flipping the employee off.
During a recent visit to Ford’s factory in Dearborn, Michigan, President Trump was heckled by a factory employee working on the floor. In a 30-second video obtained by TMZ, the employee is heard allegedly calling Trump a "pedophile protector."
President Trump responded by flipping the employee off and allegedly mouthing the phrase "fuck you" twice from the factory’s second floor. The employee, identified as 40-year-old TJ Sabula, was reportedly suspended following the incident.
UAW Shows Support
The United Auto Workers (UAW) union released a statement shortly after the altercation expressing support for Sabula, a union member. UAW Vice President and Ford Department Director Laura Dickerson said:
'The autoworker at the Dearborn Truck Plant is a proud member of a strong and fighting union—the UAW. He believes in freedom of speech, a principle we wholeheartedly embrace, and we stand with our membership in protecting their voice on the job.
The UAW will ensure that our member receives the full protection of all negotiated contract language safeguarding his job and his rights as a union member. Workers should never be subjected to vulgar language or behavior by anyone—including the President of the United States.'
In an interview with The Washington Post, Sabula said he has "definitely no regrets whatsoever" about the incident, explaining that his comment was in response to the administration’s handling of information related to the Epstein files.
Government Officials Respond
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung issued a statement following the incident, telling CNN: "A lunatic was wildly screaming expletives in a complete fit of rage, and the President gave an appropriate and unambiguous response."
Just a few miles down the street at the Huntington Place convention center in Detroit, during a media preview of the 2026 North American International Auto Show, former United States Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg responded to the incident.
When asked if Buttigieg was aware of what happened, he said: "President Trump did literally what he’s been doing figuratively for years: Give auto workers the finger."
Sabula remains suspended for the time being, but it's unclear if Ford will take any action beyond that.
Source: TMZ via CNN, Washington Post
