Video shows Trump gesturing at heckler during Michigan factory tour
Photo: Reuters
President Donald Trump was caught on video appearing to make an obscene hand gesture at a person shouting at him during a visit to a Ford Motor Company manufacturing facility in Michigan on Tuesday, prompting a swift defense from the White House.
Footage of the encounter, first shared by TMZ, shows Trump walking through the factory as someone off-camera yells toward him.
Although the audio is partially unclear, TMZ reported the individual appeared to accuse the president of being a “pedophile protector.” In response, Trump can be seen stopping briefly, pointing in the direction of the voice, and raising his right hand in what appears to be a middle-finger gesture. In a separate zoomed-in clip, he appears to mouth or say an expletive while gesturing.
NOW - Trump mouths "fuck you" and gives Ford plant worker middle-finger after he shouts to Trump: "Pedophile protector!" pic.twitter.com/taeU3xazIb
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung defended the president’s reaction, describing the heckler as “a lunatic” and calling Trump’s response “appropriate and unambiguous.”
The person who shouted at the president later identified himself as TJ Sabula, a 40-year-old line worker at the plant, in comments to The Washington Post. Sabula said he has been suspended from his job while the company investigates the incident. He said he believed the president could hear him clearly and expressed no regret over his actions.
Ford Motor Company confirmed it was aware of the video but declined to discuss disciplinary steps. “Respect is one of our core values,” said David Tovar, Ford’s executive director of corporate communications, adding that the company has internal procedures for addressing inappropriate behavior at its facilities.
Sabula said his remarks were aimed at Trump’s handling of matters connected to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Since Trump’s return to the White House, the Justice Department has made inconsistent commitments about releasing additional information related to Epstein’s associates and activities.
While thousands of Epstein-related documents have been released following congressional pressure, federal officials have acknowledged ongoing challenges in reviewing the extensive material. Trump has not been accused of wrongdoing or charged in connection with Epstein.