President Donald Trump traded insults with an auto worker during a visit to a Detroit Ford plant on Tuesday. The exchange quickly spread online because it ended with Trump raising his middle finger and shouting profanities right back.
The worker, 40-year-old TJ Sabula, shouted, “Pedophile protector!” as Trump walked through the facility. In response, Trump flipped the man off and appeared to shout “f*ck you.” Shortly afterward, Ford suspended Sabula pending an investigation.
Ford worker says he stands by the outburst
After the incident, Sabula spoke publicly and made his position clear. “As far as calling him out, definitely no regrets whatsoever,” he told the Washington Post. However, he admitted he worried about what might happen next.
Sabula said Ford targeted him for “political retribution” after he embarrassed Trump “in front of his friends.” Still, he framed the moment as one he could not pass up. “I don’t feel as though fate looks upon you often,” he said. “And when it does, you better be ready to seize the opportunity.”
He explained that he identified as politically independent. While he never voted for Trump, he said he previously supported other Republicans. Additionally, he said his comment referenced Trump’s handling of the Epstein Files.
Sabula estimated he stood about 60 feet from Trump at the time, and the president heard him “very, very, very clearly.”
Meanwhile, the White House defended the president’s reaction.
In a statement, Communications Director Steven Cheung dismissed Sabula’s behavior. “A lunatic was wildly screaming expletives in a complete fit of rage,” Cheung said, “and the President gave an appropriate and unambiguous response.”
Fundraiser surged as Trump discussed robots at the plant
As the backlash grew, supporters moved quickly to back Sabula financially. On Tuesday evening, an online GoFundMe fundraiser appeared to help cover his bills during the suspension, and it collected more than $252K in less than 24 hours. The fundraiser was later transferred directly into Sabula’s control, according to an update on the page.
Donors flooded the page with messages. One wrote, “The courage & bad a**ery you showed […] was absolutely heroic!” Another donor added, “You should have a right to free speech under the Constitution, and I’m sorry that Ford doesn’t recognize that. You are what patriotism is all about.” A third commenter argued that Ford “should not bow to pressure from government.”
While that support poured in, Trump made other headlines at the same plant. During an interview with CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil, he claimed it was “a good thing” that Ford struggled to find workers. Then he predicted robots would soon replace them.
“You’re gonna have a thing called robots,” Trump said. “And robots are gonna be a big factor in the future, and it’s gonna help out.”
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