US President Donald Trump responded with a gesture of fuck you this Tuesday to a Ford worker who yelled at him: “protector of pedophiles.” The president was visiting the automaker’s assembly plant in Detroit.
In a video broadcast on several X accounts, Trump is seen walking through the plant while a worker, from a parking lot, shouts at him. The president responded by showing his middle finger.
The worker was identified as TJ Sabula, 40, who in an interview with The Washington post He claimed that after yelling at Trump he was suspended from his job.
WATCH: Trump shows his middle finger and appears to say “fuck you” after Ford worker yells “pedophile protector” – TMZ pic.twitter.com/aFsDmrvkr7
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“I don’t feel like fate looks at you very often, and when it does, you better be ready to take advantage of the opportunity,” said Sabula, who said that although he never supported Trump, he has voted for other Republicans in the past.
The incident occurred while Trump was touring the Ford factory to reinforce his policy of supporting domestic manufacturing.
The White House responded to questions about the president’s reaction by stating that his actions “were appropriate.”
The episode adds to the controversy surrounding Trump in 2025 due to the case of pedophile magnate Jeffrey Epstein, when the leak of documents by Democratic congressmen revealed emails that suggested that Trump was aware of the crimes and had spent time with one of the victims.
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In late 2025, the president allowed the release of Epstein’s documents through the Justice Department, although they were not released in their entirety, prompting criticism from Democratic senators and victims for a lack of transparency.
