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A union-backed auto worker at Ford Motor Co. has been suspended following a viral confrontation with President Donald Trump during a visit to the Dearborn F-150 plant on Tuesday. The incident occurred ahead of Trump’s address to the Detroit Economic Club and was captured on video that quickly circulated online.
The footage shows Trump walking through the factory when a worker off-camera shouts at him, calling the president a “pedophile protector.” According to The Michigan Advance, Trump appeared to respond by mouthing an expletive twice and flashing a middle finger as he walked away.
The United Auto Workers confirmed to Michigan Advance that the worker has been suspended while Ford reviews the situation, though the length of the suspension and next steps remain unclear.
The worker was later identified by The Washington Post as 40-year-old TJ Sabula, a line worker and member of UAW Local 600. Sabula addressed the moment publicly, saying, “I don’t feel as though fate looks upon you often, and when it does, you better be ready to seize the opportunity. And today I think I did that.”
White House communications director Steven Cheung defended Trump’s response in a statement, calling the worker “a lunatic” who was “wildly screaming expletives in a complete fit of rage.”
“And the president gave an appropriate and unambiguous response,” Cheung said.