US President Donald Trump clashed on Tuesday with a worker at a Ford Motor Company plant in Detroit after the man shouted "protector of pedophiles" at him during the president's tour of the facility. Trump responded by yelling "F** you" and making an obscene gesture.
The White House issued a statement defending the president's conduct, saying the president delivered an "appropriate response."
BREAKING: Trump appears to give the middle finger to someone who called him a "pedophile protector", and appears to also mouth "F- you" to them at the Ford plant today: pic.twitter.com/KKXLx9THwW
— unusual_whales (@unusual_whales) January 13, 2026
The worker who shouted at Trump was identified as TJ Sabula, a 40-year-old assembly line employee and member of United Auto Workers Local 600 at the plant. Sabula said he was suspended from his job pending an investigation. "As far as calling him out, definitely no regrets whatsoever," Sabula said, adding that he was concerned about his future employment and believed he was being "targeted for political retribution" for having "embarrassing Trump in front of his friends."
