Trump Caught on Camera Flipping Off Ford Worker During Plant Visit
A new video shows President Donald Trump giving the middle finger to a worker during a visit to the Ford Rouge plant in Dearborn, Michigan, on Tuesday, January 13. The clip was obtained by TMZ and shows a brief exchange between Trump and a worker on the factory floor.
The video appears to show the worker shouting something at Trump, which TMZ reports as “ped***** protector.” Trump seems to respond by saying “f*** you” and pointing his middle finger toward the employee while continuing to walk through the plant. A second, zoomed-in clip of the interaction shows the exchange more clearly.
The White House defended Trump’s actions. Communications Director Steven Cheung told TMZ, “A lunatic was wildly screaming expletives in a complete fit of rage, and the President gave an appropriate and unambiguous response.”
TMZ shares a video of Donald Trump flipping off someone yelling “pedophile protector!” at him.pic.twitter.com/EYbNaUOnlI
— Pop Base (@PopBase) January 13, 2026
The worker involved, 40-year-old line employee TJ Sabula, confirmed that he was the one shouting at the president. He said his comments were aimed at Trump’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case. Sabula has since been suspended from work while the plant investigates the incident. He told the Post, “As far as calling him out, definitely no regrets whatsoever.”
Ford also commented on the incident, saying they are aware of the video but do not condone inappropriate behavior in their facilities. “One of our core values is respect and we don’t condone anyone saying anything inappropriate like that within our facilities. When that happens, we have a process to deal with it but we don’t get into specific personnel matters,” said Ford’s Executive Director of Corporate Communications, David Tovar.
The episode comes amid ongoing scrutiny of Trump’s involvement with documents and information related to Epstein, though Trump has not been charged with any crimes in connection to Epstein.
This incident highlights the tension between public figures and employees during high-profile visits. It also raises questions about decorum in professional spaces.
The situation was avoidable on both sides. While the worker had a right to voice concerns, public confrontations like this can quickly escalate. What do you think about Trump’s reaction? Should it have been handled differently? Share your thoughts in the comments.