Whew! Donald Trump had a moment during his Michigan Ford tour that’s got the internet buzzing. Social media is split, while officials from Ford and the White House have weighed in on the incident. At the center of it all, one autoworker has broken his silence, as the fallout continues to unfold.
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Just so you’re caught up, things got wild this week at a Ford plant in Michigan, with one autoworker right in the middle of the chaos. According to a video shared by TMZ, President Donald Trump was touring a Ford truck factory in Dearborn on Tuesday when someone off-camera could be heard shouting, calling him a “pedophile protector.” Although the person wasn’t visible, Trump seemed to lock onto the voice, allegedly mouthing, “F*ck you” and “You’re fired.” Trump also flashed his middle finger in their direction before continuing his tour. The factory visit took place just ahead of Trump’s scheduled speech in Detroit, where he later addressed the U.S. economy.
Autoworker Speaks Out After Donald Trump Clip, Raises $280K+
The autoworker, TJ Sabula was suspended without pay following the incident. He’s employed as a United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 600 line worker. Sabula told the Washington Post, “as far as calling him out” he had “definitely no regrets whatsoever,” but admitted he was worried about his job. He said he’d been “targeted for political retribution” and for “embarrassing Trump in front of his friends.”
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Sabula added, “I don’t feel as though fate looks upon you often, and when it does, you better be ready to seize the opportunity. He continued, “And today I think I did that.”
A GoFundMe set up for him has already raised over $150,000, with donations reportedly coming from the Dropkick Murphys among others. “TJ is a father of two young children, husband, and is a proud…worker. Funds donated will support TJ and his family to cover expenses during this time of uncertainty,” the campaign reads.
TSR Comment Section Had Plenty To Say
Folks wasted no time jumping into TSR’s Instagram comment section. Many said that Trump clearly doesn’t care about nothing or nobody when it comes to clapping back. Others joked that Detroit will definitely tell you about yourself, saying the moment felt on-brand for the city. Meanwhile, plenty of commenters were less focused on the gesture and more curious about one thing — what happened to ol’ boy who yelled at Trump after the cameras cut off.
One Instagram user @uncle__ooch commented, “Gotta love Detroit 😭”
This Instagram user @monar25 said, “Obama would had kept walking .. with his head up high! Especially if it’s not true 👀”
And, Instagram user @clarke_kelly joked, “Lmao that itty bitty middle finger 😂 he said 🖕🏾”
Meanwhile, Instagram user @dxniela.carrillo wrote, “Mind you this is the leader of the country“
While Instagram user @_nice24 shared, “😂😂😂 He Really Don’t Give A D*mn 🤦🏾♂️”
Lastly, Instagram user @giovanniartx added, “Come to the D and we gone tell you bout yourself 😂😂😂”
Officials And Union Speak Out After Viral Moment
Shortly after, White House communications director Steven Cheung addressed the incident in a statement, saying, “A lunatic was wildly screaming expletives in a complete fit of rage, and the President gave an appropriate and unambiguous response.” Ford also weighed in, with spokesperson David Tovar stating that the company has established internal procedures in place to address situations like this.
“We’ve seen the clip you’re referring to. 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.”
The United Auto Workers (UAW) union came to the defense of a Michigan autoworker who heckled President Donald Trump during his Tuesday tour of a Ford plant. “Workers should never be subjected to vulgar language or behavior by anyone — including the President of the United States,” UAW Vice President Laura Dickerson said in a statement Wednesday. She added that the autoworker “believes in freedom of speech, a principle we wholeheartedly embrace,” emphasizing, “We stand with our membership in protecting their voice on the job.”
