U.S. President Donald Trump visits a Ford production center in Dearborn, Michigan, U.S., January 13, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
(Dearborn, Michigan) – TJ Sabula, a 40-year-old Ford F-150 assembly line worker and member of United Auto Workers Local 600, says he has “no regrets” after heckling Donald Trump during the president’s tour of Ford’s River Rouge complex.
A video shared by TMZ shows Trump reacting by raising his middle finger after someone off-camera shouted “pedophile protector.” Sabula later came out and said he was the heckler and said he has been suspended pending an internal investigation.
Sabula said his comment was aimed at Trump’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files and claimed he is being targeted for “political retribution.” He described himself as politically independent and said he has never voted for Trump.
Ford said it does not condone inappropriate remarks inside its facilities and has a process to handle such incidents but declined to discuss personnel matters.
The White House defended Trump’s response, calling the worker a “lunatic.” Meanwhile, a GoFundMe launched in support of Sabula raised more than $330,000 within hours as the company reviews his case.
