Automotive manufacturer Ford has suspended a worker who shouted at Donald Trump on Tuesday, January 13, during the American president’s visit to one of its facilities, infuriating the tycoon. This announcement was made on Wednesday, January 14, by the United Auto Workers (UAW) union, of which the individual is a member. When contacted by the French news agency, Ford did not respond.
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Ford worker called Trump “pedophile protector”
As a reminder, in a video that circulated on social media websites, the worker at the assembly plant in Dearborn (Michigan, north) can be heard shouting various things, particularly “pedophile protector” at the American president – the individual responds by swearing at him and raising his middle finger.
Shortly after the incident, White House communications director Steven Cheung characterized the worker as “crazy,” “in a fit of rage,” and judged that Donald Trump reacted in a “completely appropriate” manner.
TJ Sabula, a 40-year-old Ford worker, confirmed to the Washington Post that he was the one who shouted at the American president and that he was suspended pending an internal investigation by the automotive manufacturer. He also confirmed that he was referring to the close relationship that the head of state had for years with Jeffrey Epstein, a New York financier and sexual predator who died in prison in 2019, before being tried for the sex trafficking ring of underage girls and young women he had created. The handling of the case file has provoked reactions and criticism against President Trump, particularly in his own political camp.
Making it clear that he “doesn’t regret” what he said to the American president, the worker nevertheless admitted that he fears he will be fired and feels he has now become a “target of political retaliation,” because he “put Trump in a difficult position in front of his friends” at Ford.
Mr. Sabula describes himself as politically “independent,” says he never voted for Donald Trump, though he has voted for other Republicans, according to the Washington Post. The worker “believes in freedom of expression, a principle we wholeheartedly embrace,” was the UAW union’s response via X; “we stand by our members in protecting their voice in their workplaces,” it added.
The union promised to “ensure” that the worker will have the protection provided for in the corporate collective bargaining agreement it negotiated with the management of the American automotive manufacturer. “Workers should never endure vulgar language or behavior from anyone, including the President of the United States,” it insisted.
A fundraising campaign organized on the GoFundMe website under the title “TJ Sabula is a patriot!” had raised $350,000 and more by yesterday.
Congress voted to force the Trump administration to release by December 19, 2025 at the latest the complete material from the file that federal justice had formed for the Epstein case. However, many of the documents released by the Department of Justice underwent extensive censorship, while so far less than 1% of the material has seen the light of day.
#EXCLUSIVE 😳 President Trump was filmed flipping off a Ford worker who yelled “pedophile protector” at him. https://t.co/m5nLYtWxxT pic.twitter.com/512zEYV6WC
— TMZ (@TMZ) January 13, 2026
