During a visit by Donald Trump to a Ford plant in Michigan, a worker identified as TJ Sabula shouted an insult at the president, calling him a “pedophile protector” in reference to Trump’s past associations with Jeffrey Epstein. Video later obtained by TMZ shows Trump responding angrily, yelling an obscenity and making a rude gesture as he passed by.

Sabula was subsequently suspended without pay, a move he says was political retaliation rather than a routine workplace action. Speaking to The Washington Post, he said he had “no regrets” and believed the moment was an opportunity to speak out publicly. Supporters rallied behind him, launching a GoFundMe campaign that has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to help him while he is out of work.

The response from officials was swift. The White House described the worker as a “lunatic” and defended Trump’s reaction as appropriate. Ford, meanwhile, emphasized that respect is a core company value and confirmed it has internal processes for handling incidents at its facilities, while declining to discuss specific personnel matters.

The confrontation also reignited broader debate around transparency related to Epstein-era records. Critics online continue to accuse Trump of obstructing disclosure, claims he denies, as the Justice Department faces bipartisan scrutiny for releasing only a small, heavily redacted portion of the files required under federal law. The episode has become a flashpoint—mixing workplace discipline, political protest, and lingering questions about accountability at the highest levels of power.