U.S. President Donald Trump has been caught on camera giving the middle finger toward a Ford autoworker who heckled him during a visit to a Michigan factory, in an incident tied to mounting criticism over the administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
The exchange occurred on Tuesday at Ford’s F-150 assembly plant in Dearborn, near Detroit, when a worker shouted “paedophile protector” as Trump moved through the facility. Video shared widely on social media appears to show the president turning toward the heckler, mouthing “F*** you”, and briefly raising his middle finger.
White House communications director Steven Cheung declined to say explicitly whether Trump made the gesture but confirmed the footage was genuine. “A lunatic was wildly screaming expletives in a complete fit of rage, and the president gave an appropriate and unambiguous response,” Cheung told the Washington Post.
The worker involved, identified as TJ Sabula, a 40-year-old line worker with United Auto Workers Local 600, said he has been suspended while the incident is investigated. Sabula, who described himself as an independent voter and occasional Republican supporter, said he did not regret confronting the president. “As far as calling him out, definitely no regrets whatsoever,” he said, claiming he was being “targeted for political retribution” after “embarrassing Trump in front of his friends.”
The heckle appeared to reference the ongoing political controversy surrounding the files of Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender who authorities claim died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Epstein’s death fuelled persistent theories that he was silenced to protect influential figures.
During his election campaign, Trump pledged to release the Epstein files, but since returning to office he has played down the issue, dismissing demands for full disclosure as a political “hoax.” Scrutiny intensified after Trump’s name appeared in Epstein-related materials, although no allegations of wrongdoing were made.
More recently, the Justice Department released a tranche of Epstein-related documents, many of them heavily redacted, prompting fresh criticism over the transparency, timing and scope of the disclosures.
#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
Quite incredible how the whole world is paying for what is contained inside the Epstein files or documents
More ironically as Donald Trump was aggressively vociferous in espousing the notion that these needed to be released on His election platform of lies distortion and spin
Then even more ironically making Kash Patel and Dan Bongino – likewise in unison making the same noises – Director and Deputy Directors of the FBI – in order to muzzle them – shut them up keeping them on the leash and under control
Smile You’re on Candid Camera
Like it transpires so were a lot of other people and donors
Who must be kept under wraps not disclosed and protected at all costs
“Wars of Mass Distraction”
Ha ha ha, more people need to be vocal globally, holding these politicians to account for their broken promises and inaction. At they end of the day they are simply public servants, time they were reminded of that fact.
The truth will ooze out, so stinking and putrid that no one can stand it and they would wish they hadn’t found any of it out.
https://x.com/RealDonKeith/status/2011347560435499043
Almost as bad as Richard Nixon….and his secretly recorded opinion follies!