Overview
- The clip shows Trump appearing to mouth an expletive before raising his middle finger toward someone on the factory floor.
- TMZ published the short video, which spread quickly across social platforms and news outlets.
- Reporters said the worker yelled "pedophile protector," a reference to Trump’s past association with Jeffrey Epstein; the heckler has not been identified.
- Communications Director Steven Cheung said the president faced a person "wildly screaming expletives" and issued "an appropriate and unambiguous response."
- The exchange occurred during a tour of a Ford F-150 facility before Trump’s Detroit Economic Club speech, as renewed attention focuses on the DOJ’s slow release of Epstein-related files, including 12,285 disclosed and more than 2 million under review.