Overview
- The White House confirmed the TMZ video’s authenticity and called the president’s response “appropriate and unequivocal,” describing the heckler as “a lunatic.”
- The worker was identified as 40-year-old UAW Local 600 line employee TJ Sabula, who shouted “pedophile protector,” a jab tied to the dispute over Jeffrey Epstein document releases.
- Ford suspended Sabula pending investigation; he told The Washington Post he views the move as political retaliation and says he has no regrets, while the UAW says it will defend him under the contract.
- Online fundraisers for Sabula collected more than $800,000 within about a day, and organizers later paused donations after tens of thousands of contributions.
- Ford said it upholds respect in its facilities and has processes for misconduct; the exchange occurred during Trump’s Dearborn plant tour before his Detroit Economic Club speech, with the clip spreading widely on X and TikTok.