Ford Autoworker Who Heckled Trump During Mich. Visit Learns Fate
A Ford Motor Co. employee was suspended this week after hurling an inflammatory accusation at President Donald Trump during the president’s visit to a major manufacturing facility in Dearborn, Michigan—an outburst caught on video and quickly amplified across social media.
The worker, identified by multiple outlets as 40-year-old T.J. Sabula, shouted “pedophile protector” as President Trump toured the Ford River Rouge complex on Tuesday ahead of an address to the Detroit Economic Club. Sabula later told The Washington Post that he has “no regrets” and believes his actions could cost him his job, according to Fox Business.
“As far as calling him out, definitely no regrets whatsoever,” Sabula told the Post. While acknowledging concerns about his employment, he claimed he was “targeted for political retribution” for “embarrassing Trump in front of his friends.”
“I don’t feel as though fate looks upon you often, and when it does, you better be ready to seize the opportunity,” he said. “And today I think I did that.”
Cellphone video from the scene shows President Trump responding to the heckling by pointing toward the group and making a middle-finger gesture, appearing to mouth a profane remark as he continued walking. The footage, first posted by TMZ, spread rapidly online.
According to video and eyewitness accounts, Sabula’s comment appeared to reference ongoing left-wing narratives surrounding President Trump’s past social proximity to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein and disputes over the release of related government records—claims the president has repeatedly rejected.
Ford confirmed in a statement that Sabula was suspended pending an internal investigation, citing company policies governing workplace conduct. The automaker declined to comment further on the personnel matter.
Sabula, a member of United Auto Workers Local 600, insisted in subsequent interviews that his suspension amounted to political retaliation. He described himself as a political independent who has previously supported Republican candidates, though not President Trump.
The White House rejected that characterization, defending the president’s response and condemning the worker’s conduct. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung described the outburst as aggressive and said the president’s reaction was justified.
“A lunatic was wildly screaming expletives in a complete fit of rage, and the President gave an appropriate and unambiguous response,” Cheung said in a statement, Fox Business reported.
The incident comes amid renewed media focus on delayed releases of documents related to the late Jeffrey Epstein. President Trump’s Justice Department has faced criticism from both parties for not yet producing the full tranche of records mandated by a bipartisan law requiring disclosure by December 19. Estimates suggest roughly 1% of the material has been released so far.
Legal experts note, however, that federal law strictly governs the disclosure of grand jury materials. Judges retain authority over such releases, balancing transparency against long-standing secrecy requirements that apply unless narrow legal exceptions are met.
Separately, the Justice Department confirmed a major internal shake-up this week, firing Robert McBride, the second-highest-ranking official in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. McBride was dismissed after refusing to move forward with a renewed prosecution of former FBI Director James Comey, according to multiple sources.
The termination represents the most significant personnel move yet in the Trump administration’s effort to impose accountability within a Justice Department long criticized by conservatives for shielding entrenched intelligence figures.
Sources familiar with the matter said McBride’s removal followed his refusal to re-prosecute Comey after a federal judge temporarily dismissed the case. U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie ruled in late November that U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan’s appointment violated the Constitution’s Appointments Clause because she had not been Senate-confirmed when charges were filed.
“He was insubordinate, plain and simple,” one senior Justice Department official said on background. “The Attorney General made it clear this case would proceed. McBride was not willing to follow lawful orders from his superiors.”