What Trump Did After A Ford Worker Heckled Him Wasn’t Very Presidential

The middle finger might be the least expected Presidential hand gesture during a visit in an automotive factory, but this is what Donald Trump chose as a response to a heckler at the Ford’s Dearborn, Michigan.

In a clip that circulated online, the US President can be seen mouthing “f…k you” to the worker who called him out, before delivering the one-fingered salute and continuing his tour at the Ford F-150 assembly line.

More: Ford Cheered Trump’s Fuel Economy Rollback, Now It’s Rolling Out The Red Carpet

Trump’s most recent headlines are focused on the US actions in Venezuela, his ambitions on the future of Greenland, and his response to the tragic ICE shooting in Minnesota. However, the heated up exchange in the automotive facility had to do with another scandal – his alleged involvement with the Epstein files.

The worker who interrupted the tour can be heard calling Trump a “pedophile protector”, which is the most probable cause of the President’s angry response. He later identified himself as TJ Sabula, a Ford worker and UAW member who has since been suspended from work.

The 40-year-old admitted of being concerned about the future of his job after “embarrassing Trump in front of his friends”. However, he doesn’t seem to change his mind about the protest: “As far as calling him out, definitely no regrets whatsoever”.

Am I crazy or did Trump just flip off some hecklers? ???? pic.twitter.com/Zm3cRdD31O

— JT Lewis (@thejtlewis) January 13, 2026

How Did Ford React?

As reported by Reuters, Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford, called the incident unfortunate and embarrassing during a talk with the media. However, he downplayed its importance saying it as “six seconds of an hour tour” that otherwise went great”. The Ford boss added: “I think he really enjoyed it and we did too.”

A spokesperson of the company spoke to TMZ about the incident: “We had a great event today and we’re proud of how our employees represented Ford. We’ve seen the clip you’re referring to. One of our core values is respect and we don’t condone anyone saying anything inappropriate like that within our facilities. When that happens, we have a process to deal with it but we don’t get into specific personnel matters.”

The White House Response

In a statement to the Washington Post, White House communication director Steven Cheung defended the President’s gesture: “A lunatic was wildly screaming expletives in a complete fit of rage, and the President gave an appropriate and unambiguous response”.

We don’t know if “appropriate” is the right word, but believe it or not Donald Trump is not the first US President to deliver the infamous gesture. George W. Bush was filmed jokingly giving the middle finger to the camera while preparing for a television interview, later describing it as a “one-fingered victory salute”.

Another high-profile case is Vice President Nelson Rockefeller who did the “Rockefeller Salute” to student hecklers in New York back in 1976. Last year, the current Vice President JD Vance followed his example during a Republican dinner in Ohio, while making a point about political culture and protesters.

What Did Trump Say About Ford?

Back to the automotive context, Trump’s visit to the River Rouge complex served as a victory lap for his “America First” agenda, which has seen Ford toning down its electrification strategy. The President toured the production line of the F-150 alongside Bill Ford and Jim Farley, mentioning the “unbelievable quality” of the trucks.

Speaking to the media, Trump said: “Ford has really been a leader, they’ve done a great job. But all of them, General Motors is doing really well, Stellantis is doing really well, we’re really happy about it. I just want them to build their product in the USA.” In a question about USMCA trade pact that expires shortly, the President admitted that he could negotiate it but added “we could have it or not, it wouldn’t matter. I think they want it, I don’t really care about it”.