DEARBORN (WWJ) -- A Ford employee has been suspended after it's alleged he shouted an insult at President Donald Trump during the president's visit to the automaker's Dearborn Truck Plant on Tuesday.
In the video — which was obtained by TMZ and widely shared to social media — a person is heard yelling “pedophile protector” at President Trump.
The video shows Trump appearing to mouth an expletive ("F— you") before making an obscene gesture, raising his middle finger toward the heckler.
Responding to questions about the incident, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said, in a statement: "A lunatic was wildly screaming expletives in a complete fit of rage, and the President gave an appropriate and unambiguous response.”
The Detroit Free Press reports a spokesman for the UAW confirmed that the worker in question, who is a member of UAW Local 600, was suspended from his job at the Ford River Rouge Complex after the incident.
In an updated statement Wednesday morning, UAW VP Laura Dickerson, Ford Department Director said: "The autoworker at the Dearborn Truck Plant is a proud member of a strong and fighting union— the UAW. He believes in freedom of speech, a principle we wholeheartedly embrace, and we stand with our membership in protecting their voice on the job.
"The UAW will ensure that our member receives the full protection of all negotiated contract language safeguarding his job and his rights as a union member.
"Workers should never be subjected to vulgar language or behavior by anyone — including the President of the United States."
A spokesperson for Ford said Ford is looking into the matter, telling TMZ that the company doesn’t “condone anyone saying anything inappropriate like that within our facilities," and adding: "When that happens, we have a process to deal with it.”
While the UAW is not identifying the suspended worker at this time, he has been named in published reports, including by Newsweek, as 40-year-old TJ Sabula.
Newsweek reported that Sabula has "no regrets," about the incident, specifying that he is unhappy about Trump's handling of the Epstein case.
“I don’t feel as though fate looks upon you often, and when it does, you better be ready to seize the opportunity,” the worker told Newsweek. “And today I think I did that.”
A GoFundMe created for Sabula had already raised more than $250,000 by Wednesday morning. A message on the page reads: "Please help us raise funds for patriot TJ Sabula!! TJ was suspended from his job at the Ford Automotive Company for correctly calling President Donald J Trump a Pedophile Protector!! Let’s rally and support TJ and help him pay some bills (and force DJT to release the Trump/Epstein Files) LFG!!"
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