President Donald Trump appeared to mouth an expletive and flip the bird at a heckler during a visit to a Ford manufacturing facility in Michigan on Tuesday, a moment the White House later defended as an appropriate response to disruptive behavior.
Video of the exchange, first published by TMZ, shows the president briefly turning toward someone shouting from the crowd as he walked through the Ford River Rouge complex in Dearborn.
In the clip, Trump appears to mouth the words “f— you” twice while making a middle-finger gesture before continuing on with the tour.
WATCH:
TMZ reported that the incident followed an off-camera heckler shouting insults at the president.
The outlet described the moment as Trump “flipping the bird” while moving away from the disruption.
The White House stood firmly behind the president’s reaction.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said in a statement that the individual was acting aggressively and out of control.
“A lunatic was wildly screaming expletives in a complete fit of rage, and the president gave an appropriate and unambiguous response,” Cheung said.
Following the incident, a Ford employee later identified himself as the heckler.
TJ Sabula, a 40-year-old line worker with United Auto Workers Local 600, said he was suspended pending an internal investigation.
Sabula told The Washington Post that he was the person shouting at Trump.
He also confirmed he had been placed on suspension while the company reviews the matter.
Sabula said he shouted at the president during the visit and claimed he has “no regrets.”
However, he expressed concern about potential consequences for his job.
He also alleged that he was being “targeted for political retribution,” a claim that has not been independently verified.
According to Sabula, he was standing approximately 60 feet from the president and believed Trump could hear him clearly.
He told the outlet that he identifies as politically independent and has never voted for Trump, though he has supported other Republican candidates in the past.
President Trump was visiting the Ford facility as part of a scheduled appearance highlighting U.S. manufacturing and the auto industry.
The exchange occurred during a walkthrough of the plant and did not disrupt the remainder of the event.
The White House did not publicly identify the heckler in the video, and officials have not commented on the employment actions taken by Ford.
Our comment section is restricted to members of the Slay News community only.
To join, create a free account HERE.
If you are already a member, log in HERE.