Ford Worker Suspended After Calling Trump 'Pedophile Protector' Says He Has 'No Regrets'

A Ford autoworker who was suspended for calling President Donald Trump a 'pedophile protector' during a factory tour says he has 'no regrets whatsoever', even as he faces an internal investigation that could end his career.

TJ Sabula, 40, didn't hold back when Trump visited the Ford River Rouge complex in Dearborn, Michigan, on Tuesday. Standing on the factory floor below the presidential walkway, he shouted the inflammatory accusation loud enough for the president to hear 'very, very, very clearly', he told The Washington Post.

Trump's response was equally unfiltered. Video footage shows him mouthing 'f*** you' twice whilst pointing at Sabula, then raising his middle finger as he continued walking. The exchange, captured by TMZ, went viral within hours.

'I Don't Feel Fate Looks Upon You Often'

Sabula reckons he was standing about 60 feet away. Close enough.

'As far as calling him out, definitely no regrets whatsoever,' he told The Washington Post. But there's a catch. He now believes he's been 'targeted for political retribution' for 'embarrassing Trump in front of his friends'. And his job? That's hanging in the balance.

The United Auto Workers confirmed he's been suspended pending investigation.

Still, Sabula's philosophical about the whole thing. '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.'

A self-described political independent who's never voted for Trump but has backed other Republicans, Sabula is a member of UAW Local 600, one of the union's most influential chapters.

White House: Trump's Response Was 'Appropriate'

White House communications director Steven Cheung had a predictably combative take. 'A lunatic was wildly screaming expletives in a complete fit of rage, and the President gave an appropriate and unambiguous response,' Cheung told outlets.

But not everyone sees it that way. Democratic Representative Debbie Dingell of Michigan is asking questions about whether Ford is violating Sabula's free speech rights.

'When you're on a factory floor with union members that have strong feelings, you need to be prepared for whatever they're gonna say,' Dingell told Michigan Advance. 'I hope they're not firing him because I believe in free speech.'

Representative Rashida Tlaib, also from Michigan, was more direct. 'The worker could have said anything, but this worker felt compelled to say you're protecting a pedophile,' she said. 'I feel very strongly that Ford Motor Company is sending a message that people can't stand up for sexual abuse survivors.'

The Epstein Files That Won't Go Away

So what sparked Sabula's outburst? The ongoing controversy over the Jeffrey Epstein files that Trump promised to release but hasn't.

The Epstein Files Transparency Act, a bipartisan law, required full release by 19 December 2025. That deadline came and went. Court filings show over 2 million files remain in 'various phases of review' at the Department of Justice.

Only about 1% of the documents have been made public. Around 12,285 files, many heavily redacted. Representatives Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna have said they could hold Attorney General Pam Bondi in contempt for failing to deliver.

Trump campaigned on transparency. Once in office, he changed his tune. The 79-year-old president had been close to Epstein, the disgraced financier who died in jail in 2019. Former congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene claimed in a New York Times feature that Trump told her the files couldn't be released because 'my friends will get hurt.'

Not Everyone at Ford Was Hostile

Tuesday's scene wasn't entirely antagonistic. Whilst Sabula was shouting from the floor, other workers cheered Trump. Some took selfies with him. The White House posted photos showing the president signing a car part under a Ford banner, captioned 'AMERICAN PROUD'.

Trump toured the facility with Ford executive chairman Bill Ford Jr., CEO Jim Farley, plant manager Corey Williams, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent before giving a speech to the Detroit Economic Club.

Ford's official response walked a diplomatic line. The company said they'd had 'a great event' and were 'proud of how our employees represented Ford'. However, they also acknowledged the incident: 'One of our core values is respect, and we don't condone anyone saying anything inappropriate like that within our facilities.'