TJ Sabula, the Ford Motor Company auto worker who was given the middle finger by President Donald Trump after he heckled him as a “pedophile protector,” has opened up about the incident following his suspension from the company.
Speaking to Washington Post, TJ Sabula, 40, a line worker and member of UAW Local 600, confirmed that he is currently suspended pending an investigation, but expressed that he has “no regrets” regarding the incident that occurred at the Dearborn, Michigan, factory before Trump's address to the Detroit Economic Club on Tuesday (January 13). This incident was captured on a cellphone video that went viral on social media.
TJ Sabula says he ‘has been targeted for political retribution'
“As far as calling him out, definitely no regrets whatsoever,” stated Sabula, who admitted to being worried about the future of his employment and believes he has been “targeted for political retribution” after “embarrassing Trump in front of his associates.”
{{/usCountry}}“As far as calling him out, definitely no regrets whatsoever,” stated Sabula, who admitted to being worried about the future of his employment and believes he has been “targeted for political retribution” after “embarrassing Trump in front of his associates.”
{{/usCountry}}The auto worker stated that he was approximately 60 feet away when he shouted at him, asserting that Trump could hear him “very, very, very clearly” and noted that his comments were specifically directed at Trump's management of the documents associated with the late convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The Epstein files were expected to be entirely disclosed on December 19 in accordance with the Jeffrey Epstein Files Transparency Act. However, only incomplete and redacted documents have been provided by the Department of Justice, appointed by Trump, in the weeks after the deadline. Trump, who has been alleged to have had a prior association with Epstein, had earlier urged Republican legislators to avoid endorsing the full release of the files before eventually voting in favor of and enacting the Epstein Files Transparency Act in November.
TJ Sabula family: Here's what we know about his husband, kids
Meanwhile, multiple GoFundMe accounts were created to help Sabula amid his suspension, including one by organiser Diandra Gourlay.
TJ is a father of two young children, a husband, and a proud line worker for the United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 600.
According to Gourlay, donations received via fundraiser will assist TJ and his family in managing expenses during this period of uncertainty.
“As the organizer I am a longtime personal friend of the Sabula family, all funds will go directly to them,” the organiser said.
While one page has received $78,384, another has raised around $247,765.