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submitted 3 weeks ago by tonytins@pawb.social to c/news@lemmy.world

A GoFundMe campaign for a Detroit autoworker who called Donald Trump a “pedophile protector” was suspended from the Ford plant where he worked on Tuesday. But it looks like he’s going to be alright financially. A GoFundMe campaign set up for the Michigan man has already raised over $400,000 and counting.

TJ Sabula, a 40-year-old line worker, told the Washington Post he was suspended from his job for shouting “pedophile protector” at Trump during the president’s visit to the Ford F-150 plant. Trump responded, either by audibly saying or just mouthing the words, “fuck you” twice. The president then extended his middle finger as he kept walking.

Two different videos posted to social media captured the exchange, including the first published by TMZ. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung defended Trump’s actions, telling the Washington Post: “A lunatic was wildly screaming expletives in a complete fit of rage, and the President gave an appropriate and unambiguous response.”

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[-] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 25 points 3 weeks ago

That middle finger thing was real? Yeah, our president is a 12 year old. Can you imagine any other world leader doing this? Even north korea wouldn't do this.

[-] sparkles@piefed.zip 10 points 3 weeks ago

I thought it was shopped because it was so damn tiny.

[-] SaneMartigan@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago

I thought it was shopped because it was so big.

[-] pipe01@programming.dev 2 points 3 weeks ago

To be fair north Korea wouldn't do this because they'd send him to the coal mines instead lol

[-] floquant@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Anyone has a link? I've seen the memes but no posts of the actual incident

Edit: found one, it's TMZ but the only clip I could find. Which seems pretty sus to me. https://www.tmz.com/2026/01/13/trump-flips-off-ford-worker/

[-] CouFou@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 weeks ago
[-] Adderbox76@lemmy.ca 2 points 2 weeks ago

I miss cretien.

[-] Soulg@ani.social 1 points 2 weeks ago

Wow first I'm hearing about this. Wild shit

[-] CannonFodder@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago

He was ready to defend himself against an intruder using a Inuit stone carving at one point too. Although his wife was really the hero of that incident.

[-] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

North Korea would have him and his family and his family's extended family's extended family disappeared.

[-] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 3 points 3 weeks ago

But he wouldn't have flipped him off in the first place. Can you picture any other world leader doing this? Maybe the drug thug from the Philippines awhile back. That's all I can think of.

[-] psycho_driver@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago

Bolsanaro. They were all cloned in the same "worst human imaginable" septic vat.

[-] 87Six@lemmy.zip 1 points 3 weeks ago

I can see Basescu doing that to a heckler then laughing with the heckler

Look him up, the Romanian ex-president. Dude had the whole weird fun uncle vibe, and as is custom to say in romania: "He stole but he also did things"

[-] cygnus@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

I could also imagine Silvio Berlusconi doing this, and he was another deeply corrupt avuncular type.

[-] 87Six@lemmy.zip 1 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Eh I wouldn't say Basescu was deeply corrupt. I mean, not compared to our current politicians and others from his own time.

Our last former prime minister was far, FAR worse than Basescu, along with the entire current PSD party, which are also corrupt assholes with no morals.

[-] Ferrous@lemmy.ml -2 points 3 weeks ago

What kind of new age cope is this?

Trump does something shitty

well, at least that's not as bad as this strawman about North Korea that I just made up.

Just letting your unabashed orientalism known to the world.

On top of this, the sheer amount of outrage over this act which had no material effect is baffling. People are so obsessed with optics, decorum, and civility that a middle finger is condemned nearly as hard as withholding healthcare from millions of Americans, or, you know, fascism rocketing towards us at Mach 10.

[-] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Did you mean to reply to pelespirit? I was criticizing their comparison.

[-] lechekaflan@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Yeah.

The other bastard who did such a thing was Rodrigo Roa Duterte, currently in the Hague, under ICJ scrutiny.

[-] iamthetot@piefed.ca 1 points 3 weeks ago

The middle finger thing is, like, the least worst thing he's done.

[-] CobblerScholar@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

Correct but even the worst authoritarian wouldn't mock their citizens so openly. Most dictators are smart enough to know that all it takes is one bullet to kill them and this country literally has more guns than people

[-] tonytins@pawb.social 1 points 3 weeks ago

Yeah. The GOP kinda bit off more than they could chew.

[-] halcyoncmdr@piefed.social 4 points 2 weeks ago

The Black Panthers are coming back. Last time that's what got the GOP to pass gun control legislation.

[-] village604@adultswim.fan 1 points 2 weeks ago
[-] psycho_driver@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago

Nah Putin would have them chucked out of a window a few days later.

this post was submitted on 14 Jan 2026
125 points (100.0% liked)

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