U.S. President Donald Trump was captured on video raising his middle finger and using a profanity in response to a factory worker’s criticism about his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein controversy at a Michigan auto plant on Tuesday. The incident was first reported by the entertainment site TMZ, and the White House did not dispute the authenticity of the video.
According to White House spokesperson Steven Cheung, the President reacted to a worker who was shouting expletives in a fit of rage. The video showed Trump touring the Ford F-150 assembly facility in Dearborn when a worker on the plant floor yelled what sounded like “pedophile protector.” Trump responded with an expletive and a hand gesture with his middle finger before walking away.
Following the incident, the worker who shouted at the president was suspended by the United Auto Workers union. The union defended its members’ right to free speech and pledged to protect the worker’s job according to the negotiated contract terms.
Two fundraising campaigns on GoFundMe.com were initiated for the worker, raising over $650,000 US in donations by Wednesday afternoon. Despite the incident, other Ford employees welcomed Trump during his tour of the assembly line, with Ford executive chairman Bill Ford later expressing embarrassment over the episode.
Trump has been known to use profanity in public settings, often in response to criticism or confrontation. His visit to the Michigan facility aimed to emphasize his administration’s support for U.S. manufacturing, a key focus amid the approaching 2026 election year and Michigan’s political significance. The President has faced scrutiny over his handling of sensitive federal records related to Jeffrey Epstein but has denied any knowledge of the allegations against him.