President Donald Trump flipped his middle finger to a heckler while touring a Ford facility in Dearborn, Michigan, on Tuesday, after, according to the White House, the “lunatic was wildly screaming expletives” at the president.
A video of Trump during the exchange came out Wednesday evening, showing the president pausing and staring down the individual from a catwalk, before pointing and mouthing what appeared to be “Fuck you.”
The president walked a few feet, pointed again, added another comment, and flipped the person off.
According to reports, the heckler yelled, “pedophile protector.”
The Washington Post reported that the heckler, a member of the United Auto Workers, was suspended for the outburst. “TJ Sabula, a 40-year-old United Auto Workers Local 600 line worker at the factory, told the Post that he was the one who shouted at Trump. He said he has been suspended from work pending an investigation,” the Post’s Natalie Allison and Dan Merica reported.
Sabula told the Post he had “no regrets whatsoever.”
In a statement, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said that Trump’s response was “appropriate.”
“A lunatic was wildly screaming expletives in a fit of rage, and the President gave an appropriate and unambiguous response,” Cheung said.
Trump’s overall reception during his visit to the Ford facility, which builds F-150s, was very positive, with many employees cheering the president as he toured the facility with Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford and President and CEO Jim Farley.
The president inspected the assembly operation at the facility, including an area where a team installs hose connections and a stop at a station known as the “body decker,” where trucks are assembled. Trump heard from workers during his visit, taking selfies with several of them.
Ford spoke glowingly of the president when the pair, along with Farley, spoke with reporters during a press gaggle.
“We have a great relationship with the president and his — and his whole staff. They’ve been great to work with for us,” Ford told reporters. “He personally is incredibly responsive every time we need something or call. We very much appreciate it.”
“We’re adding market share. We’re growing as a company, we’re adding jobs — not just here, but elsewhere… and times are good for us,” he added.
Trump noted moments earlier that the factory is ramping up production to run 24 hours a day, and Ford noted it will be adding a third shift.
“It’s going to be running, as the president said, 24 hours, 6 days a week, and that just shows the demand there is for this product, which is the best-selling product, as you all know, in America,” Ford said.
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