A Life Changed by a Single Jeer... Man Earns $1.2 Million at Once

"Pedophile Protector" Shouted at Trump During Factory Visit
Donation Page Set Up for Sabula on GoFundMe

An employee who jeered at US President Donald Trump during his visit to a Ford Motor Company plant in Detroit has received more than $810,000 (approximately 1.2 billion KRW) in donations.

On January 14 (local time), two fundraising pages for TJ Sabula, a production worker at Ford’s Dearborn Truck Plant, were launched on the online crowdfunding site GoFundMe. One page called for people to "join the fundraising campaign for patriot TJ," urging supporters to help Sabula cover his living expenses.

Ford Motor Company plant worker TJ Sabula jeered at US President Donald Trump as a "pedophile protector." Screenshot from GoFundMe site

The other page asked people to "support Ford worker TJ Sabula, who has been suspended," introducing him as the father of two young children and a proud member of the United Auto Workers (UAW). It explained that the donations would be used to support Sabula and his family with living expenses as they navigate this difficult period. As of January 15, the total amount raised through the two pages had surpassed $810,000.

According to videos posted on social networking services (SNS) such as X (formerly Twitter), President Trump visited Ford’s F-150 pickup truck manufacturing plant in Dearborn, Michigan, on January 13. During his tour of the facility, Trump was heckled by someone believed to be a plant worker, who called him a "pedophile protector."

In the footage, President Trump is seen turning toward the source of the noise, pointing his finger, then making a fist and extending his middle finger in an obscene gesture. He also appeared to mouth the words "fxxx you" twice.

"Suspended by the Company"

Later, in an interview with The Washington Post, Sabula confirmed, "I was the one who shouted at Trump," and stated that he had been suspended as a result of the incident. In response, Ford spokesperson Dave Tovar said in a statement, "Respect is a core value at Ford," adding, "We do not tolerate inappropriate remarks in the workplace." White House Communications Director Steven Cheung countered, "A lunatic (Sabula) shouted profanities in a fit of rage," asserting that "the President responded appropriately and clearly."

Sabula’s heckling appears to have been motivated by dissatisfaction with the Trump administration’s handling of the case involving the late Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted child sex trafficker. Billionaire Epstein was arrested in 2019 on charges of child prostitution and human trafficking, but died by suicide in jail before his trial began. Trump, who was once friends with Epstein before their relationship soured around 2004, has insisted he engaged in no wrongdoing. However, he has faced public criticism for opposing the release of investigative records related to the Epstein case.