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 $450,000 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.”
There’s no evidence that Sabula was shouting expletives, though he did call Trump a “pedophile protector,” according to the video. Trump, who was reportedly best friends with notorious sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, has received criticism in recent months because his Department of Justice has failed to release millions of documents related to Epstein’s crimes. Refusal to release the files violates the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which passed last year.
Am I crazy or did Trump just flip off some hecklers? 😂 pic.twitter.com/Zm3cRdD31O
— JT Lewis (@thejtlewis) January 13, 2026
Despite losing his job, Sabula told the Washington Post that he has no regrets, though he believes he was “targeted for political retribution” simply because he did something that was “embarrassing Trump in front of his friends.” President Trump is notorious for exacting revenge on his political enemies, both big and small, mobilizing the resources of the federal government to go after everyone from former FBI director James Comey to Chris Krebs, the former head of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) during Trump’s first term.
“I don’t feel as though fate looks upon you often, and when it does, you better be ready to seize the opportunity,” Sabula told the Washington Post. “And today I think I did that.”
A GoFundMe campaign called “TJ Sabula is a patriot!!” has raised over $450,000 as of this writing, and Sabula’s union is standing behind him. The United Auto Workers union posted about the incident on Bluesky.
“The autoworker at the Dearborn Truck Plant is a proud member of a strong and fighting union—the UAW. He believes in freedom of speech, a principle we wholeheartedly embrace, and we stand with our membership in protecting their voice on the job,” the union wrote.
“The UAW will ensure that our member receives the full protection of all negotiated contract language safeguarding his job and his rights as a union member,” the union continued. “Workers should never be subjected to vulgar language or behavior by anyone—including the President of the United States.”
Crowdfunding campaigns have become an incredibly popular way to raise money on both sides of the political divide. A woman in Rochester, Minnesota, who went viral last year for calling a Black child a racial slur raised over $830,000, with that campaign hosted on the far-right platform GiveSendGo. Jonathan Ross, the ICE agent who was captured on video shooting Renee Good in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 7, has raised over $710,000 on the more mainstream GoFundMe platform.
Many have questioned whether the fundraiser for Ross violates GoFundMe’s own terms of service against campaigns involving violent crimes. A spokesperson for GoFundMe told Gizmodo that its trust and safety team is “currently reviewing all fundraisers related to the shooting in Minneapolis to ensure they are compliant with our Terms of Service.” The spokesperson said they’re currently looking at the largest campaign for Ross, but it’s unclear when a final determination might be made.
“During the review process, all funds remain safely held by our payment processors,” the spokesperson told Gizmodo. “GoFundMe’s Terms of Service prohibit fundraisers that raise money for the legal defense of anyone formally charged with a violent crime. Any campaigns that violate this policy will be removed.”
A verified GoFundMe campaign for Renee Good’s widow and child has raised over $1.5 million.
This article was updated to include the latest fundraising total, which is climbing rapidly.
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