Trump told a Ford worker ‘you’re fired’ after being told a ‘pedophile protector’, but the union’s response shows it doesn’t work that way

TJ Sabula, the Ford worker who got into a shouting match with President Donald Trump in January, still has his job at the Michigan factory. He has not faced any punishment from his union. The United Auto Workers (UAW) quickly showed their support for Sabula. 

According to The Independent, UAW Vice President Laura Dickerson said at a recent political conference in Washington, D.C., “TJ, we got your back.” This shows how the union protects its members. UAW President Shawn Fain also praised the 40-year-old line worker. Fain said Sabula was a union brother who stood up for his rights. He added, “That’s a union brother who spoke up. He put his constitutional rights to work. He put his union rights to work.”

The incident happened on January 13 during President Trump’s visit to a Ford truck factory in Dearborn. Sabula yelled at the president, calling him a “pedophile protector.” This comment was about the controversy surrounding the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files.

The union stood firm in protecting worker rights after the confrontation

President Trump’s response was dramatic. He reportedly mouthed an expletive, raised his middle finger at the worker, and then used his famous catchphrase from his old show, telling Sabula, “You’re fired.” But the line did not work this time.

Sabula, who is a political independent and has supported Republicans before, has no regrets. He admitted he was worried about being “targeted for political retribution” for “embarrassing Trump in front of his friends.” However, he felt he had to take the chance when it came.

Sabula was suspended right after the interaction with President Trump. But multiple crowd-funding pages raised more than $800,000 for the worker. This shows how people reacted to the confrontation. The Epstein case continues to draw public attention, with some even investigating the private island’s mysterious history.

White House Director of Communications Steven Cheung had a different view. He told reporters that the president’s reaction was “appropriate.” Cheung called Sabula a “lunatic” who was “wildly screaming expletives in a complete fit of rage.” This shows how seriously the administration took the heckling. Many public figures have been mentioned in the Epstein documents, adding to ongoing public interest.

The issue Sabula raised about the delayed Epstein files remains a major problem. The Trump administration has not released the full records, despite missing a deadline set in 2025 legislation. Administration lawyers say they are still reviewing the materials to protect victim confidentiality. A group of eight Epstein survivors united for an ad that aired before the Super Bowl, calling on Attorney General Pam Bondi to release the remaining documents.