President Trump to announce framework to reduce medical costs
President Donald Trump has said his administration will soon announce a framework to reduce health care costs.
President Donald Trump gave a heckler the middle finger and mouthed “F you” while touring a Ford plant in Michigan on January 13, in what the White House called an “appropriate and unambiguous response.”
While President Trump was touring a Ford F-150 assembly facility in Dearborn, Reuters reported on video that a factory floor worker shouted something like “pedophile protector” as the president stood on an elevated walkway. Trump appeared to respond with an epithet, before turning to the person and waving his middle finger before walking away.
Entertainment site TMZ first published a video of the exchange, but the White House did not dispute its authenticity to USA TODAY.
Trump’s press secretary, Stephen Chan, said in a statement to USA TODAY that “a madman was in complete rage, yelling profanity, and the President responded appropriately and clearly.”
Other Ford employees cheered and welcomed the president as he toured the assembly line, taking photos with them and shaking hands.
President Trump has occasionally used profanity in public to respond to criticism, conflict, or make a point.
He has come under intense scrutiny over his handling of confidential federal records related to convicted sex offender Epstein, who committed suicide in prison in 2019. Many of Mr. Trump’s most loyal supporters believe the government is hiding documents revealing the late financier’s ties to powerful public figures. President Trump has repeatedly denied any knowledge of Epstein’s alleged abuse of girls or sex trafficking, and he has not been accused of wrongdoing.
President Trump’s visit to the Michigan facility was part of an effort to highlight his administration’s support for U.S. manufacturing, a key theme as the 2026 election approaches. Michigan is considered a politically important state, with domestic jobs and industry at the center of President Trump’s economic message.
CNN quoted David Tober, Ford’s executive director of corporate communications, as saying, “We have seen the video you are referring to. One of our core values is respect and we will not tolerate anyone who says such inappropriate things within our facilities. If something like that happens, we have a process to address it, but we will not go into specific personnel issues.”
Tovar said the president’s factory visit generally went very well. “We had a great event today, and I’m proud of how our employees represented Ford,” Tovar said.
The incident occurred hours before an interview with CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil aired Tuesday night.
Contributed by: Reuters
