Watch as dozens of people protest President Trump’s visit to Detroit
Demonstrators gathered outside the Motor City Casino in Detroit to protest President Donald Trump’s appearance and speech.
- TJ Sabra made comments to President Trump on January 13th that resulted in Sabra being suspended.
- Trump responded with expletives and obscene gestures.
A Ford Motor Co. employee who was suspended from his job for heckling President Donald Trump is receiving an outpouring of support from friends, even though the president apparently gave him the middle finger.
However, late in the evening on January 14th, he appeared to ask that donations be closed to two GoFundMe pages. These pages are in support of suspended Ford employee TJ Sabra and have raised a total of $810,765 for him as of 7:36 p.m.
A GoFundMe spokesperson confirmed that the two pages are legitimate fundraising efforts for Sabula. The Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, reached out to Sabra, but he did not respond to a request for comment. A GoFundMe spokesperson said they have asked the group to inform them that they are refusing to be interviewed at this time.
In a late-night update on January 14, a person identified as Sabra wrote on one of the pages, “Thank you so much for the outpouring of support! At this time, donations to this campaign are closed. We encourage you to look for other causes and organizations to support. We appreciate all donations, comments, shares, and signs of support!”
A similar message from organizers was posted on another page, also indicating that donations were no longer being accepted.
The incident that led to the Sabra’s suspension occurred on the afternoon of January 13, when President Trump visited Ford’s Dearborn Truck Plant, where Ford assembles the F-150 pickup truck. President Trump toured the facility ahead of a scheduled speech at the Detroit Economic Club. The UAW confirmed that Sabra has been suspended with pay.
Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford told the Detroit Free Press late on January 13 on the sidelines of the Detroit Auto Show that the tour had gotten off to a good start and was generally positive. In fact, one factory manager told the Free Press that meeting the president was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for an employee who has been with the company for 32 years.
But the incident, which gained attention on social media, occurred as the president was walking through the chamber. TMZ reports that someone yelled the words “pedophile protector” at President Trump. Local media was not allowed to participate in the tour.
The comment was an apparent reference to President Trump’s relationship with the late convicted criminal Jeffrey Epstein and the US Department of Justice’s notorious slowness in releasing the Epstein files. Epstein’s death in prison was ruled a suicide.
According to a report from TMZ, Trump is said to have sworn back at the employee before flashing his middle finger in the employee’s direction. The Washington Post also reported on President Trump’s lewd behavior and cited Sabra by name.
As the Free Press reported on January 13, Sabra remains suspended while Ford investigates the incident.
One GoFundMe page identifies the worker as TJ Sabula. The page’s organizer, Diandra Gourlay, said in a post that Sabra is a married father of two and a member of the UAW 600. The page also includes a screenshot of President Trump making the gesture. On the page, Gourlay described how during a factory visit, workers expressed concerns about Trump, and the president responded with a middle finger and an expletive. Gourlay, who is a long-time friend of Sabra’s family, said all funds raised would be donated to the family to help cover expenses “during these uncertain times.”
As of 7:36 p.m. on Jan. 14, Golay’s page had raised $329,885 for Sabra, with about 13,400 donors listed.
A second GoFundMe page organized by Sean Williams is titled “TJ Sabra is a Patriot,” and Williams writes, “Please help us raise money for Patriot TJ Sabra!! TJ calls President Donald J. Trump a pedophile. I got suspended from my job at Ford Motor Company for correctly calling me a guardian!! Let’s come together to support TJ and help him pay his bills (and force DJT to release the Trump/Epstein files).” LFG!!”
As of 7:36 p.m. on January 14th, the page had raised $480,880 from approximately 21,500 donations. Comments on the page under “Words of Support” read: “President Trump’s response tells you everything you need to know” and “An example to all those who are letting us down right now.” There were also supportive comments such as “Good job” and “Keep up the good work.”
Sabra also received support from Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, who posted on Facebook on January 14, “This worker is a national hero. He’s right. In fact, the president is protecting pedophiles. Don’t come to my district and expect a warm welcome. Detroit will always speak truth to power. Release the Epstein file!”
The UAW initially did not comment on the situation to the Free Press, other than confirming on Jan. 13 that the member had been suspended. However, on January 14, the company released a statement supporting Sabra.
“The UAW ensures that our members have the full protection of all contract language negotiated to protect their jobs and their rights as union members. Workers should never be subjected to foul language or behavior from anyone, including the President of the United States,” Laura Dickerson, head of the UAW’s Ford division, said in a statement.
Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg also announced his support for Sabra on January 14 during the Detroit Auto Show.
“I don’t know everything about the legalities and the contract with the UAW, but I do know this: This is a worker who spoke his mind to the most powerful person in this country,” Buttigieg said. “And he has every right as an American to do so.”
When the Free Press asked Bill Ford about the incident late on January 13, Ford said, “Discipline is in the hands of the organization. It’s disappointing and it was embarrassing because 99 percent of the employees at the plant were great and we’re the organizers. But it was six seconds of a one-hour tour and the tour went well.”
In an emailed statement to the Free Press, Ford spokesman Dave Tovar said the visit went well and the company is proud of the way its employees represent Ford.
“We saw the clip you refer to,” Tovar said. “One of our core values is respect and we do not tolerate anyone who says such inappropriate things within our facilities. If something like that happens, we have processes to address it, but we do not get into specific personnel issues.”
The UAW said this article has been updated to accurately reflect the donation amount and correct his salary status.
Jamie L. Lareau is senior auto writer for USA Today and covers Ford Motor Company for the Detroit Free Press. Contact Jamie at jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @Jalarowan.
