Former US President Donald Trump was caught on camera giving a heckler the middle finger during a visit to a Ford production facility in Michigan this week.
Heckler's Shout and Trump's Response
The incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon at Ford's River Rouge complex in Dearborn. According to a video published by celebrity news outlet TMZ, an individual off-screen can be heard shouting at Trump, who was looking down from a railing. The heckler reportedly called the former president a "pedophile protector."
In the roughly 15-second clip, Trump appears to respond by shouting back before making an unambiguous hand gesture. TMZ claims he gave the heckler the middle finger. The footage shows a visibly flustered reaction from the former president.
White House and Ford Reaction
When contacted by the Guardian, White House communications director Steven Cheung did not directly confirm the gesture. Instead, he issued a statement saying Trump had given an "appropriate and unambiguous response" to a "lunatic was wildly screaming expletives in a complete fit of rage."
A spokesperson for Ford told TMZ that while they were proud of their employees and considered the event a success, they do not condone "anyone saying anything inappropriate" in their facilities. They added that they have a process to deal with such incidents but do not discuss specific personnel matters.
Mounting Pressure Over Epstein Files
The heckler's accusation and Trump's reaction come at a time of increasing political pressure on the Trump administration regarding the release of documents related to the late financier and convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.
Trump, who was photographed with Epstein in the past and had a long association with him, has previously resisted the release of these records, dismissing them as a "hoax." According to court filings from the first week of January, the US Department of Justice has released less than 1% of the so-called 'Epstein files.'
This is despite a federal law requiring their full disclosure by mid-December. Last week, a bipartisan push emerged, with Democratic Representative Ro Khanna of California and Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky urging a US district judge to order the complete release.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi, overseeing the process, states the slow pace is to protect the identities of Epstein's victims. The limited documents released so far are heavily redacted, offering little new information and prompting sharp questions from senior Democrats about what remains hidden.
Following the plant tour, Trump delivered a speech at the Detroit Economic Club, but the controversy surrounding the incident and the broader issue of the Epstein documents continues to attract significant attention.
