Detroit Autoworker's Harassment Lawsuit Suspended as GoFundMe Campaign Surpasses Half Million Dollars
A Detroit autoworker who called Donald Trump a "pedophile protector" was suspended from his job at the Ford F-150 plant on Tuesday, but a GoFundMe campaign set up for him has already raised over $450,000. TJ Sabula, 40, was let go after shouting the phrase during Trump's visit to the plant, where the president responded with two middle fingers.
The incident sparked controversy, with White House Communications Director Steven Cheung defending Trump's actions as an "appropriate and unambiguous response." However, videos of the exchange suggest that Sabula may not have shouted expletives, but rather made a provocative statement.
Trump has faced criticism in recent months for his Department of Justice's failure to release millions of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking crimes. The refusal to release the files violates the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which passed last year.
Sabula claims he was targeted for political retribution because he embarrassed Trump in front of his friends. However, his union, the United Auto Workers, has stood behind him, stating that workers should never be subjected to vulgar language or behavior by anyone, including the President of the United States.
A GoFundMe campaign called "TJ Sabula is a patriot!!" has raised over $450,000 as of writing, with the union promising to ensure Sabula receives full protection under his contract. Crowdfunding campaigns have become increasingly popular on both sides of the political divide, with some raising millions of dollars for individuals involved in controversy.
The incident highlights the complexities of free speech and its limits in the workplace, particularly when it comes to high-profile figures like Trump. As one Twitter user noted, "Am I crazy or did Trump just flip off some hecklers?" The outcome of Sabula's future actions remains to be seen, but for now, his GoFundMe campaign has provided a lifeline for the embattled autoworker.
A Detroit autoworker who called Donald Trump a "pedophile protector" was suspended from his job at the Ford F-150 plant on Tuesday, but a GoFundMe campaign set up for him has already raised over $450,000. TJ Sabula, 40, was let go after shouting the phrase during Trump's visit to the plant, where the president responded with two middle fingers.
The incident sparked controversy, with White House Communications Director Steven Cheung defending Trump's actions as an "appropriate and unambiguous response." However, videos of the exchange suggest that Sabula may not have shouted expletives, but rather made a provocative statement.
Trump has faced criticism in recent months for his Department of Justice's failure to release millions of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking crimes. The refusal to release the files violates the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which passed last year.
Sabula claims he was targeted for political retribution because he embarrassed Trump in front of his friends. However, his union, the United Auto Workers, has stood behind him, stating that workers should never be subjected to vulgar language or behavior by anyone, including the President of the United States.
A GoFundMe campaign called "TJ Sabula is a patriot!!" has raised over $450,000 as of writing, with the union promising to ensure Sabula receives full protection under his contract. Crowdfunding campaigns have become increasingly popular on both sides of the political divide, with some raising millions of dollars for individuals involved in controversy.
The incident highlights the complexities of free speech and its limits in the workplace, particularly when it comes to high-profile figures like Trump. As one Twitter user noted, "Am I crazy or did Trump just flip off some hecklers?" The outcome of Sabula's future actions remains to be seen, but for now, his GoFundMe campaign has provided a lifeline for the embattled autoworker.
... like, sabula's definitely been harassed at work & Trump's response was pretty cringeworthy 
... but at the same time, i feel bad for him 'cause he got let go over something that could've been interpreted as profanity 
... and on the other hand, if he didn't say what he said, then why should he get all this sympathy from people? 
... and it's wild how much money's being raised for him, like $450k is crazy 
... but don't we want to be supporting workers who speak up, even if it's not always the most polished way? 
. I mean, two middle fingers? That's not leadership, that's petty. And now Sabula is getting a free pass thanks to his union and some random GoFundMe campaign. I'm all for workers having their rights protected, but come on, if you're gonna be loud in the workplace, don't expect a medal 
.
And of course, GoFundMe comes along and starts churning out cash like it's nobody's business. 500K+ and it's just because one guy got in some hot water? 
. Can't say I'm surprised, tbh.
. I mean, yeah Trump gets all that middle finger business but at what cost? Losing his job over some hot-headed moment and now he's gotta deal with the stress of having to pay rent or something . It's wild how fast these crowdfunding campaigns go viral though! $450k is insane . My only question is who benefits from this situation, The Trump Foundation or Sabula himself?
he just spoke his mind and made a statement that got him in trouble, but at least hes not backing down 
his union supporting him is awesome too 
especially when its about workers being protected from unprofessional behavior by anyone, even the Prez 
did he really think that would be an "appropriate" response? 
and now ppl are donating millions of dollars to help him out 
. I'm not sure what to think about the whole thing... but one thing's for sure: crowdfunding campaigns are getting wild 
. It's like, yeah, Sabula made a statement, but Trump's response was totally uncalled for 
. I'm glad his union is standing by him and protecting his rights, that's what unions are for 
. It's also weird to me how crowdfunding has become such a thing - it's like people are saying "oh, we need to make this person rich because they said something"