bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Reuters

US President Donald Trump raised his ‌middle finger and appeared to direct profanity towards a factory worker who expressed ‍criticism of his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein controversy at a Michigan auto plant on Tuesday, video circulating online showed.
The entertainment site TMZ first published video capturing the exchange, and the White House did not dispute its authenticity.
“A lunatic was ⁠wildly screaming expletives in a complete fit of rage, and the President gave an appropriate and unambiguous response,” White House spokesman Steven Cheung said in an email.
Trump was touring the Ford F-150 assembly facility in Dearborn when a worker on the plant floor shouted what sounded like “paedophile protector” as the ‍president stood on an elevated walkway, the video showed.

Trump turned towards the individual and appeared to respond ‍with an expletive before making a hand gesture with his middle finger as he walked off.
Other Ford employees cheered and welcomed the president as he toured ‌the assembly line, taking photos with workers and shaking hands.
Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford, speaking with the media at ‍an event later, called the incident unfortunate and said he was embarrassed by it.
“That was six seconds out of an hour tour. And the tour went great,” he said. “I think he really enjoyed it and we did too.”
Trump has occasionally used ‌profanity in ⁠public settings, often in response to criticism, confrontation or to emphasise his point.
Trump has faced persistent scrutiny for his handling of sensitive federal records tied to Epstein, a convicted sex offender who died by suicide in jail in 2019.
Many of Trump’s most loyal supporters believe the government is withholding documents that ‌would reveal the late financier’s ties to powerful public figures. Trump has repeatedly denied any knowledge of Epstein’s alleged abuse and sex trafficking of girls and has not been accused ‌of wrongdoing.
Trump’s visit to ‌the Michigan facility was part of an effort to highlight his administration’s support for US manufacturing, a key theme as the 2026 election year unfolds. Michigan is seen as a politically important state, and domestic jobs and industry have been central to Trump’s economic messaging.


Europe must act fast in Trump’s more brutal new world order: Luuk van Middelaar

Trump insults US Olympic skier Hunter Hess, calling the freestyler a ‘real loser’

Romania, Argentina leaders invited to Trump’s Board of Peace meeting in US

Iran sentences Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi to over 7 more years in prison

Donald Trump

Trump flips off factory worker after Epstein taunt

US President Donald Trump visiting a Ford production centre in Dearborn, Michigan on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters

US President Donald Trump touring the auto plant. Photo: Reuters

Clintons refuse to testify in Epstein probe, defying Republican threats

Former US president Bill Clinton and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton in 2024. Photo: AP

A painting of former US president Bill Clinton wearing a dress that was displayed inside the Manhattan home of Jeffrey Epstein. Photo: US Justice Department via Reuters

Former US president Bill Clinton and Jeffrey Epstein in an undated photo. Photo: US Justice Department via Reuters

Former UK ambassador Mandelson apologises to Epstein victims - but not for personal ties

Peter Mandelson. Photo: BBC via Reuters

Trump flew on Epstein jet 8 times in the 1990s, according to email in latest file dump

Ghislaine Maxwell and Donald Trump are shown in this image released on Tuesday. Photo: US Justice Department via Reuters

An email discussing Jeffrey Epstein’s private jet flight records mentioning Donald Trump. Photo: US Justice Department via Reuters

An envelope and a card purportedly written by Jeffrey Epstein to Larry Nassar. The Justice Department labelled the card a ‘fake’. Photo: US Justice Department via Reuters

Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell in a photo released on December 19. Photo: US Justice Department via Reuters

US Justice Department denies cover-up as photo showing Trump restored to Epstein files

Newly-released documents from disgraced late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including a sheaf of entirely redacted pages. Photo: Reuters

Jeffrey Epstein with Michael Jackson. Photo: US Justice Department via Reuters

Former US president Bill Clinton swimming in a pool. Photo: US Justice Department via Reuters

News

World

United States & Canada

The White House defended the US president’s gesture as an ‘appropriate’ response to a ‘lunatic’ heckler at a Michigan auto plant


The White House defended the US president’s gesture as an ‘appropriate’ response to a ‘lunatic’ heckler at a Michigan auto plant.


Trump flips off factory worker after Epstein taunt

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The White House defended the US president’s gesture as an ‘appropriate’ response to a ‘lunatic’ heckler at a Michigan auto plant

The White House defended the US president’s gesture as an ‘appropriate’ response to a ‘lunatic’ heckler at a Michigan auto plant