Trump gives middle finger to shouting factory worker in Michigan
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
US President Donald Trump made headlines on Tuesday after a video captured him appearing to mouth "f*** you" and extend his middle finger toward a heckler during a tour of Ford's F-150 manufacturing plant in Dearborn, near Detroit.
The incident quickly went viral on social media.
Am I crazy or did Trump just flip off some hecklers? pic.twitter.com/Zm3cRdD31O
— JT Lewis (@thejtlewis) January 13, 2026
The confrontation occurred as Trump walked along a gangway overlooking the factory floor. A worker below shouted "pedophile protector" at the president, an apparent reference to Trump's past social connections with Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier who died in 2019 while facing federal sex-trafficking charges.
Epstein's associations have also been scrutinized in relation to other high-profile figures, including former President Bill Clinton, though no charges have been filed against either Trump or Clinton in connection with Epstein's crimes.
Trump has repeatedly denied any involvement in Epstein's illicit activities, stating in past interviews that he banned Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago resort after learning of his behavior.
In the brief video clip, Trump turns toward the heckler, points, and mouths the expletive before raising his middle finger and continuing down the walkway.
The exchange lasted only seconds but was amplified across platforms like X , where users shared the footage with captions ranging from celebratory to condemnatory.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung addressed the incident in a statement to Newsweek, defending Trump’s response: "A lunatic was wildly screaming expletives in a complete fit of rage, and the President gave an appropriate and unambiguous response."
