In a time of political turmoil, the world cried out for a hero, and it may have found one in the person of TJ Sabula, a 40-year-old Ford assembly line worker, who, when Donald Trump visited his plant yesterday, shouted “pedophile protector,” at the President. Trump responded by saying “fuck you,” and “you’re fired,” and flipping Sabula the bird.
That was it, we assumed, Sabula’s job was done. You don’t cross the big boss. But though Ford did suspend Sabula without pay, he’s not done yet. Sabula happens to belong to the United Auto Workers, and a UAW representative issued this statement today: “The autoworker at the Dearborn Truck Plant is a proud member of a strong and fighting union – the UAW. He believes in freedom of speech, a principle we wholeheartedly embrace, and we stand with our membership in protecting their voice on the job. The UAW will ensure that our member receives the full protection of all negotiated contract language safeguarding his job and his rights as a union member. Workers should never be subjected to vulgar language or behavior by anyone – including the President of the United States.”
This is, after all, America, where at any given time at least 50 percent of the population would relish the opportunity to call the President “you old so-and-so”, or worse. Sabula told the Washington Post that he has “no regrets whatsoever” for calling out Trump about the Epstein files, and believes that he’s been targeted for “political retribution.” “I don’t feel as though fate looks upon you often, and when it does, you better be ready to seize the opportunity,” Sabula said. “And today I think I did that.”
Fate is also apparently making Sabula quite wealthy. As of this writing, two GoFundMes organized for Sabula and his family have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, with the money accelerating by the hour. Some choice comments: “Thank you for saying what millions of people wanted to say! You the man! (fist emoji); “While I understand Ford’s corporate policy, I want to thank you for having the courage to stand up and say something in the face of this absolute travesty to our country;” and, perhaps most importantly for Sabula’s employer, “Thank You for speaking out when most of us don’t have the opportunity. I was in the market for a new car Ford Motors WILL NOT BE ON MY LIST!!!” And so on.
You really never know when and how Donald Trump will make news, and by flipping TJ Sabula the bird, Trump may have secured Sabula a lifetime annuity, perhaps enough for retirement, as well as an appearance on The View, which will either be a reward or a punishment. Sabula’s also made some virulent enemies. White House communications director Steven Cheung said, in a statement, “A lunatic was wildly screaming expletives in a complete fit of rage, and the President gave an appropriate and unambiguous response.”
But Sabula doesn’t seem to be a lunatic. He’s a “political independent” who may not be a Trump voter, but claims to have voted for other Republicans in the past. He did a little civil disobedience, which puts him on par not with presidential assassins, but rather with other minor political folk heroes like the guy who threw a Subway sandwich at an ICE officer, the guy who threw a shoe at George W. Bush, or the congressman who yelled “you lie!” during an Obama State of the Union address. We live in a pure democracy, where a man is free to get rich by loudly calling the President a pedophile protector to his face.
