Ford autoworker TJ Sabula is earning much-needed support after being suspended for heckling Donald Trump in a viral video. On Tuesday, February 13, the 40-year-old shouted at the president during a Ford plant tour in Dearborn, Michigan, calling him a “pedophile protector” for his controversial handling of the Epstein files. Trump responded with a middle finger and expletives, while Ford suspended Sabula pending further investigation. However, several online crowdfunding campaigns for Sabula are more than making up for it.
Ford worker TJ Sabula has “no regrets” for calling Trump out
Two separate GoFundMe campaigns for Trump heckler TJ Sabula have been launched, with one climbing over $450,000 and the other surpassing $300,000 at the time of writing.
The Washington Post noted that the funds for the first campaign had only passed $150,000 on Wednesday morning, suggesting donations could exceed a million dollars by the time the campaigns conclude.
The original creator of the first GoFundMe stated that the purpose was to “rally and support TJ and help him pay some bills.” Updates to the fundraiser added Thomas Sabula as the beneficiary. The second campaign highlights that TJ Sabula is “a father of two young children, husband, [and a] proud United Auto Workers Local 600 line worker.”
“As far as calling him out, definitely no regrets whatsoever,” Sabula said.
“I don’t feel as though fate looks upon you often,” he added, “and when it does, you better be ready to seize the opportunity. And today I think I did that.”
However, Sabula says he is unsure about staying at his job. The first GoFundMe mentions he also received “fines” for what he said, though the exact penalties are undisclosed. Sabula believes he is being “targeted for political retribution” after “embarrassing Trump in front of his friends.”