California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is sharing his thoughts on President Donald Trump’s obscene gesture toward a Michigan autoworker.
On Tuesday, Trump was seen flipping off an employee at a Ford plant in Dearborn, Michigan, after the worker called him a “pedophile protector,” possibly alluding to the president’s efforts to prevent the release of Justice Department files regarding late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
The headline-making exchange, which was caught on camera by an onlooker, continued with Trump mouthing an F-bomb.
Later that day, Newsom shared TMZ’s footage of the moment on X while taking his own jab at the president.
“Struck a nerve?” he wrote.
On his press office account, Newsom offered a more prudent take, writing: “Why is the President attacking a fellow American?”
The White House has confirmed the authenticity of the video and called Trump’s remarks “appropriate.”
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“A lunatic was wildly screaming expletives in a complete fit of rage, and the President gave an appropriate and unambiguous response,” White House spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement.
The Washington Post identified the heckler as TJ Sabula, who says he is politically independent and has voted for Republicans in the past, despite not supporting Trump. The 40-year-old has been suspended from his job pending an investigation.
Though Sabula told the outlet he believes he’s been “targeted for political retribution” in the wake of the incident, he has “definitely no regrets whatsoever” about calling Trump out.
“I don’t feel as though fate looks upon you often, and when it does, you better be ready to seize the opportunity,” he said. “And today I think I did that.”
The United Auto Workers union released a statement to Reuters and other outlets in support of Sabula, noting they 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,” the statement continued.
As of Wednesday afternoon, two online campaigns raising money for Sabula during his suspension have collectively raised more than $600,000.