Suspended Ford worker who was flipped by Trump made so much money on GoFundMe he stopped donating

President Trump has given the middle finger to Ford employees who apparently call it like it’s the best thing he’s ever seen — at least financially. TJ Sabula, a 40-year-old United Auto Workers Local 600 line worker, was immediately suspended with pay after Ford groped the president during a tour of a factory in Michigan (the president flipped him the bird and apparently said “F*k you.”) But, soon after, they liked a pair of Sabula’s and set up a pair for the GoF. Forest fire.

As of mid-morning Jan. 15, the pair of campaigns for Sabula had raised $811,010 from nearly 35,000 separate donations. Sabula, who appears to be a stand-up guy, actually decided to stop accepting donations, indicating that he and his family have more than enough.

In an update to the page, Sabula wrote, “We greatly appreciate the outpouring of support! At this time we are closing donations to this campaign and encourage you to find other causes and organizations to support. We appreciate every single donation, comment, share, and sign of support!” Another page had a similar message and said it was also closing donations. I’m not sure I’m big enough to stop taking free money, but good for him.

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The finger has seen all over the world

Of course, Trump didn’t just pick a random guy out of the crowd, though that wouldn’t happen. that surprising Sabula called Trump a “pedophile protector” during a visit to a Michigan F-150 factory. The Justice Department faces criticism as to the speed with which it released the Epstein files—including redactions in documents—that the Epstein files must have made public in compliance with the Transparency Act.

However, as we previously reported, Trump’s White House did not try to cover up or downplay the president’s actions, instead telling the Washington Post that “a lunatic was screaming obscenities in a full fit of rage, and the president responded appropriately and vaguely.”

Sabula told the Post that she has “no regrets,” though she added that she is concerned about the future of her job and believes she has been “targeted for political revenge” for “embarrassing Trump in front of his peers.”

Some new friends

It’s still unclear what Sabula’s future will be with Ford, but at least the $800,000+ he earned from the GoFundMe will help soften the blow. On top of that, he has the support of the UAW. The association posted this on its website:

Dearborn Truck Plant Autoworkers 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 to protect their voices at work.

The UAW will ensure that our members receive the full protection of all contract language that protects their jobs and rights as union members. Employees should not be subjected to abusive language or behavior by anyone, including the President of the United States.

That is certainly the type of union representation we all deserve.

According to the Detroit Free Press, Sabula has also received support from U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib, who represents Detroit, who called him a “national hero.” Former US Transportation Secretary and fellow Michigander Pete Buttigieg has also expressed his support.

Not everyone was on board, though, including Ford executive chairman Bill Ford, who said meeting the president at the start of the visit was “the experience of a lifetime.”

“Discipline is in the hands of the organization. It’s unfortunate and 99% of the plant staff were great and I’m embarrassed because we’re the hosts. But that was six seconds of a one-hour tour and the tour went great.”

Crowdfunding campaigns can often make everyone angry about rewarding people for “bad behavior”: In early 2025, a woman in Minnesota raised more than $800,000 on the GoFundMe-alike site GiveSendGo for racially abusing a child on the playground, according to NBC. The woman was charged by the city of Rochester with three counts of disorderly conduct, with a trial set to begin in August 2026, ABC 6 News reports.

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