(Newly uncovered photos show Jeffrey Epstein attended Trump's wedding in 1993 - CNN)
TJ Sabula still has his job at Ford. He has no disciplinary actions on his record. And the United Auto Workers made that happen, not the Constitution.
UAW Vice President Laura Dickerson announced the outcome at a conference in Washington this week, according to TMZ. "TJ is well aware that the UAW has his back and supported him in his beliefs," Dickerson said. "Freedom of speech is real."
That last part needs clarification. Freedom of speech protects citizens from government retaliation. It does not protect private sector employees from being fired by their employers for what they say on the job. What protected Sabula was his union contract, not the Bill of Rights.
What Happened at the Plant
On January 13, President Trump toured Ford's River Rouge Complex in Dearborn, Michigan. During the visit, Sabula, a 40 year old line worker and member of UAW Local 600, shouted "pedophile protector" at the president. The comment referenced Trump's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, which the administration has declined to fully release despite campaign promises.
Video captured by TMZ shows Trump pointing at Sabula, mouthing "fuck you" twice, and raising his middle finger as he walked away. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung defended the response, telling media that "a lunatic was wildly screaming expletives in a complete fit of rage, and the President gave an appropriate and unambiguous response."
Sabula told The Washington Post he stood approximately 60 feet from Trump and made sure the president could hear him "very, very, very clearly." He described the moment as an opportunity he felt compelled to take. "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."
Ford suspended Sabula without pay pending an investigation. In its statement to media, the company said, "One of our core values is respect and we don't condone anyone saying anything inappropriate like that within our facilities. When that happens, we have a process to deal with it but we don't get into specific personnel matters."
The Union Response
The UAW immediately backed Sabula. In a statement released shortly after the suspension, Vice President Laura Dickerson said, "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."
That protection proved effective. According to TMZ, Dickerson announced this week that Sabula has his job back with no discipline on his record. "That's what we do best, we represent," she said. "As UAW members, we speak truth to power. We don't just protect our rights, we exercise them."
Dickerson also addressed Trump's response during the confrontation. "He gave us the middle finger," she recalled. "He also said 'You're fired.' Well, this ain't 'The Apprentice.'"
Constitutional Protection vs. Union Protection
The distinction matters. As The New York Times noted in coverage of the incident, nonunion private sector employees have no First Amendment protection against being fired over their speech. The Constitution restricts what the government can do, not what private employers can do.
Union workers operate under different rules. Collective bargaining agreements typically include just cause provisions that limit an employer's ability to discipline or terminate workers arbitrarily. Those contracts often protect political speech and activity, require specific procedures for discipline, and allow workers to grieve adverse actions through a formal process.
In Sabula's case, the UAW used those contractual protections to negotiate his reinstatement without discipline. Tennessee Representative Tim Burchett, a Trump ally, acknowledged this reality when asked about the incident by reporter Pablo Manríquez. "I think it's a poor choice of words. I guess he has a First Amendment right, but in Tennessee, we have a right to fire his ass," Burchett said in video posted by MeidasTouch, according to The Daily Beast.
Burchett's statement reflects the standard employment relationship in right to work states. But Michigan isn't Tennessee, and Sabula wasn't a nonunion worker who could be fired at will.
The Fundraising Response
During his suspension, two GoFundMe campaigns raised money for Sabula and his family. The larger campaign, organized by Sean Williams, exceeded its $150,000 goal and reached over $222,000 before setting a new target of $250,000, according to The Daily Beast. A second campaign organized by Diandra Gourlay, described as a longtime friend of the Sabula family, raised additional funds to cover expenses during the suspension.
Sabula is married with two young children. The fundraising allowed him to cover bills during his unpaid suspension while the UAW worked to resolve the disciplinary action.
The Outcome
Sabula told The Washington Post he had "no regrets whatsoever" about the confrontation and believed he was being "targeted for political retribution" for embarrassing Trump. That belief appears vindicated by the outcome. He's back at work with no record of the incident in his employment file.
The case demonstrates the practical difference between constitutional rights and contractual protections in the American workplace. Sabula exercised his right to criticize the president. The president responded with profanity and a gesture. Ford suspended Sabula. And the UAW brought him back.
The Constitution didn't protect TJ Sabula from losing his job. His union did. That's not a technicality. That's the entire point of collective bargaining.