Ford Worker Who Called Trump A 'Pedophile Protector' Reportedly No Longer Suspended
Collin Woodard
Wed, February 4, 2026 at 6:02 PM UTC
3 min read
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- Ford factory worker TJ Sabula, who was suspended for calling President Trump a "pedophile protector," has had his suspension lifted and is still employed by Ford.
- The United Auto Workers Union still supports Sabula, and sources close to the situation say he may have the option to take personal leave if he chooses.
- Two successful GoFundMe campaigns have raised nearly $800,000 to support Sabula financially, giving him various options for his future plans.
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When factory worker TJ Sabula called President Trump a "pedophile protector," during a visit to a Ford plant in Dearborn, Michigan last month, Ford suspended him. At the time, though, it wasn't clear whether Sabula's suspension would ultimately lead to Ford firing him. He had the United Auto Workers Union's support, but even if he wasn't fired, would he even want to come back? That remains to be seen, but according to industry reporter Phoebe Wall Howard, the sources she's spoken with say Sabula's suspension has been lifted.
In a recent post on Substack, Howard reports her sources say that, not only is Sabula no longer suspended, he's also still "a member of UAW Local 600 in Dearborn and employed by Ford." Whether he's already back on the job or still taking some time off isn't clear, though, and she was unable to reach Sabula to talk about his plans. Personally, I choose to believe he didn't return her call because he's on a beach somewhere, sipping cold, fruity drinks and not answering his phone, but that's more headcanon than a fact supported by evidence.
When Howard contacted Ford for a statement, the representative declined, saying "the company does not comment on personnel matters." Meanwhile, Laura Dickerson, a UAW vice president who oversees the union's Ford division, said the UAW still supports Sabula and has done its best to ensure he's treated fairly according to the terms of the contract, but she also said she couldn't comment further. That said, multiple unnamed sources reportedly told Howard that the contract Ford signed with the UAW would allow Sabula to take personal leave if he wanted to
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But what about other workers' hurt feelings?
As Howard points out, technically, Sabula was already on paid leave during his suspension while Ford tried to figure out what to do with him. Apparently, multiple sources "...close to the situation" told her that "[a] secondary concern involved drama related to the employee's return to a politically diverse work environment," because "[a] significant number of UAW members supported Trump on Election Day."
Whether Sabula chooses to return to his job or not, the good news is, he shouldn't have to worry about money for a while. In response to Sabula showing more bravery than the supposed leaders of the Democratic Party, supporters started two separate GoFundMe campaigns to help Sabula out financially. Those GoFundMes ended up being so successful that, not only did they raise nearly $800,000, he also paused the campaigns and asked supporters to donate to other good causes.
Even if Sabula doesn't plan to retire early in a foreign country with a low cost of living, after taxes, that's still a nice chunk of change that should give him plenty of options, including the ability to get more deeply involved in political organizing or advocacy. Personally, I'd probably take a nice, long vacation, buy a new Corvette, and then return to work, just to make everyone who supports the man who was best friends with Epstein uncomfortable, but I'm also petty and that may not be his style. Wherever Sabula goes, though, I hope he never has to pay for a single drink again.
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