&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "‘F**k you': Trump on camera drops the F bomb, flips middle finger as heckler's ‘paedophile protector’ taunt hits nerve | Watch")
US President Donald Trump sparked fresh controversy on Tuesday (Jan 13) after he was caught on camera making an obscene gesture toward a heckler during a visit to an auto plant in Michigan. The moment, captured on video and widely shared on social media, unfolded during Trump’s tour of a Ford facility producing the Ford F-150 in Detroit. Here's what happened.
Also read | Iran accuses US of plotting 'regime change' after Trump tells protesters, 'HELP IS ON ITS WAY'
Trump 'Flips the Bird' at protester
Footage shows Trump standing on an elevated walkway above the factory floor, wearing a long black overcoat, as shouting erupts from below. He appears to spot the person yelling, points in their direction, scowls, mutters a few choice words, telling the protester "f**k you," before raising his middle finger and turning away. The identity of the heckler remains unknown. Watch a video of the shocking interaction here:
Why did Trump tell a protester "f**k you"?
Reports suggest that the protestor had called Trump a "paedophile protector," an apparent taunt tied to ongoing public pressure surrounding the release of documents connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Just last month, the Trump administration released millions of documents from the notorious Epstein Files, amid discontent within Trump's own support base about how his administration dealt with the release.
Also read | Trump Beware! Denmark soldiers will 'shoot first, ask questions later' if US tries to invade Greenland
The Justice Department has missed a December 19 deadline to fully disclose the material. Earlier this month, officials said they were still reviewing more than two million documents before making them public.
The protester got what he deserved: White House
The White House quickly defended the president's actions. Spokesperson Steven Cheung told AFP that the individual was aggressively shouting insults and that Trump's response was justified. "A lunatic was wildly screaming expletives in a complete fit of rage, and the President gave an appropriate and unambiguous response," Cheung said.
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