Did Trump show middle finger to person calling him paedophile protector? Viral video raises questions
Trump reportedly had an association with Jeffrey Epstein in the past, a child abuser. The President has been accused of not releasing documents related to the case, and according to some lawmakers, he allegedly attacked Venezuela to divert attention from the case.
New Delhi: In a controversial moment, US President Donald Trump reportedly showed the middle finger to someone who called him a 'pedophile protector' during a visit to a Ford plant in Michigan. The brief exchange has been caught on camera and has stirred a row over the President's action.
When and where did it take place?
The incident took place at Ford Motor Company’s River Rouge complex in Dearborn on Tuesday. It produces the F-150 pickup truck, and Trump was touring the facility, and a video shows that a worker on the factory floor shouted at Trump, "pedophile protector".
What did Trump do at that?
According to the video, Trump apparently hurled an expletive at the person before making a hand gesture that viewers think of as raising his middle finger. Notably, the video does not show the person who shouted and only the video, with some of the audio being indistinct.
Why was Trump called that?
Trump reportedly had an association with Jeffrey Epstein in the past, a child abuser. The President has been accused of not releasing documents related to the case, and according to some lawmakers, he allegedly attacked Venezuela to divert attention from the case. Steven Cheung, assistant to the president and White House director of communications, defended Trump's action in the factor and said, "A lunatic was wildly screaming expletives in a complete fit of rage, and the President gave an appropriate and unambiguous response."
Notably, Trump had earlier shared a fabricated image on social media, portraying himself as the "Acting President of Venezuela”. The post comes days after the US captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Sharing the post on Truth Social, Trump uploaded a morphed image resembling Wikipedia’s official page. Trump’s image appeared above a designation that read "Acting President of Venezuela”.