President Donald Trump appeared to flip off a worker during a tour of a Ford plant in Michigan on Tuesday.
The incident was captured on video and quickly spread across social media platforms.
The White House defended the president’s actions, calling the gesture an “appropriate” response to a heckler.
A 30-second video obtained by TMZ shows an individual shouting in the president’s direction as he walked through the facility.
While the audio is somewhat muffled, reports indicate the person yelled “pedophile protector” at the commander-in-chief.
In the footage, Trump is seen pointing toward the factory floor several times while continuing his walk.
He then appears to raise his middle finger toward someone on the floor using his right hand.
A second, zoomed-in video suggests the president also mouthed the words “f*** you” twice during the exchange.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung issued a statement regarding the confrontation.
Cheung claimed a “lunatic” was screaming expletives in a “complete fit of rage” at the president.
The White House maintains that the president’s reaction was both “appropriate and unambiguous.”
Ford has not yet released an official statement regarding the interaction between the president and the worker.
