The White House has defended US President Donald Trump after he aimed an offensive gesture at a heckler during his appearance at a Ford factory in Detroit on Tuesday. Footage of the incident published by TMZ appears to show the president responding to a man who shouted at him from afar. The White House stated: A lunatic was wildly screaming expletives in a complete fit of rage, and the President gave an appropriate and unambiguous response. The heckler has been suspended by Ford, according to the United Auto Workers union. A Ford spokesperson commented that the company upholds respect and does not condone such behavior on its premises. The heckler reportedly called Trump a paedophile protector, referencing the president's handling of the Epstein files. A man named TJ Sabula, who identified himself as the heckler, expressed he had no regrets about his remarks. Trump, under pressure for more transparency regarding federal investigations into Epstein, signed a law demanding the Department of Justice release all related files, although many remain unpublished. Having spent time with Epstein in the past, Trump denies any wrongdoing associated with him. The visit was part of Trump's address to the Detroit Economic Club, amid a backdrop of past controversies over public expletives from both himself and his predecessor, Joe Biden.