Cyclist fired for giving Trump the finger receives $70k in donations

More than US$70,000 in donations have poured into a crowdfunding site set up for the cyclist who was fired from her job for making a rude gesture to President Donald Trump's motorcade.

More than 3,000 donations - from $5 to $250 - have rolled in since Nov 6, when the GoFundMe campaign was set up on behalf of Juli Briskman.

Briskman's raised middle finger was caught by news photographers as Trump's motorcade passed her on Oct 28 as he left Trump National Golf Course in Sterling, Virginia. The image immediately went viral.

Three days later, the 50-year-old marketing executive was fired by her company, government contractor Akima.

"Thank you Juli Briskman," wrote Rob Mello, who set up the GoFundMe account, calling her "an inspiration to us all."

All the money raised goes directly to Briskman, he says on the site.