President Donald Trump tweeted a conspiracy theory about the police shooting of a Buffalo man whohas been circulatingon far-right online media in recent days, influencing efforts by the president and other conservatives to portray protesters as part of the “antifa” movement.
Martin Gugino, 75, is in serious but stable condition at a Buffalo hospital after being beaten by police during a protest. In his post, Trump said Gugino may be an “Antifa provocateur” who “scanned” police equipment while being beaten.
Gugino's video gained the most views of videos showing examples of police brutality in recent protests.
“Buffalo protester pushed by cops may be Antifa provocateur. 75-year-old Martin Gugino was ejected after being seen scanning police communications with the intent of disabling equipment. He was adjusting the scanner. Could it be a trap?” Trump tweeted.
The president's claims appear to have stemmed from a conspiracy theory that was created Tuesday morning on One America News Network, a far-right news channel. The theory was originally shared on an anonymous conservative blog.
One America News Network, which reports that Gugino, an activist from suburban Buffalo, was using “standard Antifa tactics” when police pushed him. OANN journalist Kristian Rouzsaid the incident “may be the result of false provocations by far-left Antifa groups.”
Rouz claimed that the “video that just came out” showed Gugino using a “police detector on his cellphone.” The video does not show the protester using a “police detector”The journalist called it an “old Antifa trick” without providing evidence or other examples.
Trump and many of his supporters have alleged, with little evidence, that Antifa is carrying out plans to cause riots and incite violence during protests.
The Antifa organization faces far-right and fascist groups, and in fact it turned out to have had little involvement with the protests, despite rumors circulating online and claims by officials.
Rouz previously worked for the Russian media organization Sputnik, and has a history of promoting unfounded theories on OANN. Last month, he claimed that the COVID-19 was a “population control” plot by George Soros, Bill Gates, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Bill and Hillary Clinton, and China.
Marc Polymeropoulos, a former CIA officer with Russia included in his portfolio, said Trump was “giving the Russians a gift.”
«It's very bad what he said. But it's very shocking that he's citing reports from known Russian intelligence propaganda sources.»
Rouz’s report on Gugino came from a far-right blog, Conservative Treehouse, which is a frequent contributor to conspiracy theories. The post claims, without evidence, that Gugino is “a 75-year-old professional troublemaker and Antifa provocateur” who was “trying to tap the police Buffalo.” The story was written by a user named “Sundance,” who cites his own Twitter posts as evidence.
The 75-year-old man Trump is referring to appears to have fallen from the officers' blows and hit his head so hard that he was bleeding from his ears. The two officers involved, Aaron Torgalski and Robert McCabe, have been suspended without pay and charged with assault .
Buffalo Mayor Byron Brownresponded to Trump via tweet, saying that "the city of Buffalo is committed to healing and taking action against racial injustice, building a better future for its residents. We all pray for Mr. Gugino's full recovery and as I have said repeatedly, the two officers deserve due process."
A similar view is held by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who stated that tweet has no basis and that he should apologize.
«How reckless. How irresponsible. How evil. How vulgar. Such a reprehensible, stupid comment coming from the president of America.»
