Conspiracy Theory

President Donald Trump tweeted a conspiracy theory Tuesday about a Buffalo man injured by police that has circulated around fringe, far-right online media in recent days, adding to efforts from the president and other conservatives to cast protesters as part of a shadowy "antifa" movement.

Trump suggested that Martin Gugino, 75, who is in serious but stable condition in a Buffalo hospital after being pushed by two police officers at a protest, may be an "ANTIFA provocateur" who was "scanning" police equipment when he was pushed.

Trump's claims appeared to have been ripped from a conspiracy theory that aired Tuesday morning on One America News Network, a far-right cable news channel. The theory was originally posted to an anonymous conservative blog.

Trump and many of his supporters have claimed with little evidence that antifa has been executing plans to cause unrest and spark violence during recent protests. Antifa, a loosely organized network of groups that use direct action to confront far-right and fascist groups, in reality has been found to have little involvement with the protests despite rumors circulating online and claims from some law enforcement officials.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo weighed in, saying that there was no factual basis for the tweet. "How reckless. How irresponsible. How mean. How crude. I mean, if there was ever a reprehensible, dumb comment," Cuomo said. "And from the president of the United States."

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NBC News     06/09/2020

Gugino, identified as a longtime peace activist, is a member of two nonprofits: PUSH Buffalo, which focuses on affordable housing, and the Western New York Peace Center, a human rights organization. He is also part of the Catholic Worker Movement and politically active on social media, frequently criticizing Trump.