Trump Suggests 75-Year-Old Man Pushed by Police May Be ‘Antifa Provocateur’ Who Faked His Fall

President Donald Trump made an extraordinary attack on a 75-year-old man who was shoved to the ground by police in Buffalo. On Twitter, the President suggested that Martin Gugino is a member of Antifa and faked his fall, which was recorded on camera and shared widely online.

“Buffalo protester shoved by Police could be an ANTIFA provocateur,” Trump said.

“75 year old Martin Gugino was pushed away after appearing to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment.”

Buffalo protester shoved by Police could be an ANTIFA provocateur. 75 year old Martin Gugino was pushed away after appearing to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment. @OANN I watched, he fell harder than was pushed. Was aiming scanner. Could be a set up?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 9, 2020

Trump tagged conservative outlet OANN in the tweet, and went on to suggest Gugino’s fall was somehow faked.

“I watched, he fell harder than was pushed. Was aiming scanner. Could be a set up?” he said.

Two Buffalo police officers have been charged with second-degree assault following the incident. Aaron Torgalski and Robert McCabe pleaded not guilty but could face seven years in prison if convicted.

Jesuit priest Fr. James Martin revealed on Twitter a few days ago that Gugino is a well-known personality in the Roman Catholic community.

#MartinGugino, the 75 year old man knocked to the ground by police in Buffalo, is a longtime peace activist and volunteer at the Catholic Worker, a movement dedicated to justice and peace, founded by Servant of God Dorothy Day, who also took to the streets to advocate for justice pic.twitter.com/9SxDS0705Y

— James Martin, SJ (@JamesMartinSJ) June 6, 2020

“[T]he 75 year old man knocked to the ground by police in Buffalo, is a longtime peace activist and volunteer at the Catholic Worker, a movement dedicated to justice and peace, founded by Servant of God Dorothy Day, who also took to the streets to advocate for justice,” Martin said.

Trump appears to have gotten this bizarre claim from an OANN segment, which picked up the conspiracy from Conservative Treehouse, an as yet little-known conservative outlet. Media Matters for America’s Matthew Gertz pointed to the video on Twitter.

Here's the first half of the batshit OANN segment Trump just tweeted. It alleges the 75 year old man assaulted by Buffalo police officers was an antifa operative, based on a report from Conservative Treehouse. pic.twitter.com/CeMVyJcoh8

— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) June 9, 2020

The host of this segment, Kristian Rouz, has also worked for Sputnik, a Russian state news outlet run from the Kremlin which has been widely accused of spreading Russian propaganda.