conspiracist in chief

Trump baselessly suggests 75-year-old Buffalo protester shoved by police may have been an 'antifa provocateur'

President Trump has made his first comments about the Buffalo, New York protester shoved by police, and it's loaded with unfounded conspiracy theories.

Two Buffalo police officers have been charged with felony second-degree assault after they shoved 75-year-old peace activist Martin Gugino to the ground last week, leaving him bleeding on the sidewalk. But Trump, after watching a segment from the right-wing One America News Network, has decided without proof that Gugino "could be an antifa provocateur" who was "appearing to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment."

The OANN segment stems from a far-right blog that started pushing its own interpretation of the incident over the weekend. There's no proof that Gugino was trying to black out police communications or even that he identified as "antifa." Antifa is a shortening of "anti-fascist," and, contrary to what Trump and other conservatives have suggested, is a loose designation for people who oppose fascism and oppression, with no leader or organizational structure.

Gugino is still in the hospital after hitting his head on the sidewalk. A Buffalo News story about Gugino revealed he is a longtime peace activist from about 15 minutes outside Buffalo.