A Horrible Incident Leads to a Horrible Lie
On This Day In 2020
As discussed in recent OTDIs, these were tense days in 2020 in the U.S., amidst dramatic interactions between law enforcement and BLM protestors. OTDI 2020, Martin Gugino, a 75-year-old peace activist, was participating in a non-violent BLM rally in Buffalo. Three police officers shoved him to the ground, causing major injuries and blood to come out of his ear. He was hospitalized and placed in the ICU.
The video may be upsetting to viewers:
President Trump and Future President Biden both weighed in. Their statements could not have been more different.
Then-President Donald Trump: Rather than soothe the national uneasiness with typically-presidential words, Trump chose to be provocative and, in his thinking, “STRONG.” Apparently, the concept that a BLM supporter could be a victim rather than a perpetrator ran contrary to his world view.
So he essentially concocted a bizarre, thinly-sourced story in which he claimed that Gugino was “an ANTIFA provocateur” and “fell harder than he was pushed…could be a set up?” That's pretty much the very definition of a "conspiracy theory."
And, so, the flames of unrest burned even brighter in this country.
Future president Joe Biden:
Please do note, though, that after further investigation, the grand jury declined to indict the police officers, deciding they had followed procedure.
Dive Deeper
Trump’s inflammatory tweet is here
Coverage of Trump’s invented conspiracy theory comes from Politico
The BBC also fact-checked one of Trump’s more ridiculous claims
WBFO has original coverage of the incident