Fact checking theory about protestor Martin Gugino

Top Stories

Home>
Fact Check>

        Claim: The 75-year-old Buffalo protester seriously injured by police is part of antifa. Fact check: False
    
play icon
Buffalo video: Officers suspended after 75-year-old man pushed down, cracking head | ABC7
www.youtube.com
By Kelly CannonJun 09, 2020
Kelly Cannon
Kelly Cannon, Medill School is a contributor for The Fulcrum, a nonpartisan publication dedicated to strengthening democracy by fostering informed civic engagement and elevating diverse perspectives.
 See More Writings by author 

President Trump tweeted a baseless theory that 75-year-old Martin Gugino, seriously injured while peacefully protesting in Buffalo, N.Y., following the death of George Floyd, could be "an ANTIFA provocateur." Trump offered no evidence to support the claim — only referencing a report from One America News Network by Kristian Rouz, formerly of Russian state media Sputnik News. The OANN story cited an article on a blog called the "Conservative Treehouse" that had been written by an anonymous person who published the piece under a pseudonym. 
Gugino's attorney denied Trump's claim in a strongly worded statement given to Law&Crime, writing Gugino had always been a peaceful protester and "[n]o one from law enforcement has even suggested anything otherwise." The tweet has received backlash from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, as well as former Vice President Joe Biden. 
Gugino has been released from intensive care but remains hospitalized following the incident.

Join a growing community committed to civic renewal.
Subscribe to The Fulcrum and be part of the conversation.

        Confirm that you are not a bot.
      

        ×
      
Latest news
Ethics & Leadership
        A War We Cannot Win — And a Lesson America Should Have Learned Long Ago
    
Hugo Balta
5h
Rule of Law
        Only Collective Action Can Turn Outrage Into Accountability and Protect the Rule of Law
    
Jay Blitzman
Javier Irizarr
5h
Health
        When Health Care Becomes a Choice, Something Is Broken
    
Carolyn  Goode
6h
Civic Engagement & Education
        America’s 250th Was Never the Finish Line
    
Vince Stango
Julie Silverbrook
6h

The Top 5

Discover More

President Trump tweeted a baseless theory that 75-year-old Martin Gugino, seriously injured while peacefully protesting in Buffalo, N.Y., following the death of George Floyd, could be "an ANTIFA provocateur." Trump offered no evidence to support the claim — only referencing a report from One America News Network by Kristian Rouz, formerly of Russian state media Sputnik News. The OANN story cited an article on a blog called the "Conservative Treehouse" that had been written by an anonymous person who published the piece under a pseudonym.

Gugino's attorney denied Trump's claim in a strongly worded statement given to Law&Crime, writing Gugino had always been a peaceful protester and "[n]o one from law enforcement has even suggested anything otherwise." The tweet has received backlash from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, as well as former Vice President Joe Biden.

Gugino has been released from intensive care but remains hospitalized following the incident.

Related Articles Around the Web

Read More
An oil production operation is shown in North Dakota. With the U.S. Supreme Court granting more presidential powers to the executive branch, environmental groups warned key agencies will have a harder time going after polluters. 
(Adobe Stock)

        Presidential powers: Corporate abuses big concern after SCOTUS move
    
Mike Moen
Jul 13, 2026
A U.S. Supreme Court opinion issued last month expands presidential power over independent federal agencies, prompting warnings from environmental advocates about potential implications for states such as North Dakota.
The court’s conservative majority said President Donald Trump had the authority to fire a former Federal Trade Commission member without cause. Legal observers countered the opinion nullifies longstanding precedent involving the role of Congress in insulating certain federal agency officials from direct presidential control.
Keep ReadingShow less
Recommended
Democracy
        Balance – The Golden Mean
    
Amy Lockard
19 May 2025
Glossary
        Redistricting
    
The Fulcrum
01 January 2025
Governance & Legislation
        Trump's and Hegseth’s Officer Firings Put Pentagon Stability at Risk
    
Steve Corbin
11 May
Ethics & Leadership
        A President in Sheep’s Clothing and a Democracy in Decline
    
Carolyn  Goode
16 March
Civic Engagement & Education
        Communities come together to respond to rising hunger in Virginia
    
Beatrice Spadacini
Hugo Balta
24 November 2025
Pop Culture
        It’s All About Soul — And the Future of American Democracy
    
David L. Nevins
23 April

        selective focus photography of light bulb
    

        Photo by ameenfahmy on Unsplash

        Energy Costs Decide Power — Voters Demand Relief
    
Ralph Benko
Jeff Garzik
Jul 12, 2026
Politics, for all its stagecraft and saccharine homilies, is not about "service" or "community" or any of the other treacly euphemisms politicians recite like Gregorian chants. Politics, as Christopher Hitchens might have acidly reminded us, is about power.
The taking of it.
Keep ReadingShow less

        flag of USA on grass field
    

        Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

        The ReUnion
    
Patrick  Fitzgerald
Jul 12, 2026
I was seven years old when President John F. Kennedy delivered the line that lit up a generation: “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” Even as a child, I felt the electricity of that moment. The early days of the Kennedy administration carried a sense of youth, vitality, and possibility. America stood at the apex of its postwar power — confident enough to promise the moon and bold enough to believe we could get there. It was exhilarating.
There was a swagger to the country then — not arrogance, but a deep, instinctive pride. America had defeated Nazism and imperialism, helped rebuild a shattered world, and emerged as a force for stability and prosperity. The promise of America felt inevitable, and for a time, it seemed the world was better for our being in it.
Keep ReadingShow less
Cover Photo: Chris Oquist in Black and White. 

        Chris Oquist
    

        Composer uses music to connect Latino heritage and environmental justice
    
Angeles  Ponpa
Jul 12, 2026
CHICAGO — Climate change is often measured through scientific reports and statistics. For Chicago-based composer Chris Oquist, it is something audiences can hear.
On Saturday, Oquist performed “Derivas Liminares” as part of the Chicago Art Department’s fourth annual Contra Corriente Festival. The performance benefited the Pilsen Environmental Rights and Reform Organization (PERRO), a nonprofit that advocates for environmental protections in Pilsen, one of Chicago’s largest Latino neighborhoods. Oquist’s performance was one of several events held during the festival, which centers on environmental and racial justice.
Keep ReadingShow less
Load More