White House Press Secretary Says President’s Antifa Remark About 75-Year-Old Protester is “Not A Baseless Conspiracy” [Video]

• White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany defended President Donald Trump’s tweet regarding 75-year-old protester Martin Gugino, saying, “It’s not a baseless conspiracy.”
• The president had claimed that Gugino, who was pushed to the ground by police officers during a protest last week, “could be an ANTIFA provocateur.”
• McEnany said that Trump believes the officers involved in the incident with Gugino “have a right to be heard.”

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany defended President Donald Trump’s remarks regarding the 75-year-old protester who was pushed to the ground by police officers during a protest in Buffalo last week.

The president had tweeted, “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?”

Trump’s tweet regarding the protester, Martin Gugino, was deemed a baseless claim by a FactCheck.org report.

The conspiracy theory was first circulated by pro-Trump One America News Network.

While most Republicans on Capitol Hill avoided commenting on the president’s remarks, Ari Fleischer, former President George W. Bush’s press secretary, condemned the tweet and called it “reckless.”

McEnany responded to a reporter at Wednesday’s White House briefing, “It’s not a baseless conspiracy. No, not at all. I won’t acknowledge that.”

She then compared it to “the George Floyd situation.” She argued that “every single police officer” condemned the action of the police officers involved.

But in the case with Gugino, “There were 57 police officers who said I resigned in protest over the way these two law enforcement officers were handled, and the president says those law enforcement officers have a right to be heard,” she explained.

The two officers involved, Aaron Torgalski, 39, and Robert McCabe, 32, were suspended. They have pleaded not guilty. The sanction prompted 57 officers from the city’s emergency response unit to resign in a union protest.

When asked whether pushing down the 75-year-old man was justified, McEnany answered, “The president does not condone violence. He wants to see the appropriate amount of police force used in any given situation, including this one, but he believes the officer has a right to be heard.”

McEnany had previously defended Trump’s tweet in an appearance on Fox & Friends, saying that the president was raising “questions that need to be asked.”

She explained, “This individual has some very questionable tweets, some profanity-laden tweets about police officers. Of course no one condones any sort of violence.”

Many still consider Trump’s conspiracy theories to be unsubstantiated and based on no evidence, however.

Gugino has been a longtime peace activist and a part of the Catholic Worker movement. He was hospitalized for his injuries and is currently recovering.

Source: DEADLINE