Biden slams Trump for promoting conspiracy theory about man shoved by police

Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden slammed President Trump on Tuesday after Trump amplified an unfounded conspiracy theory about an incident in which an elderly man was shoved to the ground by police in Buffalo, N.Y., during a protest over the death of George Floyd. 

“My Dad used to say there’s no greater sin than the abuse of power,” Biden said in a tweet. “Whether it’s an officer bloodying a peaceful protester or a President defending him with a conspiracy theory he saw on TV.” 

“I’m a Catholic – just like Martin. Our faith says that we can’t accept either,” he added, referring to protester Martin Gugino. 

Biden was responding to a tweet in which Trump claimed that the incident involving Gugino could have been part of a setup. 

“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,” Trump tweeted, appearing to refer to a report on the right-leaning news outlet One America News Network. 

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

Two Buffalo police officers were charged with assault after a video went viral of them shoving Gugino, a 75-year-old Catholic peace activist who approached them during the protest. Gugino is then seen hitting his head and lying motionless and bloody on the ground as the officers walk away. 

The Buffalo Police Department originally claimed Gugino “tripped and fell.” The officers, Aaron Torgalski and Robert McCabe, have pleaded not guilty. Gugino remains hospitalized. 

Biden is one of the latest political figures to condemn Trump’s remarks. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) called the tweet “reprehensible” and “dumb,” while Rep. Brian Higgins (D), who represents parts of Buffalo, said Trump was sowing “hate and division.” 

Republican Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), who frequently breaks with the president, told reporters on Capitol Hill on Tuesday that he thought the tweet was “shocking.”