Gov. Andrew Cuomo says that President Donald Trump should apologize for a tweet in which he suggested the 75-year-old man pushed by Buffalo police during a protest last week could have staged the assault as part of an activist group.
Trump, in the tweet posted Tuesday morning, suggested the man was part of the group Antifa and “fell harder than was pushed” when a pair of police officers knocked him to the ground.
“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.
“I watched, he fell harder than was pushed. Was aiming scanner. Could be a set up?”
Trump didn’t offer any evidence behind the claims, which were rebuffed shortly after a handful of local officials.
Cuomo didn’t mince words in his response to the tweet. During his daily briefing on COVID-19 Tuesday, he sharply criticized Trump’s claims, and said he should apologize for the tweet.
"How reckless, how irresponsible, how mean, how crude. I mean, if there was ever a reprehensible, dumb comment — and from the president of the United States,” Cuomo said.
"If he ever feels a moment of decency, he should apologize for that tweet, because it is wholly unacceptable."
The video Trump referenced in his tweet went viral last week after it showed Gugino pushed by a pair of Buffalo police officers, and then hitting the back of his head on the ground. Blood can be seen coming from the back of Gugino’s head.
That video, taken by WBFO, led to the arrest of those officers on charges of second-degree assault earlier this week. Gugino has been released out of the ICU but remains hospitalized at Erie County Medical Center.
The incident happened during a protest in Buffalo’s Niagara Square last week, where individuals were rallying in response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
