White House: 'Stop vilifying our officers'

White House: 'Stop vilifying our officers'

Asked about President Donald Trump's tweet claiming the elderly man pushed to the ground last week in Buffalo, New York, by police may be a member of ANTIFA, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Wednesday said most American police officers are among the best and the brightest.

The video showing Buffalo cops shoving a 75-year-old man to the ground provoked outrage against police and prompted felony charges against two officers.

But the footage also became fodder for unfounded conspiracy theories about the man being shoved.

And on Tuesday, one of these baseless claims was trumpeted by the president of the United States.

Donald Trump tweeted, "Buffalo protester shoved by Police could be an ANTIFA provocateur." The Washington Post reported that Gugino was active with human rights and affordable housing groups, and part of the Catholic Worker Movement.

In his tweet on Tuesday, Trump tagged the far-right site One America News Network in the tweet.

He appeared to be repeating an elaborate and unsupported claim by that channel that the man shoved was using an app on his mobile phone to interfere with police communications.