Fact Check: Did Andy Ngo Tweet About Antifa 'Silicone Rod'?

Violent eruptions between liberals and conservatives have become a trend within the American political landscape, with groups taking more aggressive and defensive actions against their rival supporters.

Physical altercations broke out this month between people protesting outside a Californian school over Pride Month celebrations, with police forced to intervene as groups began shoving each other.

In one social media post this week on the topic of politicized violence, what purported to be a tweet from conservative and Antifa critic Andy Ngo was shared on Reddit, seemingly showing Ngo's confusion about a "silicone rod" that hit him at a protest several years ago.

The Claim

A Reddit post by u/Prince412, posted on June 14, 2023, upvoted 5,600 times, showed what appeared to be a tweet by Andy Ngo in which he claimed he was hit by a "silicone rod." A picture under the Reddit post shows what appears to be two photos of a sex toy.

The accompanying tweet, seemingly meant to appear as if Ngo's own, states: "This is disturbing: I was struck in the back of the head by this silicone rod. Currently in route to the hospital with a concussion. Antifa will use any means necessary to cause violence. They want me dead."

The Reddit post read: "Just in case anyone cares Antifa is trying to take out Andy lol"

The Facts

According to an article by Vox, Ngo was reportedly hospitalized in 2019 after attending a protest in Portland, Oregon. Footage captured by Jim Ryan of The Seattle Times showed the moment when protesters threw what appeared to be a milkshake at Ngo and attacked him separately afterward.

Ngo posted a live stream following the encounter, showing several injuries around his face.

Although he has since spoken about the experience, Newsweek was unable to find any tweet from Ngo in which he said he was struck by a "silicone rod." The phrasing sounds a little unusual, as if deliberately intended as a joke or parody of Ngo.

In an emailed comment to Newsweek, Ngo said: "No part of the tweet is real. My detractors manufactured and shared a fake quote to diminish and mock my injuries sustained in the course of reporting on violent extremism. These are sick people."

Thinking critically, there is little chance that Ngo would have not known what the objects in the photo were.

Newsweek also found that at least one of the photos in the post shared on Twitter is not from the event or even from 2019. It was posted on Reddit six years ago, alleging the object had been found in a parking space at a Burger King.

Newsweek was unable to find the other photo, but there doesn't appear to be any evidence proving that it was taken at the protest where Ngo was attacked.

Ngo had previously denied the claim directly, tweeting in August 2021: "Background: Following the publicizing of videos showing antifa organizing violence, assaulting women and press in Portland yesterday, they made a fake tweet."

Ngo had also said the tweet was fake in April this year, when it surfaced again. Someone took credit for having faked the tweet in an apparent attempt to embarrass Ngo. Newsweek was unable to confirm whether this person had in fact faked the tweet or whether it had been someone else.

Whatever the motive for the post, or who first published it, there's no evidence that Ngo posted this.

The Ruling

False.

Newsweek was unable to find the original tweet the Reddit post was based on. At least one of the photos it included predates when Ngo was attacked in 2019.

The wording and improbability of Ngo (or anyone, for that matter) posting such a naïve message (when it is quite clear what the "silicone rod" is) strongly suggests that the tweet is fake (as Ngo has said).

FACT CHECK BY Newsweek's Fact Check team

Updated 06/18/2023 4:27 p.m. ET: This story was updated with comment from Ngo and changes the ruling to False