The armed suspect arrested on weapons charges while en route to Donald Trump's California rally has vehemently denied the local sheriff's claim that he intended to assassinate the former president, labeling the accusations as 'bullsh-t' on Sunday.
Vem Miller, 49, reportedly professed his support for Trump a day after being apprehended on Saturday afternoon near the Coachella Valley rally at a checkpoint. Sheriff deputies discovered a pair of guns and ammunition in his car. Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco stated that he 'truly' believes his deputies thwarted a third assassination attempt against the Republican presidential nominee. However, Miller expressed shock at the allegations in an interview with the Southern California News Group on Sunday.
'These accusations are complete bullsh-t,' Miller told the news outlet. 'I'm an artist; I'm the last person who would cause any violence or harm to anybody.'
Miller, who sources claim is part of a far-right anti-government group, said he was invited to the rally by the head of the Clark County GOP Party. He was wearing a Trump shirt and hat when he encountered authorities at the checkpoint. The weapons, a shotgun and loaded handgun, were purchased in 2022 for personal protection, according to Miller. He informed deputies that he was carrying the firearms in his trunk as a courtesy before being pulled over and forced to leave his car. The vehicle was then 'ransacked' after a deputy checked to ensure the guns were legally purchased, Miller claimed.
Miller, a registered Republican who unsuccessfully ran for office in Nevada in 2022, also denied flashing a fake press pass at the checkpoint, as the sheriff alleged. Instead, he offered a 'special entry pass,' according to the outlet. The Las Vegas resident said he was not informed of the reason for his arrest and was only allowed to call a lawyer after being detained for hours. He recalled the incident in front of FBI and Secret Service agents, who reportedly wanted to interview him.
Deputies later informed Miller, who runs an organization critical of the mainstream media, that the meeting with federal agents was canceled, he claimed. Miller was charged with illegally possessing firearms and released on $5,000 bail. In his interview, he said he was unaware of the differences between California and Nevada gun laws. He could face additional charges from federal law enforcement.
However, the Secret Service believes it is unlikely that Miller was attempting to assassinate the 45th president, and the FBI is not investigating the matter as an attempt, sources told The Post. The Secret Service stated that Trump was not at risk during the rally.
'The US Secret Service assesses that the incident did not impact protective operations and former President Trump was not in any danger,' the agency and the FBI said in a joint statement. 'While no federal arrest has been made at this time, the investigation is ongoing.'
Nonetheless, Sheriff Bianco asserted that common sense and reason indicate the suspect had Trump in his sights. 'If you're asking me right now, I probably did have deputies that prevented the third assassination attempt,' he said, adding that Miller had a cache of fake passports and driver's licenses at the checkpoint. Miller also allegedly had a fake license plate and was driving an unregistered vehicle. Bianco also said the suspect claimed he was a journalist with VIP access to the Trump event but could not produce the appropriate documents.
'If we are that politically lost that we have lost sight of common sense and reality and reason that we can't say that 'Holy crap, what did he show up with all of that stuff for and loaded guns?' and I'm going to be accused of being dramatic, we have a serious, serious problem in this country because this is common sense and reason,' the sheriff said in response to a reporter's question if his statements had been overly dramatic. The Riverside top cop also accused Miller of being part of the so-called sovereign citizens movement that doesn't believe in government or laws, but Miller strongly rejected that, according to Southern California News Group.
Trump was the target of two confirmed assassination attempts in just three months. The former president was struck in the ear by a bullet from gunman Thomas Crooks in July during a Pennsylvania rally. In September, Ryan Routh was accused of trying to kill the president as he hid along the perimeter of Trump's golf course in Florida with a gun before the Secret Service spotted him.
