Who Is Vem Miller? Man Arrested With Loaded Gun Outside Trump Rally - Newsweek
By: Rachel Dobkin (Newsweek)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Local authorities identified a man who was arrested with a loaded gun at a rally hosted by former President Donald Trump in Southern California on Saturday as Vem Miller.
Miller, a 49-year-old Las Vegas resident was driving a black SUV at a checkpoint outside Trump's rally in Coachella when Riverside County sheriff deputies found him to be in illegal possession of a shotgun, loaded handgun and a high-capacity magazine, according to the sheriff's office.
Authorities say the suspect was taken into custody without incident and booked at a detention center in nearby Indio. Miller's arrest took place around 5 p.m. local time when Trump's rally was scheduled to begin.
Miller has since been released from the detention center on a $5,000 bail, local outlets reported. The Telegram reported that he is due to appear in court in January.
The sheriff's office said the incident "did not impact the safety" of Trump, the GOP presidential nominee, or the rallygoers. Newsweek reached out to Trump's campaign via email for comment on Sunday.
Chad Bianco, the Riverside County Sheriff and known supporter of Trump, told the Southern California News Group on Sunday that authorities had "probably stopped another assassination attempt."
Trump has fallen victim to two assassination attempts in the past few months. Ryan Routh was arrested on September 15 after being found with a firearm at Trump International Golf Club where the former president was playing golf. Routh never fired the gun at Trump, but Secret Service agents fired at him as he pointed his rifle toward the West Palm Beach golf course in Florida.
On July 13, Trump was struck by a bullet that pierced his right ear at an outdoor campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, by 20-year-old shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, who fired rounds off a nearby roof. Crooks was then killed by a Secret Service counter-sniper.
Bianco said Miller showed fake VIP and press passes at the checkpoint, which alerted authorities. "They were different enough to cause the deputies alarm," Bianco said.
Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally on October 12 in Coachella, California. Local authorities identified a man who was arrested with a loaded gun at a rally hosted by Trump in Southern...Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally on October 12 in Coachella, California. Local authorities identified a man who was arrested with a loaded gun at a rally hosted by Trump in Southern California on Saturday as Vem Miller. More Mario Tama/Getty Images
Local outlets say that Miller is a registered Republican. He has a master's degree from UCLA and campaigned for Nevada's state assembly in 2022, but lost in the primary election, according to local daily newspaper The Press-Enterprise.
Bianco said he is part of a right-leaning anti-government group and considers himself a sovereign citizen, someone who does not believe they are subject to government laws unless they agree to them.
Meanwhile, Miller told the Southern California News Group on Sunday that he was "shocked" to be arrested and accused of trying to hurt the former president whom he is a supporter of.
Miller said he was at the California rally on a "special entry pass" given to him by a Republican Party associate and that he never had trouble when he attended Trump rallies in Nevada with weapons in his trunk. He said he thought the law would be the same in California.
Bianco said of Saturday's incident: "I thought it's not going to happen in Riverside County. We don't have the same sicko issues and violent protests like they have in Los Angeles. We're better than that. Go figure."
The Sheriff praised his deputies, who worked in the desert heat, which reached almost 100 degrees that day. "I am extremely proud of the mental and physical effort our deputies showed all day," Bianco said.
The Secret Service said in a statement: "The incident did not impact protective operations. The Secret Service extends its gratitude to the deputies and local partners who assisted in safeguarding last night's events."
Update 10/13/24, 6:02 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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He is a right wing Trump supporter.
Maybe Trump stiffed him on some money owed at some point.
Or maybe he just had the guns in his auto. Whoops, forgot about them.
Way back in the day, we in Kansas had a far-right wing fascist cop named Vern Miller. Coincidence?
Of course not,karma.
Probably related.
Really? Fallen victim to?
What rally? He was arrested at a check point with weapons in the "trunk", "just like Nevada" with fake VIP tickets and "press passes".
Seems only republicans try to kill him.
Finally, you give Repubs some credit.
It wasn't a compliment.
It is all strange. Almost makes you think someone is TRYING to make Trump a sympathetic figure.
Riverside County sheriff was once a member of Oath …
WEB Oct 7, 2021 · Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco was a paying member in 2014 of the Oath Keepers, a far-right, anti-government group whose ranks participated in the Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6,...
It all sounds pretty fishy to me......
How does something sound fishy?
The implication is that it was staged. To get a third "assassination attempt" on the record for a 'sympathy vote
for Trump.
[deleted][✘]
At least you didn't say "Bad Fish", lol.
ROFLMAO
It was not an attempt at all IMHO and I believe you are correct, they are trying to make him a sympathetic figure for sure.
All these people are trying to kill me when there have only been two 'attempts'. They're trying to make this the third 'attempt'
What did the local sheriff say?
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco told reporters Sunday that he believes police thwarted a third attempt to kill the former president and Republican nominee for the White House in 2024.
“I truly do believe we prevented another assassination attempt,” Bianco said.
“We know we prevented something bad from happening,” he added, “and it was irrelevant what that bad was going to be.”
What did the suspect say?
Miller vehemently denied the sheriff’s claims. He told Fox News Digital in a phone interview that he is a staunch Trump supporter who carries firearms because of death threats he’s received since launching America Happens Network , a fringe podcast network focused on combating “censorship.”
“I always travel around with my firearms in the back of my truck,” Miller said.
“Yes, I’m 100% a Trump supporter,” he said. “This is a man that I deeply admire.”
Exactly, a conspiracy at play acting like the fake lunar landings.
I have to agree with you
Question.
Should three assassination attempts be spelled assassassination?
Three asses plus assassination is assassassassassination...
that's five asses, lol
What a lame martyr he would make. Most would cheer.
Except his cult followers who would form a circle and start firing
Then he wouldn’t be lame.
So the worst scumbag on the planet is now sympathetic?
Is this the Coachella rally where his supporters were left stranded in the desert in the middle of the night?
Yes.
Donald Trump Followers Left Stranded in Desert After Coachella Rally: 'Chaos' (msn.com)
Sounds like poor organization or somebody ran out of money
Some are blaming the Democrats. That we sabotaged it somehow.
or both? Also, he said that he drew a crowd of 100,000 people when the venue only allows 15,000
The venue was a private ranch that didn't want the rally visitors parking within the ranch proper, they made arrangements to have parking 15 miles away.
Busses were chartered for so many hours.
As usual, Trump was late, trump rambled on and on...
When the time arrived, several of the busses just left because their agreed to time was done.
They had been idling for hours in high heat and were low on fuel.
Later, rumor has it that due to the poorly marked road in and out, CHP restricted some of the busses.
Republicans think that because the town and Mayor were against the rally that they influenced the busses.
In the end there were only three busses available and they ran extra pick-ups until they were way over the contracted time frame and low on fuel.
They left.
The remaining crowd, "thousands" had to walk 15 miles.
Yes, I mentioned that on one of Nerm-L's 'articles'