On Monday (Oct. 14), the New York Post reported that a man named Vem Miller was arrested outside a Donald Trump rally in California's Coachella Valley on Saturday (Oct. 12) after attempting to enter with a fake press pass. Upon searching his vehicle, police found guns and fake identification documents. Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco claimed that his team prevented what would have been the third assassination attempt on the former president. Despite this, Miller was reportedly released on $5,000 bail for weapons charges.
Since then, the Secret Service and FBI shared a joint statement in disagreement with Sheriff Bianco. “The U.S. Secret Service assesses that the incident did not impact protective operations, and former President Trump was not in any danger,” the message read. “While no federal arrest has been made at this time, the investigation is ongoing.”
In a press conference on Sunday (Oct. 13), Bianco doubled down on his stance and called Miller “a lunatic.” “What his frame of mind was, all we can do is speculate. If you’re asking me right now, I probably did have deputies that prevented the third assassination attempt. [Are we] that politically lost that we have lost sight of common sense, and reality, and reason that we can’t say, ‘Holy crap, what did he show up with all of that stuff for?’” the sheriff said. "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.”
According to the New York Post, sources suggested Miller probably had weapons for personal defense. Additionally, Miller has a history of minor legal issues and is allegedly part of a sovereign citizens movement, a far-right group that rejects governmental authority. He has a master's degree from UCLA, previously ran for the Nevada State Assembly, and appears to own a CBD company.
Back in September, REVOLT reported that Ryan Wesley Routh was apprehended following an alleged attempt to assassinate Trump. A Secret Service agent in West Palm Beach, FL noticed a rifle barrel protruding from a fence near where Trump was playing golf. The agent engaged the suspect and fired shots, leading to a chase. The suspect, later identified as Routh, was arrested 45 miles north of the golf club. A rifle, backpacks, a GoPro camera, and ceramic tiles were confiscated after Routh’s arrest. Officials claimed the ceramic tiles could have been used to create makeshift body armor.
Prior to that, Trump sustained minor injuries after being shot at during a campaign rally in Butler, PA in July. The suspected shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed after Secret Service agents found him perched on the roof of a nearby building. One rally attendee was killed during the fracas.