A man later identified as Vem Miller was arrested at a security checkpoint near the Republican presidential candidate’s rally in Coachella, officials say.
An armed man arrested near where former President Donald Trump was speaking in Southern California on Sunday denied reports that he intended to assassinate the Republican presidential candidate.
On Saturday, officials said that the man, later identified as Vem Miller, was arrested at a security checkpoint near the former president’s rally in Coachella, California, allegedly in possession of loaded firearms, multiple passports, and a fake license plate.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said he believed his department halted an assassination attempt, though he acknowledged this was speculation.
“No matter what, it’s all going to be speculation about what his intentions were getting there. If you’re asking me right now, I probably did have deputies that prevented the third assassination attempt,” Bianco said at a news conference on Sunday afternoon.
The suspect was released on bail on Saturday, jail records show.
A federal official said on Sunday that a federal investigation was underway.
“What we do know is he showed up with multiple passports with different names, an unregistered vehicle with a fake license plate, and loaded firearms,” the sheriff said. “I truly do believe that we prevented another assassination attempt.”
Records show that Miller is slated to appear in court on Jan. 2, 2025.
Forty-nine-year-old Miller, a Las Vegas resident, was stopped in a black SUV by sheriff’s deputies around 5 p.m. local time on Saturday and taken into custody without incident, according to the sheriff’s office. Trump had not yet taken the stage.
Jail records show Miller was released on $5,000 bail on Saturday after being charged with possession of a loaded firearm and a high-capacity magazine, both misdemeanors. He could not be reached for comment by publication time.
“The incident did not impact the safety of former President Trump or attendees of the event,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement
Miller released a statement on Oct. 14 saying that there was “false information” issued by local police officials and said that Trump is “near and dear” to his heart because he is standing up against “tyranny.”
He also said that he is a Trump team leader, a caucus captain, and has collected votes for the former president’s campaign, adding that he came to Coachella after being invited by the Nevada Republican Party.
The Epoch Times contacted the Nevada GOP for comment but didn’t receive a reply by publication time.
Miller, who said he runs the America Happens Network and has a podcast, also told Fox News on Sunday that he is “100 percent a Trump supporter” and is “all-in” for Trump. “I always travel around with my firearms in the back of my truck,” he told the outlet.
Miller told the Southern California News Group he was shocked that he was arrested and denied that he was trying to harm Trump.
“These accusations are complete [expletive],” he said. “I’m an artist, I’m the last person that would cause any violence and harm to anybody.”
Mindy Robinson, who said she is Miller’s partner, wrote on social media platforms X and Instagram over the weekend that claims about Miller make little sense.
“There isn’t a universe (where) his intention was to kill Trump,” she said. “He’s worked too hard in this movement to expose the Deep State and all the people against him.”
Secret Service Responds
A spokesman for the U.S. Secret Service said that Trump “was not in any danger” after details of the arrest were confirmed.
“While no federal arrest has been made at this time, the investigation is ongoing,” the Oct. 13 statement said.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office, U.S. Secret Service, and FBI extend their gratitude to the deputies and local partners who helped ensure the safety of last night’s events,” the agency said.
Steven Cheung, Trump’s campaign spokesperson, told news outlets that the campaign is “aware of news reports about the arrest and [is] currently monitoring the situation and gathering more information.”
Recent Trump Threats
Federal officials say Trump was the target of two assassination attempts over the summer, including one at a rally in Pennsylvania, where a gunman opened fire while Trump was speaking, striking him in the right ear. The suspect, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was shot and killed shortly after he fired.
In mid-September, a Hawaii man was arrested after allegedly being spotted near Trump’s Florida golf course armed with a loaded SKS-style rifle. Officials said a Secret Service agent noticed a gun barrel protruding from a perimeter fence while the former president was playing golf and subsequently fired at the suspect, later identified as Ryan Wesley Routh.
Prosecutors say Routh had written a note claiming he intended to kill the former president due to his dealings with the Iranian government during his presidency. Routh is currently being held without bond awaiting his trial date.
Intelligence officials last month briefed Trump and his campaign on threats posed by Iran, Cheung told reporters in September. Authorities also said that Iranian hackers stole materials from the Trump campaign and attempted to send them to Democratic Party officials and members of the media.
Reuters contributed to this report.