California, United States

After two assassination attempts on former US President Donald Trump, a man was arrested with loaded firearms, multiple fake passports, and an unregistered vehicle near Trump’s rally in California on Saturday, (Oct 12). 

Advertisment

Vem Miller, 49 was stopped at a checkpoint in the Coachella Valley. According to the authorities, he was carrying a loaded handgun, a shotgun, and a high-capacity magazine. However, the Secret Service, the FBI and the US Attorney's office have confirmed that Trump was not in danger. 

Trump has previously faced two assassination attempts against him. On July 13, he escaped the bullet narrowly when he was shot in the ear by Matthew Crooks at a Pennsylvania rally. In September, Ryan Wesley Routh was apprehended by the authorities after he was found with a high-powered rifle near Trump International Golf Club in Palm Beach.

Also read | Third assassination bid on Trump days after demanding military aircraft for safety; Suspect faces gun charges

Advertisment

Who is Vem Miller?

According to reports, Miller is a registered Republican and holds a master’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. 

He ran for state assembly in Nevada in 2022 because “this country has been taken over by tyranny,” he told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He lost in the primary. He said if he was elected to office, he would focus on voting laws and address election security issues. He also supports electric cars and solar energy.

Advertisment

According to his LinkedIn profile, Miller is an investigative journalist, documentary filmmaker, and content producer, with over 20 years of experience. He runs The America Happens Network, which has a motto “Rage against the mainstream media.”

“I have seen our rights be taken, while the power of big government grows. I have seen small businesses and the middle class be squashed. I have seen unlawful mandates and politicians acting like dictators. I have also seen how the power of the money flows through politics and a political class that no longer works for We The People,” he wrote on his LinkedIn profile.

Also read | ‘Third assassination attempt’ on Donald Trump foiled as police arrest armed man near rally site

Coachella Valley, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said he was believed to be part of a so-called sovereign citizens group, who do not believe in any government statutes unless consented by them, however, during an interview with a reporter, he denied it.

Mindy Robinson, Miller’s partner at America Happens said that the accusations don’t make sense on social media on Sunday.

“There isn’t a universe (where) his intention was to kill Trump,” Robinson wrote. “He’s worked too hard in this movement to expose the Deep State and all the people against him.”

Robinson described Miller as a “good guy with a gun”.

“I firmly believe this is 100% some kind of set-up in retribution for exposing it,” Robinson wrote on her social media handle.

Miller has been booked for possessing a loaded firearm and high-capacity magazine, as per authorities. He was released on a $5,000 bail on Saturday and will appear at the Indio Larson Justice Center on Jan. 2, 2025, according to Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. The FBI, the Secret Service and the Sheriff’s Department are still investigating the incident.

(With inputs from agencies)