The armed suspect arrested on his way to Donald Trump's rally in California on weapons charges has denied the sheriff's claim that he planned to assassinate the former president. On Sunday, he dismissed the accusations as "bullsh-t," as he broke his silence.
Vem Miller, 49, a registered Republican, tried to use fake VIP credentials at a Trump rally on Saturday, leading to his arrest on illegal firearms charges after cops found a pair of guns and ammunition in his car. A friend and business partner of Miller told the Daily Mail that Miller is a staunch Trump supporter and slammed the police for " not understanding he's one of us."
No Plans to Assassinate Trump
Although Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said he "truly" believes his deputies thwarted a third assassination attempt against the Republican presidential nominee, Miller told the Southern California News Group on Sunday that he was "shocked" by the allegations.
In his first public comments since the arrest, Miller explained that he keeps firearms in his car for protection due to death threats but insisted he has never fired a gun and described himself as "more than a novice" when it comes to handling them.
"These accusations are complete bullsh-t," Miller told the news outlet. "I'm an artist, I'm the last person that would cause any violence and harm to anybody."
Miller, who sources told The Post is associated with a far-right anti-government group, claimed 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.
Miller told the local outlet that he had purchased the firearms—a shotgun and a loaded handgun—in 2022 for personal protection. He explained that he voluntarily told deputies about the guns in his trunk as a courtesy, but was then pulled over and made to exit his vehicle.
The car was subsequently "ransacked" after a deputy said he wanted to confirm the guns were legally purchased, according to Miller.
A registered Republican and former candidate for office in Nevada in 2022, Miller denied the sheriff's claim that he presented a fake press pass at the checkpoint. Instead, he said he had shown a "special entry pass," the outlet reported.
Miller, a Las Vegas resident, said he was not told why he was being arrested and was only allowed to contact a lawyer after several hours in custody. He recounted the incident while speaking with FBI and Secret Service agents, who reportedly planned to interview him.
However, Miller, who runs an organization critical of mainstream media, claimed deputies later told him that the meeting with federal agents had been canceled.
Blame Game Begins
Miller was charged with illegal firearm possession and released on a $5,000 bail. In his interview with the local publication, he admitted he was unaware of the differences in gun laws between California and his home state of Nevada.
He may face additional charges from federal authorities. However, sources told The New York Post that the Secret Service believes it's unlikely Miller was trying to assassinate the 45th president, and the FBI is not treating the case as such.
The Secret Service confirmed that Trump was not in any danger 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."
Despite this, Sheriff Bianco stated that common sense and reason suggest the suspect had intentions to target Trump.
"If you're asking me right now, I probably did have deputies that prevented the third assassination attempt," he said, adding Miller had a cache of fake passports and driver's licenses at the checkpoint.
Miller was also reported to have a fake license plate and was driving an unregistered vehicle.
Sheriff Bianco said that the suspect claimed to be a journalist with VIP access to the Trump event but was unable to provide the necessary documents.
The Riverside County sheriff also accused Miller of being affiliated with the sovereign citizens movement, which rejects government authority and laws. However, Miller strongly denied this claim, according to the Southern California News Group.
