A man apprehended by authorities in Southern California outside a Donald Trump rally on Sunday for allegedly possessing several unregistered weapons disputed claims made by a local sheriff who asserted that he intended to kill the former president, referring to the notion as “bulls–t” and insisting he is a devoted Trump supporter.
Vem Miller, a 49-year-old from Las Vegas, informed a reporter from the Southern California News Group that he had been personally invited to Trump’s Coachella Valley rally by the leader of the Clark County Republican Party. He added that he entered the event wearing a Trump shirt and a MAGA hat, and when he reached a security checkpoint, he informed the officer on duty about the firearms in his vehicle as a courtesy.
“These allegations are utter bull—t,” stated Miller. “I’m an artist; I’m the last person who would ever resort to violence.”
During a press briefing after the arrest on Sunday, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco disclosed that Miller had successfully navigated an initial outer perimeter but was halted by a deputy who spotted a “clearly fake license plate” as he attempted to go through a second checkpoint. The sheriff also remarked that it was likely Miller identified as a “sovereign citizen”—part of a loosely aligned anti-government faction.
Miller was swiftly detained and charged with illegal possession of a loaded firearm and a high-capacity magazine, according to the sheriff’s office’s official statement. The arrest took place prior to the arrival of the former president, and the statement noted that it “did not compromise the safety of former President Trump or the event attendees.”
Bianco remarked that Miller’s license plate resembled a “homemade one often associated with individuals claiming to be sovereign citizens.” He also mentioned that deputies observed additional “irregularities” in Miller’s vehicle, including a chaotic interior, as well as “numerous” forged passports and fake driver’s licenses under different names.
Although Miller alleged he was a journalist with VIP access to the rally, Bianco indicated that his press credentials “didn’t actually materialize.”
Furthermore, Bianco pointed out that Miller’s vehicle was unregistered, as those identifying as sovereign citizens typically reject the notion of car registration. “We had to check through the VIN number,” the sheriff explained. “It did belong to him; it just hadn’t been registered.”
Miller possessed several unregistered firearms, including a shotgun and a loaded handgun, along with a high-capacity magazine, the sheriff’s office reported. He was booked at the John J. Benoit Detention Center and subsequently released on his own recognizance.
“Currently, we are actively collaborating with the Secret Service and the FBI to ensure this individual is thoroughly monitored,” Bianco noted, asserting that his deputies likely averted an assassination attempt against the president.
“We probably thwarted another attempt on the president’s life,” Bianco conveyed to the Southern California News Group on Sunday afternoon.
During a press conference just hours later, Bianco reinforced this claim, stating, “I likely had deputies who intervened during what might have been a third assassination attempt,” while refraining from presenting any evidence substantiating the suspect’s purported intentions, emphasizing instead that it was “common sense and reason.”
The sheriff indicated that any further charges would be pursued by federal authorities. A statement from federal prosecutors for the Central District of California acknowledged awareness of the incident.
“The U.S. Secret Service has determined that the incident did not affect protective operations, and former President Trump was not in any danger,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office remarked. “While no federal arrests have been made as of now, the investigation continues.”
Bianco, a vocal supporter of Trump, had also served as a delegate at the Republican National Convention in July.
Miller, a registered Republican, previously contested for a state assembly seat in Clark County in 2022 but lost in the Republican primary, according to Nevada’s secretary of state.
He expressed to the Las Vegas Review-Journal worries that the country was under “tyranny” and that “election security” was of utmost importance.
In contrast, Bianco remarked that he “couldn’t care less about his political affiliations. He was a lunatic.”
The sheriff categorized sovereign citizens as a “far-right” group but clarified that they are not necessarily militant. “They believe that laws do not apply to them,” Bianco informed journalists on Sunday.
“This incident did not jeopardize the safety of former President Trump or the attendees of the event,” the sheriff’s office stated in a press release on Sunday.
