Man Arrested Outside Trump CA Rally in Possible Third Assassination Attempt
The suspect denies the accusation.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office announced it arrested a man outside of former President Donald Trump’s rally at Coachella.
“They were different enough to cause the deputies alarm,” Sheriff Chad Bianco told The Riverside Press Enterprise. “We probably stopped another assassination attempt.”
From the press release:
On Saturday, October 12, 2024, at 4:59 p.m., deputies assigned to former President Donald Trump’s rally in the Coachella Valley contacted the driver of a black SUV at a checkpoint at the intersection of Avenue 52 and Celebration Drive. The male driver, identified as Vem Miller, a 49-year-old resident of Las Vegas, was found to be illegally in possession of a shotgun, a loaded handgun, and a high-capacity magazine. Miller was taken into custody without incident and later booked at the John J. Benoit Detention Center for possession of a loaded firearm and possession of a high-capacity magazine. This incident did not impact the safety of former President Trump or attendees of the event.
The VIP passes looked “different enough to cause the deputies alarm.”
Bianco told the publication that he belongs to “a right-leaning anti-government group” and “considers himself a so-called sovereign citizen, a group of people who do not believe they are subject to any government statutes unless they consent to them.”
The Riverside Press Enterprise reported that Miller has a master’s degree from UCLA. He is a registered Republican and “ran for state assembly in Nevada in 2022.”
Another man is under suspicion “after bomb-detecting dogs ‘repeatedly’ identified him as possibly dangerous.”
Bianco said they also found he had multiple phony passports and driver’s licenses.
Miller, in an interview with Southern California News Group on Sunday, said he was “shocked” that he was arrested and accused of trying to harm Trump, who he supports.
“These accusations are complete bull—t,” Miller said. “I’m an artist, I’m the last person that would cause any violence and harm to anybody.”
Miller said he is a Trump caucus captain who received a special invitation to the Coachella Valley rally from the head of Clark County’s Republican Party. Donning a Trump shirt and hat, the 49-year-old said he reached a checkpoint prior to entering the event parking lot and told a deputy he was lawfully carrying firearms in his trunk – as a courtesy.
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released on 5K $ bail.
jesus.
What’s wrong with that? What reason does anyone have to believe that he is dangerous? Based on the linked news report it sounds like the only case against this guy is that he (perhaps unknowingly) broke California’s ridiculous and likely unconstitutional gun laws. $5K bail seems more than reasonable to me.
Doesn’t sound like he was much of a threat to me. It sounds like what the guy claims is true and the Sheriff is a publicity hound who got out over his skis. I bet this entire thing disappears in a few days and that guy is going to face a illegal possession of firearms thing because of California’s nonsensical firearms laws and that will be it.
“he belongs to “a right-leaning anti-government group” and “considers himself a so-called sovereign citizen, a group of people who do not believe they are subject to any government statutes unless they consent to them.”
Yer at the wrong party’s rally, dumshit.
The GOP is a “right-leaning anti-government group”. And no evidence has been adduced that he’s a “sovereign citizen”; this Barney Fife probably thinks anyone who is armed must be a sovereign citizen.
“no evidence has been adduced that he’s a ‘sovereign citizen’”
The home-made “license plate” and the numerous bogus passports are a clue.
After reading multiple sources I agree with you. Others are saying that, at most, he is “sovereign citizen adjacent” for lack of a better description. In other words, he talks to them and agrees government is too big and intrusive among other things. This looks like a giant nothing burger that the Sheriff was trying to create to get on TV. The Sheriff himself said that he thinks he prevented another assassination attempt. Based on what? A guy and a personal firearm for protection in crime ridden California? All you have to do is a web search of the guy and all kinds of information pops up. The fact he got a $5,000 bond tells me the court knows law enforcement messed up big time with the outlandish claims.
Possibly the guy was a chronic pain in the sheriff’s ass (very common syndrome with sovereign citizens who get pulled over with cardboard license plates again and again, and they are often “jailhouse lawyers” and get off to boot). Sheriff then encounters him in this context and realizes it’s a heaven-sent opportunity to bury him.
You’d think the ‘Sovereign Citizen’ whackos could figure out which Candidate is gonna be more inclined to use the power of Govt to trample individual liberty and direct their hostility accordingly.
Um, what makes you think they don’t? What makes you think this guy had any plans beyond attending the rally, supporting Trump, and not getting mugged in that dangerous state he was visiting?
Uno reverse what makes you think he was simply going to hang out with his suspicious event pass and a shotgun at a campaign rally for a candidate who’s had two assassination attempts, one with shots fired, one guy in a hide and the Feds reporting five other plots they claim to know about?
What was “suspicious” about the pass he had? Do you know? Or are you just calling it so because the CA cops said so. The sheriff didn’t even cite it as part of his so-called “evidence”. The entire case he presented was that this guy was armed, so it was “obvious” that he’s a weirdo and wants to assassinate Trump.
We ain’t in a Court of law…we are in the CT of public opinion. Dude also had several bogus ID and a fake vehicle tag at least that’s what I heard reported this am. Seems sketchy to me but if you disagree it’s still a free country but you have offered zero evidence to disprove the LEO claims.
Why not accept, for now, the LEO reports and statements? Dude still gets his day in Court to offer evidence to refute the State. For now that’s a lot of weirdo stuff.
If you want to institute a blanket policy of distrust of govt at all levels in all areas to the point of refusing their claims in your life …go for it, I haven’t reached that level of cynicism for LEO claims that can be proven wrong. Seems counter productive for LEO to make false claims on an event with far more public interest than usual. They would shoot their credibility when it is demonstrated they are wrong.
From what I’ve read about the guy I think you are right. He considered himself a “sovereign citizen” so thought the laws of government didn’t apply to him. He had a firearm for personal protection, no question of whether is was legal in NV or not so I’m assuming it was, a shotgun in the trunk, why was that illegal, multiple passports and ID’s and a hand written license plate. His claim is he is a diehard Trump supporter and any claim he was an assassin is ridiculous. I’ve seen nothing yet to refute this.
I modify my view that he considers himself a sovereign citizen. It appears those claims are not his but are unverified media claims.
Exactly. I’ve seen no evidence for it.
I am going to keep initial reports from any government official or news media “under suspician” until further details are verified.
“Bianco told the publication that he belongs to “a right-leaning anti-government group” and “considers himself a so-called sovereign citizen, a group of people who do not believe they are subject to any government statutes unless they consent to them.”
Calling BS on right leaning
Be careful. I think there’s something fishy here.
“Sovereign citizens” definitely tend to be right-leaning nutcases, not left-leaning. But there seems to be no reason to believe that he is a “sovereign citizen”, or that he’s anything but a typical Republican.
No reason to believe he is a “sovereign citizen” except his telling everyone who would listen he was. As for right or left leaning, who knows.
Bailed out for five grand? Miller is sovereign idiot type. I guess he was in possession of one of those super rare, scoped, military grade sniper shotguns.
Certainly not something used to hunt pheasant with.
Of course the FBI has nothing helpful to say.
The Press-Enterprise forgets to mention Routh-Crooks’ political affiliation.
They won’t stop till they murder him
Take note of the cognitive dissonance on exhibit by the media when they claim the ‘far-right’ is fascist and in the very next article, also claim that ‘sovereign citizens’ are ‘far-right.’
I’m getting the felling no one in media owns a dictionary….or they’re too stupid to know how one works.
There’s no cognitive dissonance, they just have no idea what “fascist” means.
wouldnt trust any gov agencies
its allll out of control and rolling more and more left
I think they messed up on this one. Give it 24 hours and you will find out it is not what it appears to be.
He does a podcast called Blood Money:
https://www.americahappens.com/blood-money
Okay, LI, consider revising your headline accordingly: “Deep Blue Voter Arrested Outside . . . “
Huh? What do you mean by that?
Sheriff Deputies did what the SS cfouldn’t in Pennsylvania.
No, they didn’t. They acted like the left-wing fascists they are, and arrested what appears to be a completely normal conservative who had no thoughts of harming anyone who didn’t attack him first.
I’m so old that I remember when profiling was not illegal and it worked, well.
Anyone with any experience knows that it comes with the territory. Experience is not an intellectual process, it is learned.
Learning is defined as “a change in behavior”.
Trump v Harris is not so different from W v Gore. Both were lousy candidates and choices we did not choose. Trump’s best recommendation was Hillary and he won, despite everything the socialists put forth.
There are better prospects available, not the least of which are Governors of Florida and Virginia. It remains for Vance to raise himself up to their level. FWIW, I like Vance, I wear a beard…. but I don’t recommend it for him. He looks fine with it but people respond based on their reliable instincts and being clean shaved eliminates any possible doubt. Heading into the end-game, I would recommend that he go clean cut, no mustache. short sideburns and autumn colored suits. Hard to beat a Harris Tweed?
Lincoln did not grow a beard until after he was safely elected.
That’s it?! That’s his case?! “All this stuff” means a shotgun, a handgun, and a spare magazine! That’s not excessive, that’s normal. Actual gun nuts (and I mean that in the nicest way) would say it’s ridiculously paltry.
And “loaded guns”?! What would be the point of having them unloaded? “Excuse me, Mr Mugger, sir, if you would just give me a few minutes to unlock my magazine and ammunition and load my weapon, I’ll be right back with you and we can pick up where we left off, if that’s OK with you.”
The fact that this tool actually thinks that it’s “common sense, reality, and reason” to believe, on that basis alone, that this guy obviously must have been there to shoot Trump is better evidence of “a serious, serious problem in this country”, or at least in California and similar states.
“Actual gun nuts (and I mean that in the nicest way) would say it’s ridiculously paltry.”
I am one (shucks, thanks), and I do. But then, that’s what this guy gets for tryna be a “sOvErEiGn CiTiZeN” in Commiefornia, and for volunteering to LE that he was armed illegally (in CA) with illegal (in CA) guns.
At present, I don’t think he was there to do murder. I think he was just a naive putz, who maybe went to the rally to cover it for his SovCit newsletter.
‘Mr Miller was was charged with two misdemeanour weapons charges and was released on a $5,000 (£3,826) bail. No federal charges have been filed.’
I call complete BS. Absolutely NOBODY in the DoJ believes this was an actual assassination attempt if that’s all he was charged with.
MISDEMEANOR weapon charges?
And oh by the way, apparently this guy is a big anti-government guy who was doing a lot of exposing of the Deep State.
“…a group of people who do not believe they are subject to any government statutes unless they consent to them.”
So basically a Democrat 😂😂
Dude has a shotgun in his trunk and a handgun with a “high capacity magazine” which is just a standard magazine found anywhere else in the US. I’m going to have to wait to see if this is just a regular guy with a lawful handgun he carries in NV and even in California it’s not illegal to have a shotgun in the trunk.
Totally agree with the “high-capacity” misnomer. Unfortunately, standard capacity mags are still illegal in CA until we get a favorable decision on Duncan.
Can’t have a loaded gun in CA outside the home without a CCW, though. That seems like Miller’s mistake. Traveling to another jurisdiction without familiarizing with those gun laws is foolish. But really, who doesn’t know that CA’s gun laws are awful?
The passports and fake IDs, though? WTF? Loses credibility there (along with the stupid and willful ignorance of the current storage laws).
As far as Bianco, he’s a 2A-friendly Sheriff, shows up at CRPA meetings, and is approachable. As an elected official, it’s in his best interest to promote himself during an election year. Although, I think the assassination angle was a bit much.
Miller admitted to breaking the law to a Sherrif’s Deputy. There’s no choice but to act in that situation.
“Sovereign citizens” are the flat-earthers of socio-politics.
Change my mind.
I’m convinced that “flat earthers” are just an elaborate joke, like Pastafarians, and nobody actually believes in it. “Sovereign Citizens” actually believe their garbage.
Sovereign Citizens start off from a vaid premise, but then proceed to get high on their own supply.
“Imagining you can fend off Leviathan by waving papers in His face takes into account neither the nature of the individuals who make up the State, nor that of the system in which they operate.”
–VICTOR MILAN
And just to close the record here, it’s beginning to look like this entire incident was a fabrication by a narcissistic Sheriff looking for a spotlight. And the “shooter” is now suing him for all his fabrications and abuse.
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nvd.171175/gov.uscourts.nvd.171175.1.0.pdf