The armed man who was arrested with two loaded guns outside a Trump rally in Coachella, California over the weekend denies he was planning to assassinate the president and is threatening to sue the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
Vem Miller, 49, told the Los Angeles Times on Monday he brought the guns to the rally for his own protection and that Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco had made false claims about him since his arrest.
“As of right this second, I could prove everything they said is untrue,” Miller said. “It’s just going to be bad. … That sheriff is going to lose his job.”
Bianco said during a press conference that deputies “probably stopped another assassination attempt.” However, no evidence pointing to Miller’s intentions has been found. Bianco said a search of Miller’s SUV turned up a shotgun, a handgun, ammunition, phony identification and a homemade license plate.
The Secret Service has foiled at least two gunmen targeting former president Donald Trump since July. In one instance, the gunman fired multiple times, striking several people, one fatally. One of the gunman’s bullets grazed Trump’s ear, and another killed a bystander.
Miller had previously made social media posts in support of the former president after the deadly shooting.
An investigation into Miller’s activities is ongoing, but he has been released on bail pending a court appearance regarding charges of suspicion of possessing loaded firearms.
Miller told the Times he was at the event to cover it as a journalist and has received passes to cover Trump rallies in the past.
“The U.S. Secret Service assesses that the incident did not impact protective operations and former President Trump was not in any danger. While no federal arrest has been made at this time, the investigation is ongoing,” the agency said in a statement. “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.”
Miller, who has described himself as a sovereign citizen and libertarian, claims to know the Trump family and many other Republican personalities, according to The Daily Beast.
“I’ve talked to Don Jr., I’ve talked to Eric Trump,” he reportedly said in a video posted on Rumble. “I know a lot of people within the Trump family and the extended family, and I have been integrally involved.”
He also claimed to have met the former president at the New York premiere of one of the “Blade” sequels in the early 2000s.
Miller is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 2, 2025, according to the Associated Press.
