California: With this year's US presidential elections already reputed as one of the most divisive and violent of all time, things escalated as a possible third assassination attempt on Republican candidate Donald Trump was reported. US authorities reported that a man was arrested at a security checkpoint near Trump's rally in California and a large cache of loaded weapons, multiple passports and a fake license plate were found in his possession.
Vem Miller, 49, was arrested in a black SUV and a shotgun, a loaded handgun, ammunition, and several fake passports were confiscated from the vehicle he was driving, according to Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco. "The man claimed to be a journalist, but as his claims were met with suspicion, authorities searched his unregistered black SUV with a homemade license plate," Bianco said.
Chad Bianco said he believed his department halted an assassination attempt, though he acknowledged that was "speculation." The suspect was released on bail on Saturday, jail records showed, as an investigation was underway. "I truly do believe that we prevented another assassination attempt," the sheriff further said.
Who is Vem Miller?
The 49-year-old man, identified as Las Vegas resident Vem Miller, was stopped in a black SUV by sheriff's deputies around 5 pm (local time) on Saturday and taken into custody without incident, according to the sheriff's office. Trump had not yet taken the stage. He was released on $5,000 bail on Saturday after being charged with possession of a loaded firearm and a high-capacity magazine, both misdemeanours.
Miller is a registered Republican who ran for the Nevada state assembly in 2022 but lost in the primary. He holds a Master's degree from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His LinkedIn profile reveals him as an "investigative journalist", co-founder of the far-right media network "America Happens", and a gun rights advocate aiming to "stop voter fraud", according to The Mirror. However, Bianco referred to Miller as a "lunatic".
Miller reportedly claimed that he was a Trump supporter and rejected the sheriff's charges that he wanted to kill the former president, calling the allegations "bullsh-t". “I’m an artist, I’m the last person that would cause any violence and harm to anybody," he said.
The US Secret Service said it was unlikely Miller was trying to assassinate Trump and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is not probing the matter as an attempt, sources told The New York Post. “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.
Assassination attempts on Trump
Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt in July, when a gunman's bullet grazed his ear during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. In September, another man was charged with trying to assassinate Trump after Secret Service agents discovered him hiding with a rifle near Trump's Palm Beach golf course. He pleaded not guilty.
These two incidents led to increased security around Trump and raised questions about Secret Service security planning and response. Trump has sought to turn the assassination attempts into a campaign issue, alleging that the Justice Department, which charged Trump in two criminal cases last year, should not be trusted to handle the investigation.
(with agency input)
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