A Las Vegas man who was arrested outside Donald Trump's rally in the Southern California desert on Saturday with a loaded weapon in his vehicle is vehemently denying claims by the local sheriff that he intended to assassinate the former president.
What happened?
Vem Miller, 49, was traveling in an unregistered black SUV when he was stopped by police at a security checkpoint near the rally in Coachella Valley.
When authorities searched the vehicle, they found a shotgun, a loaded handgun and a high-capacity magazine, as well as multiple passports and driver licenses with different names, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.
Miller was taken into custody and booked at a local jail in Indio, Calif., on suspicion of possessing a loaded firearm and a high-capacity magazine. He was released on Saturday on $5,000 bail. He is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 2.
The incident comes amid heightened security following two assassination attempts against the former president. In July, Trump was grazed by a bullet in an attempted assassination at a rally in Butler, Pa., in July. One rallygoer was killed and two others were injured. The Secret Service killed the shooter, identified as a 20-year-old who climbed to the roof of a building nearby.
And last month, a 58-year-old man who authorities say hid in the trees with a rifle on the edge of Trump's golf club in West Palm Beach, Fla., was arrested and later charged with attempted assassination.
What did the local sheriff say?
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco told reporters Sunday that he believes police thwarted a third attempt to kill the former president and Republican nominee for the White House in 2024.
“I truly do believe we prevented another assassination attempt,” Bianco said.
“We know we prevented something bad from happening,” he added, “and it was irrelevant what that bad was going to be.”
What did the suspect say?
Miller vehemently denied the sheriff's claims. He told Fox News Digital in a phone interview that he is a staunch Trump supporter who carries firearms because of death threats he's received since launching America Happens Network, a fringe podcast network focused on combating "censorship."
“I always travel around with my firearms in the back of my truck,” Miller said.
“Yes, I’m 100% a Trump supporter,” he said. “This is a man that I deeply admire.”
What did the Secret Service say?
In a joint statement, the U.S. Secret Service and FBI said that neither Trump nor attendees at the rally were in any danger.
"The U.S. 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."