New assassination attempt on Donald Trump; Details revealed

Suspect Vem Miller is a registered Republican from Las Vegas and a member of a right-wing anti-government group, the sheriff said, according to whittierdailynews.com.

"A third assassination attempt against former President Trump was foiled Saturday after a Las Vegas man was arrested with a gun and fake IDs about a mile from a Trump campaign rally in the Coachella Valley," Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said.

Sheriff's deputies, who were deployed to the Trump rally, said the driver, Vem Miller, arrived in a black SUV at the checkpoint at the intersection of 52nd Avenue and Celebration Drive around 5 p.m.

Police discovered that Miller was in illegal possession of a shotgun, a loaded handgun and a high-capacity magazine.

Sheriff Bianco said he believed Miller, who he said was a member of a right-wing anti-government group, planned to kill Trump and that deputies foiled the plan when Miller presented fake VIP and press passes at a checkpoint.

"They were suspicious enough to raise an alarm for the deputy. We probably prevented another assassination attempt."

Miller is a registered Republican with a master's degree from UCLA, and is running for the Nevada state assembly in 2022.

Bianco said that Miller is considered the so-called a sovereign citizen, a group of people who believe that they are not subject to the laws of any government unless they themselves agree to it.

The sheriff's office set up, Bianco said, a double ring controlling access within about a mile of the rally. Residents were allowed to pass, but were followed to make sure they were going to their homes and not to the rally.

Miller was caught at one of those checkpoints.

Bianco said that last he heard, Miller had not made any statements to investigators.

"I thought something like that wouldn't happen in Riverside County. We don't have the same disease problems and violent protests that we have in Los Angeles. We're better than that. Who could tell..."

Bianco added that US Secret Service officials praised his department's work, saying they "went above and beyond what was expected" in their efforts to protect Trump and others at the rally.

"I am extremely proud of the mental and physical effort our deputies showed throughout the day," Bianco said.

He also said the FBI is questioning another man after bomb-detection dogs repeatedly identified him as potentially dangerous. That man was not allowed to enter the rally, Bianco added.

Miller was released on $5,000 bail and has a arraignment scheduled at the Indio Larson Justice Center on Jan. 2, 2025, according to the sheriff's office inmate database.

The Secret Service released a brief statement confirming that it had been notified of the arrest.