Published on: October 15, 2024, 05:36h. 

Last edited on: October 15, 2024, 05:36h.

The Las Vegas man who was arrested at a pro-Donald Trump rally in Coachella, California over the weekend is maintaining his innocence this week despite facing weapons charges.

Vem Miller, 49, host of the “Veterans in Politics” podcast, was taken into custody on Saturday after authorities discovered firearms and ammunition in the vehicle he was driving. He is facing two misdemeanor charges and was initially suspected of an assassination plot.

Regarding the events of this weekend, the accusations made by the sheriff and deputy are untrue,” Miller told Las Vegas TV station KTNV. “The only thing that occurred is what I always do at these rallies, which is to inform the police that I am lawfully carrying firearms in my trunk.”

He was unaware that gun laws in California’s Riverside County differ from those in Nevada.

Miller was charged because the magazine of his gun was in the chamber and the barrel was improperly assembled, he informed KTNV.

He carries the weapons due to receiving death threats, Miller disclosed.

He plans to present his case in court to clear his name.

Support for Trump

Additionally, Steve Sanson, president of Veterans In Politics International and a Las Vegas resident, told KTNV that, “Miller is a staunch supporter of President Trump.”

He has campaigned for him. He is one of the canvass captains. He was invited by the Trump team to attend California,” Sanson added.

“In California, you must separate the magazine from the weapon to have it in the vehicle legally. In Nevada, the magazine can be inside the weapon. That was his only mistake.”

According to Sanson, the vehicle Miller was driving belongs to his parents and may have been unregistered. Miller had multiple IDs in the car as he changed his name during a political campaign, Sanson added.

Sheriff’s Statement

However, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco stated that by detaining Miller, his deputies may have thwarted an attempted assassination of Trump.

A sheriff’s deputy “found multiple passports with multiple names, multiple driver’s licenses with different names, the vehicle was unregistered, and the license plate was what we in law enforcement would recognize as one that is homemade and indicative of a group of individuals that claim to be sovereign citizens,” Bianco said in a statement.

There is absolutely no way that any of us are going to truly know what was in his head,” Bianco added. “I can tell you that none of the other probably 50,000 people that showed up for that event brought multiple passports with different names and guns. I am glad that we’re not talking about this after we shot him.”

In recent weeks, there have been two attempts on Trump’s life. In one incident, Trump sustained a minor injury.