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Armed Man Arrested in Possible Third Assassination Attempt against Trump

October 14, 2024

Reports are suggesting that there has been a third assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man on Sunday outside a Trump campaign event in California’s Coachella Valley. The 49-year-old Vem Miller, a Las Vegas resident, was “illegally in possession of a shotgun, a loaded handgun, and a high-capacity magazine,” according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said that Miller “presented fake VIP and press passes” in an effort to gain entry to the Trump rally. Bianco added, “We probably stopped another assassination attempt.” However, according to the New York Post, federal authorities are not investigating the incident in connection with an assassination attempt against the former president.

Miller was driving a black SUV, bringing his loaded weapons and fake passes, when he was stopped by sheriff’s deputies at a checkpoint outside the rally. In addition to “fake VIP and press passes,” Miller also had several falsified passports and driver’s licenses. The weapons and fake documents were discovered by sheriff’s deputies when they searched the car after noticing that it was unregistered. Miller was arrested and booked on weapons violations charges. He posted his $5,000 bail and reportedly commented to press that claims that he was attempting to assassinate Trump were “complete bullsh**.”

Miller’s arrest follows two confirmed assassination attempts against Trump. The first occurred in Butler, Pennsylvania, when 20-year-old Thomas Crooks shot the former President in the side of the head during a campaign rally on July 13. Two rally attendees were injured and a third, firefighter Corey Comperatore, was killed while shielding his wife and daughters from the gunfire. The sniper team returned fire and killed Crooks. However, numerous whistleblowers have since alleged that Trump’s Secret Service detail had been reduced and poorly trained ahead of the assassination attempt. U.S. Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle subsequently resigned following a congressional hearing.

On September 15, 58-year-old Ryan Routh was arrested outside a West Palm Beach golf course in Florida after aiming an automatic rifle at Trump. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) subsequently published a letter allegedly penned by Routh, in which he admitted that he was trying to assassinate Trump. Routh offered a $150,000 reward to anyone who could “finish the job” and kill Trump.

Earlier this month, Trump returned to Butler for a campaign rally, during which he paid tribute to Comperatore for having given his life to protect his family. Trump pledged, “I will never quit. I will never bend. I will never break. I will never yield, not even in the face of death itself.”

S.A. McCarthy serves as a news writer at The Washington Stand.