Staff Reports
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco took to the stage at a press conference Sunday evening to shed light on an incident involving a man caught with illegal firearms outside former President Donald Trump’s rally in Coachella, California. This little drama unfolded just a day before the rally, raising eyebrows not just about the suspect but also about the lengths people will go to—particularly those on the fringes of political discourse.
Meet Vem Miller, a 49-year-old Las Vegas resident who apparently thought he could turn a Trump rally into a one-man show. Miller was apprehended after officers discovered unregistered firearms, including a loaded handgun and a shotgun, chillin’ in his vehicle alongside some suspicious-looking passports and driver’s licenses under different names. The cherry on top of this cake of chaos? His vehicle’s license plate was a fake, and the car itself was unregistered—though Bianco shared that it had been sold to Miller.
Armed Man Arrested Outside Trump Coachella Rally With Fake VIP and Press Passes in Likely Third Assassination Attempt. He was released on $5000.00 bond. pic.twitter.com/HdDzmevOHx
— D. Scott @eclipsethis2003 (@eclipsethis2003) October 13, 2024
Sheriff Bianco made it clear that Miller’s run-in with the law stemmed from state-level charges regarding his arsenal. After a brief stint in custody, Miller was released on a $5,000 bail. But hold the applause; this man thought he could saunter into Trump’s rally as if he was a big-time media VIP. Spoiler alert: he was denied entry because he couldn’t produce any credentials proving his importance.
Digging deeper into Miller’s background reveals a character more akin to a political wildcard than a conventional citizen. Bianco connected him to the sovereign citizen's movement, a group that believes they exist outside the jurisdiction of the U.S. government. This mindset naturally leads to an aversion to taxes and legal paperwork. Who needs a driver’s license or vehicle registration when you’re living life on the fringes, right?
Miller’s resume is as colorful as his recent shenanigans. He’s a registered Republican with a degree from UCLA and even threw his hat into the political ring in 2022, unsuccessfully running for the Nevada state assembly. He also operates the America Happens Network, a self-styled platform for “raging against the mainstream media.” According to his LinkedIn, he seeks to expose perceived government overreach and the hammer of bureaucracy on small businesses and the middle class. Apparently, his mission didn’t quite align with the common sense shown by law enforcement at Trump’s rally.
Despite the dramatics, the U.S. Attorney’s office, Secret Service, and FBI assured the public that Trump remained safe and the situation did not impede protective operations. So, while Miller might have had delusions of grandeur when trying to play media mogul, in reality, he’s just another example of someone who believed they were above the law—right up until they weren’t.
