Accusations Donald Trump faced a third assassination attempt appear preposterous

Accusations of a third assassination attempt on Donald Trump in California this week were likely completely blown out of all proportion by a local Republican sheriff.

Vem Miller was caught and arrested at a checkpoint about 500 metres from a Trump rally in Coachella, California. Picture: Instagram.

Late last month I managed to get a free ticket to a $US5000 ($7445) Robert F Kennedy ‘Make America Healthy Again’ fund raiser. Just a few metres away from me, apparently, was the man, Vem Miller, accused recently of the ‘third assassination attempt’ on Donald Trump, according to his X account where he posted video from the event on the same night.

MAHA event with @rustyrockets@TulsiGabbardrep@TulsiGabbard@RealRFKJR2024@dr Jordan Peterson pic.twitter.com/X8AzMcj07v

— notvemmiller (@notvemmiller) September 30, 2024

Media exploded with allegations of another attempt on Trump’s life on Sunday (Monday AEDT) after Miller, 49, was found ‘armed and dangerous’ at the perimeter of Trump’s rally at Coachella, California on Sunday.

Reports emerged that Miller had been arrested with three guns, fake passports and fake entrance passes to the event, and had declared his intent to “kill the president” before he was released on a $US5000 bail after spending a few hours in prison.

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco speaks to reporters. Picture: YouTube.

If those facts weren’t odd enough it soon emerged online that Miller has been a very enthusiastic supporter of the Republican presidential candidate, attending numerous events with high profile Republicans for years, posting fawning pictures of himself with Vivek Ramaswamy, Steve Bannon, Roger Stone, Russel Brand, Robert F. Kennedy, and many others in recent months.

HOAX - Vem Miller the man falsely accused of planning to assassinate President Trump made no threats against the president. The firearms in his possession were legally owned and were locked in the trunk of his car. His license plates were neither fake nor expired .He had no fake… pic.twitter.com/oB5kto9qjX

— Roger Stone (@RogerJStoneJr) October 14, 2024

Even more bizarre was that the Republican Sherriff Bianco had attended the same world premiere of right-wing journalist James O’Keefe’s new film, Line in the Sand, only last week.

So Vem Miller and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco both attended the same movie premiere in Newport (James O’Keefe’s “Line in the Sand.”)

Bianco told the Epoch Times that police “arrested a man trying to get in the perimeter with two firearms who ended up saying he was… https://t.co/Q1Xy2Qsf8cpic.twitter.com/BwTtBaSkY9

— Jacqueline Sweet (@JSweetLI) October 14, 2024

“One of the bravest film directors living today, and supremely talented as well. Wish Hollywood would take notice of the artists rising through the freedom movement,” Miller posted alongside a picture from the event on his Instagram, where he was sitting a not far from Bianco.

Sources close to the Trump campaign, who had most to gain politically from a ‘third assassination attempt’ told Fox News Bill Melugin on Sunday it was not an assassination attempt. Miller, it turns out, was a Republican, gun enthusiastic and anarchist, and had run for local office as a Republican in 2022.

The FBI and Secret Service refused to describe the event as an assassination attempt.

NEW: Sources close to the Trump campaign tell @FoxNews there was no assassination attempt against Trump at his Coachella, CA rally yesterday. We’re told a man with a gun was arrested at the perimeter of the event without incident.

— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) October 13, 2024

Riverside Country Sherrif Chad Bianco in a press conference later Sunday conceded that his accusation, which triggered the media firestorm, was “speculation”, but remained adamant he had thwarted another assassination attempt.

“If you’re asking me right now, I probably did have deputies that prevented the third assassination attempt … And I’m going to be accused of being dramatic?” Bianco said.

In an interview hours later the accused told Southern California News Group that he was “shocked” he was arrested. “These accusations are complete bull — t … I’m an artist, I’m the last person that would cause any violence and harm to anybody,” he added.

In a since posted 18 minute video to X Miller says he told the California police he had guns in his car – hardly a shock for second amendment obsessive – who then arrested him and accused him of trying to kill Trump. From his video it appears California police were abusive and kept him in a police truck for hours without water.

JUST IN: Vem Miller, the man accused of a so-called "third Trump assassination attempt" denies these reports and pushes back in a statement released online.

Miller states he is a Trump supporter who was invited to be at the Coachella rally. He adds that he told officers he had… pic.twitter.com/TcV5hs6l86

— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) October 14, 2024

He said in the rambling video that neither his invitation to the rump rally nor his passports were fake, he had never had any trouble with Nevada police after he informed them about his guns, and demanded the release of the police officers’ body cams which he said will give him grounds to sue.

In all likelihood the accusations were ridiculous and courtesy of Bianco, a diehard Trump supporter who perhaps might have wanted to help the Trump campaign, which had already been rattled by two genuine, and one very serious, attempt on the former president’s life.

The whole episode is a reminder of how quickly nonsense can ricochet around the world, and how remarkably trusting of individual police statements media have become, even sheriffs who are elected politicians in the US.