US sheriff says ‘probably prevented’ third Trump assassination attempt

After a man was detained with an unregistered firearms near the Republican candidate’s California campaign rally over the weekend, a law enforcement official claimed that this was the country’s sheriff’s first assassination attempt.

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said deputies stopped the man at a security perimeter the day before the former president’s event in the city of Coachella.

Bianco said the suspect “showed up with multiple passports with different names, an unregistered vehicle with]a] fake license plate, and loaded firearms”.

“If you’re asking me right now, I probably did have deputies that prevented the third assassination attempt”, the sheriff told reporters.

The man, identified as 49-year-old Nevada resident Vem Miller, was taken into custody without incident, the sheriff’s office said in a statement earlier in the day.

According to authorities, Miller is facing gun charges after being discovered with two firearms and a large magazine. On bail, he was released, and he will make his court appearance on January 2, 2025.

Miller, who claimed to be a Trump supporter, denied trying to harm the former president in an interview with Southern California News Group.

“These accusations are complete bulls**t”, Miller said. “I’m an artist, I’m the last person that would cause any violence and harm to anybody”.

The Associated Press news agency contacted Trump’s campaign to ask for comment on the arrest.

The US Attorney’s Office stated in a statement on Sunday that the incident did not affect protective operations and that former president Trump was not in any danger. The investigation is ongoing, even though no federal arrest has been made at this time.

Authorities charged a man with attempted assassination at his Florida golf course in late September, but the incident comes just weeks after.

Ryan Routh, who was playing golf at West Palm Beach’s Trump International Golf Club on September 15, was charged with intending to kill the former president.

Routh has entered a not-guilty plea to the charges against him.

In recent months, Trump has been the target of another apparent assassination attempt in Florida. He was shot in the ear in the ear in Pennsylvania in July after a gunman opened fire at a campaign rally.

The security measures in place for the event were subject to fierce criticism and questions.