Katie Deutsch
A Las Vegas resident was arrested at a checkpoint a half mile away from a Trump rally, for attempting to bring in several loaded guns. The suspect, identified as Vem Miller, was arrested with a loaded shotgun and handgun, as well as a high-capacity magazine. The police currently believe that he was attempting an assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump. He has stated, “These accusations are complete bull—- I’m the last person that would cause any violence and harm to anybody”.
Trump was “not in any danger”.
Miller was driving an unregistered car with a ‘homemade’ license plate and had several different passports. “What we do know is he showed up with multiple passports with different names, an unregistered vehicle with a fake license plate and loaded firearms,” The Riverside County Sheriff, Chad Bianco, stated in a statement to the press on Sunday. He has claimed that his deputies stopped Miller from making a third assassination attempt on former president Trump but acknowledges that this is “speculation”. The US Secret Service has stated that Trump was “not in any danger”. Bianco has said that it is “common sense” to assume that he was making an assassination attempt but admits that he cannot prove it.
“who do not believe they are subject to any government statutes unless they consent to them”
Miller has repeatedly stated that he had no intention of hurting anybody, and that “I’m an artist, I’m the last person that would cause any violence and harm to anybody”. He stated that he was coming to the rally as a journalist, and that “In observance of my 1st Amendment rights, I carry firearms in my truck”. As stated in The Press Enterprise “Bianco said Miller appeared to be a part of or have an affinity for so-called sovereign citizens, a group of people who do not believe they are subject to any government statutes unless they consent to them”.
In comments to the media, Miller has denied any connection with the Sovereign Citizens. The Sovereign Citizens are a group of conspiracy theorists who believe that by filling in obscure paperwork, they can free themselves from the law. Some ways that they attempt to implement this is through creating their own license plates and money, as well as refusing to follow all manner of laws.
Miller told The Times that he has been a staunch supporter of Trump, since around 2015, when Miller became disillusioned with Obama and began supporting Trump. He claims that he identifies as a libertarian and that “I liked that he was taking on a lot of these consistent powers that drive us into unnecessary wars and unnecessary debt”.
This incident comes just weeks after Ryan Routh was arrested for “lurking outside Donald Trump’s south Florida golf course on 15 September with a gun – and allegedly writing about his desire to kill him”. Routh was charged with five federal crimes- the attempted assassination of a major political candidate, as well as; possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; assaulting a federal officer; felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition; and the possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
offering a $150,000 reward to “anyone who can complete the job”.
US Attorney General Merrick Garland has said in a statement “Violence targeting public officials endangers everything our country stands for, and the Department of Justice will use every available tool to hold Ryan Routh accountable for the attempted assassination of former President Trump charged in the indictment”. Routh confessed in a letter that he was attempting to assassinate Trump, as well as offering a $150,000 reward to “anyone who can complete the job”.
Before this, Trump was shot at while at another rally by Thomas Matthew Crooks, who fired eight rounds from an AR-15-style rifle, from a nearby building. Crooks grazed Trump’s ear, as well as killing one audience member, and wounding two others. The US Secret Service “acknowledged a series of security failures” surrounding the Pennsylvania shooting.
In contrast to this, Bianco said that his department has gone “above and beyond” when dealing with Miller. Bianco further states “I couldn’t care less what political party he belonged to. I think that’s the stupidest thing in the world that we have to label something and we’re labeling this his politics. He was a lunatic.”
However, Miller’s Friend and collaborator Mindy Robinson has gone on record to state “There isn’t a universe his intention was to kill Trump, he’s worked too hard in this movement to expose the Deep State and all the people against him”. An apparent example of Miller attempting to ‘expose the deep state’ was when Miller, living in Canada at the time, made a court filing claiming that his ex-wife kidnapped his children and took them to the UK, further claiming that “PM Trudeau was also involved in my case, and helped prevent any form of justice within the Canadian courts”.
Katie Deutsch
Featured image courtesy of Cesar Done via Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.
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