LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Las Vegas man arrested outside a Southern California Trump rally over the weekend is speaking out.
Authorities claim they could have possibly stopped another assassination attempt.
Vem Miller was arrested after firearms and ammunition were found in his car.
I talked to him on Monday, and he said he is a Trump supporter and would never try to assassinate the former president.
"You know, as far as what took place this weekend, the allegations made by the sheriff and the deputy are false," Miller said. "The only thing that happened is what I do when I go to all these rallies, which is to respectively let police know I'm carrying, lawfully, firearms in my trunk."
Miller said he didn't realize the laws in Riverside County, where he was arrested, were different than Nevada.
He said he was cited for two misdemeanors, having the magazine of his gun in the chamber and due to the type of barrel on his gun.
Miller runs a political news website and said he has had death threats made against him and that is why he was carrying firearms. He said he didn't have any fake IDs and didn't do anything illegal with the vehicle he was driving.
Miller said he believes his name has been dragged through the mud and plans to take legal action.
I also spoke with Steve Sanson, who knows Miller very well. He said he spoke to Miller right after he got out of jail.
"I was shocked. This is not the person I know who would do anything close to that," he said.
Sanson said he has had him on his "Veterans in Politics" podcast several times.
The Riverside County Sheriff claims the agency stopped an assassination attempt after arresting Miller.
Sanson doesn't believe it.
"Miller loves President Trump. He has canvassed for him. He is one of the canvas captains. He was invited by the Trump team to come to California," Sanson said.
He told me he spoke to Miller after he walked out of jail following the arrest and said Miller told him he only received a citation and was released.
"He told the officers he had weapons in the car. The only thing he did wrong was because the laws are different from California and Nevada. In California, you have to separate the magazine from the weapon to be in the vehicle legally. In Nevada, the magazine can be in the weapon. That was the only thing he did wrong," Sanson said.
Sanson said Miller had multiple identifications in the car because he had previously changed his name to run for State Assembly and Vem Miller is easier to say than his birth name.
As for the vehicle not being registered...
"The vehicle is not his," Sanson said. "The vehicle belongs to his parents. He probably wasn't even aware it wasn't registered."
On Sunday, the Secret Service released a statement, stating the incident did not impact protective operations and the former president was not in any danger.
They say while no federal arrests have been made, the investigation is ongoing.
We have not received comment from the Riverside County sheriff.
