Photo: Alamy
A man arrested with guns near a rally for President Donald Trump in Coachella, California, on Saturday claims he is a supporter and denied he was attempting an assassination.
Vem Miller, 49, from Las Vegas, was arrested with a shotgun, loaded handgun and high-capacity magazine, according to local law enforcement.
Miller was later released on a $5,000 bond.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said, “We probably stopped another assassination attempt,” leading to claims of yet another assassination attempt against Trump.
Miller appears on Fox News Sunday to contradict the report, claiming he is a Trump supporter.
“I always travel around with my firearms in the back of my truck,” Miller told Fox News Digital by phone.
Miller claimed he has never fired the weapons in his vehicle but began to carry them when he received death threats.
“I’ve literally never even shot a gun in my life,” Miller said. “I don’t know anything about guns. I am beyond a novice.”
He also claimed to be “100 percent a Trump supporter.”
Miller also denied reports that he possessed fake identification after claims that he carried a forged VIP pass.
He was arrested just before 5 p.m. Pacific Time on Saturday when deputies at the rally encountered the driver of a black SUV at a checkpoint.
“This incident did not impact the safety of former President Trump or attendees of the event,” the Riverside Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
A spokesperson for the Trump campaign issued a statement expressing thanks to local law enforcement in the latest security situation.
“We thank law enforcement for securing the rally site and helping ensure the safety of President Trump. We are aware of news reports about the arrest and are currently monitoring the situation and gathering more information,” the statement read.
The massive Coachella crowd drew near 100,000 attendees according to some estimates despite high temperatures approaching 100 degrees on Saturday.
Security remained high following two recent attempts on Trump’s life. He was struck by a bullet on his right ear in July in Butler, Pennsylvania. In September, a shooter was spotted outside of the Trump International Golf Club and was later arrested while fleeing.