Sheriff Claiming Donald Trump Assassination Attempt ‘For Clout’

A sheriff was looking for public acclaim and “clout” when he claimed a Nevada man was trying to assassinate Donald Trump, an activist has said.
Mindy Robinson, who said she is both a friend and business partner of suspect Vem Miller, told Newsweek that Miller is a supporter of the former president and posed no threat to anyone.
Miller, 49, of Las Vegas, was arrested on Saturday after firearms were found in his car outside a Trump rally in California’s Coachella Valley, authorities said.
He was taken into custody after deputies found a shotgun, a loaded handgun, and a high-capacity magazine in his car, according to a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department press release.
The arrest occurred at 4:59 p.m. at a checkpoint near Avenue 52 and Celebration Drive, about half a mile from the rally entrance. Miller was driving a black SUV when he was stopped.
Robinson told Newsweek on Monday: “I did get to speak with him last night. His passes for the event were real, the cops knew he was a Trump supporter because he overheard one making fun of him for it, and he didn’t realize all the guns he had legally in Nevada were all illegal in California, which does have some ridiculous rules.”
“He was given a ticket and let go. The fact this sheriff is still pushing this as an assassin [sic] attempt is insane, it seems he’s doing it for clout,” she said.
Robinson is an actor and a well-known figure in conservative circles.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a noted Trump supporter said on Saturday: “We probably stopped another assassination attempt,” according to Southern California News Group.
“This incident did not impact the safety of former President Trump or attendees of the event,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement on Saturday.
Newsweek contacted the Riverside Sheriff’s Office and Trump’s campaign via email on Tuesday for comment.
Miller said in a video recorded in his motel room after he was released that he is a partner at the America Happens Network, a conservative news site.
Robinson hosts her Conspiracy Truth show on the site.
Miller was booked at the John J. Benoit Detention Center on charges of possessing a loaded firearm and a high-capacity magazine.
He was released Saturday on a $5,000 bail and is scheduled to appear at the Indio Larson Justice Center on January 2, 2025, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department inmate database.
Miller stated in his post-release video that he is a Trump supporter who was invited to the rally by the California Republican Party.
He said the police had made defaming comments about him and that he always carried firearms in the truck of his car. He said the trunk contained a shotgun and a Glock firearm. Miller described himself as a former Barack Obama supporter who later switched to Trump.