US sheriff says he “probably prevented” third Trump assassination attempt | News about the 2024 US election

Suspect faces firearms charges but denies trying to harm former US president and Republican candidate.

A US sheriff said police officers likely prevented a third assassination attempt against Donald Trump after a man with unregistered firearms was arrested near the Republican candidate's campaign rally in California over the weekend.

Speaking to reporters Sunday afternoon, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said officers stopped the man a day earlier at a security site outside 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 ask me now, I probably had deputies who prevented the third assassination attempt,” the sheriff told reporters.

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

Miller faces firearms charges after he was found to be in possession of two firearms and a high-capacity magazine, authorities said. He was released on bail and is scheduled to appear in court on January 2, 2025.

In an interview with the Southern California News Group, Miller, who said he is a Trump supporter, denied trying to harm the former president.

“These allegations are complete nonsense,” Miller said. “I am an artist, I am the last person who would cause violence and harm to anyone.”

Trump's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press about the arrest.

“The U.S. Secret Service believes the incident had no impact on protective measures and former President Trump was not in danger,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement on Sunday. “Although there has been no federal arrest at this time, the investigation remains ongoing.”

The incident came just weeks after authorities charged a man with attempting to assassinate Trump at his golf course in Florida in late September.

Prosecutors accuse Ryan Routh of trying to kill the former president as he played golf at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach on September 15.

Routh pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.

The arrest in Florida was the second apparent assassination attempt against Trump in recent months. In July, he was shot in the ear after a gunman opened fire at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

That shooting sparked intense criticism and questions about the safety protocols put in place for the event.

Last month, the U.S. Secret Service acknowledged a series of mistakes it made during the event in Butler, Pennsylvania, including “deficiencies” in advanced security planning and poor coordination with local police.