Man Arrested on Gun Charges at Trump's California Rally

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Facts

• A man was arrested Saturday on state gun charges near a California rally for former Pres. Donald Trump, but Trump — the GOP nominee in this year's campaign — was 'not in any danger,' a joint statement from the US Secret Service, the FBI and the Dept. of Justice said.^[1]
• Vem Miller, 49, was reportedly stopped by deputies at a checkpoint en route to Trump's rally in the Coachella Valley and was found to be carrying a shotgun, a loaded handgun, and a high-capacity magazine. He was also in possession of multiple passports with different names and was driving an unregistered vehicle.^[2]
• The Riverside County Sheriff's office said Miller was taken into custody 'without incident,' and that he was booked on misdemeanor offenses of possession of a loaded firearm and a high-capacity magazine. He won't face federal charges and was released after posting a $5K bail.^[3]
• At a press conference, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco — who is a representative for Trump's campaign — described the suspect as a 'lunatic' and said he 'truly believed' that his officers had prevented a third assassination attempt.^[3]
• Bianco said that at the outside perimeter of the rally, Miller 'gave all indications that he was allowed to be there,' and was allowed to proceed. But once inside, 'many irregularities popped up,' adding that the car had a 'home-made' license plate that was 'indicative' of Sovereign Citizens.^[3]
• Bianco suggested that Sovereign Citizens don't believe in government or laws. Miller is reportedly a registered Republican and, in 2022, ran unsuccessfully for Nevada's state assembly — suggesting 'this country has been taken over by tyranny.' His court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 2.^[3][2]

Sources: ^[1]CNN, ^[2]USA Today and ^[3]BBC News.

Narratives

• Left narrative, as provided by CNN and Politico. Although a man was arrested for a number of gun charges, the Secret Service, federal agencies, and local law enforcement all did their job in making sure the suspect was nowhere near Trump at the time of the rally. While investigations are ongoing, at least there's no evidence this was a further assassination attempt. Republicans have been reckless in their rhetoric to blame Democrats for these incidents and they must not leverage these moments for political points.
• Right narrative, as provided by FOX News and Daily Wire. This man whipped the media into a frenzy, making it appear to be a third assassination attempt. It turns out Miller was just another avid Trump supporter and he just so happened to be carrying firearms in his truck as he always did. It's the left-leaning media ecosystem that needs to tamp down the rhetoric — Miller has declared his innocence and Trump's campaign has asserted that the former president was never in danger.

Predictions