Armed man arrested at Trump rally in California
An armed man was arrested at a Trump rally in California on Saturday, raising fears of another assassination attempt.
Police arrested 47-year-old Verm Miller, a registered Republican from Las Vegas who describes himself as a Trump supporter.
Arrest at Trump rally
The man was taken into custody after police found an illegal shotgun, a loaded handgun, and a high-capacity magazine.
Miller approached the rally in a black SUV that raised multiple red flags, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said.
The interior of the vehicle was in "disarray" and the car had an "obviously fake" license plate.
"What we do know is he showed up with multiple passports with different names. An unregistered vehicle with a fake license plate and loaded firearms. If you're asking me right now, I probably did have deputies that prevented the third assassination attempt," Bianco said.
Suspect responds to accusations
In an interview with Southern California News Group, Miller blasted the accusations that he wanted to hurt Trump as nonsensical.
"These accusations are complete bull—t," Miller said. "I’m an artist, I’m the last person that would cause any violence and harm to anybody."
Miller was charged with misdemeanor gun crimes and released on $5,000 bail. He is not facing federal charges.
The man told Fox News that he is a former Democrat who is "all in" for Trump.
"I always travel around with my firearms in the back of my truck," he said. "I've literally never even shot a gun in my life."
No threat?
The Trump campaign does not believe this was an assassination attempt, Fox News reported.
"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 campaign said.
The Secret Service says Trump was not in any danger.
The scare came after two assassination attempts on Trump in recent months, one of which left him bloodied.
At a July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, a gunman grazed Trump in the ear. The suspect was killed at the scene.
Trump survived another attempt in September by a man who was found lying in wait at his Florida golf course. The suspect, Ryan Routh, was taken alive and criminally charged.