Man arrested outside Trump Coachella rally denies assassination intent; he's 'all in' supporting Trump
FOX News2 days
Man Arrested on Gun Charges at Trump's California Rally
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Above: Republican presidential nominee, former US Pres. Donald Trump walks onstage for a campaign rally on Oct. 12, 2024 in Coachella, California. Image copyright: Mario Tama/Staff/Getty News via Getty Images
The 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.
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.
The Spin
Left narrative
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
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.
