Authorities believe Vem Miller, the man who was arrested with a loaded gun at a rally hosted by former President Donald Trump in California on Saturday, is tied to the sovereign citizen movement.
Miller, a 49-year-old man from Las Vegas, was arrested after Riverside County sheriff deputies found him to be in illegal possession of a shotgun, a loaded handgun and a high-capacity magazine while driving a black SUV at a checkpoint outside Trump’s rally in Coachella on Saturday, according to the sheriff’s office.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco told reporters that local law enforcement believes Miller is part of the sovereign citizen movement during a press conference following his arrest, pointing to numerous drivers licenses and passports with different names found in his vehicle.
“The vehicle was unregistered and the license plate was indicative of what we in law enforcement would recognize as one that is homemade and indicative of a group of individuals that claim to be sovereign citizens,” he said. “The deputy assumes that he was part of that identifying group.”
The Press Enterprise reported that Miller “flatly denied” being part of the movement.
He has denied that he was planning to shoot the former president during the rally, describing himself as “100 percent a Trump supporter” in an interview with Fox News Digital.
Newsweek has reached out to Trump’s campaign for comment via email.
Donald Trump speaks in Coachella, California, on October 12, 2024. Vem Miller, the man arrested for allegedly having guns at the rally, is believed to be part of the “sovereign citizen” movement, police said.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
What Is the ‘Sovereign Citizen’ movement?
The movement, which began growing in the 1970s and 80s, consists of individuals who believe they are not bound by the laws of the United States, despite being U.S. citizens.
They believe they do not have to answer to government authorities such as courts, law enforcement or motor vehicle departments, nor pay taxes, according to the FBI.
“This causes all kinds of problems—and crimes. For example, many sovereign citizens don’t pay their taxes. They hold illegal courts that issue warrants for judges and police officers,” reads an FBI webpage about the movement.
“They clog up the court system with frivolous lawsuits and liens [keeping possession of property belonging to another person] against public officials to harass them. And they use fake money orders, personal checks, and the like at government agencies, banks, and businesses.”
Members of the sovereign citizen movement have committed violent crimes like murder, threatened judges, police and government workers, impersonated law enforcement and use fake currency and identification documents, according to the FBI.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) describes the movement as “a large anti-government extremist movement whose adherents believe the government is the illegitimate product of a conspiracy that subverted the original, lawful government.”
The movement has allegedly expanded its ranks by appealing to “anti-vaxxers, QAnon adherents, and MAGA supporters,” the ADL reported. It also spread in jails and prisons, as well as increasing its international presence, according to the organization.
“The most important new sources of recruits for the sovereign citizen movement over the past several years have been the MAGA and QAnon movements,” the ADL report reads, noting the movement “had not especially embraced Donald Trump while he was president.”
The ADL reports that many in the movement viewed him as the head of an illegitimate government.
Who Is Trump Gun Suspect Vem Miller?
Following Miller’s arrest on Saturday, local news outlets reported more details about his identity.
The Press Enterprise reported that he is a registered Republican voter who graduated with a master’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.
He also ran for a seat in the Nevada state assembly in 2022, but lost in the Republican primary.
Miller founded the America Happens Network in 2007. It produces a series of online shows and podcasts under its motto “rage against mainstream media.”
According to his biography on the American Happens Network website, he worked as a music video director before launching the network.
How Was Vem Miller Caught?
Miller was caught after allegedly trying to enter the former president’s rally with fake press passes. He is reported to have told police he never had trouble entering Trump rallies in Nevada with weapons in his car.
He told the Southern California News Group on Sunday that he was “shocked” he was arrested, reported the Press Enterprise. Miller said he received an invitation to the rally from a Republican official in Nevada.
He told the news outlet that he informed law enforcement about the weapons upon reaching the checkpoint before entering the parking lot at the rally.
“These accusations are complete bull****,” Miller said. “I’m an artist, I’m the last person that would cause any violence and harm to anybody.”
Miller has been released from the local detention center on $5,000 bail.
