Who is Vem Miller, a man arrested outside Trump's Coachella rally? 4 things you should know

Vem Miller, the man arrested for firearms possession outside former President Donald Trump's rally in Coachella, California this weekend, claims he is a Trump supporter and has an extensive media and political history.

While some observers speculated that he posed a threat to the rally or even to Trump himself, Miller says he regularly carries his firearms in the back of his truck and never intended to hurt the former president.

Here are four important things to know about Vem Miller.

1. Miller claims to have an extensive media history.

Miller released a more than hour-long video statement on Rumble Monday night. In it he lays out his political and professional career and says he never intended to harm Trump.

Vem Miller, the man arrested at Trump's Coachella rally, says he did not intend to hurt the former president. (Vem Miller)

Miller told Fox News in a Sunday interview that he has been in media for 30 years and started working after graduating from high school. He said he worked with major artists on music videos and television shows and created the America Happens Network to combat “censorship” in the media.

In his video statement, he added that he worked as a professional music video director from 2001 to 2008 and collaborated with artists such as DMX, John Maher and even Jerry Seinfeld for the “Bee Movie” music video.

Miller says his career then shifted toward television and he landed contracts to work with the History Channel, Discovery Channel, Netflix and others.

“Again, I have contracts and documentation to verify that everything I said is correct and true,” he said.

When contacted by Fox News Digital on Monday, Miller provided no evidence of these contracts.

Cops Catch Man Allegedly Carrying Illegal Weapons Near Trump's Coachella Rally; SUSPECT SAYS HE SUPPORTS EX-PRESIDENT

Vem Miller was arrested at a Trump rally in Coachella, California on October 12, 2024.

2. Miller ran for office in Nevada as a Republican.

State records in Nevada show Miller unsuccessfully ran for office in 2022. He is a registered Republican and ran in the party's primary for a seat in the Nevada General Assembly, finishing third with 1,337 votes.

In his video statement, he claimed he received an “admission pass” from the Nevada Republican Party to Trump’s rally in California. The Nevada GOP did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

“I can prove that a special immigration pass was sent directly to me by Nevada Republican Party officials,” Miller said in his video statement. “I was actually invited to this event.”

Miller says he was arrested while declaring his firearms to security at a checkpoint to attend the Coachella rally. Police arrested him but he was later released on $5,000 bail.

3. He says he met Don Jr. and Eric Trump.

Miller claimed in his video statement that he attended numerous pro-Trump rallies and met some of the former president's family members.

“I would say over the last four years I have attended countless Trump rallies and Trump events,” Miller said. “I was, and again this is demonstrable, quite far away from the former president, so far that I could touch him,” he said, pointing with his hands at a short distance. “I talked to Don Jr., I talked to Eric Trump. I know a lot of people within the Trump family and extended family.”

Miller described himself as “a libertarian more than anything.”

Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump speaks during a rally in Coachella, California, on October 12, 2024. (REUTERS/Mike Blake)

4. He claims he received death threats because of his media work.

Miller says he received death threats from anonymous people in 2022, which led him to buy his firearms.

In his video statement, he repeatedly expressed concern for his safety and provided details of the threats made against him.

“I received several death threats around 2022 because of the content I produce,” Miller said. “Up until that point I had never owned a firearm. And these death threats were sent to me either via email, along with what I would call vile images depicting violence – Scrabble pieces were sent to me individually with the word “dead” written on them, and so on I’m worried.”

He says the concern led him to buy a Glock handgun and a shotgun. He added that he had never fired either weapon and had never been to a shooting range with them.

Miller says he has made a habit of informing police or security at Trump events that he has the firearms in the trunk of his vehicle.

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“It was just a common courtesy to the police,” he said. “Every time I've been at a rally in Nevada and notified the police, it hasn't been a problem and they've thanked me for notifying me.

He added that he felt he made a “critical mistake” when he forgot that he was in California when he declared the firearms at the recent rally.

Fox News' Stepheny Price and Bryan Preston contributed to this report