patrick.net

Yesterday afternoon, the Associated Press ran a bizarre story headlined, “Man with loaded gun arrested at checkpoint near Donald Trump's weekend rally in Southern California.” It was a bit more than just a loaded gun. Vegas resident Vem Miller, 49, was arrested on Saturday just outside the Trump rally in Coachella, California, with a loaded handgun, a shotgun, a high-capacity magazine, multiple passports and driver's licenses with different names, all while driving an unregistered car with a homemade license plate.

It gets weirder. Mr. Miller said it was all just a big misunderstanding and, being a huge Trump fan, he would never hurt the President. Even more bizarre, it turns out Miller is a regular feature on the conservative media circuit. Conservative podcaster/independent journalist Mindy Robinson vouched for Miller, referring to him as her business partner in a long-standing media venture named America Happens Network.

Miller is not, in fact, Vem’s real name. His real name is Vem Vim Yenkovian. He’s originally from Armenia. According to allegations in his various lawsuits, he adopted the last name “Miller” to avoid widespread anti-Armenian discrimination.

Riverside County’s sheriff department initially suggested to media that his deputies stopped "another assassination attempt,” and the media gravy was out of the pitcher. But Miller was promptly released on $5,000 bail, suggesting the judge saw him as no real threat. He swore he is a "100 percent a Trump supporter" and that he always travels with firearms for protection due to death threats related to his media work.

Miller’s fake passports, fake license plate, and fake driver’s licenses remain unexplained.

He’s been around conservative media for a long time. Miller founded his America Happens Network in 2007. It makes online shows and podcasts under the motto "rage against mainstream media.” Miller denies being connected to any anti-government groups. He calls himself a former-Democrat-turned-Trump-fan.

Two years ago, Miller ran unsuccessfully for Nevada State Assembly as a Republican.

Late last night, Miller, obviously not listening to his lawyer, if he has a lawyer, released a long, rambling statement on Rumble, where you can hear his side of the story if you have an hour or so(1:15:30; he finally gets around to what happened at the 32:00 mark). Miller blamed the cops, miscommunication, dehydration, and low blood sugar, and admitted he argued with and threatened the police.

In his video, so far as I can tell, Miller never mentioned his fake credentials, the home-made license plate, or explained why his car was unregistered. If cops made up those claims, I’d expect Miller to at least deny them, laugh it off, or something.

Federal authorities say they’re still investigating, but agreed President Trump was never in any danger. There is no doubt but that Miller is a pretty zesty character. But is the Armenian podcaster more like a gravy wrestler, or is he a strange, Ryan Routh-style enigma?

Speaking of Ryan Wesley Routh, the media appears to have lost all interest in the second Trump assassin. Despite volumes of unanswered questions, corporate media’s most recent story about the failed tiny-home contractor was over two weeks ago, when he pleaded not guilty.

Bless the Epoch Times, which ran a long-form Routh Roundup article late last week. Spoiler: they still have no idea how Routh funded all his travel and illegal weapons purchases.