The Unwanted Unknowns

In just over a few months we have experienced two confirmed political attacks targeting a presidential candidate. Each of those events has gained some clarity but also inspired some officials to predict the next potential occurrence to avoid repeating past security failures. Yet investigators should never presume they cannot be mistaken or a public accusation is warranted lacking the necessary evidence. We are in the early stages of official investigations but some desire to name the next potential attacker precipitously. This has in past cases lead to more public confusion and officials misinforming the very people who employ them. Unwanted questions and unknown motivations can linger despite the best attempts or intentions of law enforcement to close a case.

Vem MILLER WAS Arrested Outside A Trump Rally in CAlifornia

Just last month Vem Miller was arrested by police in his vehicle outside a Trump Coachella Valley event where he attempted to gain access beyond a perimeter checkpoint. Miller, according to several officials, drove a vehicle with a fake license plate, had multiple unregistered firearms, significant ammunition, and varying false documents. He would later purport being a weapon novice and like a “kindergartner kid when it comes to guns” yet he was adult enough to illegally load and carry them. One would further surmise that Miller actually fired them on occasion if he planned to protect himself effectively despite alleged claims he never fired a gun before. If he felt so insecure it was always within his ability to not attend the Trump event to stay safe, but Vem did attend the heavily secured rally, thus he did not feel insecure and required no weapons.

While Miller did elude notice at the first security perimeter checkpoint he was caught in his vehicle at the second checkpoint possessing false press credentials, loaded weapons, and no credible reason to enter armed beyond his claims of journalism. Local officials offered they had “probably” averted a third assassination attempt but federal officials stated there was no danger to the former president. When Miller was later questioned about the circumstances of his arrest he stated no bail was required and Sheriff’s lied about this detail. Yet based on police records his claim is false. Miller was arrested and only released after paying five thousand dollars in bail for two misdemeanor charges, carrying a loaded firearm and possessing a large capacity magazine.i Miller would assert that nearly all official evidence and statements concerning his arrest were false, this is notable, because it is verifiably untrue. Miller would claim further to have met several people in the Trump family and been “integrally involved” with the campaign. However, if that were the case he did not require false passes and identification to enter. No Trump campaign representative has affirmed contacting Miller for campaign planning or at events.

Vem Miller allegedly sought to bring illegal guns and false documents into a political rally following two attempts to assassinate Donald Trump in the last few months. He purports to not be aware of gun laws in California as if this would excuse his actions. Yet this professed ignorance of the law does not explain why he brought a loaded shotgun in his vehicle to a political rally, even the most foolish person would understand that is a bad idea. Nevertheless, he did all of this and now acts surprised that anyone took issue with his activities. Vem Miller’s asserts that all who dealt with him were liars and charges related to his case would support he is either profoundly incompetent or knowingly deceptive. Miller stated in one interview “Nothing they did is lawful, I did not do anything they are claiming I did” but little fact supports his arguments.ii Yet despite all the deficiencies in Miller’s claims, he is correct that local officials should not have named him a potential assassin without more evidence.

Officials already had proven charges which are legally sufficient for prosecution but claims that police foiled a third attempt on Donald Trump’s life are not based on significant facts. If truly he was a suspected assassin more evidence is required to prove this and federal officials would likely have charged him if sufficient proof existed to do so. The Riverside Sheriff’s office could have charged Miller with a felony count instead of misdemeanor illegal gun possession, thus if he was a sufficient threat they should have done so. Miller is at best an unrelated but properly detected security threat and his apprehension reveals modern security measures can be used effectively. In this instance officials created a problem for themselves by inflating his importance.

Another source of multiple past historical controversies emerge from some in the public seizing upon official discrepancies related to incomplete crime scene handling. Transparent legal procedures with multiple independent observers are necessary if reliable inquiries are desired. Should officials want to prevent rampant misinformation spreading they require open investigations which can be publicly verified. Securing a crime scene for appropriate durations to allow multiple investigating official groups access to untainted evidence is quite important. We can observe the past loss of crime scene control, such as in the Kennedy cases, allows varying potential witnesses to leave without statements. It further allows officials, members of the press, and the public to alter and taint the crime scene and prevent viable later investigations. Nevertheless, old habits are hard to break, and officials have already made prodigious errors seeking to shut down public questions and deem such cases within their ability to control. However, one notable question has drawn the attention of some in the United States legislature to the recent attack in Pennsylvania.

Thomas Crooks Attacked TRUMP and Others in Pennslyvania

A preliminary United States congressional report on the event in Butler notes the Federal Bureau of Investigation “released the crime scene after just 3 days”. Several local official reactions spanned from “surprise to dismay to suspicion” after this action in light of the Bureau’s awareness that Congressional investigations had already been announced. The report offers “FBI does not exist in a vacuum. They had to know...releasing the J13 crime scene would injure the immediate observations of any following investigation.”iii While the Bureau might claim they had done all necessary review, it is not within their power to make final determinations as merely one of multiple investigating groups. According to a Department of Justice crime scene procedure guide the average duration for processing should take hours to a few days. However, cases of significant historical importance may require longer periods of evidence preservation beyond the average parameters. Why the FBI rapidly processed the evidence and scrubbed the scene without concern for additional investigators is worth questioning. Especially due to past verifiable attempts by the same agency to conceal evidence in similar circumstances. They might have simply been seeking to protect the now shattered image of the Secret Service but federal officials have only provided skeptics a new reason to doubt them. The Bureau disrupted continued investigations and this logically further reduces the public’s trust in the Department of Justice.

RYAN ROUTH Was Captured After Targeting TRUMP in Florida

Another matter officials cannot explain is how Ryan Wesley Routh, the second Trump attacker, had significant prior knowledge of his target’s location before his apprehension. Acting Secret Service director Ronald Rowe Jr. stated the West Palm Beach golfing trip was not originally part of Trump’s private schedule.iv The public did not have access to any of that information. Some might say a truly lucky guess, so let us explore that idea. Routh reportedly lived in Hawaii and would travel many states away to undertake his attempt.v Trump participated in a debate September 10, 2024 located in Philadelphia and in the following days could have visited any of his dozen golf courses nationwide.

What means did Routh use to determine which of three possible golf courses in Florida was his target’s final destination? How could the attempted shooter anticipate the exact twelve hour window in which to setup a sniper’s nest one hundred feet from the sixth hole and wait for his victim to appear? A notebook of Trump’s publicly announced locations was discovered in Routh’s possessions but it was limited to only public appearances. Events just days following the attempt were scheduled in New York and North Carolina, Routh’s former home state, and exactly anticipating Trump’s off the record schedule would be nearly impossible with no assistance. Ronald Rowe later stated “that at this point in the investigation there is no information on if or how Routh knew Trump was going to be at the golf course.”vi

Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr. Could not Explain Ryan Routh’s Presence in Florida

Nevertheless, how did Ryan Routh also evade detection for nearly half a day to position himself in the very area prior noted by Secret Service to be a security issue at such resorts? The attempted shooter further packed food and this infers he realized an extended duration would be required to for a chance to fire.vii He setup a concealed position just outside the golf course fence close to his target and escape vehicle. A Secret Service agent that fired, a single reporting FBI official, and one local eyewitness spotted him in flight but it appears no camera, person, or passerby spotted Routh until that point. This oversight might be explained by the Secret Service’s failure to do “a full security sweep of the course because it was an impromptu visit”. Apparently, with a prior attempt just months ago, they decided less security measures were needed. This may be due to some within the Secret Service not understanding less information about last minute arrangements is not desirable. The opposite is true, less preparation requires more diligence at the location to prevent security lapses as this entire matter would attest.

Federal prosecutors have requested an indefinite delay before trying Routh because of the “massive amount of evidence they have gathered” including hundreds of witnesses and seized multiple electronic devices with thousands of videos.viii Yet the answer to the previously offered question is potentially not within that mountain of evidence. How many people knew where Donald Trump was at that precise duration of time and might impart that knowledge to others? This does not prove nefarious intentions but the information could have been accidentally leaked with the same results. After the series of verifiable failures by multiple government agencies related to these events, another enormous mistake is wholly possible. Officials have no current explanation. Anything is possible, but not just anything is probable. If the public cannot know Trump’s location and Routh acted merely of his own ideas without aid from others, what explains his extensive foreknowledge? It is a question that could become intractable due to yet unknown facts and might have dire security implications if left unanswered.
Sincerely,
C.A.A. Savastano

References
i. Miller, Vem, October 12, 2024, Case No. C24860022, Charges 25850 (A), 32310 (A), Riverside Sheriffs Office Jail Management System, jimspub.riversidesherriff.org
ii. Anna Kutz, October 15, 2024, Trump rally arrest: Vem Miller says it’s ‘false allegations’, News Nation, newsnation.com
iii. United States House of Representatives, August 12, 2024, Preliminary Report of Congressman Clay Higgins, House Bi-Partisan Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Former President Donald Trump, clayhiggins.house.gov
iv. Five unanswered questions about the apparent assassination attempt on Donald Trump, September 17, 2024, Sky News, news.sky
v. Greg Allen, Prosecutors say suspect in Trump shooting attempt wrote a letter detailing his plans, September 23, 2024, NPR, npr.org
vi. Kaitlin Lewis, September 16, 2024, Donald Trump’s ‘Off -the-Record’ Golf Trip Explained by Secret Service, Newsweek, newsweek.com
vii. Chris Williams, September 24, 2024, Ryan Wesley Routh charged with assassination attempt of Trump, Fox News, livenowfox.com
viii. Alexander Mallin, October 3, 2024, Prosecutors request indefinite delay in trial for Trump assassination attempt suspect Ryan Routh, ABC News, abc7.com

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