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Danny Trejo says he was provoked into a brawling during the Fourth of July incident ... and insists race played a significant role in why he and his friend were targeted.

TMZ caught up with the actor and his banged-up buddy ... and Trejo's saying he believes they got targeted at the Sunland-Tujunga parade 'cause they're Mexican -- especially since no one else was singled out and hit by water balloons.

Previous video we shared of the brawl showed Danny throwing the first punch -- but the actor tells us he was just reacting to a guy who grabbed him first. Plus, he adds someone mentioned it was acid, not water thrown at him ... which made him jump out of the car fast.

Kamala Harris is currently the top choice among fellow democrats to replace Joe Biden at the head of the ticket if he bows out of the presidential race -- and there's been a recent shift within the party to try to make that happen -- yet Donald Trump couldn't be happier with that possible scenario, TMZ has learned.

Former Democratic Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan tells TMZ ... the American people are realizing it's not realistic to move forward with President Biden after the commander-in-chief's disastrous June 27 debate against Trump -- his Republican rival. Instead, many dems are beginning to recognize that Kamala is their path forward.

"She is the only candidate [because] she is VP and on the ticket with him that will inherit his war chest and campaign infrastructure," according to Ryan, who lost reelection to J.D. Vance in 2020 after more than 20 years in office.

Prince William was having a wheel-y good time ... casually zooming into Windsor Castle on an electric scooter -- a clip that's amusing everyone online!

Check out the TikTok vid -- no royal carriages or chauffeurs for the Duke of Cambridge in sight. Instead, he's seen zipping around the estate on an electric scooter, picking up speed as he cruises downhill.

His blue sweater and white shirt are probably not the typical scooter attire ... but he's rolling around like it's a joyride fit for royalty, so no issues there!

Sad news is coming out of the YouTube community ... Pretty Pastel Please, an Australian content creator known for her fashion hauls and travel videos, has died.

The news was shared on her IG page on Friday, July 5 ... revealing the online star, whose real name was Alexandra, died in June. Although the cause of her death wasn't disclosed, her loss was described as "sudden, unexpected, and devastating to all who knew her."

The statement, accompanied by a pic of Alex holding her pet bird with "In Memoriam" written above, requested privacy for all who knew her to navigate their grief.

The caption read: "We would ask that you respect their wishes — they appreciate all of your support but need time to heal in private. A memorial will be posted on YouTube and here on Instagram in due course. Thank you for understanding in this difficult time."

Alex had accumulated over 690,000 YouTube subscribers since she uploaded her first video in Dec 2017. She had recently joined Twitch as well, sharing her last live stream there on June 25.

Some of Alex's popular content included eating only 7-Eleven food in Japan for a week, which garnered over 4M views. She also had a popular video where her bird "whispered" into her microphone for 5 mins straight.

She had also opened up about deeply personal matters -- back in July 2023, she discussed her divorce from her husband Dan. The year before, she spoke out about dealing with trolls.

Alex was 30

An Arizona cop got an unexpected surprise when he pulled over a sleek white Jaguar SUV ... only to discover there was no one behind the wheel.

Check out the clip ... After chasing down a white Jaguar SUV for driving into oncoming traffic and running a red light, an Arizona cop walked up to the car, ready for anything -- except finding he had nabbed a driverless Waymo taxi.

ICYDK, Waymo -- run by Google’s parent company Alphabet Inc. -- is designed to pull over when it detects emergency lights and sirens, but looks like this one seriously "freaked out" -- well, that's according to the dispatch notes.

Donald Trump just upped the ante for Joe Biden in their 2024 race for the presidency – challenging the current commander-in-chief to another, less restrictive debate to test their competence.

Trump - the presumptive Republican presidential nominee – posted a long screed on his Truth Social platform, throwing down the gauntlet for a "no holds barred" debate with Biden – his Democratic rival.

The former U.S. president opened by asking Biden to debate him onstage alone so they could talk about the future of the country.

Michael Rubin's annual Fourth of July bash was the place to be Thursday as a bevy of A-listers showed up at the business mogul's beachside Hamptons estate for some fun in the sun.

Rubin -- the owner of the sports apparel company "Fanatics" -- hosted a jaw-dropping celebrity guest list, which included Kim Kardashian, Tom Brady, Drake, Jake Paul, Travis Scott, Meek Mill, James Harden, Kevin Durant, Winnie Harlow, Wiz Khalifa, Robert Kraft and many more.

Of course, all of the stars were dressed in white -- which is customary for Rubin's yearly shindig. Check out the photos of everyone in their fancy get-ups... Kim K stood out in her skimpy top while baring a lot of back skin.

Justin Timberlake isn't letting his drunk driving arrest get in the way of his business aspirations ... He's reportedly opening a new saloon in Scotland with Tiger Woods!

According to Billboard ... Justin and Tiger – who's also had a past DUI arrest – are partnering to turn the New Picture House Cinema into a T-Squared Social sports bar in the historic Scottish town of St. Andrews.

The singer/actor and the golf great first opened T-Squared in New York City – and it was so popular the pair decided to expand the operation overseas to Scotland.

In a terrifying scene like something right out of the film "Jaws" ... multiple people were injured when a shark attacked on July 4th at South Padre Island, TX.

Police were called for an attack on a man who was severely bitten just before noon Thursday ... but in a later statement from Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept., they reported two people were bitten and two more had encountered the shark but were not seriously injured.

While the injured man was initially treated at the beach by firefighters and police ... officials say one of the bite victims was taken to a local hospital, while the other was flown out for further treatment.

Several spectators were hospitalized after stray fireworks launched into the crowd Thursday at the Provo, UT "Stadium of Fire" July 4th show.

The spectacle took place at LaVell Edwards Stadium ... and as several fireworks were blasted for a military flyover during the flag ceremony, some of the rockets were sent flying into the audience in the stands.

Witnesses claim at least five mortars shot directly into the audience ... with one witness seeing a person get hit directly in the face by one of the sidetracked blasts.

Taylor Swift has debuted a new look in her ever-evolving 'Eras' tour ... but Swifties seem torn over the outfit's significance.

The singer hit the stage at the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam, Netherlands Thursday evening, and appeared to debut a new outfit for her '1989' era.

Check it out ... Swifties couldn't get enough of Taylor as she performed her hit, "Style," in a sparkling blue crop top and red-orange skirt. Many fans were quick to point out that this is a combo she's yet to wear ... as she's recently switched up the looks for this particular segment of her record-breaking tour.

Danny Trejo's Fourth of July brawl was crazier than we originally thought – as TMZ obtained new video, showing the actor throwing the first punch – and a chair -- after getting provoked.

As we reported Thursday, Danny got into a heated battle with some locals at the Sunland-Tujunga, California parade to celebrate America's Independence Day.

But, check out this fresh footage ... which brings the entire incident into focus and shines a bright light on what triggered Danny. It opens with Danny sitting shotgun in a convertible when someone on the street pelts him with a water balloon.

Furious, Danny jumped out of the car and stomped up to a group of people in tents on a sidewalk, zeroing in on the suspected culprit. Suddenly, Danny punched the individual, causing water to splash everywhere and a melee to ensue.

During the fracas, Danny was knocked down, but he got right back up and grabbed a chair, tossing it into the mob. The fight eventually broke up as Danny retreated into the street with some friends.

But then, someone threw another water balloon at Danny, showering his head with H2O. Danny's posse held him back so he wouldn't start throwing left hooks again.

Meanwhile, cops were called to the scene and dispersed the crowd without arresting anyone.

That was good news for Danny, who announced some bad news last week when he posted on Instagram that his beloved chihuahua, Dixie, had died.

Kendrick Lamar rang in the 4th of July by dropping his new music video for his ever-popular Drake diss track "Not Like Us."

The video starts out with a cameo from Tommy the Clown, and Tommy's krumping dancers are featured throughout the flick.

The vid is also heavy with owl imagery, a clear nod to the OVO emblem of Drake's lifestyle brand ... with Kendrick sporting a live one on his arm at one point, a caged owl, and Lamar taking whacks at a giant piñata shaped like the hooter ... while “no OVHoes were harmed during the making of this video" flashed on the screen.

Comedian Tony Knight died following a freak accident ... when a large tree branch fell on top of him and several others at a festival in France.

Knight died in June while attending the "Rock'&'Cars" festival in Lavaur, France, a family member told Fox News Digital.

The family member says, “He was fit, healthy, happy and had everything going for him. He was charismatic, funny, passionate and so very loved by [his partner] Hayley, his family and his friends all over the world.”

Elisa Jordana's putting her legal troubles behind her ... copping a plea in her battery case... but officials will take a look at her mental health as part of the deal.

The former 'Howard Stern Show' star took a plea deal back in May ... receiving 12 months probation, 45 hours of community service, anger management courses and a small fine.

The judge also ordered Jordana to undergo a mental health evaluation and receive any treatment the evaluator recommends.

Late Crazy Town frontman Shifty Shellshock was sober and happy a few months before his accidental drug overdose ... and seemed committed to staying on the wagon.

TMZ obtained footage from one of Shifty's final interviews before his sudden death, and he was talking sobriety with Mayra Dias Gomes.

The singer -- real name Seth Binzer -- was an invited guest at a Rock to Recovery benefit concert last August at the Fonda Theater in Hollywood, but he made a rare public appearance.