2024 Presidential Election

President Biden's lighting up the Internet with his fiery birthday cake poking fun at his age -- but that won't get him over the electoral hump with the young'ns ... so says a seasoned journo.

Technology reporter Taylor Lorenz -- who covers all things digital for the Washington Post -- weighed in on Joe getting a little cheeky this week to celebrate his 81st birthday ... with a jokey post that ended up fueling endless memes online.

Everybody, it seems, made cracks ... some were light-hearted, others were a little more serious -- but according to Taylor, none of it really helps the Prez in the long run for 2024.

As she put it on Tuesday's "TMZ Live," Biden and his staff are missing the mark on how to connect with Gen Z -- mistakenly thinking that viral content and memes alone will be enough to get a full base of potential voters to pull the lever for him come next November.

Lorenz says that's not gonna do it, unfortunately -- and that Joe needs to connect with young people on a more fundamental, serious level ... through policy that helps their lives.

There are a number of issues she thinks JB's out of touch with when it comes to this specific demographic -- everything from the economy to housing and healthcare ... and even the war between Israel and Hamas. On that topic, too, she says Joe's not reflecting their view.

Of course, there are also the Biden stumbles and fumbles that happen all too often -- including recently mixing up Britney Spears and Taylor Swift -- that Lorenz says aren't serving him well.

Bottom line ... TL thinks Joe's gotta sharpen up and engage 20-somethings with substance, if he wants to rely on their support at the polls ... 'cause right now, the gimmicks aren't cutting it.

El presidente Biden está encendiendo Internet con su ardiente pastel de cumpleaños en el que se burla de su edad, pero eso no lo hará superar el obstáculo electoral con los jóvenes... al menos eso dice una periodista experimentada.

La reportera de tecnología Taylor Lorenz  —que cubre todo lo relacionado con temas digitales para el Washington Post— se refirió a la celebración del cumpleaños número 81 del presidente, la cual generó una ola de memes.

Todo el mundo tuvo algo que decir, algunos comentarios fueron alegres, otros eran un poco más graves —pero de acuerdo con Taylor— nada de eso realmente ayudará a largo plazo para las elecciones de 2024.

Como ella dijo el martes en "TMZ Live", Biden y su equipo están perdiéndose al momento de conectar con la Generación Z, pensando erróneamente que el contenido viral y los memes por sí solos serán suficiente para obtener una base completa de votantes potenciales para el próximo noviembre.

Lorenz dice que eso no va a funcionar, por desgracia, y que Joe tiene que conectar con los jóvenes en un nivel más serio, a través de la política y de como esta ayudará en sus vidas.

En su opinión, Biden no está en contacto con ese sector de la población: desde la economía hasta la vivienda y la sanidad, pasando por la guerra entre Israel y Hamás. En ese tema, ella dice que Joe no refleja su punto de vista.

Por supuesto, también están los tropiezos y torpezas de Biden que ocurren con demasiada frecuencia  —incluyendo la reciente confusión de Britney Spears y Taylor Swift— que Lorenz dice que no le están sirviendo bien.

En resumen, Taylor cree que Joe tiene que afilar y comprometerse con los veinteañeros con sustancia si quiere contar con su apoyo en las urnas, porque en este momento, los trucos no están funcionando.

Dwayne Johnson is changing his tune after endorsing President Biden's 2020 campaign -- instead, he's now distancing himself from POTUS in a very public way ... on Joe Rogan's super popular podcast.

The Rock and Rogan were bemoaning the fact most Americans pick their friends based on political affiliation, these days -- but the actor said he doesn't discriminate, and has Trump-lovin' pals and friends who support Biden.

But when Joe asked him if he really does have Biden-backing friends, Dwayne clarified he meant he had buddies loyal to the Democratic party. Basically, he's no longer aligning himself with Joe's leadership!

Dwayne has clearly been making quite the impact in politics ... recently divulging on Trevor Noah's Spotify podcast that last year he was approached by several political parties to see if he would run for President. That's following a 2021 poll revealing 46% of Americans would vote for him.

While he said those numbers make him confident that if he were to go down that road, he could be a real contender -- however, he added there's a lot about politics he "hates," and right now he just wants to spend time with his kids.

Dwayne did say he'd reconsider running in the future -- and Wednesday in D.C. he looked every bit like a politician.

He spent the day meeting with several Senators, on both sides of the aisle ... including Chuck Schumer, Jon Tester, Lindsey Graham and Susan Collins.

Dwayne Johnson está cambiando su tono después de apoyar la campaña del Presidente Biden en 2020. Ahora, en cambio, se está distanciando del mandatario de una manera muy pública en el popular podcast de Joe Rogan.

La Roca y Rogan se estaban lamentando de que la mayoría de los estadounidenses elige a sus amigos en función de su afiliación política por estos días. Aunque el actor dijo que no discrimina y que tiene amigos que aman a Trump y que apoyan a Biden.

Sin embargo, cuando Joe Regan le preguntó si realmente tenía amigos que apoyen a Biden, Dwayne aclaró que más bien tiene amigos leales al partido demócrata. Básicamente, ¡ya no se alinea con el liderazgo de Joe!

Está claro que Dwayne ha estado causando un gran impacto en la política. Recientemente, divulgó en el podcast de Trevor Noah, disponible en Spotify, que el año pasado varios partidos políticos se pusieron en contacto con él para ver si se presentaría a las elecciones presidenciales. Esto se produjo después de que una encuesta de 2021 revelara que el 46% de los estadounidenses votaría por él.

Aunque dijo que esos números le hacen confiar que podría ser un verdadero contendor si fuera por ese camino, agregó que hay muchas cosas que "odia" de la política, y en este momento solo quiere pasar tiempo con sus hijos.

No obstante, dijo que reconsideraría postularse en el futuro, y el miércoles en Washington ya parecía todo un político.

El presidente Joe Biden parece estar preparando al gobernador Gavin Newsom para una carrera a la Casa Blanca. Esto es, si sus palabras sobre el gobernador de California son una señal, y vaya que podrían serlo.

Joe Biden estuvo en San Francisco el miércoles por la noche para la Conferencia de Cooperación Económica Asia-Pacífico (APEC), que está siendo organizada por California y que tuvo como invitado de honor al presidente chino, Xi Jinping, que está en la ciudad para hablar de la relación de su país con Estados Unidos., etc.

Mientras Joe estaba en el escenario saludó explícitamente al Gobernador con algunas halagadoras palabras, por lo que mucha gente piensa que lo podría ver como un posible sucesor.

Echa un vistazo, Biden le dijo a Newsom ha estado haciendo un gran trabajo con el Golden State y luego agregó: "De hecho, él puede ser lo que quiera. Puede tener el trabajo que estoy buscando".

Por supuesto, da la impresión de que Biden parece estar refiriéndose a la presidencia en sí, puesto al que actualmente se está postulando en una próxima reelección. Joe no ha dicho que quiere retirarse de la carrera para 2024, por lo que, presumiblemente, está diciendo que Newsom está preparado para presentarse en un futuro próximo.

Sabemos que el gobernador Newsom es ambicioso y ha habido toneladas de rumores en el Partido Demócrata de que tiene aspiraciones presidenciales, por lo que la confirmación de Joe es bastante reveladora.

Por cierto, la pequeña reunión en la que estuvieron ayer terminó siendo muy entretenida, porque hasta la misma Gwen Stefani estuvo presente para darle una serenata a la multitud. Cantó un par de canciones e incluso le dio un abrazo al presidente delante de todos.

President Joe Biden seems to be setting up Gov. Gavin Newsom for a White House run -- that is, if his words here about the CA chief are any indication .. and they sure might be.

JB was in San Francisco Wednesday night for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Conference, which is being hosted by Cali ... and featuring the guest of honor in Chinese President Xi Jinping, who's in town to talk about his country's relationship with the U.S., etc.

While Joe was onstage ... he explicitly shouted out the Gov. with some flattering words -- and based on what he said, a lot of people think he sees him as a would-be successor.

Check it out ... 46 says Newsom's been doing a helluva job for the Golden State, and then added -- "Matter of fact, he can be anything he wants. He can have the job I'm looking for."

Of course, what Biden seems to be referring to here is the presidency itself ... for which he's currently running as he seeks reelection. Joe hasn't signaled he's bowing out for 2024 -- so, presumably, what he means here is that Newsom is primed to run in the near future.

We know Gov. Newsom's ambitious and there's been tons of rumblings in the Democratic Party that he has presidential aspirations -- so Joe confirming that is pretty telling.

BTW, this little get-together they were at yesterday ended up being high-level entertainment ... 'cause Gwen Stefani stopped by to serenade the crowd -- belting out a couple songs and even giving the Prez a hug in front of everyone.

Donald Trump no se olvida de uno de sus primeros partidarios, Lil Pump, quien estuvo presente en el mitin de Florida del ex comandante el miércoles por la noche, y el rapero "Gucci Gang" recibió algunos elogios públicos.

Trump lo señaló entre una multitud de unos 5.200 asistentes, quienes llegaron hasta el suburbio de Hialeah en Miami, según los informes. Tras el reconocimiento, Pump se puso de pie, recogió sus flores y mostró su orgullo de pies a cabeza!!!

Vuelvan sus calendarios tres años atrás, en 2020, cuando Pump fue extremadamente apasionado en su intento por conseguir que Trump fuera reelegido. Esto, a pesar de no ser un votante registrado.

Para Pump, la influencia es lo que cuenta en el largo plazo. Él es un fan de la persona rebelde de #45, al igual que Kodak Black y Waka Flocka.

Donald Trump doesn't forget his day 1 supporters -- Lil Pump was in attendance at the former commander-in-chief's Florida rally Wednesday night, and the "Gucci Gang" rapper got some public praise.

Trump singled him out in the crowd of 5,200 reportedly in attendance in the Miami suburb of Hialeah ... prompting Pump to stand up, collect his flowers and show off his fit ... head-to-toe MAGA!!!

Flip the calendars back 3 years to 2020 and Pump was extremely vocal in attempting to get Trump reelected ... despite not being a registered voter himself.

For Pump, it's the influence that counts in the long run. He's a fan of #45's rebellious persona -- as are Kodak Black and Waka Flocka.

Más fuegos artificiales entre Vivek y Nikki, esto después de que Vivek atacara a su familia sobre el modo en que usan TikTok, lo que provocó que ella le dijera que mantuviera los nombres de sus hijas alejados de su boca.

Las palabras de Will Smith siguen vivas....

Vivek Ramaswamy salió golpeando en el tercer debate republicano de esta semana, pero no fue tanto a sus rivales políticos sino a los moderadores.

El candidato del Partido Republicano, amigo de la polarización, fue a la ofensiva este miércoles en Miami, después de que uno de los moderadores de la NBC, Lester Holt, le preguntara por qué pensaba que debería ser el candidato republicano en lugar de Donald Trump, el que sigue liderando la carrera por mucho.

En lugar de responder la pregunta directamente, el candidato empezó a despotricar en contra del partido en general, después de algunas duras pérdidas en las elecciones nacionales del martes, y calificó al Partido Republicano de "perdedores."

Culpó a su presidenta, Ronna McDaniel por eso y luego se centró en Lester, Hugh Hewitt y Kristen Welker, todos quienes estaban moderando. Les dijo que no merecían estar moderando esto el encuentro y que Tucker Carlson, Joe Rogan y Elon Musk sí.

Yendo a los que nos importa, Vivek ha estado muy cercano a Tucker últimamente y parece ser un fan de Joe Rogan y Elon Musk. Lester terminó cortando la brevísima intervención de Vivek, que quedó claro que fue solo incendiaria.

Finalmente, Vivek fue tras los otros candidatos, incluyendo un golpe a Nikki Haley, a quien caracterizó como un neo-con Dick Cheney-esque en "tacones de 3 pulgadas".

Golpe bajo, sin duda.

6:08 PM PT -- More fireworks between Vivek Ramaswamy and Nikki Haley ... this after he attacked her family over their use of TikTok, which spurred her to tell him to keep her daughters' names out of his mouth.

Will Smith's words live on ...

Vivek Ramaswamy came out swinging at the third Republican debate this week -- but it wasn't so much at his political rivals ... instead, he took aim at the moderators.

The polarizing GOP candidate went on the offensive right out the gate Wednesday in Miami ... this after one of the NBC moderators, Lester Holt, asked why he thought he should be the Republican nominee instead of Donald Trump ... who's still leading the pack by a lot.

Instead of answering the question directly, VR went on a rant bashing the party at large -- this after some tough losses in national elections Tuesday -- and called the GOP "losers."

He blamed the GOP Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel for that, but then turned his focus on Lester, Hugh Hewitt and Kristen Welker -- all of whom were moderating ... saying they didn't deserve to be moderating this ... and that Tucker Carlson, Joe Rogan and Elon Musk did.

FWIW ... Vivek's done a lot of sit-downs with Tucker lately -- and he seems to be a fan of JR and EM, too. Lester ended up cutting him short once it became clear he was just bashing.

Vivek did eventually go after the other candidates, though ... including a shot at Nikki Haley -- whom he characterized as a Dick Cheney-esque neo-con in "3-inch heels." Low blow, indeed.

Senator Mitch McConnell froze yet again mid-sentence while addressing the media -- marking a second frightening episode like this that he's suffered in public.

The Kentucky legislator was talking to reporters Wednesday in Covington, KY, addressing a Chamber of Commerce matter and seemingly doing fine ... that is, until he wasn't. When a reporter asked him about running for reelection, he took a long pause.

Much like he did a month ago on Capitol Hill ... Sen. McConnell just stood there quietly, and appeared to zone out. Eventually, one of his aides stepped in and asked if he heard the question ... but he didn't even respond to her, only staring out into space and remaining frozen.

The aide asked the media for a moment of privacy, and that's where the video cuts out.

Obviously, this is deja vu -- and many suspect he might have experienced a medical episode ... although, the first incident was never officially described as such by his team. Now, there are almost certainly going to be even more questions and scrutiny over his health.

Remember, Sen. McConnell also suffered a nasty fall earlier this year that saw him hospitalized for a time. At the moment, he's the top-ranking Republican in the Senate.

Eminem is not a fan of Vivek Ramaswamy rapping one of his biggest hits on the campaign trail -- he wants the Republican presidential candidate to lose his music.

The "Lose Yourself" rapper made his feelings known to music licenser BMI after Vivek went viral for rapping some of Em's Oscar-winning track on stage at the Iowa State Fair earlier this month.

In the letter, Marshall Mathers asks BMI to yank his songs from their agreement to stop Vivek from using his tracks.

As a result, BMI fired off a cease and desist letter to Vivek's campaign lawyer last week ... telling them Eminem's objecting to the use of his songs.

Translation: Go ahead and lose yourself, just not in MY music!!!

In the letter, first obtained by Daily Mail, BMI threatens legal consequences should Vivek's campaign keep Eminem's songs in its rotation.

Vivek's fresh off a well-received performance at the first GOP presidential debate and is currently in the middle of a media blitz, including a stop on "TMZ Live," but Eminem's not feeling his vibe.

Vivek Ramaswamy is calling for peaceful protests if Donald Trump is tried and convicted in any of his 4 criminal cases because he says he firmly believes violence is not the answer.

The 2024 Republican Presidential candidate joined us Monday on "TMZ Live" and we asked if he would publicly discourage and denounce violent protests in the wake of a potential Trump loss in court -- a scenario lots of folks fear could happen.

Vivek, who emerged victorious in the first GOP debate, says peaceful demonstrations and self-expression are a core part of American life ... but he says he's dead set against violence in this country.

That's in line with his publicly stated view of the Jan. 6 insurrection.

The businessman-turned-politician says Trump's actions that fateful day were a "very bad decision," but he's not sure it rises to the level of a crime. That might seem like a backpedal from him ripping Trump's Jan. 6 behavior as "abhorrent" in his book, "Woke, Inc." ... but Ramaswamy says both statements can be true.

Vivek's also called Trump the best president in the 21st century, and yet, he told us would not be Trump's vice president ... if Trump wins the GOP nomination instead of him.

The conversation also features Vivek's thoughts, or lack thereof, on the strikes in Hollywood ... which he says don't have much of an impact on Americans by and large, so he hasn't given the issue much thought.

Vivek also touches on racism, white supremacy and discrimination ... and there's a pretty healthy debate.

Donald Trump's now infamous mug shot was not the only hot topic burning up the Internet Thursday ... there was a HUGE debate over 45's physical attributes on his booking form.

As everyone already knows, the ex-POTUS surrendered to authorities at the Fulton County Jail last night after he was criminally indicted for allegedly trying to subvert the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.

DT posed for his scowling mug shot, which was then beamed around the world. Then something else caught the public's eye ... on his booking sheet, Trump's hair was described as "Blond or Strawberry," and his height and weight were listed as 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds.

Many people -- mostly on the left -- weren't buying DT's physical description and took to "X," the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, to weigh in on the matter.

Film Director Rob Reiner wrote, "215 pounds. No f**king way!"

Democratic strategist Sawyer Hackett insisted, "There is ZERO chance Trump is 6'3 and 215 pounds."

NFL reporter Scott Kacsmar posted a side-by-side photo comparison of chubby Trump and muscled football star Larry Fitzgerald, each with nearly the same physical characteristics. The caption read, "LIKE HELL."

ABC News noted Trump's height and weight were pre-reported to the jail to speed up the booking process ... giving skeptics even more ammo to think the numbers don't add up.

Donald Trump's now the first former U.S. President to get his mug shot taken ... as he's been booked for the 13 counts he's facing in Georgia for allegedly interfering in 2020 election results in that state.

Trump had a defiant look on his face, with his chin down for the historic photo.

The former prez surrendered Thursday evening at Fulton County Jail, where he was processed like any other alleged criminal -- fingerprints, mug shot -- and then promptly released after posting a $200k bond.

The whole process took less than 20 minutes, and according to Trump's booking info ... he stands 6'3" and is currently tipping the scales at 215 lbs. 🤔

He drew quite the spectacle -- TV cameras followed his motorcade from helicopters in the air and vehicles training on the ground as he made his way to and from his private jet at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

Before taking off, Trump briefly spoke to reporters on the tarmac and derided not just the indictment, but the fact he had to go through the whole booking process. Although he's facing several other criminal cases, this is the first time he's been forced to take a mug shot.

Trump stands accused of engaging in organized crime activity for the purpose of overturning the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia.

The indictment also charged 18 alleged co-conspirators -- including Rudy Giuliani and Trump's former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows -- both of whom have already surrendered and had their mug shots taken.

Trump's surrender comes about 24 hours after the first debate for GOP presidential candidates, which Trump did not attend.

As we reported ... a Fulton County grand jury indicted Trump on 13 counts earlier this month, including RICO (Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organization) charges.

In addition to the Georgia case, Trump has 3 other criminal cases currently pending -- one in New York state for an alleged hush money payment to Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election, a federal case tied to his classified documents scandal after leaving office, and another federal case pertaining to his alleged efforts to undermine the 2020 election with his actions on, before and after Jan. 6.

Cheryl Hines fears for her husband Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s safety while he's on the presidential campaign trail -- and she's imploring President Biden to make an exception and grant him Secret Service protection right away.

The actress and comedian was at LAX Thursday when she was asked about campaign safety because RFK Jr. is a Democratic candidate for president ... and, of course, due to his family's tragic history.

Cheryl says "great measures" are being taken to protect Kennedy, but says what they really wanted is the Secret Service -- but she points out RFK Jr.'s request has already been denied ... which she finds very odd.

As you know, Robert was only 9 years old when his uncle, former President John F. Kennedy, was assassinated in 1963, and 5 years later, his father, Robert F. Kennedy, was shot and killed in L.A. while running for president.

Cheryl says she knows it's unusual for candidates to be assigned a Secret Service detail so early in the campaign, but says if ever there were a need for an exception ... RFK Jr. would be it, and she's asking Biden to reconsider their request.