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Alec Baldwin says he never pulled the trigger on the gun that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and followed her instructions to point the gun at her, not knowing there was live ammunition in the chamber.

Baldwin says he pointed the gun at her as directed ... cocked it and let go of the hammer and that's when the gun went off. He says he never touched the trigger. Assistant Director Dave Halls backed Baldwin up and says Baldwin never had his finger on the trigger.

Baldwin says the only issue for him is how live ammunition got into the chamber of the gun. He says he was told it was an "empty gun" -- meaning only dummy bullets.

When the gun fired and Halyna fell to the ground, Baldwin says he didn't know for 45 minutes to an hour she was hit by a live round. He thought maybe Halyna got hit by wadding typically found in blanks.

Baldwin felt people waited too long to get her to a hospital. A helicopter finally came and took her to a hospital.

The Sheriff eventually told Baldwin Halyna had died. The photos of Baldwin outside on the phone are when he called his wife to tell her what happened.

Baldwin says George Clooney didn't help the situation by commenting that he always checked a gun that he handled on set. Baldwin was clearly annoyed at Clooney. He says he's always relied on the experts -- like the armorer -- on the set that a gun was safe to handle.

Baldwin does not believe the live ammo on the set was an act of sabotage ... something claimed by the lawyer for Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. He says this was an accident.

Baldwin says he hates that Reed and Halls have been villainized unfairly, he believes.

He also doesn't discount his brother Daniel -- who told TMZ he believed Baldwin was targeted for his political beliefs. He mentions Donald Trump, who went after Baldwin.

Baldwin said he was not a nuts-and-bolts producer who made hiring decisions ... rather, he says he was a "creative producer" -- meaning his role was more about content. This is significant ... given the allegations, Reed was way too inexperienced to be an armorer and Halls had safety issues on previous sets.

He says he was never told by the crew they had safety concerns ... he says the complaints were along the lines of grousing they wanted better hotels.

It sure sounds like Donald Trump is gearing up for another run at the White House ... 'cause he pretty much announced it while campaigning for his longtime friend Herschel Walker on Wednesday.

#45 was front and center at the former football star and Senate hopeful's event at Mar-a-Lago ... and after Walker introduced him as the "greatest president to ever, ever hold office," Trump gave a room full of supporters music to their ears.

"I say I ran twice," Trump said. "We won the first time, we won the second time by much more, we did much better the second time. And, I think you'll be very happy with what we're gonna say about the third time."

The crowd ate it up ... with some even yelling, "We miss you, Donald" and "You gotta run again."

Of course, Walker has been tight with Trump since the United States Football League days -- he even landed a spot on the President's Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition during Donald's first term, a role he still holds under the Biden administration.

Now that Walker is running to become the Republican nomination in the 2022 Senate race, it was time for Trump to back his guy.

"He's a man of tremendous integrity," Trump said ... mentioning Walker knows what it's like to be on a "winning team."

Donald Trump Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle (with the Secret Service nearby) were also in attendance for the event ... as well as ex-NFLers Mike and Maurkice Pouncey.

Trump even pulled out some of his go-to jabs during his speech ... calling out President Joe Biden and his handling of COVID-19.

T.I. and Isaac Hayes III might have helped to end Felicia Moore's shot at being Atlanta's next mayor by spreading fake news about her and strip clubs ... at least according to the candidate herself.

Moore, who just lost ATL's runoff race against Andre Dickens, tells TMZ ... T.I. and Hayes have been spreading "lies" about her and her proposed policies, which likely helped to tip the scales against her in the final days leading up to election day. Now, she's calling them out over it and thinks others should too.

The misinformation Moore thinks they spread is a made-up smear against her based on an article they screen-grabbed and reposted -- its headline read, "Woman Running for Atlanta Mayor Promises to CLOSE ALL STRIP CLUBS!!!"

Neither Tip nor Hayes -- son of late, great soul singer Isaac Hayes -- attached the OG source, but the story can be easily found with a search.

The article posted an out-of-context clip of Moore from years ago -- talking about special use permits for certain businesses -- which had nothing to do with strip clubs.

Instead, it was about recording studios -- Moore says she never mentioned strip clubs during the campaign, and thinks T.I. was well aware of that when he showcased the bogus headline. She says the rapper's been outspoken against her, so she sees this as just another attempt to make her look bad.

Alec Baldwin says he didn't pull the trigger on the gun that killed Halyna Hutchins, the first time we've heard him make the new claim, and leaving many more questions to be answered.

The actor is speaking out about the 'Rust' tragedy in his first sit-down interview, which will air Thursday on ABC. The network just released a teaser for what is to be discussed, and there's a lot to unpack -- including his claim that he didn't squeeze the trigger.

In a nearly 2 minute clip, you hear anchor George Stephanopoulos peppering Baldwin with questions -- and it sounds like he's asking everything that most everybody has wondered about this story ... and Alec seems to respond to much of it, oftentimes in emotional terms.

One question revolves around the alleged fact that Alec pulling the trigger during the rehearsal that day was not called for in the script ... at least according to people who've sued over this so far.

Immediately in response, Alec is heard saying ... "Well, the trigger wasn't pulled. I didn't pull the trigger." GS seems stunned, but AB insists he'd never point a gun at someone and fire. Of course, this would mean Baldwin is suggesting the gun misfired on its own.

There's not much clarity on what Alec means exactly -- but we suppose everyone will get the answer when this chat hits the airwaves tomorrow.

Cops at LAX are working a sad and gruesome case -- a dead dog was found there, and someone seems to have dumped the poor pup's lifeless body in a trash can ... TMZ has learned.

The horrific scene unfolded Tuesday afternoon when airport janitorial staff were alerted by a citizen who had discovered the animal's corpse in a bin -- and then the janitors alerted airport police.

We're told the dog -- apparently a French bulldog -- was stuffed inside a duffel-type bag that might have been the animal's carrier. Worth noting there was also a ripped luggage tag nearby.

Cops are trying to figure out what happened to the dog, and who placed it in the trash bin. Luckily, it's LAX and that means there are cameras almost everywhere -- we're told officers are checking all available surveillance footage.

Sadly, we've reported on way too many pets dying on airplanes -- usually in cargo holds, overhead bins or occasionally on the tarmac -- but this is the first time we've seen a dead dog turn up this way at an airport.

WWE boss Vince McMahon is opening up about a contentious 20-year-old HBO interview he did with Bob Costas ... saying if Costas were bigger, the two would have come to blows.

The revelation was made in Jim Miller's new book Tinderbox: HBO's Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers ... where both McMahon and Costas recalled the combative convo that apparently left a bitter taste in Vince's mouth even to this day.

During the 2001 interview, Costas drilled Vince with a wide range of questions on everything from the XFL's ratings to certain aspects of WWE that he found distasteful ... and, well, McMahon wasn't too thrilled about it.

“Once we were doing the interview, he kept interrupting me and interrupting me, and bringing up topics that had nothing to do with what we were supposed to be talking about,” McMahon said.

“He kept trying to do the ‘I gotcha’ kind of thing. It was clear he didn’t want to hear any of my answers."

The interview got so heated at one point, that McMahon actually sat up in his chair, told Costas to shut his mouth ... and accused the legendary sportscaster of not knowing what he was talking about.

“The other problem was that Bob is so freaking pompous. The entire time he acted like he was above me and was just using me to show how great he was," Vince said.

"I was sitting there really pissed off and started thinking, I wish he wasn’t 5-feet high and 140 pounds. If he was 6-5 and 295, he would deserve to get the s**t beat out of him. I could have really given them some great television.”

Speaking of great TV ... Costas admits he knew the two were having a memorable moment, but contends his questions were coming from a legitimate place and not a malicious one.

McMahon was so furious over it all that he stormed off after the interview ... slamming doors in the process, according to Costas.

The two would go on to have another interview a year later ... however, that encounter was far less memorable than the first one.

Pete Buttigieg insists he's not sure about getting back on the campaign trail -- possibly running for POTUS again in 2024 -- but he's not completely shutting the door either.

The former presidential hopeful, and current Sec. of Transportation, joined us Monday on "TMZ Live" and we asked him about the buzz around the Beltway about him making a second run for the White House.

Right now, Buttigieg says he's not feeling like there's anything inspiring him to run, because he's plenty busy trying to make an impact in his current job -- which includes allocating a good chunk of the $1 trillion infrastructure deal.

Pete made a push for the White House in 2020 before Joe Biden won the Democratic nomination and eventually the general election. While some people seem to think Mr. Secretary's gearing up for a second bite of the campaign trail, PB says he doesn't see any need for it. Not now, at least.

Aside from his political plate, Pete's also got his hands full being a parent with husband Chasten, and you can tell he loves being a dad to twins ... a boy and a girl.

The White House is fully decked out for Christmas ... and it goes way beyond the official tree.

The East and West Wings were adorned with Xmas trees, ornaments and various other holiday decorations.

Now, check this out ... there's a photo attached to one of the trees just like an ornament, featuring President Joe and Jill Biden. AND ... there's another pic of Biden's predecessor -- yes, Donald Trump -- on another tree.

The theme -- "Gifts from the heart" ... although the overriding theme seems to be "kindness" ... there are ribbons displaying that message in both Wings.

There was a gingerbread White House front and center in the State Dining Room ... kinda awesome.

As you may know ... The National Xmas Tree was lit last week ... a tree costing $139,000.

Jack Dorsey, the CEO and one of the founders of Twitter, is expected to step down from his role ... causing the company's stock to make a massive jump.

A report from CNBC says Dorsey -- who is both the CEO of Twitter and Square -- is expected to step down from his executive role with Twitter as early as Monday. After the news, the stock jumped 11%.

It was just last year when Elliott Management -- the Twitter stakeholder -- had wanted Dorsey to step down, under the belief it was hard for him to effectively run both Twitter and Square at the same time. Both had come to an agreement back then to keep Jack on, but clearly, they've now decided differently.

Twitter was founded in 2006 by Dorsey, Biz Stone, Noah Glass and Ev Williams. Dorsey first served as CEO until 2008 and then took back over in 2015. He founded Square -- a digital payment company -- in 2009 and will almost certainly keep his role there.

Of course, over the years, Dorsey made his fair share of celeb friends ... including Jay-Z. The two were spotted together in the Hamptons back in August.

Jack has also been vocal in the career of Ye as well, even suggesting how he should roll out his "DONDA" album.

SoFi Stadium seemed a little too easy to slip into ahead of a big BTS concert -- so much so that many felt COVID protocols were being broken ... even though the venue refutes that.

The Korean pop band performed Saturday at the arena in L.A., and as the gates opened for ticketholders ... some say they saw laxed screenings by security and other personnel, which they believe also meant vaccination cards weren't being checked or enforced.

Ditto for bags ... tons of people online, who presumably were there, claim nobody was taking a look at anyone's personal belongings.

There's some video evidence that appears to support that, at least on the surface. As you can see -- a steady stream of fans are trickling in past security checkpoints ... and there doesn't seem to be much stop-and-go movement, it's all just go.

Of course, this drew some criticism and concern -- as SoFi's policy for entry is that you either present proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test taken within recent days. Naturally, the Omicron variant is at the forefront of everyone's minds too.

On their end, SoFi tells TMZ ... "The safety of our guests, staff and the artist are always our number one priority, and we coordinated with law enforcement to temporarily streamline guest entry at last night's show. Tonight, we will have increased security and guest entry points and will begin vaccination verification even earlier in the entry process."

A group of thieves rushed a Home Depot in SoCal for what may lead to more looting and robberies -- making off with hammers and crowbars in what's becoming an alarming trend.

Cops say about 10 individuals hit up a HD in Lakewood, CA -- just outside of Long Beach -- Friday night ... going directly to the aisles that had large wrenches, crowbars and sledgehammers, as that appeared to be the only items they were interested in.

Somebody got video of the alleged suspects escaping through the front doors, pushing past people. One employee claims as many as 20 people ransacked the place, and were allegedly threatening to hit people with said stolen goods if they attempted to stop them.

While most got away ... the police say they've nabbed 4 people they believe were involved.

On the opposite side of town -- in ritzy Beverly Grove on Melrose -- a luxury retailer called Bottega Veneta was also raided by an unidentified group of people ... who allegedly stormed in, grabbed purses and other goods and then fled before cops could arrive.

These are just the latest of a string of smash-and-grab/flash mob-style robberies that have not only hit the Los Angeles area ... but elsewhere in California, and well beyond our state lines.

There have been reports of similar types of crimes happening in Illinois, Minnesota and other states -- and cops have gone on high alert to try and curb the brazen attacks on stores and businesses.

It's hard to tell to what extent this spree is, and among who -- although in some cases (like in Walnut Creek) it's quite obvious there's some coordination going on ... as many as 25 cars reportedly blocked off a street and lined up side by side as passengers exited and cleaned out a Nordstrom.

Of course, there's not much citizens -- let alone employees -- can do to stop this. Reports say anyone who's attempted to get in the way has risked getting attacked with pepper spray or being swung on ... and workers are usually told not to try and play Batman for this scenario.

Bad news -- possibly REALLY bad news -- there's a new COVID variant that has some countries in a panic ... a variant that may make the vaccine WAY less effective.

The new strain turned up in South Africa, but it's also been detected in Belgium, Botswana, Hong Kong and Israel. As everyone knows by now, this virus knows no boundaries, so it's become a concern worldwide.

Some scientists are saying the variant makes the vaccine 40% less effective, which is beyond alarming. The hope was the Delta variant would wane after the first few months of 2022 and the pandemic would be behind us, but this new strain poses a real threat.

A bunch of countries -- including Britain, Israel, Germany and Italy -- have banned flights from South Africa, but the U.S. is still allowing planes from that country to land here. The U.S. has still listed South Africa as "Level 1: Low Level of COVID-19."

Dr. Eric Feigle-Ding sounded the alarm in a tweet -- "My god—the new #B11259 variant being possibly ~500% more competitively infectious is the most staggering stat yet. Also, #NuVariant has more than >2x the number of bad spike mutations than Delta." Scary.

Short story ... there's concern this strain spreads way more easily than what we've already seen. That said, it's unclear if the strain is more severe than the strains we've all been dealing with over the last year-and-a-half.

Dr. Fauci says there's no evidence the variant has made its way to the U.S. ... at least not yet.

Posters have been plastered on buildings and bus stops in Europe, showing images of some very famous women who appear brutalized ... in an effort to grab people by the collar so they better understand domestic violence.

Artist AleXsandro Palombo has doctored images of Vice President Kamala Harris, along with British Dutchess Kate Middleton, Queen Letizia of Spain, French politician Christine Lagarde and others ... making them appear to be D.V. victims in her series, "She reported him, but she was killed anyway."

The caption under the battered faces reads, "She reported him -- But nobody believed her - But she was left alone -- But she was not protected - But he was not arrested - But she was killed anyway."

The posters have been seen in Milan and Spain, and presumably beyond.

The artist says his end game is to "draw attention to the poor responses from politics regarding the problem of gender-based violence and highlights the ineffectiveness of the support and protection system to the victims."

Soledad O'Brien says there's a reason it's so difficult for a lot of missing persons cases to make the national news ... she says the woman has to be pretty, and they better be white.

The veteran TV journalist joined us on "TMZ Live" and we asked her why mainstream media outlets tend to cover cases like Gabby Petito and Natalee Holloway while ignoring stories involving minorities.

Soledad's a bit of an expert on the topic, and not just because of her background in cable news ... she produced a new docuseries on HBO, "Black and Missing," examining media bias as it relates to missing persons.

The way Soledad explains it ... the Petito case, which made headlines right when the docuseries debuted, is a perfect example of what many call "Missing White Woman Syndrome."

Soledad says media tend to run with missing persons stories involving pretty, white women because that's what they think will resonate with the audience ... and she rattles off countless examples.

A SpaceX rocket blasted off Tuesday night for a mission of self-destruction ... and its end game is to save planet earth!

NASA commissioned Elon Musk's rocket company to hurl a Falcon 9 rocket into a nearly year-long journey which will end with the spacecraft bashing into a faraway asteroid.

Scientists want to see if the impact could actually change the asteroid's trajectory ... something that could be lifesaving if it were headed toward mother earth.

The spacecraft -- dubbed DART, short for Double Asteroid Redirection Test -- left earthly terra firma at Vandenberg Space Force Base in Cali ... and the whole thing is kinda like a ripoff of "Armageddon."

DART is supposed to violently connect with Dimorphos -- an asteroid that measures 525 feet across -- at a speed of 15,000 MPH.

Scientists say the impact will not destroy the asteroid ... but the goal is to change its orbit.

It's complicated, but if the asteroid moves for a minimum of 73 seconds, the mission is considered a raging success!

Louis C.K. and Dave Chappelle both grabbed Grammy noms -- despite their individual battles with "cancel culture" -- a signal maybe "canceling" people is on the wane.

The Academy announced its picks Tuesday ... Louis received a nom for Best Comedy Album and Chappelle for Best Spoken Word Album. Of course, Twitter was quick to react, mostly full of people who have had it up to HERE with C.C.

One user wrote, "Louis CK just got nominated for a Grammy, in case people wanted to keep clutching their pearls about the long-term effects of cancel culture." Another said, "only one grammy nom each for dave chappelle, kevin hart, and louis CK!! cancel culture strikes again!!"

It was back in 2017 when Louis C.K. admitted to exposing himself and masturbating in front of women or during phone convos. We saw a glimpse that things were turning around for him when he got a standing ovation at a show in 2019 before COVID closed venues across the country.

As we reported ... Dave's had his recent share of controversy as well -- especially from some in the LGBTQ+ community -- after his most recent Netflix special, "The Closer" almost entirely was centered around transgender and gay people.