White House

Tony La Russa says the Red Sox had a good visit to Donald Trump's White House last month ... telling TMZ Sports they made the trip to show support for their country.

"The flag, anthem, White House," La Russa says ... "Anything that represents our government, we support."

Of course, some of Boston's biggest names decided not to go to 1600 Penn Ave. for political reasons ... guys like Mookie Betts and David Price, as well as manager Alex Cora, skipped it.

But, La Russa -- who's now the Sox's vice president -- says the guys that did go enjoyed it, saying, "Anything that represents the United States is a good experience."

Some boycotted, others didn't -- so, how did the Boston Red Sox players get along AFTER that controversial May 9 trip to Trump's White House?

... according to star outfielder J.D. Martinez, everyone handled it VERY well and haven't let politics destroy their clubhouse.

Remember, Martinez DID go to 1600 Penn a few weeks ago -- despite stars like David Price, Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr. and manager Alex Cora opting to stay away to protest POTUS.

Martinez says the trip was "amazing" -- and claimed Donald gave the squad an "awesome" private tour of the Lincoln Bedroom, just as he promised.

The Sox won 3 out of their next 4 games after the White House visit -- and Trump took some credit for the hot streak.

But, things have cooled off ... Boston's 10-8 since the D.C. trip.

8:05 AM PT -- D.C. law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... cops believe Gupta was high on a drug called K2, which was laced with PCP.

We're told responding officers saw signs Gupta was hallucinating -- he also did not respond to their commands to roll over as they tried to extinguish him.

K2 is a synthetic THC, composed almost entirely of chemicals, which is banned in the U.S. There have been widespread incidents of people getting violent and delusional on K2.

5/30 5:05 AM PT -- The man died from his injuries Wednesday night in the hospital.

Authorities identified him as Arnav Gupta of Bethesda, MD. He was 33 years old and his family had reported him missing on Wednesday morning.

It's still unclear if Gupta had any specific motive ... however, cops in Maryland had said in a media release early Wednesday -- prior to his self-immolation -- that they were "concerned for Gupta's physical and emotional welfare."

12:09 PM PT -- According to the emergency dispatch audio -- obtained by TMZ -- the man suffered burns on 85% of his body. There was also a suspicious package on fire near the man which was extinguished.

11:35 AM PT -- A law enforcement source tells us the man was transported to the hospital with "life threatening" injuries.

A man set himself ablaze in a park near the White House and was only saved -- for the moment -- by cops who quickly surrounded and extinguished him.

The unidentified suspect was taken down by cops Wednesday afternoon in D.C. and he was fully engulfed in flames. It appears he might have had some sort of protective suit on because he was not collapsing as he strolled across the lawn with the Washington Monument in the background ... and less than a mile from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

You can see cops rushed in with extinguishers, and law enforcement tells us he was immediately taken into custody and rushed to a hospital. More than 70 officers swarmed the area from multiple agencies. Although several tourists were in the area ... no one else was injured.

The Secret Service is aware of the incident, saying some of their personnel are on the scene.

It is unclear what the man's condition is right now.

Story developing ...

President Trump is back to bashing Jussie Smollett and his criminal case in Chicago -- this time insinuating the real hate crime was against him and his supporters.

DT took to Twitter Saturday, and seemingly out of nowhere ... he brought up the Smollett case again, saying that on top of great incompetence and corruption, the Smollett case "is also about a Hate Crime." Doesn't sound like he's referring to the crime Jussie reported either.

The Prez went on to write, "Remember, 'MAGA COUNTRY DID IT!' That turned out to be a total lie, had nothing to do with 'MAGA COUNTRY.'" Trump ended his tweet by saying, "Serious stuff, and not even an apology to millions of people!"

At first glance, it would appear 45 could be referring to the alleged hate crime Jussie claimed to be a victim of -- but on a second read, it kinda sounds like Trump believes the true hate crime was against "MAGA COUNTRY" ... and, in effect, himself too.

You'll recall ... Jussie's criminal case was dismissed, which only cost him a few thousand dollars and some community service. Although the Cook County State Attorney's Office insisted their decision wasn't an exoneration, Jussie doubled down and maintained his innocence.

This ain't the first time Trump has brought up Jussie's case -- it's actually the third. He tweeted about it soon after Cook County cut him loose, and then used the "Empire" actor as a rallying cry in Wisconsin later the same day.

Robert De Niro took a good long minute out of his speech honoring his good pal, Al Pacino, to call for the removal and arrest of President Trump -- and his off-script moment drew mixed reviews.

De Niro was singing Pacino's praises Sunday at the American Icon Awards -- where the veteran actor was among 5 people honored ... Quincy Jones and Evander Holyfield were a couple of the others. Right as he was winding down his speech, though ... De Niro took the opportunity to remind everyone that he really, REALLY does not like POTUS.

He said Al, of course, was worthy of the Icon award ... but the only thing Trump should be getting at this point is impeachment and imprisonment. Check out the rant for yourself -- not necessarily as fiery as his "F**k Trump" moment at the Tonys ... but same message.

Anyway, as for how the Bev Hills crowd took his Trump pivot ... there were actually some boos. As Bob went on and on about DT, the audience seemed a little unsettled.

Herman Cain -- one of President Trump's close pals -- insists POTUS has done a lot for African-Americans, but says black people still hate him because the media's messing with their minds.

We got the business exec and ex-Republican presidential candidate leaving Reagan National Tuesday in D.C., and asked why he continues to stand in Trump's corner, through and through. Cain says he looks at results ... not perception.

For example, Cain says Trump's been doing a lot for the black community behind the scenes -- like pushing forward criminal justice reform and lowering unemployment rates -- but insists those accomplishments are overlooked due to skewed coverage. Or, as the Prez puts it ... fake news.

When asked point blank why so many black people seem to despise the President, Cain dropped the b-word. Yeah ... brainwashed. He tells us they've been brainwashed by the media they consume, which he suggests is anti-Trump.

Despite Tiger Woods recently coming to the White House to accept the Medal of Freedom from Trump, Cain says other athletes and celebs who've opted to ixnay any WH visits are also brainwashed -- and should stick to what they do best ... entertain.

Alyssa Milano's protest of Georgia's anti-abortion law is exactly the kinda political pressure that's needed ... according to Presidential candidate and Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, who's fully in her corner.

Rep. Gabbard was on "TMZ Live" Monday, and rallied behind Alyssa's call for a sex strike in the wake of Georgia's governor signing a bill that would ban abortions if a fetal heartbeat can be detected. It's now the 6th state to enact such a law.

While Alyssa's sex protest is drawing some backlash, Gabbard told us the actress is shedding light on a critical debate -- something she believes more people like Alyssa should be doing.

We also dug into a couple of the congresswoman's passions -- the environment AND surfing!

Hailing from the great state of Hawaii, Tulsi's all about catching waves -- has been since she was a toddler -- and doesn't even mind sharing 'em with sharks.

The Boston Red Sox are back ... and it's all 'cause of Donald Trump -- so says the President himself, who says it was White House visit magic that turned their season around!!

Of course, the Sox didn't get off to a great start this season -- they were just 2-8 in their first 10 games -- the worst opening record EVER for a team with 100-plus wins in the previous season.

But, Trump says their championship visit to the White House last week has changed everything -- saying, "Has anyone noticed that all the Boston @RedSox have done is WIN since coming to the White House!"

Boston has notched 3 straight victories since heading to 1600 Penn. Ave. last Thursday ... and now, Trump is claiming visits to the White House are an anti-curse!!!

"The White House visit is becoming the opposite of being on the cover of Sports Illustrated! By the way, the Boston players were GREAT guys!"

Teams haven't exactly been open to White House celebrations under Trump ... no NBA team has visited since he took office and even several Red Sox players themselves protested last week's trip.

But if the visits are now in fact good luck charms, could that change future champions' minds???

5/12 8:00 AM PT -- A Secret Service source tells TMZ, the motorcade did indeed stop for a minute as CHP officers assisted the injured deputy, who suffered minor injuries.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's trip through L.A. was almost interrupted by a driver who hit one of the local officers helping escort his motorcade -- we say almost 'cause the rest of the fleet kept on going.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... a CHP officer on a motorcycle was broadsided Saturday while blocking traffic for Pompeo's motorcade, which was getting off the 405 freeway at the La Cienega exit. We're told a driver -- who was going about 20 MPH -- made an illegal U-turn and clipped the guy.

Video of the scene shows the officer lying on the ground and being tended to by fire personnel that responded. Our sources say the officer was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries and is expected to make a full recovery.

Meanwhile, we're told the rest of the motorcade continued on its way ... seemingly unaware of the accident that just occurred behind them. That, or they were in a hurry to get the SoS somewhere ASAP.

It appears the driver in question lost his bumper in the collision too, but got out of his car to survey the damage. It's unclear if any arrests were made on the spot.

President Trump says Mayor Pete Buttigieg bears a striking resemblance to the fictional MAD Magazine cover guy, Alfred E. Neuman, and that alone disqualifies him.

DT shared his thoughts -- one of the first times he's acknowledged Buttigieg's presidential campaign, it seems -- in an interview with Politico Friday, where he's described as dismissively saying about the South Bend, Indiana mayor ... "Alfred E. Neuman cannot become president of the United States."

It doesn't appear Trump said much else about Pete, who's one of the first openly gay candidates to be seeking the highest office in the land ... and actually catching fire.

Regarding the Neuman remark -- definitely harsh ... but Mayor Pete was quick to fire back, taking a shot at Trump's age (72 going on 73) in quite a classy way.

Buttigieg was asked for a response, and he said he actually "had to Google that," suggesting the reference was lost on him ... and perhaps a "generational thing." In case you forgot ... Mayor Pete is only 37 years old -- one of the youngest candidates running.

Always the good sport, Buttigieg even says the quote was kinda funny to him, but then asks a serious question -- why isn't Trump trying to resolve the major trade impasse he's at with China, and instead, taking the time to make fun of me? Fair question.

Mayor Pete Buttigieg had an opportunity to use his rescue dogs as a credential in his run for The White House, but he didn't bite.

We got the Prez candidate Thursday night in WeHo at The Abbey -- perhaps the most famous gay bar in the U.S. of A., where he held a fundraiser to a packed house at $25 a pop.

Our photog asked Pete about his 2 rescue dogs -- Truman and Buddy -- and how it might reflect on him. It's an opening, right, to talk about compassion for the forgotten, but Pete kinda left it with the fact he and his husband, Chasten, really dig dogs.

Buttigieg was in L.A. for a bunch of fundraisers ... after leaving The Abbey Pete beelined it for Gwyneth Paltrow's digs, starting at $250 a pop. And earlier, he had another fundraiser where tickets started at $250 if you were under 37 -- his age -- but more if you were older. If you wanted a pic, it was another $2,800 and if you wanted a John Hancock you had to shell out a grand.

Money ... the mother's milk of politics.

The NBA will NEVER make its employees play nice with Donald Trump ... that's according to league commissioner Adam Silver, who says if teams want to skip the White House, it's their prerogative.

No NBA champion has visited Donald Trump since he's occupied 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., with last year's Warriors actually opting to visit Barack Obama instead of the sitting Prez.

It's been quite the controversy, with many people suggesting players from all sports should put patriotism over politics and go to the White House. Some think the leagues should compel the players to go.

We got the NBA commish in D.C. and he says that'll NEVER happen in his league, telling our guy if teams want to skip it ... so be it.

"It's a team decision, we'll see who the champion is this year, and what they decide."

There are 7 teams left in the NBA playoffs -- Milwaukee, Portland, Denver, Houston, Toronto, Philly and Golden State. Last year, the Warriors famously blew off Trump to meet with Obama.

"A lot of our players still have relationships with President Obama and I think it's wonderful," Silver told us ... "Players make their own decisions, organizations make their own decisions."

Speaking of Obama, Silver also talked about the NBA's ongoing relationship with #44, and how they're partnering to do some big things in Africa.

"President Obama is doing a lot with the NBA. We announced down in Charlotte at the All-Star game that he was gonna be involved in Africa with us, we're starting a league down there. He's one of our partners."

Silver's a busy guy these days -- on Thursday, he was a featured speaker at a 400-person luncheon at the Economic Club in D.C. where he talked about the NCAA's 1-and-done issue.

Among the high-profile guests in the crowd ... Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh -- who's a big basketball fan.

In fact, Kavanaugh famously still coaches his daughter's youth basketball team.

Donald Trump heaped TONS of praise on the Boston Red Sox at the White House -- calling out individuals like Chris Sale and J.D. Martinez ... while leaving out the key players who didn't show up.

As we previously reported, Sox manager Alex Cora boycotted the trip because he doesn't "feel comfortable" with Trump over the way POTUS handled the hurricane recovery efforts in Puerto Rico.

Other Red Sox players who refused to attend include Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, David Price and Red Sox legend David Ortiz.

Betts was the A.L. MVP last season and Price CRUSHED IT during the playoff run -- but got NO LOVE from Trump since they didn't show up to the White House on Thursday.

Same with Alex Cora.

Trump had glowing remarks for Chris Sale -- complimenting his World Series performance and the fact he struck out 14 batters Wednesday night in a regular season game against the Orioles.

Trump also invited the Red Sox players and staff in attendance to a personal tour of the Lincoln Bedroom -- a room that's supposed to be off-limits to the public.

TMZ Sports shot footage of some of the key execs arriving at the White House before the ceremony -- including VP of Baseball Operations Tony La Russa, owner John Henry, President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski and others.

Earlier Thursday, the Red Sox visited the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in the D.C. area -- where they visited patients.

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora is getting high praise from Elizabeth Warren -- who says she "admires" Cora for his decision to boycott Trump's White House over his treatment of Puerto Rico.

"He's right," Warren said about Cora ... "It's bad over there."

Cora -- who's from Puerto Rico -- announced he would NOT join the Red Sox at the White House on Thursday to be honored by the President for winning the 2018 World Series.

In his statement, Cora said he doesn't feel "comfortable" visiting Trump after the way POTUS handled recovery efforts in his native Puerto Rico after the 2017 hurricane.

And, when we saw Senator Warren [D-Mass] in D.C. Tuesday morning, she told us why she's throwing ALL of her support behind the MLB manager.

"He did this in a clear and respectful manner but he said, 'I can't go and show up for a photo op with someone who's been withholding funds from Puerto Rico.'"

"There's a lot of suffering going on over there," Warren added ... "I admire what [Cora is] doing."

Roger Stone is under the gun and under-funded for his legal defense -- so, ironically, he's ripped a page out of Stormy Daniels' playbook -- making big money at a Virginia strip club.

Don't worry, President Trump's former campaign adviser remained fully clothed Saturday night at Papermoon Southside Gentleman's Club in Richmond. He was the guest of honor, though ... taking photos with fans and signing autographs ... sometimes right on dancers' asses.

The club's director of special events, Mike Dickinson, tells TMZ ... Roger was paid a flat fee to show up for the night and do quick meet-and-greets with fans. Entry to the event was $25 a pop, and that included a photo and autograph, if you wanted one. All in all, Dickinson estimates Stone was able to raise high 5-figures for his legal defense against a 7-count federal indictment.

Stone was there with his longtime associate, ex-madam Kristin Davis ... who got wrapped up in Robert Mueller's investigation. Stone is accused of soliciting stolen emails from WikiLeaks that could've helped the Trump campaign in the 2016 election.

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora says he will NOT join the team to visit Donald Trump on Thursday ... and several Red Sox players are boycotting with him.

The team was invited to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. to be honored for winning the 2018 World Series -- and it's all set to go down on Thursday -- but Cora says he ain't going.

The 43-year-old issued a statement in Spanish saying he doesn't feel "comfortable" visiting Trump after the way POTUS handled recovery efforts in his native Puerto Rico after the 2017 hurricane.

"Puerto Rico is very important to me," Cora said ... "Unfortunately, we are still struggling, still fighting. Some people still lack basic necessities, others remain without electricity and many homes and schools are in pretty bad shape almost a year and a half after Hurricane María struck."

"Even though the United States Government has helped, there’s still a long road ahead and that is OUR reality."

"I’ve used my voice on many occasions so that Puerto Ricans are not forgotten and my absence [from the White House] is no different."

"As such, at this moment, I don’t feel comfortable celebrating in the White House."

Cora said he told Red Sox officials about his decision before informing the media.

Other Red Sox stars who will NOT go to the White House include shortstop Xander Bogaerts, David Price and Mookie Betts.

Trump has hosted a bunch of athletes recently -- including NASCAR champ Joey Logano.