Kanye West Doesn't Make Ballot in SC ... But Files in His Home State!!!
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3:20 PM PT -- Kanye's still eligible to tally votes for President in Illinois. Matt Dietrich of the Illinois State Board of Elections tells TMZ ... West just beat the 5 PM CT deadline to file as an independent candidate.
We're told this included submitting a minimum of 2,500 signatures from Illinoisans supporting him. If all the signatures prove to be legit ... he'll make the ballot. Kanye, of course, hails from Chicago ... but the city and state historically vote Democrat.
Kanye West's first presidential rally didn't help him get on the ballot in another important state ... he just missed the cut in South Carolina.
Kanye's campaign missed Monday's deadline to get on the November ballot in SC ... Chris Whitmore, Director of Public Information for the South Carolina State Election Commission tells TMZ.
Kanye is running with the independent Birthday Party, which gave him a hard 12 PM ET deadline to get the 10,000 signatures needed as a petition candidate, but we're told the State Election Commission didn't hear a peep from Ye or his campaign -- no traditional signatures and no digital signatures.
As we reported ... Kanye tried to grab enough signatures over the weekend, even asking folks to sign up over social media, and held a wild campaign rally that alarmed, upset and concerned his friends and the Kardashians.
None of that moved the needle, apparently.
Kanye's hopes of being on the state's ballot are pretty much dashed ... there is no write-in option for voters in South Carolina and the only way Yeezy could be on the November ballot now is as a legit party candidate (Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Green, etc.) and that ain't happening.
For those keeping score at home ... Kanye's on the ballot in Oklahoma, but he's now whiffed in SC, Florida or Michigan.
Originally Published -- 9:48 AM PT
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Rev. Al Sharpton on Trump's Fort Bragg Dig ... Proves Yet Again, The Guy's a Bigot
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Al Sharpton thinks President Trump joking about renaming a military base after him is more of the same old song the man has played time and again ... think Song of the South.
We got the Reverend Sunday in NYC ... not too long after Trump's interview with FOX News' Chris Wallace aired earlier in the morning. The Prez was asked about threatening to veto a military spending bill that has bipartisan support ... all because it also seeks to rename national military bases named after Confederate generals, like Fort Bragg.
DT challenged Chris to come up with a new name .. and then he name-dropped Al out of nowhere.
Welp, the good Reverend has some thoughts on that ... telling us it's hard to make sense of what Trump's getting at, because he says the dude's so nonsensical. Still, in Al's eyes ... he finds it crazy that Trump's so stuck on defending the Confederacy as a heroic cause.
It obviously wasn't, as he points out -- the rebels were traitors, and definitely on the wrong (and losing) side of history.
Rev. Sharpton has been on Trump's case for decades, from the Central Park 5 to the racism spewing out of the President's mouth, so Sharpton's not surprised Trump got snarky on him.
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Kanye West First Campaign Rally Talks Harriet Tubman, Abortion, Divorce
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Kanye West's first presidential rally just wrapped up and he stirred up lots of controversy by discussing Harriet Tubman, abortion and the possibility of divorcing Kim Kardashian West.
Ye held his first event as a candidate Sunday at the Exquis Event Center in North Charleston, SC -- and right off the bat ... it was unorganized and rowdy. He didn't even have a podium or a microphone to address the crowd, which was right up in his face.
At any rate, Kanye rambled through a number of topics -- oftentimes incoherently -- but one thing he said that came through crystal clear ... him suggesting that Harriet did NOT free slaves in her day, but just siphoned them off to other oppressive white folks.
That line drew jeers and groans from the crowd almost instantly -- we gotta say, it seriously reminded us of his "slavery was a choice" moment at TMZ a few years ago.
There's more. At one point, Ye launched into a rant about abortion, a woman's choice, etc. -- and he got incredibly emotional recounting a story about his then-girlfriend (now wife) Kim once telling him she was pregnant and how they considered not having the baby.
Kanye broke down sobbing while telling the story, saying that it hurt him because he confessed he did not want to have it ... which reminded him of his own father, who apparently didn't want him either when his own mother, Donda West, was pregnant.
It was a very personal thing to share, and Ye seemed to acknowledge as much when he followed up by saying it's possible Kim might wanna divorce him after this. He continued that train of thought, saying if she ever did ... he'd be thankful for her delivering North.
Ye went on to touch on a number of other subjects, including the fact that there weren't enough Black people in true positions of power -- including at Adidas, where he says he wants to sit on the board of directors, or else. Of course, he also talked about God and Jesus.
During the chaotic rally, Ye tried fielding questions from onlookers -- all of whom had to wear masks, but hardly any of whom were socially distanced -- but it mostly turned into a shouting match between himself and the rambunctious crowd. It was all hard to follow.
Probably not the greatest start for the Birthday Party campaign, but Kanye doesn't seem to mind ... he said he doesn't care if he wins the presidency or not. Why run then, right?
Anyway, up until today, Kanye seemed pretty serious about his presidential bid. TMZ broke the story ... Ye has filed docs with the Federal Election Commission, and he's also filed docs to get on the ballot in Oklahoma.
He tweeted Saturday, "Hi guys please sign up to put me on the ballot in South Carolina at any of these locations," and he went on to list various places, in addition to his 2020 website.
The first poll shows Kanye is pulling 2% of the vote. What's unclear ... between Biden and Trump, who gets hurt more and who benefits the most? What's also unclear ... if Ye's gonna go the distance after the train wreck that just occurred.
Originally Published -- 6:58 AM PT
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Kanye 2020 Sign My Petition South Carolina ... So I Can Be Your President!!!
Kanye West's presidential campaign just keeps rolling along, and he's now setting his sights on South Carolina ... where he's trying to grab enough signatures to get on the November ballot.
Kanye posted a tweet, urging S.C. voters to support him with a signature. His petition reads, "I am signing to put Kanye West on the ballot in South Carolina ... Click here to add your signature -- YE '20." He needs around 10,000 signatures to qualify as the official Birthday Party candidate.
TMZ broke the stories of Kanye's efforts, including filing the necessary docs with the Federal Elections Commission and docs to get on the Oklahoma ballot.
The first poll shows Ye at 2%. He ain't gonna win, but he could be a spoiler, and that's got lots of people super concerned for various reasons.
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Kanye West Files New Docs for 2020 Presidential Run
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Kanye West is full steam ahead in his 2020 Presidential run ... he just filed a second set of documents Thursday with the Federal Election Commission.
Ye's latest filing is called a Statement of Candidacy, which shows he's raised or spent more than $5,000 in campaign-related expenses. That elevates him to candidacy status under the federal campaign law.
Kanye, of course, lists his party as BDY -- Birthday Party is now abbreviated. He designates the name of his political committee, "Kanye 2020."
He also lists his residence as Cody, Wyoming, where he and Kim just bought a massive property.
This is the second -- and more important set of docs -- that Kanye has filed with the FEC. He filed his first set Wednesday -- a Statement of Organization for the campaign, declaring the Kanye 2020 committee will serve as the Principal Campaign Committee.
It's interesting ... some media outlets are saying Kanye is not running, but we've been told otherwise, and the documents underscore that. The latest was filed Thursday morning at 12:34 AM ET.
Kanye also filed legal docs qualifying him to get on the ballot in Oklahoma, however, he missed the Wednesday deadline in the battleground state of Florida.
As we reported, a market research company conducted a poll showing Kanye capturing 2% of the national vote. He ain't gonna win, but he could be a spoiler in a close election. The question -- who would he help, and who would he hurt?
Kanye West 2020 Presidential Bid Still Alive ...Files to Get On Oklahoma Ballot
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5:13 PM PT -- Kanye is officially on the ballot in Oklahoma, according to the state's Election Board, beating Wednesday's deadline. As we reported, contrary to other stories, Kanye is still very much in the 2020 Presidential race. We first told you he filed docs with the Federal Election Commission, but filing docs in an individual states shows he's getting granular about his run. Remember, the latest poll shows he's nabbed 2% of the vote.
That's one down ...
However, the bad news for Campaign Ye is they did NOT meet Thursday's deadline in Florida ... a major battleground state for the Presidency.
Kanye West has taken his first official step on his road to The White House -- he's filed with the Federal Election Commission ... seeking the office of President.
Kanye filed the first form required by the FEC Wednesday -- Form 1, Statement of Organization -- declaring that the Kanye 2020 committee will serve as the "Principal Campaign Committee" with West as its candidate. The party is listed as BDY ... which Ye's said stands for the Birthday Party.
However, he's yet to file the more important Form 2 -- Statement of Candidacy -- which shows he's raised or spent more than $5,000 in campaign activity and triggers candidacy status under federal campaign finance law.
We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future. I am running for president of the United States 🇺🇸! #2020VISION
— ye (@kanyewest) July 5, 2020 @kanyewest
Regardless, the move comes on the heels of reports that Kanye was dropping out just 10 days after making his surprise July 4 Twitter announcement ... and after news broke that he was polling at just 2 percent.
Looks like he's trying to keep hope alive ... at least for now.
Kanye, who's had Elon Musk's support from the jump, has managed to stir up plenty of publicity -- and controversy -- in his less than 2 weeks on the campaign trail so far.
As we reported ... he turned on his former buddy and incumbent, Donald Trump, compared Planned Parenthood to a Satanic baby-killing cult and got blasted by the org, and picked a running mate with some odd takes on mental health.
Ye's still facing an uphill battle to even get on the ballot in several states, and as we already mentioned ... his first poll numbers really sucked.
Our sources have also told us Kanye's in the throes of a very serious bipolar episode through all of this, which has worried his family and loved ones.
Originally published -- 10:42 AM PT
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Tiger Woods Praises Black Lives Matter Movement ... 'Change Is Fantastic'
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Tiger Woods says he's in FULL support of the Black Lives Matter movement ... saying on Tuesday, "change is fantastic."
"That's how society develops," the golf legend added in his first meeting with reporters since announcing his return to the PGA Tour this month. "That's how we grow, that's how we move forward, that's how we have fairness."
But, Tiger says he'll only consider it a success if people protect themselves while fighting for social justice.
"I think change is fantastic but as long as we make changes without hurting the innocent," Tiger said. "Unfortunately that has happened. Hopefully, that doesn't happen in the future but a movement and change is fantastic."
Of course, Tiger's good friend, President Trump, has had completely opposite opinions of the movement ... POTUS recently called a BLM mural "denigrating" and a "symbol of hate."
Unclear if Woods and Trump have spoken about it at all ... but Donald has continuously praised Tiger since taking office -- even famously giving the 44-year-old golfer the Presidential Medal of Freedom last year.
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Kanye West Pulling 2% of Voters in New Poll ... Seems to Hurt Trump!!!
Kanye West has a snowball's chance in hell to win the presidency, because his first poll numbers suck ... but he could definitely play spoiler -- question is, for whom?
Redfield & Wilton Strategies -- a consulting firm that does polling and market research -- released results from a poll it did last week ... and when Ye's included as one of the candidates, he only clocked in at 2%. That's out of 2,000 people polled.
Granted, the other third-party candidates from the Libertarian and Green Parties aren't polling much higher than he was either -- both also hit the 2% and 1% each, respectively.
Now, here's the really interesting thing -- while you'd think the rapper and producer getting in the race might hurt Joe Biden (that's how Chance the Rapper and others see it) ... it didn't. In fact, it actually hurt Trump!
National Poll:
— Political Polls (@PpollingNumbers) July 13, 2020 @PpollingNumbers
Biden 48% (+8)
Trump 40%
Jorgensen (L) 1%
Hawkins (G) 1%
When @kanyewest included in the poll:
Biden 48% (+9)
Trump 39%
West 2%
Jorgensen (L) 2%
Hawkins (G) 1%@RedfieldWilton (July 9)
According to R&WS, the sitting Prez got dinged, going from 40% to 39% when Kanye is factored into the race. Biden stays firmly in the lead in either scenario, sitting pretty at 48%.
The prevailing thought is Kanye would splinter the Democratic vote -- especially young and black voters -- and possibly sabotage Biden in the process.
Still, let's all chill when it comes to polls ... especially this early in the campaign. Just ask Hillary Clinton about those 2016 numbers.
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Kanye's VP Pick Michelle Tidball 'Biblical Life Coach' Odd Take on Mental Health
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The woman Kanye West has pegged for his Vice President describes herself as a "Biblical life coach," but she also has a mental health background, and some of her past statements on the subject are ... interesting.
Michelle Tidball is the "obscure preacher from Wyoming" Kanye named as his running mate in his instantly infamous interview with Forbes, and though not too much is known about her ... here's her talking about mental illness.
TMZ obtained audio of Tidball, which has since been removed from her Yarash.org website, in which she states a key to handling mental illness ... is doing house chores.
In the clip, listed as from a Bible study session from June 2017, Tidball suggests ... "If you would get up every day and make your bed and do your dishes -- you would be better." She adds that in her 10 years working with the mentally ill ... none of them made their beds or did their dishes.
According to Tidball's bio -- which has also now been pulled from her site -- she has pursued God since she was 6 months old and was "slipping away into a crib death." She says she remembers God visiting her in the hospital and she made the decision at 17 to follow him for life.
She claims she has "various degrees in mental health and criminal justice." We've confirmed she earned a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Wyoming in 2003.
Michelle says she worked as a mental health therapist for 10 years before transitioning to life coaching to help people get "unstuck" in their lives "using biblical principals and wisdom."
According to her site, she offers life-coaching sessions for the "suggested donation" of $65 for 50 minutes.
Michelle hails from the city of Cody, which is where Kanye has spent a great deal of time the past few years ... though he made no public mention of her until the Forbes interview.
Her background in mental health is obviously interesting ... as we told you, we're told Kanye's going through a serious bipolar episode right now.
Our sources say his loved ones are concerned and feel his mental illness is affecting his decision-making and controversial statements ... like announcing his presidential candidacy, and speaking with Forbes.
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Kanye West In Midst of Serious Bipolar Episode ... Family Very Concerned
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Kanye West is in the throes of a serious bipolar episode, our Kanye sources say, and those around him are concerned it has impacted his decision-making and some of the things he's said in the last week ... sources close to Kanye tell TMZ.
Our Kanye sources tell us, he suffers a serious bout with his bipolar disorder, usually once a year ... and our sources say Kanye's in the midst of one now.
As you know, Ye announced he's running for president via Twitter over the weekend, and also did a rambling interview with Forbes ... which drew harsh criticism, confusion and concern.
Our sources say his family and those close to him are worried, but they believe things will stabilize as they have in the past. The problem here, we're told -- Kanye's proclamations are causing problems.
Of course, Kanye's apparent bipolar episode hasn't kept him from garnering presidential campaign support from the likes of Elon Musk ... who hung with the rapper just days prior to his announcement.
Others are much more skeptical, and that skepticism likely grew in the wake of Kanye's wide-interview with Forbes ... in which he dumped Trump, slammed Biden, revealed he's running as part of a new party called the "Birthday Party," claimed he had COVID-19, pushed an anti-vaxx narrative and talked a lot about God.
What the interview didn't touch on, weirdly, was Kanye's mental health.
You'll remember, it was in October 2018 when Kanye came on "TMZ Live" and said he was not taking his bipolar medication. He'd also previously stated he doesn't take his medication because it stifles his creativity.
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'Trump Supporter Gathering' Denied Permit at Selena Statue ... Organizer Pushing Forward
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The organizer of a "Trump Supporter Gathering" at the site of slain singer Selena's statue in Corpus Christi, TX is getting shut down by the city, but he's vowing to do it anyway.
We broke the story ... Joe Michael Perez already got threatened with a lawsuit from Selena's dad, Abraham Quintanilla, Jr., for allegedly infringing on her name, image and likeness for the July 11 event. Now, he's also running the risk of becoming a criminal.
Shelly Rios, Corpus Christi's Interim Program Manager for Cultural Services & Special Events tells us ... Perez would normally be issued a "spontaneous demonstration permit" for his planned public event, but it got rejected ... and not because of his politics.
Instead, the problem is the coronavirus. Texas currently doesn't allow for groups of more than 10 people to congregate in a space, so Rios says if Perez and other Trump supporters show up at the statue ... law enforcement will instruct them to leave.
Perez says his group of at least 150 people is defiant, and still planning to go. He says if police arrive, he'll tell them they are there peacefully and won't leave.
As we told you ... Perez has been using a photo of him taken last month -- when he put a Trump hat on the Selena statue -- to promote his Trump-stumping event on Facebook.
Selena's father warned Perez to delete the Facebook event page and stop producing Selena-related merchandise ... or he'd sue him.
Perez has been undeterred on that front, too.
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Kanye West Dumps Trump ... Deets on Presidential Campaign
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Kanye West says he's done supporting President Trump -- but there's even more he's spilling that's just as surprising in terms of his run for the White House. Oh boy, where to begin ...
Ye sat down with Forbes in a verrrry wide-ranging interview, but primarily about his Presidential campaign ... and the would-be candidate declared he's "taking off the red hat." The only specific he offered as to why was that he doesn't like what he heard about 45 hiding in a bunker recently.
He also says, "One of the main reasons I wore the red hat as a protest to the segregation of votes in the Black community." As Kanye's stated before, he hates the fact that Democrats assume all black people have to vote for them.
He added he was down with POTUS because "I like Trump hotels and the saxophones in the lobby."
As for HIS presidential run ... he says he IS serious, and that he's got some unconventional ideas to help get him there. Buckle in, 'cause this gets weird.
We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future. I am running for president of the United States 🇺🇸! #2020VISION
— ye (@kanyewest) July 5, 2020 @kanyewest
He told Forbes he's running as part of a new party called the Birthday Party, because ... "[W]hen we win, it’s everybody’s birthday."
He also says he's having Elon Musk help with his campaign and is considering using him for his own space program. He's already got a VP in mind ... a Wyoming preacher -- and showing a little campaign bravado, he kinda bashed Joe Biden as "not special."
Politics aside, Kanye says he contracted the coronavirus in February -- but didn't say if he learned that from getting tested -- and sounded like quite the anti-vaxxer. He called any coronavirus vaccine "the mark of the beast."
He goes on to explain, "They want to put chips inside of us, they want to do all kinds of things, to make it where we can’t cross the gates of heaven."
One thing he didn't cover, but clearly relevant for a Presidential candidate, is his mental health. Kanye has publicly said he's been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and he's also said -- notably on "TMZ Live" in May 2018 -- he doesn't take his medication sometimes because it dulls his creativity.
Also ... interesting that Kanye talked with Forbes, which has been at war with his sister-in-law, Kylie, over her status as a billionaire -- and even called out his wife a couple weeks ago on the same topic.
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Donald Trump Talks Culture War ... Crowd Couldn't Care Less About COVID
Donald Trump's idea of a 4th of July celebration was igniting a culture war, as 7,500 of his followers exposed themselves to a massive coronavirus outbreak.
Check out the crowd at Mount Rushmore ... ZERO social distancing, per the Governor herself, who believes crowding together is a symbol of freedom. In fact, the chairs were zip-tied together because of fire code regulations. Masks were few and far between and the crowd sat for hours, cheering and doing the things that spread the virus.
Guilfoyle team (Trump Victory Finance) now out with statement - @SergioGor says she is doing well - both she and Donald Trump Jr canceling all upcoming events pic.twitter.com/huYzAv9EQH
— John Santucci (@Santucci) July 4, 2020 @Santucci
And, speaking of the virus ... it's hitting close to Trump's home. Donald Trump Jr.'s girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, has tested positive.
As for the President ... his focus was on America's awakening, which he clearly thinks is a bad thing. Of the protesters, he said they are trying to "end America" by engaging in a "merciless campaign to wipe out our history, defame our heroes, erase our values, and indoctrinate our children."
And, he went on ... "We will expose this dangerous movement, protect our nation's children, end this radical assault and preserve our beloved American way of life."
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Sen. Lindsey Graham Trump Shot 74 In Weekend Golf Match ... 'Beat Me Like A Drum!!!'
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Not even a global pandemic can hurt President Trump's golf game ... U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham says POTUS went OFF on the course over the weekend, shooting a stunning 74!!!
FYI ... a 74 is professional golfer territory -- most amateurs struggle to break 100 ... so yeah, Graham says Trump's swing is in top shape at the moment.
The two were spotted out at Trump's National Golf Club in Virginia over the weekend ... and when Graham was asked about the round on "Fox And Friends" on Thursday -- he said Trump dominated.
"I've never seen him play this well," the S.C. senator said. "I mean, he's got more on his shoulders -- I'm hoping, 'OK, you know he's a little distracted.' He beat me like a drum!"
Graham says Trump carded a 74 ... which would be just 2-over par on both courses at the club -- a staggering score for a guy who's got so much on his plate at the moment.
CNN was able to shoot some footage of Donald on the tee at one hole ... but no word on where that shot ended up.
Of course, Trump's touted himself as a hell of a golfer over the years ... but guys like Samuel L. Jackson and Oscar De La Hoya swear he's a cheater on the links.
Then again, John Daly told us last year Trump is definitely NOT out there fudging scorecards.
As for Graham, he seems to be siding with Daly ... adding of the round, "It was amazing ... I'm not joking!"
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NASCAR’s Corey LaJoie Debuting 'Trump 2020' Car ... At Brickyard 400
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Corey LaJoie's #32 car is getting a new paint job for NASCAR's big race Sunday ... his team says it's decking out the ride in a "Trump 2020" theme for the Brickyard 400.
Go Fas Racing revealed the new paint scheme Wednesday ... saying it's partnered with the pro-Trump Patriots of America PAC to create the red, white and blue whip for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway race.
"I am honored to be part of the President's re-election campaign through the Patriots of America PAC," team owner Archie St. Hilaire said in a statement.
"As a Trump 2020 supporter, this team will do everything possible to secure victory on and off the track electing President Donald Trump to a second term."
The Ford Mustang will feature "Trump 2020" on both the hood and the rear-quarter panels ... while also displaying "Your Vote Counts" emblems.
The race is set to go down on Sunday at 1 p.m. PT in Indiana.
"With an estimated 75 million NASCAR fans out there, I was surprised that about 15 million of those fans are not registered voters," 28-year-old LaJoie said after the ride's paint scheme was announced.
"I will give my best effort to get NASCAR fans registered to vote, through our team efforts on and off the track. When they see the car, hopefully, it makes them race to the polls in November."
LaJoie has 5 top 20 finishes in the Cup Series this season ... notably finishing 8th in February's Daytona 500.
FYI, Bubba Wallace -- who's been racing in a "Black Lives Matter" car recently -- finished in 3rd at the 2019 Brickyard 400. He'll be back in Indy to compete this weekend as well.
Who ya rootin' for?
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Trump Campaign Ordered Removal of Distance Signage Video Shows Staff Doing It
President Trump's campaign staff reportedly told arena staff members to remove social distancing signs before they opened the doors, and there's video showing folks doing just that.
The story was reported by the Washington Post and Billboard -- with the former citing sources familiar with the situation ... and the latter getting one of the venue's main overseers on record. The VP of ASM Global -- the company that manages the BOK Center in downtown Tulsa -- told the magazine that Trump's campaign had, in fact, given the order.
The VP, Doug Thornton, says the campaign instructed them to stop labeling every other seat with "Do Not Sit Here, Please!" stickers, which the arena staff had already done to nearly every row. The place sits 19,000 -- so, at least 9,500 were presumably used.
There was even video captured and posted by WaPo that shows a few men with badges going around and actually removing those stickers. It's shot from a distance, so it's hard to make out what the stickers say, but it seems pretty clear they were the ones in question.
It's unclear if these guys are Trump staffers or arena staffers. In any case, it's a smoking gun.
This is insane, considering the BOK Center was actually trying to do the right thing and take safety precautions ... only to be thwarted by the man's own team come showtime.
Of course, if you saw the rally live -- not to mention the people lining up to get in before doors opened -- you know it was already a 'rona danger zone. Now, the place ended up being mostly empty inside, especially those upper rows. Still, those that were there did pack in like sardines, and now, we appear to know why -- at least partially, anyway.
The Trump campaign did not comment on the sticker removal.