White House

Kanye West's looking to expand his empire in the Cowboy State ... so his family's horsies have more room to roam.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the rapper and presidential candidate has visited the Double Doc Ranch in Cody, Wyoming and expressed interest in buying the property.

The ranch -- which serves as a horse boarding, breeding, training, lessons and events facility -- is already home to 3 of the West fam's horses.

Back in June ... Kim Kardashian said they had 14 Friesian horses on their ranch while introducing her followers to North's new one. We're told the rest of their horses will be moving to Double Doc soon as well.

The 76-acre horse ranch was on the market up until a few months ago for $3.39 million, but it doesn't seem it's been sold yet. It's still listed under the longtime owners on the property records.

If Kanye does buy it, it will be his 3rd ranch purchase near Cody in the past year. As you'll recall ... he dropped $14 million on The Monster Lake Ranch in September 2019, then as we first told you, paid another $14 million in November for a property called the Bighorn Mountain Ranch.

Ye recently got approval to build a 52,000 sq. ft. mega-mansion on the lakeside ranch ... so all signs point to Wyoming being the place he calls home, home on the range for a long time.

President Trump's trip to hurricane-ravaged Louisiana capped off with an unseemly sight -- him handing out his autograph to city officials ... telling them to sell it for $10k a pop.

DT flew down to Lake Charles Saturday -- which was just torn through by Hurricane Laura -- and after holding a news conference with some FEMA officials on hand, 45 stuck around to give his John Hancock to fans, notably ... LC officials.

He's done it before, but this time it looks terrible for 2 reasons. First, there are people who lost everything in the storm, so jokes not appreciated. Second, the idea that the President is signing autographs and telling recipients to sell it on eBay ... well, as they say, it is what it is.

Rev. Al Sharpton is fired up about the athletes speaking out against police brutality -- saying they're making a "tremendous" impact around the country.

Sharpton is clearly impressed with stars from the NBA, MLB, NFL, tennis and beyond risking their careers to speak out against the shooting of Jacob Blake and other incidents involving black victims.

"They [the athletes] understand that their careers may last 3, 4, 5 years, but they're gonna be black forever … and that's why they need to be a part of this movement."

Sharpton says the reason the athletes are on the front lines is because "they live in these communities."

"They know that they could be treated the same way. And, I think it's a tremendous thing [that they're taking action]."

Sharpton says he admires and respects the athletes like LeBron James and others .... adding, "They've helped the movement tremendously."

Congressman Al Green was also out at the 'Get Your Knee Off Our Necks' rally in D.C. ... and also heaped praise on the athletes who have taken a stand.

Leonard Cohen's legendary song "Hallelujah" was not approved to be used at the Republican National Convention -- though it was, twice -- and now the late singer-songwriter's team is speaking out ... and threatening legal action.

Reps for both Cohen's estate and the publishing company say they rejected requests by the GOP to play or perform his song at the RNC, but President Trump's party ignored this and did it anyway.

Cohen estate’s lawyer, Michelle L. Rice, says they were surprised and dismayed the song was used at the RNC despite their declination, and described the move as a "brazen attempt to politicize and exploit" one of his most famous songs.

Rice also got a dig in at Trump, adding ... "Had the RNC requested another song, 'You Want it Darker,' for which Leonard won a posthumous Grammy in 2017, we might have considered approval of that song." She says the estate is now exploring legal options.

Likewise, Cohen's publishing company, Sony/ATV Music, also claims it was contacted about using "Hallelujah" on the eve of the RNC's final night, and said no, but they were ignored.

ICYMI ... a version of "Hallelujah" by Tori Kelly was played during the fireworks following Trump's Thursday night speech, and was then performed live in an operatic rendition by Christopher Macchio.

Remember, it was earlier this month when Neil Young sued the Trump campaign for using his songs "Rockin' in the Free World" and "Devil's Sidewalk" before rallies, after previously warning him not to.

A white man wearing blackface pissed off protesters in D.C. and got sucker-punched as cops were leading him away ... which sparked a wild police chase on foot.

A crowd of mostly Black Lives Matter and anti-Trump protesters gathered near the White House late Thursday night after President Trump accepted the presidential nomination to close the Republican National Convention.

However, one guy in blackface stood out like a sore thumb, angering some of the protesters who shouted he was racist and loudly encouraged him to get the hell outta Dodge.

As a few cops were intervening, a man recording the incident shouts "Blackface!" as another man came from behind and punched the guy in blackface.

The officers took off running after the attacker, and caught him on the street after a short pursuit -- but it was a crazy scene as they tried to nab him.

It's unclear if he was arrested, or what happened to the white guy in blackface. We've reached out to law enforcement.

Jacob Blake's father arrived to the "Commitment March" locked armed with supporters ... telling TMZ his son's fighting for his life.

We got Jacob Blake Sr. marching at the 'Get Your Knee Off Our Necks' event Friday at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. and he said his brothers -- and the event itself -- are holding him up.

Jacob's family -- along with the families of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor -- will be joined by thousands expected to show up for this march. It comes on the 57th anniversary of the March on Washington where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his historic "I Have a Dream" speech.

As you can see in the pics and video ... most attendees are socially distancing and wearing face coverings.

Martin Luther King III -- who was just 5 years old when he attended his father's speech -- and Rev. Al Sharpton are attending the event to push for an end to police violence, systemic racism and advocate for voting rights. All eerily similar goals to the historic 1963 march.

The event is that much more poignant as it comes on the heels of yet another Black man, Jacob Blake, who was shot in the back 7 times at point-blank range by police in Kenosha -- and Friday's march was organized after the funeral for George Floyd.

Trayvon Martin and Ahmaud Arbery's families are also expected to attend.

Rand Paul was surrounded by a crowd of protesters shouting at him about the killing of Breonna Taylor ... which led to a tense scene as police escorted him away.

The Kentucky Senator and his wife, Kelley, were leaving the Republican National Convention Thursday night in D.C. when they were confronted by the large group ... who reminded him there's still been no justice for Breonna.

Demonstrators were peaceful as they yelled "Say her name" and "Her name is Breonna Taylor" at Paul, but at one point, an officer used his bicycle to ram a protester ... and the man retaliated by pushing back.

It was an incredibly tense moment, but it didn't escalate from there as Paul and his wife left safely -- but immediately after the incident, the Senator claimed he was attacked.

He tweeted ... "Just got attacked by an angry mob of over 100, one block away from the White House. Thank you to @DCPoliceDept for literally saving our lives from a crazed mob."

Speaking of attacked ... Breonna was shot and killed by Louisville police in her own home back in March. There have still been no arrests.

Pete Buttigieg says he was floored to see President Trump use the military as prop to help him get re-elected.

We talked to the former Democratic presidential candidate Wednesday on "TMZ Live" and he talked about how hurtful it was for him -- an Afghanistan war vet -- to see the 2 military men open the doors for Trump during what some are calling a stunt -- swearing people in as American citizens as part of the show.

A White House official skirted the issue, saying the campaign only capitalized on what was already a planned WH event. But, this wasn't on Trump's public schedule, so ...

Mayor Pete had some props for Melania Trump and her speech ... problem is, according to PB, she could not have been talking about her husband.

Kinda funny ... he says he'd like to meet the guy Melania was talking about.

Kanye West is pulling out all the stops to get on the ballot in a crucial swing state that he sorta needs to have half a chance at this thing ... and it's home to the Grand Canyon!

Sources tell TMZ ... Ye and his campaign are doing a full blitz to get his name in front Arizona voters' eyes come November, and a big part of that will lie in what KW and co. are willing to spend to get it done. Brace yourself ... we hear they'll drop half a mil if needed.

The devil's in the details ... we're told the 3rd-party petitioning group Ye has hired to gather signatures, Let the Voters Decide, is sending upwards of 100 people into the Copper State over the next week to try and gather 37,769 names ... the required number to get in.

Our sources say petitioners on the ground are getting paid $8 for every signature collected, so if you do the math ... that adds up quick. Ye's got money to blow though, obviously. Fact is ... Kanye needs Arizona considering he's been booted off nearly as many ballots he's on.

If you've been keeping counts ... Ye has qualified to appear on November ballots in eight states thus far, and he's been nixed from seven others. Arizona's a major swing state, so he's gotta lock this down if he seriously wants to contend. He's almost breaking even here.

"I've seen racism up close. I know what it is. And, it isn't Donald Trump."

Football legend Herschel Walker delivered a passionate speech defending Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention Monday ... insisting his longtime buddy is an ally for Black people.

"It hurt my soul to hear the terrible names that people called Donald," Walker said. "The worst one is racist."

Walker says he's known Trump for nearly four decades ... and has never once experienced a racist act from him.

"I take it as a personal insult that people would think I've had a 37-year friendship with a racist," the 58-year-old former running back said. "People who think that don't know what they're talking about."

Walker says Trump has always been a fair and loving person toward him ... giving him business advice and setting an example for how to treat everyone the same.

Walker added he's seen tremendous family values from Donald up close as well ... explaining how Trump joined a family vacation to Disney World at the last minute in a suit and tie.

"There he was, in a business suit, on It's A Small World ride," Walker said with a laugh. "That was something to see."

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is back in town to help save the Postal Service from being gutted -- and she's got a word of advice for those who wanna help, including Cher.

We got AOC Saturday on Capitol Hill, where she and other House Dems convened a rare session to pass a $25B emergency relief bill to keep the tattered USPS intact through November ... this after alleged attempts at dismantling under the Trump administration.

She tells us what her party wants to see with the money they hope to get passed -- and it goes beyond just stopping any more drastic changes than what has reportedly taken place ... AKA, removing mailboxes and sorting machines, cutting overtime for employees, etc.

AOC says this bill seeks to bring all of those things BACK to handle the influx of mail-in ballots and other Postal Service products people usually expect to be up and running ... especially ahead of a crucial presidential election. Time will tell if it passes the Senate.

Now, as for what people can do on the ground to help the cause -- like Cher recently expressed interest in doing -- Rep. Ocasio-Cortez keeps it real ... but practical too.

Kanye West may have missed another important deadline in his presidential run, and this one certainly suggests his campaign is on the rocks.

Kanye, the presidential candidate, is required by FEC rules to file a financial report if he raises or spends $100k on his campaign.

The filing deadline was August 20, but according to an FEC official ... the agency hasn't received it.

So this means one of 2 things, and neither is good for Kanye -- either he missed the filing deadline or he didn't raise $100k ... and how do you run for Prez if you can't raise $100k?

As we reported, Kanye really ramped up his campaign in late July after his off-the-rails rally in South Carolina, hiring a third-party group called Let the Voters Decide to help get him on the ballot in several states.  He's also hired a team of political advisors.

Ye spent at least $30k to get on the ballot in Illinois ... but it didn't pay off.

Kamala Harris has made history ... she is the first Black female ever nominated on a major Presidential ticket, and her acceptance speech was a call to action to save America.

Harris' speech capped off a DNC night that honored women. She did not mince words, saying "Donald Trump's leadership has cost lives and livelihoods."

She spent a fair amount of time talking about her family ... especially her late mother, whom she calls the most important person in her life. Her mother raised Harris and her siblings, and wished she could have watched her accept the nomination.

Harris spent time talking about the civil rights struggle in this country, and playing off the country's struggles over the COVID pandemic, she said, "There is no vaccine for racism. We've gotta do the work."

And, on the subject of foreign relations, the shot at Trump was obvious when she said, "We [will] stand with our allies and stand up to our adversaries."

Harris' speech followed former President Obama, who made what may have been his most powerful speech ever. Obama used numerous historical references to underscore what he says are the many failings of a Trump who did not grow into the office.

Kamala Harris is the subject of a heinous, misogynistic attack ... this one on a t-shirt that had been hawked on Amazon until moments ago.

The shirts with the phrase "Joe and the Hoe" were being sold on the mega online merchandiser's site this week before Twitter users took notice and demanded the items be removed immediately. One of the shirts even had a vile subtitle attached ... "Sniff & Blow."

Amazon tells us it removed the shirts from circulation Wednesday, and said all retailers were subject to following their sellers' guidelines ... which appear to bar this sort of blatant smear.

Still, the fact this type of product can make its way onto Amazon at all before having to be called out seems problematic to say the least. We've seen this type of stuff make it onto the site before -- outright outlandish products and/or descriptions seem to slip through the cracks pretty often.

Sad fact is ... Senator Harris' character and gender have been targeted from the moment Joe Biden announced her as his Vice President. Scores of memes vilifying her immediately went into the ether -- some of that to be expected, it's politics, after all.

But, stooping to referring to a female candidate as a "hoe," clearly crosses the line from simple political discourse.

LeBron James says he will officially join Team Biden -- and will actively campaign for the V.P. and Kamala Harris to defeat Donald Trump in the presidential election.

"We are at a time where we need change," LeBron said on VICE TV's "Cari & Jemele: Stick To Sports."

"In order for change, it's all about leadership -- and leadership starts at the top."

Remember, LeBron campaigned hard for Hillary Clinton during her 2016 presidential campaign -- even joining her on stage for a rally in Ohio.

Now, LeBron says he'll get his political machine up and cranking again to help Biden/Harris get into the White House this time around.

LeBron's issues with Donald Trump are well documented -- they've traded shots for years.

Bron has called Trump everything from a bum to a clown. Trump insulted Bron's intelligence.

So, when Jemele Hill -- who's also gone after Trump -- asked about Bron's intentions to help out Biden, James said it was an obvious decision.

"I think what's known don't need to be said," Bron explained on the show (premieres Wednesday at 10 PM ET).

Back in 2016, Bron had a ton of support from NBA players -- including J.R. Smith who joined him on stage during the Clinton rally.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer's love of Shark Week could not be contained -- even as she was about to speak to the DNC -- and now she's got a new catchphrase with some bite ... with the Discovery Channel's stamp of approval!

The Guv was about to deliver her live speech Monday night in support of Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee for president when she decided to let her Shark Week flag fly, saying ... "It's not just Shark Week, it's Shark week *mouths expletive for 'mother f*****s'*"

Her joke drew big laughs from the room as she acknowledged she knew her mic was on. The way it seems to us ... she was warming up the crowd -- comprised mostly of auto workers -- and it worked.

The moment didn't air on live TV ... but thanks to the magic of live streaming, it's gone viral, already garnering merchandise production in her home state.

Not only has the Governor's remark resonated with Shark Week fans and her constituents, but our sources at Discovery tell us the channel is thrilled at Gretchen's hot mic moment.

Of course, Shark Week 2020 just ended ... but it's never too early to hype up 2021.