White House

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.

Donald Trump is looking to kick one of his criminal cases down the road -- way down the road -- he wants his federal election interference trial to begin after he gets another shot at the White House.

In new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Trump is seeking to delay his upcoming trial until April 2026 ... instead of the January 2024 trial date Special Counsel Jack Smith wants.

Trump's proposed trial start would fall about 17 months after the 2024 presidential election, in which he's the leading Republican candidate.

According to the docs, Trump says the delay is necessary because prosecutors have produced 11.5 million pages of documents -- which he says if stacked together would stretch nearly 5,000 feet into the sky -- and his attorneys need time to comb through all of it.

The former president is now facing 4 criminal cases, but this is related to his federal indictment for attempting to undermine the 2020 election with his actions on, before and after January 6, 2021.

Remember, prosecutors at the Department of Justice charged Trump on Aug. 1 with 4 counts -- conspiracy to defraud the U.S., conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding and conspiracy against rights (to vote).

Trump's pleaded not guilty ... and Smith's team of prosecutors previously filed docs requesting jury selection begin in December, with the trial starting Jan. 2.

Of course, that would be square in the middle of Trump's campaign for the 2024 election -- keep in mind the Iowa Caucus is on Jan. 15.

So, it's not all that surprising Trump wants to hit pause, and push it until well after the 2024 election ... to a date when he could actually be POTUS, once again. That would make more history.

Vivek Ramaswamy — a 2024 Republican Presidential candidate — is beating Donald Trump in at least one category — rapping!!

The fresh-faced businessman turned politician hit the stage at the Iowa State Fair during a campaign stop Saturday — and he wowed the packed crowd by belting out Eminem’s 2002 hit, “Lose Yourself.”

Check out the video … Vivek just kills it, grabbing the mic and spitting out the lyrics Slim Shady-style as the song played over the sound system. The fans loved it ... and some probably thought Vivek gave Em a little run for his money as a hip hop artist.

Before launching into his performance, Vivek revealed to the audience Em’s tune is his fave on the campaign trail; he always strolls out on stage to it, but this is the first time everyone has gotten a good hard look at Vivek's musical chops and he's pretty kick-ass.

Vivek is also kicking butt in the polls ... some recent assessments put Vivek in third place in his bid for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

The Houston Astros got the VIP treatment at the White House on Monday to celebrate their World Series title ... and POTUS came with the jokes!!

80-year-old President Joe Biden welcomed the 2022 champions to 1600 Penn with a special ceremony minutes ago ... and he showed off his comedic side with a number of funny personal jabs throughout his speech.

The highlight of the day came when Biden praised 'Stros manager Dusty Baker ... revealing he was a fan of the legend during his playing career, even though he was six years his senior.

"Worst part was, I remember rooting for him as a kid, and I was older than he was," Biden said.

The crowd was into it ... laughing as #46 made the sign of the cross to cap off the joke.

But, Biden wasn't done poking fun at himself -- he also made a silly comparison to Baker working well into his 70s.

"People counted you out, saying you were past your prime. Hell, I know something about that!!"

Biden's age is something President Donald Trump mentioned numerous times during their heated 2020 presidential run ... despite there only being a three-year difference.

Donald Trump has another criminal case on his hands -- another grand jury has indicted him, this time for attempting to undermine the 2020 election with his actions on, before and after January 6, 2021.

The ex-President's been hit with 4 new counts -- conspiracy to defraud the U.S., conspiracy to obstruct and official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding and conspiracy against rights (to vote).

Trump took to Truth Social to beat the feds to the punch, announcing he would be indicted before the feds could drop the bombshell. Trump wrote, "I hear that Deranged (Special Counsel) Jack Smith, in order to interfere with the Presidential Election of 2024, will be putting out yet another Fake Indictment of your favorite President, me, at 5:00 P.M."

He adds, "Why didn’t they do this 2.5 years ago? Why did they wait so long? Because they wanted to put it right in the middle of my campaign. Prosecutorial Misconduct!"

Remember, Trump has two other criminal cases that are currently pending -- one pertains to his alleged hush money payment to Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election, and another is tied to his classified documents scandal post-presidency down in Florida.

In both instances, Trump has pleaded not guilty. Ya gotta assume, he'll do the same here.

Trump was impeached over his role in the Jan. 6 riot -- but was ultimately acquitted in Congress when the proceedings reached the Senate. He very memorably encouraged protesters that day to head on over to the Capitol, and was slow to tell them to stand down.

Interestingly, Trump's been full steam ahead on the campaign regardless of his legal woes -- he continues to hold rallies, including one this past weekend, as the 2024 election nears.

Trump has been summoned to appear in federal court Thursday in D.C. to face the new charges.

President Biden is all about the Vitamin D in the summertime -- as seen here ... where's losing his shirt and soaking up some rays in his native Delaware.

Joe was feeling sandy Sunday in Rehoboth Beach, where he's got a home. In photos obtained by TMZ, you can see POTUS and FLOTUS making their way out to the shore with a bunch of items in hand ... and a ton of Secret Service agents in tow, too.

JB was in his usual beach attire -- showing up with some trunks, a tee, and a ball cap. Eventually, he took off his top and went skins for the outing ... flaunting his gramps bod!

It looks like he was briefly out in the heat, but the plopped down in a chair to chill in the shade. Like we said, Jill was right next to him ... and they appeared preoccupied reading.

This is a pretty similar vibe to what they were doing a few weeks ago, right on the heels of the cocaine discovery ... which ended up going unsolved. You'll recall, at the time ... Joe was also doing some reading then -- and the missus could be seen throwing on some SPF.

No sign of any other family members here, including Hunter ... who continues to loom over the President's term. There's more that's expected to emerge in the coming days about Hunter -- including some potentially damaging testimony in Congress from an ex-biz partner.

Oliver Stone thinks President Biden is leading us right into a looming Armageddon as it relates to Russia's war with Ukraine -- while also lamenting ever having voted for the guy.

The famed director went off on POTUS during a recent interview he did with Russell Brand -- who has tended to lean right in his political views these days. That was echoed in Oliver's diatribe ... where he accused Biden of being on the verge of starting World War III.

Check it out ... OS says Joe is repeating historical missteps with his foreign policy, especially as it relates to how he and his administration are dealing with the ongoing conflict.

He doesn't really get into specifics -- at least not in this lone clip -- but he seems to be alluding to the fact that the U.S. continues to support Ukraine through funding and weaponry ... which he seems to think is only further antagonizing Putin, maybe for the worse.

Stone also had this to say about having buyer's remorse on election night ... "I voted for him – I made a mistake, I was thinking he was an old man now that he would calm down, that he would be more mellow and so-forth, I didn’t see that at all. I see a man who maybe is not in charge of his own administration. Who knows."

President Biden is gearing up for an epic battle to retain The White House, but we've learned he's put the brakes on going to a critical area to fill his campaign coffers -- Los Angeles.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Biden will not come to the L.A. area until the actors' and writers' strikes are resolved. There's still 15 months left before the election, but with strikes that seem to have no end in sight, it could become problematic.

Biden has a long history of supporting unions, and the Hollywood strikes are no different. He said back in May, "I sincerely hope the writers' strike in Hollywood gets resolved and the writers are given a fair deal they deserve as soon as possible."

Here's how significant L.A. and, California is to Biden's campaign. He raised more money in CA than any other state in 2020 -- $105.5 million -- and that represented 21% of money raised for the campaign.

His spokesperson said earlier this month, "The President believes all workers, including actors, deserve fair pay and benefits," adding, "The President supports workers' right to strike."

L.A. County is a huge part of that equation. In 2020 Biden held 20 virtual fundraisers, some at $25,000 a head. One fundraiser alone raked in $2.7M. Celebs like Cher, Jennifer Garner, Barbra Streisand and Cyndi Lauper hosted some of the events.

Our sources say some very rich folks are already offering their homes for big Biden fundraisers this time around ... again, for $25,000 a pop. But we're told, "Nothing has been scheduled. There are no events planned so far, but they will happen when the strikes are over."

We're told Biden feels it's unseemly to raise this kind of money from the Hollywood community when lots of industry folks are struggling.

An industry source with decades of experience in many areas of Hollywood is convinced ... this strike will be over by the end of the year and probably before. But the clock is starting to tick.

President Biden's dog Commander doesn't have to be a recidivist biter ... a former Secret Service agent -- who's trained other White House pups -- says the pup can be trained to stop sinking his teeth into people.

Marshall Mirarchi was in the Secret Service's K-9 division during the Obama administration -- when Biden was VP -- and he joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" to explain why Commander's bitten 7 people over a 4-month span, and to tell us what the hell can be done about it.

Marshall says Commander absolutely can have the urge to bite trained out of him ... offering up his own dog, Hurricane, as a living, breathing example of a dog that can go from harmless to menace on command.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre brushed off Commander's biting problem Tuesday as a casualty of the stressful conditions at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

That's not just spin, according to Marshall -- he confirmed there are plenty of stressors for a White House dog, but he also believes the Secret Service can get the German shepherd to stop attacking folks.

Of course, Marshall says it's going to take a lot of training and patience to see a change in Commander ... but he's confident it can be done, and that the Secret Service has the right agents for the job.

For what it's worth, Marshall trained dogs for Barack Obama and G.W. Bush, and there were no known biting incidents with them. He says that's partly due to differences in breeds, but the guy clearly knows his stuff.

President Biden's White House Press Secretary explains Commander the recidivist dog biter this way ... hey, The White House is a super stressful place!

Press Sect'y. Karine Jean-Pierre fielded questions during Tuesday's briefing, and of course ... she was asked about Commander, Joe's German Shepherd -- who has been allowed to call 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. home, despite biting 7 people in a 4-month period.

That 4-month period ended in January, and when Jean-Pierre was asked if the dog has sunk its chompers into anyone else since then, she punted, referring the reporter to the Secret Service.

When asked if there were any plans on relocating the canine, Jean-Pierre didn't say. She did, however, promise there'd be more leashing/training.

A WH rep also said the Secret Service and executive residence staff would work to carve out designated areas and times for Commander to run around and play -- so, for now, it would appear there's no sign of him getting shipped off to Delaware, like Major.

As far as the Secret Service agents who were bitten ... the WH says their injuries were dealt with according to workplace injury protocols, and noted the Prez and First Lady appreciated the Secret Service's understanding through all of this.

Barack and Michelle Obama's personal chef, who used to cook for them at the White House, is dead ... after drowning in water near the couple's Martha's Vineyard estate.

Tafari Campbell's body was found by divers Monday after going missing Sunday night in water that backs up to the Obama's compound ... this according to police in Massachusetts.

In a statement, Barack and Michelle say Tafari was a beloved part of their family and their hearts break over his death.

The Obamas are remembering Tafari as a talented sous chef who was "creative and passionate about food, and its ability to bring people together" ... and as a "warm, fun, extraordinarily kind person who made all of our lives a little brighter."

Police say they received reports Sunday of a missing paddleboarder, and a search of the waters near the Obama estate ended Monday morning when divers recovered Tafari's body from Edgartown Great Pond.

Cops say Tafari's body was found 100 feet from shore and 8 feet below the surface.

The Obamas were not home at the time of the incident, according to police, and an investigation into Tafari's death is underway.

Tafari is survived by his wife, Sherise, and their twin boys, Zavier and Savin. He was 45.

Yo Gotti's co-ownership of MLS soccer team D.C. United has opened new doors for the "Rake It Up" rapper ... making a trip to the White House to hang with the First Lady!!!

The CMG boss kicked off his MLS All-Star Week on the South Lawn of the White House Monday as an invited guest. Gotti was part of a youth soccer clinic designed to raise awareness for the sport with future generations.

Sources tell TMZ Hip Hop that Gotti and Jill Biden had a great chitchat on the South Lawn about his own children's growing love for soccer ... and he connected with officials from the Biden-Harris Administration throughout the day.

Gotti joined D.C. United in 2021 and has been proactive in ingraining himself in the soccer community.

We're told he'll be joining the TV booth for the MLS All-Star Game later this evening, as 2 D.C. United players and their coach Wayne Rooney are on the roster.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. floated a theory this week, suggesting COVID-19 was manufactured to attack certain races/ethnicities, and to skip others ... including Jewish people.

The Dem presidential hopeful was at a dinner in NYC Friday when he made the inflammatory comments -- which were actually caught on camera and published by the NY Post. In the clip, RFK Jr. starts out by talking about bioweapons, and then moves on to the virus.

He says there's evidence backing the notion that COVID was designed to be "ethnically targeted," adding there are studies that show it hit certain demographics harder than others.

As he explains -- to the clear discomfort of others around him -- COVID was allegedly more prone to latch onto and "attack" Caucasians and Black people because of their genetic makeup ... but then says Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese folks are the most immune to it.

The guy hedges things a bit by saying it's unclear if the virus was purposely designed to act in this way, but it seems clear he's trying to entertain a conspiracy theory here -- and a lot of people have called his remarks antisemitic and racist. And yet, RFK Jr.'s defending himself.

He said NYP was mistaken, adding, "I have never, ever suggested that the COVID-19 virus was targeted to spare Jews. I accurately pointed out — during an off-the-record conversation — that the U.S. and other governments are developing ethnically targeted bioweapons and that a 2021 study of the COVID-19 virus shows that COVID-19 appears to disproportionately affect certain races since the furin cleave docking site is most compatible with Blacks and Caucasians and least compatible with ethnic Chinese, Finns, and Ashkenazi Jews."

RFK Jr. went on ... "In that sense, it serves as a kind of proof of concept for ethnically targeted bioweapons. I do not believe and never implied that the ethnic effect was deliberately engineered." He linked to a NIH study about genetic susceptibility pertaining to COVID.

Add this to the list of awesome things Flau'jae Johnson's done since winning the National Championship ... the LSU hoops star performed in front of a packed crowd, including LeBron James, at a star-studded ESPY's after-party on Wednesday!

Johnson put on a show for The King and other big-time celebs at Uninterrupted's after-party in Los Angeles (Uninterrupted was founded by LBJ and biz partner Maverick Carter in 2014).

Johnson performed her hit single, "Clickbait" -- a remix of Latto's "Put It on Da Floor" -- and the crowd loved it!

But, she wasn't the only hip hop artist that hit the stage ... Quavo also pulled up and did "Hotel Lobby" and "Bad and Boujee."

Of course, James was all smiles, dancing the night away ... just hours after the Lakers superstar won the award for Best Record-Breaking Performance. LeBron also announced he's not retiring from the NBA.

Whoever left their coke in the White House can smile ... they're not gonna get busted for it, because the Secret Service has no video evidence to nail a suspect.

The Secret Service says it closed its investigation into the bag of cocaine that was found July 2 in the West Wing -- and, absolutely stunningly, they've been unable to identify who left it.

The agency says there was "no surveillance video footage found" that revealed who made the coke drop. Further, the Secret Service says the FBI lab couldn't find any fingerprints or DNA it could use to compare with the "known pool of individuals" ... such as White House staffers.

Interestingly, authorities say the coke was found in a "receptacle used to temporarily store electronic and personal devices prior to entering the West Wing."

You'd think there are security cameras blanketing nearly every inch of the President's residence -- especially in the West Wing, which hosts so many visitors, journalists and staffers each day. If ya buy what the Secret Service is saying here ... that's, apparently, not the case.

The Secret Service says it's closing the investigation "due to a lack of physical evidence."

Donald Trump is one of the most polarizing people ever, but that wasn't the case at UFC 290 ... the former president received heaps of love from the packed crowd in Las Vegas, including celebs and fighters!

The 45th President of the United States was captured on video walking into T-Mobile Arena flanked by longtime friend, UFC president Dana White, escorted by a gang of Secret Service Agents ... where Trump received a raucous ovation.

After enough handshakes to put a campaign event to shame (including dapping up Raiders star Maxx Crosby), Trump and White made their way to their seats, Octagon-side.

The card featured a ton of great fights ... and a bunch of the athletes showed Trump love after their scraps, including Bo Nickal, who beat Val Woodburn by 1st round knockout.

After the KO, Bo climbed the Octagon fence and had a brief chat with DT.

Jalin Turner's corner also had a conversation with Donald ... with one of the lightweight contender's coaches asking him, "Mr. Trump, are you winning again? Are you winning again? Yes! Please! We need it!"

In between the fights, Trump also found time to hang with Israel Adesanya, "Suga" Sean O'Malley and Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone.