White House

Bill Maher has high praise for President Biden -- he says he's done a good job and has brought some normalcy back to The White House -- but he needs to pass the torch now, or Trump will get reelected.

The 'Real Time' host is back in full force after the writers' strike settled, and could not have been more fired up about 2024. BM says Donald Trump MUST be defeated or democracy will surely die, but he believes Biden can't beat him ... because voters are scared about his age, as well as physical and mental acuity.

Maher says, it doesn't matter at this point whether Biden is sharp enough for a second term -- even Dems have deep reservations, and perception is now reality.

Maher says age should not be an automatic disqualifier ... it should be case by case. And speaking of ... you gotta hear Bill talk about Mitch McConnell ... that the freezing episodes looked like Mitch was in a "buffering state."

As for Trump ... he says even though he's around the same age as Biden ... somehow he seems more vibrant -- "Trump is like KISS. He puts on the face paint and the wig and he looks like he did in 1978!"

And speaking of Trump ... Bill hilariously has some pointers for the future possible cellmate of the former Prez ... you gotta watch.

California Governor Gavin Newsom says Taylor Swift could be a pivotal force in the 2024 presidential election ... and it's pretty clear the Guv feels she could help keep Dems in The White House.

California's top Democrat was at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley Wednesday night for the second Republican debate ... showing up as a pundit to grade the candidates. Real talk -- he's there because he's increasingly viewed as a future presidential contender.

Our TMZ guy asked him how celebs might have an impact on next year's race, and he immediately singled out Taylor as someone who stands "tall and unique" in her influence on young voters. He says she's the one who can activate young people to cast ballots.

Taylor has some history here ... she came out strong in 2020, urging her fans to exercise their franchise as she made it clear ... Biden was her choice.

Swift has not officially declared her party affiliation, but based on issues on which she's spoken -- LGBTQ rights, pro-choice on the issue of abortion -- she's pretty clearly a Dem.

Here's an example of Taylor's power and influence -- last week she urged her 272 million followers to register, and 35,000 of them immediately took the cue.

Presidential races tend to be won by razor-thin margins -- 44,000 votes in 2020 made all the difference, so Taylor could become a kingmaker.

Newsom also took a shot at Republicans, saying they have been critical of her for daring to get people inspired to vote.

El gobernador de California, Gavin Newsom, dice que Taylor Swift podría ser una fuerza fundamental en las elecciones presidenciales de 2024 y está bastante claro que cree que podría ayudar a mantener a los demócratas en la Casa Blanca.

El principal demócrata de California estaba en la Biblioteca Reagan en Simi Valley el miércoles por la noche para el segundo debate republicano. Estaba allí porque está cada vez más cerca de ser considerado para la presidencia.

TMZ le preguntó cómo las celebridades podrían tener un impacto en la carrera del próximo año y de inmediato señaló a Taylor como alguien "grande y única" respecto a su influencia sobre los votantes jóvenes. Dice que ella es la que puede activar a los jóvenes para que voten.

Taylor tiene algo de historia aquí; durante el 2020 animó a sus fans a ejercer su voto mientras dejaba claro que Biden era su elección.

Swift no ha declarado oficialmente su afiliación a un partido, pero en base a los temas sobre los que ha hablado (los derechos LGBTQ y pro elección en el tema del aborto) podemos notar que es demócrata.

He aquí un ejemplo del poder y la influencia de Taylor: la semana pasada instó a sus 272 millones de seguidores a registrarse y 35.000 de ellos siguieron inmediatamente el ejemplo.

Las carreras presidenciales tienden a ganarse por márgenes muy estrechos: 44.000 votos en 2020 marcaron la diferencia, por lo que Taylor podría convertirse en una fuerte influencia.

Newsom también disparó contra los republicanos6 diciendo que han sido críticos con ella por atreverse a inspirar a la gente a votar.

MC Lyte thinks everyone focusing on President Joe Biden's blundering intro of LL Cool J isn't keeping their eyes on the prize ... which is, in her opinion, one of hip hop's biggest moments ever.

Lyte was honored alongside LL last weekend in D.C. for her own monumental strides in rap -- but it wasn't her name the President royally screwed up, nor was she the one who had to stomach being called "boy" ... as LL did.

Biden's political critics think it's just the latest example of him losing it, and his cultural critics -- like Charlamagne Tha God -- had no mercy for him either, but Lyte went to bat for the commander-in-chief and thinks it was an honest mistake he sincerely regrets.

Lyte and LL go way back to the days of Hip Hop's dawn periods and she thanked him for the years of historic collaborations but points out that the recent Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative Conference marked the first time both an active President and Vice President acknowledged the culture they walk and breathe.

V.P. Kamala Harris just opened the White House doors to host a Hip Hop celebration highlighted by performances from Fat Joe, Remy Ma, and Lil Wayne ... which speaks to Lyte's points.

John Cusack -- someone who's been transparent about his liberal views for years -- is coming after Democrats ... 'cause in his eyes, they have a total lack of morals.

The often-left-wing actor didn't hold back on social media earlier this week, saying those towards the top of the Democratic Party are "full of s***." He goes on to blame them for people switching to Donald Trump as a consideration for the presidency.

It's a long rant that John goes on -- he even takes shots at former Prez Barack Obama's iconic "Hope and Change" slogan ... something John's calling, "another branded hustle."

John's heated talk came in response to an article that claimed Dems are considering doing away with federal wealth taxes ... writing, "This kind of staggering amoral bulls*** is one of the main reason[s] (yes there are others) Trump's demagoguery works on people."

He sarcastically adds, "Don’t worry fellas - the democrats will save the .000000001 % from paying tax" ... saying, "To even attempt this … Unbelievable."

For those unaware, John's often spoken out about things like politics, activism, and wealth distribution ... but he usually sees things from a Democratic perspective.

John Cusack es alguien que ha sido transparente acerca de sus puntos de vista liberales durante años, pero nos enteramos que esta vez va en contra de los demócratas ya que bajo su punto de vista, tienen una total falta de moral.

El actor —a menudo de izquierdas— no se contuvo en las redes sociales a principios de esta semana diciendo que los que están en la cima del Partido Demócrata están "llenos de mierda". A continuación, les culpa de que la gente se haya pasado a Donald Trump como candidato a la presidencia.

Es un largo despotricar el de John, incluso ningunea el icónico eslogan del ex Presidente Barack Obama "Esperanza y Cambio", algo que John llama, "otro timo de marca".

La acalorada charla de John vino en respuesta a un artículo que afirmaba que los demócratas están considerando eliminar los impuestos federales sobre la riqueza escribiendo: "Este tipo de asombrosa mierda amoral es una de las principales razones (sí hay otras) por las que la demagogia de Trump funciona en la gente".

Y añade sarcásticamente: "No se preocupen amigos, los demócratas salvarán al .000000001 % de pagar impuestos" diciendo: "Para siquiera intentar esto ... Increíble".

Para aquellos que no lo saben, John ha hablado a menudo sobre cosas como la política, el activismo, y la distribución de la riqueza pero por lo general ve las cosas desde una perspectiva demócrata.

Quavo está abordando su lucha contra la violencia de las armas directamente con la Casa Blanca, ya que el rapero reunió personalmente con la Vicepresidenta Kamala Harris para conversar un asunto que para él es muy personal.

La megaestrella estuvo acompañado de su madre y Titania Davenport, madre del fallecido Takeoff, en la reunión, la que tuvo lugar en 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Nos dicen que Quavo expresó su deseo de que el Congreso apruebe la Ley para Romper el Ciclo de la Violencia, que permitiría tratar la violencia por las armas como un riesgo para la salud pública, igual que el abuso de sustancias y la depresión.

Quavo también compartió sus historias personales, instando a la Vicepresidenta a apoyar su misión en todo lo que esté a su alcance.

Kamala Harris agradeció públicamente a la familia en su cuenta de Instagram, por usar su plataforma no solo para honrar a Takeoff, sino también para generar conciencia sobre la importancia de prevenir la violencia que provocan las armas.

Quavo recientemente creó la fundación Rocket Foundation para impactar en la legislación sobre las armas tanto a nivel estatal como federal, y vino específicamente a D.C. para asegurar un respaldo político más fuerte, especialmente en áreas desatendidas.

Más temprano en el día, Quavo se reunió con varios representantes del Black Caucus del Congreso para impulsar la política y concluyó el día con el líder de la comunidad, Greg Jackson. Ambos coorganizaron una recepción para los legisladores y los defensores de la prevención de la violencia armada para discutir mejores soluciones.

Quavo cree firmemente que la violencia por las armas se puede prevenir, y que vino a D.C. para construir comunidades más seguras.

Quavo's taking his gun violence plight straight to the White House ... where he met with Vice President Kamala Harris for a sit-down on the hot-button, and very personal, issue.

The megastar rapper was joined by his mother and sister Titania Davenport, mother to the late Takeoff, for the meeting at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

We're told Quavo expressed his desire for Congress to pass the Break the Cycle of Violence Act, which will enable gun violence to be treated as a public health risk ... akin to substance abuse and depression.

He also shared his personal stories, urging the Veep to support their mission to the fullest extent of her power.

The Vice Prez thanked the family publicly on her IG for using their platform to not only honor Takeoff, but also to spread gun violence prevention awareness.

His recently launched Rocket Foundation was created to impact gun laws on both the state and federal levels, and Quavo specifically came to D.C. to secure stronger political backing ... especially in underserved areas.

Earlier in the day, Quavo met with various Representatives from the Congressional Black Caucus to push the policy and concluded the day with community leader Greg Jackson ... as they cohosted a reception for lawmakers and gun violence prevention advocates to discuss better solutions.

Quavo firmly thinks gun violence is preventable, and says he came to D.C. aiming to build safer communities.

Hay una nueva presentadora en 'Meet the Press', y en el primer día de trabajo consiguió que Donald Trump admitiera que necesitaba votos para ganar las elecciones de 2020, lo cual es bastante.

Kristen Welker está ahora al timón después de que Chuck Todd renunciara, y su primer programa del domingo contó con una larga entrevista que hizo con el ex presidente. Hay un interesante fragmento de sonido donde ella le pregunta acerca de su negativa a aceptar los resultados de las elecciones.

Échale un vistazo a este intercambio, Welker señala que Trump ha dicho en repetidas ocasiones que sólo necesitaba unos pocos miles de votos en cada estado para ganar, por no hablar de llamar a algunos Secretarios de Estado en un intento de presionarlos para "encontrar" votos, y él reconoce que eso es cierto.

Entonces Welker pregunta lo obvio: "Cuando dice que necesitaba una décima de punto, ¿necesitaba una décima de punto para ganar?". Trump admite que sólo necesitaba un puñado de votos.

Ella vuelve a presionar: "¿Para ganar?" Trump responde: "Sí". Welker entonces va al siguiente hecho obvio aquí: "Pero señor presidente, usted está diciendo que necesitaba más votos para ganar las elecciones, ¿está reconociendo que no ganó?". Eso envía a Trump a un frenesí de "Disculpe".

Cuando ella finalmente le pregunta si está admitiendo haber perdido, él dice que no, insistiendo en que estaba amañado.

Hay otros puntos interesantes de la entrevista, como la pregunta de Welker a Trump sobre si teme ir a la cárcel. Él le dice que no porque al parecer ni siquiera piensa en ello.

Ahora, debemos señalar que Welker/NBC está recibiendo algunas críticas por su decisión de entrevistar a Trump y darle una "plataforma". Eso es una tontería, sin embargo el tipo se dirige a convertirse en el candidato republicano, y sigue siendo de interés periodístico. 🤷🏽‍♂️

There's a new host over at 'Meet the Press' -- and on day one of the job, she got Donald Trump to admit he needed votes to win the 2020 election ... which is quite something.

Kristen Welker is now at the helm after Chuck Todd stepped down, and her first show Sunday featured a lengthy interview she did with the former President ... and it contains an interesting soundbite where she asks him about his refusal to accept the election results.

Check out this exchange ... Welker points out that Trump has repeatedly said he only needed a few thousands votes in each state to win -- not to mention calling some Secretaries of State in an attempt to pressure them to "find" votes -- and he acknowledges that's true.

Then Welker asks the obvious ... "When you say you needed one-tenth of a point, you needed one-tenth of a point to win?" Trump concedes he needed only a smattering of votes.

She again presses ... "To win?" DT responds, "Yeah." Welker then goes to the next obvious fact here ... "But Mr. President, you’re saying you needed more votes to win the election, are you acknowledging you didn’t win?" That sends Trump into an "Excuse me" frenzy.

When she finally asks him if he's admitting to losing ... he says no, insisting it was rigged.

There are other interesting takeaways from the sit-down ... including Welker asking Trump if he fears going to prison. He tells her no, because apparently, he doesn't even think about it.

Now, we should point out ... Welker/NBC is catching a bit of flak over their decision to interview Trump at all and to give him a "platform." That's silly, though -- the guy is headed toward becoming the Republican nominee, and he continues to be newsworthy. 🤷🏽‍♂️

Jake Paul is showin' his support for Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy on the platform that just might decide the 2024 election -- yep, one little TikTok dance can go a long way.

The boxer shared their collab Wednesday, taking a stab at a viral dance made popular by Houston Rockets' Dillon Brooks ... something that's kinda blown up online.

Jake drags politicians for not reaching out to the youth through social media, saying those trying to garner the attention of young voters are missing out on a practically untapped market. He says Vivek is all about these types of connections, however.

BTW, Vivek also spoke about the lack of social media interaction from his fellow candidates, claiming they're all just scared because of the unscripted factor.

Jake and Vivek's video has gained a lot of attention online, but not everyone's as supportive of Jake's endorsement -- one commenter called the video "a terrible idea," while a handful of others claimed Vivek lost their vote just because he worked with Jake.

Haters. Just part and parcel of the social media landscape.

Vivek and Jake's criticism of the other candidates doesn't apply to at least one Democratic hopeful -- Marianne Williamson recently told us why moving to TikTok is helping her overcome what she sees as a blatant bias on TV.

She claims the cable media outlets won't give her airtime because she's running against President Biden.

As for Vivek, it'll be interesting to see if an endorsement from Jake will really make a difference in the polls -- don't forget, he got a stamp of disapproval from Eminem last month, who blocked Vivek from using his songs at his campaign events.

Hunter Biden acaba de ser acusado de tenencia de armas, y su presunto consumo de drogas es un factor en el caso.

Los fiscales federales de Delaware acusaron al hijo del presidente Biden de tres cargos relacionados con la posesión de armas mientras consumía estupefacientes, según documentos judiciales.

Hunter está acusado de un cargo de falsa declaración en la compra de un arma de fuego, un cargo de falsa declaración relacionada con la información requerida para mantener la licencia federal de armas de fuego, y un cargo de posesión de un arma de fuego por parte de un usuario ilegal o adicto a una sustancia controlada.

Hunter está acusado de presentar un formulario afirmando que no consumía drogas ilegales en octubre de 2018 cuando compró un revólver Colt Cobra, y estaba en posesión de un arma mientras consumía estupefacientes.

La acusación se produce después de que el acuerdo de culpabilidad de Hunter por cargos fiscales y de armas implosionara en julio, y los cargos se presentan mientras los republicanos de la Cámara continúan investigando las finanzas de Hunter.

Hunter Biden has just been indicted on gun charges ... and his alleged drug use is a factor in the case.

Federal prosecutors in Delaware indicted President Biden's son on three counts related to gun possession while using narcotics ... according to court documents.

Hunter is charged with one count of False Statement in Purchase of a Firearm, one count of False Statement Related to Information Required to be Kept By Federal Firearms Licensed Dealer, and one count of Possession of a Firearm by a Person who is an Unlawful User of or Addicted to a Controlled Substance.

HB is accused of filing a form claiming he was not using illegal drugs in October 2018 when he bought a Colt Cobra revolver ... and of being in possession of a gun while using narcotics.

The indictment comes after Hunter's plea deal on tax and gun charges imploded back in July ... and the charges are being brought as House Republicans continue to investigate Hunter's finances.

One of John F. Kennedy's Secret Service agents -- who was with him in the car that day -- says the famed magic bullet theory doesn't quite add up ... based on what he remembers.

Paul Landis shared his story with NYT, which will also be touched on in a new book of his due out in Oct. Here, he recounts what he says happened when the Prez was assassinated ... insisting the first bullet to hit JFK wasn't the same one to pierce Gov. Connally.

The reason that has been the official view of the U.S. Government for decades now is due to the findings of the Warren Commission -- which investigated the President's assassination, and concluded Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone shooter ... arriving to this conclusion, in part, because of this single bullet that was recovered in Dallas in the immediate aftermath.

Basically, Kennedy first got shot through the throat ... and almost instantly, Gov. Connally was also hit -- getting shot through his chest, wrist and thigh. Despite skeptics, for years, saying it was virtually impossible for that "magic bullet" to have caused so much damage the way it did ... Uncle Sam ultimately determined that's what happened, and closed the case.

They landed on the magic bullet theory because one of those sniper projectiles was found in the stretcher that was carrying Connally ... so they assumed it was the same one that had hit Kennedy to kick off the assassination. That's not how it went down, though ... per Landis.

He claims he actually recovered the first sniper bullet himself, which he says was lodged in the backseat behind where Kennedy sat. Landis says he snatched it because he thought it was a key piece of evidence, threw it on Kennedy's stretcher -- thinking docs would find it -- but presumes the bullet bounced off JFK's stretcher and into Connally's in all the ruckus.

In other words, Landis is now saying that the first bullet that struck Kennedy probably started and ended with him ... and did not travel on to hit Connally. That lends credence to the notion of a second shooter -- something conspiracy theorists have asserted for ages now.

The magic bullet theory has long been the subject of speculation/intrigue -- it was famously spoofed on 'Seinfeld' ... perfectly capturing how ludicrous the masses have found it.

Donald Trump is ready for beer pong and keg stands -- at least that's the vibe here as he meets and greets frat boys in the mid-west ... ones of the land, that is.

The ex-Prez is at Iowa State University right now, where he's expected to attend the Cy-Hawk football game against the University of Iowa. His team announced he'd be in the stands there at Jack Trice Stadium -- and it looks like he's already showing his allegiance.

Check out this clip posted by his campaign team ... it shows 45 walking into a room full of members from the Alpha Gamma Ro Agriculture Fraternity House. So, yes ... farmer bros!!!

Sounds like the guys -- upwards of 40 of them, it seems -- were super happy to see DT ... 'cause they welcomed him with a huge round of applause as he walked in. As for Don, he entered the same way Roy Williams famously did in that locker room once upon a time.

There are a couple different angles floating online, and one shows a little bit of what happened after the guys settled down and stopped clapping. It looks like Trump made a quick quip to the room, which was about to start laughing ... but the clip cuts off before that starts.

Even outside the frat house, there was a huge crowd there to greet Trump ... cheering him on. There's more footage of DT making the rounds on campus and getting received warmly.

Of course, his presence there makes sense ... he's still in campaign mode -- even amid all his legal woes -- and Iowa's a big player in the run-up to a nominee being selected in the GOP. Based on what we can see, it appears he's still got lots of fans in the state of Iowa.

Kim Kardashian is sending a message to President Joe Biden in the hopes of preventing another Armenian Genocide ... asking him to help cut ties with Azerbaijan.

In a Rolling Stone piece released Friday by Kim and Dr. Eric Esrailian, she starts by saying she and countless others like her are "descendants of Armenian Genocide survivors" ... saying she doesn't want to have to talk about yet another genocide in the future.

Kim goes on to talk about how "Azerbaijan has blockaded the only lifeline between the indigenous Christian Armenians of Artsakh" and the rest of the world since December, adding the war in Ukraine has meant some countries have had to rely on Azerbaijan for oil -- resulting in using "starvation as a weapon against the Armenian population in the region."

She says we are past the point of "thoughts, prayers, or concern," outlining the conflict overseas, as well as the 2020 attacks on Armenians in Artsakh and a ceasefire agreement that she says wasn't upheld.

What's more, Kim, who is of Armenian descent, says the silence by governments across the globe has only been fueling the fire, and is now asking Biden to cut off foreign aid to Azerbaijan and boycott international events happening in the country.

As we reported, Kim donated $1 million toward the conflict in Armenia in 2020, as conflicts were heating up -- sources told us Khloe, Kourtney and Rob all made sizeable donations, too.