White House

Kylie Jenner is flexing her political influence in a very impressive way ... turning your standard IG thirst trap into nearly 50,000 potential new registered voters!

TMZ's learned Kylie's smoke show bikini pics -- posted Monday -- are drawing huge traffic for Vote.org. She used the caption of those sexy shots to direct her nearly 200 million Instagram followers to hit up the site, and so many obeyed ... we're told it saw a whopping 1500% boost from traffic driven via Instagram.

There are more astronomical stats -- Vote.org got over an 80% increase in total users of its voter registration and verification tool from the prior day. That all translates to more than 48,000 users going to the site through Kylie's IG post ... and ya gotta figure that number's still rising.

By contrast ... only 2,900 users came to the registration verification tool via Instagram on Sunday out of 174k total users. So, there's clearly a very real Kylie effect working here.

Remember ... only around 138 million Americans -- out of 328 million -- voted in 2016. Now, more than 1 million have already cast ballots for this year's election ... the highest rate of early voting in U.S. history. For example, around this time 4 years ago, less than 10,000 people had voted.

Ya can't say Kylie hasn't done her part to get people to the polls. Aside from the pics this week ... she also implored fans back in June to NOT get distracted, and show up to the polls.

President Trump won't denounce white supremacy and he just delivered an ominous message to the Proud Boys ... telling them to "stand by."

Trump made the jaw-dropping remark during the first presidential debate when moderator Chris Wallace and Democratic candidate Joe Biden asked him to denounce white supremacist groups.

POTUS first attacked ANTIFA when debating violent protests in places like Kenosha, WI and Portland, OR before saying to the Proud Boys, "Stand back and stand by."

It's a bizarre and ominous statement to say the least ... because "stand by" sounds a lot like Trump is telling the far-right group that if he loses the election to Biden, he'll get back to them.

Eric Trump took an anonymous gay person's support for his dad and tried to bootstrap that support to the entire LGBT community -- but some of their heaviest hitters are calling BS.

Officials from some of the biggest LGBT-friendly groups in the country are outraged by the Prez's son's appearance Tuesday on "Fox & Friends" -- when he responded to an NYT op-ed told from the POV of a lesbian woman ... who said she was a secret Trump supporter.

In his response, Eric seemingly flubbed ... making it seem like he's a member of the community. More importantly, he suggested gay people were down with MAGA ... but that's hardly the case ... so say these orgs.

Reps for GLAAD, the Human Rights Campaign, PFLAG and the NTCE Action Fund tell TMZ there's a consensus -- folks in their community are mostly NOT Trump fans, nor do they consider him/his fam genuine allies in their fight for equality and representation.

The facts are clear says the LGBTQ honchos ... the Trump administration has actively worked against LGBT causes -- from blocking trans soldiers from serving to sanctioning discrimination and/or firings of gay workers and couples looking to foster.

Bottom line ... all of these orgs believe Eric is either exaggerating or more likely flat-out wrong in thinking the LGBT crowd's got his pop's back -- especially in this election.

President Trump's acting like a "clown" during the first Presidential debate ... at least according to his opponent, Joe Biden.

The debate went off the rails early as moderator Chris Wallace is finding near impossible to keep the candidates on track, and stop them from shouting over each other. It started with the very first question of the night.

Trump kept interrupting, and at one point, took a jab at Wallace ... saying he thought he was debating Biden not the moderator. The quip drew a facial expression from Biden.

During one heated exchange, Biden simply asked the audience, "Do you have any idea what this clown is doing?"

They sparred quite a bit at the outset, which was supposed to be focused on the Supreme Court, and Trump went after Biden by calling him a socialist when the topic turned to Obamacare.

Biden's calling Trump un-presidential and asking him, "Will you shut up, man?"

Donald Trump says he's the greatest, but Joe Biden thinks 45 is the "worst President" Americans have ever seen.

The first presidential debate is still super testy -- okay, out of control -- and Biden just ripped Trump where it hurts ... calling DT, "the worst President America has ever had." Ouch.

The candidates were sparring over Trump's tax returns when Biden pulled his punch ... and Biden delivered the blow when Trump tried pushing back on reports he paid only $750 in federal taxes.

Trump says he's paid millions in taxes, but didn't specify if they were federal, and also says he doesn't wanna pay taxes as a businessman. But, Chris Wallace persisted and asked squarely how much he paid in 2016 in FEDERAL TAXES ... and Trump said "millions."

Joe Biden is jumping all over President Trump's reported triple-digit tax payment ... by doing some quick easy math for American voters and taxpayers.

The Biden/Harris campaign created a tool called the Trump Tax Calculator, which is on Joe's site. It's very basic ... you enter the amount of income tax you paid in 2017 -- when the NYT says Trump paid just $750 -- and it'll tell you how much more you paid than he did.

To get you started on your outrage, they offer up an example -- noting the average American pays $11,165.39. That number minus 750 is ... any geniuses in the house???

Yeah, the average 3rd grader can do this math, but Biden/Harris ain't passing on the opportunity to stick it to Trump.

If you're as mad as they are about it when ya finish using the calculator ... you can join their mailing list.

The troll job on Trump comes shortly after the NYT claimed to have obtained several years worth of the President's tax information, and reports he paid the $750 in 2016 and again in 2017 ... his first 2 years in office. Prior to that, they say he paid zilch in income tax.

The Prez is brushing off the report as fake news, but Tuesday night is the first presidential debate -- so he'll have to address sooner than later.

Megyn Kelly says President Trump's bombing on coronavirus and racial issues, but she gives him a passing grade overall on policy ... and has a bold prediction about how he'll handle it, IF he loses the election.

The former Fox News and NBC anchor joined "TMZ Live" Monday to give the Prez a report card of sorts for his first 4 years in office, and though she says his behavior and rhetoric are atrocious ... she feels his job performance is satisfactory.

Megyn says Trump's policies overall have been a success, especially for Republicans, but she also thinks he's done some good for the left and gives some examples.

That being said, Kelly concedes POTUS leaves a lot to be desired when issues require nuance or a healing hand ... like the COVID-19 pandemic. However, she thinks the virus would be a tough challenge for any President.

As for Megyn's bold prediction ... we ask her if Trump -- the same guy who feuded with her for challenging him on his history of sexist and misogynistic comments -- would attend Joe Biden's inauguration if he loses the presidency.

Her answer's surprising, but she's pretty confident about it.

As you'll recall, Megyn eventually buried the hatchet with Trump and even went on to interview him on his way to the White House ... and it seems like they're still on good terms.

President Trump's infamously elusive tax returns have reportedly seen the light of day -- and they appear to paint a portrait of Houdini-like tactics that have allegedly allowed DT to avoid paying income taxes for years ... and a grand total of $750 in his first year on the job.

The NYT claims to have obtained tax-return data extending over two decades, including 2016 and 2017 ... years they report Trump paid a paltry $750 in income taxes in each year. Prior to that -- for at least 10 of the previous 15 years -- NYT says Trump paid $0 in income tax.

An attorney for the Trump Organization disputed the Times' findings ... and called them inaccurate ... asserting Trump had paid tens of millions in personal taxes to the feds over the past decade, including millions more since announcing his candidacy is 2015.

The Times says the attorney appears to be conflating "personal taxes" with income taxes -- noting DT has paid taxes for Medicare, Social Security and taxes for household employees.

As for how it's possible that Trump could've avoided paying income taxes for all those years -- as the Times reports -- it's because, based on the filings they've reviewed, he reported losing more money than he made ... in what they characterize as "chronic losses."

As for how rich the dude actually is ... the Times says the returns show he does own hundreds of millions in valuable assets, but they also claim he's hundreds of millions in debt as well, debts they say are coming due soon. So, it's really unclear how much he's worth.

The Times also reports that the returns do not show anything not previously known about Trump and Russia as far as business dealings are concerned. Just a quick glance at how much dough the dude was rolling in back in the 2000s because of "The Apprentice" and the licensing deals that followed -- the NYT says it amounted to upwards of $427 million all in. They also say some of that money was reinvested into other businesses -- including golf courses -- which have hemorrhaged cash.

Now, Trump has already caught wind of the report -- and he's calling it the usual ... fake news.

Trump says he's currently under audit by the IRS -- which the Times confirms, and explains it could cost the Prez a whopping $100M if they find that a $72 mil tax credit he once claimed is illegitimate.

President Trump just officially tapped his pick for the next Supreme Court justice to replace the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg ... Judge Amy Coney Barrett.

The Prez nominated the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals judge Saturday, just over a week after RBG passed away from cancer. Barrett, a Trump appointee to the Circuit Court, was a Notre Dame law professor. He dished out her bona fides and respectable resume while naming her as his nominee, while also calling on the Senate to do their duty.

Barrett began her remarks by praising the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg for her laudatory and consequential life. She noted RBG smashed many glass ceilings.  And, she had words about her mentor -- the late Justice Antonin Scalia -- and how he helped shape her vision of the law and how he taught her about collegiality even with people who are polar opposites.

Barrett said she'd learned a lot from Scalia and promised -- if confirmed -- to uphold the letter of the law as written, without any personal bias or otherwise. She also thanked her husband and her 7 kids, all of whom eventually came up on stage to pose for a photo op with the First Family.

Some more background on Barrett ... she is a die-hard conservative justice, who is a deeply religious, practicing Catholic. She's opposed to abortion, but has said she thinks Roe vs. Wade is more likely to be reimagined than overruled. In common parlance, reimagined means whittling away at the precedent.

Trump urged the public and the media to refrain from personal or partisan attacks against Judge Barrett, with a nod to how nasty and contentious Justice Kavanaugh's confirmation was. Trump went on to praise Justice Ginsburg, and explained why Barrett was the best choice to replace her.

If she's confirmed by the Senate -- which is highly likely -- the Supreme Court will have a solid 6-3 majority. The stakes are enormous, with abortion rights, health care, LGBTQ rights and voting rights on the chopping block.

Barrett has long been considered for a Supreme Court seat with Trump in office ... she was on the shortlist to replace Anthony Kennedy when he retired in 2018, a seat that is now occupied by Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

It's interesting ... when Trump filled Kennedy's seat, he reportedly informed advisors he was "saving" Barrett just in case RBG left SCOTUS during his presidency.

Barrett graduated from Notre Dame School of Law. She was in private practice before becoming a law professor at George Washington University and then Notre Dame.

Barrett has been serving on the Chicago-based 7th Circuit Court of Appeals since 2017. She's ruled on a pair of abortion-related cases, both times in favor of restrictions on access to abortion.

One key issue she's made herself perfectly clear on is the Affordable Care Act, arguing the birth control mandate is unconstitutional and the ACA overall is an overreach and abuse of Congressional power.

"GET YOUR BOOTY TO THE POLL!!!"

That's the message a group of pole dancers is sending with this sexy and humorous PSA urging citizens to vote in this election.

The spot is super cheeky, for sure, but otherwise the strippers keep things PG-13 as they bust out their best pole moves while dropping some knowledge about why it's important to vote ... and not just for President.

The women point out, District Attorneys are responsible for prosecuting "dirty cops" -- and they run down lots of other county level offices, and public schooling issues all hanging in the balance when you vote.

Yeah, we know sex sells ... but these strippers are hoping it can also sell you on casting a ballot. Why else would one gyrate in a thong with "vote" written on one's butt cheeks?? Besides tips, that is.

As one interested polester puts it, hit the polls to make sure the people who will run your community have your best interests at heart.

Kodak Black is turning to Donald Trump for help ... he's begging the President to commute his prison sentence.

The rapper's attorneys, Bradford Cohen and Jonathan Schwartz, sent a petition to Trump, obtained by TMZ, asking the Prez to cut Kodak a break.

Kodak's camp has lots of reasons why Trump should commute his sentence ... Cohen points out Kodak was sentenced to 46 months behind bars in his federal gun case, and claims the average sentence for the same crime is 18 months.

As you know, Kodak's locked up in a maximum-security federal prison in Kentucky, but Cohen says it's not warranted ... he claims the Bureau of Prisons "erroneously" viewed Kodak as level 4 criminal history, paving the way for Kodak to be housed in a maximum-security facility. Cohen claims the judge only put Kodak at a level 2, which means he could be housed at a lower security prison.

Kodak's attorney's also argue he's being unfairly punished for assaulting a prison guard in Miami ... repeating their earlier claim that Kodak was set up and possibly drugged.

KB's legal team also claims he was punished twice for the incident with the guard in Miami ... Cohen says Kodak was only supposed to get a 6-month sentence, but instead ended up with year-long punishment, which has kept him in total lockdown since last September, resulting in no phone calls or visits from anyone but his attorneys.

Trump's also being asked to consider abuse Kodak's allegedly suffering in prison -- beatings at the hands of guards, religious suppression and mental abuse.

As we first told you ... Kodak's suing the Federal Bureau of Prisons for alleged torture and denial of access to a rabbi, which his attorney's claim is a violation of his constitutional rights.

Kodak's also hoping his good deeds go a long way toward swaying Trump ... Cohen cites the hundreds of thousands of dollars he's donated to charities over the years, including playing Santa, gift cards at Christmas, donations to underprivileged youth, helping folks in his neighborhood and paying for children's education.

It seems like a long shot, but there's this ... Cohen may have an in with Trump.

President Trump resorted to one of his favorite pastimes -- insulting women -- making a sexist comment about Meghan Markle ... all because she dared to encourage Americans to vote.

Meghan and Prince Harry have not officially endorsed any political candidates ... but the couple recently entered the convo by urging folks to cast their vote in November, which the Duchess of Sussex calls ... "the most important election of our lifetime."

Trump was asked about this at his Wednesday press briefing by a reporter who framed it as Meghan's words being an endorsement of Joe Biden ... and he did not respond kindly.

The Prez said, "I'm not a fan of hers," adding, "I wish a lot of luck to Harry, 'cause he's gonna need it."

Kanye West enlisted a small army of signature gatherers in several states in order to make the presidential ballot, and even though he spent a fortune ... he still came up short in spots where he dropped a lot of cash.

According to a source at Let the Voters Decide -- the 3rd-party petitioning group Kanye's been using this summer -- the rapper's campaign paid them between $3.5 and $4.5 MILLION across 15 states to send workers out for John Hancocks.

We've covered many of the individual states where the group has been dispersed on Kanye's behalf, but we're told one of the biggest chunks of money went toward Arizona -- where Ye allegedly dished out $1 million to get 93,000 signatures -- only to have a judge bar him from the ballot anyway.

The same is true in Ohio and Virginia -- where our source says Kanye's campaign allegedly spent $325k and $300k respectively to gather signatures ... only to not make the ballot.

As we reported, Kanye also spent at least $30k with LTVD in Illinois -- and that ended poorly for him -- and though it's unclear what he spent in Wisconsin ... he's currently been booted from the ballot in that state too for missing a deadline by just seconds.

Of course, without paying big bucks to Let the Voters Decide, he likely wouldn't have made the prez ballot in states like Kentucky -- where we're told he spent $400k -- or Iowa, where he dropped $80k. He's currently made the ballot in 12 states.

BTW -- the bill keeps growing for Ye, because as you recall, he's already reported $6 million he's spent and disclosed in his first financial report with the FEC earlier this month, which outlined various disbursements to other companies to get him on various ballots.

So, it begs the question ... is it all worth it? Kanye's running as an independent, but many believe his campaign is being fueled by pro-Trump operatives and having his name on the ballot will mostly hurt Joe Biden. Ye denies he's working with Trump and co.

Shortly before President Trump's North Carolina rally, a group of his supporters were rolling deep and screaming racist rhetoric in the streets, not too far from where he'd touch down.

A convoy of pickup trucks decorated with Trump 2020 stickers and American flags roared through downtown Elon, NC Saturday ... where some folks in their vehicles screamed out "white power!" to bystanders watching them go by. You hear it clearly, at least twice.

According to the Triad City Beat, which first posted the incident, a local professor was standing quietly on the corner -- which you can also see in the video -- holding a "Black Lives Matter" sign. That appears to be what triggered all the honking and hate speech.

TCB reports the convoy was organized by local neo-Confederate activist Gary Williamson.

Mind you, Trump held a rally in nearby Fayetteville, NC ... just a couple hours south of Elon.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wants folks to turn their despair over Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death into rocket fuel for November ... and she's got a step-by-step plan on how to do it.

AOC posted a lengthy video of herself addressing her constituents, fans and anyone who's willing to listen -- but, more importantly, anyone who's worried about what the death of RBG might mean for this election. She makes it clear ... the stakes are higher than ever.

She explains how some people might think there's nothing they can really do, but quickly corrects them and points out that EVERYONE can make a difference in their own small way. She's not talking in platitudes or vagueries ... she lays out specifics.

First off, AOC literally begs people to make sure they're properly registered to vote ... even if they think they're already good. It doesn't hurt to check and to update one's info.

She then touches on organizing, or at the very least ... supporting those who do organize on the ground. Then comes what might be her biggest and most doable suggestion -- lobbying people you know, and helping spread awareness in your own circles.

We'll let AOC speak for herself -- and frankly, it's worth watching her full, 41 minute-plus talk. Her overarching message ... everyone has someone only they can reach, and that in this crucial time, it's time to do that.

She also said this is an even bigger issue than voting for Biden ... it's about voting to preserve democracy.

TikTok users around the U.S. are probably sighing with relief, 'cause President Trump appears to now be cool with the social media app partnering up with Oracle and Walmart.

DT drastically changed his tune Saturday, telling reporters at the White House he'd given the deal his "blessing" while going on to sing Oracle and Walmart's praises as trustworthy partners in guarding Americans' data and privacy. Literally, a full, bizarre 180 here.

There were also some specifics ... like the fact the new, U.S., ran TikTok would likely be based out of Texas, and that a bunch of new jobs would result.

He went on to guarantee the American version of the app would NOT be in any way affiliated with China, and that security would be a top priority. Trump also said TikTok would be ponying up $5M in charity money toward education causes, and would pay a lot of taxes.

Just a day prior, Trump was promising TikTok, as well as WeChat, wouldn't be available to download come Sunday -- because he was unhappy with the initial terms Oracle and TikTok had come to last weekend.

TikTok had actually resorted to legal action to stop the de facto ban, but it would seem talks over the past 24 hours -- not to mention the inclusion of Walmart -- made the guy cozy up to the idea. So, in other words, banishment averted ... and influencers can carry on dancing.

TikTok itself appeared to confirm the news they weren't going anywhere, saying they were pleased that the deal had addressed Trump's national security concerns.