White House

President Trump predicted a Supreme Court battle over the 2020 election -- but his road to the high justices won't be one he can barrel down ... according to a prominent legal scholar.

Erwin Chemerinsky -- the Dean of UC Berkeley's School of Law -- hopped on "TMZ Live" Wednesday to discuss Trump's vow to take this fight over election results all the way to SCOTUS (even as it continues to play out) and he basically tells us ... not so fast, DT, quite literally.

Trump wants to rush his grievances to the Supreme Court, especially as it pertains to Pennsylvania. The commonwealth's recent ballot submission decisions -- from its own Supreme Court -- have drawn scrutiny ... but Chemerinsky says POTUS still can't hopscotch his way to SCOTUS without going through lower courts first.

However, EC also laid out a scenario where Trump could appeal directly to a Supreme Court Justice -- but even then he says it's not likely Trump would get a final answer on the ballot process in PA for a while.

If and when it does land on the Supreme Court's doorstep, Chemerinsky played that scenario out too ... and suggested the newly installed Justice Amy Coney Barrett could be the key.

Trump is getting way ahead of himself here -- as many predicted he would -- but that hasn't stopped him ratcheting up the rhetoric and sowing doubt about the legitimacy of the voting process ... especially in states he appears to be losing as of late Wednesday morning.

Pennsylvania might be on the table for a fight, along with Wisconsin ... which is close enough that Trump's ready to demand a recount.

People who voted for 4 more years of Donald Trump are racists, even if they don't realize it yet ... at least that's activist Marc Lamont Hill's take on the election results.

Marc joined us on "TMZ Live" Wednesday and made a statement many will find controversial about people who marked their ballots for Trump. He says some of those voters are just racist, but he adds ... others who don't see themselves as racist, should take a harder look.

The way Marc sees things ... it's one thing to look at the candidates and think they're all racist and make the best choice you can. But, for the BET host, it's an entirely different ballgame when you knowingly select the guy who defended white nationalists and wouldn't denounce folks like David Duke.

Marc says if you prioritized tax rates and a stimulus check over racism, then racism clearly just isn't a big deal to you. He suggests it's something with which Trump supporters just need to come to grips.

Votes are still being counted, but Trump's already approaching 67 million votes, and MLH says those numbers are alarming if you're Black.

The White House's coronavirus crisis last month is sparking a serious sanitizing mission ... and feds are spending thousands to keep the place virus-free going forward.

Regardless of who wins the Presidential election -- as we know, that's still very much up in the air -- a cleaning crew is going to be spraying down the place with a disinfectant mist.

According to federal financial docs, obtained by TMZ, the Public Building Service agency's dropping nearly $29,000 on the cleaning service in the East and West Wing "due to Covid at the White House."

Coincidentally, the cleaning contract started on Election Day and runs through November 2, 2021.

As you know ... President Trump tested positive for COVID-19 in early October about a week after a large ceremony at the Rose Garden to announce his new Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett.

Along with the Prez, several other members of his staff and guests at the event also contracted the virus, and Trump was hospitalized for a few days before returning to the White House -- maskless, of course.

President Trump firmly believes HE won the election, and thinks the only way Joe Biden can win is if there's shady ballot business ... so, he's going to the Supreme Court, and setting America up for a battle royal.

It was well after 2 AM ET when POTUS spoke at the White House ... rattling off all the states where he'd won, and said he was getting ready for a big victory celebration when it was suddenly called off.

Trump was incensed, feeling he was well on his way to being declared the winner based on victories in Florida, Texas and Ohio. He also feels he has a big enough lead in North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Michigan to be declared the winner in those states ... which no media outlet is doing yet.

The incumbent is especially pissed about PA, where at the time of his speech he was beating Biden by more than 600,000 votes -- a lead he believes is unsurmountable. That's not how experts see it, with much of Philadelphia's ballots still not counted. Trump said he's going to SCOTUS anyway, because he suspects "surprise ballots," presumably cast for Biden, might be found at 4 AM.

The President also accused the Biden campaign of running to court, which, as far as the public knows, hasn't happened. Biden spoke about 90 minutes earlier, and was confident he was "on track" to win ... but made no mention of alleged cheating or the need for lawyers.

What's odd is Trump said he wants "all voting to stop." Voting has stopped, but what's happening now -- and clearly not in a manner to his liking -- is the counting of ballots. BTW, that counting might give Trump a victory in Arizona, where Fox News has projected Biden to win.

This is really the worst-case scenario for America. Neither candidate has the necessary 270 electoral college votes yet, but Trump is declaring victory and already accusing the Dems of cheating -- and now the Supreme Court, with his newly confirmed Justice Amy Coney Barrett, could be in play.

It all adds up to days, if not weeks and months of political strife, and possible civil unrest, ahead for the nation.

President Trump revving up for a legal battle over the election is already triggering peaceful protests across the country ... and it's feeling like an eerie, relative calm before the storm.

Hundreds of protesters made their voice heard loud and clear late Tuesday night into Wednesday morning outside the White House. The demonstration went down while the election results were still very much up in the air -- and before Trump's controversial speech -- with the majority of the crowd being Joe Biden supporters -- but a handful were there to back the current Prez.

Nothing got out of hand, though, as many had anticipated. Much of Washington D.C.'s business district has been boarded up this week, but cops say they only made 4 arrests related to the protest.

As we've been reporting ... Beverly Hills was also bracing for the worst on election night, and a huge crowd of Trump supporters did line Canon Drive in that city.

The protesters were definitely loud, but there was no violence ... with cops only detaining one person there. Meanwhile, it was a little tenser in downtown L.A., where around 40 people were arrested after the LAPD declared an unlawful assembly.

A professional hotline dedicated to reporting funny business at the polls was inundated with calls alleging voter intimidation this election cycle ... far surpassing anything they saw 4 years ago.

Election Protection is a safe haven for whistleblowers who see something fishy or downright illegal at polling places all over the country -- and according to the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (a nonprofit that manages the hotline) ... 2020 was crazy busy.

A rep for the Lawyers' Committee tells TMZ ... since the month of October, their collection of 40k-plus legal volunteers fielded upwards of 115k calls about potential voter suppression -- which pales in comparison to the total 150k or so calls they got for the ENTIRE year in 2016.

As of this past weekend -- when early voting was in full swing in a majority of states -- we're told EP got a call from out from Hanover, VA about what appeared to be a militia group holding a parade in front of a polling place ... which freaked out some people.

Lawyers' Committee adds that officials on the scene noted there were BLM counter-protesters on hand too -- and that voters were feeling uneasy about the whole thing in general. We're told local authorities were alerted to check it out and make sure nobody was being harassed.

On Tuesday, Lawyers' Committee tells us they received several calls regarding alleged voter intimidation in Florida ... from counties like Hillsborough, Brevard, Palm Beach and more. In Orange County, we're told they got a report of 5 pickup trucks blocking the entrance to a polling place there ... something Election Protection says they flagged to officials.

There are more incidents they were made aware of on Election Day, including pollsters taking temp checks in Virginia -- which some folks thought was meant to keep people from voting -- as well as a heavy reliance on paper ballots, misappropriated voting machines and delayed opening times at polling places in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Ohio and other states.

Joe Biden is feeling good about his chances to win the Presidency -- or at least he did shortly before 1 AM ET, when he addressed his supporters ... but President Trump is saying not so fast.

The former Vice President made his early morning speech in Wilmington, DE, telling the socially-distanced crowd he thinks he's "on track" to get the W ... once all the mail-in ballots and early votes are counted in swing states like Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Biden also tried to warn that final count is gonna take a while. He thanked Americans for being patient ... acknowledging what most experts are saying -- with so many ballots to be counted in multiple states, neither candidate will get to 270 electoral college votes Tuesday night ... or even Wednesday morning.

Joe says his campaign feels really good about its projected early lead in the race for 270 electoral votes, citing Fox News' projected flip of Arizona from red to blue.

Trump is pushing a far different narrative ... the Prez tweeted his campaign is actually winning and he's accusing the Democrats of "trying to STEAL the Election."

Trump's saying votes can't be cast after the polls are closed. He wasn't specific about where that alleged cheating was happening. However, Biden's mainly banking on early voting and mail-in ballots for the bulk of his votes ... so, Trump's beef might be a moot.

Twitter's already flagged the President's tweet as potentially being "misleading" -- which is sure to piss him off even more.

President Trump's locked and loaded for a loooong night of watching election results ... dishing up comfort foods, and one menu item feels like a troll job aimed at Black Lives Matter demonstrators.

Pigs in a blanket are being served up to Trump's 400 guests watching all the election map drama unfold at the White House. Remember, the President repeatedly accused BLM protesters of shouting an anti-police chant, "Pigs in a blanket, fry 'em like bacon."

The Prez even mentioned it during the final presidential debate.

The hors d'oeuvres are being served individually at the White House, and under glassware. Yes, these pigs in a blanket are super classy! Unclear if they were fried, but they don't appear to be adorned with bacon.

The rest of the menu at the watch party looks similar to what he served to Clemson's national championship football team when they visited the White House during the government shutdown.

Trump's family, chief of staff Mark Meadows, donors and cabinet members are chowing down on sliders, french fries, chicken tenders and a wide selection of desserts.

Offset's got an appetite to help people exercising their Constitutional right ... by hooking them up with free grub.

The Migos rapper hit up 3 polling locations Tuesday in Gwinnett and Fulton counties with some major back-up -- food trucks from The Slutty Vegan and Big Dave's ... a couple of ATL staples famous for their cheesesteaks.

Offset partnered with The Lincoln Project and AXSD Media to feed folks in line waiting to cast their vote ... helping to ensure turnout is maximized for what could be the most consequential election ever.

Offset got on the back of a truck, grabbed a bullhorn and talked about his excitement in voting for the first time ever.

Offset dove headfirst into the election following an informative roundtable discussion last weekend with T.I. and activists Lee Merritt and Bakari Sellers. They discussed, among other things, the importance of Black male voters encouraging each other to turn out the vote.

If ya can feed people who show up to vote ... major bonus!

Lil Pump is blocking out haters who don't like his political views ... he's focusing on what 4 more years of President Trump means for him, and he's loving it!!!

We got the rapper pulling up to Trump's Washington D.C. hotel on Election Day in a red Ferrari, and he's feeling super confident about the Prez winning re-election.

Lil Pump's been catching tons of flak since endorsing Trump, seemingly because of not wanting to pay more in taxes under Joe Biden, but he told us he's ignoring the noise, and couldn't care less what critics have to say.

As you know ... Trump brought Lil Pump up on stage Monday night at his final campaign stop in Grand Rapids, MI, where 45 called the rapper "Little Pimp." Faux pas aside, Pump says he had an "amazing" time on the campaign trail, and even envisions a future in politics.

Attorney General Bill Barr doesn't seem to be on edge like most of the country -- he looks pretty chill after lunch ... and he believes Americans will be chill on election night too.

We got AG Barr leaving the Capital Grille in D.C. Tuesday afternoon, and he tells us he just chowed down on a steak. He looks pretty happy about his meal choice.

The head of the U.S. Department of Justice also tells us he's confident things will remain peaceful as votes are tallied in the 2020 presidential election ... despite the fact the federal government has spent millions on security in anticipation of violence.

As we've reported ... businesses in D.C. and other major cities from coast-to-coast have also been boarding up all week in fear of unrest, regardless of the election results.

Even apartment complexes and banks have sent letters to their residents and customers warning them of potential ugliness due to the contentious election, but as you can see ... Bill's not visibly sweating it.

A woman was accosted and harassed by a bevy of Trump supporters ... and her pleas to cops to do something -- after someone allegedly sprayed bear mace at her -- seem to have fallen on deaf ears.

Erika Harris recorded her run-in with the pro-President Trump group Sunday night in Bakersfield, CA ... where she says several of their vehicles blocked her from leaving a parking lot.

As you can see, the angry crowd approached her car and demanded she get out while calling her vulgar names. You even hear one man call her the n-word.

As Harris got outside of her vehicle, she was confronted by a woman who appeared to try to take her phone. Another man appeared to be armed, but took off his weapons and gear ... as he told her to "come get it."

At one point in the video, a man's seen spraying something into her car. She accuses him of spraying her and others with bear mace. When officers showed up, Harris told them about the mace, but none seemed eager to help. One said no crime was committed, and after a sardonic exchange ... simply walked away.

Harris claims the pro-Trump folks have been protesting in her town for the past month, and she decided to set up a Black Lives Matter counter-protest nearby.

The Biden vs. Trump race results are in ... and it's BIDEN BY A NOSE!!!

... a horse nose!

Because "Biden" and "Trump" are horses!

Yep, meet "BidenHisTime" and "SuperTrump" -- two racehorses who competed in the Betfair, Race To The White House Stakes at Lingfield Park in the U.K.

Will the winner actually predict the U.S. Presidential election? Maybe! Who knows?

What we do know ... it was a super-tight race with a wild photo finish!

Trump -- a chestnut and blonde racehorse -- jumped out to an early lead ... before the grey racehorse, Biden, made a charge down the stretch!

"What a ding-dong finish here," the announcer yelled as the horses raced neck-and-neck to the finish line!

In the end, BidenHisTime took the W -- prompting the announcer to make this joke:

"There’s your winner, not so 'sleepy' today!"

By the way, a Betfair rep tells us ... the U.S. election is getting a TON of betting action around the world -- the gaming site has already taken in over $352 MILLION in wagers!!!

Lotta action!

Ahmaud Arbery's mother had a face-to-face with President Trump over the killing of her son -- but she still isn't voting for him, as she casts her ballot in the same city where her child was killed.

Wanda Cooper tells TMZ ... she's currently en route to Brunswick, GA to vote -- which is about a 3-hour drive for her. Wanda says she's still registered in Glynn County, but she doesn't live there anymore after relocating the fam in the wake of Ahmaud's death.

Brunswick is the city where Ahmaud was gunned down by the McMichaels in February -- and Wanda tells us it's important she votes there to honor him. As for who she's backing ... Wanda says she's voting for Biden-Harris, and adds Ahmaud would've done the same.

It's interesting ... Wanda actually met with Trump earlier this year to discuss Ahmaud and other race-related issues, and she had a pretty glowing review of how it went afterward.

At the time, Wanda said POTUS was compassionate and receptive to her story ... and the conference appeared to have gone well by most accounts.

But, Wanda doesn't believe he's lived up to a commitment of bridging the racial divide in this country. She says Trump's public comments on BLM and other issues pertaining to the Black community make her feel like what she said to him didn't really help after all.

Enter Biden ... whom Wanda says has won her over with his message of unity, and she believes he'll bring about real change. Moreover, she admires his backing of love and respect -- something she says Ahmaud also valued.

One last thing ... Wanda says Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic hasn't done him any favors, in her eyes. She says he hasn't shown remorse for those who've lost their lives -- another reason she's not backing him.

Imagine opening up Hinge, Tinder or Grindr and the other person's opening line being ... who ya voting for? That's exactly what's happening ... especially in battleground states.

Tons of people are reportedly flooding to those datings apps to get users to the polls -- and that's not a euphemism. Specifically, Hinge users/poll pushers are changing their geolocations to battleground states like Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Michigan, Texas and Arizona.

Once there, users set up their profile and do what they can to attract a match ... going as far as posting tons of pictures with furry animals, for example. Once they match, they talk voting and ask if they've settled on a presidential candidate yet. According to CNN ... users reportedly try to persuade undecided voters to Joe Biden but they also respect those who have settled on President Trump.

Some people have called this operation #DateSaveAmerica ... and while some users told CNN they've lucked out and had meaningful conversations about the election, others have said they were turned off when the convo turned to politics.

It's not the first time dating apps have turned political. Back in 2018, the Washington Post reported Tinder users had a similar plan for the midterm elections.

President Trump and Joe Biden brought in some of their famous friends to close out election eve ... but it was Trump who might need some reacquainting with his buddy, Lil Pimp ... AKA, Lil Pump.

The rapper was at DT's final campaign stop Monday night in Grand Rapids, MI -- where the President actually invited him up at one point to say a few words. The problem ... POTUS seemed to forget the guy's name -- that, or he mispronounced it on purpose.

Check it out ... Trump actually introduced him as LIL PIMP!!! And no, we're not kidding. He correctly said his name shortly afterward, as LP made his way up to the podium.

Once there, he awkwardly asked how the crowd was doing -- stopping himself from saying "y'all" and pivoting to "you guys" -- and then thanked Trump because he "brought the troops home" before riling himself and the crowd up by telling them not to vote for "Sleepy Joe."

Trump was loving it, and sorry ... but the juxtaposition of Pump and the Prez is still an odd scene.

Meanwhile, over in Pennsylvania ... the Biden-Harris campaign decided to tap Lady Gaga and John Legend, respectively, as their ultimate fighters/music acts to encourage people to vote. Gaga performed for Biden in Pittsburgh, and John piano'd it up for Kamala in Philly.

John's wife, Chrissy Teigen, was also there ... and made occasional visits to the stage to help stump with her husband. He performed "Glory" with Common, "Wake Up Everybody" and other songs, while Gaga sang "Shallow," "You and I" and more tunes of hers.