White House

This has gotta be the best -- THE BEST -- messaging so far in the election ... the reimagining of "The Avengers" ... telling the story of an army of Joe Biden supporters who inspired millions to vote Donald Trump out of office.

It's so good ... you see the sun rise as Stacey Abrams, Barack Obama and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms emerge from the shadows. As the video's villain -- yes, you guessed it -- urges an end to the vote count, others emerge in their fight for democracy -- Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg, Corey Booker, AOC, Nancy Pelosi, Gretchen Whitmer and many, many more.

The election has not been called on the news shows, but that didn't stop Bill Maher from stating what is increasingly obvious ... Joe Biden's gonna be the next president.

Bill flat-out declared Biden the winner, and he reveled in the fact he's the only one in the media who's said it out loud for all to hear. He also says Trump's acting like a "whiny little bitch" in challenging the process ... something Bill predicted 3 years ago.

The numbers certainly support Bill's conclusion ... Biden is pulling away from Trump in Pennsylvania and Georgia with a dwindling vote count remaining ... and that would be more than enough to win.

Bill also cautioned during his show ... it's not going to be smooth sailing for Biden, because there are 70 million Americans who voted for Donald Trump, and although Biden has vowed he'll be a president for all Americans -- whether they voted for him or not -- it's going to be a tall order to get them under the tent.

Nevertheless ... Bill celebrated with balloons cascading down from above -- balloons that startled the host in the middle of some pretty great conversations.

The only thing missing from the streets of New York Friday night was Martha Reeves and the Vandellas ... because there were lots and lots of dancing in the streets, celebrating a presumed Joe Biden win.

A huge crowd gathered in Washington Square Park as the crowd danced as they sang to Donald Trump, "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye." The street set was followed up with "We Are the Champions," and then "Don't Stop Believin'."

New Yorkers who dislike Trump came out in droves to celebrate in the city Trump is apparently abandoning for Palm Beach.

Whether Joe Biden is ultimately declared to be the winner of the 2020 presidential election is irrelevant ... to the construction workers setting up for the inauguration anyway.

The election process has been a stressful slog complicated even more by the allegations of cheating made by President Trump ... but the Inauguration Day show will go on January 20, 2021 regardless.

Work on the site of the swearing in of the next president actually began in mid-October, but based on these new photos obtained by TMZ ... it's really starting to ramp up.

It looks like it's gearing up to be as big of an event as ever on the West Front of the Capitol, but with ongoing COVID-19 concerns ... it's hard to tell what it will look like just yet.

According to a spokesperson for the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies ... the mindset is to set it all up like normal, and scale down later if coronavirus makes that necessary.

Black voters and especially Black female voters are responsible for what looks like a clear win in Georgia for Joe Biden, so it's about time they get a little more respect ... so says activist Tamika Mallory.

We got Tamika out in NYC Friday, and she made it clear ... Joe Biden will almost certainly become President in no small part because of support from Black voters. True, Donald Trump actually got more Black Georgia voters in his column than in 2016 -- 15% in 2016 and 18% this time around -- but the lion's share went to Biden. Now it's time for Biden and co. to acknowledge their contribution with action.

Tamika echos what many say ... Black women have been the backbone of the Democratic party for decades, yet they have not received their due from the party and candidates they support. Well, she says, that's gotta change ... and now.

Joe Biden's biggest challenge once he ascends to the Presidency may not be waged by Republicans ... it's more likely the real challenge will come from the Bernie Bros.

Former Bernie Sanders Press Secretary Briahna Joy Gray appeared Friday on "TMZ Live" and made it clear ... from day 1, the Bernie Bros will be pressuring Biden to swing left.

Briahna has already done the math, which complicates things in a big way. The Republicans will control the Senate and they actually gained House seats ... something the pundits never saw coming. Neither did pundits expect the state-by-state races would be incredibly tight. The upshot is that Biden needs to create a coalition, which may not bode well for the progressive wing of the party. Briahna is undaunted, saying they will be coming after him.

Briahna did not seem optimistic her people will get a seat at the table when Biden picks his cabinet. In fact, she's frustrated Biden has promised to include Republicans in his cabinet. She says Trump would never have picked a Dem, so why be more generous than him?

She thinks Biden doesn't understand ... the majority of Americans want measures like health care for all. In short, Biden's gonna be walking a tightrope.

Trae Young with the assist!!!

The Atlanta Hawks superstar did a VERY cool thing on Friday -- splurging for lunch for the people counting ballots at State Farm Arena ... and they couldn't be happier about it!

The 22-year-old NBA sensation's rep hit up Jason's Deli in midtown Atlanta -- and told the crew Young wanted to do something nice for everyone helping out with the election process.

Young ended up buying 50 boardroom box lunches -- complete with sandwiches, chips, a pickle and a cookie. He also sprung for extra fruit side items for all. Way to keep it healthy!

Total cost -- $670 plus a nice 20% tip.

Obviously, Young can afford it -- he's super-rich, but this is more about the gesture than the price.

The Fulton County election workers were stoked when the food arrived with a note from Young that read, "Thanks for all you do!"

Fulton County thanked Young and the ATL Hawks -- noting the NBA team has "supported us throughout this election process."

There's a ton of pressure on the election workers in ATL right now -- as the votes in that area are playing a pivotal role in the presidential election.

Atlanta's mayor's on cloud nine over her state being on the verge of flipping to blue ... and she says the spirit of some fine Georgians shone through to make it happen.

Keisha Lance Bottoms is feeling incredible, as all signs point to Joe Biden being elected as the next President of the United States ... something she says reflects on Georgia and inspiration it drew from the late John Lewis, C.T. Vivian and Joseph Lowery.

Though she's happy now, the Mayor admits the overall election results felt more like a "gut punch" a couple days ago when she saw roughly half the country supported Trump. Mayor Bottoms told us on "TMZ Live" she said Biden needs to address some of their issues given their sheer numbers.

That's why she says it's so important to have a President like Biden who's unifying instead of divisive ... so we can get back to "civil disagreement" and move forward in a positive way together.

She says the past 4 years have been very dark, but Keisha sounds hopeful that America's heading toward the light.

Vivica A. Fox says Joe Biden's running circles around Donald Trump when it comes to being a true leader ... and he's not even officially the president-elect yet.

We got Vivica at LAX Thursday and she told our photog she's liking what she's seeing and hearing from Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris.

Vivica says it's refreshing to see Biden acting like a true president by doing his part to help the country remain calm as folks wait on edge for ballots to be counted and a winner declared.

Biden and Harris received briefings on the coronavirus pandemic and economy Thursday while votes were still being tabulated in key states like Arizona, Nevada, Georgia and Pennsylvania, with Biden preaching patience and assuring the public our democracy is still working, albeit slow and steady.

Vivica says it's a welcome change of pace after 4 years of Trump, who by the way, kept claiming the pandemic would magically disappear after the election. The opposite's happening -- infections are skyrocketing.

The Presidential race is still undecided, but we DO have one clear Election Day winner ... and that's the pizza industry!

According to GrubHub ... 5 of its top 8 most popular items ordered Tuesday were pizzas, and another one was a pizza-adjacent appetizer -- garlic knots with marinara.

The popular food delivery app tells TMZ its most popular food item -- based on how much more it was ordered -- was the soppressata piccante pizza. That menu item saw a whopping 202% increase compared to other Tuesdays in October.

Right behind that was Nutella pizza -- which was 192% more popular -- followed by the first non-pizza food ... meatball sliders at 181%.

Rounding out the top 8 was burrata pizza, the aforementioned garlic knots, vegan cheese pizza, loaded curly fries and finally another pizza ... Sicilian.

Every good meal needs a stiff drink, and a margarita on the rocks actually ranked right behind the burrata pizza as one of GrubHub's most-ordered items ... with a 144% increase in popularity. Impressive, but Tres de Noviembre just doesn't roll off the tongue like Cinco de Mayo

Many folks opted for an even stiffer drink ... as the old-fashioned cocktail also saw a 121% rise on Election Day. We're guessing those were ordered late in the evening as the results started tightening up.

Those who had room after pizza and booze did order dessert -- tiramisu orders spiked 181% during dinner hours.

Donald Trump was on a tear Thursday, grousing that he's somehow being cheated in the election, but he offered no evidence to support his claim ... and he said he'll fight it in court ... specifically, the Supreme Court.

Trump spoke at The White House, saying if you count what he calls "the legal votes" then he wins. Translation -- he thinks the absentee votes are illegal. It obviously makes no sense, because mail-in ballots are every bit as legal as ballots cast at polling places.

He got all David Copperfield, musing how his early lead could "magically" evaporate.

And then, Trump set his sights on the polls, which he rightly said were ridiculously off. Trump suggested it was all rigged to keep his supporters away from the polls and potential donors away from their wallets. He says it's "polling suppression."

He attacked the states where he's losing, calling them corrupt ... especially Pennsylvania.

As for going to the Supreme Court ... as you know his latest justice could be a swing vote. Just 2 weeks ago, the Court ruled 4-4 on a voting issue. Amy Coney Barrett will be the 5th vote. The real issue ... Trump has no proof and therefore no case of illegal voting.

April Ryan views the divide between voters as a warning that more and more of us simply can't agree on what America's true nature is, or said another way -- who the hell are we???

The White House correspondent and CNN contributor joined us on "TMZ Live" Wednesday and we asked her what the nearly 50-50 split in votes for President Trump and Joe Biden says about who we are as a country.

April says she is concerned about intense rhetoric from Trump, and others, about liberating states, Black Lives Matter, and armed protesters at ballot counting centers. She says the fact storefronts were boarded up before Election Day shows where we are as a nation.

What's more, April says a lot of her friends voted for Trump ... and she's sad they don't seem to be moved by what another 4 years of Trump might mean for her as a Black woman.

Translation: Where's our compassion and empathy?

April says she can relate to Cedric The Entertainer, who told us he has some buddies who support Trump while turning a blind eye to Trump's inflammatory comments about race.

NYPD hauled off 50 protesters in handcuffs during election unrest in the city, and the most egregious, disgusting offense -- seen on camera, anyway -- was a woman who spit in an officer's face.

24-year-old Devina Singh yelled "F**k you, fascist!" in the cop's face twice before spitting, then she immediately got arrested. She was charged with obstruction of governmental administration, violation of local law and harassment.

Singh was among a group of demonstrators who got hostile and clashed with cops in Manhattan late Wednesday night into Thursday. Law enforcement sources tell us most of the arrests made in the chaos were for disorderly conduct and obstruction of governmental administration.

The violence followed a peaceful protest nearby in NYC's Washington Square Park with people chanting, "Count the vote" -- seemingly in response to President Trump's outrage over the election process and allegations of voting fraud in several states.

We're told the protest escalated as it moved to the West Village around 7:30 PM Wednesday, resulting in dozens more people getting arrested.

Meanwhile, across the country in Portland ... Oregon Governor Kate Brown got tough with protests in that city and deployed the National Guard to squash the unrest when a riot was declared by the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office.

Americans had Canada on the mind with the fate of the presidential election hanging in the balance, thinking about moving there when it looked like Trump might get re-elected.

Folks in the States rushed to a Canadian government website on Election Night, boning up on immigration and pathways to citizenship, with the site seeing a 300% boost in traffic from the United States ... TMZ has learned.

People logged onto the web and found their way to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada's page, with the first wave arriving around 7 PM ET on Election Night, when the polls started closing.

With Trump and Biden duking it out for Electoral College votes deep into the night, Americans kept researching a move to Canada. The increase in visits to the IRCC site continued into Wednesday morning, with no clear White House winner in sight and Trump sowing doubt about election results.

Americans, whether they were window shopping or dead serious, were greeted with loads of information on how to apply for permanent resident status in Canada and ultimately become a Canadian citizen.

In short, a permanent resident is someone who immigrates to Canada but is not a citizen ... and folks who want to become Canadian citizens must first be permanent residents, live in Canada for 3 out of the last 5 years, file taxes, pass a citizenship test and prove language skills.

Yeah, that's a lot of hoops to jump through just because of an election.

In addition to your Average Joe, celebs have been threatening to move out of the country if Trump got 4 more years.

Remember ... George Lopez said "we'll all go back," Amy Schumer was ready to pack her bags for Spain, Cher said she'd move to Jupiter and Tommy Lee had his eyes on Greece.

Joe Biden and President Trump aren't the only ones feeling the heat of this crazy election -- voters are emotionally on the edge, too, and crisis hotline operators are saving more lives than usual.

Take Crisis Text Line for example -- the 24/7 general-purpose help text line says it's seen a major uptick over the past 48 hours or so with people hitting 'em up about concerns about the election. Not that their operators can do anything about counting ballots, but they do help users cope with anxiety.

CTL says between 8 PM-12 AM on election night, their overall text volume was up 18% compared to Monday night, and convos with election-centric keywords were up more than 120%!!!

HopeLine -- which specializes in suicide, crisis and mental health -- tells us while they haven't seen a massive wave of callers just yet ... they're fully expecting it in the coming days as a winner is announced -- and despondent voters seek professional help.

We're told they spoke to nearly 200 people during the week leading up to Tuesday, and of those who were talking politics ... many were Biden voters concerned about the pandemic. Their trained active listeners use breathing exercises, object identifying in a room and just good old-fashioned small talk to help talk down stressed callers.

Joe Biden just gave what sounded a lot like a victory speech -- despite having a ways to go -- but it also sounded extremely Presidential with a message of unity.

The Democratic candidate -- who's now just 17 electoral college votes away from being declared the official winner -- spoke in Wilmington, DE with his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, by his side. The takeaway here ... he thinks he's got this in the bag.

Biden made sure to note he was NOT declaring a win just yet -- unlike President Trump did Tuesday night -- while at the same time expressing confidence most of the outstanding swing states are leaning his way.

The other goal of his speech was to address the blatant political divide in the country. Sounding like he might on his first day in the White House, JB said IF he wins, he aims to govern for every American.

Biden's comments here were much different in tone from Trump's defiant, accusatory one early Wednesday morning. Of course, you could say that's the difference between leading and trailing at the polls.

This is Biden's second public appearance since several polls closed Tuesday night -- with millions of votes still needing to be counted in a handful of states. Plus, Trump's already demanding a recount in at least Wisconsin ... if not 2-3 other states too.