White House

Joe Biden said the LGBTQ+ community would be represented in his cabinet, and sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ, Pete Buttigieg is actively under consideration for various posts, but we're told he didn't get his first choice.

Sources privy to the selection process tell TMZ, Buttigieg is being vetted for what could be a significant appointment. We're told the possible appointment includes Secretary of Commerce and HUD. We're told he's also under consideration to head the EPA.

Our sources say another post that has been a subject of discussion is Veterans Affairs. As you know, Pete served in Afghanistan and has a strong connection to the military. We're told, although the V.A. remains a possibility for Pete, it's unlikely.

We're told what Buttigieg really wanted was U.N. Ambassador, but obviously, that position has already been filled.

Rudy Giuliani is the latest Trump associate to test positive for coronavirus -- and the news was broken by none other than Donald Trump himself.

The President tweeted Sunday, "@RudyGiuliani, by far the greatest mayor in the history of NYC, and who has been working tirelessly exposing the most corrupt election (by far!) in the history of the USA, has tested positive for the China Virus. Get better soon Rudy, we will carry on!!!"

Unclear when Rudy was tested, or how long he's been positive -- but in any case ... it's another one bites the dust in the Trump world. Everyone from POTUS himself to Kellyanne Conway and many others in Trump's immediate orbit have contracted the virus.

Rudy had dodged getting sick until now -- but he's been on the move a lot these past several weeks, defending Trump's election fraud claims all over the country and going to court a lot (and losing) over election fraud allegations filed by the campaign in multiple jurisdictions.

He was oftentimes seen without a mask on too, FWIW ... including just a month ago when he made an appearance at the Four Seasons (landscaping company) in Philadelphia -- where he gathered reporters for a bizarro-impromptu press conference.

Not only that, but RG had another very public hygiene moment recently -- when he was seen sweating profusely during a news conference, which caused his hair dye to start dripping down the side of his face. And sure enough ... he wasn't masked up then either.

Just earlier this week ... Rudy was in Lansing, MI with a bizarre "star witness" who was supposedly gonna blow the lid off of alleged election fraud in Michigan. There too, he wasn't wearing a mask, and neither was she. He even had the gall to ask another one of his witnesses -- who was masked -- to take remove her covering ... but she didn't.

Safe to say, this was bound to happen.

Most everyone in Trump's world who's tested positive has recovered -- and considering Rudy's one of Trump's right-hand men these days, we're guessing he'll get top-notch treatment and come out the other side.

What a year ...

Ex-college football coach Lou Holtz will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Thursday, the White House announced.

The award is recognized as the "Nation's highest civilian honor," according to the White House ... usually given to someone who has "made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public endeavors."

So, why Lou? Here's what Trump's team is saying ...

"America recognizes Lou Holtz as one of the greatest football coaches of all time for his unmatched accomplishments on the gridiron, but he is also a philanthropist, author and true American patriot."

83-year-old Holtz is most well known for leading Notre Dame to a 12-0 record in 1988 -- when the Fighting Irish were crowned national champions.

His career record as a college football coach is 249-132-7 -- with 22 bowl appearances (he won 12 of them).

Outside of football, Holtz has been a staunch Trump supporter who campaigned for POTUS ... and even spoke at the Republican National Convention.

In fact, it was at the RNC when Holtz attacked Trump's opponent Joe Biden over his position on abortion -- saying the former Vice President is a "Catholic in name only."

During his presidency, Trump has given the M.O.F. to several sports legends -- including Tiger Woods, Jerry West and Roger Staubach.

John Mulaney's "Saturday Night Live" joke about how Julius Caesar was killed drew the ire of some Donald Trump supporters, but even crazier ... he says it made him the target of a Secret Service investigation.

The comedian's 'SNL' monologue from February included the fact Caesar started leap year to correct the calendar, but then he joked the Roman general was such a "powerful maniac" that a bunch of senators stabbed him to death.

Mulaney then added ... it would be interesting if we brought that back now.

Though he made no mention of Trump, the joke was enough for right-wing sites to call him out for allegedly insinuating a violent act should be done to POTUS ... and Mulaney says the Secret Service contacted him about it.

Mulaney says the agent who questioned him was respectful and quickly determined his joke was harmless and he was not a threat ... but nevertheless, the comedian says he now has an official Secret Service file opened on him.

Joe Biden is giving his broken foot woes the boot ... quite literally.

The President-elect was spotted Tuesday in Wilmington, DE, popping into the Queen Theater to announce new cabinet members, and he was dressed to the nines in his usual navy blue suit ... now accessorized with a walking boot on his right foot.

Doesn't look like the boot was giving JB much trouble ... after exiting his SUV (without assistance) he struck a pose, lifting the boot pretty high, almost like a soldier. When asked how he's feeling, he flashed a thumbs up.

By the looks of it, Biden's probably gonna be just fine ... a vast improvement from how fragile he looked limping out of his doctor's office over the weekend.

Of course, that's not to downplay the seriousness of his injury -- remember, his doctor said he suffered a hairline fracture in his middle foot area when he took a tumble playing with his German shepherd, Major.

President-elect Joe Biden might be limping his way into the White House -- the guy twisted his ankle this weekend playing with his dog ... and is getting checked out just in case.

Biden was injured Saturday while playing with his German Shepherd, Major. He slipped and twisted his ankle in the process. Out of an abundance of caution, his team says he'll be examined by an orthopedist Sunday afternoon.

Reporters weren't allowed to view Biden going in or out of the doctor's office, per his team's request.

First of all, ouch. Second ... the news is both awesome and somewhat scary. It's great that Biden is active and able-bodied enough to play with his dog, and apparently feisty to the point that he could actually hurt himself ... even slightly.

It'll be cool having a Prez that gets out and there and ruffs it every now and then -- unlike Trump, whose only physical activity is golf ... which is pretty static.

On the other hand, Biden is an older guy ... he's 78. A sprained ankle isn't gonna make or break anything (we hope), but maybe take it easy out there, JB. We're gonna need ya intact for at least 4 years ... so tell Major (and Champ) to cool it.

Get well soon.

Donald Trump seemed to concede something that has Bill Maher and many others worried sick ... that he won't leave The White House on January 20.

Trump now says he will indeed leave 1600 Pennsylvania if the Electoral College declares Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 presidential election. There were certainly signs he would not vacate, especially since he has refused to concede the election.

He's still claiming massive voter fraud -- without evidence -- so that's why his declaration is significant. He even compares the U.S. to a third world country.

You'd think Kamala Harris would have widespread support among African-Americans if she runs for President in 2024 -- but that's no guarantee ... so says Tamika Mallory.

We spoke to the world-famous activist -- whose speech about George Floyd stirred the nation just a few months back -- and she was clear ... Vice President-elect Harris doesn't get the Black vote just because of the color of her skin.

Tamika says Kamala will have to earn the Black vote by living up to the promises she and Joe Biden have been making to African-Americans ahead of this year's election --  an election she says was do or die to get Trump out of The White House.

Bottom line for TM ... 2024 will be a normal primary cycle, and she says Black America will have a better chance to vet a candidate that best serves its interests ... regardless of identity politics. If that's Kamala, great -- but don't bank on it.

We've heard this logic before -- Ice Cube was saying something similar not too long ago regarding his "Contract with Black America." Sounds like Tamika has a hard-line she won't cross when it comes to DT, but the sentiment is similar.

Joe Exotic is making a plea to Americans -- enjoy Thanksgiving, and then tell your rep in Congress to pressure the Prez to spring him from the big house.

Joe wrote a long Thanksgiving message, telling folks to enjoy Thanksgiving Day but on Black Friday ... " ... please think about the last 3 holidays I have spent in here while all the people that lied to put me here and the people that made money off of films, products and so on with the people that put me here under false pretense enjoy their freedom and their families during the Holidays."

That said, Joe then makes his pitch ... "Please pick up a phone on Monday and call your congressman and ask everyone you know to support asking President Trump to sign my Pardon and make this right so I don’t have to miss another Christmas without my loved ones just as you wouldn’t want to. I would love for some of you that has the power to pick up a phone and contact some pretty influential people to do so, so I could go home before something happens to my father or Dillon."

TMZ broke the story ... Joe's legal team traveled to D.C. recently to file their pardon application, and the team leader, Eric Love, says they've been getting encouraging words back from folks in the seat of power.

Trump's in a pardoning mood ... he just spared Michael Flynn from serving his prison sentence.

Eric says he's grateful to Trump and even suggests he and Joe have a lot in common ... he's asking for a pardon, and stat.

It looks like the White House may finally be listening to a recommendation from the CDC ... it's replacing the HVAC systems in some pretty historic buildings.

According to official documents, obtained by TMZ, Uncle Sam is shelling out $1,956,924.38 to replace HVAC systems at the Jackson Place Townhouse Complexes. The townhouses include the President's Guest House, better known as the Blair House, as well as a slew of other townhouses on the block that begins at 700 Jackson Place ... right near the White House.

The CDC has previously issued guidelines to employers on how to protect staff and others to slow the spread of the virus. Among the recommendation includes improving HVAC systems and/or finding ways to increase the percentage of outdoor air that makes up the air inside buildings. The order for the new HVAC systems, according to the doc, was solicited October 27 and it's slated to be completed around January 2022. It's a huge task.

The Blair House -- reserved for former presidents and other dignitaries when they're in town -- consists of 4 distinct buildings merged into one. The property has 119 rooms ... including 14 guest bedrooms and 35 bathrooms. So, yeah ... the work could take a while.

It should be noted ... it's not the first time some of the townhouses have had work done. There was $24k worth of repairs done last year, including a new HVAC system at 726 Jackson Place. There were other upgrades in 2016 costing around $60k ... but nothing along the lines of the $2 million to repair the HVAC systems for the entire townhouse complexes.

President Trump just absolved his former national security adviser and convicted perjurer Gen. Michael Flynn ... which might be the start of a last-minute blitz of forgiveness.

After rumors swirled this week he'd do this, the Prez announced the pardon Wednesday, tweeting ... "It is my Great Honor to announce that General Michael T. Flynn has been granted a Full Pardon. Congratulations to @GenFlynn and his wonderful family, I know you will now have a truly fantastic Thanksgiving!"

It could be the first of several lame-duck pardons to come out of the Oval during Trump's remaining time in office. As we first reported ... Joe Exotic's people say they've gotten word he could be next.

As for Flynn ... the writing's been on the wall. -- the Prez has time and again said Flynn got a raw deal and was rung up on charges over technicalities rather than anything actually wrong or harmful to the nation. Trump even had Attorney General William Barr go to bat for Flynn in court -- with the DOJ filing to dismiss the charges.

Gen. Flynn signed a plea bargain during Robert Mueller's investigation into alleged Russian collusion by the Trump campaign -- admitting he lied to FBI investigators about conversations he'd had with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak during Trump's transition to power. He allegedly told him to tell Putin to chill over Obama's lame-duck sanctions against Russia.

Flynn also lied to Vice President Mike Pence about those convos -- and Pence parroted those to the media. As a result, Trump canned him, but openly denounced the move.

There are a few other Trump campaign people POTUS could bail out if he wants -- Paul Manafort comes to mind.

President Trump still hasn't conceded, but The White House Gift Shop can certainly read the writing on the wall ... it's slashing prices to unload some Trump merch.

The gift shop website is now offering several Trump-centric products at a discount -- some up to 50 percent. Most of the items can be found in the "Our Featured Products" section.

Here's a list of what's on sale ...

The President Trump American Flag Pin, regular price $24.95, is now $15.95. The pin has "45th President of The United States, Donald J. Trump" engraved on the backside.

2018 ornaments -- just in time for Christmas -- are half off. One package which is normally $350 is now available at $175, and a smaller package normally $100 is on sale for $50. In both cases, the ornaments are engraved with "New leadership, new era, new generation, new hope" on the front, and "North Korea peace talks in Singapore,” "Dow at highest levels in U.S. history" and other accomplishments on the back.

And, of course -- Trump's red hats. Both the "Keep America Great" and "Make America Great Again" styles are marked down to $34.95 from $37.95.

Meanwhile, the WH shop is also promoting the pre-order of Inauguration Coins featuring the 46th President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

The coin is priced at $100, and it says it will ship on Jan. 1 in advance of the Inauguration on Jan. 20.

Barack Obama has finally given Drake his blessing to portray him in a biopic -- something the kid has openly tried wishing into existence.

The former President was asked about Drake's comments from 2010 ... when he said it was actually a professional goal of his to play BO in a movie, noting he was sure he could do it.

At the time, Drake said he watched all of Obama's national addresses and studied his speaking inflection ... gloating about his impression game.

Welp, Drizzy might wanna start practicing that Obama voice again -- 'cause Barack officially gave his stamp of approval during a sit down with Complex News. He told Speedy Morman that Drake seemed capable of doing anything, and that if he's ready ... why not?!?

He also says his household would approve. Apparently, Sasha and Malia love them some Champagne Papi. Good card to play for Drake's future elevator pitch. BTW, Barack says he's seen clips of flicks that have taken a stab at telling the Obama story ... adding some have done it better than others.

As for Drake, you might recall ... Dude's got a background in acting. He actually started his entertainment career with a role on 'Degrassi.' Sure, the leap from that to playing Obama seems like a giant one, but who's to say it can't be done? Certainly not Obama himself.

This could be you, Joe Exotic -- President Trump just issued his first lame-duck pardon ... sparing a feathered friend from ending up on someone's Thanksgiving dinner plate.

POTUS emerged Tuesday in the Rose Garden for the annual pardoning of the turkey in advance of Thanksgiving. It's the final time he'll cut a break for a bird -- this one's named Corn -- during his Presidency.

Two turkeys arrived in D.C. for the special event, with Corn getting the honor as the official Thanksgiving Turkey. Standard ops call for there to be a backup ... and Corn's understudy fowl was Cob. Naturally, they both hail from Iowa.

The White House soldiered on with the light-hearted event despite the dark cloud looming -- there were signs of the resurgent pandemic ... the farmers who raised Corn and Cob wore masks, while Trump went mask-free. Again, naturally.

It was a rare public appearance for Trump, who continues to stew over his loss to President-elect Joe Biden -- but he resisted referencing the election results during the ceremony, and at least put on a happy face for cameras.

President Trump is finally cracking the door for President-elect Joe Biden's administration to begin the transition -- but he's still far from publicly admitting he lost the election.

DT's double-talk came Monday when he announced he'd given the green light to the General Services Administration to bring Biden's team into the fold. At the same time, he reaffirmed the fact he's still fighting the election results.

The clear contradiction -- Trump's finally acknowledging the need for the next POTUS to start taking the reins ... without admitting there will be a new POTUS.

The Prez says he's only relenting because GSA Administrator Emily Murphy is under heavy pressure. He claims, "She has been harassed, threatened, and abused – and I do not want to see this happen to her, her family, or employees of GSA."

He added, "Our case STRONGLY continues, we will keep up the good... fight, and I believe we will prevail!"

Trump might be trying to hedge here, but according to the Biden-Harris transition team ... there's no question about it -- they have been determined to be the winner of the election, and the fact they've been reached out to by GSA signals that.

A rep for the transition team writes, "In the days ahead, transition officials will begin meeting with federal officials to discuss the pandemic response, have a full accounting of our national security interests, and gain complete understanding of the Trump administration's efforts to hollow out government agencies." Ouch!

A lame-duck is about to come bill-to-beak with a feathered friend ... the first of what promises to be a flurry of pardons before that lame-duck migrates south for the winter.

President Trump is moving forward Tuesday at The White House with the annual pardoning of the turkey ahead of Thanksgiving -- which will mark a rare public appearance from DT since he got beat by Joe Biden.

There'll actually be two birds sent to D.C. for the event ... one will be named the official Thanksgiving Turkey and the other will be an alternate (assuming the first runs away?). No word yet on what the Trump team might name the foul.

Last year, the staff dubbed them Bread and Butter ... Butter got pardoned.

The two birds this year are being selected from the Walcott family farm in Iowa -- the eighth such family from the Hawkeye State to raise birds destined for presidential sparing. After some face-time with Trump, they'll live out the rest of their days at Iowa State University and will be on public display come December.

It's a bit surprising the WH is soldiering on with such a light-hearted event ... y'know ... because of the dark cloud looming over just about everything there these days. Of course, Trump has yet to concede -- and seems more bitter than ever.