White House

Sen. John Thune says becoming President used to be the dream for Senators, but now the bloom is off the rose ... the job's less about being qualified and a good leader and more about being famous and loud ... like a certain ex-President.

The Republican Senator from South Dakota was at the Reagan National Airport in D.C. Friday when he took a thinly veiled shot and Donald Trump ... suggesting the presidency is far less appealing due to the celeb and social media-obsessed culture.

Thune tells us the "kind of person" who would be successful as Commander in Chief these days has to run a different type of campaign than traditional methods, have a big online following ... and be more "ostentatious" than presidential.

It's a pretty stunning statement coming from a Senator, who even cites a John McCain quote about how every Senator aspires to become Prez .... until they're embalmed.

Sure seems Thune's not down with aspiring to POTUS status ... so don't expect him to throw his hat in the ring for 2024, but his take seems like it also applies to other senators as well.

Dr. Jill Biden's teamed up with a couple furry celebs for a very fitting Super Bowl Sunday commercial ... to air during Puppy Bowl XVII.

The First Lady and the First Dogs -- Champ and Major -- are making a special appearance to promote the continued use of face masks during the pandemic.

The German shepherds won't be live at Puppy Bowl ... Jill and co. recorded their bit at the White House. They looked super cozy in front of a fire as Jill talked about pets being a constant source of joy and comfort ... and Zoom crashers.

Part of the Puppy Bowl's mission is to also spread awareness about rescue animals, and as you may know ... Major is a rescue dog, believed to be the first to live at The White House.

Ice Cube is continuing his mission to help create jobs and new business opportunities for Black Americans, and he's about to chop it up with President Biden.

Cube says the Biden Administration reached out to him Tuesday, and they're hashing out a time and a place for a meeting about his "Contract With Black America" ... which Cube's been pushing since before the election.

The rapper/activist was a guest on the Ryan Cameron Uncensored radio show on Majic ATL Wednesday when he revealed his plans to sit down with the new Prez ... and he's hoping the meeting goes down this month.

Cube says he's hoping they can make it a face-to-face meeting where he can also bring in some of his experts and specialists on the subject.

Donald Trump no longer has the privilege of using Marine One whenever he pleases ... so his exclusive helipad at Mar-a-Lago is getting the boot.

According to new building permits -- obtained by TMZ -- the formal process of removing the helipad from the former President's favorite resort has begun ... and it looks like the job will cost about $15,000.

Trump's helipad is apparently an exception to the rule in Palm Beach, FL, which doesn't normally allow helicopters or helipads in the city. It approved it for Trump's use early in his term though ... "for business relating solely to the office of the president."

However, according to reports, now that he's no longer Commander in Chief ... the helicopter trips no longer qualify.

Imagine getting together with your book club and getting a surprise visit from an author, who also happens to be a former President ... named Barack Obama.

Members of the MahoganyBooks & the Very Smart Brothas Book Club had that very experience Tuesday as Obama surprised and delighted them by crashing their Zoom discussion about his memoir, "A Promised Land."

Barack said he had a couple of objectives for the appearance -- supporting Black-owned independent bookstores, but also ... he just had to meet the guys dubbed themselves the Very Smart Brothas Book Club.

Kinda hard to argue with their name, considering who they landed as a guest.

Obama then fielded some questions, including what he thought about Michelle's "inauguration drip." It's not often you see the ex-Prez struggle for an answer ... but he eventually got there, and said exactly the right thing.

Dolly Parton's had to reject the Presidential Medal of Freedom twice, but she's gonna get a third chance ... problem is, she's trying to stay outta politics.

The legendary country singer revealed Tuesday former President Trump tried to bestow her with the nation's highest civilian honor, but she had good reasons to turn it down.

Dolly told "Today" hosts Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager, "I couldn't accept it because my husband was ill and then they asked me again about it and I wouldn't travel because of the COVID."

Now, she also confirmed President Biden's administration has already reached out to her about the award -- but, she says that presents a challenge too. She said, "Now, I feel like if I take it, I'll be doing politics, so I'm not sure."

Stephen Colbert jokingly took Barack Obama to task for his administration's oversight on awarding Dolly with the prestigious award. Obama had joked he would tell his buddy Biden to fix his error ... and it seems Biden's camp got the message.

For her part ... Dolly says she's not even sure she deserves the award -- but, of course, she does. Her music would be enough, but then there's her amazing philanthropy ... including her Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, which has donated more than 100 million kids books, and her Dollywood Foundation's support of families in need.

Dolly also donated $1 million to fund COVID-19 research at Vanderbilt University, which helped develop the Moderna vaccine.

Bill Maher did not disappoint Friday night, offering up a bunch of reasons why Champ and Major are the wokest dogs on Pennsylvania Ave.

The 'Real Time' host hilariously ticked off reasons why the Bidens' pooches sit on the progressive side of things.

For instance ... Major only smells asses that are gluten-free, and Champ's a German Shepherd but identifies as a Dobie.

As you know by now, there's Major news at 1600 because it now has the first rescue dog ever at the White House.

Speaking of ... Champ and Major were much quicker to make themselves at home than a previous White House occupant ... so says B.M.

The dogs have already made their presence known ... they were barking up a storm outside the Oval Monday as Biden signed an order reversing Trump's ban on transgender people serving in the military.

Cicely Tyson, who forged a path for scores of Black actors on Broadway and in Hollywood, has died.

Tyson was a force in entertainment for decades, but in her early years she had few role models because there were few people of color who were at the top of the Hollywood game.

She won 2 Emmys for Lead Actress in 1974, for "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman." The year before she was nominated for the Best Actress Oscar for the movie "Sounder."

Tyson started her career as a model in NYC. She was on the covers of Ebony, Jet, Harper's Bazaar and Vogue. Still, her mom was none too pleased, telling her she couldn't live in the family house if she pursued entertainment. Her mom didn't speak to her for several years.

Younger audiences would know Cicely from "The Help" and "Fried Green Tomatoes."

She also made her mark on Broadway and won a Tony for Best Actress in a Play in 2013's "The Trip to Bountiful." That made her the oldest recipient ever of a Best Actress Tony.

President Obama bestowed a Presidential Medal of Freedom award to Tyson in 2016, saying, "Cicely made a conscious decision not just to say lines, but to speak out. Cicely's convictions and grace have helped for us to see the dignity of every beautiful member of the American family -- and she's just gorgeous."

Earlier in her career, Cicely starred in a play called "The Blacks." It was an off-Broadway play in the '60s and some of her co-stars were Maya Angelou, James Earl Jones and Louis Gossett Jr.

Cicely was 96.

One of President Biden's Senior Advisors says the Prez is laser-focused on fulfilling campaign promises, and unlike the previous POTUS ... he's not thirsting for the spotlight.

Former Congressman Cedric Richmond -- who now serves as Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement -- joined "TMZ Live" Thursday to run down the record-setting list of executive orders Biden's signed. It's the most ever for a President during his first week in office.

Richmond tells us these orders are all Constitutionally-sound and address some of the most important issues for the nation in the eyes of the administration.

That includes COVID vaccines and recovery, protecting Dreamers, racial equity, climate change and, of course, overturning some Trump-era policies.

As for Trump ... the current Prez isn't concerned about all the media attention his predecessor continues to get. Richmond compared Biden to a certain Hall of Fame football star known for scoring a lot of touchdowns.

The feds are putting the entire country on high alert ... warning of a looming domestic terrorism threat from groups pissed about President Biden's victory and several other issues.

For the first time, the Dept. of Homeland Security issued a federal bulletin about Americans plotting to attack Americans, saying there's a potential threat of "ideologically-motivated violent extremists."

The feds feel these domestic terrorists may be emboldened by the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol -- and say threats across the country are likely to persist in coming weeks motivated by several issues ... including anger over COVID-19 restrictions and the 2020 election results.

For example ... there's a full-on manhunt right now for a person who left pipe bombs intended to be detonated at the Democratic and Republican headquarters in Washington just days after the insurrection.

Most recently, a Napa man was arrested after authorities were tipped off about a huge stockpile of firepower at Ian Benjamin Rogers' house and business. They found more than 50 guns, 15,000 rounds of ammo, several pounds of gun powder ... and text messages in which Rogers said he'd like to blow up a democratic building.

Capitol Police officers are furious with their Police Chief for apologizing to lawmakers for the Capitol riots ... while still failing to talk to them about what went down January 6, and what to do if something similar happens again.

Sources within the Capitol Police tell TMZ ... neither acting Police Chief Yogananda Pittman, nor any of the other USCP higher-ups have directly addressed the officers who were on duty during the insurrection to say sorry to them for the lack of preparedness.

Even worse, we're told upper management has not clearly communicated to the officers what's being done -- or should be done -- to thwart another coup attempt at the Capitol.

According to our sources, cops want to hear from their leaders, "This is what went wrong, and this is what we need you to do next time" ... but so far, nothing.

Instead, Chief Pittman issued an apology to Congress on Tuesday, admitting that her department was not well enough prepared for the terrorist attack. She added they knew armed militia groups and white supremacists would be protesting, and there was a strong potential for violence and that Congress was the target.

We're told the feeling among the police officers is ... USCP management cares more about the image of the agency and getting the media off its back than taking care of its force, and Pittman's apology lends more proof.

Our sources say there's also not much internal support for Pittman as police chief, especially because she was the head of intelligence during the Jan. 6 riots ... and cops involved that day feel she let them down.

We broke the story ... Capitol Police officers were also incensed by the lack of direction before President Biden's inauguration, and a lack of clarity in the use of deadly force.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is under fire for old Facebook activity that suggests she was onboard with the killing of Democrat lawmakers ... but she's brushing most of it off as "fake news."

The newly-elected Congresswoman from Georgia has a ton of posts, likes and replies/comments that were still active of late, and dug up by several outlets, including CNN, which say she either co-signed or outright called for the execution of folks like Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton ... just to name a few.

One such post from 2019, before she ran for office and was elected, reportedly shows she liked a comment that read, "a bullet in the head would be quicker" in response to someone speculating how to remove the House Speaker. Screenshots seem to prove ... it's legit.

There are other posts Rep. Greene reportedly liked about FBI agents getting killed ... because they were apparently part of the "deep state" working against Trump.

Her sights were also set on Hillary, it would seem -- she reportedly mentioned her in a couple different posts over the years. In one such case, she agreed with someone on a conspiracy theory about a "hit" Hillary supposedly ordered on a woman who'd seen heinous child-killing content on Anthony Weiner's laptop, and in another ... looping in Obama too.

Somebody reportedly once asked if "H & O" -- apparently referring to Hillary and Obama -- ought to be "hanged" ... to which Greene reportedly replied, "Stage is being set."

In light of all these old posts coming to light, Rep. Greene is commenting, but in a very defiant, Trump-like way.

She writes, "Fake News CNN is writing yet another hit piece on me focused on my time before running for political office. I will never back down to the enemy of the American people and neither should you." Greene goes on to say different people have managed her accounts for her at different points -- and while acknowledging some posts were legit, not everything she engaged online represents her views.

Donald Trump moving to Mar-a-Lago has become worrisome, especially for Dems in the county, who say they fear a Trump effect ... and they're gearing up for a fight.

Believe it or not, Palm Beach County -- which obviously encompasses Palm Beach itself, where DT now lives -- is actually a pretty blue-leaning area ... but top dogs in the party say they're worried 45's influence will seep into their local politics and elections, for the worse.

Palm Beach County Democratic Party Secretary Sophia Nelson tells TMZ ... Trump's presence could be a game-changer in the political landscape, and it's something she and the rest of her cohorts will have to actively monitor in the coming months, and even years.

She says, for now, most Republican politicians -- who make up a minority in the county with an 80/20 split -- are pretty reasonable, and have no problem working across the aisle. But, Nelson warns that could quickly change with fringe GOP candidates who might run for local office going forward, emboldened by the arrival of their hero.

Nelson says she and others have already seen changes in town, especially near Trump properties, where upwards of 100 supporters have been gathering daily to show their love since Trump's arrival last week. She calls them "verbally violent."

As for what Nelson and the Dems plan to do about it ... more outreach, more grassroots campaigning and more voter registration, which she says will be key in fortifying their stronghold and pushing back against any wave Trump might create from here on out.

We're getting some behind-the-scenes from President Biden's Inauguration courtesy of Amanda Gorman ... who got some scoop on what was going down between the Obamas.

The poet laureate -- who went viral on Inauguration Day for her rousing piece, 'The Hill We Climb' -- dished to Ellen DeGeneres about being in the company of some huge names on that stage.

Amanda says her mom might've been a little more star-struck than she was ... especially for J Lo and A-Rod. But, as far as hanging with former Presidents and First Ladies, it's clear Amanda's a vet.

Anyway, check out what Amanda says Barack was doing behind the lectern that apparently ticked off Michelle enough for her to say something about it ... multiple times.

It's hilarious, and very relevant for the times. Let's just say Michelle was concerned about the former President's COVID-safety.

Amanda says Michelle had to rein him in, but the more telling thing here is how close Amanda was to the action and how tight she is with the Obamas.

Eric Trump's no longer one of America's First Sons, which means no more rides on Air Force One, and he's also passing on first-class seats on commercial airlines.

The ex-president's son -- along with his wife, Lara, and their 2 kids -- took a Delta flight from Palm Beach, FL back to NYC on Sunday and flew coach ... a witness tells TMZ.

We're told Eric's family was not seen hanging in the terminal like everyone else before boarding, but instead got escorted onto the plane by Secret Service agents.

Our source says Eric put their carry-on luggage up in the overhead bins, and the kids were well behaved ... with Lara taking them to the bathroom a couple times during the flight.

We're told Eric and Lara were very friendly with everyone and didn't seem a bit worried about drawing attention to themselves. However, Eric did get asked to pose for some selfies ... and happily obliged while wearing a mask with USA written on it.

As you know ... Donald Trump and his family bailed on President Biden's inauguration last week and took one final flight on AF1 to Florida. It seems Eric and his fam were returning home after spending the long weekend in the Sunshine State.

Before he left office, Trump reportedly extended post-presidency Secret Service protection for all his kids for 6 months ... which explains why Eric had agents with him.

While it may seem odd to see the Trumps flying with all the regular folks now that Donald's no longer POTUS, it's actually something Ivanka did often ... especially during the earlier days of her dad's term.

Seems like her bro had a better experience, though.

President Biden just brought a tradition back to the White House -- his dogs are now officially residents at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

The Bidens' 2 German Shepherds, Major and Champ, were introduced to their new doggy digs over the weekend, becoming D.C. residents anew -- this a few days after their humans flew in from Delaware and got their new home situated.

As for the delay ... the White House says the first couple wanted to get settled in before bringing the pooches. Makes sense, gotta get some of those family smells they're used to around the place.

Photos of Champ and Major frolicking were posted by the WH. Yeah, they're total posers ... especially with the Washington Monument now as a background. The First Lady's press secretary says, "Champ is enjoying his new dog bed by the fireplace and Major loved running around on the South Lawn." The pics match up with that description.

Champ's around 12 years old and has been with the Bidens a mighty long time. Meanwhile, Major's relatively new to the fam ... having just been adopted in 2019, and sitting pretty at a whole 2 years. You can tell which one is which right off the bat.

Remember, the return of dogs is a step back to tradition -- up until Donald Trump, who didn't have any pets during his 4-year term, there'd been a canine in the White House for about a century. The last Prez to not have a dog before 45 was ... William McKinley, in 1897.