White House

G. Gordon Liddy -- the mastermind behind the Watergate break-in -- said he would go to his grave without talking ... and he's officially done just that.

Gordon's son, Thomas Liddy, tells TMZ ... Gordon died Tuesday morning in Mt. Vernon, Virginia. Gordon, who had been sick and was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, died at the home of his daughter, Alexandra Liddy Bourne.

We're told Gordon did NOT die of COVID-19. In fact, Thomas says his father had received the vaccine 3 weeks ago in Maryland. Thomas and Alexandra were holding Gordon's hands as he passed away.

A little history lesson here for the young ones ... Gordon -- a political operative and former FBI agent -- was one of the guys behind the bungled 1972 break-in at the Democratic National Committee's Watergate headquarters.

They had initially planted bugs and photographed crucial docs ... and gotten away clean. But, some of the burglars -- with Gordon in a Watergate hotel room running point guard -- returned to the scene a few weeks later and got caught.

Gordon was among those arrested and indicted on charges of burglary, wiretapping and conspiracy. Of course, the scandal -- from the break-in to the cover-up -- led to President Richard Nixon's resignation in 1974.

And, while some sang like canaries to get lighter sentences ... Gordon kept true to his word and kept his mouth shut. He spent nearly 4 and a half years behind bars after refusing to testify to a Senate committee ... but President Jimmy Carter would later commute his 6 to 20-year sentence.

After getting out of prison, Gordon made his mark on the small screen with minor roles in "Miami Vice" and "18 Wheels of Justice" ... but it was his nationally syndicated radio talk show that brought him stardom in the 1990s until his retirement in 2012.

That didn't take long ... President Biden's dog, Major, is likely back in the dog house after a new biting incident at the White House, and this one sounds more serious.

A White House spokesperson tells us, "Major is still adjusting to his new surroundings and he nipped someone while on a walk. Out of an abundance of caution, the individual was seen by WHMU and then returned to work without injury."

As we reported, photogs got a shot of Major out for a walk Monday on the South Lawn, and he was on a leash. It's unclear who was walking the pup at the time.

Remember ... Major was sent back to Delaware earlier this month after he nipped at a White House staffer. The Prez said that time the bite didn't break skin.

President Biden's four-legged friend is feeling himself again at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave ... and he looks happy to be back at the White House after a brief banishment.

Biden's German Shepherd, Major, had his tail wagging Monday as he took a stroll around the White House South Lawn ... the first time we've seen the pooch since he was welcomed back to the President's residence following a pesky biting incident.

Major wasn't exactly allowed to roam free -- he'll have to prove himself -- for now, he's on a leash. The good news for the pooch -- he's muzzle-free, so it looks like the training worked.

Major and POTUS' other German Shepherd, Champ, were sent packing earlier this month after the rescue's chompers made contact with a W.H. staffer, but a trainer in Delaware apparently did a good job acclimating the dogs to all the commotion and people at the People's House.

It's been over 4 months since the November election, and Donald Trump is still acting like a sore loser -- that, or a belligerent wedding guest.

Check out this video we got of the former President all tux'd up for a reception that went down Saturday night at Trump's fortress of solitude, Mar-a-Lago, where the former chief himself got on the mic at one point to say a few words for the happy couple, John and Megan Arrigo ... but this speech would have nothing to do with the couple... it's all about him.

Before everyone knew it, he was launching into politics ... singing the same ol' song about false claims the election was rigged.

Watch for yourself -- DT rails on the Biden administration over what he considers shortcomings in the early months of his presidency, including foreign policy/deals with China and Iran ... plus, Trump goes in on the border situation which is now drawing national attention.

It's interesting ... Trump seems to be saying the way he was handling things before his exit -- separating kids from their parents and housing them in cages -- was more humane than what's happening now. At the moment, large groups of people are being sandwiched together in encampments, and the conditions are awful. He did not, however, mention the misery he caused these families when he was in charge.

Senator Steve Daines seemed a little too nostalgic over what he described as homegrown American meth -- which was apparently ruined when Mexican cartels started infiltrating.

The Montana legislator was one of 18 U.S. Senators who were down at the southern border this past week -- surveying what they're calling one of the biggest crises facing the country today ... this in light of the fact President Biden hasn't been down there himself just yet.

Sen. Daines stepped to a podium Friday and delivered remarks about how the issue of illegal immigration -- and the ramifications of that -- have affected his state. In a bizarre train of thought, he said one of the hits Montana has taken from this is ... more potent/fatal meth.

No, we're not kidding ... the guy appeared to be harkening back to a time in Montana when meth was American-made, and not nearly as strong as it is today, via Mexican drug lords.

It almost sounded like he was saying, "Remember good old-fashioned American meth?" That's certainly the vibe, anyway -- and you can even see some of his comrades chuckling behind him, including Sen. Mike Lee ... who's looking around with a major WTF face.

The Republicans down there now have been cruising along the Rio Grande River and putting on a big show at different border sites ... claiming things are bad as the surge of migrants continues at a startling pace. The problem is certainly real, there's no question about that ... but their song and dance demonstration is a bit silly. They're also kinda reveling in this visit a bit too much, we'd argue, taking photos of themselves in boats with bulletproof vests.

There's also Ted Cruz's live, on-the-scene video ... which has also made the rounds. He's reporting from the banks of the Rio Grande, and claims to have seen Mexican cartels sneaking in with his own eyes -- saying they heckled him as they passed.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has come up with a novel idea on how to repair the neglected roadways around the country -- a tax on mileage driven, and he's getting dragged.

The former presidential candidate said the Biden Administration is noodling on the idea and it's showing "a lot of promise."

Here's the criticism ... it's unfair to people who live in rural areas. because they have to drive further by necessity than urban dwellers.  But, more fundamentally, a mileage tax in big cities like L.A., New York City, Chicago and on and on hit middle and lower-income people harder than people who are well-to-do and can live smack in the middle of their city. People who are not well off typically move to suburbs far, far away from the city center.

Buttigieg, already nicknamed "Pothole Pete," has a tough job to sell ... the infrastructure plan will cost $3 TRILLION. The term "infrastructure" has been redefined broadly to include pre-K programs and childcare.

President Joe Biden plans on keeping his job for 8 years ... because it's his "expectation" to run for reelection in 2024.

It's the first time Biden's publicly stated that he plans to run again, though some of his close allies like Sen. Chris Coons have previously said that Joe's up for the challenge.

But, the Prez is now on record, telling reporters Thursday at his news conference that he expects to be a 2-term POTUS ... unlike his predecessor, Donald Trump.

Biden also gave props to Vice President Kamala Harris for doing a great job and called her a great partner, and says he expects her to be on his ticket again. He did hedge a little though ... saying it's hard to plan anything for certain 4 years out.

"I've been devalued, I've been disrespected and dismissed because I am a woman and I've been told that I don't deserve any more than less because I am a woman."

U.S. soccer superstar Megan Rapinoe gave a powerful speech demanding equal pay at the White House on Wednesday ... calling out the blatant discrimination women face every day.

Rapinoe's visit to D.C. comes on "Equal Pay Day" ... which is meant to bring awareness to the pay gap that exists between men and women throughout the country -- not just sports.

Rapinoe and fellow USWNT star Margaret Purce spoke alongside President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden minutes ago ... describing what it's like to reach ultimate success in their field, but still make a fraction of what men make.

"I've helped, along with all my teammates virtually here, one teammate literally here today, win 4 World Cup championships and 4 Olympic gold medals for the United States," Rapinoe said.

"Despite all the wins, I'm still paid less than men who do the same job that I do."

She continued ... "I know there are millions of people who are marginalized by gender in the world and experience the same thing in their jobs ... and I and my teammates are here for them."

"We on the U.S. Women's National Team today are here because of them. We also know what it means to not only have allies but to be allies. We know what it means when people kneel, to kneel with them."

POTUS echoed their statements ... calling the players heroes for speaking out against the pay gap and fighting for equality.

"It doesn't matter if you're an electrician, an accountant or part of the best damn soccer team in the world -- the pay gap is real," Biden said.

"This team is living proof that you can be the very best at what you do and still have to fight for equal pay."

President Biden's four-legged friends are back at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. after completing training for a biting incident with White House staff.

News broke Tuesday that the German Shepherds, Major and Champ, finished up training in Delaware and were reunited with their owners. As we reported, BOTH dogs were sent packing after Major bit a Biden staffer.

President Biden recently revealed the incident with Major was just an example of the pooch being protective, and the bite didn't break the skin ... yet it was still enough for the extra training.

We had one of the dog's former trainers on "TMZ Live" who told us a move to The White House translates to a lot of sudden changes for the pups, including a totally new environment. Apparently, both Major and Champ are quick learners, because the new training lasted only two weeks.

President Biden is apparently an even bigger believer in dogs than we all previously thought ... he says man's best friend might be able to help cure cancer!!!

The Prez showered dogs with tons of praise Tuesday during a visit to Ohio State University’s James Cancer Hospital, saying ... "Dogs may help cure cancer. Not a joke."

Biden's statement immediately raised a lot of eyebrows around the country, because even if ya love dogs -- CURING cancer??? Watch the clip, because the President did say something 100% factual ... which is that dogs can smell cancer, and some have been trained to give patients and/or doctors a heads-up.

But, that's really detection, stretching it out to curing cancer ... seems far-fetched. Sorry, Fido.

Biden's remark harkens us back to a time last summer when another POTUS suggested ingesting bleach would be a great way to combat the coronavirus. He's always claimed he was joking, but c'mon ... we all saw the news conference.

Of course, some are defending Biden's statement by pointing out early detection is key to a patient starting treatment ... and therefore, giving them a better shot at remission. We guess one could make that argument.

Kellyanne Conway and her teenager, Claudia, finally seem able to get along for once -- turns out, all they needed was a little music ... and an audience, of course.

The mom and daughter duo were in good spirits Sunday night during a new episode of 'American Idol,' where the 16-year-old was due to perform in front of the judges again ... only this time, in Hollywood. Kellyanne was in tow to lend support for Claudia's network TV debut.

They had some cute, witty banter before Claudia's cover of Bishop Briggs' 'River' -- which was good enough to get her into the next round ... something Kellyanne was ecstatic over as she belted out a little ditty of her own while embracing her child.

You can watch for yourself to see what KC decided to sing ... it's actually not half bad.

In any case, it was great seeing the pair be civil for once. As we've reported, they were at each other's throats over and over again as the 2020 election was in full swing and tensions boiled over in the household, and on camera.

There have been screaming matches, cuss-out sessions and even a physical confrontation once that left Claudia without her phone -- and the almighty TikTok -- for a while. It got so bad at one point, cops had to come out and check on everyone to see if things were okay.

Now, it appears they've turned over a new leaf ... unless you're more cynical. Then you probably think they're just playing nice for the show.

Remember, Claudia's dad, George, tagged along for her initial 'Idol' tryout ... and Mom beamed in virtually to send well-wishes.

Donald Trump's 757 jet is in mothballs in upstate New York, missing parts with one of its engines shrink-wrapped.

The jet is far, far away from the former President, who now calls Florida his home. The plane was a crown jewel in Trump's empire. It was called "Trump Force One" -- a status symbol he prized for years, yet now it seems the plane has been abandoned.

It's missing engine parts, according to CNN, and it's been exposed to brutal winter weather. To make it airworthy again, it's gonna cost a fortune, and it doesn't seem Trump's into it anymore.

As we reported, he flew in a relatively tiny jet from FL to NYC recently.

Trump was famously pictured chowing down on McDonald's during a flight in day's past ... when he didn't have to worry if the smell of fries would drive others on board crazy.

The plane hasn't been flown since Trump was elected ... he had another mode of transportation after that.

Joe Exotic says his life's been a living hell ever since Netflix unleashed him on the world ... and he's going scorched earth on Donald Trump, Carole Baskin, PETA, the feds and more!!!

Joe, through his attorney John M. Phillips of the Phillips & Hunt firm, tells TMZ ... "It has been a year of hell" since March 20, 2020, when Netflix premiered 'Tiger King' ... and he's not talking about the pandemic.

Exotic gripes the people for whom he opened his zoo and home -- "when their own families wouldn't help them" -- have turned their backs on him as he rots in prison. Joe doesn't name names, but says some of his ex-employees are out to "just collect money and talk s*** to get on TV" ... and he's pissed they're allegedly using his name "to profit off the hell I am living."

Joe's still claiming his innocence too ... he grouses the prosecutors and witnesses who helped put him behind bars lied under oath. Exotic's confident "the truth will come out ... come hell or high water, they will all answer to perjury at some point."

Trump and Don Jr. are also contributing to Joe's hell, and it sounds like he's still bitter over his failed attempt at a presidential pardon. Exotic says the Trumps "used me for advertisement and then left me here."

As we first told you, Joe's not giving up hope on a pardon from POTUS, and now he's lobbying the Biden Administration.

Joe tells us he has "more faith in President Biden and VP Harris to do the right thing, not just for me, but for the thousands serving long sentences for non-violent crimes such as conspiracy."

The way Joe sees it ... "I'm a political prisoner in America for an animal rights agenda" and he's lashing out at PETA for allegedly enforcing the Endangered Species Act on Jeff Lowe and his former zoo.

Lisa Ling says the White House flying the American flag at half staff to honor the Atlanta shooting victims is a powerful gesture for Asian-Americans ... but it's just one step of many that need to be made.

The CNN host was at LAX when a photog asked her about President Biden's decision to lower flags in the wake of the shootings that killed 8 people, including 6 Asian women ... and she got choked up talking about the symbolism.

Lisa says it's monumental when the President acknowledges the lives of some of the "most marginalized women" in society ... and she explains why it sends a strong message to everyone.

But, Lisa knows the fight against racism is far from over -- she says for every heartwarming image of the lowered flags, there are more horror stories on social media. She points to the example of the woman in San Francisco, who actually fought back against her attacker.

Several White House staffers got the ultimate buzzkill when they were asked to resign or got demoted for smoking weed in the past ... even though they were told it would be no biggie.

Those are the claims being made about President Biden's administration anyway, and the firings reportedly even affected WH employees who lived in one of the 14 U.S. states where marijuana use is legal.

According to the report ... Biden's staff was subjected to background checks where they had to disclose their history of pot use, but some were told it would be "overlooked."

Apparently, that wasn't the case, as White House Director of Management and Administration Anne Filipic reportedly called up many of the workers and asked those who admitted to marijuana use to either resign or be placed in a remote work program.

The White House is disputing how many staffers were actually affected by the weed-related moves, but says ... "This decision was made following intensive consultation with career security officials and will effectively protect our national security while modernizing policies to ensure that talented and otherwise well-qualified applicants with limited marijuana use will not be barred from serving the American people."

As you may know ... marijuana is still illegal on the federal level -- despite being legalized all over the country at a state-level and in D.C. -- so critics of these reported firings say it unfairly targets younger people and those who come from states where it's legal.

Vice President Kamala Harris could have been in danger Wednesday afternoon ... the Secret Service tells us agents detained a man outside the Veep's D.C. residence and cops say he had guns and ammo.

The agents stopped the man around 1 PM ET near the Naval Observatory, which is the traditional Vice President's mansion. Cops say they found a firearm, a bunch of ammo and several gun clips with ammo in the man's car, which was parked in a D.C. garage.

Fortunately, the Veep wasn't at the Naval Observatory when agents nabbed the man -- the mansion is getting a bunch of repairs so she and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff have been living at Blair House ... a 19th-century row house steps away from the White House.

The Vice Prez was working Wednesday in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which is right next to Blair House.

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