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Tucker Carlson is open to playing GOP candidate wrangler for a debate, but the Republicans would have to be down with the parameters he'd demand ... TMZ has learned.

In case you missed this week's debate, Vivek Ramaswamy gave a full-throated endorsement for Tucker to moderate a future Republican debate, predicting it would spark a major ratings boost.

Well, sources with direct knowledge tell us ... Vivek has personally verbalized this wish to Tucker himself, and while the former Fox News firebrand likes the idea of doing it -- he's not keen about doing it on a traditional TV network.

We're told Tucker actually spoke to GOP officials about the role back in the summer, after Fox News let him go ... but he didn't want to fall back in with corporate media, which he thinks is all buddy-buddy with the RNC.

So, the only way Vivek's dream will come true is if the party approves the debate airing exclusively on X. Obviously, Elon Musk would love that, but our source adds the real benefit for the RNC could be finally landing Donald Trump ... who's been absent from previous debates.

The feeling is Tucker's involvement might prompt Trump to participate.

Tucker's potential involvement came about after GOP candidate Vivek took aim at NBC's Lester Holt, Hugh Hewitt, and Kristen Welker during Wednesday night's third battle of Republican candidates.

As it turns out, the journalists got off easy ... relative to Ramaswamy's attack on Nikki Haley, who he called "Dick Cheney in 3-inch heels."

JFK's assassination 60 years ago this month was not the work of a lone gunman, and Rob Reiner & Soledad O'Brien are naming names.

Rob and Soledad joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday to talk about their new podcast, "Who Killed JFK?," which debuted Wednesday. They present a compelling case -- Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone back on November 22, 1963.

The "All in the Family" star and mega-producer has been obsessed with the assassination since he was 16, when Kennedy was shot, and he's been doing deep research ever since. Rob previewed his theories with us, clearly suggesting there were rogue government officials who plotted to get JFK.

Soledad and Rob agreed ... much of the distrust Americans feel toward their government emanated from the Kennedy assassination.

There are CIA connections to the plot to kill Kennedy, and even President Lyndon B. Johnson -- who succeeded Kennedy -- had a significant role in the coverup, according to Rob.

The fascination with the assassination has hardly subsided ... there's even an auction going on to sell a portion of the infamous picket fence behind the grassy knoll.

6:08 PM PT -- More fireworks between Vivek Ramaswamy and Nikki Haley ... this after he attacked her family over their use of TikTok, which spurred her to tell him to keep her daughters' names out of his mouth.

Will Smith's words live on ...

Vivek Ramaswamy came out swinging at the third Republican debate this week -- but it wasn't so much at his political rivals ... instead, he took aim at the moderators.

The polarizing GOP candidate went on the offensive right out the gate Wednesday in Miami ... this after one of the NBC moderators, Lester Holt, asked why he thought he should be the Republican nominee instead of Donald Trump ... who's still leading the pack by a lot.

Instead of answering the question directly, VR went on a rant bashing the party at large -- this after some tough losses in national elections Tuesday -- and called the GOP "losers."

He blamed the GOP Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel for that, but then turned his focus on Lester, Hugh Hewitt and Kristen Welker -- all of whom were moderating ... saying they didn't deserve to be moderating this ... and that Tucker Carlson, Joe Rogan and Elon Musk did.

FWIW ... Vivek's done a lot of sit-downs with Tucker lately -- and he seems to be a fan of JR and EM, too. Lester ended up cutting him short once it became clear he was just bashing.

Vivek did eventually go after the other candidates, though ... including a shot at Nikki Haley -- whom he characterized as a Dick Cheney-esque neo-con in "3-inch heels." Low blow, indeed.

Embattled U.S. Senator Bob Menendez is hearing renewed calls for his resignation, but this time it's coming with big laughs ... courtesy of a satirical movie trailer-inspired message.

The 2-minute clip uses cinematic voice-over calling out Menendez for his long list of alleged grievances -- federal corruption and bribery, to name a couple -- and also mixes in scenes from the 1991 comedy, "What About Bob?"

The result is hilarious clips of Richard Dreyfuss complaining about Bob ... hammering home New Jersey's frustrations with the fact the Senator won't step down from office amid the ongoing investigation into his alleged crimes.

The trailer also uses actual footage and soundbites from Menendez and his wife Nadine Arslanian Menendez -- including interviews where he's asked directly, "Don't you serve your state better by resigning now?"

Of course, the Senator confidently replies nope!

The clip also mockingly refers to him as "Senator Bob Menendez (D-Egypt)" ... referring to the fact he's accused of monopolizing the Egyptian market for importing halal meat. It also calls him out for threatening the Democratic Party's majority in the Senate.

The senator's enemies are urging folks on X to repost the trailer in order to urge Menendez to resign immediately. Don't hold your breath for that, however, film reviews are pouring in for the trailer.

Jon Voight is on opposite ends of the Israel-Palestine conflict from his daughter, Angelina Jolie ... and he explained in impassioned terms why he thinks she's wrong.

The actor posted a lengthy video on Instagram, in which he torches his own flesh and blood for her mostly pro-Palestine stance ... where she called for a ceasefire, and condemned Israel's bombing campaign in Gaza.

JV says Israel is in the midst of war, and that their retaliation, by nature, will be ugly ... which he believes is justified due to the Oct. 7 terrorist attack carried out by Hamas.

As Jon puts it ... he says he's disappointed with Angie for "having no understanding of God's honor, God's truths" -- going on to call Israel's response in Gaza "justice for God's children in the Holy land. He also says this conflict can't be civil now ... it's gone too far for that.

Jon also points out a tactic that many military strategists say Hamas uses in burrowing itself among innocent Palestinians -- namely, using human shields to defend themselves.

Bottom line ... Jon is very much pro-Israel, and is nowhere near calling for peace like AJ. FWIW, JV's words here are probably falling on deaf ears ... he's estranged from his kid.

As far as his point, though ... the bodies are piling up in Gaza -- well over 9,000 now by many estimations -- and Israel is facing increased scrutiny for their cause. More and more U.S. politicians are calling for a "pause" ... including President Joe Biden and his staff.

Thousands upon thousands descended onto our nation's capital this weekend to decry the Israel-Palestine war ... eventually hitting the White House to make their voices heard.

A massive protest formed in Washington D.C. Saturday, with upwards of a hundred thousand (if not more) pro-Palestine demonstrators marching through the streets of the city and calling for an immediate ceasefire -- while also consistently yelling "Free Palestine!"

It's one of the largest such gatherings that has taken place since the conflict kicked off last month -- and it's quite clear they don't think our government is on the right side of history here, including President Joe Biden ... whose name was front and center the whole time.

That became abundantly clear when a huge group of protesters eventually landed at the White House -- or at the front gate rather ... which keeps onlookers quite a ways away.

Still, they certainly made their presence known ... so much so, that it attracted the attention of Secret Service agents -- who came out onto the lawn and made sure nobody breached the gate and made their way onto the grounds, and by the looks of it ... no one did.

Nonetheless ... the protest at the White House got a little scary, especially when a handful of people actually scaled the gate and waved Palestinian flags ... without ever going over. There were also chants of "F*** Joe Biden" that could be heard, as well as "Allahu Akbar" ... an Arabic phrase that is the cornerstone of the Islam faith, meaning "God is most great."

The reactions to the protest are divided, and really come down to how folks feel about the Middle East conflict right now -- those who are pro-Palestine saw it as righteous and needed ... whereas others viewed it as a startling move that potentially portends worse to come.

Either way ... these people were out there making their voices heard -- and while there are reports of a smattering of arrests here and there, it looks to have remained mostly peaceful.

Part of the reason the pro-Palestine protest might've made its way to D.C. is because of how the U.S. is responding to the ongoing ground operation being conducted by Israel ... which continues to move its way through Gaza in search of the Hamas terrorists and hostages.

Of course, it goes without saying ... as they've attempted to root out Hamas, there have been many civilian casualties along the way -- with Palestinian officials saying the body count on their end is nearing the 5-digit mark ... something that has drawn concern from some of Israel's allies, including the U.S.

Reports say American officials, including Sec. of State Anthony Blinken, are quietly asking Israel to hit pause -- but it doesn't sound like Benjamin Netanyahu is heeding his request.

This sentiment against Israel is growing and becoming more popular with celebs as well -- more and more high-profile people are demanding Israel stop their campaign ... insisting their response is disproportionate now, and is claiming too many innocents in the process.

Macklemore is among those stars who's been speaking out -- in fact, he was there in D.C. Saturday and spoke to a group of demonstrators in an impassioned speech ... in which he called what Israel is doing in Gaza "genocide," and that got a big cheer from the crowd.

The issue has become incredibly divisive in the States ... but as the weeks drag on, we're seeing more and more people hitting the streets -- and they're often pro-Palestine.

Like we said ... Israel, thus far, is sticking to its guns on their mission. They feel they have every right to move in and exact justice over the 1,400 innocent Israelis who were butchered.

Tan Mom Patricia Krentcil is on the mend after a very risky surgical procedure ... and she's gearing up to get back on the campaign trail as she runs for a U.S. Senate seat in Florida.

Tan Mom's campaign manager, Adam Barta tells TMZ ... she was admitted to a hospital in Boca Raton last Monday for bypass surgery to remove the stent separating her pancreas and liver.

We're told Tan Mom previously had the stent inserted because of her pancreatitis, and when doctors removed it this time, her organs had major swelling and caused her a ton of pain.

What's more, we're told doctors discovered gallstones stuck by her liver during the surgery ... and she's going to have to go back under the knife in the future to address the issue.

Tan Mom's camp characterized the procedure as "very risky" for her ... and we're told she's recovering at home and recently regained her ability to walk.

We're told Tan Mom's hoping next week she'll be feeling well enough to make her scheduled campaign stops as she runs for one of Florida's seats in the U.S. Senate. She's filming a new campaign video next week with Dr. Miami, who did her makeover in her reality series, "Tan to 10."

Barack Obama spoke out about the conflict between Israel and Palestine -- and he says two things must be acknowledged as true ... on both sides of this thorny issue.

The former President was recently speaking at an event, and his remarks were captured by Pod Save America -- which says his full interview is coming out Tuesday. But from the snippet they released, BO says quite a bit ... and fully admits, this is complicated.

Take a look for yourself to see what exactly he says ... essentially, he condemns Hamas and the Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel -- but in the same breath, condemns Israel's response.

He says there are innocent people in Gaza who've been wrapped up in this that have nothing to do with Hamas ... and yet, also notes the history of Jews being segregated/persecuted over their identity as a people. In other words, there's validity in each POV here.

In terms of folks debating this problem, Obama says it can't be hashed out on social media -- and it can't be solved unless everybody tells the "whole truth" about a complex topic.

He also says people have to learn to speak to others on the opposite end and be able to do so civilly ... and encourages everyone to see that there's complicity on all fronts of this. It's a word salad, but if you're wondering what he's actually arguing for now ... you're outta luck.

Barack doesn't really say what he thinks should happen going forward, nor does he specify what exactly he's calling for at this point ... at least not in what's uploaded at the moment. Perhaps we'll hear more from him in the coming days.

A California lawmaker is now in trouble with the law after she blamed her drunk driving arrest on a sneeze, causing her to crash -- while she was reportedly double the legal alcohol limit.

State Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo was cruising in her Audi in L.A. early Friday morning when she collided with another car, which lurched forward, striking a third vehicle.

A resident heard a loud bang and ran outside with his cell phone, filming what he described as an obviously intoxicated Carrillo, who was slurring her words and reeked of booze.

Check out the video ... responding LAPD officers approached Carrillo, who offered this explanation for the crash, "I'm sorry, I sneezed, and I lost track of the vehicle."

The cops administered a field sobriety test to Carrillo, who, at one point, lost her balance and nearly fell to the ground, but one of the officers caught her.

Carrillo was then arrested and booked for suspicion of driving under the influence during a traffic collision with a high blood-alcohol count, the L.A. Times reported.

LAPD Capt. Kelly Muniz told the media outlet Carrillo's alcohol level was “double the legal limit or more.”

After she was released from jail without bail, Carrillo issued a statement, accepting responsibility for her actions, while acknowledging as a public servant she must be held to a higher standard. She also apologized to her family, constituents and staff members and promised to "seek the necessary help and support.”

Bill Maher was on a tear Friday night, calling out progressives and academics who crap on Israel as an "outpost of Western civilization" ... because Western civilization is responsible for the freedoms and opportunities we supposedly cherish.

The "Real Time" host basically thinks the growing movement in America justifying what Hamas did to Israel is absurd. If they support Hamas, BM posits, then they're okay with domestic violence, homophobia, child marriage and on and on, because that's that's the Hamas playbook.

Bill's not railing on Palestinians ... there's plenty of evidence the majority do NOT support Hamas, he's comparing the terrorism at the core of Hamas to the guardrails and freedoms that have been the core of Western civilization for centuries -- freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the right to a fair trial, women's rights, and on and on. Oh, and in Western civilization, there IS such a thing as a war crime.

Maher sees it this way ... "Western civ" for progressives and academics is shorthand for "white people ruin everything."

Items linked to John F. Kennedy's assassination are now up for auction, 60 years after he was killed ... including objects from the infamous grassy knoll and even the killer's grim past.

RR Auction has over 80 objects up for sale connected to November 22, 1963 ... including a section of the wooden picket fence behind the "grassy knoll" that overlooked the Presidential parade route. Lots of people -- including many who were there that day -- believe at least one gunman fired from that fence.

That's not all -- the auction house is selling a window from the Texas School Book Depository ... the building where Lee Harvey Oswald fired shots at JFK.

Also included in the auction are Oswald's first handgun, which he sold to his brother for $10 ... and Oswald's phone call receipt from jail -- the call he made just 1 day after JFK's assassination and one day before Oswald himself was shot and killed while in custody.

There are a ton of hidden gems for history buffs ... a lucky bidder can secure JFK's personal diary from 1945 ... which features a ton of insights before he became President.

Selena Gomez says she needs a break from Instagram and is going to delete her account ... after being blasted for her comments about the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

Selena posted and then deleted an IG story Thursday where she revealed her plans to get off IG, explaining ... "I'm done. I do not support any of what's going on."

The decision came only days after Selena posted about the Gaza war and then got dragged.

As we reported ... Selena spoke out Monday about the war in the Middle East, condemning murder and torture and saying, "That's what makes me sick. I wish I could change the world. But a post won't."

Selena's Israel-Palestine post was met with tons of hate online ... with folks accusing her of not doing all she can to help those in need, dragging her for trying to be a victim and blasting her for claiming her platform was useless.

As we've reported ... other celebs have faced backlash for their takes on the ongoing conflict ... former adult film star Mia Khalifa lost her gig with Playboy after defending Hamas, and the entire Hadid family is getting death threats.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has come under fire for his son's "insensitive" headless Halloween costume ... with followers pointing out how tone-deaf the PM is given the situation in the Middle East.

In snaps shared to Instagram Tuesday, the PM gleefully posed with his nine-year-old son Hadrien, whose head pops out of his black robe to give the illusion of him carrying his own severed head in his hands.

Justin joked about nothing stopping Hadrien from trick-or-treating, even though he "seems to have misplaced something," -- but users on the platform argue it's Justin whose forgotten something -- that a few weeks back, babies and others were beheaded.

Political commentator Tyler Popp labeled Justin's post as "tone-deaf," while Toronto-based Saba Khan, who runs the page @fictionallyflawless, said online that her "heart says this is the most tone deaf thing he can do at a time when children are getting their heads blown off in Palestine."

Others branded Justin's Halloween snaps as "disgusting, insensitive and disrespectful" as well as "mightily inappropriate" and "callousness is beyond belief."

Some folks weren't as disapproving ... criticizing those who turned Hadrien's Halloween costume into something political.

This isn't the first time Justin has come under fire for an insensitive costume. We all remember his apology tour in 2019 when snaps emerged of him sporting a darkened complexion in an Aladdin costume back in 2001.

Don Lemon and his partner, Tim Malone, should win first prize for 2023's most hilarious politically-themed Halloween costumes -- and The White House would probably agree!!!

The ex-CNN anchor and Malone reimagined the moment President Joe Biden and VP Kamala Harris famously announced their victory in the 2020 election over Donald Trump and Mike Pence.

The image shows Lemon as Harris in a blue pants suit with a brown wig, and Malone as Biden in a crisp black suit and tie with white hair. Both are triumphantly holding each other's hands up while gripping American flags in their other fists. Lemon wrote in the caption, "We did it, Tim!!! Happy Halloween."

Of course, the couple was imitating Biden and Harris speaking to one another by phone while congratulating themselves on their huge White House win. In a vid, Harris proudly proclaimed, "We did it, Joe!"

All in all, it's very funny stuff. Don and Tim get major kudos for creativity as well. And the real Joe and Kamala will probably get a couple of belly laughs out of it, too.

Screw diplomacy, Gov. Gavin Newsom is playing to win ... even if he's gotta mow down a grade school kid on a basketball court, during what's supposed to be a diplomatic visit to China!!!

No, it wasn't intentional, but the Guv really did put a hurting on the tyke while playing a little pickup hoops at a public school in Beijing. It all played out like an 'SNL' skit -- Newsom showing off by spinning the ball on his finger, and then dribbling and spinning toward the hoop.

Problem is ... Newsom tried to put down his best Kobe Bryant-esque move, but ended up stumbling, and crashing right into a kid! They both slammed to the ground, but looks like a "no blood, no foul" situation.

The Governor gave the kid a few playful slaps on the back, everyone laughed and they got up uninjured.

Angelina Jolie is drawing a line in the sand on the Israel-Palestine issue -- and considering her well-documented humanitarian work worldwide ... her position here is interesting.

The actress -- who's moved into more of a public service role over the past decade or so -- posted a lengthy statement this weekend addressing the war in the Middle East ... and she says quite clearly, the ongoing offensive that Israel's undertaking in Gaza isn't right.

She starts by sympathizing with Israelis that were victimized in the Oct. 7 terrorist attack carried out by Hamas -- saying, like millions of others, she too was sickened/angry about all those who were killed, especially kids ... adding she prays for the safe return of hostages.

However, she then writes this ... "What happened in Israel is an act of terror. But that cannot justify the innocent lives lost in bombing a civilian population in Gaza that has nowhere to go, no access to food or water, no possibility of evacuation, and not even the basic human right to cross a border to seek refuge."

AJ cites her many years of experience in this field, saying that there is a desperate need for aid in the area -- and that Israel's response is only making matters worse. She adds, "The denial of aid, fuel and water is collectively punishing a people. Humanity demands an immediate ceasefire. Palestinian and Israeli lives -- and the lives of all people globally -- matter equally. Anything that can prevent civilian casualties and save lives must be done."

Angelina goes on to say she's donated to medical relief efforts for Gaza, and spotlighted Doctors Without Borders as an org she's supporting and following at this time.

As far as how Israel's proceeding at this point ... it looks like it's full steam ahead. Their ground operation into Gaza is intensifying -- and PM Benjamin Netanyahu has said this now marks the "second stage" of what he says is going to be a long and difficult war.

Gaza is in a blackout at the moment -- with no lines of communication to the outside world -- something Elon Musk says he'll help fix with Internet access ... albeit, only to internationally recognized humanitarian groups in the area ... something Israel strongly objects to.

The U.S. certainly feels divided on this conflict -- and there have been fierce protests and demonstrations on both sides ... with a notable pro-Palestine sentiment in the streets.