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Joe Biden's celeb-packed State of the Union address preview was a stroke of genius -- this according to political heavy-hitters, Lis Smith and April Ryan.

We spoke to both on 'TMZ Live,' Thursday ... with Lis telling us that whoever in Biden's camp came up with that idea deserves a serious raise, 'cause these speeches can be a major snooze-fest ... so making politics cool for those who might not care is a big deal!

Lis goes on to say that if more folks in politics injected a little fun and humor into the mix, maybe we wouldn't be so stressed out all the time.

She's also saying the positives of that clip and Biden's approach totally outweigh any negatives ... adding that people throwing shade at it were probably never gonna vote for JB in the first place.

April -- the White House Correspondent for TheGrio -- also backs Lis' sentiments ...  saying Joe's team dropped that video to connect with everyone and show he's in touch with people's everyday struggles despite sitting in one of the most important buildings in the world.

She also tells us it's a smart move on his part 'cause becoming the U.S. President ain't just about domestic policy issues ... it's about playing on the global stage, too.

By putting out that video of him hilariously seeking advice from former President actors Morgan Freeman, Bill Pullman, Geena Davis, Michael Douglas, and Tony Goldwyn ahead of his super serious speech ... he's painting a winning picture and showing confidence, rather than highlighting setbacks.

Of course, Joe's definitely had his fair share of criticism during his presidency -- especially when it comes to concerns about his age.

Joe Biden is going all out to make sure his State of the Union address resonates with Americans ... 'cause he's taking tips from former Presidents -- albeit, fake ones!

POTUS posted this video Thursday ahead of his SOTU later this evening, and he's zooming with a bunch of actors who've portrayed presidents in film or TV roles -- and yeah, he's got some big names here chatting with him.

Morgan Freeman -- who played President Tom Beck in "Deep Impact," as well as Pres. Trumbull in "Angel Has Fallen" -- reflects on his character having to deal with a looming meteor threat ... saying amid the crisis, people found solace in his message of hope.

Bill Pullman -- known for his role as President Thomas J. Whitmore in 1996's "Independence Day" -- looks back on his character's battle against invaders from outer space ... noting fear and chaos had a unifying effect on people.

As for Tony Goldwyn -- who played President Fitzgerald Grant III in "Scandal" -- he admitted his character behaved pretty badly while in office. But here's the kicker ... he advised Joe that if he just told the general public they made him a better man, they'd eat it up.

Michael Douglas, meanwhile, had some poignant advice to share ... emphasizing that love and compassion are strengths, not weaknesses, and urged Biden to utilize his first lady, Jill, to his advantage. He played President Andrew Shepherd in "The American President."

Geena Davis -- famous for her role as President Mackenzie Allen in the TV show "Commander In Chief" -- revealed that every week her character faced a new crisis, and the number one lesson she learned was that there's no crying in politics.

JB was clearly impressed by GD's portrayal, telling her she did one helluva job. And with a touch of humor, expressed his hope that his politics wouldn't make anyone else cry. The one big actor he was missing from the lineup is obviously Martin Sheen ... 'West Wing' anyone?

Nikki Haley just bowed out of the presidential race after taking a licking from Donald Trump during Super Tuesday -- but if you think she's gonna kiss the ring now ... you'd be wrong.

The former South Carolina governor -- who was the last remaining GOP candidate trying to win votes against DT in the Republican primaries as of late -- just announced Wednesday that she's suspending her campaign for the White House following a disappointing loss this week.

There were a lot of states that voted for their party's candidates ... and Nikki only won one of them against Trump, and that would be Vermont. Everywhere else, he won in a landslide.

During her exit speech, Nikki said she was grateful to have the opportunity to run for President ... and vowed to continue speaking on the issues she's passionate about.

More interestingly, though, was the fact she refused to endorse Trump, even now.

She says it's up to Trump to earn the votes of people who didn't back him -- and it sounds like she thinks he has a lot of work to do in that department, including for herself. NH says Trump should do a better job at embracing more Republicans/conservatives into his cause.

Hollywood once again is emptying its collective pockets this election season -- donating generously to the campaigns of several Democrats vying for a highly coveted U.S. Senate seat.

TMZ combed through the Federal Election Commission filings and found that most of Tinseltown's elite kicked their financial support toward the campaigns of Adam Schiff, Barbara Lee and Katie Porter ... who are facing off for the chance to fill the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein's seat.

Former MLB star Steve Garvey, who's running as a Republican, seemingly got no donations from people identifying with the FEC as an actor, musician or athlete. With that said, polls have him doing pretty damn well.

This cannot be said for Dems in the primary race. We should note ... this might not be a complete snapshot of donations, and some of the celebs may have donated more than the number listed.

For Schiff:
- Robin Dearden ($6600)
- Herb Alpert (at least $3,300)
- Barbra Streisand ($1500)
- Holland Taylor ($1,000)
- George Takei ($750)
- Lily Tomlin ($350)
- Jackson Browne ($400)
- Joan Jett ($275)
- Diane Lane ($235)

As for Barbara Lee ... Ben Affleck seems pretty passionate about her candidacy, as he dropped thousands on her run -- and even his daughter, Violet, shelled out a pretty penny too.

For Lee:
- Ben Affleck (at least $6,600)
- Violet Affleck ($3,050)
- Jackson Browne (at least $3,300)
- Graham Nash ($2,500)
- Kal Penn ($500)

For Porter:
- Graham Nash ($3,300)
- Bonnie Raitt ($2,000)
- Susan Sarandon ($500)
- George Takei ($500)

Several celebrities double-dipped ... with George Takei donating for both Porter and Schiff. Similarly, Graham Nash dropped some dough for Porter and Lee. Jackson Browne made sure to contribute to both Schiff and Lee's campaigns.

Some celebs are doing more than donating money ... some are lending support on social media -- like John Legend, who publicly endorsed Lee,

In fact, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is even narrating an ad that's running for Schiff.

A Super Tuesday voter has gone viral for his explicit explanation of why Nikki Haley shouldn't be president -- according to him, it's 'cause she' is missing a scrotum.

Check out this video that features a North Carolina resident -- identified as Emmett Martin -- confessing to NBC News that he never even considered the former governor of South Carolina as a candidate over the simple fact that she's a woman.

The way he puts it is pretty rich in misogyny ... he says, she "has no balls to scratch."

Emmett says that since the ex-Gov. didn't have male private parts ... she shouldn't be a contender in the Republican primary race. We're not sure what genitalia has to do with running a country ... but it's clearly important to this constituent.

BTW, it isn't just Nikki that the voter disapproved of ... it's all women, apparently who he said are only good for "having babies and taking care of the house."

He did backtrack slightly -- suggesting that there are women out there who know what they’re doing ... but added they need a bit of guidance from someone like Donald Trump.

Shaquille Brewster -- the correspondent who interviewed Emmett ... said this isn't the first time that voters have told him they wouldn't vote for Nikki based on her gender. However, it is the first time the response was so bluntly said on camera.

Charles Barkley has a pointed, somewhat violent message for any Black person backing Donald Trump simply because he got arrested ... he's gonna knock you out.

The NBA Hall of Famer issued the warning Monday night on his CNN show with Gayle King as they discussed Trump's recent remark about Black people liking him more after he was arrested in Georgia for attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.

Trump went on to brag about Black people "walking around with his mug shot" on t-shirts.

None of that sits well with Barkley, who said, "If I see a Black person walking around with Trump's mug shot, I'm [gonna] punch him in the face."

Barkley explained he feels Trump's comments are "an insult to all Black people" ... because he's comparing his arrest to the centuries of discrimination the Black community has faced.

The NBA legend is no stranger to slamming Trump ... as he's previously called out the Republican presidential candidate for using "pseudo-racist rhetoric" when discussing immigration.

Trump has been undeterred by any backlash from Barkley or any other critics, as "The Apprentice" alum remains the frontrunner for the Republican nomination -- and the Super Tuesday primaries in 15 states, and one territory, could put the race nearly out of reach for Nikki Haley.

Taylor Swift is leaping into 2024 presidential politics on Super Tuesday, but she's stopping short of that coveted endorsement of President Joe Biden ... or any candidate, for that matter.

Taylor sounded the alarm early Tuesday morning with a post on her IG story, writing a note that says, "I wanted to remind you guys to vote the people who most represent YOU into power. If you haven't already, make a plan to vote today."

Political pundits have had a field day discussing the potential power of Taylor to swing campaigns this election season, having seen the power of her extremely loyal fan base. Just ask NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell about it.

The Biden administration's been open about its desire to get an endorsement from Taylor -- as she did in 2020 -- and Joe himself has leaned into the possibility of her backing him.

Donald Trump's camp, meanwhile, has reportedly declared "holy war" on the singer and Swifties ... insisting the former prez is "more popular" than her, with more loyal fans.

Taylor's not endorsing anyone today, and most political analysts don't expect her to do so until we get closer to election day in November.

In her IG call out to Swifties, Taylor urged everyone to hit up vote.org to find info on polling places and times ... if you're in one of the 16 states or territories voting in today's primaries.

Solid advice.

Amanda Seales ain't holding back when it comes to sharing her thoughts on President Biden's approach to the Israeli conflict in Gaza, and she firmly believes it could cost him the election.

We got the "Insecure" actress Monday at LAX, and she says the Biden administration needs to tune in to what the majority of Americans are demanding -- pushing for a permanent ceasefire and ensuring Palestinians aren't living under constant threat of violence and death anymore.

Amanda adds that she's lost confidence in Biden due to what she sees as a lack of action on his part -- and, at this point, she thinks a lot of people might only vote for him because they're settling for the "lesser evil."

Not exactly a proud position for the Prez to be in, according to AS.

Now, mind you, VP Kamala Harris did make a very direct call on Sunday for Israel and Hamas to reach an "immediate ceasefire," and for Israel to increase the flow of aid to Gaza.

Still, Amanda's not pulling any punches with the administration on this issue. She's labeling the whole situation demoralizing and inhumane, and calling for some real action and empathy from the top.

Donald Trump will remain on the ballot in Colorado for the 2024 presidential election, and that goes for every other state as well ... something the Supreme Court just set in stone.

All nine Justices ruled unanimously Monday in favor of DT in his appeal against the State of Colorado -- which had tried to boot him from their November ballot ... citing the insurrection clause in the Constitution and deciding he had, in fact, participated in one on Jan. 6.

The high court didn't weigh in on whether that was true or not ... all they decided here was this issue of disbarring federal officials from office over an insurrection was for Congress to decide, and not for the States. In other words, they said Colorado misinterpreted the law.

They write in their opinion ... "For the reasons given, responsibility for enforcing Section 3 against federal officeholders and candidates rests with Congress and not the States."

SCOTUS continues, "The judgment of the Colorado Supreme Court there cannot stand." They go on to say that Colorado's decision to disqualify Trump is now reversed, and that'll obviously set a precedent with other states that attempted to do this in recent months too.

Maine and Illinois also barred Trump from appearing on their ballots -- citing the same insurrection clause -- but now that the Supreme Court has weighed in ... they lose as well.

Bill Maher was HYSTERICAL Friday night, with a message to Joe Biden ... embrace your old fart self!!!

The 'Real Time' host made a barrage of solid points, in particular -- When the Prez says he's sharper than ever, no one's buyin' what he's selling.

Or, as BM says, Joe's so old his bad kid with a drug problem is 54!

So, Bill says he should stop riding bikes and hopping on TikTok. Hillary tried it and it didn't work for her.  BTW, thanks for the shout-out, Bill!

Fact is, old people vote way more than the youngins. So appeal to the "Matlock" crowd and advertise on CBS.

And then ... Bill had a brainstorm for Thursday's State of the Union, and it's genius. Biden should appear before the joint session of Congress ambling up to the stage with a walker.

Hunter Schafer -- one of the stars of the TV show "Euphoria" -- was taken away in handcuffs Monday while protesting the Israel-Hamas war in NYC ... this during President Joe Biden's visit.

Check out the photo ... Sporting a t-shirt that read "Cease Fire Now" -- obviously calling for an end to the fighting going on in Gaza -- the actress was escorted away by an NYPD officer with her hands cuffed behind her back at Rockefeller Plaza in Midtown Manhattan.

Schafer was one of 33 "Jewish Voice For Peace" protesters arrested Monday afternoon and issued two summonses for trespassing and disorderly conduct. Both charges are less serious violations of the law.

Schafer, who plays Jules on "Euphoria," was protesting the military fight in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas. The two rivals began their latest battle October 7, 2023, after Hamas terrorists invaded the Jewish state, slaughtering 1,200 Israelis during a sneak attack.

Since then, Israel has waged a violent and deadly conflict against the militants, who control Gaza and the Palestinians living under their rule. Many Palestinians have lost their lives, sparking anger and protests around the world, including in the United States.

Yesterday, videos posted to social media showed the "Jewish Voice" group sitting in the lobby of Rockefeller Center while waving banners that read "Jews to Biden: Stop arming genocide” and “Lasting cease-fire."

Kara Swisher is getting real about the unavoidability of artificial intelligence ... offering up candid advice on how we should navigate the ever-evolving technology in the future.

We got the famed tech journalist -- who just released her new book, "Burn Book: A Tech Love Story" -- Tuesday on "TMZ Live," where she issued a warning about what's to come for AI.

Kara tells us artificial intelligence isn't going anywhere -- and while fake propaganda's always been around, AI is making it almost impossible to distinguish phony info from the real thing.

Which is why she thinks the government needs to start a dialogue with tech companies about regulation ... something it does with other industries.

One thing Kara's not keen on is the notion all AI creations fall under free speech, and all the protections that come with that tag -- instead, she'd like to see more people sue for damages.

For example, Taylor Swift was recently victimized when phony X-rated/NSFW AI images of her surfaced online -- and if she were to sue the creators, Kara says that might deter future bad actors.

President Joe Biden was out on the campaign trail Monday, sitting down for an interview with Seth Meyers – and joking about potentially getting Taylor Swift's "classified" endorsement.

The 46th U.S. President sported his signature Aviator glasses while parked on a couch next to comedian Amy Poehler during his visit to "Late Night With Seth Meyers."  Of course, Seth was seated at his desk in front of Joe and the two covered a wide range of mostly political issues.

At one point, Seth told Joe that 18 percent of Americans believe he's working in "cahoots" with Taylor to reelect him in the 2024 presidential race against the Republican nominee, likely Donald Trump.

Seth showed a message Joe posted on the social media app, "X," after the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 to win this year's Super Bowl. The one-liner read, "Just like we drew it up."

The host then asked Joe, "Now, can you confirm or deny that there is an active conspiracy here between you and Ms. Swift?"

Joe went along with the joke, replying, "Where are you getting this information? It's classified. But I will tell you she did endorse me in 2020."

Seth agreed, asking if Taylor would support Joe this time around. But Joe wouldn't give an inch, repeating, "I told you. It's classified."

Fun stuff from Commander in Chief.

Donald Trump says he wouldn't throw Prince Harry an immigration lifeline if he was elected President again -- suggesting he'd be left to fend for himself ... and maybe get deported.

The ex-Pres spoke with the Daily Express -- a UK publication -- over the weekend at the CPAC event in Maryland ... and he made no bones about the fact that he doesn't like the Duke of Sussex, and very clearly said Harry's immigration status might come under scrutiny.

Don says, "I wouldn’t protect him. He betrayed the Queen. That’s unforgivable. He would be on his own if it was down to me."

He finished that sentiment by slamming the Biden administration for what he characterizes as going easy on Harry as it pertains to DHS controversy -- more on that in a bit -- by adding, "I think they have been too gracious to him after what he has done."

Now, what Trump seems to be alluding to here is this Dept. of Homeland Security battle that the Prince is involved in indirectly -- namely, a watchdog group suing the federal government in an attempt to obtain docs from Harry's immigration papers/application for his visa.

As you're probably well aware, the guy ain't a U.S. citizen yet -- and last year, he confessed in his memoir that he'd done a number of drugs before coming on over to the States.

The watchdog group says this is a clear admission that violates DHS entry protocol and they're demanding the agency fork those papers over to prove it -- but Homeland Security is putting up a fight, arguing Harry has a right to privacy. They also say he might've been BS'ing ... and this "confession" in the book doesn't amount to a statement under oath.

What Trump's implying here, it seems, is that the DHS under his watch would let the chips fall where they may ... which could, theoretically, end with PH getting kicked outta the U.S.

A man set himself on fire outside of the Israeli embassy in Washington D.C. ... apparently protesting the conflict in the Middle East.

Pictures of the protester have been circulating online in the middle of his act of self-immolation, and he was reportedly rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

D.C. fire officials reportedly told The Independent ... the man lit himself ablaze in the afternoon and was extinguished by United States Secret Service.

Video from outside of the embassy seems to show the aftermath of the protest ... with investigators searching the area.

The Metrolitan Police Department's bomb squad was also reportedly called to check out a suspicious vehicle in the area, but ultimately said it did not contain hazardous material.

The New York Times reported the man self-identified as an active duty Air Force soldier while other outlets claim he said, "I will be no longer complicit in genocide" before starting the fire.

This all seems like one huge protest against the conflict between Israel and Hamas currently raging in the Middle East, kicked off when Hamas agents attacked a music festival -- killing hundreds and taking more hostage on October 7, 2023.

Israel responded by launching an all out war against Hamas in Gaza, and tensions between the two sides -- and their supporters -- has been high in the aftermath.

Matisyahu's fed up with the lack of concern for the hostages in Gaza ... going on an expletive-filled tirade against perceived antisemitic behavior.

We caught up with the singer-songwriter Tuesday when he decided to busk on the street for the first time in 25 years ... belting out songs in the cold on the heels of venues canceling his shows.

Remember ... we spoke to Matis last week after his shows in Tucson, Arizona and Santa Fe, New Mexico were canceled because of last-minute safety concerns. Matisyahu was convinced both cancellations were the result of his views on the war in Gaza.

Clearly, Matis is tired of relying on venues and decided to take his music to the street ... saying he just wants to share his message of "love" with audiences.

Despite saying love's his purpose, Matisyahu admits he's also upset with the situation in the Middle East -- and his feelings of love quickly manifested into a diatribe on double standards.

Matis focused on the hostages in Gaza and slammed people who don't seem super concerned about them. He's got a theory on why this is ... chalking up the apathy to antisemitism.

Matisyahu fired off a list of other moments in history where Jewish people faced hardship and overcame ... before firing off the rallying cry, "We will f***ing win."

He followed all this up with a performance of "No Woman, No Cry" -- the hit song popularized by Bob Marley -- belting out the song with electric guitar accompaniment.