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Donald Trump wasn't always the very public controversial figure he is today ... at one point, he was merely lawyer Roy Cohn's apprentice, learning a never-quit attitude.

This is the viewpoint "The Apprentice" takes in the first trailer for the highly publicized biopic about the former prez's early days in NYC.

Check it out ... Sebastian Stan stars as a young Trump, who is hungry and eager to learn from Jeremy Strong's Cohn.

Shailene Woodley's defending herself against the backlash she received for sharing Melania Trump’s statement following the attempted assassination of Donald Trump ... admitting she's baffled by how folks can wish death on someone -- no matter how controversial they are.

The actress told Bustle she shared the first page of Melania's letter back in July on social media because she found it a beautiful reminder that, beneath Trump’s political drama, he’s still a human, with kids and grandkids -- and wishing for his death is not compassionate.

She explained, "I was in circles of people that I deeply respect -- friends, colleagues, progressive, very intelligent thinkers, shakers and movers and many of them were saying, 'He missed! F***ing assassin missed! Maybe it was a setup. Maybe it was a conspiracy.'"

Nancy Pelosi got hit with a comedy curveball at her book signing when a conservative comedian dressed up as a Democrat threw some cheeky jabs about stock trading drama.

A clip on X shows Alex Strenger in a face mask and a Bernie Sanders baseball cap as he crashes Pelosi’s book signing in Fort Worth, Texas this weekend ... proceeding to butter her up by saying Donald Trump needs to be in prison -- all before diving into her Wall Street wealth.

He tells Pelosi he’s totally grateful for her fierce democracy defense ... jokingly adding he was scared stiff of Trump winning and that their only hope was locking him up.

Alex Jones is well known for his nutty conspiracy theories ... but his latest one about Kamala Harris is completely outrageous.

Jones predicted on his far-right wing "Infowars" broadcast Harris will take ... wait for it ... hallucinogenic drugs before her Tuesday debate against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

Specifically, Jones said Harris -- the Democratic presidential candidate -- will be "bombed out of her gourd" on molly, a synthetic drug that alters your mood and perception and creates health risks.

J.D. Vance is trying to beat the heat down in sunny San Diego ... jumping in a swimming pool -- but, don't think you're getting a glimpse at his bare torso.

The Republican VP candidate went for a dip at The Lodge at Torrey Pines Saturday ... a luxury resort in La Jolla -- hopping in the pool with his shirt still on.

Check out the pic ... JDV's sitting pretty still in the pool -- deep in thought it looks like, water up to his collar bone. We're told he was under the watchful eye of two United States Secret Service agents, and he had the pool all to himself.

Dana Bash says you'd better tune into Debate #2 next week ... 'cause it's going to matter a lot as the 2024 presidential election creeps closer -- especially to younger voters.

The CNN host chatted with Harvey and Charles on "TMZ Live" Friday ... and, while some people aren't convinced this debate's going to matter in the long run, Dana says it'll give some undecided voters a chance to really get a sense of who these candidates are.

Dana knows Donald Trump's performance may not sway his standing with voters ... but, she notes some younger voters may not remember his first term as president -- and, this debate may give them greater clarity on the kind of president he'll be.

Donald Trump's sentencing has been delayed once again ... with a New York judge ruling the Republican nominee won't be sentenced until after this year's election.

The 45th POTUS' sentencing trial is now scheduled for November 26 -- three weeks after voters will cast their ballots -- changed from the original September 18 date.

Judge Juan Merchan made the decision Friday, granting DJT's request for a delayed sentence after originally pushing the decision from July to September in order to consider whether a Supreme Court ruling gives Trump broad immunity in this case.

A noted history professor with a 40-year track record of successfully predicting presidential election outcomes has revealed who he thinks will win in November.

Allan Lichtman, dubbed the "Nostradamus" of U.S. elections for his flawless prognostications, used his tried-and-true model -- which skips the polls and pundits -- and he's concluded it'll be Kamala Harris who'll emerge the victor this year.

Using his offbeat model since 1981, Lichtman's the guy who called Republican nominee Donald Trump's shocker in 2016, and Biden's 2020 win.

Liz Cheney's not sitting on the sidelines for this election ... telling a seminar at Duke University she's not just not voting for Donald Trump -- she's throwing her support to Kamala Harris.

The former congresswoman sat down for a discussion called "Defending Democracy: A Conversation with Liz Cheney" Wednesday evening ... and in it, she once again touched on the danger she thinks Trump poses to democracy.

LC says DJT poses such a danger, people in swing states can't vote for random write-in candidates either ... they need to cast a vote that actually matters.

1:01 PM PT -- Donald Trump has responded to the picture of some members of the Walz family ... thanking Tim Walz's brother, Jeff, for the support. The problem is ... Jeff is not in the picture, Mama Walz confirms to TMZ.

Democrats might be surprised to learn some members of Tim Walz's family are riding the Trump Train -- but the VP candidate's mother says it's not a big deal because they're the conservative wing of the clan.

Walz's Nebraska-based family members are firmly behind Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump, which is highlighted by a photo posted to X showing them wearing MAGA shirts.

Charles W. Herbster -- a conservative who has run two unsuccessful campaigns for governor in Nebraska -- posted the pic to the social media platform that features eight people wearing "Nebraska Walz's for Trump" shirts.

Donald Trump's sharing some cyber regrets ... admitting he sometimes wishes he didn't post a few of the more brutal "truths" to social media -- but, it ain't very often.

The Republican nominee for president sat down for an interview on Lex Fridman's podcast Tuesday ... and, Lex asked him if he ever thinks twice about firing off some of his raw thoughts on Truth Social.

DJT replies he does have some regrets ... but, only every once in a while. So, don't think for a sec 45's rethinking every controversial tweet -- or Truths, as posts on Truth Social (the site he owns) are called.

Adam Schiff's furious about the six Israeli hostages killed by Hamas ... describing the killers in some NSFW language.

The California congressman sat down for an interview on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday morning ... and, he talked at length about the six people -- including one American -- who were killed by Hamas in the last couple days.

Representative Schiff -- who's running for a Senate seat -- says he felt sick when he heard the news of the six hostages killed ... saying his heart goes out to the families.

Kamala Harris didn't take the bait when asked about Donald Trump's comments about her race during her CNN sit-down Thursday night ... giving a brief response before quickly moving on.

The Vice President gave her first interview since she was nominated the Democratic presidential candidate to CNN host Dana Bash – and, at one point, their convo turned to Trump – Harris' Republican rival in the 2024 election.

Bash set it up by saying many people would be surprised to learn Kamala has never met Trump face-to-face.

Vice President Kamala Harris is recalling the moment President Biden called her up to tell her he was dropping out of the race ... interrupting what was supposed to be a family weekend.

Harris just sat down for her first interview since becoming Democrats' choice for president ... telling CNN's Dana Bash about the phone call that turned the 2024 election on its head.

The Veep says she was having a nice Sunday with her family, cooking bacon for her nieces and getting ready to do a puzzle with her loved ones when all off a sudden the phone rang ... with Biden on the other line.

Jack White’s fired up and taking aim at Donald Trump’s campaign team ... joining a chorus of enraged musicians ready to sue over their tunes being hijacked by the former president.

The White Stripes singer warned Trump’s team a forthcoming lawsuit from his side would add to the "5 thousand others" ... alongside a now-deleted X clip of the Republican nominee walking along to the tune "Seven Nation Army," shared by Trump’s Deputy Director of Communications Margo Martin.

Jack made it clear on IG he wasn't having it, writing, “Oh....Don’t even think about using my music you fascists.” He even threw in a sarcastic "have a great day at work today Margo Martin."

Vice President Kamala Harris is adamant her values haven't changed ... despite the fact she's shifted her viewpoints on policies like immigration and fracking.

The presidential hopeful offered a glimpse into her pivoted POV in the first sneak peek for her upcoming televised sit-down with CNN -- in which she's expected to discuss her goals and vision for the country she'll pursue if she's elected president in November.

In new footage released ahead of Thursday night's premiere, Harris was asked about her reversed stance on a possible fracking ban, and her desire to decriminalize illegal border crossings.