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Donald Trump has thrown down the gauntlet -- less than a day after the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg -- making it clear he will try and ramrod her replacement through the Senate ... which will almost certainly make abortion rights the centerpiece of the Presidential race.

Trump made his position clear Saturday on Twitter, saying, "We were put in this position of power and importance to make decisions for the people who so proudly elected us," adding the most important decision a President can make is nominating Supreme Court justices. He said, "We have this obligation, without delay!"

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made it clear Friday night, he'll facilitate what Trump wants by making sure his nominee gets a vote by the full Senate ... a Senate currently controlled by Republicans.

This is objectively the most important vacancy in many, many decades. Trump vowed earlier this month to appoint an anti-abortion justice to the High Court. If he gets his way, it would be 6-3 against abortion rights. Even if conservatives lose a vote, they'd still have a majority, and many legal experts think that could spell the end of Roe vs. Wade.

Remember ... it was Mitch McConnell who denied an Obama nominee a Senate confirmation vote, because he said it was more appropriate for the next President to choose. Obama's nomination came 11 months before he left office. Trump's expected nominee would be sent to the Senate 4 months before he leaves office ... were he to lose. McConnell hasn't explained the obvious inconsistency, but it all boils down to politics.

Democrats are furious and are planning a full-court press to block any such nomination. As you know by now, RBG dictated a note days before she passed, saying her dying wish was that her replacement be selected by the person who wins the election. She made it clear in 2016, she was not a fan of Donald Trump.

Democrats are now talking about expanding the Court if Trump gets his nominee confirmed. They can do that, and the talk is expanding the court to as many as 15 justices.

As for the politics of it all ... coronavirus may not be the biggest issue on the ballot anymore. That's a boost from Trump, whom the majority of Americans think royally screwed up and actually did damage in his pandemic response.

And, the RBG vacancy will almost certainly become the overriding issue in many of the Senate races. The Democrats believe they have a shot at taking over the Senate, but everything must now be recalculated if abortion becomes the litmus test for voters. McConnell and Lindsey Graham are in tight races, and now it could all boil down to a referendum on abortion.

Kanye West raised eyebrows again by talking about slavery, but this time comparing the music industry and the NBA to our blemished past ... and Cardi B's keepin' her divorce from Offset civil. So we gotta ask ...

A group of Southern California Native Americans opted not to strike back as they were being pummeled by a woman who didn't like their protest against Trump's border wall.

This was posted by a group called Defend Kumeyaay Land -- natives who originated in San Diego County -- and while members of their tribe were out by the border Friday protesting the ongoing construction of more barriers, they were confronted by a very handsy, violent lady.

The woman comes off as the aggressor, charging the group and telling them to scram -- while also hurling xenophobic remarks and telling the group this is her land, not theirs.

They tell her she's being recorded, and that angers her even more ... at which point she starts swinging on them, pushing them and locking arms with them as they try fending off her blows and peacefully restraining her. What they say they won't do ... hit back, not at all.

You have to watch this for yourself, because it is incredibly powerful -- the Kumeyaay natives repeat over and over that they're non-violent and that they will NOT reciprocate her attack.

Eventually, the woman seems to get worn down and almost bitter at the fact they're not matching her energy ... so they one-up her with kindness once more, forming a prayer circle around her and carrying on in a chant. The woman seems dumbfounded, and then mocks them.

BTW, this is far from the only peaceful face-off they've had with folks down there of late -- the Kumeyaayans have been actively discouraging the further construction of the border wall on what they deem their native land, saying they've chased off some construction workers with song and dance ... or at the very least, pausing it. It's a pretty incredible demonstration.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death and President Trump's race to fill her seat isn't just a one-issue problem ... so says Lil Nas X, who fears big setbacks for the LGBTQ community.

LNX was leaving LAX Saturday when he told a photog how he felt about the Supreme Court Justice's passing, and what it could possibly forebode ahead of the election. He says he's worried a super-conservative justice could seriously hurt progress made for gay rights.

Check it out ... Nas X is a man of few words, but the ones he does drop are powerful and speak to the anxiety being felt by various marginalized groups.

Yes, the abortion/pro-choice battle is front and center and top of mind -- but the possible dismantling of gay marriage and other LGBTQ causes that have been pushed through SCOTUS in recent years is also a very real possibility if Trump gets his way.

A Donald Trump supporter is facing a felony child abuse charge after attacking a 13-year-old girl with a flagpole.

The confrontation went down in Clay County, Florida. 67-year-old Norbert Logsdon was demonstrating with Trumpers, when a car driven by Crystal Ledoux passed by. Ledoux says Logsdon was giving drivers -- presumably the ones who expressed opposing views -- the middle finger. Ledoux says she made a U-ey, returned to the area where Logsdon was demonstrating and she and her daughter screamed, "Biden 2020!"

That's when you see Logsdon beeline it for Ledoux's car and shove the flagpole inside, reportedly striking Ledoux's 13-year-old daughter in the chest and face.

To say Cardi B just opened up about her divorce would be an understatement, because she unloaded lots of feelings and frustrations on video.

Cardi went on Instagram Live Friday to make it clear ... she's not divorcing Offset because of cheating, out-of-wedlock baby rumors, none of that ... she just got sick and tired of arguing.

Cardi was clear, saying, "I'm okay. I wanted to let y'all know I have not shed one tear." She did say in the past she's shed tears over media reports about Offset and their marriage, but no more ... "This time, I wasn't crying. You want to know why? The reason for my divorce is not because of none of that s*** that ever happened before. It's not because of cheating. I'm seeing people be like, 'Oh, he has a baby on the way.' That's a whole f***ing complete lie. That's the second time people are trying to pin babies over here. No, that's bulls***."

So, as for the real reason for the breakup ... "I just got tired of f***ing arguing. I got tired of not seeing things eye to eye. When you feel like it's just not the same anymore, before you actually get cheated on, I'd rather just leave ... nothing crazy out of this world happened, sometimes people really do grow apart."

Cardi wasn't done, saying, "I been with this man for four years. I have a kid with this man, I have a household with this man… sometimes you’re just tired of the arguments and the build-up. You get tired sometimes and before something happens, you leave.”

She was incensed at media reports the divorce filing was a PR play to sell albums.

Navarro College says Jerry Harris' arrest should not reflect on the school or its celebrated cheer squad ... because he wasn't part of their program even before the child pornography bust.

As you know ... Jerry, one of the stars of Netflix's cheerleading docuseries "Cheer," was arrested Thursday and hit with a charge of production of child pornography.

Navarro College, whose cheer team is featured on Netflix's uber-popular show, tells TMZ ... Jerry left campus in March due to the pandemic and completed his degree in May. We're told he did not return to Navarro this fall, despite the fact he could have continued cheering.

Remember ... at the end of "Cheer" season 1, Jerry goes off to the University of Louisville. We're told he enrolled there, and participated in cheer, but left in 2019 after one semester and returned to Navarro, rejoining its cheer team to resume filming with Netflix.

So, Jerry was cheering for Navarro before the coronavirus outbreak, but he hasn't been on campus since March, and hasn't been affiliated with the school since May, when he earned an associate's degree in science.

It's interesting ... Jerry did an interview before his arrest saying he wasn't sure what his plan was after graduating. He's since deleted his Instagram, which had pics of him in the Navarro cheer uniform.

Ozzy Osbourne and Uriah Heep drummer Lee Kerslake has died after a long battle with cancer.

One of Lee's bandmates from Uriah Heep broke the news Saturday, saying, "It's with the heaviest of hearts that I share with you that Lee Kerslake, my friend of 55 years and the best drummer I ever played with, lost his battle with cancer at 03:30 this morning."

Lee played with Ozzy's band in 1980 and '81. He played on Ozzy's first 2 solo albums -- "Blizzard of Ozz" and "Diary of a Madman." He also appeared in the 1987 Tribute Live album.

Kerslake's struggle with illness was long and hard. He dropped out of Uriah Heep in 2018 ... 4 years after getting a prostate cancer diagnosis back. His last performance was in London, when he appeared to join the group for "Lady In Black."

After Kerslake revealed 2 years ago his prostate cancer was terminal and had spread to various organs, Ozzy sent him platinum records for "Blizzard of Ozz" and "Diary of a Madman." Kerslake had said he wanted them, and Ozzy fulfilled his wish.

"90 Day Fiance" star Larissa Lima spent a fortune to look like Kylie Jenner ... but her expensive makeover is already paying huge dividends.

Larissa showed off her new look, inspired by Kylie, last week with a one-hour lingerie show on the webcam app, CamSoda ... and we've learned those 60 little minutes hauled in more than $100,000 for the site.

Our sources tell us Larissa's show hit the six-figure mark thanks to people paying to view the sultry show and tipping ... and we're told she had 10 times the number of viewers CamSoda usually sees for the biggest XXX stars and Instagram hotties who host.

It's pretty impressive ... we're told Larissa's show had so much interest, it now ranks in the Top 5 all-time on CamSoda. Hat tip to Kylie!

As we first told you ... Larissa dropped a cool $72,000 for a bunch of cosmetic surgeries, going under the knife with Dr. Lane Smith in Sin City to try and come out looking like Kylie.

Larissa got a boob job, liposuction on her abs and waist and a fat transfer to her bottom ... plus botox, fillers and laser facials. The whole shebang, ya might say.

The people have spoken ... and it definitely pays to be a Kylie lookalike.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the backbone and soul of the liberal wing of the Supreme Court and an iconic American figure has died.

Ruth died Friday from complications from cancer ... according to multiple reports.

RBG was known for her fiery dissents and intense work ethic. Ruth didn't miss a single day of work until this January, a striking fact considering she's battled 3 kinds of cancer since being appointed to SCOTUS by President Clinton in 1993.

Ruth was the first female Jewish Justice, and the second of four women to ever sit on our nation's highest court. She filled the seat vacated by retiring Justice Byron White.

A pop culture icon, RBG is the subject of the biopic, "On The Basis of Sex," which stars Felicity Jones as a young Ginsburg and Armie Hammer as her husband. Ruth has a cameo in the film.

Before she became the Notorious RBG ... Ruth was a high school twirler who also played for her school orchestra at James Madison HS in southeast Brooklyn, graduating in 1950.

Ruth earned her bachelor's degree from Cornell University. She got married and became a mother before starting law school at Harvard. RBG transferred to Columbia Law School, where she graduated at the top of her class.

RBG turned to academia after law school. She was a professor at Rutgers and Columbia, teaching civil procedure as one of the few women in her field.

She became one of the leaders of the women's equality movement ... arguing many landmark cases before the Supreme Court and winning almost all of them. When she began practicing, SCOTUS never rejected a sex-based law, but that all changed when Ginsburg mounted challenge after challenge.

She famously represented a female soldier who was denied housing, medical and dental benefits because the law required if a woman was applying for benefits her husband had to be substantially financially dependent on her. The Court saw it Ruth's way, ruling the law unconstitutional by an 8 - 1 margin.

In one gripping moment during oral argument, she quoted famed abolitionist Sarah Grimke telling the justices, "I ask no favor for my sex: All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks."

President Jimmy Carter appointed Ruth to the U.S. Court of Appeals in 1980, where she served until her appointment to SCOTUS.

She was adored by all ... from her fellow Justices, to her law clerks to her staff. One of her closes friends was her intellectual rival -- Justice Antonin Scalia.

Ruth did not get one wish. She dictated a statement to her granddaughter a few days back ... "My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed."

Trump could nominate someone to fill Ginsburg's seat before the election. It's unclear if he could push it through, although he does have a slim majority in the Senate, which must confirm the nomination.

Ruth is survived by her daughter, Jane, and her son, James. Her husband of 56 years, Martin, died in 2010.

Ruth was 87.

Don't let these two almost identical images of John Legend have you feeling rushed ... take some time to check out these photos and see if you can spot the sneaky switches that have been made to the tricky pic!

The EGOT winner was seen making his way out of a store earlier this week in Los Angeles, CA ... and we have made a few changes to the original pic! Get a good look around both photos and try and figure out the differences between these two super similar snaps!

Bad news for Brock Lesnar fans ... Dana White says the former UFC champ has NOT taken him up on his offer to put together a fight with Jon Jones.

And, Dana says he doesn't expect it'll ever happen.

Remember, White previously told us he would be down to make a fight between the ex-heavyweight champ and Jones if both guys really wanted it to happen.

Dana even invited Brock to call him so they could talk out a deal.

So, when we spoke with White we had to ask if Brock has reached out -- and unfortunately, it was crickets.

"Not a word," White tells TMZ Sports.

"The guy has had a long killer career. He actually came in and became a UFC heavyweight champ and the guy's made a lot of money. I just don't see him coming back over here again at his age."

White says he would love for Brock to call just so they can talk anyway -- "I'd love to hear how he's doing and how his family is, stuff like that."

But, White says, "I think that's gonna be the extent of the conversation with him."

As for Jon Jones, he's moving up from light heavyweight to the heavyweight division -- but when we asked Dana if there is a fight on the horizon ... again, crickets.

"Nope. Nothing. He's out doing his thing and ya know -- nothing."

Lil Baby's going to war with the baby mama of his 5-year-old son, and it's gone beyond social media squabbles ... they've now taken it to court.

Here's what's up -- the rapper has been going back and forth with Ayesha Howard for weeks after she accused him of failing to pay for their son Jason's schooling, which she says resulted in the boy being kicked out.

Ayesha then filed legal docs -- obtained by TMZ -- seeking a declaration of paternity and child support from Lil Baby, claiming he has a net worth in excess of $4 million ... which includes money he makes on various endorsement deals. She says one of these deals involves the use of a photo of their son.

She also claims Lil Baby owns at least 7 luxury vehicles, including 2, million-dollar Lamborghinis. By contrast, Ayesha claims she makes less than $25k per year.

In response ... the rapper fired back with legal docs of his own, claiming he already covers "all expenses for the care, support and maintenance" of their son, along with providing regular support payments.

On top of that, Lil Baby wants the court to grant joint legal custody of Jason ... and he's seeking primary physical custody.

Ayesha claims Lil Baby has never sought primary custody before, and alleges it was done "in a retaliatory fashion and in an attempt to punish, harass, threaten and intimidate."

They almost fought in line at a Vegas buffet in 2019 -- but UFC star Colby Covington and fighter manager Ali Abdelaziz have buried the hatchet in 2020 ... with a little help from Donald Trump.

First, some backstory!!!

Ali represents some of the biggest names in MMA -- from Khabib to Justin Gaethje, Kamaru Usman, Henry Cejudo and more.

Back in early 2019, Colby was trying to set up a welterweight title fight with Kamaru ... and the trash talk got so personal, things came to a head at the buffet at The Palms in Vegas.

Colby was in line ... and Ali gets in his face -- and Kamaru had to hold Abdelaziz back! Intense!!!

So, what happened since?

Ali -- along with Henry Cejudo and Justin Gaethje -- were invited to hang with Trump at his rally in Nevada on Sunday ... where Covington was also a VIP guest of the President.

Ali tells us ... since the two men were forced to hang out, they made the best of the situation and talked things out. And, as of now, they're cool.

"I don't hate the kid, I don't have no ill will towards him. He was there to represent the President, I was there to represent the President. If he fought Kamaru or Gilbert or any of my guys again, he becomes the enemy again, it's simple."

"But, right now he's not the enemy. He's a guy trying to make a name for himself."

As for meeting Trump, Ali says it was one of the highlights of his life -- and says Trump treated him like one of the boys!

There's more ... Ali also talked about the upcoming matchup between Kahbib and Gaethje (both are his clients) and explained why it could be one of the greatest fights in MMA history!

AJ McLean would never bust a Kanye West and pee on a Grammy ... not because he doesn't have one to pee on, but because it's just downright wrong.

We got the Backstreet Boys member leaving 'DWTS' practice this week and wanted to get his take on Ye taking a leak all over one of his Grammys stuffed inside a toilet. No matter the message Kanye was trying to send ... pretty clear AJ wasn't a fan of the move.

Check out the video ... AJ says even though the Boys don't have a Grammy -- YET!!! -- he thinks what Kanye did was way outta line.

As we reported ... Kanye whizzed all over his own Grammy statuette to underscore his message about Black people needing a seat at the table. Remember, Kanye had been ranting about African-Americans not getting their fair share of the pie and instead are being exploited by companies run by Whites. He pointed the finger at the NBA and the music biz as prime examples. He also talked about ownership of his master recordings, blasting Universal Music Group and alleging they won't even give him a chance to buy them outright.

Our photog asks AJ if artists should own their own master recordings ... and the Backstreet Boy seems to somewhat agree with Kanye.