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Michelle Obama sees 2 Americas when she looks at the attempted coup -- one with the police response to pro-Trump rioters, and the other a much different response to BLM protesters.

The former First Lady just shared her thoughts on Wednesday's chaos at the Capitol ... and she says one of the things that strikes her most is the massive gulf between how police handled that situation ... compared to last summer's demonstrations.

Michelle says the folks rioting Wednesday would not have been allowed to walk free after laying siege to the Capitol, setting up gallows, waving Confederate flags and "desecrating the center of American government" if they looked like the folks who go to Martin Luther King Jr.'s church.

Driving her point home, Michelle points out BLM demonstrators were greeted with cracked skulls, mass arrests and pepper spray during peaceful protests.

Michelle says there's a lot of work to be done in this country, as some Americans are allowed to "denigrate the flag and symbols of our nation" ... while others are labeled "unpatriotic for taking a knee in silent protest."

Barack Obama also spoke out against the riots ... but his response strikes a much different tone than his wife's.

The U.S. Capitol Police Dept. may have been able to thwart Wednesday's attempted coup if it had all hands on deck, but we've learned they had less than ONE-QUARTER of the force working ... despite multiple, clear warnings the protest could turn violent.

Capitol Police sources tell TMZ ... 500 officers were working Wednesday as President Trump revved up the huge crowd of his supporters upset over the election results -- giving them their marching orders with the Capitol as the final destination. Trump has been dog-whistling for weeks now, promising something big would happen on January 6.

With that backdrop, the Capitol Police are 2,200 strong, yet only 500 were on duty. The way it works in most police departments around the country ... when there's the possibility of social unrest it's all hands on deck. That did not happen here.

Our source says the police believed they had enough staff to contain any unrest ... by setting up barricades and locking up the 3 House office buildings -- the Cannon, Longworth and Rayburn Buildings. The sad fact ... they were grossly understaffed.

Even worse, we're told when the cops on duty were instructed to start deploying tear gas to clear the rioters ... they were not given masks or proper protective equipment. This resulted in many officers becoming debilitated themselves ... meaning even fewer police were at the ready to contain the insurrection.

We're told when it became obvious things were completely out of control, several Capitol Police officers who work the night crew made their way to the Hill to help out ... but by then, according to one Capitol Police source, it already felt like "Olympus Has Fallen."

Rep. Karen Bass of California -- who was in the Capitol Building at the time of the invasion -- is shocked and appalled at the security breach ... and not necessarily buying Capitol Police excuses.

She suggests -- like many others -- the insurrection was made possible by the lax treatment of Trump's supporters, and she believes if a similar situation arose with BLM protesters ... they would have dealt with it in a vastly different, more violent way.

White House Correspondent for TheGrio April Ryan has a slightly different take, but it still doesn't reflect kindly on the Capitol Police. She tells us they acted like keystone cops during the failed coup attempt, but feels it's par for the course.

She says the grotesque images will be long remembered around the country and the world, and there needs to be a drastic revamp of the Capitol Police Dept. to protect the building and its occupants from terrorists ... both domestic and foreign.

We were even told cops were not allowed to take time off from January 5-7 and a plan was being implemented to have a heavy police presence in the area -- both uniformed and in street clothes. It makes it even more puzzling why the full complement of cops wasn't there.

On the bright side -- the FBI is on the hunt for the rioters ... as Rep. Bass says they should be.

Several airlines are stepping in to help keep things calm after the Association of Flight Attendants called on President Trump's supporters to settle the hell down on commercial flights.

American Airlines has banned booze and United's increased staffing to-and-from D.C. flights in the wake of Wednesday's attempted coup by Trump supporters -- many of whom reportedly terrorized passengers on flights to the nation's capital.

As we reported, Senator Mitt Romney was on the receiving end of "traitor" chants during his Tuesday flight from Utah.

American and United's response comes a day after the union repping almost 50,000 flight attendants called on airlines and law enforcement to act after "the mob mentality behavior" on several flights ... which it says "threatened the safety and security" of all passengers and crew members.

American already wasn't serving booze in its main cabins because of COVID, but now it's banned alcohol throughout, including first class. The ban's in effect until at least Thursday night. Both American and United are increasing staff at D.C.-area airports.

Flight attendants, for example, had complained Trump supporters on a Tuesday flight from Texas to D.C. projected a pro-Trump message on the cabin.

The union's fed up, and wants law enforcement to take things up a notch, saying ... "Acts against our democracy, our government, and the freedom we claim as Americans must disqualify these individuals from the freedom of flight."

Rep. Karen Bass is outraged and saddened about the ordeal she and all of Congress endured -- and can't help thinking the Capitol attack would've been thwarted if rioters weren't Trump supporters.

The Congresswoman from California's 37th district joined "TMZ Live" Thursday to recount the terror of the moment lawmakers had to be evacuated ... a shocking event she calls ironic ... in a couple of ways.

First of all, Bass says she anticipated things getting dicey on the streets of D.C. ... but she told her family she'd be safe and sound inside the typically heavily guarded Capitol.

Secondly, she believes the protesters-turned-rioters were almost enabled by the authorities to do what they did. Rep. KB says it stands in stark contrast to what happened during last summer's Black Lives Matter demonstrations.

Her implication is pretty clear, and it all comes back to President Trump ... who still has 13 days left in office. If you think Bass isn't concerned about that even though the riots are over ... think again.

As she points out ... it's not just his actions yesterday that are troubling, but his behavior on social media over the course of his presidency and his plethora of recent lamed duck hirings and firings

Benjamin Kickz, famous for selling rare sneakers to a laundry list of celeb clients, just got arrested in Florida and charged with felony robbery.

Benjamin allegedly swiped an iPhone from another man at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach on New Year’s Eve, walking away with the device as his entourage beat the crap out of the guy ... according to the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office.

Authorities say Benjamin believed the man had taken a photo of him without his permission, and when the guy denied snapping a pic, BK allegedly grabbed the phone out of his hands.

The alleged beatdown sounds pretty savage ... authorities claim Benjamin's entourage beat, punched and kicked the guy in the head, causing serious injuries and sending him to the hospital.

Benjamin's known for his sneaker hookups ... and he's sold pairs and rubbed elbows with celebs like Drake, Bad Bunny, Lil Pump, Kodak Black and the late Nipsey Hussle.

Benjamin was booked into Dade County Jail Thursday morning and has been charged with one count of felony strong-arm robbery.

Nothing was spared in or around the Capitol in the chaos and destruction triggered by President Trump ... including the Inauguration stage which suffered significant damage.

TMZ got these pics showing the stage's siding torn to shreds ... as it appears the insurrectionists were gung-ho to do maximum damage. The stage itself is still standing, but it's gonna need a lot of repairs.

In a move that's clearly coming one day too late ... security's erecting 8-foot high fencing.

There are also guards now standing watch over the construction that had been going on for at least 5 months.

As we reported ... work had been ramping up on the West Front of the Capitol. At the time, it was hard to tell what the setup would look like ... whether it would be a scaled-down version of past inaugurations ... due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It remains to be seen how Wednesday's deadly violence at the Capitol will change final plans for Inauguration Day.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez says while the 305 was once a hot spot for COVID-19 infections, his city's found a way to turn the page ... while other major cities are struggling.

The Mayor joined "TMZ Live" Thursday and touted Miami's progress in battling the coronavirus -- a stark contrast to what L.A. County is dealing with right now. He harkened back to some dark days last summer when Miami averaged 3,500 new cases per day, but says they're down to 2,500 per day.

Suarez says their hospitalization numbers are even better.

As for why L.A. is doing so much worse ... with much stricter restrictions and business closings -- Mayor Suarez says Miami's citizens are "hardwired" to do the basics ... wear masks, social distance and frequently wash their hands.

Doesn't seem like there's any magic solution there, but it's hard to argue it's not working. L.A.'s nightclubs, bars and restaurants are closed -- indoors and outdoors -- while Miami's wide open. Celebs like Diddy, Teyana Taylor and others are taking full advantage ... though we didn't see much social distancing at those events.

April Ryan says members of Congress want President Trump gone before Inauguration Day ... and, as of now, their best path to getting it done looks like the 25th Amendment.

The veteran White House Correspondent for TheGrio joined us Thursday on "TMZ Live" and told us what she's hearing from folks on both sides of the aisle -- the attempted coup was the last straw, and the only issue now is how they'll oust Trump.

April says the 25th Amendment is very much in play ... which is pretty eye-opening considering invoking it is a tough sell. Remember, Mike Pence and either a majority of Trump's Cabinet OR two-thirds of both the Senate and the House have to be on board.

April ran down the list of lawmakers coming out against the President ... and really painted a picture of how the dynamics in D.C. are drastically changing.

April also told us what Congressional leaders were thinking and feeling as they were being whisked off to an undisclosed location Wednesday with the Capitol under siege ... and she tells us why some of the most powerful people in the country were very much afraid.

Just one day after his supporters rioted inside the U.S. Capitol, President Donald Trump went back to business. And by business, we mean golf.

POTUS awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 3 professional golfers on Thursday -- retired stars Annika Sorenstam and Gary Player, as well as Babe Didrikson Zaharias, who died in 1956.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the nation’s highest civilian honor ... which the White House describes as an award given to those "who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors."

Player and Sorenstam were slated to receive the award back in March ... but the event was pushed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ceremony is normally open to the press ... but not this time around.

Of course, that most likely has to do with the events that transpired in D.C. on Wednesday ... with hundreds of pro-Trump supporters invading the Capitol Building.

If you're questioning the decision to continue with the event -- given the country is still dealing with the aftermath of Wednesday's incident -- you're not alone.

Player's son, Marc, expressed his concerns with his dad accepting the award, tweeting, "I wish my father would simply & politely decline this 'award' at this time."

"Tone deaf. In denial. Wrong!!"

Ashli Babbitt, the woman who was shot in the Capitol as she and other Trump supporters stormed into the building, was pumped up after the President's speech ... and posted one last video as she entered the mayhem.

Ashli went live on Facebook Wednesday in the moments leading up to the coup attempt in D.C., boasting that she was part of the mob marching to the Capitol.

The 35-year-old California native and Air Force veteran claimed there were more than 3 million pro-Trump protesters in D.C. along with her ... and she appeared zealous about what they were doing.

As we reported ... Babbitt was draped in a Trump flag as she jumped up on a window pane and tried to charge through.

Tragically, she was hit by a gunshot -- fired by Capital Police -- during the chaos and was seen falling backward onto the marble floor with blood pouring out of her upper body area.

Babbitt was transferred to the hospital in critical condition, where she later died of her injuries.

Steven A. Sund, Chief of Police for the US Capitol Police, says the employee who fired on Babbitt has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.

Britney Spears' ex-husband -- the one who isn't Kevin Federline -- had a front-row view to the attempted coup at the Capitol ... because he was part of the pro-Trump protest.

Jason Allen Alexander -- whom you might remember for being married to Britney for 55 hours after their wild, 2004 Sin City wedding -- trekked to D.C. for Wednesday's show of support for President Trump, which turned into an attempted coup.

Jason looked proud to be there ... snapping selfies in his Trump 45 beanie.

What's unclear ... if Jason actually was part of the riotous mob that breached the Capitol. If he was, it's likely the feds are going after him.

Seems Jason's big on attending demonstrations ... when we last saw him back in August, he had joined the #FreeBritney movement ... hanging out in the crowd gathered outside the L.A. courthouse where a hearing was taking place on her conservatorship.

The pro-Trump protesters who stormed the U.S. Capitol building, incited violence and in some cases stole or damaged property are wanted by the FBI -- so take a closer look.

The FBI's on the hunt for the insurrectionists involved in the failed coup in Washington D.C. Wednesday -- which resulted in one woman being fatally shot -- asking the public for "tips and digital media depicting rioting and violence in the U.S. Capitol Building and surrounding area."

The feds want all the photos and video they can get of the lawlessness and violent acts that occurred in hope of identifying those responsible. So, they want the public to check out this (alleged) rogue gallery.

Anyone with pics or vids is asked to submit them at fbi.gov/USCapitol, or simply go to tips.fbi.gov to submit useful information.

The FBI says the goal is "to preserve the public’s constitutional right to protest by protecting everyone from violence and other criminal activity."

Some of the lowlights include the guy sitting at Nancy Pelosi's desk, and the dude in the Trump beanie grinning as he walked away with a Congressional lectern. Those 2 clowns have been ID'd already.

Richard Barnett from Arkansas was the one getting cozy in Pelosi's office. He's reportedly claiming he got shoved into the Capitol by accident and was merely looking for a bathroom. Doesn't really explain the notes he left on her desk, including one calling her a bitch. Save it for the judge, pal.

As for the lectern ... the FBI will be talking to Adam Johnson from Parrish, FL about that stolen item.

As we reported ... President Trump incited the march to the Capitol when he vowed to his protesters to never concede the election and demanded they "show strength."

He also failed to condemn the failed coup attempt and instead said he loved the people involved -- which led to a Twitter ban and a secret meeting among some members of Congress to remove him from office immediately via the 25th amendment.

Mark Zuckerberg is keeping President Trump in social media timeout indefinitely ... and Trump is being muzzled at least until President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration.

Zuck announced Thursday he's extending Trump's Facebook and Instagram ban at least two more weeks until the inauguration on Jan. 20 ... saying it's too risky to let the President post whatever crops up in his dome.

Zuckerberg says FB and IG didn't have a problem with Trump posting whatever he wanted over the last 4 years, other than occasionally removing content or slapping warning labels on Trump posts, but the attempted coup changed the game forever.

Zuck's change of heart goes like this ... he says, "the shocking events of the last 24 hours clearly demonstrate that President Donald Trump intends to use his remaining time in office to undermine the peaceful and lawful transition of power to his elected successor, Joe Biden."

Remember ... Trump's also suspended from Twitter after his tweet storm during Wednesday's chaos at the Capitol.

So, now Trump needs a plan B to get his message out.  He hates TV and online news, he can't go on social media ... so the walls are closing in on him.

The storming of the U.S. Capitol is especially infuriating to some local Washington D.C. residents -- 2 of whom gave the pro-Trump rioters a major piece of their minds.

A man standing out by his front door Wednesday in a neighborhood near the action shouted ... "Get the f*** outta town! F***ing treasonous pieces of s***!"

At some point during his rant, another local pulled up in her car, and joined in with full-throated support ... saying the rioters were destroying their city.

Their lively back-and-forth also got into what a lot of people believe -- if the rioters were part of the Black Lives Matter movement, President Trump would have sent tanks to stop them. Watch the video, because his language gets really colorful ... and she actually gets teary-eyed.

As we reported ... the FBI is on the hunt for the hundreds -- if not thousands -- of insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol and incited violence Wednesday after President Trump addressed them and vowed to never concede the election.

Donald Trump FINALLY acknowledged Joe Biden will become President in 13 days, but not without grumbling.

Trump issued a statement -- because he's been kicked off Twitter -- saying, "Even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear me out, nevertheless there will be an orderly transition on January 20th."

That would have been a nice place to end it, but Trump didn't. He went on ... "I have always said we would continue our fight to ensure that only legal votes were counted. While this represents the end of the greatest first term in presidential history, it's only the beginning of our fight to Make America Great Again!"

Fact is ... it's possible Trump won't make it to January 20, because some members of Congress want to trigger the 25th Amendment, which allows for removal if he's unable to carry out his duties. There are now lots of folks in Congress and reportedly even in the President's own cabinet, who believe he's shown he's unfit for office, and, they believe, being unfit makes him unable to carry out his duties.

Trump's concession comes hours after Congress put a bow on the Presidential election and ratified the vote of the electoral college, which will make Biden the 46th President.

As you know, earlier in the day Trump encouraged the protesters to march to the Capitol and stay strong. Not only did he incite them ... once they raided the Capitol he didn't condemn it. In fact, in the end, he told the insurrectionists he loved them.

As if Dr. Dre's week wasn't rough enough ... he's agreed to pay his estranged wife $2 million in temporary spousal support -- but he's not coughing up the $5 mil she wants for her divorce attorneys.

The music mogul and Nicole Young struck the deal that calls for Dre to write a one-time check for the $2 mil. That's all he'll pay ... at least until the next divorce hearing in April. Now it will be up to Nicole to decide how much of that amount she forks over to her lawyers.

As we reported, Nicole was demanding $2 mil per month, PLUS another $5 million in attorney's fees.

Our sources say Dre will continue to cover Nicole's living expenses at her Malibu pad, as well as her mother's Pacific Palisades home for the next several months. However, Dre will NOT cover Nicole's security costs ... she'll have to pay that from the $2 mil.

Dre and Young's lawyers struck the deal in court, but we're told Dre had to sign the agreement from his bed at Cedars Sinai Hospital.

Remember ... he's been dishing out $293,306 a month in temporary support. Now, he can focus on his recovery.

TMZ broke the story ... Dre suffered a brain aneurysm earlier this week and he was rushed by ambulance to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A. He was taken directly to ICU. Dre later thanked his fans for their support and said he's doing great and getting excellent care.