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Donald Trump and Barack Obama are taking the gloves off ... Trump just ripped Obama after his blistering rebuke of Trump's presidency.

The Prez went nuts on Obama during Wednesday's rally in North Carolina, and it sure seems like he watched Barry tear into him during a fiery speech in Philadelphia.

No one gets under Trump's skin like Obama, so it's no surprise he fired back at the former president ... Trump says he's actually glad Obama's hitting the campaign trail and finally stumping for Joe Biden.

Trump told his supporters a story about learning Obama was campaigning for Biden, and he claims he told his aides it's a blessing in disguise because nobody campaigned harder for Hillary Clinton than Obama, and look how that turned out.

Trump's definitely been holding this grudge for years -- pointing out Obama got it all wrong in 2016 by telling people Trump wouldn't run, wouldn't win the nomination and wouldn't win the White House.

Trump was extra smug ... and he said the only person more unhappy than Hillary on Election Night 2016 was Obama.

UFC's newest star Michael Chandler says he's taking his job as "alternate" for the Khabib vs. Gaethje fight very seriously ... and he'll be ready to step in if either fighter can't go on Saturday.

As we previously reported, several Khabib fights have been scrapped at the last minute to due unforeseen circumstances ... from bad weight cuts to freak injuries.

So, Dana White has a backup plan for UFC 254 -- flying out Michael Chandler, one of the best lightweights in the world, to stay ready in case something happens to either Justin or Khabib before that bell rings.

"Of course I don't want bad luck to befall Khabib or Gaethje because I respect them a ton," Chandler tells TMZ Sports ... "but they needed someone to be here as an insurance policy, as a backup plan in case somebody did fall off the card. So, I've said I have to be ready."

Chandler is on Fight Island and preparing himself as if he'll fight on Saturday night -- everything from conditioning to the weight cut.

"At this point, I still don't know if whether I'm weighing in and then waiting for Khabib and Gaethje to make weight," Chandler says.

"I don't know if I'm gonna go to the arena, warm-up, get my hands wrapped until Khabib and Gaethje actually step into that cage and that cage door's locked and Bruce Buffer's announcing them."

Chandler admits it's frustrating training for a fight that might not happen -- but "I signed on the dotted line saying I'd be the alternate, I am the alternate until I'm needed no more."

"All I can do is do my job."

After UFC 254, Chandler says he's hoping to sign a contract to fight Tony Ferguson -- and if he wins that, it would put him in a great spot for a potential title shot with Khabib or Justin.

We also asked Chandler to make a fight prediction for Saturday -- and he's taking Khabib over Gaethje.

"You gotta bet on the guy who is undefeated."

But, Chandler says Gaethje is a dangerous man -- and he's got a real shot at upsetting the champ.

New York native Christopher Atkins was only 19 years old when he landed his first big acting role as the scantily clad cousin Richard Lestrange -- who knocks up his co-star while surviving the natural challenges of living on a deserted island -- in Randal Kleiser's 1980 film "The Blue Lagoon."

Christopher Atkins shared the big screen with Bradley Pryce and Chad Timmerman as his small son, Paddy, who's named after the cook who saved them as children played by Leo McKern and of course Brooke Shields as Richard's cousin and baby mama, Emmeline Lestrange.

LeBron James is vowing NOT to engage in Twitter wars with President Trump before the election ... saying he "damn sure won't go back and forth" with #45.

The 4-time NBA champ has engaged in mutual verbal combat with POTUS in the past ... including his famous "bum" remark when defending Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors' outspokenness against visiting the White House.

POTUS also recently ripped into the superstar ... calling him "nasty" and "a hater" for his political stance and accusing him of hurting the NBA's rankings.

Bron -- who's actively pushing to get more voters via his "More Than A Vote" campaign -- spoke with the New York Times about his public beef with Trump ... and he makes it clear he's not entertaining a long-term battle.

"I don’t go back and forth with anybody," James says. "And I damn sure won’t go back and forth with that guy."

"But, we want better, we want change in our community. We always talk about, 'We want change,' and now we have the opportunity to do that."

King James also spoke out on his decision to campaign for more voting rather than a particular candidate in 2020 ... saying, "We’ve been talking about voter suppression, we’ve been talking about police brutality, systemic racism."

"We’ve had so many things going on, and voter suppression in our communities happens to be at the forefront. So that’s something we wanted to educate our people on."

Joe Biden's campaign is pulling out the biggest gun right before the election -- Barack Obama in the flesh pounding the pavement for his ex-Veep.

The former President was out in Philly Wednesday, campaigning for Joe and Kamala Harris in the first in-person event Barack held on behalf of the team. He started out by having a panel discussion with Black male leaders in the city, and eventually migrated to the streets ... where he addressed a crowd of volunteers with a bullhorn.

It was kinda odd but badass all the same to see 44 rallying up the troops -- while wearing a mask, of course -- by telling them despite all the digital ads a candidate might employ ... good old-fashioned person-to-person conversation is how voters truly connect to a cause.

Obama then got on the podium at a drive-in rally in Citizens Bank Park, and tee'd off on Trump and his failure to control COVID-19. Obama said rather than tweeting at the TV, Trump should've taken action ... and just like everything else he inherited, Trump screwed up the economy.

He said people in the community would see their effort and be inspired by it ... not just that, but BO also made sure to tell them to relay that this election isn't just about picking a new Prez, but gaining control of the Senate too.

It's quite the throwback to his 2008 days when he was first running for President, and even before that when he was running for Senate in Illinois.

Terrence Howard claims he's getting hustled because 20th Century Fox is using his likeness from "Hustle & Flow" to promote "Empire" ... so now he's suing the studio.

Terrence -- who played Lucious Lyon on all 6 seasons of "Empire" -- just filed a lawsuit claiming 20th Century Fox gave him the runaround when asked how it came up with the "Empire" logo ... since he never sat down for a photoshoot.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Terrence says he ultimately determined the image was taken from the "Hustle & Flow" scene where "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" is being recorded in a studio.

According to the docs ... Terrence says "the still frame was selected, reversed (face looking left, not right), and subjected to CGI that simply distilled the cinematographer’s skilled capture of the head with vibrant light and shadow” to make the 'Empire' logo.

Terrence is upset because he says he would have gotten paid by Paramount -- the studio behind "Hustle & Flow" -- if 20th Century Fox got a proper license to use his image from the movie. He's suing for damages and wants an accounting of all the Empire merch using the logo.

Felicity Huffman can see the light at the end of the tunnel in the college admissions scandal, and the first right she wants back ... the ability to leave the U.S.

The 'Desperate Housewives' actress' legal team filed new docs, asking a judge to order the return of her passport -- which her lawyers say is currently in the possession of the probation department.

She had to give it up as part of her punishment, but now that she'll be wrapping up her supervised release in the next few days ... she's looking to get that puppy back in her hands.

Felicity's attorneys say she's completed all other aspects of her sentence -- including 250 hours of community service and her 2-week prison stint in the Bay Area.

The docs say federal prosecutors do not object to Felicity getting her passport ---- so, it's just a matter of time before she gets it. Once she does, though, she'll be just like most of us ... wondering where the hell she can realistically travel during the pandemic!

Rudy Giuliani might have some 'splaining to do about an apparently compromising scene in Sacha Baron Cohen's new 'Borat' installment.

President Trump's adviser admits he got duped into shooting the scene back in July -- he'd agreed to be interviewed in NYC by a conservative news outlet, which was really just a setup for "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm." Well, now we know what happened in the scene and it's jaw-dropping.

According to Vanity Fair -- which has seen the movie in advance -- Giuliani meets up with Borat's daughter, who's posing as a journalist, for an interview in a hotel room. At one point, he holds her hands, compliments her looks and she suggests they go to the bedroom for a drink.

Then she "elaborately" takes off their microphones, Rudy lies down on the bed, and puts his hand in his pants ... according to VF.

That's when Cohen, as Borat, busts in to the room to interrupt. To be clear, Giuliani's not seen doing anything illegal -- but the report about the scene sounds embarrassing, at the least.

We knew Rudy was in the movie because he made a big deal about it when it was filmed. You might recall, he called NYPD on Cohen at the time ... claiming the actor busted in the room wearing "a pink transgender outfit."

Rudy boasted to reporters afterward, "I thought about all the people he previously fooled, and I felt good about myself because he didn’t get me." He also stated he was a fan of Borat and didn't hold a grudge over the prank.

Let's see if that holds up when Amazon Prime releases 'Borat 2' on Friday.

Breonna Taylor's family attorney says the Louisville cop speaking out has a major advantage to dispute her truth ... and claims the officer's own words reveal a bias against Black people.

Civil rights lawyer Ben Crump came on "TMZ Live" Wednesday to discuss Jonathan Mattingly's claim he, nor his fellow LMPD officers, did anything illegal or racist the night they raided her apartment and shot her dead.

Crump says Mattingly is benefitting greatly from being alive to tell his version of the story ... while poor Breonna can't do the same.

As for Mattingly's insistence the cops knocked and identify themselves as law enforcement -- Crump says Kenneth Walker, Breonna's BF, has stuck to the same story since the beginning ... that they did NOT hear anyone say "police."

There's also the fact that several surrounding neighbors say they didn't hear any knocking or announcing, which Crump also thinks works against Mattingly. For his part, Mattingly says the neighbors not hearing doesn't square with the fact Walker admits he did hear knocking.

Mattingly told GMA nobody wishes more than him there was body camera footage of the raid, but Crump begs to differ. As he put it to us, Breonna's mother, Tamika Palmer, probably would like to see it way more than LMPD ... to prove her daughter was executed.

Patrick Mahomes is officially going to be part of the #GIRLDAD gang ... the NFL superstar and his fiancee just announced the couple's expecting a baby girl!

... and, the gender reveal party the two threw looked AWESOME!!!

Mahomes and Brittany Matthews posted the video announcement Wednesday ... showing they used their adorable dogs to make the big reveal.

There were also balloons, custom shirts and jackets, confetti ... and a whole lot of smiling!!!

"P.s-," Brittany captioned the video Wednesday, "Yes, my dogs walked down a run way with pink paws for the reveal 🤩😍."

Added Mahomes, "#GirlDad."

Britt and Patrick have been dating for YEARS ... and initially announced they were pregnant last month. The two got engaged at the Chiefs' Super Bowl ring ceremony just a few weeks prior.

A small group of angry adults destroyed "Black Lives Matter" artwork made by kids outside a Portland school, but the children are undeterred.

The 3 women tore down the BLM art hanging in front of The Cottonwood School on Sunday, while one of them -- appearing to be wearing a bulletproof vest -- expressed her disdain for the messaging on the signs.

According to the school ... the woman recording the incident is a community member, and despite her pleas for the 3 women to stop -- or at the very least not steal the kids' signs -- they ripped it all down and took off ... but not before the woman in sunglasses had a freak-out.

The good news -- the video's making the rounds, and members of the Portland community gathered Tuesday to support the students at the K-8 school with brand new signs ... while the students are working on making more of their own.

Cottonwood says that it "stands in solidarity with our Black families. Our goal is to nurture compassionate and confident students who possess the skills needed to confront racism in our community and beyond."

It continues ... "We are committed to fighting systemic racism, especially within our schools and neighborhoods, and we strive to model humility and non-violence for our children."

By the way ... the original artwork hung by the students went up in June. The school says the Oregon State Board of Education recently passed a resolution encouraging districts to support Black students, educators, and community members ... including renewing their commitment to anti-racism.

The officer who was shot on the night cops busted into Breonna Taylor's apartment and fatally shot her says he and his fellow cops were just doing their job ... and he's frustrated the case has been compared to the killings of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery.

Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly was shot in the leg during the raid on March 13, and he's giving his account to Michael Strahan on "Good Morning America" of what went down before Taylor was killed ... claiming he wants to clear up all the disinformation out there.

For starters, Mattingly describes how he banged on the door and insists that he -- along with several other officers -- announced their presence before entering. This is the key to the case, because if the police didn't announce themselves, they would not be entitled to use self-defense once inside. Mattingly insists they repeatedly said "Police, search warrant, open the door." He says they banged 6 times and repeated their announcement.

This, of course, contradicts what Breonna's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, claims ... as well as several neighbors. Mattingly says the neighbors have to be discounted, because they said they didn't even hear banging on the door, and Walker acknowledges he heard it.

Though Mattingly concedes Walker and Taylor may not have heard them, he refutes that Walker only fired a warning shot at the cops after they busted the door open. He says Walker had a gun pointed right at him ... and fired 4 times, hitting him once.

When Strahan presses Mattingly on whether things would have been different if the cops involved had body cams, Mattingly says yes ... because it would have shown they did nothing wrong ... and nobody would even know about Breonna Taylor.

The sergeant does suggest they could have done something different to avoid the tragedy, though -- bust in right away next time, thus preventing the people inside from grabbing a gun.

Finally ... Mattingly insists Breonna's death did not involve race, adding the case is nothing like what happened to George Floyd or Ahmaud Arbery. He clearly feels he and his fellow officers have received unfair treatment from the public at large ... and says he's a victim too.

Rose petals?? Check. Sunset views on the beach?? Check. Candles and live music?? Check and check!!

Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka and her rapper boyfriend Cordae had the most epic romantic dinner on the beach to celebrate her birthday this week ... and it legit looks like it came out of a dream.

The couple has been boo'd up in paradise for about a week to celebrate Osaka's 23rd (which was Oct. 16) ... posting up at the beach and other cozy spots.

The top highlight had to be their private dinner on the sand ... where the "Gifted" lyricist vibed to the tunes of the night as Osaka soaked it all in.

"I felt like I was in a movie," the 3-time Grand Slam winner said on Tuesday.

Of course, Osaka and Cordae have been together for over a year ... but this is by far the most romantic we've seen the couple!

Cordae has played the role of cheerleader this year as well, supporting Osaka from the stands during her U.S. Open championship run.

Young Buck might have dodged a bullet ... we've learned his girlfriend got busted by cops after allegedly firing a gun while squaring off with him.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the G-Unit rapper and his girlfriend were involved in a domestic incident Tuesday at a home in Tennessee, and at some point, she allegedly picked up a firearm and let off a few rounds.

As you can see, an image captured by someone who says they witnessed the incident appears to show Young Buck's girlfriend pointing a gun toward his truck at the foot of the driveway.

Our sources say it's unclear if anyone was struck by gunfire or where the girlfriend was aiming. We're told she was arrested and booked her for reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon.

We reached out to Young Buck, who had no comment.

One of Michael Jackson's "Leaving Neverland" accusers just suffered a huge defeat in court ... the judge threw out his revived lawsuit over alleged abuse.

James Safechuck's 2014 lawsuit against MJ's companies -- MJJ Productions and MJJ Ventures Inc. -- was brought back to life by the State of California earlier this year ... when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law extending the statute of limitations for alleged victims.

The upshot of the judge's opinion is that Safechuck and his legal team presented no facts to support their key argument -- namely, that honchos at MJJ Productions and MJJ Ventures Inc. had a legal obligation to supervise MJ's behavior in the '90s ... when he allegedly abused James as a child back then.

The judge wasn't buying it, concluding MJ was the owner and sole shareholder of both of these companies, so how could his employees rein in their own boss?

The court found that since Mike was essentially the top dog, there was no evidence his subordinates had the power to supervise him. Safechuck had also argued ... while he was hanging out with MJ, the companies served a quasi-parental role -- meaning they would have had a duty to protect him.

The judge didn't bite on that either, finding James' side didn't lay out enough facts to support that claim.

James can appeal the ruling if he wants -- as it stands, however, he's lost this case against MJ's companies.

Bill Cosby is doing a lot better than what his latest mug shot might suggest -- this according to his team ... which wants to reassure folks who are concerned about his well-being.

A new photo of the incarcerated comic popped up late Tuesday, which shows him smiling and looking a lot more put-together than how he appeared in his latest portrait from the State Correctional Institution in Collegeville, PA ... where he's currently serving out his sentence.

The pic of Bill behind plexiglass was apparently taken by his publicist, Andrew Wyatt, last week during their first video chat together ... i.e. 'Rona. The caption reads, "We are posting this to reassure his family and supporters that he is doing ok during this pandemic."

Here, BC's hair is combed and he's in high spirits -- a stark contrast to what we posted straight from the prison's updated inmate yearbook. In his latest mug shot, Bill looks unkempt and somewhat disoriented as he cracks a coy smile and looks away from the camera.

While Wyatt might've picked up on people sympathizing with Bill online -- and there's certainly some of that happening on the bird app -- lots of others felt the opposite ... saying his mug served as proof he hadn't learned his lesson and was contemptuous to the process, while doubling down that he was rightly convicted for sexually assaulting Andrea Constand.