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President Trump invoked the name of George Floyd while touting America's economic comeback, and praising police response to looting and protests ... by suggesting George would approve of all of the above.

After POTUS gave proud shout-outs to the National Guard, Secret Service and Washington, D.C. cops for keeping the White House safe all week ... he recommended certain Governors -- particularly New York's -- call him to get help squashing looters and rioters.

He repeated the phrase he used all week, saying law enforcement and the military need to "dominate the streets" -- but then quickly pivoted to calling for equal justice for all Americans "in every encounter with law enforcement regardless of race, color, gender or creed."

To that ideal, Trump said he hoped George is looking down right now, saying, "This is a great thing that's happening for our country. It's a great day for him. It's a great day for everybody ... in terms of equality."

What's odd is ... the President was in the Rose Garden to sign a bill devoted to small business loan flexibility, and not anything to do with justice reform.

Justifiably, Trump's comments have been met with backlash from some public officials who saw the speech as a gross attempt to politicize George Floyd's name. Especially, because we've seen multiple incidents of police brutality with peaceful protesters this week

Joe Biden called Trump's words "despicable," and Sen. Kamala Harris tweeted ... "keep George Floyd’s name out of your mouth until you can say Black Lives Matter."

While millions protest for justice across the country, some hateful, disgusting person set fire to a cross on a bridge in Alabama ... and police are now investigating.

The cross burning was reported Thursday night around 9:30 PM in Macon County, when several motorists on I-85 saw a fire on an overpass.

A driver named John Bolton was reportedly one of the first to see the blaze and called 911. Bolton says he pulled over, and 2 men he was with rushed toward the fire and one of them climbed up the bridge to knock down the burning cross.

Bolton says he saw a shadowy figure running away from the scene as they approached. Once the fire was out, he says the burnt cross, a burning tire and a fuel canister were found.

Sheriff Andre Brunson confirms his officers helped extinguish a makeshift cross set on fire on the bridge -- first reported by WRBL. Brunson says the incident is under investigation, but there are no suspects so far. He's urging anyone with info to contact the Macon County Sheriff's Office.

Burning crosses are one of the most notorious hate symbols in U.S. history, synonymous with the KKK and the hate organization's method of terrorizing black people.

Michael Jordan and Jordan Brand have pledged to donate an incredible $100 MILLION over the next decade to fight racial inequality ... saying straight-up -- "Black lives matter."

"The Jordan Brand is us, the Black Community," Jordan and his company said in a joint statement. "Jordan Brand is more than one man. It has always been a family."

"We represent a proud family that has overcome obstacles, fought against discrimination in communities worldwide and that works every day to erase the stain of racism and the damage of injustice."

"The will, the work, the excellence the world has come to know is the result of one generation after another, pouring their dreams into the next. "

The statement continues ... "It's 2020, and our family now includes anyone who aspires to our way of life. Yet as much as things have changed, the worst remains the same."

"Black lives matter. This isn't a controversial statement. until the ingrained racism that allows our country's institutions to fail is completely eradicated, we will remain committed to protecting and improving the lives of Black people."

"Today, we are announcing that Michael Jordan and Jordan Brand will be donating $100 million over the next 10 years to organizations dedicated to ensuring racial equality, social justice and greater access to education."

Jordan recently spoke out over George Floyd's death ... saying, "I see and feel everyone’s pain, outrage and frustration."

"I stand with those who are calling out the ingrained racism and violence toward people of color in our country."

"We have had enough."

MLS winger Aleksandar Katai's wife's disgusting comments about protesters just cost him his job with the LA Galaxy ... with the team deciding to part ways with the player due to her "racist and violent" words.

The 29-year-old Serbian met with the team earlier this week after Tea Katai called for people to kill protesters -- which she referred to as "disgusting cattle" -- on Instagram.

The Galaxy released a statement condemning Tea's since-deleted comments on Wednesday ... saying "Earlier today, the LA Galaxy were made aware of a series of racist and violent social media posts by Tea Katai, the wife of LA Galaxy midfielder Aleksandar Katai."

"The LA Galaxy stands firmly against racism of any kind, including that which suggests violence or seeks to demean the efforts of those in pursuit of racial equality."

The team decided the next step was to wash its hands of the Katais on Friday ... calling the move a mutual decision.

Aleksandar -- who joined the squad in December -- released a statement against his wife's comments earlier this week, saying "These views are not ones that I share and are not tolerated in my family."

"I strongly condemn white supremacy, racism and violence towards people of color. Black lives matter. This is a mistake from my family and I take full responsibility."

Along with the new fencing around the White House to keep protesters at bay, President Trump should have a good view of a city block-long painting spelling out Black Lives Matter.

The local Washington D.C. government reportedly gave the green light to muralists to make the large BLM display along 16th Street NW ... which leads straight into Lafayette Park and the President's home.

The work started early Friday and will take several hours, but it looks like the artists are making great progress. And, in addition to the new display ... Mayor Muriel Bowser has officially renamed the section of the street "Black Lives Matter Plaza."

The bold, yellow lettering of the mural is a stark contrast to the black fencing put up Thursday around The White House complex on 17th Street NW. Remember, an 8-foot high fence was already erected around Lafayette Square earlier this week.

The White House is now surrounded by nearly 2 miles of fencing in response to demonstrations and unrest in the nation's capital. Of course, that caused POTUS to take shelter in a bunker for a bit ... and also instruct law enforcement to open fire on peaceful protesters so he could get to a photo-op.

It seems more than unlikely he'd seek another photo-op next to the mural when it's completed.

The Kardashians are blasting Blac Chyna for what they see as a desperate attempt to take advantage of the country's renewed focus on racism for her own gain.

Here's the deal ... Chyna is accusing NBCUniversal and the Kardashian/Jenner family of racism on the heels of Gabrielle Union filing a discrimination complaint against the Peacock. BC's new attorney claims racism is the real reason "Rob & Chyna" never got a second season on E!, which NBCUniversal owns.

As you know ... Chyna is locked in a legal war with the entire Kardashian fam, filing a lawsuit way back in October 2017 claiming they went behind her back to NBCU and got her reality show with Rob canceled. Now she says racism is part of it too.

Kardashian-Jenner family attorney Marty Singer tells TMZ ... "This is a 2 year old lawsuit in which Chyna has changed her defense more times than we can count. Sadly, unsurprising to anyone, she has stooped to a new low, changing her defense to try to leverage the emotions and pain of the moment, insulting the pain and suffering of real victims of racial injustice and systemic racism."

Translation ... they smell Chyna's desperation in playing the racism card.

Singer adds ... "We take these allegations very seriously and once again, there is no Rob & Chyna show if there is no Rob & Chyna."

Our sources also tell us ... it was impossible to continue with a show about the couple, because BC had a restraining order against Rob and their relationship was over.

And what's more ... in previously filed docs, Rob's sisters came to his defense, offering witness statements to Chyna's alleged abuse ... and showing just how volatile the relationship was. According to the old docs, there were also witnesses who allegedly saw Chyna brandish a gun and drink heavily.

Chyna's attorney, Lynne Ciani, claims Kris secretly accused BC of beating Rob in December 2016 and went to NBCUniversal with her accusation. Ciani claims no one at the network ever informed Chyna of the allegations and says the situation would've been handled differently if BC was white.

Serena Williams' husband, Alexis Ohanian, just announced he's giving up his seat on Reddit's board ... and he says it's all in an effort to help the black community.

The 37-year-old -- who co-founded Reddit 15 years ago -- said in a powerful video statement Friday he's urging the company to now give his spot to a black candidate.

Ohanian also announced he's donating any future gains he obtains on his Reddit stock "to serve the black community" ... beginning with a $1 MILLION donation to Colin Kaepernick's Know Your Rights Camp.

"It is long overdue to do the right thing," Ohanian said. "I'm doing this for me, for my family and for my country. I'm saying this as a father who needs to be able to answer his black daughter when she asks, 'What did you do?'"

Ohanian added, "I believe resignation can actually be an act of leadership for people in power right now, and to everyone fighting to fix our broken nation, do not stop."

Ohanian famously married Serena back in 2017 ... shortly after having their daughter, Alexis Olympia.

A Chicago PD officer charged at a protester, shoved him to the ground and started attempting to pummel him ... and it was all caught on video.

The attack went down Thursday night as demonstrators took to the streets again to protest the killing of George Floyd and police brutality ... the latter of which was on full display.

Take a look -- as cops appear to be trying to clear protesters from the area, one of them snaps and bum-rushes a guy and throws him down ... then starts delivering violent left hooks to his head.

The officer's so unhinged, he even strikes his own guy as he turns around to go at more protesters, before seeking out his original target for more action.

Chicago PD tells us they've opened an investigation into the incident. CPD adds it "strives to treat all individuals our officers encounter with respect. We do not tolerate misconduct of any kind and if any wrongdoing is discovered, officers will be held accountable."

This incident came just hours after one in Buffalo, where cops pushed an elderly man to the ground, causing him to hit his head and bleed -- and the day after NYPD officers assaulted a man they said was violating curfew.

Fight Island is all set to open on July 11 -- with top-of-the-line facilities and an octagon on the beach, so says Dana White.

... but Dana says there's one big problem.

"The FANTASY of Fight Island," Dana explained, "I'm very worried it will eclipse the REALITY of Fight Island."

"The fighters are not going to walk out lined up with tiki torches on the side. I will not be sitting in a big thrown overseeing the octagon and watching the fight."

So, what will Fight Island look like? Dana explained on "TMZ Live."

"We actually have an arena. We built a little arena there that's very, very cool ... The fighters will have their own private places to train. And, there will be an octagon on the beach too!"

Meanwhile, back on the mainland ... Dana is gearing up for UFC 250 on Saturday featuring the great Amanda Nunes vs. Felicia Spencer.

But, White is also stoked for "Sugar" Sean O'Malley -- an 11-0 rising star who's been exploding in popularity after smashing José Alberto Quiñónez back in March.

One last thing ... you see the mug Dana was drinking from?

George Floyd's killing is impacting the world in a way we've never seen before ... and it's also inspiring more people than ever to donate to a cause.

Launched just a little more than a week ago, the Official George Floyd Memorial Fund has already received the highest number of individual donations for a GoFundMe page ... a spokesperson for the site tells TMZ.

With nearly 500k donations and counting, the fundraiser's amassed nearly $13 million. We're told the campaign has gone global, getting donations from 125 countries.

George's brother, Philonise, says the money will cover funeral and burial expenses, provide counseling, pay for lodging and travel for all court proceedings, and assist the family going forward as they seek justice for George. A portion of the funds will also go to George's estate to take care of his kids and provide for their education.

As we reported ... the first of 4 memorials for George was held Thursday in Minneapolis. There will be another in North Carolina on Saturday, and 2 in Houston next week.

Interestingly, number 2 on the GoFundMe donations list launched in December 2018 to raise money to build the wall at America's southern border. That has 300k donations, but it's raised more than $25 million.

Montana Black Lives Matter protesters went toe-to-toe with a very angry, very grown guy itching for a fight ... and it didn't end well for him.

It all went down Thursday evening in Whitefish, Montana where a group of nearly 100 people gathered to peacefully protest near the town's city hall ... and then angry dude got in the middle of the action.

He immediately got up in a few grills and shouted, "Black lives matter? F**k you!!!" Then he ripped signs out of the hands of protesters ... who, BTW, did nothing in retaliation, but to loudly chant, "Peaceful!"

For a couple of minutes, it looked like a fight would definitely break out, but a police officer arrived, ushered away the man ... and lo and behold, he's the one who got in trouble. Whitefish PD tells us he was cited for disorderly conduct.

Whitefish PD went on to say, "The City of Whitefish is dedicated to protecting the First Amendment rights of individuals to peacefully protest and ask all who are involved to respect each other’s rights and protest peacefully."

Some cops in Buffalo shoved an elderly man, who lost his balance and hit his head on the concrete ... laying motionless and bleeding from his ear.

Protesters filled Niagara Square Thursday night to protest the death of George Floyd and injustices in our legal system. Officers, dressed in heavy gear, started to move in on the crowd while the elderly man approached and started a non-physical confrontation with some of the cops.

An officer from the group shouts "Move!" at the man and then proceeded to push him, causing him to stumble back and fall over.

In the video, captured by WBFO's Mike Desmond, you can see blood surround the man's head almost immediately as he lay motionless ... and officers call for a medic.

A rep for the Buffalo Police Department allegedly told a local reporter the man was injured when he "tripped and fell." His condition is currently unknown.

The protests of the last week have remained mostly peaceful until intervention. As we reported, President Trump fired rubber bullets and tear gas into peaceful protestors so he could make his way for a photo-op at a local church that had been damaged the night before.

Kobe Bryant fans in Europe paid homage to the Mamba in a HUGE way this week ... finishing up a 39-foot-high mural of Bean that's now the biggest on the continent.

Locals in Gradiška, Bosnia and Herzegovina began painting the tribute at an elementary school about two weeks ago ... with one of the guys saying it all started because Kobe helped them find a love for hoops.

"Kobe Bryant was one of my role models and when we heard that he tragically lost his life, we came up with the idea to pay tribute to him," a mural initiator told The Srpska Times.

"That is how we made a mural on the wall of the school next to which we spent time on the playground."

The piece is roughly 39 feet tall and 19 feet wide ... and as you can see in the pics, it's pretty amazing.

The image is of Kobe at the free-throw line in his Lakers jersey set to sink a basket ... and it's complete with his Mamba logo in the upper right corner.

The artist who painted the work said it was painstaking, but worth every minute ... and added he hopes it brings similar pieces of art to the country.

As we previously reported ... there have been a TON of Kobe murals in Los Angeles as well -- and they're so beloved, each and every one went untouched amid the chaos in the city last week.

A swarm of LAPD officers tracked down a sedan, smashed the hell out of the car's windows ... and quickly yanked out the occupants during a pretty violent arrest of alleged looters.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... a helicopter tracked the car leaving an Urban Outfitters Wednesday in Hollywood, a store that had been looted. When officers on the ground caught up to the car, we're told the driver revved the engine ... allegedly lurching toward a cop.

As you can see multiple officers destroyed the side windows to haul the driver and passengers out of the vehicle. They allegedly refused to exit on their own. One woman appeared to be slightly injured from broken glass, and another went down hard as officers tried to cuff her.

The trunk was allegedly chock full of clothes from Urban Outfitters -- complete with merchandise tags still on them -- according to our law enforcement sources.

We're told everyone in the car was booked for burglary, and the driver was also booked for assault with a deadly weapon -- for allegedly driving at one of the officers.

Joe Giudice finally has an opponent lined up for his celebrity boxing match ... and there's a good chance Jennifer Lopez may be rooting for him to kick some ass.

The ex-"Real Housewives of New Jersey" star will fight actor/producer Ojani Noa ... according to Celebrity Boxing promoter Damon Feldman. As we reported, Joe inked a deal last month for an October 24 fight in the Bahamas.

At the time ... the opponent was TBA, but Feldman said he was open to anyone. Joe even joked he'd step in the ring with Mike Tyson.

Let's face it, Noa's a much better fit for Joe. If you're unfamiliar ... Ojani was married to J Lo for less than a year between 1997-1998. About a decade later, they had some more drama. He's done film acting, nothing huge -- "Rapping-n-Rhyming" in 2002, "Irish Eyes" in 2004 and "Eye See Me" in 2007.

He'll need to do more than act like a boxer ... Joe's got some hands, for a celeb amateur. They'll go toe-to-toe for three 1-minute, 30-second rounds.