Controversial S#!T

Barack Obama is going after President Trump for refusing to decry neo-Nazis in Charlottesville and bullying the media -- but he's also got beef with the alleged Trump staffer behind the NYT op-ed.

The ex-Prez went in on his predecessor while receiving an award at the University of Illinois ... saying, "How hard can that be? Saying that Nazis are bad?" He added, America is supposed to "stand up to bullies, not follow them."

It's the first time 44's publicly attacked 45 since leaving office and, honestly, it's the kind of talk Democrats have been dying to hear from Obama.

He also challenged Trump's non-stop assault on the media ... pointing out he had plenty of issues with Fox News during his administration, but never called them enemies of the state.

Obama said the anonymous NYT op-ed piece shouldn't make anyone feel better about the "crazy stuff" coming out of the White House ... because elected officials should be checking the President, not faceless appointees.

Sounds like someone's stepping back into the political arena just in time for midterm elections.

11:32 AM PT -- As for Trump ... he had a response to Obama during his rally Friday, saying 44's speech made him sleepy.

Geoffrey Owens is about to get a hell of a lot of screen time thanks to Tyler Perry -- he's accepted the mega producer's offer for an acting gig -- and it's a big one!

Owens, who starred on "The Cosby Show," was recently photographed working as a cashier at Trader Joe's. Geoffrey was shamed by many for the cashier job and Tyler reached out via Twitter, saying, "I'm about to start shooting OWN's number one drama next week! Come join us!!!"

Sources familiar with the deal tell us joining Tyler is exactly what Geoffrey will do. We're told he's going to appear on Perry's hit, "The Haves and the Have Nots." Even bigger ... it's not a one shot deal. We're told he'll have a recurring role and appear on 10 episodes.

The show -- on it's 6th season -- shoots in Atlanta, and we're told Owens will fly there next week to begin filming.

Donald Trump Jr. has a very clear picture of who's behind that anonymous New York Times op-ed -- and it ain't no "senior official" in the Trump administration.

We got the President's son heading into Vaucluse Thursday in NYC with his GF, Kimberly Guilfoyle, and when we brought up the NYT piece -- about White House staffers allegedly working against 45 -- junior unloaded.

Don didn't name names, but he made it clear he's not buying the Times' report that it was penned by a "senior Trump administration official." He's convinced it's the other end of the ladder.

We broke the story ... Trump's camp wants the Secret Service to launch an investigation to find the culprit.

Megyn Kelly, who's had her own battles with President Trump, is shockingly in his corner ... at least when it comes to the anonymous New York Times op-ed author showing his or her face!

The "Today" host was leaving NBC Studios in NYC Thursday when we asked about the contentious letter which claims Trump staffers are actively working to undermine 45. Megyn says the author of the letter is gutless, and needs to come out and speak publicly against Trump ... instead of working in the shadows.

Considering her rocky history with Trump, it's interesting to hear Megyn echo the administration's message regarding the anonymous piece.

She did say shortly after the election she and Trump were good.

Alex Jones won't be spewing his conspiracy theories on Twitter, which is now the first social media platform to permanently ban the "InfoWars" host.

Twitter announced Thursday it's suspending two accounts -- @realalexjones and @infowars. The ban also extends to Periscope. A spokesperson said videos and tweets Jones recently posted violated Twitter's abusive behavior policy ... plus, there had been previous violations.

The final straw appears to stem from a tense confrontation Jones had Wednesday on Capitol Hill, where CEO Jack Dorsey and other tech execs were testifying to congress. In addition to his face-off with Sen. Marco Rubio ... Jones got in the face of CNN reporter Oliver Darcy, and likened him to "the Hitler Youth." Jones livestreamed the confrontation on InfoWars.

Robert O'Neill -- the guy who killed Osama Bin Laden -- ain't joining the Nike boycott ... and says he thinks people are making too big of a deal out of Colin Kaepernick's kneeling demonstration.

The SEAL Team 6 member was out in D.C. and says he sees both sides of the argument when it comes to Kaepernick ... but at the end of the day, he ain't torching his beloved Air Jordans.

"He says it's for awareness for police brutality. I know a lot of vets are insulted. I wouldn't [kneel] personally but I'm a white guy from Montana."

"Like I always say, every time I was in handcuffs, I deserved it."

O'Neill says when it comes to the people burning their Nikes -- he thinks it's stupid ... saying they're better off donating their gear to homeless people.

His feelings don't exactly line up with another famous special forces guy -- ex-UFC fighter Tim Kennedy -- who told us his military buddies at Fort Bragg in North Carolina were fuming over the Nike ad.

Kennedy told us he would never buy Nike again.

Doesn't seem O'Neill's on the same page.

Ted Cruz can't seem to see beyond party lines regarding an anonymous op-ed written in the New York Times that bashed Trump -- 'cause he strongly implies it was written by a Dem.

We got the Texas senator in D.C. Thursday amid the Brett Kavanaugh hearings to ask about a bombshell NYT piece -- supposedly written by a high-ranking Trump administration official -- that said there was an internal resistance in the White House looking to undermine 45.

Cruz says that type of secret mutiny is really nothing new in the Trump White House or in politics in general, explaining that previous Republican presidents also had Democrats working from the inside against their boss' agenda.

If you bring pro-Trump banners to Broadway musicals, prepare for them to be snatched away by the cast -- or as the cast of "Frozen" might say ... "Let it go!!!"

Actor Timothy Hughes was shocked to see a Trump 2020 banner in the front row at Wednesday's performance of Disney's "Frozen" ... so he grabbed it from the audience member, and threw it off stage during the curtain call.

Timothy quickly decides to make a move once he notices the banner, then goes right back to bowing after disposing of the unwanted advertisement.

Timothy went off about the incident on his IG, saying it's "frightening" to think the show's message of love, acceptance and diversity has become opposition to supporting Trump.

Just because he's a Nike star now doesn't mean Colin Kaepernick is giving up on his NFL comeback ... he's still working out like a maniac in the hopes of landing a QB job.

That's according to one of Colin's close friends, Brandon Marshall -- who tells TMZ Sports he just spoke with CK and his sites are definitely still set on the NFL.

"I talked to him today and yesterday," the Denver Broncos linebacker told us Wednesday night ... "He's in high spirits. He's excited."

We also know Kaep's been working with a personal trainer for months. Remember, he was out throwing passes back in March and we're told that's still part of his training regimen.

Marshall and Kaepernick were teammates and fraternity brothers at the University of Nevada Reno -- and Marshall participated in Kaep's kneeling demonstration.

"It's like really historic what he's doing," Marshall said about his friend ... referencing Kaep's collusion lawsuit against the NFL and the impact he's having on social justice issues.

Marshall says he's spoken with other NFL players about Kaep -- and they're overwhelmingly supportive of the QB in his fight against inequality AND in his lawsuit.

Marshall also gave a special message for his friend -- "Keep fighting for what you believe in man. Keep going. You're doing everything you believe is right."

Lil Rel Howery has a question for all the people boycotting Nike over the Colin Kaepernick ad -- where were you during the Nike sweatshop scandals?!?!

The funnyman -- and star of "Rel" -- tells TMZ Sports he thinks it's "crazy" that people are wasting their money by burning Nike products ... and finds it interesting that CK was the issue to set them off.

"They didn't burn they stuff when they said Nike was using sweatshops," Rel said.

Background ... Nike has been accused of using sweatshops since the '90s -- but began auditing its factories in 2002.

But, Rel says he's a BIG fan of Nike's new ad campaign with Kaep -- "I think it's a dope promotion man. Nike's doing a good job of not just dealing with athletes, just dope people."

Asia Argento has just poked the bear, because we've learned Jimmy Bennett -- who was 17 when he had sex with her -- is going to the L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. to file a sexual assault claim against her and cooperate with the investigation.

Bennett, who is now 22, has been on the fence as to whether he'd cooperate with authorities, but he's now decided to go full steam ahead.

We're told Bennett's tipping point was the statement Argento's lawyer released Tuesday, attacking his character. Her lawyer, Mark Heller, talked about Bennett's "unfortunate past, stalled acting career ... his desperation to seek money." Heller also referenced that Bennett had been a drug user.

Bennett's lawyer, Gordon Sattro, tells TMZ, "the attack on my client's character has no bearing on the events that took place on May 9, 2013. These are statements that are meant to intimidate, shame and insult my client."

Argento, who has accused Harvey Weinstein of rape, has been vocal in the #MeToo movement about shaming alleged victims of sexual assault ... something her lawyer did in a big way with Bennett.

Argento's lawyer claims Bennett was "a horny kid" who jumped her in the hotel room. She says she did have sex with him but implies it was not consensual because she was "frozen."

This photo was taken after the sexual encounter in the hotel room. Bennett's people say it flies in the face of Argento's claim she was not a willing participant.

And, they point out this photo which Argento, who was 37 when they had sex, posted in the hotel room before Bennett arrived. The caption reads, "Waiting for my long lost son My love @Jimmy Bennett in trepidation."

The maximum penalty for statutory rape in California in a case involving a 17-year-old is 3 years in prison.

Roy Moore followed through on his threat -- he's suing Sacha Baron Cohen for portraying him as a pedophile on national TV ... and he's gunning for tens of millions of dollars.

Moore and his wife, Kayla, filed suit against Sacha, Showtime and CBS for duping him into appearing on Cohen's "Who Is America?" In the episode Sacha, disguised as an ex-Israeli intelligence officer, waved a wand that could supposedly detect enzymes secreted by pedophiles.

Of course, the device went off like crazy when he used it on Moore. Viewers might have laughed, but Roy isn't.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, the entire interview was set up under false pretenses. The Moores say they never would've agreed to meet with Sacha or sign his release form had they known it was all a sham.

More importantly, they say Sacha's gag -- which aired last month -- made Roy look like a sex offender, and seriously tarnished his reputation, caused emotional distress and financial damage. They insist Roy is not a sex offender, and Sacha's prank amounts to defamation. They're suing for at least $95 million.

The former U.S. Senate hopeful faced multiple allegations that he'd preyed on minors decades ago ... accusations that surfaced while he was running for Senate in Alabama last year. He vehemently denied the claims, and has never been charged with a crime.

Nike isn't backing down from its Colin Kaepernick ad campaign -- they just released a brand new 2-minute commercial featuring the QB -- and it's slated to air during the NFL season opener.

The spot features Colin narrating inspiring messages about overcoming the odds while real video of really inspirational athletes plays on the screen.

Colin references Serena Williams and praises her as "the greatest athlete ever" -- while throwing similar compliments at stars like Odell Beckham, Shaquem Griffin and the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team.

Regarding Odell, Colin says ...

"Don't picture yourself wearing OBJ's jersey. Picture OBJ wearing yours."

Regarding Shaquem, Colin says ...

"If you have only one hand, don’t just watch football, play it at the highest level."

Regarding LeBron James, Colin says ...

"Don’t become the best basketball player on the planet. Be bigger than basketball." (while video runs showing LeBron opening his new school in Ohio)

Regarding Serena, Colin says ...

"And, if you’re a girl from Compton, don’t just become a tennis player. Become the greatest athlete ever. Yeah, that’s more like it."

It's the second phase of Nike's "Just Do It" ad campaign featuring Kaep -- a deal that we're told was put together in the last several weeks.

We're told the deal put together by Mark Geragos and Ben Meiselas also includes a new custom Kaepernick shoe and apparel line.

No word on when that's supposed to drop.

As for the commercial, a source with knowledge of the situation tells us the plan is to air the commericial at some point during the Falcons vs. Eagles broadcast on NBC.

The National Black Police Association is applauding Nike for their new ad with Colin Kaepernick -- saying the QB's stance is "is in direct alignment with what law enforcement stands for."

In fact, the NBPA is ripping another major police association -- saying anyone calling for a Nike boycott is just plain wrong.

As we previously reported, the National Association of Police Organizations fired off a letter to Nike saying the Kaep ad "grossly insults the men and women who really do make sacrifices for the sake of our nation."

NAPO added, "We are calling on all our member officers, their families and friends to join in boycotting all Nike products."

Well, the National Black Police Association could not DISAGREE more -- sending their own letter to Nike praising the company and slamming the other police org.

"The National Black Police Association is not in agreement with NAPO on this matter, and we strongly condemn their call for police officers and their families to boycott Nike and its products," the letter says.

"Your inclusion of Mr. Kaepernick in your ads seems appropriate to us. We live in a country where the 1st Amendment is a right of the people."

"The NBPA believes that Mr. Kaepernick's stance is in direct alignment with what law enforcement stands for -- the protection of a people, their human rights, their dignity, their safety, and their rights as American citizens."

"NAPO has shown an adeptness at maintaining the police status quo and the tone in their letter further validates Mr. Kaepernick's concerns, as it undermines the trust that is needed by law enforcement in order for the profession to maintain its legitimacy."

The NBPA believes NAPO's stance "only perpetuates the narrative that police are racist, with no regard, acknowledgment, respect or understanding of the issues and concerns of the African American community."

"For NAPO to presuppose that Mr. Kaepernick has not made sacrifices because he did not die on a battlefield, shows you just how out of touch NAP is with the African American community."

The Game says Colin Kaepernick's new Nike ad is "one for the history books" -- and tells TMZ Sports he hopes it's just the beginning of Nike becoming a driving force for social justice.

"Everything that Nike's doing with Kaepernick is incredible," The Game told us in L.A.

"It's incredible to see a corporation as big as Nike put all that faith and trust in one of our new heroes. I think it's dope ... So, kudos to Nike."

Of course, Game has been big in the charity game for years -- and famously launched the Robin Hood Project to help families in need a few years back.

Our guy asked Game if he thinks Nike will get involved in other social causes.

Wanna know the least shocked person ever to see Nike backing Colin Kaepernick in their new ad campaign?

You're looking at him ... 'cause Todd Gurley tells TMZ Sports he's not shocked at all that the Swoosh just threw itself behind the embattled ex-NFL QB.

"Nike has always been doing stuff like that," the Rams superstar says.

"That's what Nike's based off of. Always doing the right thing, following the underdog."

Of course ... Gurley is a Nike-backed athlete himself -- but still, he's joined sports stars like LeBron, Tom Brady and more in supporting Colin on social media since the ad debuted.