President Trump Tests Negative for COVID-19, Twice ... I'll Kiss Ya, Florida!!!

Published | Updated
UPDATE

4:57 PM PT -- Trump's bragging he's now immune to the coronavirus, although no doctor or scientist will confirm that -- and, in a totally awkward moment, he offered to turn his Florida rally into a kissing booth of sorts.

UPDATE

Yes, our elected President of the United States just said, "I'll walk in there, I'll kiss everyone in that audience. I'll kiss the guys and the beautiful women ... I'll just give ya a big fat kiss."

President Trump is on his way to address thousands of his supporters in the flesh and without a mask ... only a few hours after his doctors announced he's tested negative for COVID-19.

Trump boarded Air Force One Monday on his way to a massive rally in Sanford, Florida. The rally will be his first since revealing on October 1 he'd tested positive for the coronavirus.

Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany shared a memo from Trump's physician just after AF1 took off which said Trump had tested negative on consecutive days.

The memo stated the result was derived from a series of lab tests and other data that indicated a "lack of detectable viral replication."

It ends by saying the results have, "informed our medical team's assessment that the President is not infectious to others." The memo does not say when Trump tested negative, but it's good news for all those folks gathered in Florida to greet him.

FL Governor Ron DeSantis is also attending Monday's rally and was spotted without a mask, offering up high fives to the crowd.

Buckle up, America ... 3 weeks to go!

Originally published -- 3:29 PM PT

Kanye West Check Out My First Campaign Ad ... Just in Time???

Published | Updated
101220_kanye_west_kal 10/12/20
HITTIN' THE AIRWAVES

Kanye West has a lot of ground to make up, if he's serious about running for President -- so, his first political ad for the job, is either right on time or way too late.

Ye's campaign just debuted the ad on social media, and it features Kanye looking as Presidential as possible -- at a podium with an American flag behind him -- sending a message about faith, religion and prayer.

Kanye's sharing his vision of America's destiny ... talking a lot about the importance of family. There are even some old photos of a younger Ye with his fam.

As we reported ... Kanye is telling folks in California he's still gunning for President, not VP, and he's urging voters to write him in on their ballots.

The spot is easily candidate West's most serious foray into Presidential politics, but coming just 3 weeks before Election Day, it could be too little, too late ... or perfectly timed.

Pennsylvania's Second Lady Lt. Gov's Wife Called the N-Word ... While Grocery Shopping

Published | Updated

Pennsylvania's Second Lady -- the Lt. Governor's wife -- was accosted by a woman who hurled racist epithets and told her to get out of the U.S.

Gisele Barreto Fetterman -- who's married to Lt. Gov. John Fetterman -- had to deal with this ugly encounter Sunday when she went to the grocery store alone ... getting recognized by a woman in line who had to the gall to verbally attack her and follow her out to the lot.

Fetterman says she was able to capture some of the lady's hateful remarks -- including a clear use of the n-word -- after she got back into her vehicle and pulled it together in between crying. She writes, "This behavior and this hatred is taught. If you know her, if she is your neighbor or relative, please, please teach her love instead."

For what it's worth, Fetterman is of Brazilian descent and is not Black. Still, the fact this woman weaponized such a racist term shows you some folks are just way too comfortable these days hurling it ... at anyone.

The incident also highlights how divided the country is right now -- which Fetterman also noted on Twitter. Of course, Pennsylvania is a huge swing state in the upcoming election ... and while recent polls show POTUS trailing there, much of it is still Trump country.

As for the culprit in this specific case, state troopers are reportedly investigating ... and lawmakers have publicly condemned the attack while lending support to Fetterman.

Portland Protests Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt Statues Toppled ... 'Stop Honoring Racist Colonizer Murderers'

Published | Updated

Portland protesters marked the eve of Columbus Day by toppling 2 statues of American presidents, claiming they represent America's racist history.

The statues were on the route of a march titled, Indigenous People's Day of Rage. Some of the signs read, "Stop honoring racist colonizer murderers." A Lewis and Clark mural was also vandalized with red paint.

The toppled statues were spraypainted and unceremoniously left on the ground. The words "stolen land" were painted at the base of Lincoln's statue.

The police tweeted shortly after the statues were taken down, "To those marching downtown: this has been declared a RIOT.” They continued, “All persons must immediately disperse to the NORTH. Failure to adhere to this order may subject you to arrest, citation, or crowd control agents, including, but not limited to tear gas and impact weapons.”

As far as we can tell, no arrests were made for taking the statues down.

Donald Trump Fauci Shades Prez Over Campaign Ad You Took My Words and Twisted Them

Published | Updated

Dr. Anthony Fauci is pushing back on Donald Trump in a big way, calling shenanigans on a new campaign ad that makes it look like the good Doc is endorsing the Prez.

The Trump campaign just released a new ad called "Carefully," in which they describe POTUS recovering from the virus, like so many other Americans are also doing and have already done.

The spot lists Trump's alleged achievements and the screen flashes to a soundbite from a Fauci interview, in which he says "I can't imagine that ... anybody could be doing more." This makes it seem like AF was talking about DT, but that's not the case.

Fauci came out and said the Trump administration used this segment without his permission -- but, more importantly, they took his words out of context. He adds, "In my nearly five decades of public service, I have never publicly endorsed any political candidate."

These comments are actually from an interview he did with FOX News' Mark Levin, in which he praised federal health officials and the Trump administration's coronavirus task force on how they were responding to the pandemic -- which he characterized as "impressive" and "all hands on deck." So, not a Trump compliment ... tangential at best.

Still, Trump trying to twist it and make directly about him specifically is a stretch, and Fauci's setting the record straight.

Eric Trump on NYT Reports My Dad's 'Lost a Fortune' in Office Doesn't Need This Job!!!

Published | Updated

Eric Trump says the presidency has cost his dad an arm and a leg combating the forces out to get him -- and that he doesn't really need the headache ... music to many people's ears.

The President's son -- who helps heads up at the Trump Organization -- was on ABC Sunday morning and asked about a new NYT report suggesting Trump engaged in several alleged pay-for-play deals with private companies, special interest groups and even foreign governments who patronized his hotels and resorts in exchange for lucrative contracts granted by Uncle Sam -- supposedly, to return the favor on Trump's behalf.

Rather than respond to the allegations, Eric went on an off-topic tirade ... repeating talking points from his father and accusing ABC, the Dems and the NYT of sabotaging DT. But, he also revealed Trump's apparently been bleeding money over these 4 years in office.

Eric said something else noteworthy ... "the last thing ... Donald Trump needs in the world is this job," going on to say that he sticks it out because it's the "right" thing to do for America.

When pressed on the actual story he was supposed to be responding to, ET eventually offered an answer ... saying millions of people stay at their hotels and properties each year, and that the NYT is "fake news." The interview was cut short quickly afterward.

On the issue of Trump not needing this gig ... a lot of folks might simply reply, "Good, GTFO." The door's always open!

Tupac Shakur Brother Slams Trump Campaign ... For 'Pac Jab at Kamala

Published | Updated

Tupac's fam says the Trump campaign using the rapper as a prop to mock Kamala Harris was uncool and uncalled-for, and though he wants an apology ... he's not holding his breath.

Mopreme Shakur, Tupac's stepbrother, tells TMZ ... it was "clearly disrespectful" to his family for the President's campaign to leave a ticket for Tupac at the Vice Presidential debate.

If ya missed it -- Trump's camp confirmed it invited Tupac Wednesday night as a jab at Sen. Harris, who recently claimed Tupac was the "best rapper alive" during an interview. She quickly caught her mistake, and laughed it off ... but Mopreme's not laughing at the Trump team's troll job.

He says it's not surprising though, because "We should know Trump's lack of respect for the Black and brown community."

Mopreme adds, he knows POTUS won't say he's sorry, so instead, he's aiming high -- saying Trump can make it up to the family by releasing his father, Tupac's stepfather, from prison.

His dad, Mutulu, was sentenced to 60 years in 1988 for RICO conspiracy, armed bank robbery and bank robbery killings. Mopreme says his father's taken full responsibility for his crimes and served as a force for good and anti-violence while incarcerated ... yet he's been denied parole 8 times.

Seems unlikely Trump would get involved, but Mopreme's taking a shot.

As for Kamala ... Mopreme says her snafu just shows she has excellent taste in music, and it's no surprise Tupac's her fave because she's from Oakland. He added, it's all California love for Sen. Harris, and strongly encourages everyone to vote.

Kanye West Write Me in for Prez, Cali ... I Don't Wanna Be VP!!!

Published | Updated

Kanye West just confirmed he is definitely NOT down to be second banana in this election -- he says he wants the whole enchilada or nothing at all.

Ye's campaign just sent out a note letting voters in Cali know he's gunning for President, not Vice Prez ... and although he's a VP candidate for the American Independent Party on California ballots, he'd actually prefer folks to write him in as the main guy.

He says, "I am campaigning to be the next President of our great country -- not Vice President. The political party in California that listed my name as its VP candidate has done so without my knowledge." Ye adds a direct plea to the good people of the Golden State.

His remarks end with, "Californians, I ask for your vote for President and urge you to write in 'Kanye West.'" Kanye's request comes on the heels of what a buddy of his recently did ... namely, writing him in and snapping a photo of their ballot to prove they voted Ye.

Mail-in ballots have started to be sent out to folks here on the West Coast -- and the moment of truth is upon us ... even a few weeks before actual election day. The pic Kanye posted got tons of people riled up on Twitter this week ... who couldn't believe someone had actually cast their ballot for the rapper/producer.

Wild as it may seem, there might be a decent amount of people who end up voting for Kanye, actually. However, it's beyond a long shot for him to play spoiler to Biden in Cali, a solid blue state ... whose 55 electoral college votes are a lock for Biden/Harris.

Trump vs. Biden 2nd Prez Debate Officially Nixed!!! Blame it on the 'Rona

Published | Updated

President Trump will not square off -- face-to-face, anyway -- as the second debate has been canceled, which could be a win for your eyes and ears ... if it was gonna be anything like the first one.

The Commission on Presidential Debates pulled the plug Friday on the showdown scheduled for Oct. 15 ... after the President complained about the new virtual format, and said he wouldn't go. Of course, the CPD moved to a virtual debate due to Trump's COVID-19 diagnosis.

His reaction to the change was, "I'm not gonna waste my time on a virtual debate. That's not what debating's all about."

POTUS was also ticked off about possibly getting muted by the moderator ... a feature the CPD said it was considering in light of the constant interruptions and name-calling at the first debate.

For what it's worth, Biden's team initially agreed to the new safety protocols but after Trump dug in his heels ... Biden also pulled out. Instead, his team says he'll hold a town hall in Philly, moderated by ABC's George Stephanopoulos.

Remember ... the second debate had been in doubt since Trump was diagnosed with coronavirus ... along with more than a dozen White House staffers. As of right now ... a third and final debate's slated for October 22 ... just 12 days before the election.

President Trump Drops F-Bomb Live on the Air ... Steroid Raging???

Published | Updated
100920_donald_trump_f_word_kal
DON'T F*** AROUND

Kinda hard to ignore the fact President Trump is on a heavy dose of steroids -- to combat the coronavirus -- when ya hear him firing off the f-word during live interviews.

POTUS called in Friday to Rush Limbaugh's radio show, and got fired up about U.S. relations with Iran. That's nothing new, but the ease with which he cursed definitely was different. Trump said, without pause, "Iran knows that, and they've been put on notice, if you f**k around with us, if you do something bad to us ... we are going to do things to you that have never been done before."

Okay, in a vacuum the cursing would be no big deal ... and let's face it, it's the kinda tough talk that fires up his base. However, the reality is President Trump's doctors have said he's on Dexamethasone ... a steroid that can make patients edgy and easily agitated.

The 'roids are certainly relevant considering the Prez insists he's feeling great and ready to get back on the campaign trail with a Saturday rally in Florida. Makes ya wonder what might fly out of his mouth when he's even more fired up by crowds of supporters.

The Limbaugh appearance comes after a Thursday night call in to Sean Hannity's show where Trump sounded way less than healthy ... hacking so hard at times, it sounded like he had to mute his phone.

It's still unclear if he's a negative test yet, the White House just isn't saying.

George Floyd Case Derek Chauvin Can Leave Minnesota Due to 'Safety Concerns'

Published | Updated

Derek Chauvin -- the ex-cop accused of murdering George Floyd -- is now allowed to leave the state of Minnesota as he awaits trial ... after a judge ruled there are concerns over his safety.

The Hennepin County judge changed the conditions of Chauvin's bond Thursday, a day after he was released after posting $1 million. The former Minneapolis police officer can now reside in Minnesota OR a bordering state pending trial.

The decision came after the Department of Corrections provided evidence supporting safety concerns for Chauvin ... according to the judge's order.

Chauvin must report his new address to law enforcement and will remain under normal supervision as he awaits his murder trial ... which is scheduled for March.

Chauvin is required to obtain a cell phone and keep it on him at all times and answer all calls from the Minnesota Dept. of Corrections.

As for which states are contiguous to Minnesota -- North and South Dakota, Iowa and Wisconsin.

As we've reported ... Chauvin is facing charges of 2nd-degree after leaving his knee on Floyd's neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds back on May 25.

'Tiger King' Star Doc Antle Indicted for Animal Cruelty ... And Wildlife Trafficking

Published | Updated
UPDATE

5:17 PM PT -- Doc Antle says, “I am terribly shocked and disappointed at the charges that have been filed against me by the Commonwealth of Virginia, and how they have sought to involve my daughters in this matter. I categorically deny any act or conduct that could ever be considered as “animal cruelty."

UPDATE

He added he would never hurt or abuse any of his animals, and is looking "forward to being able to answer these charges and to be able to clear my good name.”

UPDATE

We're told Doc and his daughters have not yet been taken into custody.

'Tiger King' star Doc Antle is facing a slew of felony and misdemeanor charges now for his treatment and transport of lion cubs.

Antle, the owner and founder of Myrtle Beach Safari, was indicted Friday in Virginia for felony wildlife trafficking after a months-long investigation found evidence he trafficked lion cubs between South Carolina and Virginia ... according to Virginia's Attorney General.

You'll recall ... Netflix's "Tiger King" documentary mentioned Antle's safari park was raided last December, and now it seems that raid was part of this investigation.

Antle is also charged with 1 felony count of conspiracy to sell or transport endangered wildlife, 4 misdemeanor counts of conspiracy to violate the Endangered Species Act, and 9 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty.

In addition, 2 of Antle's daughters, Tawny Antle and Tilakam Watterson, were charged with misdemeanors for animal cruelty and violating the Endangered Species Act.

The same investigation led to felony charges against Keith A. Wilson, owner of Wilson's Wild Animal Park. Authorities say they seized 119 animals, including lions, tigers, bears, camels, goats, water buffalo, and more from Wilson's roadside zoo and claim he got some of the animals from Antle.

Originally Published -- 9:35 AM PT

Wichita St. Basketball Coach Investigated Over Allegations He Punched Player

Published

Wichita State basketball coach Gregg Marshall is the subject of an internal investigation after multiple claims of hostility -- including allegations he punched a player TWICE during a 2015 practice.

The alleged victim is former Shockers forward Shaq Morris -- who claims Marshall socked him in the face for committing a foul on a teammate during a workout.

Morris says he was trying to block a shot by teammate Zach Brown -- and unintentionally knocked Brown to the ground.

"I went over to help [Brown] up, and as I was helping him up to make sure he was okay, bam -- I’m struck on the left side of my face with a punch," Morris told Stadium.

"I turned back with my fists ready to punch or swing. I don’t know who did what and I see Marshall standing there. I turned around and started walking out."

Stadium says 6 players who were on the team at the time have corroborated the incident.

Several teammates, including Fred VanVleet (who's now in the NBA) allegedly refused to practice the next day unless Marshall apologized, which Morris says he did.

"[Marshall] comes down in the film room and says, ‘First off, I just want to apologize to you and he pointed at me. Then he said, “We good? We good? We good? All right, let’s move on."

There's more ... Morris says Marshall also choked assistant coach Kyle Lindsted during a practice in the 2016-17 season.

"I looked over and saw coach Marshall choking him," Morris said. "Then people started de-escalating the situation, trying to calm him down."

Lindsted -- who left Wichita State in 2018 -- declined to comment to Stadium about the allegation.

There are also allegations of racism ... Marshall allegedly verbally abused player Isaiah Poor Bear-Chandler, who is of Native American descent.

Marshall allegedly told him to "get back on his horse" and made "Indian howling noises" while in practice during the 2018-19 season.

One former assistant coach described Marshall this way to Stadium -- "He’s smart, a great coach. Just a bad person."

The coach has commented on the investigation -- telling The Athletic, "I'm aware the university conducted interviews and I fully participated in the process."

"I look forward to having it wrapped up as I continue to focus my energy on our team."

Marshall joined the program in 2007 and is the winningest coach in school history.

George Floyd New Mural To Be Unveiled Marking Birthday

Published | Updated

George Floyd's being honored and remembered in his hometown ... with a new mural set to be unveiled just in time for his birthday.

The mural is being painted in the Houston neighborhood where George grew up, and it's going to be unveiled Monday during a special ceremony featuring his family and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee. Houston mayor Sylvester Turner is also invited.

Local artist Ange painted the mural. He tells us George's family asked him to create one back in August, after previously presenting the family with some Floyd artwork at his funeral.

The mural is prominently displayed on a wall outside a neighborhood corner store George frequented. The business is a staple of the community, so lots of folks will see George's face on the building.

George would have turned 47 Wednesday, and we're told celebrating his upcoming birthday is part of the inspiration behind the mural ... plus a message to the community to "be the change" and go out and vote.

George's brothers, Rodney and Philonise, recently checked on the mural's progress and Philonise says they want the art to send this message ... "People in my family all feel that George can't vote, so everybody needs to get out for George, for Breonna, for Ahmaud."

The family adds ... "He said he wanted to change the world, so here's how we do it. By being the change."

Breonna Taylor 'It Was Her' Doesn't Mean She Fired Gun ... Lee Merritt Breaks Down New BF Video

Published | Updated

Breonna Taylor's boyfriend's words -- captured by body cameras moments after the deadly raid -- will loom large in a potential federal case against the cops who killed her ... according to Lee Merritt.

The famed civil rights attorney joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday to discuss 2 crucial takeaways from the newly released body cam vids ... and both focus on Kenneth Walker's statements to Louisville cops on the scene.

In the video, Kenneth repeatedly tells cops he and Breonna didn't know it was police busting into her apartment. When an officer asks which of them fired at cops, Kenneth says, "It was her. She was scared." It's about one minute into this clip.

100820_breonna_taylor_seeders_bodycam_kal1
SCARED AND CONFUSED

Lee says that might seem to create some uncertainty about who fired the shot that hit Louisville PD officer Jonathan Mattingly -- Breonna or Kenneth -- but he adds the video also shows Kenneth very emotional and under intense duress.

Since the night of the raid, Lee says Kenneth has insisted he's the one who fired his legally-owned 9mm handgun. He provided some insight into why Walker said otherwise as he was being arrested on the scene.

The other thing the videos reveal is the immediate confusion as to whether police announced they were law enforcement. As you know, a dozen neighbors said they did not. Merritt says the obvious emotion in Kenneth's voice as he repeatedly told police, "We didn't know who it was" adds credibility to his side of the story.

Although the grand jury did not indict any of the officers for killing Breonna ... Lee says they're still pushing for federal charges -- and that will likely hinge on whether police ID'd themselves.