Controversial S#!T

Ali Alexander -- the pro-Trump organizer of the "Stop the Steal" movement -- calls himself one of the originators of the D.C. rally that preceded the Capitol riots ... but he claims he got help from 3 Congressmen.

The right-wing activist had been vocal for weeks about holding a huge event on January 6 in order to stop Congress from certifying the election win for Joe Biden, and he stated on video he schemed with 3 GOP Representatives to make it happen -- Andy Biggs and Paul A. Gosar from Arizona and Mo Brooks from Alabama.

All 3 GOP lawmakers are hard-line Trump supporters and have links to Alexander through video and social media posts ... and Ali claims their plan was to put "maximum pressure on Congress while they were voting."

He adds that they wanted to "change the hearts and the minds of Republicans who were in that body, hearing our loud roar from outside."

As you know, the D.C. rally for President Trump was followed by a march to the U.S. Capitol, where an angry mob of his supporters violently stormed in ... resulting in 5 deaths.

Alexander and his "Stop the Steal" group have been banned from Twitter, and though he's denied inciting the riot ... the 3 Republicans are taking heat for aiding him.

Biggs and Brooks have denied involvement with Alexander in organizing the Jan. 6 rally, and Gosar has not responded yet.

As we've reported ... Democratic members of Congress like Rep. Jim Clyburn have suggested the Capitol riots were part of an inside job facilitated by GOP politicians -- though he didn't name names. Similarly, Rep. Mikie Sherrill claimed she saw some of her GOP colleagues leading groups on "reconnaissance" tours of the building the day before the insurrection.

If the insurrectionists had a bite to eat, a rental car or a pillow to lay on while in D.C. last week before storming the Capitol, the feds just might find out about it ... because they're digging through a laundry list of receipts to track down the culprits.

Federal law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the FBI has gone well beyond just resorting to flight manifests to find the people they suspect took part in Wednesday's siege -- they're looking at any and everything the rioters might've put their name to while in town.

That includes sifting through restaurant bills, hotel ledgers and rental car records in the days leading up to and following the attack on the Capitol ... and linking that up with intel of their own.

Here's another thing ... our sources say much of the legwork for this comprehensive approach is being done by the FBI-NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force ... a group founded in NYC in the '80s.

Of course, there have been several high-profile arrests all over the country since last week's insurrection. Law enforcement says they nabbed the horn guy, the shield guy, the feet-on-desk guy, the two zip tie guys, the Auschwitz sweater guy, the lectern guy ... and others.

Granted ... there are literally hundreds more who didn't stick out so clearly ... so there's a lot more work to be done in the weeks and months to come as law enforcement attempts to bring all these people to justice.

TMZ broke the story ... they're investigating certain Capitol police officers and others who work at the Capitol, because there's evidence this could be an inside job. Our sources say 10 to 15 cops are under the microscope and the investigation is far along.

We've seen law enforcement in D.C. mobilized like never before -- the Capitol swarmed by thousands of National Guard members, FBI, Secret Service, Capitol Police and on and on.

What a difference a week makes ... President Trump is now very clearly asking his supporters to call off any violent plots around next week's inauguration.

His dramatic change of tune came hours after the House of Representatives voted to impeach him -- for a historic 2nd time -- for inciting the Capitol insurrection. Trump said, "I unequivocally condemn the violence that we saw last week. Violence and vandalism have absolutely no place in our country and no place in our movement."

In the video message, recorded in the Oval Office, he spoke directly to his loyal followers, saying ... "No true supporter of mine could ever endorse political violence. No true supporter of mine could ever disrespect law enforcement or our great American flag."

Of course, just one week ago he told his assembled followers in Washington D.C. to show strength to take back the country, and then directed them to march to the Capitol where Congress was voting to verify Joe Biden's Presidential victory.

In his new message, Trump referenced FBI intelligence about plans for violent protests in all 50 states on and before Inauguration Day. He said the National Guard and law enforcement will ensure the transition to Biden will happen "safely and without incident."

Trump also griped about censorship, a reference to his ban from multiple digital platforms like Twitter. He never mentioned his impeachment, but it certainly seems he's going overboard to distance himself from the Capitol violence.

He'd already released a written statement earlier in the day condemning the riots, and this was his 2nd video message doing the same.

One part of the video that might be hard to swallow was his claim that ... "Like all of you, I was shocked and deeply saddened at the calamity at the Capitol last week."

Armie Hammer is leaving a movie he was supposed to star in opposite Jennifer Lopez, and it's all over a scandal involving alleged DMs of his ... which he's now addressing.

The 'Social Network' star tells TMZ ... "I’m not responding to these b******* claims but in light of the vicious and spurious online attacks against me, I cannot in good conscience now leave my children for 4 months to shoot a film in the Dominican Republic." Armie adds, "Lionsgate is supporting me in this and I’m grateful to them for that."

The flick Armie's referring to is "Shotgun Wedding," which was supposed to start filming ASAP. A source close to the production tells us Armie's role will be recast.

As for what this is all about ... it has to do with alleged messages from his Instagram account that were leaked this past weekend, which appear to show Armie messaging women in very graphic and explicit sexual terms, while also discussing cannibalism.

We won't post any here, but there's a lot of talk about drinking blood, eating body parts, and a bunch of stuff like that. The posts -- which have NOT been confirmed as authentic -- also portray Armie as domineering, demanding these women call him "daddy" and repeatedly mentioning rape, biting and "marking" in very raunchy sex talk.

A separate exchange that was captured and posted by the person who first spread these alleged DMs appears to show she made the whole thing up, but it's hard to tell if she's talking the Armie posts, or something unrelated. Frankly, it's all speculative.

President Trump just became the first Commander-in-Chief to be impeached twice -- and what happens next may decide whether he can ever run for office again.

The U.S. House of Representatives voted Wednesday on one article of impeachment that was introduced earlier this week -- incitement of insurrection -- and the motion passed with majority ... which included a couple handfuls of Republicans.

The House needed just 217 votes for impeachment, and they greatly exceeded that number. Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger, John Katko, Fred Upton and Jaime Herrera Beutler were among the Republicans who voted to impeach.

The impeachment vote comes after Speaker Nancy Pelosi gave VP Mike Pence an ultimatum -- either remove Trump using the 25th Amendment, or we'll do it ourselves with another impeachment. Pence refused Pelosi's proposition, saying it was time to heal and move on.

As such, the House charged 45 with high crimes (again) -- and now, the Senate will have to take the matter up among themselves ... either voting to convict, or acquit. Remember, Trump was cleared of wrongdoing last time ... but it might be different now.

Fact is, several Republicans are said to be fed up with Trump at the helm of their party -- and the Capitol riot was the last straw. Some have proven to be loyal no matter what -- like Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley -- but others have denounced POTUS, publicly or privately.

Here's the deal ... if Trump is impeached and convicted by the Senate, not only would the President be removed, but he couldn't run for federal office again. Sen. Mitch McConnell says the Senate will not take up the trial until after Biden is sworn in as the 46th President.

As for how 45 feels about all this, well ... you've heard it all before. Trump's refused to take responsibility -- denying his words and actions sparked the mob he assembled to storm the Capitol, and insisting his comments beforehand were wholly "appropriate."

And, of course, he's cornered the term "witch hunt," which he's been invoking again.

Nancy Pelosi's lectern is back at the U.S. Capitol ... a week after a Florida man gleefully carried it out during a failed coup.

The House Speaker's lectern was wheeled into the building Wednesday and, as we reported, it did not suffer any damage. Still, pretty sure the lectern was or will be sanitized like hell. No word yet if the gavel was also returned.

As you know by now ... Adam Johnson is the man picked up last week on a federal warrant in Florida for his role in the Capitol riots, which, of course, included him taking the lectern. Images of the 36-year-old were plastered online and on TV during and after the insurrection. Goes without saying, it wasn't hard to ID him.

Johnson, a married man and stay-at-home father of 5, is slated to appear later this month in D.C. but already Johnson's lawyer told reporters earlier this week the case is going to be an uphill battle 'cause, ya know, there are pictures of the guy taking the lectern!

Johnson's attorneys, Dan Eckhart and David Bigney, acknowledged as much during a news conference this week outside a Tampa courthouse. Eckhart said, "You have a photograph of our client in a building, unauthorized to be there, with what appears to be a podium or a lectern."

When a reporter told Eckhart how the photo will be problematic, he said, "Yeah, I don't know how to explain that. But, that would be a problem. I'm not a magician."

Sarah Jessica Parker says the "Sex and The City" reboot isn't looking for a 4th character to replace Kim Cattrall ... instead, the show's taking advantage of all the city has to offer.

SJP says replacing Kim, who played Samantha Jones in the original series, isn't as black and white as bringing in a new main character ... telling Adam Glyn the show plans to have NYC make it a party of four.

As you know ... Kim's made it crystal clear she's not down for reboots, revivals or anything else.

The way Sarah explains it ... there will be lots of interesting and exciting new characters sprinkled in. The Big Apple's a big town, after all.

'Sex and The City' is getting revived on HBO Max, under the new title, "And Just Like That," and Sarah says they're still a ways away from shooting ... sounds like they're waiting to see what happens with the COVID-19 vaccine before getting in front of cameras.

The guy who authorities say was the one wearing a "Camp Auschwitz" hoodie during the Capitol riots has been arrested ... TMZ has confirmed

Robert Keith Packer was busted Wednesday morning in Newport News, VA and he's been charged with knowingly entering restricted grounds and disorderly conduct. He'd already drawn outrage for his hoodie, flippantly referencing the Nazi concentration camp where more than 1 million Jews were killed during World War II.

As if that wasn't disturbing enough ... the back of the hoodie also had the word "Staff" emblazoned on it. The bottom of his hoodie had the words, "Work brings freedom" ... a rough translation of "Arbeit macht frei" ... words inscribed on the concentration camp gates.

This apparently is not the first time Packer's run into trouble with the law. According to CNN, Packer's criminal history includes 3 convictions for driving under the influence and a felony conviction for forging public records.

The authorities say Parker was among hundreds who stormed the Capitol in a failed coup last week.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says she could feel death breathing down on her last week as Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, searching for lawmakers ... and you can tell she's still shaken.

AOC's revealing she had an incredibly close encounter on Jan. 6, which had her seriously feeling like she would die right then and there. The New York Congresswoman said it point-blank during an IG live session Tuesday night -- she honestly didn't know if she'd make it out of there alive that day, something she says a lot of her colleagues also experienced first-hand.

As for what exactly happened to her, AOC says she can't disclose the full details for security concerns ... but says, rest assured -- it was very traumatizing all the same.

Makes sense that she wouldn't get into the nitty-gritty -- fact is, there are said to be secret hideaways and chambers in the Capitol for emergencies like the one that took place ... and she's got a duty to keep that stuff private for future safety.

Nonetheless, AOC says she had that life flashing before her eyes experience, and it sounds as surreal as you'd imagine.

The Capitol riots seem to have resulted in Americans on both sides of the aisle agreeing on something -- not removing President Trump from office ... but rather deciding it's time to buy a gun.

TMZ's reached out to gun shops in 20 U.S. cities this week, and half of them reported a substantial increase in sales of firearms and ammunition since pro-Trump insurrectionists stormed the Capitol Building on January 6.

Among these stores receiving a sales boost, we're told the clientele has been a pretty even mix of Republicans and Democrats ... with different businesses reporting different tidbits of interesting info.

For instance ... Paulie's Pistols near New Orleans tells us its sales are up 400% this week compared to last. While it always has a steady influx of Republican customers, the shop says this week they've sold to a surprising number to Dems who purchased a firearm for the first time.

Likewise, the Hyatt Gun Shop in Charlotte says it completely sold out of ammo and rifles this week and has very little product left after a surge of both Republicans and Democrats coming in and stocking up. Hyatt tells us the Democrat customers expressed concern about the aftermath of the Capitol riots ... while GOP supporters said they're worried Joe Biden is going to try to take their guns away.

This was the story for several of the gun shops ... including Tampa and Detroit.

Other shops reporting major sales increases -- like Ray's Hardware & Sporting Goods in Dallas, and Ammo AZ in Phoenix -- tell us their customers are simply letting them know they are buying guns to "prepare for whatever is next" after the riots ... regardless of their political affiliation.

Here's a full list of the stores we contacted, and their gun sales info:

Shooters World in Tampa -- Up 100% this week compared to Christmas week. People are buying every pistol in stock, and they're running very low on AR's and shotguns.

Recoil Firearms in Detroit -- Up 50% this past week compared to the week before. They have sold out of Glocks and AR's.

Ray's Hardware & Sporting Goods in Dallas -- Up 200% this week compared to the week before. People are stocking up on handguns and AR's.

Paulie's Pistols Gun Shop near New Orleans -- Up 400% this week compared to the week before. Completely sold out of ammo. Most customers are buying handguns.

Hyatt Gun Shop in Charlotte -- Sales up 20% this week compared to the week before. Sold out of ammo and rifles, and very little product left.

Ammo AZ in Phoenix -- Up 50% this week compared to the week before. People are mostly buying AR-15's and whatever ammo they can get.

Controlled Pair Munitions in Las Vegas -- Up 50% this week compared to the week before. Sold out of ammo, customers mostly buying handguns and shotguns.

Mid America Arms in St. Louis -- Up 20% this week compared to last week, but would be higher if they hadn't run out of product. Sold out of ammo and most handguns.

Green Mountain Guns in Denver -- Getting 100 calls a day asking about gun inventory. Currently sold out of every handgun.

Guns Direct in L.A. -- Up 40% this week compared to last week. Customers buying mostly handguns.

Atlanta -- No increase

Boston -- No increase

Chicago -- No increase

Nashville -- No increase

Louisville -- No increase

New York -- No increase

Philadelphia -- No increase

Oklahoma City -- No increase

San Diego -- No increase

Baltimore -- No increase

As we've reported ... similar gun sale spikes occurred throughout 2020, especially in the wake of the civil unrest that took place early in the summer following the death of George Floyd.

Then in October, the state of Michigan saw a huge increase in gun sales amid a contentious election season, COVID-19 policy backlash and a thwarted plot to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

President Trump says he is washing his hands of all responsibility for the Capitol Hill insurrections, saying what he told the crowd pre-riot was "totally appropriate."

Trump was leaving D.C. Tuesday for Alamo, Texas to brag about the border wall, when he was asked about his responsibility for last week's uprising.

Trump not only claimed his words were appropriate, he tried to deflect by saying the "riots" in Portland and Seattle were far worse, and in those cases, the politicians who supported the protests were the incendiary ones.

So, Trump thinks saying things like January 6 is going to be "wild," was not a dog whistle. And, apparently, he thinks what he told the crowd a week ago was innocent ... things like, "You'll never take back our country with weakness, you have to show strength and you have to be strong." He went on, "if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore."

By the way ... if he thinks everyone believes he acted appropriately, he's clearly ignoring Congress because he's about to get impeached.

Senator Chuck Schumer just said Donald Trump sounds exactly like a dictator, but his words were drowned out by a crazy protester who threatened that Trumpers are going to his home and Pelosi's to take care of business.

The woman was off the rails, screaming she and her flock would descend on Pelosi's home to destroy her vineyards. She compared Schumer to Hitler, ranting as she said she fully supports the insurrectionists. She says she was "sexually excited" to see Schumer and other Democrats flee from the riot.

And, she said this ... "As long as there's outrage and unrest in our hearts, there's gonna be unrest in these streets."

Schumer wants all of the rioters placed on the no-fly list ... presumably, so many of them cannot return to D.C. for the inauguration.

As we reported, there was a meeting with members of Congress Monday night where they were told the rioters are coming back to D.C. with a vengeance ... creating a perimeter around the Capitol on Inauguration Day where they were planning on blocking and even shoot Democrats.

Even kids have an eye now for anti-mask madness 10 months into the pandemic ... so, ya gotta see this mini Dr. Fauci lay down the law as police kick an anti-masker outta Walmart.

Our little hero here hails from North Carolina, where he kept his camera rolling and his mouth running as the anti-masker set a bad example in front of some masked up families at the register.

The little guy says he's just trying to play his video games in peace as the anti-masker argues with his parents, telling the man to shut his trap during a rant about not needing a mask.

The anti-masker claims he doesn't need a face-covering because his sheriff allegedly says so ... and the tense situation ends up with police coming, and telling the guy he's wrong as they show him the door.

It's a pretty intense standoff, complete with claims of reverse racism ... and the kid gives some sage advice, "don't be a jerk all the time, okay?"

Somebody etched the word "TRUMP" into the back of a manatee ... and now, the feds are looking for the culprit.

Word of the manatee spread this week after a video surfaced showing the creature swimming in the waters of Florida's Homosassa River. Sure enough, somebody had scraped T-R-U-M-P into the algae growing on its skin.

Wildlife officials say the manatee doesn't appear to have been harmed, but that doesn't mean people aren't pissed. Manatees are a protected species in the area, and it's against the law to harass them ... punishable up to a year in prison and a $50,000 fine.

Now, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is heading up an investigation into the matter, soliciting any info that might lead to whoever did this ... with a $5,000 reward being offered as well by the Center for Biological Diversity.

The Center's director, Jaclyn Lopez, says it's sickening that somebody would do this to a helpless creature of the sea, adding ... the person is "capable of doing grave violence and needs to be apprehended immediately."

Two Capitol Police officers are being temporarily relieved of duty after they were caught getting super chummy with rioters who stormed the building.

Rep. Tim Ryan made the announcement Monday, saying at least 2 cops who were on duty last Wednesday have been suspended for actions documented during the siege. Of the 2 -- who have yet to be identified -- one was apparently wearing a MAGA hat and directing insurrectionists on Capitol grounds ... the other took selfies with these folks.

The latter appears to have been captured on video ... a viral clip from that day has surfaced, and it shows a Capitol officer in a yellow vest and a black cap pausing to pose for a photo with one of the insurrectionists.

During a presser Monday, Rep. Ryan reportedly said Capitol Police are looking at everybody at this point ... including men and women in their own ranks.

As we first reported, the FBI believes there are signs of an inside job, and is investigating whether Capitol PD officers or civilian employees in the Capitol aided the rioters in any way.

TMZ also broke the story ... there could've been 4 times as many cops on hand Wednesday, and there probably should've been, considering the looming threats of violence ahead of the siege.

NASCAR's Hailie Deegan -- a 19-year-old female driver who's a rising superstar in the sport -- was forced to apologize Sunday night after she used the r-word during a virtual race earlier in the day.

Deegan -- who's scheduled to drive full-time in NASCAR's Truck Series in 2021 -- was streaming on Twitch when another driver appeared to nudge her virtual car during the video game race.

"Oh! Hey!" Deegan said during the clip. "Who’s the r***** behind me?! Don’t do that, please."

Video of Deegan's comment quickly went viral -- with critics slamming her for using the offensive word ... and a short time later, the driver issued a lengthy apology on her social media page.

"Earlier tonight I used an insensitive word during an online race being broadcast on twitch," Deegan said. "It was inappropriate slang and a stupid thing to do. I apologize to everyone who was offended by it."

Deegan added, "There's no excuse for it, and I know I have to do better for my sponsors and my fans."

This is not the first time a NASCAR driver has found themselves in hot water over a virtual race ... remember, Kyle Larson used the n-word during a streaming event last April.

Larson was fired by his old team, Chip Ganassi Racing; dropped by major sponsors and suspended by NASCAR over it all. The 28-year-old was ultimately reinstated after hitting a ton of stipulations set on him by NASCAR officials, but he's still essentially on probation until 2023.

Unclear if Deegan will face a similar punishment over her use of the r-word. We've reached out to NASCAR for comment, but so far, no word back yet.

Deegan -- a Ford Racing Development driver who's the daughter of motocross legend, Brian Deegan -- was the ARCA Rookie of the Year in 2020 and has potential to be a massive star in the sport going forward.