Booker T On WWE, UFC Merger ... 'Going To Be Good For Everybody'

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GOOD FOR BUSINESS

Booker T thinks WWE joining forces with UFC's parent company will pay enormous dividends for both sides -- telling TMZ Sports, "It's going to be good for everybody."

We spoke with Booker -- a commentator on WrestleMania 39's kickoff show this past weekend -- at LAX fresh off Endeavor and WWE merging to create a new, publicly traded company valued at $21.4 billion ... and asked him if he could see any crossover happening with the superstars between the two respective sports entertainment brands.

"Of course," Booker said. "I think the UFC always needed a little more entertainment in their life. I think WWE will definitely add to that flavor. It's going to be good for everybody."

"UFC fans already gravitate to WWE. Daniel Cormier was at the NXT show a couple [of] days ago. Those guys and WWE, they go together. Great tag team."

As we previously reported, Vince McMahon sold WWE -- the business he purchased from his father in 1982 -- to Endeavor ... after serving as the chairman and CEO of the sports entertainment conglomerate for over 40 years.

McMahon will now serve as the executive chairman of the board with Endeavor. Meanwhile, Dana White will continue in his current role as UFC President, with Ari Emanuel as the new group's CEO.

Booker told us UFC legends like Tito Ortiz and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, with their larger-than-life personalities, gave UFC the flare it needed ... adding he could see guys Colby Covington and Conor McGregor crossing over to the WWE.

"You look at a guy like Colby Covington, who's very controversial and chaotic. I think he'll fit in perfectly," the WWE Hall of Famer said.

The five-time World Heavyweight Champion says athletes like Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle are anomalies ... but he's predicting that with the new joint deal in place, we'll see some guys from UFC working with the WWE.

"It's going to be a few of them that's going to get over there."

Chris Pratt Voice as Mario is Perfectly Fine ... Consensus on Twitter, Etc.

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Chris Pratt took a lot of crap when he was announced as the voice of Mario for the new 'Super Mario Bros.' flick -- but now that the product is out ... the consensus is, he's aight.

The critics/amateur critics have sounded off on Twitter these past few days, weighing in on whether CP did the iconic video game character justice in the first animated feature-length film -- and from the looks of it, sounds like most everyone thinks he did a decent job.

Specifically, the term that keeps getting thrown around for his voice work is ... "fine."

As Polygon put it, Chris is "Aggressively Fine" as Mario ... and it would appear others feel the same. In other words, it ain't a groundbreaking performance ... nor does it move the needle in voice acting. But, the guy got the job done -- and wasn't distracting doing it.

If you're wondering what exactly he sounds like -- which has mostly been kept under wraps -- well, you can just go see it ... or look for snippets on Twitter. In either case, you'll see that Chris used a mash-up of accents ... mostly honing in on an Italian-American one that you might hear in Brooklyn. Throughout the film, he also slips into classic cartoonish Mario-isms.

While Chris might've been serviceable, the movie itself has gotten pretty awful reviews -- with some calling it soulless. Others, meanwhile, say it's a hoot ... especially for the kids.

Of course, all that matters to the studio heads are those box office numbers ... and so far, 'SMBM' is on its way to a stellar start. It's already on pace to hit $195 mil domestically through Sunday.

Wahoo!

Elon Musk Tweaks NPR's 'State Media' Status ... As Org Boycotts Twitter

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1:03 PM PT -- NPR reporter Bobby Allyn says Twitter is removing the state-media label from NPR's account and instead adding "Government-Funded" ... which now reflects on the platform.

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EM apparently told Allyn that Twitter will do this for other outlets as well in the near future.

Elon Musk appears to be flip-flopping on whether Twitter considers NPR to be state-run media -- although it's unclear if he's gonna take that label off their account.

The Twit-in-Chief was directly asked about this by an NPR reporter this week ... and when he was shown the hard numbers on where NPR gets its funding -- with only 1% of it coming from the U.S. government, and a majority of it coming from donors -- he relented a bit.

According to the journo -- citing an email exchange he says he was having with Musk personally -- EM apparently didn't understand the difference between public media and state-sanctioned media ... and replied, "Well, then we should fix it" as it pertains to NPR's status.

Musk then supposedly asked for the breakdown of their finances, which the reporter says was provided to him ... to which Musk then apparently responded, "The operating principle at new Twitter is simply fair and equal treatment, so if we label non-US accounts as govt, then we should do the same for US, but it sounds like that might not be accurate here."

Earlier in the day, Musk said NPR's new state-affiliated media label --  which Twitter has yet to remove -- seemed "accurate." But now, based on this new reporting, it sounds like he's not sure. Musk reportedly told this reporter Twitter would mull over a final decision.

Of course, NPR is not state-controlled media -- unlike the ones in North Korea, China and Russia ... it's a nonprofit news org that operates independently and has provided accurate reporting for years. In light of Twitter's designation, NPR has stopped tweeting altogether.

Originally Published -- 11:29 AM PT

Harvey Weinstein Flew First Class To New Prison ... D.A. Foots the Bill

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Harvey Weinstein took a trip from L.A. to New York after his conviction on the West Coast ... and he was flown out in first class on the D.A.'s dime.

Sources connected to the case tell TMZ ... Weinstein flew on a commercial airline Wednesday ... with investigators and medical personnel aboard. We're told he was seated in first, and the L.A. County D.A. is picking up the tab.

The D.A.'s Office tells us, "[Weinstein] was returned to New York via a method we typically use pursuant to our extradition agreement with New York."

For context -- the NY Department of Corrections and Community Supervision tells us he's been assigned to the Mohawk Correctional Facility to continue serving his sentence. He was originally at Wende Correctional, but after a review of his treatment needs, they made the switch.

According to its website, Mohawk specializes in sex offender treatment ... among other things.

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FACING THE JUDGE

As for having medical personnel on his flight, HW’s rep Juda Engelmayer tells us he received treatment prior to getting on the flight for medical issues he's had over the years.

You'll recall, Weinstein was sentenced to 16 years in February in his L.A. sexual assault case -- on top of his previous 23-year sentence for a rape conviction out of New York.

Celeb Realtor Kurt Rappaport Ex-Cali Residents Coming Back ... Due to Political Chaos in Southern States

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The thousands of Californians who've fled to Tennessee, Florida and Texas are having second thoughts ... and many are, as they say, going back to Cali ... so says L.A. real estate mogul Kurt Rappaport.

Kurt joined us Friday on "TMZ Live" to fill us in on the slow reversal of the west coast exodus -- spurred by things like the loss of abortion rights, the "don't say gay" bill, drag show bans and the reheated battle over gun laws.

The celebrity realtor says most who left pointed to rising taxes and cost of living in CA, but now political moves in their new home states are creating deep regrets.

The school shooting in Nashville sparked protests in Tennessee's state capitol, leading to Thursday's astounding expulsion of 2 state legislators -- a move many see as a death knell for democracy.

Kurt admits the Golden State has its issues -- the high taxes are no joke -- but he adds, it's also a big melting pot of cultures, ideas, ethnicities and opinions ... which you won't find in some parts of the country.

Bottom line ... he says some former Californians are realizing money isn't the only thing to consider when choosing where to put down roots.

Caitlyn Jenner Rips Nike Over Mulvaney Deal ... 'This Is An Outrage!!!'

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Caitlyn Jenner is furious with Nike over its new endorsement deal with Dylan Mulvaney ... saying the sneaker giant is going "so woke" by throwing money at the trans influencer, but not Olympic hero Allyson Felix.

The former decathlete weighed in on the social media star's partnership with the Swoosh on Thursday ... and her issue isn't with Mulvaney -- she actually commends Dylan for securing the bag.

Instead, Jenner is pissed at the move because Felix -- a seven-time Olympic gold medalist -- claimed Nike offered her a 70% pay cut and denied her requests for maternity protections after she got pregnant in 2017. She let her contract expire, and she went on to sign with Athleta.

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Jenner is using Felix's experience to get her take across ... saying, "As someone that grew up in awe of what Phil Knight did, it is a shame to see such an iconic American company go so woke!"

"We can be inclusive but not at the expense of the mass majority of people, and have some decency while being inclusive. This is an outrage."

It's worth noting -- it's unclear how much Mulvaney is making from the deal ... but as someone who has close to two million followers on Instagram alone, you can assume she got a solid chunk of change.

Jenner isn't the only Olympian fuming over Mulvaney's deal -- silver medalist Sharron Davies called for folks to boycott Nike ... labeling it "a kick in the teeth" to women.

Mulvaney's business moves have been at the center of debate lately -- her Bud Light partnership even had Kid Rock shooting beer cans out of frustration.

William H. Macy Neighbor Files Massive, $600k Lawsuit ... You Slaughtered My Trees and Now I'm a Wreck!!!

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William H. Macy has rocked his neighbor's world by massacring his trees ... so much so he's suffering great emotional distress and now the neighbor wants more than half a mil to make things right.

Pierce Brown lives next door to Macy, and while Pierce was on vacay, people who were working on Macy's property butchered trees that were squarely on Brown's land ... this according to a lawsuit filed by Brown.

Mr. Brown says the damage was devastating ... not only has it obliterated his privacy, presumably turning his house into a duck on a platter for all to see, but he says it's compromised the hillside ... a huge problem for folks who live in the hills of Hollywood.

Brown says after he got over the shock, he went and spoke with Macy, who acknowledge the misdeeds of his workers.

As for why Mr. Brown is suing Macy for $600k ... let us count the ways -- damage to the trees, loss of privacy, destabilization of the hillside, loss of property value, loss of use and enjoyment of the property and an increase in noise. But wait, there's more -- emotional distress, irritation, annoyance and discomfort.

Kylie Jenner I'm A Barbie Girl ... Pink Bikini In Pool 🔥🔥🔥

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Kylie Jenner is supporting Kim Kardashian's super successful swimwear line ... by taking some sexy pics in a pink bikini in her private pool.

The billionaire showed off all her assets in a bright pink SKIMS offering ... even hopping up on the pool deck to accentuate her butt.

Kylie's got six different poses here ... all dripping with sex appeal, just like her dripping wet hair. She even matched her nail color to her bikini. Cute!!!

It's been heating up in Los Angeles this week, and Kylie's definitely taking full advantage here ... as she should.

Remember ... Kim was at the beach on a chilly day last week for a photo shoot in a pink bikini, keeping warm in a robe when the camera wasn't snapping pics.

One thing's for sure ... Kylie and Kim know how to command attention.

Mötley Crüe Mick Mars Sues the Band ... You Kicked Me Out, But Where's My Cut?!?

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1:20 PM PT -- Attorney for the band, Sasha Frid, tells TMZ, “Mick’s lawsuit is unfortunate and completely off-base. In 2008, Mick voted for and signed an agreement in which he and every other band member agreed that “in no event shall any resigning shareholder be entitled to receive any monies attributable to live performances (i.e., tours).”

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Frid says Mick resigned from the band after the tour, yet the band still, "offered Mick a generous compensation package to honor his career with the band. Manipulated by his manager and lawyer, Mick refused and chose to file this ugly public lawsuit."

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Frid also defends the band's performances, saying the group always plays live -- yet accuses Mick of struggling to remember chords.

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Finally, Frid says, "Unfortunately, Mick chose to file this lawsuit to badmouth the band. The band feels empathy for Mick, wishes him well and hopes that he can get better guidance from his advisors who are driven by greed.”

Mötley Crüe co-founder Mick Mars IS going away mad ... as they're in the middle of a farewell tour, without Mick, he's suing his ex-band -- claiming they kicked him out and ripped him off, financially.

The band's lead guitarist announced last fall he wouldn't be joining the Crüe on the road, because he's suffering from a debilitating arthritic disease called ankylosing spondylitis -- but in his lawsuit he says he made it clear he could still record with the band or do limited performances ... he just couldn't handle a full tour with his condition.

According to docs, obtained by TMZ, Mick says the band cut his percentage of profits from 25 percent to 5 percent ... after he announced he was stepping back from touring. Furthermore, he claims the band's lawyers made him feel like he should be grateful for even that small cut, because they didn't feel they owed him anything at all.

Mick claims there was a full band meeting and they decided to "unilaterally" remove him from Mötley Crüe.

Some of this is definitely personal for Mick. In the suit -- filed by his attorney Ed McPherson -- Mick repeatedly accused bassist Nikki Sixx of "gaslighting" him about his guitar skills diminishing.

Mick says that's rich coming from Nikki, because he claims Nikki didn't "play a single note on bass" during a recent tour -- and instead, Nikki's parts were pre-recorded.

Mick is suing Mötley Crüe to hand over all the financial books, so he can see if he's getting screwed out of what he feels he deserves.

Tyreek Hill I'm Retiring After MIA Contract Ends ... Pursuing Gaming Career

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Tyreek Hill is one of the best receivers in the world, in the prime of his career, but the Dolphins star is plotting an exit strategy from the NFL, saying he'll walk away in a few years to pursue a career in gaming.

Hill appeared on "Totally Offensive" with Anthony Sherman and Gehrig Dieter ... where he talked about life after he hangs up his pads.

“I’m gonna finish out this contract with the Dolphins, and then I’m gonna call it quits," Hill said. "I want to go into the business side. I want to do so many things in my life, bro."

Hill -- a 5x All-Pro in his 7 NFL seasons -- says he wants to play for at least ten years and even has an interest in coaching ... but ultimately wants to pursue non-football-related endeavors.

“So I really want to get into like the gaming space," Hill said. "I really want to get huge in that, and that’s kind of what I’m doing right now. I’m using my platform, creating a gaming team, which isn’t launched yet."

"It should launch by the end of this month (Soul Runner Gaming). I’m going to just sign like different content creators, [and] different athletes. I [have] just been working that, talking to different sponsors.”

The Super Bowl champ signed a four-year, $120 million contract extension with the Dolphins in 2022 ... making him the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL.

Hill's contract goes through the 2026 season ... and then Cheetah's out ✌

John Leguizamo Doubles Down on 'Super Mario' Movie Boycott

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John Leguizamo is again crying foul over "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" -- complaining about the lack of diversity in the cast.

The actor was in NYC Wednesday -- the same day the new animated film hit theaters -- and we got him to sound off on whether he'd changed his opinion from last year ... namely, whether he'd be watching the new adaptation of everyone's favorite video game character.

As it turns out, John hasn't budged on his original position ... dude's definitely not catching it, and he's still pissed there weren't any Latinos to be cast.

In between photos he was taking with fans on the street, John reiterated what he's been going on about since the fall ... basically, he feels like Nintendo and the studio heads behind 'SMBM' took a step backward by getting Chris Pratt and Charlie Day as Mario/Luigi -- neither of whom technically have Italian roots ... unlike their made-up characters.

You'll recall ... Bob Hoskins and John played the roles, respectively, in the live-action version.

JL says he wanted to see a Hispanic actor in the lineup again, and is sour that nobody from Latin America got a shot. It's unclear if John is advocating for true/accurate casting -- for which there's been a big push -- or if he just wants to see more Latin representation.

If he's pushing for the former, then his POV doesn't make sense ... seeing how he himself isn't of Italian descent either. In any case, John ain't going down the tube this time.

'RHOSLC' Jen Shah Doing 'Housewives' Play with Inmates ... Lights, Camera, Prison!

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Jen Shah isn't lettin' prison bars keep her out of showbiz -- she's developing a stage play similar to her 'Housewives' Bravo series, and some of her fellow inmates are all-in too!

Yeah, if you were wondering what the 'RHOSLC' star's been up to at the Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, TX -- Jen's manager, Chris Giovanni, tells us she's working on a production aptly titled "The Real Housewives of Bryan."

Chris says it's still in the early phases, as Jen's taking time to teach some of her crew how to read and write. Regardless, we're told the script revolves around the real-life housewives residing at FPC Bryan ... but the personalities are cranked up to 11.

Aside from her directorial debut, Jen's been making strong friendships ... even mentoring other ladies and keeping them encouraged during their sentences. Chris says she's been working in the prison's educational department and the library since going in almost two months ago.

We're told she's lost about 15 pounds, and has been working out daily -- she's also not eating much. Shocker, she doesn't find the food all that good.

Chris adds ... Jen hasn't lost touch with her faith. It's currently Ramadan and Jen and about five other ladies in her unit are fasting and praying daily.

TMZ broke the story ... Jen surrendered herself to FPC Bryan in February to begin serving her 6.5-year sentence (which has reportedly been reduced by a year according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ inmate database) after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

We doubt she can get Andy Cohen to host, but Jen's reunion episode of 'RHOB' should be juicy -- especially with prison rules applying!

Chipotle Sues Sweetgreen Over Burrito Bowl ... Stop Using Our Name!!!

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2:42 PM PT -- 4/6 -- A rep for Sweetgreen confirms to TMZ that they've changed the name of their bowl. The rep says, "I can confirm that in order to focus on the business and continue serving our guests without distraction, we have decided to rename our bowl to the Chicken + Chipotle Pepper Bowl as part of a tentative agreement to resolve the lawsuit. Our mission is to bring customers healthy, elevated and craveable menu items that make you feel good. We are looking forward to putting this lawsuit behind us as we continue to connect more people to real food."

Chipotle is beefing in court with a fast-casual food nemesis ... suing Sweetgreen over the competitor's latest offering -- the "Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl."

According to a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Chipotle claims Sweetgreen just came out with the menu item last week, and it takes issue with Sweetgreen using the word "chipotle."

Chipotle claims Sweetgreen is trying to profit off its brand name and even claims the restaurant is trying to confuse or deceive customers.

In the suit, Chipotle claims Sweetgreen is marketing the "Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl" with ads featuring colors and styles that are nearly identical to Chipotle's trademarks.

Chipotle is accusing Sweetgreen of trying to trade off Chipotle's goodwill ... claiming comments on a social media post announcing the new bowl show folks clearly understanding "the association Sweetgreen is trying to draw between its product, Chipotle's products, and the famous CHIPOTLE brand."

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After Sweetgreen started its ad blitz, Chipotle claims it reached out to its competitor with a request to re-name the item or use the word "chipotle" a different way ... but Chipotle says Sweetgreen didn't respond.

Chipotle is suing for money, and it wants Sweetgreen to stop using its "CHIPOTLE" trademark in promotions.

A rep for Sweetgreen tells TMZ ...  "We are aware of the lawsuit Chipotle Mexican Grill has filed over the name of our new bowl. However, we do not comment on pending litigation." However, the rep does say the company responded to a cease and desist sent from Chipotle, but Chipotle had already filed the lawsuit.

Originally Published -- 4/5 9:55 AM PT

Kim Kardashian Insane Car Collection At Hidden Hills Home ... Over $2M in Rides!!!

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It's no secret Kim Kardashian has a crazy-expensive collection of cars, but to see them all in one shot is a pretty insane visual ... given their price tags totaling a couple million dollars.

Check out the fleet -- Kim's got her Hidden Hills driveway lined with 8 beautiful whips, including 2 versions of the Range Rover Autobiography and a 2022 Rolls-Royce Ghost.

She's also got a 2023 Cadillac Escalade, a 2022 Maybach, and a 2022 Lamborghini Urus Mansory. Altogether, her rides are worth at least an estimated $2.1 mil. And if ya couldn't tell, grey is KK's color of choice when it comes to what she rolls around in.

Looks like she's also getting some landscape work done while she travels -- with some machines moving dirt around the front of her property.

Of course, Kim's 4 kids aren't yet driving age, but she's already got enough hand-me-downs to fit each kid with a vehicle x2!!!

Stormy Daniels Gets Record-Breaking Trump Bump On Adult Video Site

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Donald Trump might have had his worst day ever ... but Stormy Daniels had her best day on a popular pornography website.

The good folks over at Pornhub tell TMZ ... Donald's arrest has been a boom for Stormy's adult videos, with searches for her pornos spiking while Trump was getting booked.

We're told Pornhub users searched "Stormy" more than 650,000 times Tuesday ... it's a staggering figure on its own, but when it's compared to her daily search average over the first three months of the year, it works out to a whopping 32,400% increase.

Seems like there's a lot of interest out there as to why Trump allegedly had an affair with her.

Diving deeper into the numbers ... by 1:00 PM ET, as folks were waiting for Trump's motorcade to arrive at Manhattan Criminal Court, Pornhub says "Stormy" searches were six times their normal level ... which usually isn't peak horny hours.

Trump flew back to Mar-a-Lago on his private jet after his first day in court ... but some folks still have "jail" and "prison" on the brain ... Pornhub says searches with those two keywords this week are more popular than normal.

Trump's accused of paying Stormy $130,000 to shut up about the alleged affair. As for how much Stormy is making off the recent spike in her videos ... Pornhub is mum.

Take that to the spank bank.

Donald Trump Rips NYC Judge, D.A. After Arrest ... Screw Gag Order Warning!!!

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The judge warned Donald Trump if he continued attacking individuals and institutions a gag order might be in order ... well Tuesday night, Trump gave that judge the middle finger.

The former President reacted to his historic indictment with a vengeful speech at Mar-a-Lago ... railing on not only the lead prosecutor, Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg, but also the judge who fired off the gag order warning.

Trump took shots at Bragg throughout his address ... calling on Bragg to resign and accusing Bragg of leaking grand jury info. Trump says it's Bragg who should be facing prosecution, not him, and he says the indictment is light on specifics and Bragg has absolutely no case.

As for the judge, Juan Merchan, well, Trump went after him too ... and the judge's family ... something Trump's son did earlier on social media.

Trump called out Merchan as a "Trump-hating judge" who has it out for him ... and he blasted the judge's wife and fam, even going after the judge's daughter for working with the Kamala Harris campaign.

The evening's tone was set from the moment Trump arrived in the room ... walking out to "Rebel Rebel." He shook hands with supporters as he approached the dais, then started venting.

Outside Mar-a-Lago, throngs of Trump fans lined the streets ... waving flags and showing him love. Inside, his fans booed and cheered, depending on the subject.

When Trump wasn't going nuclear on the judge or prosecution, he was patting himself on the back for his time in office and, naturally, dragging Joe Biden.

As you know ... Trump was in New York City earlier Tuesday, showing up at a Manhattan courthouse to turn himself in to the NYPD. He was fingerprinted and ultimately pled not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

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TRUMP HAS LEFT THE BUILDING

After he was done in court, Trump left in his motorcade for the airport ... hopping in his private jet and flying back down to Florida.

It will be interesting to see how the judge reacts to Trump's speech ... stay tuned.