Politics

Donald Trump's relationship with the late Jeffrey Epstein has been under a microscope lately over the Epstein files ... and TMZ has now unearthed a fascinating video of the two men watching a boxing match at the Trump Taj Mahal almost 3 decades ago.

Check out the footage ... which doesn't show anything untoward, but it's still super interesting seeing Trump and Epstein sitting near each other close to the ring where George Foreman is duking it out with Shannon Briggs at the casino-hotel in November 1997.

During the heavyweight championship fight, Trump is seen yapping with everyone seated around him, including Epstein -- who, at one point, appears to be chuckling at something the future 47th president said.

Theo Von seems disillusioned with the American government right now ... arguing it feels like politicians aren't serving the people like they should be, while giving a few thoughts on the Gaza War and the Epstein files controversy.

We caught up with the comedian at LAX Thursday ... and, we asked him about what he would ask President Donald Trump if the Commander-in-Chief came back on his podcast "This Past Weekend."

Remember ... Trump went on his podcast for a chat back in August, before the election, where he dove into a whole bunch of different topics -- including a discussion about cocaine.

A U.S. Army veteran says he was snatched up, manhandled, and tossed in a cell for days in an immigration raid in California -- despite being a U.S. citizen.

George Retes, a 25-year-old security guard at a cannabis farm, told "TMZ Live" Thursday he was trying to get to work last week when ICE agents surrounded his car during a protest in Camarillo, northwest of L.A., last week ... shouting conflicting commands at him before smashing in his driver’s side window and dragging him out.

Catch the full clip ... 'cause George details the tense chain of events that followed, saying it all happened so quickly, he didn’t even get a chance to show my ID or explain he was a U.S. citizen -- and a former member of the military.

President Donald Trump has been diagnosed with a vein disorder ... the White House revealed Thursday.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt spoke to the press corps from the White House Briefing Room today ... and, she announced the president has chronic venous insufficiency -- a condition where blood in the legs struggles to circulate throughout the rest of the body.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, CVI can lead to blood pooling in the legs ... causing high pressure in those veins. The clinic says about 1 in 20 adults is affected  -- mostly adults over the age of 50. Trump turned 79 last month.

Congressman Tim Burchett says he thinks the country needs a special prosecutor to step in and handle the Jeffrey Epstein files ... 'cause we need to balance public information with protecting victims.

We spoke with the representative from Tennessee on "TMZ Live" about Donald Trump's reaction to people demanding the release of the Epstein files ... and, Burchett says he doesn't understand why the prez is being so cagey.

Like several conservatives we've spoken to, Congressman Burchett makes it clear questions about Epstein aren't going away ... and, there needs to be some kind of compromise here to release at least some of the information to the public.

Michael Knowles says the controversy regarding Jeffrey Epstein had a "client list" or not won't break the MAGA movement ... but, he admits it might be the biggest challenge the coalition's ever faced.

The Daily Wire host appeared on "TMZ Live" Wednesday to discuss Donald Trump's recent Truth Social post where he told people he doesn't want the support of people who are doing the work of the "Lunatic Left" by focusing on Epstein.

Knowles says people in the MAGA movement want justice ... either in the criminal justice system or through political consequences if it comes out that our government or foreign countries played a part in assisting Epstein's abuse.

9:58 AM PT -- President Trump doubled down on his claim that the Epstein files are a hoax while he spoke to the media in the Oval Office ... claiming that anyone who believes in the hoax has been duped by Democrats.

Donald Trump is trying to be done with the Jeffrey Epstein firestorm, and he's making it crystal clear -- if you believe in some secret Epstein "client list," he doesn’t want your support!

In a heated Truth Social rant Wednesday morning, Trump called the Epstein Files a hoax cooked up by the "Radical Left" and Fake News -- insisting there's no secret list of bombshell names -- and he's calling out his own supporters for swallowing what he calls total "bullsh*t, hook, line, and sinker."

He lumped the rumors about Epstein -- the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender accused of sex trafficking underage victims who died in jail awaiting trial -- in with every scam and hoax he’s railed against before at the hands of Democrats ... painting it all as one big smear campaign to take him down.

Barack and Michelle Obama are laughing off those wild divorce rumors -- turns out the only thing splitting is their sides from all the ridiculous gossip!

The former Prez popped up on Michelle’s podcast, 'IMO' ... and if you didn’t already know they are peak couple goals, the real gem came when her brother and cohost Craig Robinson joked, "Wait, you two actually like each other?!"

It’s a hilarious watch -- Michelle playfully sighs at the rumor mill, while Barack jokes, "She took me back" ... before adding with a grin their relationship was "touch and go for a while."

Rosie O'Donnell is continuing her seemingly never-ending feud with President Trump ... saying she wasn't shocked one bit about his threat to revoke her U.S. citizenship after enduring decades of abuse from him.

The comedian jumped on TikTok Tuesday and went on a video diatribe from her home in Dublin, Ireland, where she says she moved with her 12-year-old non-binary child for their safety after Trump won the 2024 presidential election.

During her 10-minute rant, Rosie responded directly to Trump's recent comments about possibly revoking her American citizenship, calling his threat "absurd" while describing the prez as the "tangerine Mussolini.”

The man accused of murdering a Minnesota politician and seriously injuring another left a handwritten letter to FBI director Kash Patel, confessing to the shootings and claiming Minnesota governor Tim Walz approached him about killing 2 U.S. Senators ... at least according to federal prosecutors.

Vance Boelter was indicted Tuesday by a federal grand jury in Minnesota on murder and stalking charges in the killing of State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman.

Acting United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota Joseph Thompson said the incident was a "political assassination, the likes of which have never occurred here in the state of Minnesota."

D.L. Hughley says President Trump's attempt to downplay the Jeffrey Epstein controversy seems to implicate Trump ... and he's calling for the Epstein files to be released so folks can see who was hanging out with the pedophile.

The comedian joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live" and ripped into Trump for even associating with Epstein back in the day ... and he says if Trump has nothing to hide, it should be a no-brainer to release the files.

Trump promised to release the files if he was elected to a second term ... but earlier this month the DOJ and FBI sent out a memo saying there was no "little black book," that Epstein killed himself in jail, and that no one else in the case would be prosecuted.

There's been a huge outcry over the feds' bombshell announcement about the alleged Jeffrey Epstein "files" last week ... and now Kevin Spacey has joined the chorus of the outraged public demanding answers.

The Department of Justice and the FBI announced there's no evidence Epstein kept a “client list,” or was murdered in his jail cell -- a shocking revelation to some who immediately called BS.

Many big names have cried foul -- and even speculated something is being hidden at the top levels of government ... and the two-time Oscar winner joined their fold Tuesday.

Gavin Newsom has made it clear he cannot stand President Trump -- DT hates him back just as much, of course -- but the California governor just took his disdain for 47 to a whole new level.

Newsom was a recent guest on the "Shawn Ryan Show" podcast ... and he laid into the "son of a b*tch" Trump for calling in the military to crack down on L.A. after some protests against ICE raids turned destructive ... the direct result of the president's huge push for mass immigrant deportations.

When Newsom called in the California National Guard to help with the devastating wildfires that tore through SoCal in January, they were celebrated by locals as heroes. But Newsom tells Shawn ... they're now feared -- forced to hide their faces and torment communities.

Donald Trump watched two soccer teams fight, fight, fight for a championship ... one year after he jumped up and shouted those words to a crowd after he was shot.

The President of the United States was at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey Sunday on the one-year anniversary of the shooting in Butler, PA that nearly claimed his life ... waving to the crowd who were on-hand to watch the FIFA Club World Cup.

Check out the pics ... there's President Trump in a dark blue suit with a red tie, stoically watching the action between Chelsea FC -- a London-based club -- and Paris Saint-Germain F.C.

Ellen DeGeneres is standing by Rosie O'Donnell following a post from President Donald Trump, who suggested revoking Rosie’s U.S. citizenship.

On Sunday, DeGeneres took to Instagram to stand behind O'Donnell, writing, "Good for you @rosie," in response to Rosie’s sharp rebuttal of Trump’s message.

The controversy first erupted Saturday when the former president took to his Truth Social platform, claiming he was "seriously considering" removing O’Donnell’s citizenship. "She is a Threat to Humanity," he wrote, "and should remain in the wonderful Country of Ireland, if they want her."

JD Vance needs a bottle of rum and a heading, stat ... 'cause he and his family enjoyed a meal inside the "Pirates of the Caribbean" ride at Disneyland Saturday.

The vice president hit the Blue Bayou Restaurant at The Happiest Place on Earth around 11:30 AM ... sitting with his wife, Usha, their children and what looks like Usha's parents.

Check out the pics ... like we said, it's the morning on the West Coast in the photos -- but, it looks like night because the restaurant is located inside the attraction, right next to where people get on and off the boat.