Politics

Donald Trump might be getting ready to break out the pardon pen again ... and one name that's apparently still floating around behind closed doors is Sean "Diddy" Combs.

Trump was expected to huddle with advisers Friday over a new batch of pardons ... and CBS News reports Diddy remains one of several high-profile names POTUS has been privately considering.

One source told CBS ... Diddy is not expected to be among the formal recommendations from the White House pardon team ... though a White House official noted, "President Trump is the ultimate decider on any clemency related actions."

Mitch McConnell is still kicking ... and despite a wave of online rumors claiming he's kicked the bucket, the longtime Kentucky Senator's team says he's continuing to get better during his recent hospitalization.

A spokesperson for McConnell tells TMZ ... "Senator McConnell appreciates the outpouring of support he's receiving while he continues his recovery in the hospital. The Senator continues to improve, and is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while the Senate is out of session."

The update comes after days of rampant social media speculation falsely claiming the 84-year-old Republican had died ... rumors that spread after TMZ reported new details surrounding the medical emergency that landed him in the hospital last month.

Break a leg, Freedom 250 performers ... but keep an eye on the sky, too -- because it seems the stage is already coming apart.

Video is now circulating online that shows a dance troupe spinning around the stage while singers belt out a jazzy tune from back in the day ... and then a piece of the stage comes crashing down from above.

The falling panel nearly lands on top of a couple of dancers, who only barely move out of the way in the nick time.

How's this for patriotism ahead of the big 250th birthday ... a HOA in a San Diego area neighborhood is warning homeowners to remove their American flags or get dinged with fees ... but two households are holding firm.

Chris and Amy Cook, and Terri Collins are the California homeowners who are fighting back against their HOA's flag ban ... and they joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday and told us why they won't take the stars and stripes down.

It's truly incredible ... the HOA's position is the American flag represents "a political or affiliative view which degrades the common area" ... and the homeowners tell us it's baffling.

David Hearn is blasting the grand jury indictment that led to a felony charge against him after his Reflecting Pool arrest ... he says he's innocent and "these charges are outrageous and should be alarming to every American."

The former Olympian's legal team tells TMZ ... "This indictment reflects the Administration’s effort to shift blame for their own failures. On the eve of our nation's Independence Day, Americans should be deeply concerned by the misuse of government power against an ordinary citizen based on a concocted narrative. The justice system exists to determine facts, not to provide political cover."

As we reported ... Hearn was indicted by a grand jury on a felony charge of destruction of federal property worth $1,000 or more.

The case is being prosecuted by Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia ... she's adamant Hearn defiled the monument when he allegedly ripped a piece of liner out of the Pool.

Hearn was arrested for the alleged vandalization a couple weeks ago. The 67-year-old was held at the Park Police facility for about five hours before he was released that same day.

Since then, the Olympian has held his stance he did not destroy, break, or peel off any portion of the Reflecting Pool.

David Hearn, the former Olympic canoeist who was arrested for reaching into the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool a couple weeks ago, has been indicted by a grand jury on a felony charge.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Hearn was charged with a felony -- destruction of federal property worth $1,000 or more.

The case is being prosecuted by Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia ... she is adamant Hearn defiled the monument when he allegedly ripped a piece of liner out of the Pool.

A bench warrant was also issued ... with no bond.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce aren't exempt from Mayor Zohran Mamdani's 78-degree suggestion ... though they'll have to "Shake It Off" anyway ... because MSG has an unconventional temperature system.

Here's the deal ... a city official tells TMZ the mayor's recommendation of setting the AC at 78 was a suggestion for all five boroughs of New York -- including Manhattan, where MSG sits.

In other words, MSG isn't exempt from the mayor's suggestion made on social media to all New Yorkers this morning ... though, again, it's just a suggestion -- not an edict from above.

Donald Trump might not be a doctor in real life, but he plays one on Truth Social ... sharing an A.I. clip about him treating celebrity patients for "Trump Derangement Syndrome."

POTUS shared the A.I. slop on his social media platform Wednesday evening ... and it imagines him as a doctor with a TDS treatment plan for Rosie O'Donnell, John Leguizamo, Whoopi Goldberg, Edward Norton, Robert De Niro and Julia Roberts.

Trump's patients pop up in rapid succession ... each of them repeating oft-heard clichés from medical testimonials about how they never thought they'd be cured.

The heat is on, even when the AC is on ... at least that's the way NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani wants it.

Hizzoner is getting dragged for a tweet addressing the scorching heat ... "It's hot out there, and the power grid is working overtime to keep us cool. Set your AC to 78 degrees ..."

Well, folks are going scorched earth on the Mayor, with one person firing back ... "My AC in the free state of South Carolina is set to 69 right now and the door is open so my dog can watch for invading communists, like yourself, in comfort."

Donald Trump just cracked an incest joke about having a threesome with two of his sons -- Donald Jr. and Eric -- and yes, he actually used the word "threesome" ... and it's all on video.

POTUS was at the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota on Wednesday when he started about giving out the Medal of Honor ... he spotted Don Jr. and Eric in the crowd and said ... "I see my two beautiful sons sitting there. I think I'm going to give one to myself, one to them, and we'll have a threesome, okay?"

The bizarre statement is met with applause and laughter from the audience. We can't make this up ... seriously, ya gotta watch the video.

Mitch McConnell's medical scare last month was way more serious than first disclosed ... the senator was reportedly found unconscious before he was rushed to the hospital.

McConnell lost consciousness at his home in Washington, D.C., on the morning of June 14 after a 911 call was made ... TMZ can confirm.

Journalist Desiree Townsend first reported on the call.

Donald Trump and Dana White walking out from the Oval Office before the UFC fight at the White House looked flawless ... but it almost didn't turn out that way ... according to new behind-the-scenes footage that just surfaced.

Fox Nation is releasing a two-part documentary series Thursday titled "UFC Fight House: The Making of the Biggest Fight in History" ... and it captures the interaction between the two powerful men before they head out to the South Lawn for UFC Freedom 250.

Check out the clip ... a coordinator is explaining the timeframe to the pair and taking into account weather issues which nearly derailed the day.

Dana looks nervous before walking out ... while DJT looks calm and in control -- though the two do switch sides, possibly so photogs can catch the Prez on his good side.

Karlie Kloss says the closest she's gotten to Donald Trump is ... the family tree.

The supermodel is clearing up one of the biggest assumptions about her link to Trump ... revealing in a new interview with Bloomberg's Emily Chang that she's never actually met the President -- despite being married to Joshua Kushner, whose brother Jared is married to Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump.

Check it out ... Karlie says her political beliefs haven't changed because of those family ties, either. She identifies as a Democrat and says, "I think it's possible to have relationships with people who you politically don't align with."

Riley Gaines says the Supreme Court may have settled some legal fights when it comes to transgender athletes ... but she's already looking toward the next battle.

One day after SCOTUS upheld state laws restricting transgender athletes from competing on girls' and women's school sports teams, Riley stopped by "TMZ Live" to weigh in on the ruling.

Riley says the ban is great for girls in many states, but not all ... so her work on their behalf continues.

Melania Trump cashed in big on her documentary ... even though moviegoers mostly stayed home.

The First Lady's Amazon-backed documentary "Melania" turned into a massive payday for her ... with President Trump's newly released annual financial disclosure revealing Melania personally pocketed $10.71 million from the project.

That's an eye-popping haul considering the film reportedly brought in only about $16 million at the worldwide box office -- meaning FLOTUS' payday alone topped half of the movie's total ticket sales.

The filing also shows she earned roughly $521,000 from her memoir ... along with more than $6 million from NFTs and other collectibles.

President Donald Trump is paying his respects to the late Village People singer Victor Willis ... Trump says he'll think of Victor every time he hears his hit song, "Y.M.C.A."

POTUS hopped on social media Wednesday and posted a tribute to Victor, who died Monday after an aggressive illness.

Trump is remembering Victor as a "great and happy guy" ... and the Prez is taking credit for making "Y.M.C.A" a "monster" hit again by playing the song at his rallies.