Politics

Erika Kirk and Charlie Kirk's parents walked out of court as a police officer described the moment Charlie was fatally shot ... an emotional scene as prosecutors began laying out their case against his accused killer.

Erika -- along with Robert and Kathryn Kirk -- left the courtroom Monday before former Utah Valley University police officer Chris Bagley testified about the September 2025 shooting ... though they later returned following a break.

The testimony kicked off Tyler Robinson's five-day preliminary hearing ... where prosecutors are presenting witnesses and 40 to 50 exhibits as they try to convince the judge there's enough evidence to send the case to trial.

Guess the Trump Administration does believe in second chances ... because they are going to be using the same company to perform more repairs on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

Check out the clip ... Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum -- responsible for overseeing national parks and landmarks' maintenance -- was on CNN Monday and told Dana Bash the company that installed the liner earlier this year "did a fantastic job" and will be performing a new set of repairs.

He is also adamant the pool liner that was peeled out of the water was the work of vandals ... which is exactly what President Trump claimed since this whole fiasco started.

Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner is facing a new sexual assault allegation from a woman he previously dated ... an accusation he strongly denies.

Jenny Racicot -- a 41-year-old Maine woman -- tells Politico she had an on-and-off relationship with Platner for more than two years before he allegedly entered her home uninvited one night in late 2021 while deeply intoxicated. She claims Platner forced himself on her despite repeatedly being told to stop.

Platner doubled down on his denial in a video Monday ... while revealing he's taking time to consider the best path forward for his campaign in light of the allegation.

Nicki Minaj was living it up with the big shots at the White House Rose Garden Lunch ... and she got a shoutout from President Trump who called her hot!

Check out the videos ... Nicki was right at home Monday outside the White House ... and probably felt like a real "Barbie" when Trump decided to voice his appreciation for her and her not-so "small business" ... oh, yeah, and also called her hot -- not beautiful, not sexy ... hot.

Nicki was spotted at the event in a pink dress ... and she sure didn't hate the praise she got from Trump when he said she's "so incredible" ... and "they call it small business, Nicki, but when you add it up, it's bigger than any bank probably in the world, right?"

King Charles is rolling heavy ... climbing aboard a British Army tank and taking command during his first official visit to the Royal Tank Regiment.

The 77-year-old monarch strapped on a helmet and headset Monday before riding in the commander's seat of a Challenger 2 tank at Bovington Camp in Dorset ... popping out of the turret in sunglasses and a tie as the 60-plus-ton war machine kicked up dust around the arena. Check out the pics -- His Majesty looked right at home rolling with some serious royal firepower.

The visit marked Charles' first official trip to the regiment since becoming its Colonel-in-Chief in 2023 ... taking over the ceremonial role previously held by his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

10:41 AM PT -- FIFA President Gianni Infantino has responded to the backlash on Trump ... saying "Yes, I regularly discuss matters related to the FIFA World Cup with the President of the United States, and on this matter, I did receive a call from President Donald Trump, just as I receive calls from heads of state, government officials, football stakeholders and business executives from around the world on many different issues."

He adds "During our conversation, I explained that there was an ongoing legal process involving FIFA's independent judicial bodies and that the case would be decided in due course by the competent bodies."

The decisions that are made by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee are brought to Infantino who -- despite whether he agrees with the decision or not --always will "respect those decisions and the autonomy of the bodies that make them."

Donald Trump says we should go to VAR for his self-alleged conversation with FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the red card that was given to USMNT striker Folarin Balogun on last Wednesday's U.S. vs. Bosnia World Cup match.

Check out the video ... the President of the United States says all he did was ask for a review and he didn't tell Infantino what to do. He adds "that wasn't a foul ... that wasn't even an infraction" and goes on to call the referee who made the call in that match "a little bit suspect" and has "a past."

ICYMI, Trump asked FIFA to review the call that sent Balogun off the pitch in the U.S. vs. Bosnia game last Wednesday, and on Sunday FIFA revoked the red card that was given ... meaning Balogun is good to play in today's U.S. vs. Belgium World Cup Round of 16 game.

Erika Kirk arrived at a Provo, Utah, courthouse Monday morning for the preliminary hearing of Tyler Robinson ... stepping out of a black SUV and making her way inside ahead of the high-stakes proceeding.

Robinson is accused of fatally shooting Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University in September 2025. He's facing multiple charges, including aggravated murder, and prosecutors have said they intend to seek the death penalty if he's convicted.

Erika has attended several court proceedings in the case ... and Monday's hearing could determine whether prosecutors have enough evidence to move forward with a trial.

The fireworks may be over, but the cleanup was just getting started Sunday morning in Washington, D.C. ... where crews were hard at work clearing the Reflecting Pool after the massive Fourth of July celebration.

In photos posted online, workers were seen cleaning out the Reflecting Pool near the Lincoln Memorial, removing debris it had collected from the holiday festivities.

The pool appeared to be littered with ash and other remnants left behind following the night's fireworks display and the enormous crowds that packed the area.

New video shows cleanup crews all over the Reflecting Pool after America's 250th birthday celebration ... and it's clear they've got their work cut out for them. Crews are putting in some serious elbow grease to get the Reflecting Pool and the surrounding park looking presentable AGAIN.

Check it out ... workers are getting in the water with nets and other cleaning materials to pluck out all the crap that's now littering the pool.

This cleanup goes way beyond fireworks ash and debris ... there are trash bags scattered all around the Reflecting Pool, and a few bags even took an unplanned dip in the still algae-filled water.

The National Guard was nice enough to let cleanup crews through the fence, with forklifts full of supplies, so they could start making the Reflecting Pool great again. Now let's just hope nobody mistakes the workers for swimmers and slaps cuffs on them when it's time to jump in the water and finish the job!

As you know ... the Reflecting Pool has been having "fireworks" over the last couple months ... with alleged vandals being arrested and prosecuted for tampering with the pool's water -- like ex-Olympian David Hearn who was indicted on Thursday.

This all started because of the Trump administration's botched $16 Million renovation project ... which it looks like now they've added a layer of trash to the mix.

Nancy Pelosi's husband Paul Pelosi's alleged hit-and-run is triggering a possible major consequence ... the DMV may now decide whether he should still be on the road ... TMZ has learned.

Henry Wofford -- a spokesperson for the Napa County Sheriff's Office -- tells TMZ ... a deputy submitted a DMV recertification exam request after Paul's hit-and-run investigation -- a move that typically leads to the DMV testing a driver's skills, knowledge of traffic laws, and vision before deciding whether they're still fit to drive.

We're told us the referral wasn't made solely because Paul is 86 years old ... but because deputies believed a fresh evaluation was appropriate in the interest of public safety after the crash.

It's getting hot in Washington, D.C., and we're not talking about the weather ... the streets are heating up as tension rises between citizens and the National Guard.

Our TMZDC is out in the nation's capital for America's 250th birthday on Saturday ... and they captured this clip of Great American State Fair attendees expressing their distaste for the authorities keeping them out of the event.

If you don't know ... the event was evacuated just a few hours ago due to the intense heat -- one of many Freedom 250 events that had to be canceled because of the unbearable weather.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna doesn't believe in sending Olympic canoeist David Hearn up you-know-what creek without a paddle for allegedly vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool ... advocating for community service instead.

Our TMZDC team caught up with the congresswoman from Florida on Friday ... and had to ask her about a judge's decision to indict Hearn on the felony charge of destruction of federal property worth $1,000 or more.

Rep. Luna says the punishment -- if Hearn's found guilty -- shouldn't be too severe ... arguing that he should just do a few hours of community service.

4:28 PM PT -- The Pelosis released a statement which reads, “Mr. Paul Pelosi has personally apologized to the owner of the vehicle and assured them that he would take responsibility for the damage to their vehicle. Speaker Pelosi will not be commenting further on this private matter.”

Paul Pelosi -- Nancy Pelosi's husband -- may face a misdemeanor hit & run charge ... after cops say he caused major damage to a parked car.

Henry Wofford -- the spokesperson for the Napa County Sheriff's Spokesperson -- tells TMZ ... the sheriff's office is submitting a report to the district attorney recommending Paul receive a charge of misdemeanor hit and run for property damage.

This comes after the department released a statement claiming officers responded to a report of a car crashing into an unoccupied parked vehicle in the town of Yountville, California.

The United States turned 250 on Saturday ... and a group of white supremacists celebrated by flooding the streets of the nation's capital -- much to the chagrin of their fellow Americans.

The Patriot Front -- a white supremacy group which was founded in the aftermath of the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia back in 2017 -- showed up in full force in Washington, D.C. ... gathering outside a public transit station.

Video captured the group -- which is reportedly 400 strong -- in their matching ensembles ... blue shirts, khaki pants and white masks covering most of their faces.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce pull off the wedding of the century in a heatwave, Prez Trump makes a couple billions, the world's ballsiest engagement goes down on the Empire State Building, and, oh yeah ... happy birthday, America! So, we gotta ask ...

The White House apparently couldn't let Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have this one ... because it wasted little time trolling the couple's wedding announcement after they made it official.

ICYMI, video boards outside New York City's Madison Square Garden lit up Friday evening with "JUST&T MARRIED!" ... confirming the pair had officially tied the knot.

The White House's official X account then posted a photoshopped version of the same image ... replacing the message with "TRUMP IS YOUR PRESIDENT."