Politics

Fat Joe's push in D.C. to gut America's cryptic healthcare system last night peaked with an encounter with the man in charge himself -- President Joe Biden!!!

The Bronx-bred rapper came face to face with the Prez following his SOTU address that took shots at Donald Trump -- a personal invite from his good friend, House Rep. Nanette D. Barragán.

Sources close to the encounter tell TMZ Hip Hop they exchanged pleasantries inside the Capitol Building ... Joe's skills as an MC have cemented his life's legacy and even he was impressed with Biden's delivery!!!

Joe wasn't only representing Barragán, he's been in D.C. all week on behalf of the Power to the Patients org that combats hidden hospital fees and we're told Joe's stance is 100% bipartisan ... he even had Democrats and Republicans flocking to him for selfies after he dapped up Biden.

Chuck D's also fighting the power for the patients, an issue, he recently stressed to TMZ, that needs to be corrected sooner rather than later as the American people are often left in the dark about how the systems work.

"134 Innocent Hostages including 6 Americans are still being held by Hamas, Gazans and Palestinians. Not one word DEMANDING THEIR RELEASE from our President."

That's Auburn head basketball coach Bruce Pearl ripping into Joe Biden ... and suffice it to say, he wasn't a fan of POTUS' State of the Union speech Thursday night.

63-year-old Pearl, who is Jewish, laid into the 81-year-old president for failing to adequately pressure Hamas to release over 100 hostages that they took during the October 7 attacks in Israel during his third SOTU speech.

"On Oct 7th the Jewish People experienced the worst genocide since the Holocaust and we hear more about the suffering of Gazans than the constant threat for survival Israel and the Jewish people live with everyday!" Pearl wrote on X.

"And let's reward them with another State and launching pad for terror. Your lack of support for the Jewish people and the State of Israel was loud and clear Mr President!"

Of course, the coach is referencing Biden's push for a "two-state solution" in the region ... something he clearly believes is a bad idea.

On Friday, Pearl, who has been at Auburn since 2014, wasn't ready to move on ... and again went to social media to air out JB.

"President Biden saying 'I won't rest until we get the hostages home' isn't getting it done," Bruce tweeted, referencing a line from the president's speech, before urging action from POTUS and one of his top cabinet officials, the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.

Pearl is referencing a line from Biden's SOTU ... where he said, "We will not rest until we bring their loved ones home." The coach wants much more done.

"Send [Blinken] to Qatar and tell Hamas leaders they have a limited number of days to release all hostages and surrender. If they refuse Israel gets the green light to destroy Hamas and them!"

The United States, Israel, and Hamas, as well as other involved parties, are negotiating in Cairo, in an effort to strike a deal for a temporary ceasefire which would presumably lead to the release of at least some of the more than 100 remaining hostages.

UFO sightings apparently have nothing to do with anything extraterrestrial -- at least that's what Uncle Sam is saying, anyway, after digging into the issue.

For the past couple years, the Pentagon's All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) has been digging into all those UFO videos in recent years ...  and on Friday, they came out and said it was all much ado about nothing ... at least as far as aliens are concerned.

The Pentagon says they've found zero evidence that any of those mysterious UAP sightings were from outer space ... and also no proof of hidden spacecraft dropping by either.

The unclassified 63-page report goes on to state there's no evidence of the government or any sneaky private companies having their hands on extraterrestrial tech to reverse engineer UFOs in secret ... something that's been alleged by supposed whistleblowers.

In fact, Tim Phillips, the acting director of AARO, told reporters there's no indication that anyone's been hiding stuff from Congress at all on this issue ... adding that the alleged secret UAP programs being kept under wraps by the U.S. government don't exist at all.

Worth noting ... Congress ordered up this report 'cause there's been a lot of renewed interest about UFOs -- so the whole thing may just be a tactic to divert attention elsewhere or cover it up altogether ... that's certainly what conspiracy theorists are gonna say about this.

Navy fighter pilot commander David Fravor, a witness of the infamous "Tic Tac" UFO sighting, and former pilot Ryan Graves, also testified alongside David Grusch under oath about UFOs and secret government programs allegedly involving extraterrestrial tech.

A lot of their testimonials were covered in our own doc about this ... 'UFO Revolution.'

Their stories were pretty alarming, and some of those stories about UFO sightings are seriously convincing ... especially with some of the videos that have been released.

As far as the Pentagon is concerned, though ... no little green men are among us.

Donald Trump se burló de Joe Biden después del discurso del Estado de la Unión del jueves, comparándolo con un personaje de dibujos animados en un video que publicó en su plataforma de medios sociales usando algunos filtros.

Como era de esperar, Donald Trump tomó la ruta más infantil para responder al discurso de más de una hora del presidente Biden en el Capitolio, publicando una breve compilación de Joe en el podio, con su Vicepresidenta sentada atrás, con un montón de filtros tontos.

Por extraño que parezca, el clip de 27 segundos subido a Truth Social utiliza imágenes del discurso de Biden del año pasado, ninguna de este año, lo cual es extraño.

En cualquier caso, el video junta cuatro escenas filtradas y animadas de Biden pronunciando el discurso de 2023 con Kamala Harris detrás, y los hizo verse bastante ridículos, como el tipo de cosas que un niño de 14 años podría hacer en su tiempo libre.

Algunas de las imágenes muestran a Biden y Harris con los ojos saltones y sus caras congeladas, así como con trenzas y sombreros. En otra imagen, Biden aparece como un perro greñudo y Pinocho.

Por supuesto, esto es relevante porque Trump se enfrentará a Biden en las elecciones presidenciales de 2024. Si la respuesta de Donald es un indicador, nos espera una gran cantidad de enfrentamientos durante esta campaña, por no hablar de bromas y críticas.

En cuanto al discurso de Biden sobre el Estado de la Unión, la mayoría de la gente del Partido Demócrata pensó que fue apasionado y entusiasta. El 46 Prez habló de una serie de temas, incluyendo la guerra en Gaza, Roe V. Wade, la invasión rusa de Ucrania y las amenazas a la democracia.

Biden también atacó a su rival del Partido Republicano sin nombrarlo. Potus citó a su "predecesor" diciéndole a Vladimir Putin: "Haz lo que te dé la gana" en Ucrania.

Donald Trump mocked Joe Biden after Thursday's State of the Union address ... comparing him to a cartoon character in a filtered video he posted to his social media platform.

Perhaps unsurprisingly ... DT went the juvenile route in response to President Biden's hour-plus speech at The Capitol ... posting a brief compilation of Joe at the podium -- with the Veep sitting behind him -- that featured JB and her with a bunch of goofy filters.

Strangely enough, the 27-second clip DT uploaded to Truth Social used footage from Biden's SOTU address last year ... none from this year, which was weird.

In any case ... the clips Trump threw up spliced together four filtered and animated scenes featuring Biden delivering the 2023 speech with Kamala Harris behind them -- and he made them out to look pretty ridiculous ... the type of thing a 14-year-old might do in his free time.

Some of the images showed Biden and Harris with bulging eyes and frozen faces, as well as braided pigtails and hats. Another visual depicted Biden as a shaggy dog and Pinocchio.

Of course, this is relevant because DT is going toe-to-toe with JB in the 2024 presidential election. If DT's response here was any indicator, we're in for a lot of mudslinging this campaign season ... not to mention sophomoric jokes and jabs.

As for Biden's SOTU speech ...  most people in his Democratic party thought it was passionate and rousing. The 46th Prez talked about a range of issues, including the war in Gaza, Roe V. Wade, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and threats to democracy.

Biden also took a shot at his GOP rival without naming him. POTUS quoted his "predecessor" telling Vladimir Putin, "Do whatever the hell you want," in Ukraine.

Tan Mom is bowing out of the race for a U.S. Senate seat in Florida, and, oddly, Wendy Williams -- of all people -- played a role in her decision ... TMZ has learned.

The bronzed mother of 5, whose real name is Patricia Krentcil, says in a new video obtained by TMZ that she's dropped out of the running after watching the new Wendy documentary, and comparing it to her own reality series, "Tan to 10."

Tan Mom says she realized she could end up like Wendy, who struggles with alcohol abuse and a myriad of other health issues, if she continued with all the pressure that comes along with a political run for office.

Another factor ... mass layoffs at struggling and bankrupt Vice Media.

Tan Mom says she was filming a documentary about her campaign for Vice, but the media company pulled the plug and has not paid her or her team a dime, despite a contract she says she signed with Vice.

Patricia says the Vice staffers who were working on her documentary told her team a couple weeks ago their entire department was laid off, and would try to get her paid -- but Tan Mom says the whole thing has been a waste of time and effort and greatly hurt her campaign.

She also took time off the campaign trail in November to undergo a risky medical procedure ... bypass surgery to remove a stent separating her pancreas and liver.

When she announced her Senate bid last year, Tan Mom told us she was motivated to run because of Florida's hot-button issues ... like healthcare and drag show bans.

Even though she's waving the white flag, Tan Mom says she's proud of all the work she did on her campaign -- such as a Town Hall she filmed at Hamburger Mary's supporting the LGBTQ community.

7:25 PM PT -- President Biden announced he's directing the U.S. military to install a seaside pier in Gaza that will allow for a massive influx of aid to Palestinians. He emphasized that no U.S. troops will be on the ground in Gaza, and implored Israel to do more to allow for the flow of humanitarian aid.

6:50 PM PT -- Biden directly addressed the Supreme Court Justices seated in the front of the chamber, and issued what came off like a not-so-subtle threat regarding their overturning of Roe V. Wade -- "With all due respect Justices, the women of America are not without electoral or political power. You're about to realize just how wrong you are about that."

Biden's clear hope ... the line will prompt women upset about the loss of reproductive rights to vote for him. He vowed to restore Roe V. Wade if voters give the Dems control of the House of Representatives.

6:30 PM PT -- The Prez didn't waste much time going right after Donald Trump ... although he didn't say his name, just 3 minutes into the speech he started talking about Ukraine and Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion, and said, "Now my predecessor, a former Republican President tells Putin, 'Do whatever the hell you want.' That's a quote."

The remark drew jeers from the GOP, but Biden continued, "Bowing down to a Russian leader, I think it's outrageous, it's dangerous and it's unacceptable."

President Biden is giving his third State of the Union address since being in office ... and he's got a lot to talk about heading into his campaign for a second term.

POTUS is speaking to the nation from the Capitol, making his case to return to the White House as voters get ready for his election rematch with Donald Trump.

While lotsa folks are concerned about Biden's age -- he's 81 and Trump is 77 -- the Prez says his age is actually a positive as it gives him a wealth of knowledge and experience.

Biden's prepared remarks have him saying, "My lifetime has taught me to embrace freedom and democracy. A future based on the core values that have defined America: honesty, decency, dignity, equality. To respect everyone. To give everyone a fair shot. To give hate no safe harbor. Now some other people my age see a different story: an American story of resentment, revenge, and retribution. That's not me."

Other topics Joe is likely to address ... the war in Ukraine, Israel and Gaza, abortion, taxes, healthcare, immigration, inflation and prescription drug prices.

Biden's expected to highlight his accomplishments during his first 3 years in the White House, and draw a fine line between Republicans and himself ... possibly even getting some shots in at the GOP.

JB's been working on his speech for a minute now, but attempted to lighten the mood early on Thursday by posting a Zoom call with several ex-presidents from TV and film.

No one's seriously expecting him to borrow from Bill Pullman's famous "Independence Day" speech.

SOTU addresses are always important as they're intended to address all the issues impacting Americans -- but this one's even more critical as it's likely to be the single largest audience Biden will have between now and Election Day.

Check back in this post, as we'll be updating with all the standout moments from his speech.

Joe Biden's celeb-packed State of the Union address preview was a stroke of genius -- this according to political heavy-hitters, Lis Smith and April Ryan.

We spoke to both on 'TMZ Live,' Thursday ... with Lis telling us that whoever in Biden's camp came up with that idea deserves a serious raise, 'cause these speeches can be a major snooze-fest ... so making politics cool for those who might not care is a big deal!

Lis goes on to say that if more folks in politics injected a little fun and humor into the mix, maybe we wouldn't be so stressed out all the time.

She's also saying the positives of that clip and Biden's approach totally outweigh any negatives ... adding that people throwing shade at it were probably never gonna vote for JB in the first place.

April -- the White House Correspondent for TheGrio -- also backs Lis' sentiments ...  saying Joe's team dropped that video to connect with everyone and show he's in touch with people's everyday struggles despite sitting in one of the most important buildings in the world.

She also tells us it's a smart move on his part 'cause becoming the U.S. President ain't just about domestic policy issues ... it's about playing on the global stage, too.

By putting out that video of him hilariously seeking advice from former President actors Morgan Freeman, Bill Pullman, Geena Davis, Michael Douglas, and Tony Goldwyn ahead of his super serious speech ... he's painting a winning picture and showing confidence, rather than highlighting setbacks.

Of course, Joe's definitely had his fair share of criticism during his presidency -- especially when it comes to concerns about his age.

Joe Biden is going all out to make sure his State of the Union address resonates with Americans ... 'cause he's taking tips from former Presidents -- albeit, fake ones!

POTUS posted this video Thursday ahead of his SOTU later this evening, and he's zooming with a bunch of actors who've portrayed presidents in film or TV roles -- and yeah, he's got some big names here chatting with him.

Morgan Freeman -- who played President Tom Beck in "Deep Impact," as well as Pres. Trumbull in "Angel Has Fallen" -- reflects on his character having to deal with a looming meteor threat ... saying amid the crisis, people found solace in his message of hope.

Bill Pullman -- known for his role as President Thomas J. Whitmore in 1996's "Independence Day" -- looks back on his character's battle against invaders from outer space ... noting fear and chaos had a unifying effect on people.

As for Tony Goldwyn -- who played President Fitzgerald Grant III in "Scandal" -- he admitted his character behaved pretty badly while in office. But here's the kicker ... he advised Joe that if he just told the general public they made him a better man, they'd eat it up.

Michael Douglas, meanwhile, had some poignant advice to share ... emphasizing that love and compassion are strengths, not weaknesses, and urged Biden to utilize his first lady, Jill, to his advantage. He played President Andrew Shepherd in "The American President."

Geena Davis -- famous for her role as President Mackenzie Allen in the TV show "Commander In Chief" -- revealed that every week her character faced a new crisis, and the number one lesson she learned was that there's no crying in politics.

JB was clearly impressed by GD's portrayal, telling her she did one helluva job. And with a touch of humor, expressed his hope that his politics wouldn't make anyone else cry. The one big actor he was missing from the lineup is obviously Martin Sheen ... 'West Wing' anyone?

Chuck D has joined the fight initiated by Fat Joe and many others to tackle the U.S. medical industry's hazy pricing methods ... which he says is public enemy #1 to the average American citizen.

We kid of course, but Chuck was deadly serious while talking to TMZ Hip Hop about this issue -- which he thinks is going to bite Americans in the ass the longer it goes ignored.

The legendary rapper joined Joe, The Foo Fighters, French Montana, Busta Rhymes, Method Man, Valerie June and several other music stars this week for the Power to the Patients' concert in Washington D.C. to further pressure lawmakers to pass legislation to combat the healthcare price transparency issue.

FF frontman Dave Grohl called Chuck his "hero" during their performance, noting how Chuck and Public Enemy set the tone long ago for using their platform to raise social awareness among fans.

We ask if celebrities can still sway the vote at this point in time but Chuck points out that hip hop is now 50 years old -- with rock being even older -- and both communities are well-traveled enough to speak facts. Remember, artists are voters too!!!

Chuck rallying in Washington is one of the many precursors to the 2024 election -- with all signs pointing to a rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump -- two unappealing candidates from Chuck's POV.

He laughed off Trump's recent string of promos ... slangin' sneakers and shirts with his mugshot photo have caused a stir but Chuck says Americans shouldn't believe the hype, 'cause it's the same 'ol scenario.

Tim Tebow spent Wednesday morning fighting for victims of child sex abuse ... taking on the global epidemic while delivering an impassioned and emotional speech in front of the House Judiciary Subcommittee.

The 36-year-old Heisman Trophy winner, who heads the Tim Tebow Foundation, was part of a larger panel at the “Voice for the Voiceless” hearing ... and opened up his statement with a quick description of his organization, followed by an ice-breaking joke about his sports career.

"[The Tim Tebow Foundation] exists to bring faith, hope and love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need. To sum it up, we strive to fight for people who can't fight for themselves," Tim told the subcommittee members.

"Some of you may know me from sports. but honestly, more of you probably know me from getting cut from a bunch of sports teams," Tebow joked.

But, things quickly got serious as the 2x National Championship-winning quarterback passionately spoke about the global epidemic -- the tens of thousands of unidentified children who are the victims of sexual abuse -- while calling on lawmakers to pass a bill intended to put together a rescue team for the kids.

"This bill really has one goal. To build a rescue team, because there's so many front-line warriors and heroes, but there's just not enough. And we need to support them, and we need more of them, to get to these 50,000 boys and girls."

Tebow continued, explaining the goal of the bill is to build a "rescue team" that is of adequate size as far as manpower, as well as the training and technology to help.

The most emotional part of the speech came when Tim read a letter written by a young girl while she was being held captive, raped nearly nightly for 7 years, where she begged for help.

As you'd expect, Tebow had trouble keeping it together while reading the excerpt.

TT was eager to provide his testimony ... as he explained Wednesday morning shortly after reaching Capitol Hill.

"So grateful for the chance to testify this morning before the House Judiciary Committee, meet, and talk with representatives on both sides of the aisle on behalf of some of the most vulnerable people — children who are victims of sexual abuse and exploitation," the signal caller wrote on X.

Nikki Haley acaba de retirarse de la carrera presidencial después de recibir una paliza de Donald Trump durante el Super Martes, pero si usted piensa que ella va a besar el anillo ahora, te equivocas.

La ex gobernadora de Carolina del Sur, que era la última candidata del Partido Republicano que quedaba tratando de ganar votos contra Trump en las primarias republicanas en los últimos tiempos, acaba de anunciar el miércoles que suspende su campaña por la Casa Blanca después de una decepcionante derrota esta semana.

Hubo un montón de estados que votaron por los candidatos de sus partidos y Nikki solo ganó uno de ellos contra Trump -en Vermont- en todos los demás, el expresidente ganó por goleada.

Durante su discurso de salida, Nikki dijo que estaba agradecida de tener la oportunidad de postularse para Presidente y se comprometió a seguir hablando sobre los temas que le apasionan.

Más interesante, sin embargo, fue el hecho de que ella se negó a apoyar a Trump, incluso ahora.

Ella dice que depende de Trump para ganar los votos de las personas que no lo apoyaron y suena como ella piensa que tiene mucho trabajo que hacer en ese departamento, incluso para ella misma. Nikki dice que Trump debe hacer un mejor trabajo al tratar de sumar más republicanos a su causa.

Nikki Haley just bowed out of the presidential race after taking a licking from Donald Trump during Super Tuesday -- but if you think she's gonna kiss the ring now ... you'd be wrong.

The former South Carolina governor -- who was the last remaining GOP candidate trying to win votes against DT in the Republican primaries as of late -- just announced Wednesday that she's suspending her campaign for the White House following a disappointing loss this week.

There were a lot of states that voted for their party's candidates ... and Nikki only won one of them against Trump, and that would be Vermont. Everywhere else, he won in a landslide.

During her exit speech, Nikki said she was grateful to have the opportunity to run for President ... and vowed to continue speaking on the issues she's passionate about.

More interestingly, though, was the fact she refused to endorse Trump, even now.

She says it's up to Trump to earn the votes of people who didn't back him -- and it sounds like she thinks he has a lot of work to do in that department, including for herself. NH says Trump should do a better job at embracing more Republicans/conservatives into his cause.

Hollywood once again is emptying its collective pockets this election season -- donating generously to the campaigns of several Democrats vying for a highly coveted U.S. Senate seat.

TMZ combed through the Federal Election Commission filings and found that most of Tinseltown's elite kicked their financial support toward the campaigns of Adam Schiff, Barbara Lee and Katie Porter ... who are facing off for the chance to fill the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein's seat.

Former MLB star Steve Garvey, who's running as a Republican, seemingly got no donations from people identifying with the FEC as an actor, musician or athlete. With that said, polls have him doing pretty damn well.

This cannot be said for Dems in the primary race. We should note ... this might not be a complete snapshot of donations, and some of the celebs may have donated more than the number listed.

For Schiff:
- Robin Dearden ($6600)
- Herb Alpert (at least $3,300)
- Barbra Streisand ($1500)
- Holland Taylor ($1,000)
- George Takei ($750)
- Lily Tomlin ($350)
- Jackson Browne ($400)
- Joan Jett ($275)
- Diane Lane ($235)

As for Barbara Lee ... Ben Affleck seems pretty passionate about her candidacy, as he dropped thousands on her run -- and even his daughter, Violet, shelled out a pretty penny too.

For Lee:
- Ben Affleck (at least $6,600)
- Violet Affleck ($3,050)
- Jackson Browne (at least $3,300)
- Graham Nash ($2,500)
- Kal Penn ($500)

For Porter:
- Graham Nash ($3,300)
- Bonnie Raitt ($2,000)
- Susan Sarandon ($500)
- George Takei ($500)

Several celebrities double-dipped ... with George Takei donating for both Porter and Schiff. Similarly, Graham Nash dropped some dough for Porter and Lee. Jackson Browne made sure to contribute to both Schiff and Lee's campaigns.

Some celebs are doing more than donating money ... some are lending support on social media -- like John Legend, who publicly endorsed Lee,

In fact, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is even narrating an ad that's running for Schiff.

A Super Tuesday voter has gone viral for his explicit explanation of why Nikki Haley shouldn't be president -- according to him, it's 'cause she' is missing a scrotum.

Check out this video that features a North Carolina resident -- identified as Emmett Martin -- confessing to NBC News that he never even considered the former governor of South Carolina as a candidate over the simple fact that she's a woman.

The way he puts it is pretty rich in misogyny ... he says, she "has no balls to scratch."

Emmett says that since the ex-Gov. didn't have male private parts ... she shouldn't be a contender in the Republican primary race. We're not sure what genitalia has to do with running a country ... but it's clearly important to this constituent.

BTW, it isn't just Nikki that the voter disapproved of ... it's all women, apparently who he said are only good for "having babies and taking care of the house."

He did backtrack slightly -- suggesting that there are women out there who know what they’re doing ... but added they need a bit of guidance from someone like Donald Trump.

Shaquille Brewster -- the correspondent who interviewed Emmett ... said this isn't the first time that voters have told him they wouldn't vote for Nikki based on her gender. However, it is the first time the response was so bluntly said on camera.

Charles Barkley tiene un mensaje mordaz y algo violento para cualquier afroamericano que apoye a Donald Trump simplemente porque fue arrestado... resulta que te va a noquear.

El integrante del Salón de la Fama de la NBA emitió la advertencia el lunes por la noche en su programa de CNN con Gayle King, mientras discutían el reciente comentario de Trump donde afirmava que le agradaban más los afroamericanos desde que lo arrestaon en Georgia por intentar anular los resultados de las elecciones presidenciales de 2020.

Trump llegó a presumir de que los afroamericanos "se pasean con la foto de su ficha policial" estampada en sus camisetas.

Nada de eso le sentó bien a Barkley, que dijo: "Si veo a una persona negra paseándose con la foto de la ficha policial de Trump, le voy a dar un puñetazo en la cara".

Barkley explicó que siente que los comentarios de Trump son "un insulto a todos los afroamericanos", porque está comparando su arresto con los siglos de discriminación que la comunidad negra ha enfrentado.

La leyenda de la NBA no es ajena a criticar a Trump y ha acusado al candidato presidencial republicano por usar una "retórica pseudo-racista" cuando se habla de inmigración.

Trump no se ha dejado intimidar por cualquier reacción de Barkley o cualquier otro crítico, ya que sigue siendo el favorito para la nominación republicana. El martes de primarias en 15 estados y un territorio podrían dejar fuera a Nikki Haley.