Politix

Donald Trump delivered a classy, gracious message to Cory Booker upon hearing the NJ Senator was no longer running for president -- just kidding! He taunted Booker so hard, he should get a 15-yard penalty.

POTUS fired off a tweet minutes after Booker announced he was suspending his campaign, saying ... "Really Big Breaking News (Kidding): Booker, who was in zero polling territory, just dropped out of the Democrat Presidential Primary Race."

Trump sarcastically added ... "Now I can rest easy tonight. I was sooo concerned that I would someday have to go head to head with him!"

Cardi B could be headed to the White House one day -- but first, she might try her hand at local government ... or perhaps, something in the middle.

The rapper tweeted Sunday what seemed to be a pretty serious idea of hers ... "I think I want to be a politician. I really love government even tho I don't agree with Goverment [sic]."

She followed up with an explainer, saying ... "No matter how many weapons a country have you need people! How are you trying to go against a country and possibly start a war when this country lacks patriotism? I barely see people claiming they LOVE being American."

Seems Cardi's talking about the U.S.-Iran conflict here. She finished by saying there's more she has to say on the subject and acknowledged she would have to do it later in a video. Unclear if that means Iran specifically, or politics in general. Stay tuned ...

LeVar Burton is shooting down the theory that America's more racist now than ever before ... saying the difference now is President Trump's emboldened racists to come out of the woodwork.

We got the iconic "Reading Rainbow" host out Thursday at LAX and just had to know if he thinks America's more racist now than ever ... what with Trump's administration establishing divisive policies since being ushered into the White House in 2016.

You'll remember Trump once described African nations as "shithole countries." His anti-immigrant rhetoric also inspired a Texas man to kill Hispanics at an El Paso Walmart.

LeVar dropped some serious knowledge ... saying what we're experiencing now was ALWAYS lying under the surface champing at the bit to be out in the open. And, now they are.

President Trump just did something you might never have expected him to do -- tweet in another language ... and that language happens to be aimed at the people of Iran.

DT took to Twitter Saturday with a message to the folks protesting in Tehran right now, decrying their government recently shooting down a Ukraine International Airlines plane by mistake ... and killing over 150 passengers, many of whom were Canadian citizens.

The Prez wrote, "به مردم شجاع و رنج کشیده ایران: من از ابتدای دوره ریاست جمهوریم با شما ایستاده‌ام و دولت من همچنان با شما خواهد ایستاد. ما اعتراضات شما را از نزدیک دنبال می کنیم. شجاعت شما الهام بخش است."

We know what you might be thinking if you're a native English speaker ... THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN?!? Not to worry, 'cause 45 sent out an accompanying translation. En ingles, it means ... "To the brave, long-suffering people of Iran: I've stood with you since the beginning of my Presidency, and my Administration will continue to stand with you." He adds, "We are following your protests closely, and are inspired by your courage."

He wasn't done with the Farsi ... Trump followed up by tweeting the above message, which translates, "The government of Iran must allow human rights groups to monitor and report facts from the ground on the ongoing protests by the Iranian people. There can not be another massacre of peaceful protesters, nor an internet shutdown. The world is watching."

Don't worry ... we Google Translated it ourselves, and it looks like Donnie got it right here.

If you haven't seen the protests on the ground in Tehran yet, they're pretty crazy -- with thousands taking to the streets and demanding the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei resign after Iranian officials admitted they shot the Flight 752 in error ... mistaking it for a threat, this amid rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran after Soleimani's death.

Some folks were even reportedly chanting "Death to liars" during the demonstrations, in their own language of course.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's stunning decision to step down as senior members of the Royal Family doesn't just have The Queen reeling ... it's shaken up the betting world.

Those looking for some action following the royal shake-up will find plenty of wagering options thanks to oddsmakers at US-Bookies.com ... but the most notable ones revolve around the Duke and Duchess potentially expanding their family.

As of now, the odds are 1/4 that Meghan will announce she's pregnant with the couple's second child in 2020 ... meaning a $100 bet only profits $25, because it's very likely to happen. The odds were 1/2 before they announced they were bailing on senior Royal duties.

The "Property Brothers" are giving Americans one less thing to worry about in the country's ongoing conflict with Iran ... dishing out advice on how to feel at home underground.

We got Drew and Jonathan Scott in New York City, and our camera guy asked the brothers the best way for concerned citizens to deal with the prospect of spending 20 years in a bunker. They tell us it all comes down to making your shelter seem spacious.

As you know ... President Trump's beef with Iran is causing a surge in the number of Americans in the market for bunkers, as nuclear threats and missiles whiz around the Middle East.

The "Property Brothers" say the best way to not go crazy in your burrow is to choose light colors to make it feel bright ... and they're recommending a special type of plant.

Jonathan also tells us the single best thing for bunkers ... hopefully, Trump gets the message.

Yo Gotti's sick and tired of the fatal bloodshed in Mississippi State Prisons, so he's enlisted Jay-Z's Roc Nation to demand the Governor make immediate changes ... or face a lawsuit.

On the heels of 5 inmates getting killed in 3 different MS prisons ... Gotti's called on Team Roc -- the philanthropic arm of Roc Nation -- and it fired off a letter Thursday to Gov. Phil Bryant. In the letter, they make it clear they'll take legal action if Bryant doesn't take steps to improve prison conditions.

Gotti's pissed off because 2 of the deaths went down at the prison known as Parchman Farm ... not far from his hometown of Memphis. Gotti says the prison conditions are "absolutely inhumane and unconstitutional."

Prison violence in Mississippi has increased sharply in the last 10 days, with riots and escapes. Critics say gangs have almost literally taken over some of the penitentiaries ... which are reportedly woefully understaffed and underfunded.

In its letter to the Governor, Team Roc says inmates -- male and female -- are "forced to live in squalor, with rats that crawl over them as they sleep on the floor, having been denied even a mattress for a cot." They believe the conditions are so bad, they constitute cruel and unusual punishment ... a violation of the Eighth Amendment.

Jane Fonda's star power knows no limits ... TONS of huge celebs, including Joaquin Phoenix, are risking arrest to help her protest in the Nation's capital.

Jane's call for fast action on a Green New Deal in Washington, D.C. has become a weekly Friday scene, and this week she's got Phoenix, Martin Sheen and Maggie Gyllenhaal, as well.

All protesters were just warned by cops that arrests are imminent if they don't cooperate and disperse. Friday's crowd is among the largest we've seen since Jane started the Fire Drill Friday protests. Joaquin, for his part, urged others to follow his steps and go vegan to help the environment.

This week, the environmental protesters are calling for an end to all new fossil fuel exploration/extraction and the immediate stop to taxpayer subsidies to oil companies.

TV might be President Trump's thing, but "The West Wing" creator Aaron Sorkin says Donald would be a disaster even in a fictional White House ... for just ONE critical reason.

We got the award-winning producer/screenwriter Thursday night on his way out of Craig's in WeHo, and laid out a simple premise: would he consider a reboot of 'West Wing' with a Trump-esque Commander-in-Chief?

It's obvious Sorkin's already discussed it, if only privately -- because he didn't hesitate to fire off a response that's a direct shot at Trump's personality.

Aaron makes it clear his answer has NOTHING to do with politics, and explains why ... basically, Trump couldn't carry Prez Bartlet's water. Best part of the clip, though, might be Sorkin's own reaction to what came out of his mouth.

Take it easy, Aaron -- we don't think you're in George Lopez territory here.

Olympic athletes looking to follow Colin Kaepernick's lead will have to do it somewhere other than Tokyo ... 'cause the IOC has banned kneeling and raising fists in protests at the 2020 games.

The International Olympic Committee released its guidelines for the upcoming Summer Games ... and it's clear the committee is trying very hard to keep politics out of it.

"The unique nature of the Olympic Games enables athletes from all over the world to come together in peace and harmony," the guidelines say.

"We believe that the example we set by competing with the world’s best while living in harmony in the Olympic Village is a uniquely positive message to send to an increasingly divided world."

"This is why it is important, on both a personal and a global level, that we keep the venues, the Olympic Village and the podium neutral and free from any form of political, religious or ethnic demonstrations."

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says what's happening in Australia shows the compounding effects of climate change ... and it has young people -- including her -- stressed about their future ... even giving them pause to have children of their own.

We got AOC on Capitol Hill Wednesday night and she touched on Australia's "horrifying" wildfires, telling us, it's just the latest example of climate change becoming an all-out crisis before our eyes.

The Congresswoman says we should all be working toward a remedy for the future, but obviously ... it's more important to younger people who will be living in this world longer. As she points out -- the stakes are higher the younger you are.

AOC adds people her age are anxious about having children due to looming threat of climate change ... and it shouldn't be like that. She says we have to take immediate steps to make the future safe for our kids.

The United States conflict with Iran has had Americans freaked the f**k out lately -- and, accordingly, they've been looking far and wide to burrow themselves underground.

TMZ spoke with some of the best bunker retailers in the biz, and wouldn't you know it ... they say their sales and window shoppers have gone through the roof over the past week or so as missiles and nuke threats have been flying back and forth in the Middle East.

Let's start with Rising S -- which hawks pretty pricey shelters, ranging from $45k to a whopping $1 million. They tell us bunkers have been selling like hotcakes since Trump took out Gen. Soleimani. RS says they've sold 17 bomb shelters since then. A recent uptick of 150%.

Sasha Obama decided against rushing a sorority at the University of Michigan ... despite being the it girl on campus.

We've called around Ann Arbor ... the first round of rushing began Tuesday, and multiple sorority members tell us Barack Obama's youngest daughter wants no part of it.

For those unfamiliar ... rushing is the process of exploring all of a university's sororities, and interested students at Michigan must register before a deadline. We're told Sasha did not register.

TMZ broke the story ... at the beginning of last semester, UM sororities were champing at the bit to recruit Sasha in the spring, and she was dubbed a "rush crush."

All signs were pointing to Sasha rushing and pledging Alpha Chi Omega (AXO) -- she stayed at AXO's house once before enrolling, and her close friends from high school are members there -- but now she's following her mother's and sister's footsteps by not rushing.

Michelle Obama didn't join a sorority at Princeton, and Malia isn't living the Greek life at Harvard, where sororities are not recognized by the Ivy League school.

Looks like Sasha is looking for a similar college experience.

Andrew Yang is looking to get a King's endorsement for his 2020 presidential campaign ... telling TMZ Sports he wants LeBron James on his side!!

The entrepreneur-turned-Democratic candidate already has a solid list of celeb backing -- from Donald Glover to Elon Musk to Rivers Cuomo from Weezer -- but no big-time athletes ... yet.

Considering Yang's a big NBA fan, we asked -- hypothetically -- which baller he'd most want as his running mate ... and it took him like, a millisecond to give us his answer.

"I'd have to go with LeBron James," Yang tells us. "He's already shown he's got a heart of gold and loves the American people."

Yang showers the Lakers superstar with praise and throws some major shade at President Trump in the process ... saying, "He certainly could do better than the guy who's currently there."

Of course, Bron has shown support for Hillary Clinton in the past ... and even introduced her at a rally in Ohio.

LBJ has also made his feelings about POTUS crystal clear ... calling him a "bum" and a clown since #45 began his presidency.

Yang thinks LeBron would be a great addition to his team ... and gives him a personal message.

The Clemson vs. LSU championship game on Monday will be one of "the more secure places in America" -- with fighter jets patrolling the skies -- so says Sen. Marco Rubio.

With Iran vowing revenge on the U.S. -- and reportedly offering an $80 MILLION bounty on President Trump -- some people are concerned the Superdome could be a major target, especially since Trump is scheduled to attend the game.

But, Rubio isn't concerned one bit ... in fact, he believes Trump's presence will ensure top-notch safety efforts and insists fans should focus on enjoying the game.

"[Trump] being there will probably make it one of the more secure places in America for those 3 hours that he's there," Rubio tells TMZ Sports.

"It's already tight security to begin with because of the size of the event, but him being there will be even more so."

Rubio continued ... "I kind of understand what he travels with in terms of security and all of the things he brings with it. The whole airspace is restricted. They'll have fighter jets up there. So, not your typical event."

George Lopez said he and others would take out President Trump for half of Iran's reported multi-million dollar bounty on his head, and now ... he's got the attention of the Secret Service.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the U.S. Secret Service is aware of George's remark, and we're told they're working to see if his words carry any legitimacy as a threat.

We're being told part of the process in making this determination will include an interview with GL in some fashion, preferably a face-to-face. One source tells us George can probably expect a knock on his door soon, and he'll be finding agents on the other side.

The comedian made headlines this weekend after leaving a controversial comment on an Instagram account which regurgitated a story that Iranian officials supposedly recently put out an $80 mil offer for DT's life. GL responded to the news, "We'll do it for half."

He came under fire from both sides of the aisle -- especially conservatives -- with many saying he'd crossed a line with his quip. And, even if he was joking, as he later claimed, the death of an American President is obviously no laughing matter.