President Trump

2:38 PM PT -- Another eyewitness just walked us through what he saw ... he says Mark and Roma were walking up the stairs and stopped at the top to talk to someone. Within seconds, the eyewitness said, "Tom came charging up the steps and it was on." The eyewitness says it was clear Tom was there to confront Mark and, in a flash, Mark had his hands on Tom's throat, and Tom was tearing at Mark's shirt and ripping off his crucifix.

The eyewitness says it was all over in 15 seconds because "Survivor" host Jeff Probst separated them. The eyewitness also says Bryan Fogel was there filming the whole thing and it looked planned because the altercation was quick and without warning.

The eyewitness also says Tom was at the party for several hours telling people about the confrontation.

Tom has a show that premieres Tuesday, and the way the eyewitness put it, "Tom got the reaction he wanted. He got even more than he bargained for."

11:34 AM PT -- Tom just left the police station and provided more detail from the scuffle. He says Burnett choked him so violently he needs a doctor and he truly believed Mark wanted to kill him.

10:50 AM PT -- An eyewitness tells TMZ he saw the altercation this way ... Burnett and his wife, Roma Downey, had just arrived at the party and walked up the staircase to get inside. We're told just as they got to the top stair, Arnold came charging at them and pushed Burnett. The eyewitness says Burnett pushed Arnold back and then Arnold ripped Burnett's crucifix off his neck, breaking it. Arnold said it was a gold chain but in fact, it was a crucifix.

The altercation lasted no more than 30 seconds and they all stayed at the party.

Earlier in the day, Arnold told Salon.com he wanted to confront Burnett at the Emmys ceremony. Arnold also called Burnett a "p***y."

10:15 AM PT -- Tom is currently filing a police report with the LAPD.

Tom Arnold claims mega-producer Mark Burnett attacked him at a pre-Emmy party, but Burnett's wife claims it was the opposite ... Arnold ambushed Mark.

It went down Sunday night ... Arnold tweeted, "Mark Burnett just went apeshit & choked me at this huge Emmy party then he ran away with his torn pink shirt & missing gold chain. I'm waiting for LAPD."

Burnett's wife, Roma Downey, says Arnold "tried to ambush" her and Mark. She says Arnold hurt her and she posted a pic of a bruise on her hand, claiming Arnold was the culprit.

Arnold, who said he was waiting for the LAPD, fired back, "Bullshit. You lie your crazy husband attacked me you psycho. I'm filing a police report & suing you for defamation."

We checked with LAPD ... so far no report.

Right after the fight, Tom posed for pics with other people in the party, including Patton Oswalt and Billy Eichner ... who cheekily said, "Everyone in LA is shaken. Hold your loved ones tight."

Arnold has been working on a show for Vice ... a show about so-called "hidden Trump tapes." One of the things Arnold is after ... the outtakes from "The Apprentice," which Burnett created and produces. Arnold believes the tapes reveal Trump using the n-word and other epithets. Burnett has said he has no access to the tapes because they're owned by MGM.

Dascha Polanco believes Donald Trump's claim the death toll in Puerto Rico was inflated to make him look bad, only proves one thing -- he's all about diversions.

The "Orange Is the New Black" star was at LAX Friday when she called out the Prez for denying thousands died after hurricanes Maria and Irma. She can't understand how he's disputing hard numbers from multiple studies.

But, Dascha tells us that's not even the point -- the big picture is the situation in Puerto Rico shows we need to unite to help people in need ... and she says it's simply common sense.

Later, gator. GOP House Majority Whip Steve Scalise went on a hunting trip with Donald Trump Jr. ... and they bagged a 9-foot alligator!!!

We got Steve at Reagan National Airport in D.C. and Scalise tells us the gator meat was finger-lickin' good, and gave us a taste of what it's like to hunt gators, fry 'em up and make gator jambalaya. Guess that's what Don Jr. had in mind when his father famously said, "drain the swamp."

He also defended President Trump's controversial stance on Puerto Rico's hurricane relief.

Steve and Don Jr. hit the bayou last week for Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry's annual gator hunt ... and they were joined by Kimberly Guilfoyle and GOP Rep. Brian Babin.

The congressman -- who was nearly fatally shot last year at the Congressional baseball practice -- has recovered enough to throw on some hunting gear and hit the swamp with his pals.

President Trump is prepping for Hurricane Florence by boasting about his sparkling record fighting super storms -- especially in Puerto Rico, where he insists less than 100 died, and NOT 3,000.

As Florence's winds started whipping the Carolinas' Outer Banks, 45 recalled Hurricane Maria's devastation in P.R., saying ... "AFTER the storm had hit, they had anywhere from 6 to 18 deaths. As time went by it did not go up by much." He tweeted that it was only later that Democrats inflated the death toll to "really large numbers, like 3000" just to make him look bad.

You'll recall, Trump triumphantly arrived on the island a month after Maria ... and touted the fact there were only "16 people certified" dead. He also joyously tossed paper towels to a crowd of residents.

POTUS seems to be forgetting the fact there was almost ZERO electricity or clean water on the island for several months -- factors that increased deaths according to several investigative reports. Last month, Puerto Rico released an official death toll of 2,975.

But, the President might have revealed the true root of his Puerto Rico beef yesterday on Twitter.

He ripped the Mayor of San Juan for allegedly playing the political game. In any event, he vows the government is ready for whatever Florence brings to the Carolinas.

President Oscar De La Hoya?!?!

Don't scoff -- the boxing legend says he's "very seriously" considering running for the highest office in the land ... and he's already putting together an exploratory team.

"I am actually very, very serious and I strongly feel that if a Kanye West can do it and announce and maybe tease the world that he would maybe one day wanna run for president, why not me?"

Obviously, Oscar has no experience as an elected politician -- but as ODLH pointed out on "TMZ Live," neither did Donald Trump.

So, what convinced Oscar to explore politics?

"I've had literally, over the years, ever since I became a professional in boxing, I've had millions of people tell me, 'Look, why don't you represent? Why don't you stand up and have a bigger voice?' And obviously, the biggest voice you can have is being president."

Oscar says if his exploratory team comes back with good numbers, he'll make it official and begin his campaign.

And, if you're wondering, Oscar says he believes strongly in standing for the national anthem.

But before he goes on the campaign trail, Oscar's got another major event in his life -- he's promoting the big Canelo vs. GGG rematch on Sept. 15th.

12:45 PM PT -- Colin Kaepernick has expressed support for Stills and Wilson, tweeting "My Brothers @kstills and @ithinkisee12 continue to show their unwavering strength by fighting for the oppressed! They have not backed down, even when attacked and intimidated. Their courage will move the world forward! 'Love is at the root of our resistance!'"

Not a ton of players took a knee in protest during the NFL's fist week of regular season games ... but the first to do so were from The Miami Dolphins.

Miami wide receivers Kenny Stills and Albert Wilson quietly took a knee during the anthem of Sunday's contest against the Tennessee Titans. Their teammate, Robert Quinn raised a fist during the song.

You'll remember ... prior to the season, NFL owners approved a rule that required players to either stand or wait in the locker room while the anthem was played. The rule was put on hold after significant backlash from the players.

Both Still and Wilson also took a knee during the preseason and stated they'd continue to do so during the regular season.

President Trump took a shot at the NFL and player protests before Sunday's games, saying, "Wow, NFL first game ratings are way down over an already really bad last year comparison. Viewership declined 13%, the lowest in over a decade. If the players stood proudly for our Flag and Anthem, and it is all shown on broadcast, maybe ratings could come back? Otherwise worse!"

As we reported -- Nike named Colin Kaepernick the face of the "Just Do It" campaign's 30th anniversary -- a move hit with a ton of praise and controversy too.

Ted Lieu thinks Kim Kardashian is doing stand-up work with clemency and prison reform, but the congressman says Donald Trump should be swayed by more than just beautiful celebs.

We got Ted outside the U.S. Capitol Wednesday, and he called on the President to become more active in pardoning prisoners who are getting a raw deal from draconian drug sentences.

It's great Kim appears to have DT's ear when it comes to freeing prisoners, Ted says, but Trump needs to be more willing to listen to voices outside the celebrity realm.

Ted says he's called for a full review of Trump's pardon authority, and explains why the President should be more balanced in the clemency process.

Shepard Smith is having a little fun at President Trump's expense -- mocking his inability to say the word "anonymous."

The FOX News host took the subtle dig Friday during his show, purposefully stumbling over the word that gave Trump so much trouble during his Montana rally. The funniest part might be Shepard's deadpan deliver.

Somehow he kept a straight face while butchering the word "amomamous" in reference to The New York Times op-ed author who claims Trump staffers are actively working to undermine 45.

Warning: Avoid playing cards with Shepard. Killer poker face.

Donald Trump's incessant golf outings are costing taxpayers a FORTUNE.

Taxpayers footed bills totaling $300,675 for golf cart rentals alone, so the Secret Service could follow Trump on the links ... this according to federal documents obtained by TMZ.

Many of the expenses emanate from Trump's Mar-a-Lago excursions. And, get this ... since taking office Trump has reportedly spent 153 days at golf properties, which explains why the golf cart rental is sky high.

Since Trump took office, the total expense of his golf outings cost taxpayers an estimated $77 MILLION.

Kim Kardashian West seems to have a powerful pull over President Trump's administration, and she's using it for good ... according to an ex-judge very connected to her cause.

We spoke to former Tennessee judge Kevin Sharp Wednesday in D.C. after his White House meeting with Kim, Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump and, eventually, the President -- and he says the haters are way off base if they think Kim's only there as window dressing.

Sharp says they had further discussions about criminal justice reform, and not only was Kim was smart and very involved ... she's the right person to seal the deal.

Judge Sharp says Kim's success with Alice Johnson proves she's incredibly effective in a process that would normally take months, because of the public attention she can bring.

By the way, Kim's latest mission -- to get clemency for Chris Young -- is a special one for Sharp. He's the judge who resigned after Tennessee laws forced him to give Young a life sentence for drug possession.

President Donald Trump is still really mad over the new Nike campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick -- because he's publicly trashing the Swoosh again ... saying the brand is failing just like the NFL.

Trump first blasted Nike during an interview with the Daily Caller -- saying the campaign sends a "terrible message."

Now, Trump's back to Twitter and spitting more venom.

"Just like the NFL, whose ratings have gone WAY DOWN, Nike is getting absolutely killed with anger and boycotts," Trump said.

"I wonder if they had any idea that it would be this way? As far as the NFL is concerned, I just find it hard to watch, and always will, until they stand for the FLAG!"

As far as Trump's claim about boycotts and anger -- seems the ad is being met with just as much praise from influential people like LeBron James, Kevin Durant and even Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis.

The Lord didn't send thunder or hail, but maybe a lightning strike at the White House can jolt President Trump onto a righteous path ... because a little shock therapy never hurts.

There's a thunderstorm in the nation's capital and the White House was right smack at the center of it. A bolt found its way to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

CNN photographer Khalil Abdallah caught the moment.

There's a storm brewing over Trump's SCOTUS nominee who's getting scorched for snubbing the father of a Parkland shooting victim. Then, there's legendary journalist Bob Woodward's book. The excerpts released Tuesday paint Trump as an egomaniac with "the understanding of a fifth or sixth grader."

Among other claims ... White House chief of staff John Kelly told colleagues Trump's "an idiot. It's pointless to try to convince him of anything. He's gone off the rails. We're in Crazytown."

Kelly's predecessor, Reince Priebus, reportedly called the presidential bedroom where Trump does most of his tweeting as "the devil's workshop." And, according to the book, Trump said of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, "This guy is mentally retarded. He's this dumb Southerner."

No surprise here -- Donald Trump doesn't think Nike should "Just Do It" with Colin Kaepernick ... saying the company's new ad campaign sends a "terrible message."

The Prez -- who's vehemently against NFL players who kneel during the National Anthem -- tells the Daily Caller he disagrees with Nike's endorsement. He says ... "I think it's a terrible message that they're sending and the purpose of them doing it, maybe there's a reason for them doing it ... but I think as far as sending a message, I think it's a terrible message and a message that shouldn't be sent. There's no reason for it."

It's interesting, though ... Trump admits Nike is a tenant in one of his NYC buildings, and says it pays him a lot of rent for the NikeTown location -- but adds, the company has the right to align itself with whomever it wants.

He adds ... "It is what this country is all about, that you have certain freedoms to do things that other people think you shouldn't do, but I personally am on a different side of it."

As we've reported, Kaepernick's ad, part of Nike's 30th anniversary of its "Just Do It" campaign -- has sparked major backlash ... including from the National Association of Police Organizations, which is calling for a Nike boycott.

On the flip side, several celebs and athletes have publicly supported the ad ... even Tom Brady.

As you'll recall ... Trump made headlines in September 2017 after saying NFL owners should fire players who kneel for the anthem, referring to them as "sons of bitches."

A year later ... the war rages on.

If Brett Kavanaugh watches 'Handmaid's Tale,' he's not going to like the demonstrations outside his Supreme Court confirmation hearings on Capitol Hill.

Protesters upset over Kavanaugh's possible ascension to the highest court in the land dressed as handmaids from the TV show -- a popular form of protest among women's rights activists.

Many are fearful Kavanaugh could become a powerful swing vote in the Supreme Court, one that could eventually overturn Roe v. Wade.

Kavanaugh's confirmation hearings began Tuesday, and it's sparked waves of protests in D.C. Brett is Donald Trump's pick for the Supreme Court. Kavanaugh would replace Justice Anthony Kennedy, and would almost certainly take a conservative stance on abortion.

Tuesday's demonstrators have at least one celeb on board with the cause.

Alyssa Milano recently posted this picture of herself dressed as a handmaid, with the red robe and white hat, holding a sign comparing Kavanaugh to the authoritarian regime from the TV show.

Critics of President Trump have drawn comparisons between the fictional regime in power in 'Handmaid's Tale' and his administration's stance on abortion, LGBTQ rights and religious freedom.

Bad news for Alyssa and co. as it looks more and more like Kavanaugh will soon join the Supreme Court. Brett needs only a simple majority to be confirmed, and Republicans hold a 1-vote majority in the Senate.

Seems Tom Brady and his old pal, Donald Trump, don't agree when it comes to Colin Kaepernick -- because the G.O.A.T. spent his Monday showing PUBLIC SUPPORT for Colin's new Nike deal.

Brady made his mark on Instagram -- where he "liked" four different posts featuring Colin's new Nike ad. The images were posted by LeBron James, Chris Paul, Kevin Durant and GQ -- all of whom were praising the deal on social media.

And, it's not a brand loyalty thing from Brady -- he's not a Nike athlete. TB12 actually has a deal with rival sports apparel brand Under Armour.

Of course, the bigger issue is Brady and Trump -- who used to be close (REALLY close) until their friendship suddenly went way south.

Remember, Brady even sported Trump's MAGA hat in his locker at one point. But, Tom's wife, Gisele, has been an outspoken critic of Trump since the election and it seems politics may have been the dividing factor for Tom and Donald.

Now, with Trump calling for the NFL to fire "sons of bitches" who don't stand for the national anthem -- a line has been drawn in the sand ... and it appears Tom has chosen his side.

4:00 PM PT -- Hard to tell if it's related, but the Prez just tweeted in all caps ... "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

Trump's tweet could be regarding his current struggle with Canada to reach a new NAFTA deal ... or he may have just felt the need to repeat his oft-used slogan. Just as likely, though ... it's a retort to Meghan's eulogy for her father.

Wolf Blitzer doesn't think anything at John McCain's funeral was out of line or too political ... and he's got no apparent issues with Meghan McCain's shot at the Prez either.

We got the CNN anchor at the Reagan National Airport in D.C. Saturday shortly after the late Senator's service wrapped up ... he said it was a beautiful funeral, fitting for "a great American and a great patriot."

Wolf also supported Meghan's comments about her father and the country, clearly slamming Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" motto.

Meghan said, "The America of John McCain has no need to be made great again because America was always great."

Blitzer's on board with that sentiment, telling us though America's made mistakes, it's the greatest country in the world in his opinion ... and "it's always been great."

As we reported ... former Presidents and McCain rivals George W. Bush and Barack Obama also delivered eulogies for the esteemed politician's National Memorial Service Saturday.