President Trump

One of the rioters who died during the Capitol insurrection was clearly ready for violence, because just weeks before his death he posted a photo of himself with 2 AR-15's with the caption ... "I wish these motherf****** would come to my hood!"

Kevin Greeson, from Alabama, died during the Capitol takeover. So far authorities are only saying his death was caused by a "medical emergency," but they did not provide details.

The 55-year-old was a big fan of Parler, a right-wing site that has just been yanked off the Google Play Store after receiving information the site was used to plan the attack. Apple is also threatening to pull the site from the App Store.

Kevin's family says he did not travel to Washington to engage in violence or rioting. His family says Kevin had high blood pressure and believes he suffered a heart attack.

The founder and lead guitarist of heavy metal band Iced Earth is popular with the FBI these days, because he's now a wanted man.

Jon Schaffer was one of the rioters who stormed the Capitol Wednesday, and it's not like his presence was a big surprise. He's a die-hard Trumper who warned last month during a protest he and others like him were ready for violence if it came to that, and also warned the opposition ... "You're goin' down."

Schaffer is wanted for "unrest-related offenses" in connection with the failed coup attempt.

Schaffer’s involvement in the Capitol riot came a few months after he attended a D.C. Trump rally in November to protest against the election results.

Hansi Kursch, who's also in the band, Demons & Wizards, with Schaffer, was appalled at what he saw, saying ... "We are deeply shocked and our thoughts are with the relatives of the deceased. We expressly distance ourselves from any kind of violence irrespective if applied against institutions or persons. The incidents will be thoroughly investigated and the responsible will be brought to justice. We ask for your understanding that in view of the hourly news situation we will not make any further comments at present."

Schaffer's one of the more high-profile rioters, what with being in 3 popular bands and authorities know where he lives ... so it seems the FBI should find him with ease.

The FBI WANTS YOUR HELP in finding these 10 people whom they say are insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol.

The feds want this wanted poster, so to speak, plastered everywhere so everyone can be their eyes and ears to find these suspected rioters in the attempted coup that left 5 people dead.

There were so many people who breached the Capitol the FBI is rolling out its WANTED posters gradually ... catch 10, post 10 more.

The man suspected of placing bombs at the DNC and the RNC headquarters in D.C was also captured on camera by the FBI.

Numerous arrests have already been made, including the guy who mugged for the camera in Nancy Pelosi's office.

The Capitol Police may have come up way short in preventing the riots, but it seems they're trying to make up for it ... by attempting to nab suspected rioters before they get out of town.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Capitol Police headed up an operation Friday at Reagan National Airport in D.C., staking the place out in search of would-be travelers believed to have been involved in Wednesday's insurrection.

These photos show cops detaining one man who we're told was surrounded by cops, taken into a room and questioned.

We're told airport police and the Dept. of Homeland Security provided an assist. We don't know how many people were detained or arrested.

The FBI is on the hunt for everyone who participated in the Capitol riots, and several suspects have already been identified and arrested.

A retired lieutenant was one of the insurrectionists who took over the Capitol Wednesday, and it wasn't hard ID'ing him because of the gear he chose to wear during the invasion.

Larry Rendall Brock is an Air Force vet from Texas who was on the Senate floor during the chaos. He was decked out in body armor, a military helmet and a tag with a Punisher skull. That tag has been embraced by QAnon.

He was grasping zip-ties as he left Nancy Pelosi's office. Brock told the New Yorker he wasn't breaching the Capitol at all ... he says he thought someone had put the welcome mat out for the group. What he didn't explain ... if the group was so welcome, why did they smash windows, overtake the cops and storm the building? As for the zip ties, he said he found them in the building and was holding them to return to the cops.

He also said he came to Washington because "The President asked for his supporters to be there to attend, and I felt like it was important."

As we reported ... at least 2 men inside the Capitol had zip ties, which are substitutes for handcuffs. As you know, Congress was in session at the time of the attempted coup and the members literally fled for their lives. The question -- were they on the verge of becoming hostages, or worse?

Law enforcement also found explosives that were ready to detonate.

The FBI has reasons to believe the mob of Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol not only premeditated the assault, but might have been aided by police and staffers in the building ... TMZ has learned.

High ranking sources inside the Capitol Police Dept. tell TMZ the FBI is looking at several facts that stink of an inside job. For starters, the Bureau is puzzled by the ease with which the mob found its way to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office.

It's not off any main hallway or next to other Congressional offices ... in fact, the path to get to the entrance is maze-like and not open to the public like other parts of the Capitol. The rioters who took it over -- vandalizing it and stealing a laptop -- got there within 10 minutes of entering the Capitol.

We're told the FBI feels someone must have provided a roadmap for them to find it that quickly. Remember, the Capitol has been closed to the public since March due to the pandemic so it's not like these guys could have been casing it to plot their path.

As for suspects -- we're told the FBI is looking at Capitol Police officers and many other Capitol staffers, such as engineers, plumbers and janitors.

We're told another image raising eyebrows at the Bureau are those videos of a few police officers opening gates and removing barricades to give the hoard easy access to the Capitol.

Our sources say some officers could be charged with cowardice -- legally defined as failure to take proper police action. Additionally, we're told the rioters -- and anyone who aided them -- could also be charged for threats and menacing against Congress ... because the House and Senate were in session when the mob breached the building.

We're told the feds are also extremely motivated to find the people responsible for attacking Capitol PD officer Brian Sicknick ... who later died from his injuries.

We're told the FBI and the National Security Agency are using cell phone tower data, and state-of-the-art digital imaging systems to help ID people who were in the Capitol during the insurrection -- that includes rioters, Capitol staffers.

President Trump no longer has to worry about character counts or typos in his tweets, because Twitter has deemed him too dangerous for its app ... and booted him PERMANENTLY.

Twitter made the call Friday to ban the outgoing Prez, after temporarily suspending him earlier this week following his comments about the Capitol riots he's accused of inciting.

According to Twitter ... it's now a permanent ban for Trump "due to the risk of further incitement of violence."

The decision comes after Facebook and Instagram also extended Trump's suspensions from one day to indefinite.

Twitter says ... "In the context of horrific events this week, we made it clear on  Wednesday that additional violations of the Twitter Rules would potentially result in this very course of action."

It then claimed 2 of Trump's tweets from Friday were the last straw in its decision to pull the plug on his account. The first tweet read ... "The 75,000,000 great American Patriots who voted for me, AMERICA FIRST, and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, will have a GIANT VOICE long into the future. They will not be disrespected or treated unfairly in any way, shape or form!!!"

This was followed up by Trump tweeting that he would not be attending the inauguration on Jan. 20.

So, Twitter came to this conclusion -- "Due to the ongoing tensions in the United States, and an uptick in the global conversation in regards to the people who violently stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, these two Tweets must be read in the context of broader events in the country and the ways in which the President’s statements can be mobilized by different audiences, including to incite violence, as well as in the context of the pattern of behavior from this account in recent weeks."

An Alabama man seemed to be gearing up for mass destruction and murder at the Capitol Building on Wednesday ... at least based on what cops say they discovered in his truck.

Lonnie Coffman has been arrested and charged with possession of destructive devices and carrying an unlicensed gun ... but that doesn't tell the half of it.

According to legal docs -- obtained by TMZ -- Coffman approached cops and told them he was trying to get to his vehicle -- a red pickup -- the same suspicious vehicle they had received calls about.

Cops say he asked them if they found the bombs, and upon searching his truck ... they found 11 mason jars containing an unknown liquid with a golf tee in the top of each jar, cloth rags and lighters. AKA -- Molotov cocktails.

They also discovered one M4 Carbine assault rifle with rifle magazines loaded with ammunition ... and a black handgun on the front passenger seat. Cops say he also had 2 guns in his pockets when he was detained.

According to the docs ... while questioning him, he told them the mason jars contained "melted Styrofoam and gasoline." ATF officers say this mixture has the effect of napalm.

Coffman's been arrested, and cops say -- based on security footage -- he was seen leaving the vehicle parked near the Capitol building on Wednesday morning.

Lindsey Graham belatedly tried distancing himself from Donald Trump Wednesday night after the insurrection, and a group of hecklers just gave Graham even more distance between him and Trump.

The South Carolina Senator was trying to fly out of Reagan National Airport in D.C. Friday morn when he encountered a pack of fervid Trumpers pissed off at him for publicly breaking with the Prez.

As Graham's being escorted by security, he's repeatedly called "traitor" by the angry Trump supporters ... with one woman chanting "Audit our vote!"

Graham continues to get hit with a barrage of insults until he makes it to an exit, and the mob makes it clear ... he's on their s*** list.

As we reported ... Mitt Romney also got the mob treatment from Trump supporters earlier this week on a flight to D.C. The Utah Senator is one of Trump's most vocal Republican critics.

It comes as no surprise after his actions this week, but President Trump is finally saying what we've suspected -- he will not attend the Inauguration of Joe Biden.

It's the first time since Andrew Johnson an outgoing U.S. President will not be attending the inauguration of the President-elect. Trump tweeted, "To all those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration."

Of course, there's still a slim chance he won't even be POTUS by that time, as some members of Congress met after the Capitol riots about invoking the 25th amendment to remove him from office ... and there are impeachment talks again too.

This after Trump was accused of inciting the storming of the Capitol, and his initial failure to condemn the rioters ... instead choosing to say he loved the insurrectionists and calling them special.

If Trump sticks with his plan ... he'll join John Adams, John Quincy Adams, and Andrew Johnson as the only presidents to refuse to accompany the incoming Prez.

Vice President Mike Pence is expected to attend Biden's inauguration.

CNN's Bakari Sellers says America needs to look in the mirror after rioters waving Confederate flags ran through the halls of Congress because it says a lot about our country.

Bakari joined us on "TMZ Live" Friday and discussed one of the lasting images from Wednesday's attempted coup ... insurrectionists storming the Capitol waving Confederate flags and Trump flags.

It's a sight we haven't seen in 200 years -- a foreign flag paraded inside the Capitol -- and Bakari suggests the size of the mob that pulled it off proves this IS America ... or at least a painfully large part of it.

While President-elect Joe Biden says the chaos at the Capitol "does not represent who we are," Bakari thinks Biden and the rest of America have to admit it is so the country can move forward and find a way to coexist.

"Elizabeth from Knoxville" -- the woman who said she got maced storming the Capitol -- is being accused of using an onion to make it look like she was crying, but there could be a deeper, more ominous reason for the bulb -- that she and others were banking on violence at the Capitol.

Onions are an antidote to tear gas. They can relieve the burning sensation from the gas. It's been reported for several years that onions can be used for this purpose. So the question ... why was this woman armed with an onion?

As we reported ... the woman was interviewed as rioters were making their way into the Capitol Building, and claimed she got pushed out and maced. While crying and talking about a "revolution," she repeatedly kept dabbing her eyes with a towel.

The looming question is whether the invasion of the Capitol was premeditated or not. Did the rioters plan the attack or did it just happen? It's interesting ... if this were just a peaceful protest, why carry an onion?

There is other evidence the plan may have been to invade the Capitol. As we reported, one of the insurrectionists had zip ties ... and given the building was filled with members of Congress, it sure feels like someone might have been thinking in advance of taking hostages.

Race is a big factor in the way cops handled Wednesday's coup, especially when juxtaposed against the way law enforcement dealt with the BLM protests after George Floyd's death .. so says, Sheriff Chris Swanson.

Sheriff Swanson, who famously put down his baton and helmet to join BLM protesters in solidarity this summer in Michigan's Flint Township, joins us on "TMZ Live" Friday to give his perspective on the Capitol riots from the eyes of law enforcement.

He says there's no denying -- as Michelle Obama pointed out -- police handled the situation with pro-Trump protesters much differently than they did last summer with BLM demonstrators.

Sherriff Swanson says the way Capitol Police lines were breached so easily is evidence of personal biases among officers ... and he says if that happened on his watch, he would be handing out pink slips left and right, with an eye toward criminal prosecution.

He also thinks police should be better prepared for protests, and not by loading up on riot gear ... he says it's not about responding to chaos, but getting to know the community. Remember, he did this back in Michigan and was widely praised for it.

The U.S. Capitol Police Dept. may have been able to thwart Wednesday's attempted coup if it had all hands on deck, but we've learned they had less than ONE-QUARTER of the force working ... despite multiple, clear warnings the protest could turn violent.

Capitol Police sources tell TMZ ... 500 officers were working Wednesday as President Trump revved up the huge crowd of his supporters upset over the election results -- giving them their marching orders with the Capitol as the final destination. Trump has been dog-whistling for weeks now, promising something big would happen on January 6.

With that backdrop, the Capitol Police are 2,200 strong, yet only 500 were on duty. The way it works in most police departments around the country ... when there's the possibility of social unrest it's all hands on deck. That did not happen here.

Our source says the police believed they had enough staff to contain any unrest ... by setting up barricades and locking up the 3 House office buildings -- the Cannon, Longworth and Rayburn Buildings. The sad fact ... they were grossly understaffed.

Even worse, we're told when the cops on duty were instructed to start deploying tear gas to clear the rioters ... they were not given masks or proper protective equipment. This resulted in many officers becoming debilitated themselves ... meaning even fewer police were at the ready to contain the insurrection.

We're told when it became obvious things were completely out of control, several Capitol Police officers who work the night crew made their way to the Hill to help out ... but by then, according to one Capitol Police source, it already felt like "Olympus Has Fallen."

Rep. Karen Bass of California -- who was in the Capitol Building at the time of the invasion -- is shocked and appalled at the security breach ... and not necessarily buying Capitol Police excuses.

She suggests -- like many others -- the insurrection was made possible by the lax treatment of Trump's supporters, and she believes if a similar situation arose with BLM protesters ... they would have dealt with it in a vastly different, more violent way.

White House Correspondent for TheGrio April Ryan has a slightly different take, but it still doesn't reflect kindly on the Capitol Police. She tells us they acted like keystone cops during the failed coup attempt, but feels it's par for the course.

She says the grotesque images will be long remembered around the country and the world, and there needs to be a drastic revamp of the Capitol Police Dept. to protect the building and its occupants from terrorists ... both domestic and foreign.

We were even told cops were not allowed to take time off from January 5-7 and a plan was being implemented to have a heavy police presence in the area -- both uniformed and in street clothes. It makes it even more puzzling why the full complement of cops wasn't there.

On the bright side -- the FBI is on the hunt for the rioters ... as Rep. Bass says they should be.

Rep. Karen Bass is outraged and saddened about the ordeal she and all of Congress endured -- and can't help thinking the Capitol attack would've been thwarted if rioters weren't Trump supporters.

The Congresswoman from California's 37th district joined "TMZ Live" Thursday to recount the terror of the moment lawmakers had to be evacuated ... a shocking event she calls ironic ... in a couple of ways.

First of all, Bass says she anticipated things getting dicey on the streets of D.C. ... but she told her family she'd be safe and sound inside the typically heavily guarded Capitol.

Secondly, she believes the protesters-turned-rioters were almost enabled by the authorities to do what they did. Rep. KB says it stands in stark contrast to what happened during last summer's Black Lives Matter demonstrations.

Her implication is pretty clear, and it all comes back to President Trump ... who still has 13 days left in office. If you think Bass isn't concerned about that even though the riots are over ... think again.

As she points out ... it's not just his actions yesterday that are troubling, but his behavior on social media over the course of his presidency and his plethora of recent lamed duck hirings and firings

April Ryan says members of Congress want President Trump gone before Inauguration Day ... and, as of now, their best path to getting it done looks like the 25th Amendment.

The veteran White House Correspondent for TheGrio joined us Thursday on "TMZ Live" and told us what she's hearing from folks on both sides of the aisle -- the attempted coup was the last straw, and the only issue now is how they'll oust Trump.

April says the 25th Amendment is very much in play ... which is pretty eye-opening considering invoking it is a tough sell. Remember, Mike Pence and either a majority of Trump's Cabinet OR two-thirds of both the Senate and the House have to be on board.

April ran down the list of lawmakers coming out against the President ... and really painted a picture of how the dynamics in D.C. are drastically changing.

April also told us what Congressional leaders were thinking and feeling as they were being whisked off to an undisclosed location Wednesday with the Capitol under siege ... and she tells us why some of the most powerful people in the country were very much afraid.