President Trump

A D.C. Metro police officer says he went into "survival mode" after Capitol rioters reached for his gun and yelled, "Kill him with his own gun."

Officer Michael Fanone, a narcotics detective who normally works in plain clothes, says he threw on a uniform to help with backup during the Jan. 6 coup attempt. When the angry mob overtook him, he says he was tased several times in the back of the neck, and thought about using deadly force to get free.

He told CNN he ultimately decided not to, realizing he didn't have enough firepower to take on everyone ... and he didn't want to "give them the justification to kill me."

Instead, he says he tried to appeal to their humanity -- "I just remember yelling out that I have kids. And, it seemed to work." The moment some of the Trump supporters and his partner pulled him away to safety was captured on video.

What's more ... Fanone suffered a minor heart attack because of the ordeal and was taken to a Baltimore medical center to stabilize his heart's rhythm.

Several airlines are taking added precautions to thwart more violence in D.C. leading up to Inauguration Day ... starting with a temporary gun ban.

Delta Air Lines is leading the charge by banning firearms in checked luggage for all passengers who are flying to D.C. area airports. The temporary gun ban begins Saturday and will last until January 23. Joe Biden will be sworn in on Jan. 20.

This is the text message Delta's sending to affected customers ... letting them know it will not be allowing firearms in checked bags "To help ensure the safety of customers and employees."

A Delta spokesperson adds that "Weighing the violence we witnessed in the Capitol last week" contributed to the decision. The temporary gun ban policy applies to flights going to the Ronald Reagan National Airport, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Dulles International Airport and Richmond International Airport.

So far, United, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines have joined Delta in the gun ban, noting that like Delta ... law enforcement and military officials will be exempt.

Along with the temporary policy on firearms, major airlines have announced other heightened security measures for flights to D.C., such as selling fewer tickets, increasing staffing at airports, and relocating crew members to hotels outside of the downtown D.C. area.

President Trump isn't the only one leaving the White House ... honest, Abraham Lincoln's been escorted out of the West Wing, for some reason.

Three people, presumably White House staffers, were seen slipping out a side door Thursday with a bust of our 16th President. The odd sight definitely caught the attention of the U.S. Marine standing guard, as his eyes seemed to say what we're all thinking -- where the hell ya going with Lincoln???

Trump, as you know, loves to bring up Abe's name to pat himself on the back ... often saying he's done more for African-Americans than any Prez since Lincoln. It's possible the sculpture is a personal item Trump brought when he moved into the White House.

Of course, Trump and staffers are prepping to move out of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave to make room for President-elect Joe Biden -- but, as far as we know, ya don't get to take art pieces as souvenirs.

A Florida substitute teacher who was caught on video telling students Antifa was responsible for the Capitol riot has been fired ... TMZ has learned.

Dr. Damien Moses, principal at Bok Academy in Lake Wales, FL., tells TMZ ... the teacher's conduct was immediately dealt with following the incident from earlier this week. Moses said, "We met with her and she has been dismissed not only from our school, but also from the Lake Wales Charter School System."

A student at the academy started recording the substitute teacher's rant during a middle school language arts class in which she falsely claimed 3 Antifa members were paid to storm the Capitol in last week's failed coup, and were solely responsible for the violence.

Remember ... the FBI has said there is no indication Antifa played a role in the mob that stormed the Capitol.

The substitute teacher was referencing a Washington Times story from last week with the headline "Facial Recognition Claims Antifa Infiltrated Trump Protesters who Stormed Capitol." The story has since been retracted ... after the Singapore-based XRVision tech company refuted the report, adding the company was never in contact with the outlet.

You can hear the student recording the video tell the sub rioters were seen wearing MAGA hats and Trump flags ... but the sub fired back saying, "When they're paid to be there and cause a riot they wanna make it look like Trump supporters so they wear Trump hats and carry Trump flags."

You can sense the discomfort in the room ... and one student asked for permission to leave, while another said, "I don't care about your opinions."

Ali Alexander -- the pro-Trump organizer of the "Stop the Steal" movement -- calls himself one of the originators of the D.C. rally that preceded the Capitol riots ... but he claims he got help from 3 Congressmen.

The right-wing activist had been vocal for weeks about holding a huge event on January 6 in order to stop Congress from certifying the election win for Joe Biden, and he stated on video he schemed with 3 GOP Representatives to make it happen -- Andy Biggs and Paul A. Gosar from Arizona and Mo Brooks from Alabama.

All 3 GOP lawmakers are hard-line Trump supporters and have links to Alexander through video and social media posts ... and Ali claims their plan was to put "maximum pressure on Congress while they were voting."

He adds that they wanted to "change the hearts and the minds of Republicans who were in that body, hearing our loud roar from outside."

As you know, the D.C. rally for President Trump was followed by a march to the U.S. Capitol, where an angry mob of his supporters violently stormed in ... resulting in 5 deaths.

Alexander and his "Stop the Steal" group have been banned from Twitter, and though he's denied inciting the riot ... the 3 Republicans are taking heat for aiding him.

Biggs and Brooks have denied involvement with Alexander in organizing the Jan. 6 rally, and Gosar has not responded yet.

As we've reported ... Democratic members of Congress like Rep. Jim Clyburn have suggested the Capitol riots were part of an inside job facilitated by GOP politicians -- though he didn't name names. Similarly, Rep. Mikie Sherrill claimed she saw some of her GOP colleagues leading groups on "reconnaissance" tours of the building the day before the insurrection.

The storming of the U.S. Capitol is taking a serious toll on the undermanned police officers who were on the front lines ... so their mental health is now a top priority.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... counseling services provided by the Capitol Police have been in high demand over the past week, as officers are reeling and grieving after the violence that took place on January 6.

As you know, the riots resulted in 5 deaths ... including Officer Brian D. Sicknick, who was killed by rioters, and officer Howard Liebengood died by suicide days later.

We're told Capitol PD brass is periodically encouraging the rank and file to utilize their Employee Assistance Program ... and welcoming administrative leave, if needed.

The program includes on-site, confidential counselors who can help employees cope with a wide range of issues. It's been in place for decades, and was a huge help to officers after 9/11.

Our sources say the counseling is available 24/7 -- usually via phone call -- and a large number of officers have been taking advantage of the program ... and it's likely saving lives.

Former "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Siggy Flicker is calling BS on the internet sleuths who say she was at the Capitol riots ... and she's got an alibi.

Siggy tells TMZ ... she was never near the Capitol during last week's attempted coup, despite some social media users claiming she was there. She says she wasn't even in D.C.

SF claims she's been holed up with her family at their home in Boca Raton, FL for the last 2 months and she was at the Boca Hotel and Resort with her kids and husband while the mob was busy storming the Capitol.

Siggy's on the defense because actress Vivicca Whitsett sent a tweet to the FBI, alleging Siggy is the woman wearing a MAGA beanie in this grainy picture from inside the Capitol. Siggy tells us the tweet is a "blatant lie."

Siggy also posted video of a Jan. 5 flight to D.C. showing a plane full of people singing "The Star-Spangled Banner," which seems to have gotten the ball rolling on the allegations ... but she tells us it's not her video, and she downloaded it from Twitter and reposted it on her IG because she thought it was "beautiful."

A diehard Trump supporter, Siggy tells us she last went to a Trump rally Oct. 16 in Ocala, FL and she doesn't support or condone the violence ... she says anyone who caused damage inside the Capitol during the insurrection should go to jail, no matter their political beliefs.

Siggy says she wouldn't be caught dead at a mass gathering like the Capitol riots because she's gearing up for another surgical procedure on her ankle and isn't supposed to be around large crowds.

President Trump just became the first Commander-in-Chief to be impeached twice -- and what happens next may decide whether he can ever run for office again.

The U.S. House of Representatives voted Wednesday on one article of impeachment that was introduced earlier this week -- incitement of insurrection -- and the motion passed with majority ... which included a couple handfuls of Republicans.

The House needed just 217 votes for impeachment, and they greatly exceeded that number. Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger, John Katko, Fred Upton and Jaime Herrera Beutler were among the Republicans who voted to impeach.

The impeachment vote comes after Speaker Nancy Pelosi gave VP Mike Pence an ultimatum -- either remove Trump using the 25th Amendment, or we'll do it ourselves with another impeachment. Pence refused Pelosi's proposition, saying it was time to heal and move on.

As such, the House charged 45 with high crimes (again) -- and now, the Senate will have to take the matter up among themselves ... either voting to convict, or acquit. Remember, Trump was cleared of wrongdoing last time ... but it might be different now.

Fact is, several Republicans are said to be fed up with Trump at the helm of their party -- and the Capitol riot was the last straw. Some have proven to be loyal no matter what -- like Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley -- but others have denounced POTUS, publicly or privately.

Here's the deal ... if Trump is impeached and convicted by the Senate, not only would the President be removed, but he couldn't run for federal office again. Sen. Mitch McConnell says the Senate will not take up the trial until after Biden is sworn in as the 46th President.

As for how 45 feels about all this, well ... you've heard it all before. Trump's refused to take responsibility -- denying his words and actions sparked the mob he assembled to storm the Capitol, and insisting his comments beforehand were wholly "appropriate."

And, of course, he's cornered the term "witch hunt," which he's been invoking again.

Nancy Pelosi's lectern is back at the U.S. Capitol ... a week after a Florida man gleefully carried it out during a failed coup.

The House Speaker's lectern was wheeled into the building Wednesday and, as we reported, it did not suffer any damage. Still, pretty sure the lectern was or will be sanitized like hell. No word yet if the gavel was also returned.

As you know by now ... Adam Johnson is the man picked up last week on a federal warrant in Florida for his role in the Capitol riots, which, of course, included him taking the lectern. Images of the 36-year-old were plastered online and on TV during and after the insurrection. Goes without saying, it wasn't hard to ID him.

Johnson, a married man and stay-at-home father of 5, is slated to appear later this month in D.C. but already Johnson's lawyer told reporters earlier this week the case is going to be an uphill battle 'cause, ya know, there are pictures of the guy taking the lectern!

Johnson's attorneys, Dan Eckhart and David Bigney, acknowledged as much during a news conference this week outside a Tampa courthouse. Eckhart said, "You have a photograph of our client in a building, unauthorized to be there, with what appears to be a podium or a lectern."

When a reporter told Eckhart how the photo will be problematic, he said, "Yeah, I don't know how to explain that. But, that would be a problem. I'm not a magician."

President Trump is singing a different, more peaceful, tune now that he's about to be impeached a second time -- he's now urging law and order from his followers.

Banned from Twitter, the Prez instead had to issue a statement Wednesday through the White House in which he urged non-violence among his supporters.

Trump says ... "In light of reports of more demonstrations, I urge that there must be NO violence, NO lawbreaking and NO vandalism of any kind. That is not what I stand for, and it is not what America stands for."

As we've reported ... insurrectionists are vowing to stage protests in all 50 state capitals, including a return to the U.S. Capitol, and the FBI has said many are plotting violence.

Rep. Jim Clyburn says the Republican members of Congress who want to be armed on the House floor are striking fear into colleagues -- and he believes they might have ill intentions.

The Congressman from South Carolina dropped his bombshell Wednesday on "TMZ Live" ... revealing his suspicion of several GOP legislators who refused to go through metal detectors Tuesday night at the Capitol. He says some of them were armed, and that made other Reps nervous.

That's because, according to Clyburn, some of the armed lawmakers might be suspected of helping the pro-Trump insurrectionists ... part of a possible inside job.

Rep. Clyburn says other Congressmen and women are afraid these armed lawmakers might do "crazy things" while on the House floor.

On a less dividing note ... Clyburn told us why he recently introduced legislation to make "Lift Every Voice and Sing" the official national hymn in the U.S.

The guy who authorities say was the one wearing a "Camp Auschwitz" hoodie during the Capitol riots has been arrested ... TMZ has confirmed

Robert Keith Packer was busted Wednesday morning in Newport News, VA and he's been charged with knowingly entering restricted grounds and disorderly conduct. He'd already drawn outrage for his hoodie, flippantly referencing the Nazi concentration camp where more than 1 million Jews were killed during World War II.

As if that wasn't disturbing enough ... the back of the hoodie also had the word "Staff" emblazoned on it. The bottom of his hoodie had the words, "Work brings freedom" ... a rough translation of "Arbeit macht frei" ... words inscribed on the concentration camp gates.

This apparently is not the first time Packer's run into trouble with the law. According to CNN, Packer's criminal history includes 3 convictions for driving under the influence and a felony conviction for forging public records.

The authorities say Parker was among hundreds who stormed the Capitol in a failed coup last week.

President Trump's call for unity after the failed coup hasn't found its way to the suburbs just yet ... this Ohio homeowner missed the memo, and he's got a new way to irk neighbors.

Check out these yard signs sitting outside a home in a Cleveland suburb ... we're told the signage went up Thursday in response to the deadly siege on the Capitol.

The brainchild behind the signs is taking applications for new friends, with some very specific criteria ... and he could use spelling lessons after trying to call out what he sees as hypocrisy from folks who are disgusted by what went down in D.C.

We're told folks in the neighborhood are pissed over the yard signs ... these are just the latest examples of what's been displayed in this yard during Trump's presidency. You can see some of his prior greatest hits.

An Indigenous man who's being prosecuted for a Mount Rushmore protest believes he's been grossly over-charged ... but the white insurrectionists at the Capitol won't get the same treatment.

Nick Tilsen tells TMZ ... what we all witnessed in Washington D.C. was the "epitome of white supremacy and white privilege in society." He adds that he doesn't expect many of the culprits will be slapped with the same legal consequences he's faced since last summer.

If you don't know ... Nick's the President of NDN Collective, which protested President Trump's July 3 visit to Mt. Rushmore after calling for the national monument to be closed and the land returned to the Lakota people.

Nick was one of 20 Land Defenders arrested and facing criminal charges ... but his are steep. Nick's accused of taking a shield from a National Guard soldier and threatening to use it against the Guard.

He's been charged with second-degree robbery, grand theft in the alternative and 2 counts of simple assault against law enforcement. He could get 16 years in prison if convicted.

In contrast, one notable Capitol rioter -- who's been identified as Aaron Mostofsky, the son of a Brooklyn Supreme Court judge -- was photographed inside the building Wednesday holding a Capitol Police shield ... seemingly with no qualms about it.

Aaron was later interviewed and claimed he found the shield on the ground. As of now, there's no record of him even getting arrested ... much less charged.

Nick wants to point out ... he's not in favor of people of any race, orientation or religion being met with over-prosecution for expressing their right to protest. In fact, he supports the opposite.

Donald Trump is getting booted all over the place in the wake of his role in the Capitol insurrection ... the latest is that Wagner College has taken back his honorary degree.

The College announced Friday night it's rescinded the degree it bestowed on Trump back in 2004.

The Board of Trustees didn't say why the change of heart, but other than the folks on the International Space Station, everyone else knows exactly why.

Trump gave the graduation speech in 2004, with then-fiancee Melania by his side. The honor coincided with the first season of "The Apprentice," which was a big hit at the time.

It's the second degree that has been yanked from Trump's portfolio. Lehigh University in Pennsylvania revoked Trump's honorary degree a few days ago. He received it in 1988.

The Prez of the University called the riot a "violent assault on the foundations of our democracy," and they clearly felt Trump incited it.

And, as you know, Trump's been banned from his social megaphone -- aka Twitter.

The man who mugged for the camera while gleefully carrying House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's lectern has been arrested.

Adam Johnson was picked up Friday night on a federal warrant in Florida, where he lives. The images of the 36-year-old were plastered online and on TV during and after the insurrection, so it wasn't particularly hard to find him.

Johnson reportedly has a wife and 5 kids and is a stay-at-home dad.

BTW ... the lectern and gavel that were initially reported stolen were found ... neither object was damaged. As you know, there was extensive damage inside the Capitol. Pelosi's laptop was stolen after her offices were stormed by the rioters.