White House

Kanye West says he's done supporting President Trump -- but there's even more he's spilling that's just as surprising in terms of his run for the White House. Oh boy, where to begin ...

Ye sat down with Forbes in a verrrry wide-ranging interview, but primarily about his Presidential campaign ... and the would-be candidate declared he's "taking off the red hat." The only specific he offered as to why was that he doesn't like what he heard about 45 hiding in a bunker recently.

He also says, "One of the main reasons I wore the red hat as a protest to the segregation of votes in the Black community." As Kanye's stated before, he hates the fact that Democrats assume all black people have to vote for them.

He added he was down with POTUS because "I like Trump hotels and the saxophones in the lobby."

As for HIS presidential run ... he says he IS serious, and that he's got some unconventional ideas to help get him there. Buckle in, 'cause this gets weird.

He told Forbes he's running as part of a new party called the Birthday Party, because ... "[W]hen we win, it’s everybody’s birthday."

He also says he's having Elon Musk help with his campaign and is considering using him for his own space program. He's already got a VP in mind ... a Wyoming preacher -- and showing a little campaign bravado, he kinda bashed Joe Biden as "not special."

Politics aside, Kanye says he contracted the coronavirus in February -- but didn't say if he learned that from getting tested -- and sounded like quite the anti-vaxxer. He called any coronavirus vaccine "the mark of the beast."

He goes on to explain, "They want to put chips inside of us, they want to do all kinds of things, to make it where we can’t cross the gates of heaven."

One thing he didn't cover, but clearly relevant for a Presidential candidate, is his mental health. Kanye has publicly said he's been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and he's also said -- notably on "TMZ Live" in May 2018 -- he doesn't take his medication sometimes because it dulls his creativity.

Donald Trump's idea of a 4th of July celebration was igniting a culture war, as 7,500 of his followers exposed themselves to a massive coronavirus outbreak.

Check out the crowd at Mount Rushmore ... ZERO social distancing, per the Governor herself, who believes crowding together is a symbol of freedom. In fact, the chairs were zip-tied together because of fire code regulations. Masks were few and far between and the crowd sat for hours, cheering and doing the things that spread the virus.

And, speaking of the virus ... it's hitting close to Trump's home. Donald Trump Jr.'s girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, has tested positive.

As for the President ... his focus was on America's awakening, which he clearly thinks is a bad thing. Of the protesters, he said they are trying to "end America" by engaging in a  "merciless campaign to wipe out our history, defame our heroes, erase our values, and indoctrinate our children."

Not even a global pandemic can hurt President Trump's golf game ... U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham says POTUS went OFF on the course over the weekend, shooting a stunning 74!!!

FYI ... a 74 is professional golfer territory -- most amateurs struggle to break 100 ... so yeah, Graham says Trump's swing is in top shape at the moment.

The two were spotted out at Trump's National Golf Club in Virginia over the weekend ... and when Graham was asked about the round on "Fox And Friends" on Thursday -- he said Trump dominated.

"I've never seen him play this well," the S.C. senator said. "I mean, he's got more on his shoulders -- I'm hoping, 'OK, you know he's a little distracted.' He beat me like a drum!"

Graham says Trump carded a 74 ... which would be just 2-over par on both courses at the club -- a staggering score for a guy who's got so much on his plate at the moment.

CNN was able to shoot some footage of Donald on the tee at one hole ... but no word on where that shot ended up.

Of course, Trump's touted himself as a hell of a golfer over the years ... but guys like Samuel L. Jackson and Oscar De La Hoya swear he's a cheater on the links.

Then again, John Daly told us last year Trump is definitely NOT out there fudging scorecards.

Corey LaJoie's #32 car is getting a new paint job for NASCAR's big race Sunday ... his team says it's decking out the ride in a "Trump 2020" theme for the Brickyard 400.

Go Fas Racing revealed the new paint scheme Wednesday ... saying it's partnered with the pro-Trump Patriots of America PAC to create the red, white and blue whip for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway race.

"I am honored to be part of the President's re-election campaign through the Patriots of America PAC," team owner Archie St. Hilaire said in a statement.

"As a Trump 2020 supporter, this team will do everything possible to secure victory on and off the track electing President Donald Trump to a second term."

The Ford Mustang will feature "Trump 2020" on both the hood and the rear-quarter panels ... while also displaying "Your Vote Counts" emblems.

The race is set to go down on Sunday at 1 p.m. PT in Indiana.

"With an estimated 75 million NASCAR fans out there, I was surprised that about 15 million of those fans are not registered voters," 28-year-old LaJoie said after the ride's paint scheme was announced.

"I will give my best effort to get NASCAR fans registered to vote, through our team efforts on and off the track. When they see the car, hopefully, it makes them race to the polls in November."

LaJoie has 5 top 20 finishes in the Cup Series this season ... notably finishing 8th in February's Daytona 500.

FYI, Bubba Wallace -- who's been racing in a "Black Lives Matter" car recently -- finished in 3rd at the 2019 Brickyard 400. He'll be back in Indy to compete this weekend as well.

President Trump's campaign staff reportedly told arena staff members to remove social distancing signs before they opened the doors, and there's video showing folks doing just that.

The story was reported by the Washington Post and Billboard -- with the former citing sources familiar with the situation ... and the latter getting one of the venue's main overseers on record. The VP of ASM Global -- the company that manages the BOK Center in downtown Tulsa -- told the magazine that Trump's campaign had, in fact, given the order.

The VP, Doug Thornton, says the campaign instructed them to stop labeling every other seat with "Do Not Sit Here, Please!" stickers, which the arena staff had already done to nearly every row. The place sits 19,000 -- so, at least 9,500 were presumably used.

There was even video captured and posted by WaPo that shows a few men with badges going around and actually removing those stickers. It's shot from a distance, so it's hard to make out what the stickers say, but it seems pretty clear they were the ones in question.

It's unclear if these guys are Trump staffers or arena staffers. In any case, it's a smoking gun.

This is insane, considering the BOK Center was actually trying to do the right thing and take safety precautions ... only to be thwarted by the man's own team come showtime.

Of course, if you saw the rally live -- not to mention the people lining up to get in before doors opened -- you know it was already a 'rona danger zone. Now, the place ended up being mostly empty inside, especially those upper rows. Still, those that were there did pack in like sardines, and now, we appear to know why -- at least partially, anyway.

Ben Carson believes President Donald Trump could soften his stance on athletes kneeling for the national anthem ... saying he'll "work with" POTUS to understand the message.

Of course, Trump has been one of the most outspoken critics against kneeling ... and recently said he'd stop watching soccer and football if protests continued.

POTUS also famously said to fire any "son of a bitch" who knelt, back in 2017.

Carson -- the Housing and Urban Development Secretary and the only black member of Trump's cabinet -- discussed the issue on the Hugh Hewitt Show ... saying he will try to get POTUS to understand the real reason behind the movement.

"Well, I don't think he has manifested as much animosity in that region lately," Carson said Monday. "And, I think we just continue to work with him. He'll get there."

The national anthem protest has become a major topic of discussion following the death of George Floyd ... with NFL names like Adrian Peterson, Baker Mayfield and Bill O'Brien saying they will kneel this upcoming season.

The elderly man in Buffalo who was shoved to the ground by an aggressive cop denies any ties to Antifa ... after President Trump suggested he was a member.

Kelly Zarcone -- an attorney for 75-year-old Martin Gugino -- tells TMZ ... POTUS is wrong to think her client is in any way involved with the radical left group, and to suggest otherwise is grossly irresponsible -- especially since the guy just got out of intensive care.

She says, "Martin is out of ICU but still hospitalized and truly needs to rest. Martin has always been a PEACEFUL protestor because he cares about today’s society."

Zarcone adds, Martin "is also a typical Western New Yorker who loves his family. No one from law enforcement has even suggested anything otherwise, so we are at a loss to understand why the President of the United States would make such dark, dangerous, and untrue accusations against him."

Yeah, a lot of people can't explain it -- including several Senators and Congressmen on Capitol Hill, who've refused to comment today about the President's tweet.

If you missed it, Trump openly pondered whether Gugino might've been an Antifa-tied provocateur ... who pretended to fall harder than he was pushed.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is reminding Donald Trump exactly who is on whose turf ... and she's ready to stand up to his threats about putting dogs and soldiers on the streets of her city.

The mayor of our nation's capital joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live" and made it clear ... the President is a guest in her city of 700,000 taxpaying citizens, not the other way around, and he's overstepping his bounds if he thinks he can threaten D.C. with federal muscle.

Mayor Bowser says Trump's bashing of the D.C. police, calling in the military and instructing law enforcement to open fire on peaceful protesters should be alarming to all Americans ... not just those who live in D.C.

She also tells us she's concerned Trump won't accept the 2020 election results if he loses to Joe Biden ... and says Trump's tweets attacking her and protesters are a clear signal the Prez is gung ho on intimidating the masses to bend to his will.

It's a pretty important conversation ... and part of the Mayor's growing feud with Trump. Remember, she's already poked the bear with the massive Black Lives Matter mural outside the White House.

President Trump is rallying troops around him, literally ... soldiers are lining parts of the White House perimeter as the largest George Floyd protest yet is about to begin.

More than 100,000 people are expected to rally in the National Mall Saturday to protest the killing of George Floyd, specifically, and police brutality in general. While there have been protesters near the White House for more than a week now ... it appears Trump's administration is preparing for the worst.

As it is, 8-foot high fencing was erected this week around most of the White House grounds' perimeter, and will reportedly remain there until at least the middle of next week.

Washington D.C. police have closed off several streets, allowing the immense groups of protesters to march by the landmarks of the Mall ... such as the Lincoln Memorial, The National Museum of African-American History, Lafayette Park and, of course, the White House.

Remember, last week the President ordered law enforcement to clear streets by opening fire on peaceful protesters with rubber bullets and pepper spray ... so he could get to St. John's Episcopal Church for a photo op.

President Trump's attempt to embrace George Floyd is clearly BS when you see what he retweeted -- a claim from Candace Owens that Floyd is a symbol of black America's "broken culture."

The President showed strong support for the conservative talking head's disgusting beliefs with 2 retweets on Friday ... promoting a theory she spewed about George on Glenn Beck's radio show. Owens said, "The fact that he has been held up as a martyr sickens me."

Their point is absolutely outrageous -- that just because George Floyd had previous trouble with the law, protesters shouldn't be chanting his name.

Beck and Owens quickly glossed over the fact accused murderer Derek Chauvin had pressed his kneed into Floyd's neck for nearly 9 minutes -- and almost 3 of those after Floyd was dead -- which is, of course, what millions of people around the world are actually protesting.

To say they're completely missing the point is a gross understatement.

Even more appalling is the fact the President stood in the Rose Garden on Friday and claimed George Floyd would be looking down and smiling because this was a "great day" for him and for America.

Donald Trump says Drew Brees made a mistake by apologizing for his anti-kneeling comments -- saying, "He should not have taken back his original stance on honoring our magnificent American Flag."

"OLD GLORY is to be revered, cherished, and flown high..." POTUS said Friday. "We should be standing up straight and tall, ideally with a salute, or a hand on heart."

Of course, Brees said Wednesday he believed when players took knees for the national anthem during NFL games ... they were disrespecting the flag and the military.

Colin Kaepernick and other NFL kneelers have said the demonstration was NOT about disrespecting the military -- and instead, was to shine a spotlight on police brutality and racial injustice in America.

Brees issued not one -- but TWO -- apologies ... after his comments were met with strong criticism from just about every athlete in the country, including his teammates and even LeBron James.

But, Trump says Drew had nothing to be sorry about ... writing, "There are other things you can protest, but not our Great American Flag - NO KNEELING!"

In his written apology ... Drew claimed his comments were "insensitive" and "missed the mark" -- and the New Orleans Saints QB vowed to support the Black Lives Matter movement going forward.

"I recognize that I should do less talking and more listening..." Brees said, "and when the black community is talking about their pain, we all need to listen. For that, I am very sorry and I ask your forgiveness."

Adrian Peterson says he's "without a doubt" taking a knee during NFL national anthems this season ... and he claims the entire league is considering doing it with him.

"We're all getting ready to take a knee together," the future Hall of Famer said.

Peterson told a pack of reporters out at a charity event in Texas on Friday he isn't worried about a possible punishment for the protest from league owners or the NFL commish either.

"Are they going to try to punish us all?" the Redskins star running back said. "If not playing football is going to help us save lives and change things, then that's just what it has to be."

Of course, the league's biggest stars appear ready to back Peterson in the kneeling in 2020 ... because, in a video released Thursday night, more than 15 of the NFL's top players demanded the NFL allow them to peacefully protest.

Everyone from Patrick Mahomes to Ezekiel Elliott to Michael Thomas took part in the vid ... strongly urging the NFL to genuinely support the Black Lives Matter movement.

But, the reaction to another round of kneeling protests will not be without controversy ... President Donald Trump just reiterated AGAIN on Friday he does not want to see the protests during anthems.

"There are other things you can protest," POTUS said, "but not our Great American Flag - NO KNEELING!"

Stephen Jackson is FURIOUS at Donald Trump for mentioning George Floyd's name at the White House on Friday ... and he's now warning POTUS not to let it happen again!

"Hey, this message is for Donald Trump," Jackson said in a heated video statement ... "Do not speak on my brother's name."

"I'm making you a promise, you will not be in the White House come November. You will not be reelected, I'm telling you now."

Earlier in the day, Trump spoke with the media from the Rose Garden and said he hoped George is looking down right now -- "This is a great thing that's happening for our country. It's a great day for him. It's a great day for everybody ... in terms of equality."

Enter Jackson ... who knew Floyd for years -- and he's pissed.

"You see how the whole world stood together? Arm to arm, race to race, everybody standing for love? 50 states, 18 countries. That's what me and my brother Floyd did. So we coming to get you out the White House."

Clearly, Jackson feels the next course of action is to mobilize the protesters into voters come November.

President Trump invoked the name of George Floyd while touting America's economic comeback, and praising police response to looting and protests ... by suggesting George would approve of all of the above.

After POTUS gave proud shout-outs to the National Guard, Secret Service and Washington, D.C. cops for keeping the White House safe all week ... he recommended certain Governors -- particularly New York's -- call him to get help squashing looters and rioters.

He repeated the phrase he used all week, saying law enforcement and the military need to "dominate the streets" -- but then quickly pivoted to calling for equal justice for all Americans "in every encounter with law enforcement regardless of race, color, gender or creed."

To that ideal, Trump said he hoped George is looking down right now, saying, "This is a great thing that's happening for our country. It's a great day for him. It's a great day for everybody ... in terms of equality."

What's odd is ... the President was in the Rose Garden to sign a bill devoted to small business loan flexibility, and not anything to do with justice reform.

Justifiably, Trump's comments have been met with backlash from some public officials who saw the speech as a gross attempt to politicize George Floyd's name. Especially, because we've seen multiple incidents of police brutality with peaceful protesters this week

Joe Biden called Trump's words "despicable," and Sen. Kamala Harris tweeted ... "keep George Floyd’s name out of your mouth until you can say Black Lives Matter."

Along with the new fencing around the White House to keep protesters at bay, President Trump should have a good view of a city block-long painting spelling out Black Lives Matter.

The local Washington D.C. government reportedly gave the green light to muralists to make the large BLM display along 16th Street NW ... which leads straight into Lafayette Park and the President's home.

The work started early Friday and will take several hours, but it looks like the artists are making great progress. And, in addition to the new display ... Mayor Muriel Bowser has officially renamed the section of the street "Black Lives Matter Plaza."

The bold, yellow lettering of the mural is a stark contrast to the black fencing put up Thursday around The White House complex on 17th Street NW. Remember, an 8-foot high fence was already erected around Lafayette Square earlier this week.

The White House is now surrounded by nearly 2 miles of fencing in response to demonstrations and unrest in the nation's capital. Of course, that caused POTUS to take shelter in a bunker for a bit ... and also instruct law enforcement to open fire on peaceful protesters so he could get to a photo-op.

It seems more than unlikely he'd seek another photo-op next to the mural when it's completed.

Dennis Rodman is still very pissed off at the looting taking place all over the country ... but he's now channeling his anger into action.

The NBA Hall of Famer says he feels compelled to raise money for the Black Voters Matter fund ... an organization "dedicated to expanding Black voter engagement & increasing progressive power."

And, how's he going to raise the cash?! DINNER AUCTION, BABY!

"Dennis Rodman is so disappointed at all the rioting and looting in light of the tragic death of George Floyd that he's auctioning off himself for dinner for two lucky guests with all the proceeds going to benefit the Black Voters Matter Fund," his rep Darren Prince tells TMZ Sports.

The auction, going down on Charitybuzz.com, says Dennis, the winner and a guest will dine with The Worm -- and notes, "The winning bidder is responsible for the cost of the meal."

The winner will also receive 2 signed jerseys provided by Rodman's memorabilia partners at Fiterman Sports Group.

And, if you know Dennis ... who the hell knows what could happen at dinner? Quick trip to Vegas?!? Carmen Electra cameo?!