White House

Sarah Huckabee Sanders says it's unclear if Donald Trump will attend Senator John McCain's funeral -- but here's what we're hearing ... don't hold your breath.

We got the Press Sec. leaving Reagan National Sunday and asked for some thoughts on the late Arizona senator, who died Saturday from brain cancer. SHB had kind words for McCain, who she calls a great loss for the country, but wouldn't bite on the funeral question.

Specifically ... will DT be in attendance? It almost seems impossible. Senator McCain reportedly said he did not want Trump at his funeral. If Trump tries, he would probably be turned away. Sarah says she'll keep us posted, but it sounds like code for "hell no." Trump didn't even go to Barbara Bush's funeral, so he'll likely (most definitely) pass on McCain.

Meanwhile, ex-Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama are rumored to be offering eulogies at McCain's funeral in D.C. He will reportedly lie in state at two different locations -- the Capitol Rotunda and the Arizona Capitol -- ahead of his funeral in Washington's National Cathedral before being buried at the U.S. Naval Academy in Maryland.

Pence is also expected to attend ... and, apparently, Sarah herself will show face.

Omarosa's book tour must be going well -- just look at the way she celebrates after another grueling week of airing out Donald Trump's (alleged) dirty laundry.

The former White House staffer and Trump's newest frenemy #1 was spotted getting down and wild and at the Daiquiri Shoppe in Grand Prairie, TX Friday night -- a restaurant that apparently doubles for a pop-up nightclub come 9 o'clock or so ... 'cause this happened.

You see O singing and dancing along to Nelly's "Hot in Here" with her friends. Eyewitnesses tell us she and the gang were celebrating a GF's birthday ... and were mostly left undisturbed as they partied it up.

Can't blame her for cuttin' loose -- Omarosa's book, 'Unhinged,' sits at the top of the NYT's best-seller list for non-fiction, and is doing decent on Amazon's book list too.

Donald Trump is taking his beef with ESPN to the masses -- he's launched a petition to try and get the "spineless" network to play the national anthem during the "Monday Night Football" broadcast.

ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro had said last week that "We generally have not broadcasted the anthem and I don't think that will change this year."

Trump was PISSED and sent an email to his supporters announcing that he's started a petition to get "The Star-Spangled Banner" on TV.

"Just after we heard a sitting governor trash America, ESPN has now decided it will no longer play the National Anthem before Monday Night Football," the email from Trump said. The governor referred to is NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo ... who made headlines last week for saying America "was never that great."

Trump's email continues ... "If 'America' is too offensive for anyone in our country, then what are they doing in America?"

"I’m calling on you to join me in denouncing this SPINELESS surrender to the politically correct liberal mob. I was the first person to sign this petition. Now I need you to follow my lead and be the second."

Trump began railing against ESPN at Tuesday's rally in West Virginia -- where he told the crowd, "It was just announced by ESPN that rather than defending our anthem, our beautiful, beautiful national anthem and defending our flag, they just won't broadcast when they play the national anthem."

"We don't like that," Trump added.

"So, while the players are kneeling, some of them not all of them at all, you're all proudly standing for our national anthem."

If Donald Trump ever wants to retain the legal services of Michael Cohen again for some reason, he's going to have to wait several years ... TMZ has learned.

Trump's former lawyer is on a fast track to being disbarred in New York following his guilty plea Tuesday on 8 federal counts, including tax evasion and campaign law violations ... according to a source familiar with the process.

We're told Cohen will lose his right to practice law as soon as the NY Attorney Grievance Committee files a motion to have him disbarred ... it's just waiting on the official paperwork needed to get the ball rolling.

According to Nicholas Biase, spokesperson for the Southern District of NY ... "Mr. Cohen does lose his law license upon conviction, which technically does not occur until sentencing."

Cohen's disbarment isn't forever though -- he can reapply to get his license back after 7 years, and it would be up to a judge to allow it or not.

As we reported ... Cohen pled guilty to 5 counts of tax fraud and one count of bank fraud, as well as 2 campaign finance violations related to "hush" deals he struck with Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal. Cohen claimed the campaign law crimes were carried out at the direction of Trump to cover up affairs with the women and influence the 2016 election.

Trump has denied the affairs and responded to Cohen's guilty plea on Twitter Wednesday, saying the campaign finance violations are "not a crime."

Anthony Scaramucci says Omarosa trying to burn President Trump with his own words is likely to backfire ... 'cause we've already been there and done that, and nothing happened.

We talked to the Mooch about Omarosa's supposed 200 secret White House tapes that she's been slowly leaking over the past couple weeks, and he just doesn't think there's anything she has that'll do serious damage to 45. Like he points out ... if the Access Hollywood tape couldn't bring Trump down, nothing probably will at this point.

Oh, and don't forget everything else Trump openly said or reportedly said over his near two-year presidency -- from calling African countries s**tholes and referring to NFL players as SOBs, to implying neo-Nazis are "very fine people," and, of course, calling LeBron James dumb ... there's a lot of controversial statements out there.

Jim Brown says he's throwing his support behind President Donald Trump -- even though he knows he'll be vilified in the black community.

The NFL Hall of Famer appeared on "The JT The Brick Show" on Fox Sports Radio and since he's met with so many Presidents in the past, he was asked how he felt about Trump.

"I should be criticizing Trump on every level because he does certain things that call for criticism but when I look at television I see all these announcers become experts and they're pointing the fingers and they're not doing a doggone thing but pointing their fingers, I find myself really pulling for the president."

"Now, that would make me very unpopular in the black community, very unpopular with a lot of Americans ... but I think that there are certain good things that are coming out of this Presidency because we've never seen anything like it."

He added, "I mean there's confusion. A lot of people are retiring. A lot of people are giving their opinions and we have to really dig deep down inside to come with the right kind of an answer."

Brown -- who also doubled down on his stance against NFL kneelers -- also had this to say to people who believe he's not a good American.

"I believe that I have to work on myself first to be as good a person as I could be to back up my country as best as I know how."

"And the second situation I should be helpful to those people who need help that don't have life as good as I have it and if I do those two things, I think I'm making my contribution."

Brown famously went to Trump Tower right after Trump won the election to talk about how he can make a positive impact in the black community.

Floyd Mayweather also famously met with Trump during the transition but he has since distanced himself from the president. Brown clearly feels differently.

April Ryan is throwing some serious shade at Omarosa ... saying she never put pen to paper because she used a ghostwriter.

Ryan -- who has reported at the White House for more than 20 years -- bashes Omarosa for her secret recordings and being a backstabber.

April says her upcoming book, "Under Fire: Reporting from the Front Lines of the Trump White House," unlike Omarosa's book, is the real deal.

As for bowing down to Trump before she broke ranks ... April says O shouldn't wait for invites to the church social anytime soon.

Vivica A. Fox damn near choked on the word "No" when our camera guy told her she could play Omarosa in a movie, making it crystal clear -- not a fan.

We got Vivica A. at LAX where our photog mustered the strength to say she resembles President Trump's friend-turned-foe. The idea of playing Omarosa made her recoil. Our bad.

Of course, an Omarosa biopic hinges on how well her tell-all book sells. Vivica says if it flops, O's gotta ride off into the sunset -- on a donkey ... 'cause she attached herself to an ass.

Rudy Giuliani just added a new edition to the "alternative facts" library from the Trump White House -- telling a reporter "truth isn't truth" when it comes to ... well, the truth.

The President's personal attorney was on NBC's 'Meet the Press' with Chuck Todd and got grilled on why 45 hasn't sat down for an interview with Special Counsel Robert Mueller to wrap up the Russia investigation. Giuliani's reason ... let's not rush into a lie under oath.

He basically says Mueller's gonna get a he said, he said -- from Trump and Comey -- as to who said what to whom ... who knew what ... and when. And, because Comey used to be tight with Mueller in the FBI, Rudy says it's a no-brainer who the latter will believe.

The President of ESPN says the network will NOT air the national anthem -- and the drama that goes along with it -- during the 2018 season of "Monday Night Football."

"We generally have not broadcasted the anthem and I don't think that will change this year," ESPN prez Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement reported by Axios' Sara Fischer.

"Our plan going into this year is to not broadcast the anthem. Again that could change. It's unpredictable what could happen in the world but as of now, we're not."

Obviously, the anthem has become a hot button issue -- with player demonstrations becoming such a big issue, everyone from team owners to the President of the United States have weighed in.

Omarosa had some trouble explaining why she was a fierce supporter of Donald Trump given that she says very clearly in a secret conversation she recorded in 2016 that she knew he had used the n-word.

We talked to the ex-White House staffer on "TMZ Live" about the barrage of secret recordings she's revealed to promote her new book, 'Unhinged,' including the latest in which Donald Trump's daughter-in-law, Lara, tried bribing her with hush money after she got fired.

We also asked about the 2016 conversation she had with Trump campaign staffers to figure out a spin in case Trump had used the n-word. A staffer said she had talked to Trump who denied ever using the word, to which Omarosa said, "That's not true."

Omarosa is getting called every name in the book for leaking secretly recorded convos with and about Trump --- but you'd never guess she was bothered, based on her pearly whites.

Trump's former aide-turned-foe was seen leaving Trevor Noah's 'Daily Show' set in NYC Tuesday night alongside her husband, John Allen Newman. She was smiling ear-to-ear while exiting the building -- which we'll take to mean her appearance went well.

She certainly had a lot to talk about. From a new tape in which other Trump campaigners discussed alleged audio of the Prez using the n-word, to her Situation Room firing and, of course, Trump calling her a dog ... topics were anything but scant.

Let's not kid ourselves though -- Omarosa is doing a full blitz book tour right now, so you know she's loving the attention, good or bad. As long as it sells ... she's happy.

The White House didn't work out for Omarosa ... but she might be a better fit in a different house.

D'Andra Simmons, one of the stars of 'Real Housewives of Dallas,' is certain Omarosa could be the next big thing on her series, which returns Wednesday night.

We caught up with Simmons in NYC, and she tells us Omarosa would be "an amazing Housewife" cast member -- mainly because she's proven she's not afraid to mix it up with people ... just ask President Trump. Remember, she told us he's trying to start a race war.

Tony Rock says Omarosa may have turned on Trump, but forget getting back in the good graces of black America.

We got Tony Monday at LAX and he wasted no time ... he thinks she's seen too many 'Mission Impossible' movies ... reportedly recording private conversations with a pen.

Tony concedes ... she's a master at selling books with the PR she's been getting by releasing tapes of her getting fired and Trump playing dumb afterward.

Donald Trump ain't mad Brooks Koepka ruined Tiger Woods' great comeback moment this weekend ... in fact, POTUS is all kinds of charged up over the golfer's victory -- saying, "Job well done!"

Koepka held off a hard-charging Tiger to take home the PGA Championship on Sunday ... and Donald took to Twitter to congratulate him Monday.

"Brooks Koepka just won his third Golf Major, and he did it not only with his powerful game, but with his powerful mind," Trump wrote.

"He has been a man of steel on the Tour and will have many Victories, including Majors, ahead of him. Congrats to Brooks and his great team on a job well done!"

Unclear why Trump is such a big Brooks fan ... but we've got some ideas -- HAVE YOU SEEN HIS GIRLFRIEND?!

President Trump either didn't know his Chief of Staff fired Omarosa or he played dumb ... this according to newly released audio in which Trump tells her he had no idea she got the ax.

You hear Trump faintly express regret as Omarosa explains General John Kelly gave her walking papers the day before. Monday on "Today," she said the President is nothing more than Gen. Kelly's puppet.

Omarosa also secretly recorded her conversation with Kelly, who would not say if Trump knew he was firing her.

She told TMZ on Saturday ... she believed Trump was a racist who was trying to start a race war. Omarosa says she heard an audio of an outtake of 'The Apprentice' in which Trump allegedly used the n-word.

The White House has lashed out at Omarosa, saying she's a liar and a disgruntled former employee. Trump himself just lit into her, apparently in response to the new audio, saying she was "wacky" and "begged" him for the administration role.