White House

A group of Trump supporters on the outskirts of Austin reportedly ran a Biden campaign bus out of town after trying to hold an event there ... and, apparently, it got pretty scary.

A few Democratic lawmakers -- who were riding in the Biden bus and hoping to stump for JB and Kamala Harris in Pflugerville, TX on Friday -- tweeted out the frightening encounter as it was unfolding ... claiming they had to abandon their plans for security reasons.

Those reasons, according to them, amounted to a small caravan of Trump supporters who'd been following them along their stops in Texas, and who allegedly harassed the bus when it made a stop near the Austin area. One local politician, Rafael Anchia, even claimed some of the Trumpers were armed, and appeared to be threatening the group inside if they stayed.

Some have claimed the President's own sons were somehow responsible for inciting the crowd to do this, but it's unclear where those accusations stem from. In any case, the trouble didn't stop after the bus decided to get outta Dodge ... because the same group that was protesting them on the ground reportedly hopped in their own pickups ... and gave chase!

There's a bunch of different videos that show at least three to four Trump-flag bearing vehicles tailing the Biden bus along I-35 for a good while, and getting awfully close. A Biden campaign spokesperson even reportedly said the convoy attempted to run the bus "off the road," and was creating a dangerous situation on the freeway for surrounding cars.

In one of the videos, you see a few trucks surround the bus and attempt to slow it down. It's pretty freaky -- but luckily, it doesn't sound like anyone was harmed ... and the Biden campaign was eventually able to get law enforcement to step in and escort them to safety.

Trump campaign rallies have become major super spreader events, resulting in tens of thousands of COVID cases and hundreds of deaths ... this according to Stanford Univ.

Stanford scientists conducted a study of 18 Trump rallies all over the country. The conclusion ... 30,000 confirmed coronavirus cases that resulted in more than 700 deaths.

The study offers a rough estimate because this type of tracking is imprecise, but the authors estimated by looking at the incremental COVID increases in the areas where the rallies were held.

The deaths are not necessarily limited to people who attended the rallies ... people who became COVID-positive could have spread the disease to friends and family who may have contracted coronavirus and then passed away from it.

As you know, Trump's been crowing that he's immune from COVID, at times even offering to kiss folks in the crowd. He infamously said, "I'll walk in there, I'll kiss everyone in that audience. I'll kiss the guys and the beautiful women ... I'll just give ya a big fat kiss."

Trump's campaign honchos reportedly told the staff at his Tulsa rally to 86 the social distancing signs before people piled in, many if not most not wearing masks.

The #FakeMelania conspiracy theory is having real-world effects on hard-working folks ... Melania Trump impersonators tell us their well's run dry.

Here's the deal ... lots of people book well-paying gigs dressing up like Melania, President Trump and other political figures at parties and events during elections, but First Lady impersonators tell us the conspiracy, political climate and COVID changed everything.

Michele Marzano, who charges $1,000 to show up looking like Melania, Madonna or Sarah Palin, tells TMZ ... she hasn't fielded a single request to be Melania during the 2020 election, a stark contrast from 2016, when she was hired to dress like Melania at least 10 times.

Michele says people seem to have lost their sense of humor ... which definitely checks out in 2020. She thinks COVID is part of it -- fewer events, in general --but also gets the feeling even Trump supporters don't think Melania's funny right now.

"Anonymously Famous" author and Melania look-alike Mira Tzur says lots of folks have been asking if she's Melania's alleged body double, her family included. She says she's not, and adds she's not getting asked to dress like the First Lady at all.

The way Mira sees it ... Melania didn't speak much during the 2016 election, which gave her more intrigue, but now there's not much curiosity because everyone's seen and heard her for 4 years. Or maybe just someone who looks like her.

Another Melania impersonator, Lauren LoGiudice, says she thought she would finally get hired after the #FakeMelania conspiracy ... but it hasn't happened.

Lauren says her Melania impersonation incorporates comedy, but notices no one thinks a Melania bit is funny anymore. She also thinks the secret recordings hurt her job prospects, because some people feel anger toward the First Lady.

Bottom line ... this is one industry where Trump is not creating jobs.

Walmart's anticipating civil unrest ahead of the presidential election ... and that's triggered the retail giant to stop pull guns and ammo from shelves.

The nation's biggest retailer has pulled the items from its stores in an effort to keep firearms and ammo from being stolen in the event there's civil unrest. A spokesperson for Walmart said, "We have seen some isolated civil unrest, and as we have done on several occasions over the last few years, we have moved our firearms and ammunition off the sales floor as a precaution for the safety of our associates and customers."

It's important to note ... customers can still buy guns and ammo in half of the 4,700 stores where they're available, they just have to request it. The firearms just aren't on display for now.

Walmart made a similar move back in June following George Floyd's death. It's unclear how long the store will keep guns and ammo out of store displays.

President Trump's putting a label on Lil Wayne that doesn't always come to mind ... calling the rapper an "activist" after their now infamous pow wow.

Trump's feeling really good about Weezy's endorsement ... outside the White House Friday morning he said Wayne's a "really nice guy" and "an activist in a very positive way."

Wayne's been called a lot of things due to his enormous success in the music biz, but activist is definitely not one of 'em.

As you know ... Tunechi met with POTUS Thursday, sharing a photo of them grinning together and giving a thumbs up. Weezy says he's endorsing Trump because of his track record on criminal justice reform, and says he's a fan of Trump's Platinum Plan.

Remember, Ice Cube worked with Trump's camp on the plan, which vows to pump $500 BILLION into Black communities while providing better access to jobs and education.

Trump says Wayne asked for the meeting and he obliged ... and he seems more than happy with Weezy's endorsement.

Wayne's already drawing criticism for the meeting, which came 5 days before Election Day. 50 Cent, who previously endorsed Trump because of taxes before changing course, ripped Weezy for the Trump photo op.

Lil Wayne, Weezy, Weezy F. Baby, Tunechi, Weezyana, Lil Tune, Birdman Jr., President Carter, Mr. Carter, Dr. Carter, BM Jr., Young Weezy -- all monikers we've heard, but Lil Wade???

While President Trump's got his eye on Joe Biden, perhaps his 2nd biggest nemesis is giving him a beating -- destroying his Hollywood Walk of Fame Star ... for the umpteenth time.

James Otis, who'd already attacked Trump's WoF star multiple times since 2016, returned to the scene of his crimes AGAIN early Friday morning. Otis dressed to the nines for the occasion, took out a pickaxe and, as usual, went to town on Trump's plaque.

Check out the video ... the star apparently was covered with plywood and had fencing around it -- expecting the worst, clearly -- but none of that deterred Otis, who cleared the fence and the boarding before finally hitting pay dirt. We're told Otis turned himself in to cops and is being booked for felony vandalism.

The destruction comes 4 weeks after Otis dressed up as the Incredible Hulk to obliterate DT's commemorative sidewalk piece.

It didn't take long before crews started working to restore the star. At the time, we wondered how long it would last before another vandal struck. Well, it was the SAME vandal and it was 28 days later.

Otis was arrested and charged with felony vandalism last time around too. The first time he was arrested, back in February 2017, he pled no contest and was sentenced to 3 years probation, community service and ordered to cough up $4,400.

We'll see what he gets this time around.

Paul Rudd's showing his appreciation to Brooklyn residents braving the rain and chilly weather to stand in a long line to vote ... by providing a sweet pick-me-up.

The 'Ant-Man' star was handing out cookies to voters Thursday morning in NYC, telling each person, "Thank you for coming out and voting."

It appeared Paul was accompanied by a cookie-man with a backpack who was supplying him with the treats to disperse as they made their way down the line. It's COVID-safe generosity ... Paul and crew were wearing face masks and gloves.

Brian Rosenworcel, the drummer and cofounder of the band Guster, is the guy who recorded Rudd doing his good deed as he was waiting to vote himself.

As we've reported ... several other celebs have found their own unique ways to encourage Americans to exercise their right to vote in 2020. There was Lizzo's red, white and blue-themed music vid, Lil Dicky's nude breakdown of the 2 presidential candidates ... and of course, a lot more stars stripping down to raise awareness of proper mail-in ballot procedure.

With Election Day fast approaching, lots of folks will be looking for ways to get to their polling places, which is where Lyft comes in ... with a major assist for thousands of voters.

A rep for the rideshare co. tells TMZ ... their team has already helped mobilize nearly 30,000 people with a transportation plan on Nov. 3. They're also helping voters to make sure they're registered.

Might seem like small potatoes, but since every vote counts in this election -- it's actually a big deal. Lyft says they've achieved this via their Voting Access Hub, along with countless partnerships in a comprehensive push to get out the vote.

Lyft's also offering sweet deals on Election Day for folks who need a lift to the polling place.

It'll be cheaper than usual to use Lyft that day -- and it could be straight-up free, depending on your circumstance. Lyft says it's offering 50% off one ride with a $10 max discount, one way. The code to get the discount is 2020VOTE.

For folks in underserved communities, they'll have the opportunity to get a ride on the house.

Lyft is partnering with orgs like Nike, More Than a Vote, Vote.org, Black Women's Roundtable, Sony Music Group, Plus 1 Vote ... and even John Legend, who's focusing on getting transportation for formerly incarcerated people who are eligible to vote.

With Amy Coney Barrett now confirmed to the Supreme Court -- as President Trump and Sen. Mitch McConnell promised -- one organization is vowing to get revenge at the polls.

Sources tell us Planned Parenthood Votes is knee-deep in voter outreach this election, and its mission is clear ... getting more women than ever before to not only vote, but specifically defeat any incumbent GOP Senators who confirmed ACB.

We're told PP's got this initiative going called We Decide 2020 -- a 50-state virtual volunteer program that aims to recruit, train and mobilize thousands of people to spread awareness about what and who is on their ballots ... as it pertains to women's reproductive rights.

Some of their targeted battleground states include Montana, Iowa, Georgia and Colorado. All of those states have GOP Senators up for re-election. We're told PP is also focusing on Presidential battleground states like Pennsylvania, Florida and Wisconsin.

The idea behind this, we're told, is to make sure another Justice Barrett situation doesn't happen. PP leadership feels ACB was rushed through, and women's rights are hanging in the balance now that SCOTUS leans conservative, 6-3.

Planned Parenthood says what Trump and the Republican Senators (only one voted against confirmation) did is a blatant power grab that threatens the causes and people it advocates for every day.

Some lucky people and also voters casting their ballots are getting a tasty reward -- even before election results -- in the form of free tacos!!!

Here's the deal ... Vote.org branded food trucks are descending on voting sites through Election Day, providing folks braving the long lines with free grub, water and voting rights info.

The treats are free to all voters and locals, as the nonpartisan org is picking up the tab. We're told it costs about $15,000 to rent the food trucks for 12 hours and dish out hundreds of meals.

The food trucks are setting up shop in Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin ... almost all of which are critical battlegrounds that will most likely decide who wins the White House.

Joe Biden brought out some hip-hop allies for a COVID-safe event in A-town -- Offset and Common performed, and Outkast helped with his intro.

The Presidential candidate held a drive-in rally Tuesday in Atlanta, where dozens of cars pulled in and parked around a stage near the Cellairis Amphitheatre in Lakewood.

It was Joe's second stop of the day in the Peach State, and this one included some one-on-one time with warm-up acts.

Offset, an Atlanta-area native, performed his song, "Clout," while Common appeared to do a freestyle -- and then when Joe was intro'd, the DJ cranked up "Hey Ya!" Sure, playing Outkast feels like pandering to the ATL crowd, but hey ... just 7 days left to vote!

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and U.S. Senate candidate Jon Ossoff were also on hand to pump up the Biden/Harris ticket.

Early, in-person voting kicked off in NYC this weekend, and a few days later -- and exactly one week out from Election Day -- there are no signs of those lines fizzling out.

Check out the scores upon scores of people in the Big Apple Tuesday, all of whom are waiting up to about 3 hours just to cast their ballot in the flesh. These shots show a Iine stretching 5 city blocks -- 58th to 63rd Streets -- near Columbus Circle in Manhattan.

NYC voters seem dead set on the age-old tradition of voting in person ... even though mail-in voting is right there for the doing.

Of course, President Trump has sown a lot of doubt and apprehension about mail-in ballots -- not to mention widespread accusations of shenanigans at the U.S. Postal Service. So, people might have reason to be concerned.

Lebron James is dropping a special episode of "The Shop" this week -- because he booked Barack Obama!!!

"In Miami this weekend, I dropped by The Shop to talk with [LeBron] and [Maverick Carter] about the NBA bubble, the racial justice movement, and what's at stake over these next seven days," Obama said.

Bron and Obama are famously good friends who have been tight for years.

In fact, Obama reportedly counseled LeBron on how to make statements about social justice and police brutality while inside the NBA Bubble.

Plus, they both hate President Trump and are campaigning hard for Joe Biden.

LeBron also tweeted about the show -- saying, "It was such an honor.  My President giving us the perspective and motivation we need right now. GO VOTE!!!"

The Obama episode is set to drop on Friday, Oct. 30 on HBO and HBO Max.

The network is also touting that the special was produced under COVID-19 guidelines.

Producers are keeping a tight lid on the content so far -- but HBO's exec Vice President Nina Rosenstein gave this teaser -- "Their conversation with President Obama is candid, compelling and urgently relevant."

Raymond Santana, one of the exonerated Central Park Five, thinks President Trump's full of it when he says he's the "least racist person" ... and he's thanking Joe Biden for sticking up for them at the debate.

Raymond tells TMZ he firmly believes Trump's still very much a racist, despite what he claimed on the debate stage -- mainly because the President's never apologized for, or withdrawn, his statement that the 5 young men were guilty.

He says he's still walking on eggshells because Trump's refusal to acknowledge their innocence still influences people unfamiliar with the facts of the Central Park rape.

Trump's had beef with Raymond and his 4 friends since the crime was committed in 1989. The then real estate tycoon took out a full-page ad in The New York Times calling for their execution.

Raymond tells us he was grateful, emotional and relieved when Biden brought up the CP5 case at last week's Presidential debate.

He's applauding Biden for standing up to Trump, and says the look on Trump's face when Biden dressed him down was "priceless."

There were no eleventh-hour surprises -- Amy Coney Barrett got the votes she needed to be confirmed to the Supreme Court of the United States, which is now staunchly conservative.

President Trump's pick to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was confirmed by the Senate Monday with a final tally of 52 to 48 ... with Senator Susan Collins as the only Republican to join every Senate Democrat in voting no.

The confirmation comes just 8 days before Election Day and after Barrett's nomination was fast-tracked despite an outcry from Democrats, who think the American people should have a say in the makeup of the highest court in the land.

Senate Democrats huffed and puffed while unable to halt Barrett's confirmation ... and when all was said and done, a majority of the Senate overlooked recent precedent and determined ACB was deserving of a spot on SCOTUS.

Justice Clarence Thomas is expected to swear-in Barrett at the White House during tonight's outdoor ceremony.

As you know ... Barrett's confirmation gifts conservatives a 6-3 majority on the High Court, where she's likely to serve for decades as she's only 48 years old.

Get ready ... abortion rights, the Affordable Care Act, LGBTQ rights, voting rights and tons of other fundamental issues and policies are now squarely in the crosshairs of the justices.

Trouble may be just around the corner in this volatile election/pandemic year, because businesses coast-to-coast are starting to board up in anticipation of election unrest.

Washington D.C. is starting to shutter itself ahead of what might turn out to be a violent day and/or night. Check out these photos taken Monday in the business district of Downtown D.C. -- just a stone's throw from the White House. As you see, lots of different buildings and shops in the area are nailing up wooden boards to cover windows.

Construction crews are on hand doing their thing as passersby look on at an ominous scene -- folks don't usually do this unless they expect people to break in, like in a riot, for example.

D.C. isn't alone. Beverly Hills is bracing for unrest and the pricy shops on Rodeo Drive will also be boarded up ahead of November 3rd.