White House

President Biden's dog, Champ, got skewered as old, ugly and unkempt on a conservative news channel that's grasping at straws ... saying the very good boy is un-presidential.

The segment aired Friday on Newsmax, during Greg Kelly's show ... where he literally hosted a couple of guests to discuss Biden's first German Shepherd, Champ -- who's at least 12-years-old -- and how disheveled they all thought he looked compared to First Dogs past.

They posted a photo of Champ, where he looks ... well, doggish. In GK's eyes, however, he appeared un-brushed, ungroomed and downright gross ... like a junkyard dog, they claim!

Kelly brought on two presidential historians (who are apparently pros in judging dog looks) and asked for their opinion, and one of them hopped on the meanie train ... saying Champ couldn't hold a candle to Reagan's pooch, Victory, or H.W.'s spaniel, Millie.

Aside from the fact the segment is utterly absurd -- almost harkening back to the Obama tan suit "scandal" -- there's another weird development here that's unfolding online.

You'll recall ... the Bidens launched a Twitter account for Champ and Major -- and apparently a second account too, dubbed The Oval Pawffice -- but both seem to have been suspended for some reason. There's still an IG account for the latter, and it went to bat for Champ.

President Biden helped create the student loan debt crisis facing millions of Americans ... at least in the eyes of his critics, who now wonder why he's balking on coming to the rescue.

Bernie Sanders' former Press Secretary Briahna Joy Gray joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" and she dragged Biden for his renewed resistance to forgive $50,000 of student loan debt.

Briahna says Biden's largely to blame for a "toxic slew" of policies saddling millions of graduates with tons of debt, and she's puzzled why he won't just fix the crisis he helped set in motion years ago when he was a Senator.

During Tuesday night's town hall, the President firmly said he was only willing to forgive $10k for impacted students and ex-students. Senate Democrats -- including Sanders and Elizabeth Warren -- want the $50k.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger's not only in a battle with Republicans standing behind former President Donald Trump ... he's fighting with his own family, who've accused him of joining the "devil's army."

In a rancorous letter dated Jan. 8 -- the day after Kinzinger separated himself from his party by calling for the 25th Amendment to be used to remove Trump from office for his role in inciting the Capitol riots -- 11 of the Congressman's family members call him a disappointment "to us and to God" ... accuse him of being brainwashed, and supporting abortion and socialism, which they label "the ultimate sin."

The letter was penned by Kinzinger's cousin, Karen Otto, who according to The New York Times ... sent it certified mail to Rep. Kinzinger's dad to make sure he read it. It was signed by her husband Greg along with 9 other family members, but Karen claims in the letter ... there are more who feel the same way.

Along with calling Kinzinger an embarrassment and saying they are "truly disgusted" by him, the family seems to most offended he went against President Trump ... who they say is not perfect, but claim he is a Christian believer. They say they don't like his "horrible, rude accusations of President Trump!"

The irony in the letter is the line -- "It is not for us to judge or be judged!"

Rep. Kinzinger told TMZ earlier this month he's leading the push to reclaim the GOP, and get away from the radical, conspiracy-driven beliefs that have been promoted by Trump.

He's one of just a few House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump, as well as strip Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from her committee posts.

Stacey Plaskett -- one of the House impeachment managers for Donald Trump's Senate trial -- clearly isn't pleased with his acquittal, but she thinks he'll face worse punishment ahead.

The Virgin Islands Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives joined "TMZ Live" Monday in the wake of Trump's second Senate acquittal, and she didn't hold back her feelings, calling the former President straight-up evil.

Now that the Senate trial is over, Plaskett told us she's all for the multiple state and federal investigations that could potentially lead to criminal charges or civil lawsuits against Trump. She strongly suggests he deserves "criminal punishment or otherwise for what he has done."

Plaskett also touches on a recent tragedy that befell her colleague -- lead impeachment manager Rep. Jamie Raskin -- whose son, Tommy, took his own life on December 31.

A woman was arrested near the White House after reportedly telling cops she had a special delivery for President Biden -- a handwritten letter ... but much more ominous is that she had a loaded gun in her car.

The unidentified 66-year-old rolled toward a checkpoint in downtown D.C. Saturday evening ... close to the White House, which has a wide perimeter set for blocks on end. She was apparently with a man, and told cops they were there to meet Biden.

As for why ... cops say she told them she wanted to give him a letter. That prompted a search of the vehicle, where D.C. Metro says they discovered a loaded handgun. They claim the man she was with also had a BB gun -- but the woman was the only one arrested.

She was booked for possession of an unregistered firearm. The case has since been referred to the Secret Service.

The situation is eerily familiar ... there was another arrest like this back in January, when a Virginia man also drove up to a checkpoint, allegedly with fake inauguration credentials and a loaded firearm as well ... plus a ton of ammo, according to cops.

Just a day later, a woman was arrested under similar circumstances ... coming up to a checkpoint and trying to pass herself as a member of Biden's cabinet. She got busted too.

President Biden got out of town this weekend, opting for a happy virtual drive on Rainbow Road instead of a motorcade drive through D.C.

Joe was at Camp David this weekend -- where some of his family members met him to hang out for some QT with grandpa, including his granddaughter, Naomi ... who says she went head-to-head with 46 in a round of Mario Kart -- with both of them in the driver's seat.

Apparently, there are arcade games at Camp David -- and Mario Kart's one of them. Sounds like Naomi's granddad got the best of her. She says, "Secret Service made an exception and let him drive himself!!!!" Naomi adds, "A little rusty but he still won (barely)."

She also posted a boomerang video of herself rolling around in a human-size inflatable ball in what appears to be a gymnasium.

Camp David's got stuff like this for POTUS getaways -- there are stories and photos of presidents past shooting pool, bowling and watching movies in a full theater there on the grounds. So, it's not surprising that they've got neat attractions like this these days.

Donald Trump will not have to answer for the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol -- he's been acquitted during his latest impeachment trial ... and thus, can run for federal office again.

The final vote came in Saturday, with a tally of 57 guilty votes to 43 not guilty votes for one article of impeachment -- namely, inciting an insurrection against the U.S. government. There needed to be a 2/3 majority to convict, but fell well below that ... closer to 57%.

The votes were mostly cast along party lines -- a majority of Dems voted guilty, and plenty of Republicans held strong on not guilty. There were, however, a few exceptions for the latter group ... including Senators Collins, Burr, Cassidy, Romney, Murkowski, Sasse and Toomey.

Senators Burr and Cassidy came as surprises, as they seemed to be firmly in Trump's camp -- but appear to have had a change of heart during the proceedings, which ended up being a wild ride ... full of viral moments, mockery, jokes (mostly at Trump's team's expense).

The trial lasted less than a week -- things kicked off Tuesday with opening arguments ... and evidence was presented on both sides in favor and against conviction. Democratic House leaders had strong presentations, which documented everything from Jan. 6 and even before ... in terms of the former President riling up his base and inviting them to D.C.

Of course, there's the bombshell video of him on stage on the day of ... where he told them to "fight like hell" and to march toward the Capitol to let Congress know how dissatisfied they were with the certification process that was underway. It seemed clear that he was at least, in part, responsible for unleashing them and their fury -- but enough Senators disagreed.

Trump was slow to publicly call on his supporters to stop, and even when he finally did ... he was light on them, saying stuff like "we love you" and almost excusing the behavior. Eventually, after much backlash, he came out and condemned the riot and violence.

He came out with a new statement shortly after the results came down ... and would you believe -- he called it a "witch hunt" again! Trump says ... "This has been yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our Country. No president has ever gone through anything like it, and it continues because our opponents cannot forget the almost 75 million people, the highest number ever for a sitting president, who voted for us just a few short months ago."

He adds, "I also want to convey my gratitude to the millions of decent, hardworking, law-abiding, God-and-Country loving citizens who have bravely supported these important principles in these very difficult and challenging times."

Now that he's been acquitted (twice), the lane is clear for Trump to make another presidential run if he wants to. To be continued ...

Senators erupted in laughter Saturday morning when Donald Trump's lawyer demanded that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Kamala Harris sit for a deposition, and not on Zoom ... in person -- in PHILEEEEEEEDELPHIA!

Attorney Michael van der Veen got all theatrical when he pushed his demands on the Senate floor. He struggled with Kamala Harris' first name and then just gave up. But, the big moment came when van der Veen mispronounced the home of the Liberty Bell.

The Senate just voted to allow witnesses to testify ... this as word of a damning phone call surfaced between Donald Trump and Rep. Kevin McCarthy. McCarthy reportedly called Trump during the insurrection, pleading with him to call off the rioters. Trump's response -- "Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are." McCarthy, enraged, responded, "Who the f*** do you think you are talking to?!!?"

Dr. Jill Biden ❤️'s Valentine's Day ... and it shows.

FLOTUS had a lovely surprise for President Joe Biden and America on Friday morning with a Valentine's Day installation in the North Lawn of the White House .... and it telegraphs the central message of the Prez -- unity.

Jill had the artwork secretly installed Thursday night which encompasses her message ... Strength, Family and Unity. She took the fam -- including Champ and Major -- outside to review her handiwork.

During the morning walk to the North Lawn ... Joe told reporters Valentine's Day is Jill's favorite holiday. He would not, however, play his hand on what he's getting his wife come Sunday.

He also shared a love story about Jill ... but expressed one regret -- not bringing reporters coffee!!! But he makes up for it.

Your friends will be yelling, "Hail to the Chief" if you're rocking the Barack Obamas -- a rare Nike shoe specifically designed for the ex-Prez -- and they'll also know you're rich as hell.

Sotheby's is hosting a one-of-a-kind sale of these Nike Hyperdunks in size 12.5 and designed for 44 back in 2009. Talk about an extremely rare pair of Nikes ... there are only 2 pairs in existence. The others were gifted to Obama.

According to Sotheby's ... these particular shoes -- influenced by the Hyperdunks created for Team USA at the 2008 Olympics -- were not worn by Obama, but they're Nike's only confirmation sample, and in pristine condition.

The price is a modest $25k. If you're inclined to say, "Just do it" ... the sale opens Friday at, yes, 4:44 PM ET.

Is it worth it? Well, the shoe's literally etched in POTUS lore -- official Presidential Seal on the tongue and an embroidered "44" and the insoles include the year "1776."

Our new Vice President is super fit for office ... Kamala Harris is running stairs like she's Sylvester Stallone in "Rocky." All she needs is the music.

Ya gotta see this video of the Veep showing off her stamina over the weekend at the Lincoln Memorial. She did several laps, running up and down the steps and making it look pretty easy.

Harris passed on her usual Converse Chucks and went with some proper running shoes, AND a face mask for this workout ... which she wasn't doing solo, btw.

Check out the Secret Service agents -- most standing and watching the general area, but at least one was running the stairs to keep up with her.

All the VP needs now is "Gonna Fly Now" to really set the scene.

George Shultz -- President Reagan's Secretary of State and one of the most prolific statesmen in American history -- has died.

Stanford University's Hoover Institution broke the news Sunday, saying Shultz had died at his home in California ... no cause of death was revealed. Another S.O.S. and current Director of the Institution, Condoleezza Rice, remembered Shultz as a man of great accomplishment.

She says, "Our colleague was a great American statesman and a true patriot in every sense of the word. He will be remembered in history as a man who made the world a better place."

Shultz is perhaps best remembered as a major player in Reagan's administration, especially as it pertained to keeping the temperature down with then-Soviet Russia ... with whom the U.S. was in the midst of a Cold War that threatened to boil over at a moment's notice.

When Gorbachev became the Russian president in the mid-'80s, Shultz convinced Reagan to play nice and actually talk to the guy ... seeing how U.S.-Russia relations at that point were pretty much broken and non-existent. That advice proved crucial to America and Russia eventually signing the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty, which got rid of a ton of nukes in Europe ... a huge step in achieving peace.

Shultz also served in President Nixon's administration, in a number of posts -- first, Secretary of Labor, later the first director of the Office of Management and Budget, and eventually Nixon's Secretary of Treasury ... where he headed up domestic and international financial policy.

When he finally left public service for good, Shultz went on to consult on a number of political causes, including President Bush's 2000 presidential campaign ... and also sat on a bunch of corporate boards, both economic and otherwise. One of his most famous ventures post-politics was with one-time Silicon Valley wiz Elizabeth Holmes -- who founded the biotech company Theranos, and tapped Shultz as a board member between 2011-2015.

He wasn't in on the scam, but did seem to be mesmerized by what Holmes was selling at the time ... state-of-the-art blood testing that was exposed as phony. Funny enough, his own grandson, Tyler, ended up being the whistleblower that blew up Theranos for good.

Shultz is survived by his five children and several grandchildren. He was 100.

Sen. John Thune says becoming President used to be the dream for Senators, but now the bloom is off the rose ... the job's less about being qualified and a good leader and more about being famous and loud ... like a certain ex-President.

The Republican Senator from South Dakota was at the Reagan National Airport in D.C. Friday when he took a thinly veiled shot and Donald Trump ... suggesting the presidency is far less appealing due to the celeb and social media-obsessed culture.

Thune tells us the "kind of person" who would be successful as Commander in Chief these days has to run a different type of campaign than traditional methods, have a big online following ... and be more "ostentatious" than presidential.

It's a pretty stunning statement coming from a Senator, who even cites a John McCain quote about how every Senator aspires to become Prez .... until they're embalmed.

Sure seems Thune's not down with aspiring to POTUS status ... so don't expect him to throw his hat in the ring for 2024, but his take seems like it also applies to other senators as well.

Dr. Jill Biden's teamed up with a couple furry celebs for a very fitting Super Bowl Sunday commercial ... to air during Puppy Bowl XVII.

The First Lady and the First Dogs -- Champ and Major -- are making a special appearance to promote the continued use of face masks during the pandemic.

The German shepherds won't be live at Puppy Bowl ... Jill and co. recorded their bit at the White House. They looked super cozy in front of a fire as Jill talked about pets being a constant source of joy and comfort ... and Zoom crashers.

Part of the Puppy Bowl's mission is to also spread awareness about rescue animals, and as you may know ... Major is a rescue dog, believed to be the first to live at The White House.

Ice Cube is continuing his mission to help create jobs and new business opportunities for Black Americans, and he's about to chop it up with President Biden.

Cube says the Biden Administration reached out to him Tuesday, and they're hashing out a time and a place for a meeting about his "Contract With Black America" ... which Cube's been pushing since before the election.

The rapper/activist was a guest on the Ryan Cameron Uncensored radio show on Majic ATL Wednesday when he revealed his plans to sit down with the new Prez ... and he's hoping the meeting goes down this month.

Cube says he's hoping they can make it a face-to-face meeting where he can also bring in some of his experts and specialists on the subject.

Donald Trump no longer has the privilege of using Marine One whenever he pleases ... so his exclusive helipad at Mar-a-Lago is getting the boot.

According to new building permits -- obtained by TMZ -- the formal process of removing the helipad from the former President's favorite resort has begun ... and it looks like the job will cost about $15,000.

Trump's helipad is apparently an exception to the rule in Palm Beach, FL, which doesn't normally allow helicopters or helipads in the city. It approved it for Trump's use early in his term though ... "for business relating solely to the office of the president."

However, according to reports, now that he's no longer Commander in Chief ... the helicopter trips no longer qualify.