White House

Senator Steve Daines seemed a little too nostalgic over what he described as homegrown American meth -- which was apparently ruined when Mexican cartels started infiltrating.

The Montana legislator was one of 18 U.S. Senators who were down at the southern border this past week -- surveying what they're calling one of the biggest crises facing the country today ... this in light of the fact President Biden hasn't been down there himself just yet.

Sen. Daines stepped to a podium Friday and delivered remarks about how the issue of illegal immigration -- and the ramifications of that -- have affected his state. In a bizarre train of thought, he said one of the hits Montana has taken from this is ... more potent/fatal meth.

No, we're not kidding ... the guy appeared to be harkening back to a time in Montana when meth was American-made, and not nearly as strong as it is today, via Mexican drug lords.

It almost sounded like he was saying, "Remember good old-fashioned American meth?" That's certainly the vibe, anyway -- and you can even see some of his comrades chuckling behind him, including Sen. Mike Lee ... who's looking around with a major WTF face.

The Republicans down there now have been cruising along the Rio Grande River and putting on a big show at different border sites ... claiming things are bad as the surge of migrants continues at a startling pace. The problem is certainly real, there's no question about that ... but their song and dance demonstration is a bit silly. They're also kinda reveling in this visit a bit too much, we'd argue, taking photos of themselves in boats with bulletproof vests.

There's also Ted Cruz's live, on-the-scene video ... which has also made the rounds. He's reporting from the banks of the Rio Grande, and claims to have seen Mexican cartels sneaking in with his own eyes -- saying they heckled him as they passed.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has come up with a novel idea on how to repair the neglected roadways around the country -- a tax on mileage driven, and he's getting dragged.

The former presidential candidate said the Biden Administration is noodling on the idea and it's showing "a lot of promise."

Here's the criticism ... it's unfair to people who live in rural areas. because they have to drive further by necessity than urban dwellers.  But, more fundamentally, a mileage tax in big cities like L.A., New York City, Chicago and on and on hit middle and lower-income people harder than people who are well-to-do and can live smack in the middle of their city. People who are not well off typically move to suburbs far, far away from the city center.

Buttigieg, already nicknamed "Pothole Pete," has a tough job to sell ... the infrastructure plan will cost $3 TRILLION. The term "infrastructure" has been redefined broadly to include pre-K programs and childcare.

President Joe Biden plans on keeping his job for 8 years ... because it's his "expectation" to run for reelection in 2024.

It's the first time Biden's publicly stated that he plans to run again, though some of his close allies like Sen. Chris Coons have previously said that Joe's up for the challenge.

But, the Prez is now on record, telling reporters Thursday at his news conference that he expects to be a 2-term POTUS ... unlike his predecessor, Donald Trump.

Biden also gave props to Vice President Kamala Harris for doing a great job and called her a great partner, and says he expects her to be on his ticket again. He did hedge a little though ... saying it's hard to plan anything for certain 4 years out.

"I've been devalued, I've been disrespected and dismissed because I am a woman and I've been told that I don't deserve any more than less because I am a woman."

U.S. soccer superstar Megan Rapinoe gave a powerful speech demanding equal pay at the White House on Wednesday ... calling out the blatant discrimination women face every day.

Rapinoe's visit to D.C. comes on "Equal Pay Day" ... which is meant to bring awareness to the pay gap that exists between men and women throughout the country -- not just sports.

Rapinoe and fellow USWNT star Margaret Purce spoke alongside President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden minutes ago ... describing what it's like to reach ultimate success in their field, but still make a fraction of what men make.

"I've helped, along with all my teammates virtually here, one teammate literally here today, win 4 World Cup championships and 4 Olympic gold medals for the United States," Rapinoe said.

"Despite all the wins, I'm still paid less than men who do the same job that I do."

She continued ... "I know there are millions of people who are marginalized by gender in the world and experience the same thing in their jobs ... and I and my teammates are here for them."

"We on the U.S. Women's National Team today are here because of them. We also know what it means to not only have allies but to be allies. We know what it means when people kneel, to kneel with them."

POTUS echoed their statements ... calling the players heroes for speaking out against the pay gap and fighting for equality.

"It doesn't matter if you're an electrician, an accountant or part of the best damn soccer team in the world -- the pay gap is real," Biden said.

"This team is living proof that you can be the very best at what you do and still have to fight for equal pay."

President Biden's four-legged friends are back at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. after completing training for a biting incident with White House staff.

News broke Tuesday that the German Shepherds, Major and Champ, finished up training in Delaware and were reunited with their owners. As we reported, BOTH dogs were sent packing after Major bit a Biden staffer.

President Biden recently revealed the incident with Major was just an example of the pooch being protective, and the bite didn't break the skin ... yet it was still enough for the extra training.

We had one of the dog's former trainers on "TMZ Live" who told us a move to The White House translates to a lot of sudden changes for the pups, including a totally new environment. Apparently, both Major and Champ are quick learners, because the new training lasted only two weeks.

President Biden is apparently an even bigger believer in dogs than we all previously thought ... he says man's best friend might be able to help cure cancer!!!

The Prez showered dogs with tons of praise Tuesday during a visit to Ohio State University’s James Cancer Hospital, saying ... "Dogs may help cure cancer. Not a joke."

Biden's statement immediately raised a lot of eyebrows around the country, because even if ya love dogs -- CURING cancer??? Watch the clip, because the President did say something 100% factual ... which is that dogs can smell cancer, and some have been trained to give patients and/or doctors a heads-up.

But, that's really detection, stretching it out to curing cancer ... seems far-fetched. Sorry, Fido.

Biden's remark harkens us back to a time last summer when another POTUS suggested ingesting bleach would be a great way to combat the coronavirus. He's always claimed he was joking, but c'mon ... we all saw the news conference.

Of course, some are defending Biden's statement by pointing out early detection is key to a patient starting treatment ... and therefore, giving them a better shot at remission. We guess one could make that argument.

Kellyanne Conway and her teenager, Claudia, finally seem able to get along for once -- turns out, all they needed was a little music ... and an audience, of course.

The mom and daughter duo were in good spirits Sunday night during a new episode of 'American Idol,' where the 16-year-old was due to perform in front of the judges again ... only this time, in Hollywood. Kellyanne was in tow to lend support for Claudia's network TV debut.

They had some cute, witty banter before Claudia's cover of Bishop Briggs' 'River' -- which was good enough to get her into the next round ... something Kellyanne was ecstatic over as she belted out a little ditty of her own while embracing her child.

You can watch for yourself to see what KC decided to sing ... it's actually not half bad.

In any case, it was great seeing the pair be civil for once. As we've reported, they were at each other's throats over and over again as the 2020 election was in full swing and tensions boiled over in the household, and on camera.

There have been screaming matches, cuss-out sessions and even a physical confrontation once that left Claudia without her phone -- and the almighty TikTok -- for a while. It got so bad at one point, cops had to come out and check on everyone to see if things were okay.

Now, it appears they've turned over a new leaf ... unless you're more cynical. Then you probably think they're just playing nice for the show.

Remember, Claudia's dad, George, tagged along for her initial 'Idol' tryout ... and Mom beamed in virtually to send well-wishes.

Donald Trump's 757 jet is in mothballs in upstate New York, missing parts with one of its engines shrink-wrapped.

The jet is far, far away from the former President, who now calls Florida his home. The plane was a crown jewel in Trump's empire. It was called "Trump Force One" -- a status symbol he prized for years, yet now it seems the plane has been abandoned.

It's missing engine parts, according to CNN, and it's been exposed to brutal winter weather. To make it airworthy again, it's gonna cost a fortune, and it doesn't seem Trump's into it anymore.

As we reported, he flew in a relatively tiny jet from FL to NYC recently.

Trump was famously pictured chowing down on McDonald's during a flight in day's past ... when he didn't have to worry if the smell of fries would drive others on board crazy.

The plane hasn't been flown since Trump was elected ... he had another mode of transportation after that.

Joe Exotic says his life's been a living hell ever since Netflix unleashed him on the world ... and he's going scorched earth on Donald Trump, Carole Baskin, PETA, the feds and more!!!

Joe, through his attorney John M. Phillips of the Phillips & Hunt firm, tells TMZ ... "It has been a year of hell" since March 20, 2020, when Netflix premiered 'Tiger King' ... and he's not talking about the pandemic.

Exotic gripes the people for whom he opened his zoo and home -- "when their own families wouldn't help them" -- have turned their backs on him as he rots in prison. Joe doesn't name names, but says some of his ex-employees are out to "just collect money and talk s*** to get on TV" ... and he's pissed they're allegedly using his name "to profit off the hell I am living."

Joe's still claiming his innocence too ... he grouses the prosecutors and witnesses who helped put him behind bars lied under oath. Exotic's confident "the truth will come out ... come hell or high water, they will all answer to perjury at some point."

Trump and Don Jr. are also contributing to Joe's hell, and it sounds like he's still bitter over his failed attempt at a presidential pardon. Exotic says the Trumps "used me for advertisement and then left me here."

As we first told you, Joe's not giving up hope on a pardon from POTUS, and now he's lobbying the Biden Administration.

Joe tells us he has "more faith in President Biden and VP Harris to do the right thing, not just for me, but for the thousands serving long sentences for non-violent crimes such as conspiracy."

The way Joe sees it ... "I'm a political prisoner in America for an animal rights agenda" and he's lashing out at PETA for allegedly enforcing the Endangered Species Act on Jeff Lowe and his former zoo.

Lisa Ling says the White House flying the American flag at half staff to honor the Atlanta shooting victims is a powerful gesture for Asian-Americans ... but it's just one step of many that need to be made.

The CNN host was at LAX when a photog asked her about President Biden's decision to lower flags in the wake of the shootings that killed 8 people, including 6 Asian women ... and she got choked up talking about the symbolism.

Lisa says it's monumental when the President acknowledges the lives of some of the "most marginalized women" in society ... and she explains why it sends a strong message to everyone.

But, Lisa knows the fight against racism is far from over -- she says for every heartwarming image of the lowered flags, there are more horror stories on social media. She points to the example of the woman in San Francisco, who actually fought back against her attacker.

Several White House staffers got the ultimate buzzkill when they were asked to resign or got demoted for smoking weed in the past ... even though they were told it would be no biggie.

Those are the claims being made about President Biden's administration anyway, and the firings reportedly even affected WH employees who lived in one of the 14 U.S. states where marijuana use is legal.

According to the report ... Biden's staff was subjected to background checks where they had to disclose their history of pot use, but some were told it would be "overlooked."

Apparently, that wasn't the case, as White House Director of Management and Administration Anne Filipic reportedly called up many of the workers and asked those who admitted to marijuana use to either resign or be placed in a remote work program.

The White House is disputing how many staffers were actually affected by the weed-related moves, but says ... "This decision was made following intensive consultation with career security officials and will effectively protect our national security while modernizing policies to ensure that talented and otherwise well-qualified applicants with limited marijuana use will not be barred from serving the American people."

As you may know ... marijuana is still illegal on the federal level -- despite being legalized all over the country at a state-level and in D.C. -- so critics of these reported firings say it unfairly targets younger people and those who come from states where it's legal.

Vice President Kamala Harris could have been in danger Wednesday afternoon ... the Secret Service tells us agents detained a man outside the Veep's D.C. residence and cops say he had guns and ammo.

The agents stopped the man around 1 PM ET near the Naval Observatory, which is the traditional Vice President's mansion. Cops say they found a firearm, a bunch of ammo and several gun clips with ammo in the man's car, which was parked in a D.C. garage.

Fortunately, the Veep wasn't at the Naval Observatory when agents nabbed the man -- the mansion is getting a bunch of repairs so she and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff have been living at Blair House ... a 19th-century row house steps away from the White House.

The Vice Prez was working Wednesday in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which is right next to Blair House.

Story developing ...

President Biden says Gov. Andrew Cuomo should step down if the ongoing investigation finds his sexual harassment accusers are telling the truth.

Biden weighed in on the Cuomo controversy Tuesday during an interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos ... and he went so far as to say Cuomo could end up being prosecuted as well.

New York's Attorney General is probing allegations Cuomo sexually harassed a number of women, including 2 ex-staffers alleging misconduct ranging from an unwanted kiss to remarks about their sex life and appearance.

Before today, President Biden had said he didn't want to comment on Cuomo -- one of his close political allies -- until the investigation was completed.

For his part, Cuomo has denied the allegations ... but New York's 2 U.S. Senators, Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, have called on him to resign ... as have several Democrats in the House, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

As we reported ... Cuomo doubled down on his denial earlier this month, after a new photo of him grabbing a woman's face surfaced. He vehemently denied touching anyone inappropriately, but acknowledged he might've been a little too chummy for comfort at times.

President Biden isn't throwing his youngest German Shepherd to the wolves over his White House biting incident -- in fact, he's adding context that makes the pup sound like a good protector.

The Prez sat with ABC for an interview that aired Wednesday morning, and George Stephanopoulos dropped a hard-hitting question -- is 3-year-old Major out of the dog house yet??? Yep, it got a chuckle out of Joe as well.

The answer ... yes, he is, according to his owner. Biden explained the circumstances of how Major came to nip at someone -- and it sounds like someone the First Dog wasn't familiar with made one too many quick movements.

President Biden also clarified another important detail ... Major's bite didn't break the skin.

Remember, Major AND Champ were both sent back home to Delaware after the dustup -- but Biden clears that up too, saying they weren't necessarily being banished without their parents to care for them. Watch ... sounds like the First Lady wasn't too far behind them in the transfer.

Fact is, Major, and his older bro Champ, are making a tough transition. Life in the White House can be stressful -- even for dogs. One of their trainers was on TMZ Live, breaking down the challenges of getting them ready for life in D.C.

Vice President Kamala Harris is taking to the skies to plug the COVID relief package -- and in addition to GOP pushback, she's also fighting severe weather ... so bad, she had to get a new ride.

Check out these photos of the Veep and the Second Gentleman, Doug Emhoff, waving goodbye to spectators Monday as they boarded AF2 at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland ...

All was good as they departed to Vegas, as you can see, but check out the shot of them eventually landing in L.A. ... something is clearly missing: the Vice Presidential seal has vanished!

The wind -- whipping around and tossing Kamala's hair every which way -- ripped the seal clean off the aircraft. They seem to be deplaning the exact same way they came in, and yet ... no official marker can be seen. So, at first glance ... ya might not have known who was touching down at LAX.

We kid, of course ... any reporter who was there certainly knew it was Kamala and Doug. Still, it makes you wonder how they're plastering those decals onto AF1/2 ... is it Velcro???

Anyway, because of mechanical issues with yesterday's carrier ... VP Harris had to use another plane on Tuesday to go about her travels. Fun fact for those who didn't know: the new plane is also called Air Force Two -- whatever aircraft she's in gets that title.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg will be honored at the midpoint of Women's History Month ... it will be RBG day in the city where she grew up, and there's a new statue to memorialize the honor.

The statue of the late Supreme Court Justice was unveiled Friday in Brooklyn ... the place where she formed her values.

The Prez of Brooklyn Borough, Eric Adams, said, "RBG was clearly a symbol of what's great about this country and how, when we are inclusive, we can stop the level of exclusiveness that is pervasive throughout this country."

RBG had a say in the statute -- it was designed by Gillie and Marc Schattner while Ruth was still alive, and she gave it her stamp of approval.

As for honoring RBG during Women's History Month ... who better?  As a civil rights lawyer, she was the locomotive that propelled women's rights into the law books of America, and as a Supreme Court Justice, she fought hard to maintain and expand women's rights as well as the civil rights of others.