White House

Donald Trump may actually have less than 2 weeks left in office, at least if some members of Congress have their way, because they're apparently in a secret meeting right now to discuss how to remove him STAT.

There's a meeting going on right now at an undisclosed location in D.C. where a group of senators and members of Congress are talking about how to invoke the 25th Amendment to yank Trump from the White House ... this according to TheGrio's White House Correspondent and legend April Ryan.

In case you're unfamiliar ... the 25th Amendment -- a President can be removed if he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. It's a tough sell, because the Vice President and either a majority of the President's Cabinet or a two-thirds vote of both houses of Congress have to be on board.

As you know ... Trump egged on the violent protesters by essentially telling them not to go quietly. They clearly got his message.

Twitter has had enough of President Trump's tweets following the storming of The Capitol by his supporters, suspending his account, for violations of the platform's Civic Integrity policy.

Trump fired off a series of tweets and posted a video of himself Wednesday, one tweet read, "These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long. Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever!"

Twitter deleted the tweet along with several others shortly after Trump's message. The social media giant then announced Trump's account was suspended for at least 12 hours for repeated and severe violations of the company's Civic Integrity policy.

Twitter says Trump must permanently remove the deleted tweets -- and he will then start a 12-hour suspension -- if he does not remove them, his account will remain locked.

Then there's this ... Twitter says if Trump violates the rules again, it will lead to a permanent suspension of his account.

NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe says the violent scene at the nation's capital reminds him of a 3rd world country, not America ... and believes today's events could have a permanent effect on the nation.

"Where are the police?" Sharpe said on Twitter, Wednesday.

"Do we think an all black protest group could’ve stormed the Capitol and not 1 shot fired, no tear gas. Peaceful protestors got pepper sprayed so Trump could hold a Bible upside for a photo in front of church. Yet, I’m told everyone is treated equally in Flag of United States"

Of course, a large group of pro-Trump supporters flooded the U.S. Capitol building -- breaking down multiple barriers and fences -- and making their way to the Congressional Chamber.

Sharpe -- who has been very outspoken about the president in the past -- accused Donald Trump of trying to illegally seize power using violence.

"Pres Trump and his minions are trying a coup attempt. This is sedition. President Trump and a certain numbers of Republican Senators, Representatives have been heading dwn this path for 4 yrs and here we are. I need Black Lives Matter energy from law enforcement"

Sharpe believes there is hypocrisy in the handling of the protests ... claiming if the group was Black, law enforcement would be using stronger tactics.

"Where are the police? Do we think an all black protest group could’ve stormed the Capitol and not 1 shot fired, no tear gas. Peaceful protestors got pepper sprayed so Trump could hold a Bible upside for a photo in front of church. Yet, I’m told everyone is treated equally in Flag of United States"

Shannon isn't the only superstar athlete speaking out ... NBA legends Dwyane Wade and Reggie Miller have also commented on the chaos.

NFL star Dez Bryant also shared a message about the incident.

"I'm just wondering where the tasers and tear gas like they do black people when they are peacefully protesting? Just a thought not that I promote violence and chaos but black people could never come out of that alive"

"I'm hoping real changes can happen for the future of this country 'cause it's an ugly mess right now."

As for Trump, he just released a video asking his supporters to act peacefully, and to leave the Capitol.

Story developing ...

What many suspected as to why a throng of Trumpers infiltrated the U.S. Capitol Wednesday seems to finally be confirmed straight from one of the "revolutionaries" ... who had a hippy-dippy explanation while rubbing pepper spray outta her eyes.

A woman -- Elizabeth from Knoxville, TN -- did a quick on-camera interview Wednesday amid all the chaos in D.C. ... where lawmakers were thwarted by an invasion as they tried to certify Joe Biden's victory.

She explains she made it about a foot or so inside the building before being pushed out ... and then getting a heavy dose of mace to the dome, which forced her to retreat.

When asked why she was trying to get in -- Liz here tearfully gives it to the cameraman straight with a no-duh response ... "We're storming the Capitol, it's a revolution!" Her guy friend carries her off afterward.

It might seem like an obvious answer, but honestly ... hearing it just confirms how insane this whole thing is, and what sort of state of mind some of these folks are in.

Of course, the Capitol was put on a full lockdown and members of Congress were evacuated as protesters breached the doors and had their run of the place for a while ... including in different chambers of Congress as well as in offices of politicians, like Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Kellyanne Conway should accept some responsibility for the violence in the Capitol ... at least according to her daughter, who's trolling her over the attempted coup and the Senate runoff in Georgia.

16-year-old Claudia Conway went to her favorite platform -- TikTok -- to air some family grievances Wednesday ... but really, it was about spiking the football on her mom and the Republican Party.

Claudia asked her mom how she feels about President Trump's "army" resorting to rioting. Claudia compares the coup to last summer's protests, which she says her mom didn't want her to join.

She also took a swipe at Kellyanne for campaigning in Georgia for Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who ended up losing. Claudia's far from the high road here, as she hit her mom with a Mitch McConnell joke. Too soon???

The Conway household is a pretty interesting dynamic ... Claudia says she can't find her mom in the house, so she's using TikTok as a conversation starter.

As you know, Claudia's beefed with her mom on social media before ... including this infamous exchange about COVID.

The violence in D.C. has spread across the country to Los Angeles, and it's feeling like the beginnings of a civil war.

Trump protesters violently clashed with members of Black Lives Matter in downtown L.A. Wednesday. A number of people were arrested. A number were also injured, although the scene is so chaotic now it's hard to know how many.

The L.A. violence went down at the same time Trump supporters in D.C. were inside the Capitol staging an attempted coup.

A woman was shot in the melee and was in critical condition.

The Capitol is currently overrun by Trump demonstrators. They are everywhere. In the House and Senate chambers, Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office ... everywhere.

Trump has finally asked them to stop the violence. But, earlier in the day, when Trump addressed his supporters, he said, "After this, we're going to walk down there ... you'll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength and you have to be strong."

Trump had dog-whistled over the Xmas holidays something big was going to happen on January 6th. He tweeted, "Big protest in DC January 6th. Be there, will be wild!"

Mitt Romney endured a mighty long 4-hour plane ride to our nation's capital, because he was basically flying Air Trump -- a loud group of Trump supporters calling him a "traitor" to his face.

The Utah's GOP Senator got on a flight Tuesday headed for D.C., where he was confronted by backers of the Prez who asked him if he planned to stand against certifying the 2020 Election results ... something a handful of other Republicans vowed to do Wednesday.

Mitt stands firm ... telling them no, flat-out -- and explaining he's going to follow the process laid out by the Constitution. They basically threatened to vote him out in a future primary, but ya gotta see how the Senator handled it. Pretty cool customer.

However, the real chaos started inside the cabin of the aircraft -- it appears there were at least 2 different times while Mitt was in his seat that several other passengers literally jeered at him, chanting "TRAITOR!" over and over and over again.

Of course, it's no surprise Senator Romney's taking heat -- but it's different seeing it play out in public like this, especially from his own constituents. He's long spoken out against Trump, especially lately as it pertains to trying to contest the election without rock-solid evidence.

At least we know the guy's consistent 🤷🏽‍♂️

Joe Exotic's father has died ... and Joe's loss is now dovetailing with a trip to D.C. for a pardon that would allow Joe to attend his dad's funeral.

We've learned Joe's father, Francis Schreibvogel, recently died following complications from COVID ... The funeral is set for Saturday in Oklahoma, and Joe desperately wants to go.

TMZ broke the story ... Joe's legal team will be flying to Washington D.C. today pushing for that pardon, but now there's an added urgency since the clock is ticking for the funeral.

As we reported, Joe's legal team, headed up by Eric Love, hopped on a friend's jet with a Joe/'Tiger King' wrap that they're flying to D.C. ... making it a show. Love has told TMZ he has a big meeting with someone White House/pardon-related, but he's not saying who.

If Trump doesn't grant the pardon, they have a plan B ... going to a judge and asking for a day pass -- essentially a temporary release -- so Joe can attend his dad's funeral.

When soon-to-be First Lady Jill Biden takes over the East Wing of The White House, she and her team will be treated to upgraded facilities ... but there's absolutely no proof it's because the current administration clogged the toilet.

According to federal procurement docs obtained by TMZ ... The White House is dropping a little more than $1.2 MILLION on restroom renovations at the 2-story structure where the current First Lady's offices are located.

It's not totally clear what the job will entail -- it's simply listed as "EW restroom refresh" -- but the company that scored the gig is the local, minority-owned Holmes Mechanical Contractors ... which specializes in all sorts of big-building bathroom stuff.

The project is slated to be completed by mid-May -- according to the financial docs -- so Jill and her staff will get to reap the restroom rewards for almost the entirety of President Biden's term.

When it comes to politics, Hollywood is predictable, and it's paying off in a big way for 2 Georgia Senate hopefuls.

The cash has been pouring in for Democrats Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock, who are locked in what looks like a tight race with the 2 incumbent Republican Senators.

With the help of Federal Election Commission filings, we found the obvious ... lots of stars digging deep for the Democrats, and Republicans ... well, hardly a drop.

For Ossoff:
- Kate Capshaw-Spielberg ($5,600)
- Jack Black ($4,070.50)
- Danny DeVito ($2,800)
- Rita Wilson ($1,250)
- Sally Field ($1,220)
- Susan Sarandon ($750)
- Christine Brinkley ($800)
- Rosario Dawson ($673.34)
- Billy Eichner ($651.25)
- Kumail Nanjiani ($554.95)
- John Goodman ($500)
- Alyssa Milano ($250)

For Warnock:
Mark Ruffalo ($4,244)
Jane Fonda ($2,666.67)
Josh Brolin ($2,500)
Holly Peete ($1,300)
Rita Wilson ($1,250)
Kathy Bates ($1,000)
Susan Sarandon ($1,000)
Busy Philipps ($1,000)
Tracee Ellis Ross ($666.67)
Laura Linney ($600)
Andrew Daly ($500)
Taran Killam ($333.33)
Lesley Brandt ($317.86)
John Michael Higgins ($262.51)
Mandy Moore ($216.66)

Wilson and Sarandon double-dipped apparently ... dishing out contributions to both Ossoff and Warnock. Busy Philipps and Mandy Moore were also among the celebs who hopped on the Warnock train.

Republican Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue didn't fare well with celebrity contributions. Loeffler got $250 from Jaclyn Smith, and that's it. According to the records, Perdue didn't get a dime.

There's lots of money outside Hollywood, and money has poured in for Republicans as well.

President Trump's on his way to Georgia ahead of the crucial Senatorial runoff election -- so, of course, he's gotta loop in that famed political operative ... Meat Loaf.

Yeah, the singer.

Actually, it's Ivanka Trump who pulled Mr. "Paradise By the Dashboard Light" into Monday night's political rally. She posted a pic of herself and DJT onboard Air Force One as they jetted down to Dalton, GA.

What's odd is she tagged Meat Loaf, along with Sen. Kelly Loeffler and Sen. David Perdue. The Senators make sense ... the GOP rally is for them, after all, but Meat?

Sure, he was on "Celebrity Apprentice" back in 2011, but the singer hasn't campaigned with the Prez in the past. If he is showing up tonight in Georgia ... Ivanka might have let that cat out of the bag.

Then again, she might've been looking at the President's dinner order while tweeting. Common mistake.

Donald Trump Jr. thinks it's "insane" the opening prayer for the new Congress ended with an "amen" AND an "awoman" -- but he's blaming the apparent case of wokeness gone too far on Democrats, in general.

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver raised some eyebrows by ending his invocation Sunday for the 117th Congress with the gender-inclusive phrasing. Maybe the Congressman was joking -- if he was smiling his face mask covered it -- but the remark had DJT Jr. brushing up on his Latin.

He angrily tweeted ... "amen" simply means "so be it" in Latin -- though its origin is actually believed to be Hebrew -- and says it isn't a gendered word. So, he called out Cleaver for "being insane" with his prayer pun and asked his followers ... "Is this what you voted for?"

Other Republicans are taking shots too, including Rep. Guy Reschenthaler and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich ... who said, "House Democrat prayer ending as House Dems focus on gender security by abolishing virtually every normal gender term like "father. Mother"-the radical madness has begun."

So, there you have it ... please mentally and womentally prepare yourselves for the madness.

It's hard to keep track of how many times Joe Biden's been confirmed as the next U.S. President, but there are still some formalities left to make it official ... and D.C. officials are concerned the next one could lead to more civil unrest.

Congress is set to convene January 6 to officially count the electoral votes and certify the winner of the election ... which ended with 306 votes for Biden and 232 for Trump.

TMZ's learned the nation's capital is preparing for the large scheduled protest by Trump supporters -- starting January 5 -- and ending on the 7th.

Obviously, officials are worried the protests could get out of hand and lead to violent clashes with counter-protesters ... so police are being asked to step up in advance.

Trump has tweeted several times, promoting the main protest -- scheduled for January 6 -- and even teasing an appearance at the event.

Our law enforcement sources tell us ... D.C. cops will not be allowed to take days off from Jan. 5-7, and they're implementing a plan to have a heavy police presence in the area -- both uniformed and in street clothes.

On the political side ... Senator Ted Cruz is among 12 Republican Senators who have announced they'll challenge Biden's win on January 6.

The White House is scrubbing down hard to make sure the new president doesn't come down with the coronavirus like the last occupant ... and it's a pricey undertaking.

After President Trump contracted COVID-19, the feds are taking no chances with President-elect Biden ... Uncle Sam's reaching into his deep pockets for a deep clean at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave ... according to federal financial docs.

We've learned The White House is dropping a little over $127,000 on what's listed as "Inaugural Cleaning." It's a deeper clean than most transitions, what with the pandemic and Trump's bout with COVID and all.

Remember ... back in October, Trump quickly returned to The White House and shed his face mask after being discharged from Walter Reed Medical Center, where he was pumped full of drugs to combat COVID-19. Uncle Sam doesn't want to see this same script play out with 78-year-old Biden, hence the deepest of cleans.

Oh, and $127,000 for the "Inaugural Cleaning" is just part of the picture ... as we first told you, the government's also spending $44k just to clean carpets at The White House. The carpet cleaning is in a separate procurement document so it seems the $44k is in addition to the $127k.

President-elect Joe Biden might be missing out on the usual huge public gathering for his inauguration due to the pandemic ... but at least he'll be moving into nice, clean digs.

Although beefing up security and working to ensure the health and safety of everyone involved with Biden's swearing-in are the top priorities, the government's also spending some dough to tidy up ... according to federal financial docs.

We've learned The White House is dropping a little over $44,000 on what's listed as "Inauguration Carpet Cleaning." It's unclear how many rooms will have fresh carpeting ... the White House has 132 rooms.

So, if you're coming to pay POTUS a visit after January 20 ... you might need to take your shoes off.

As we've reported ... Biden's inauguration is getting scaled back because of COVID-19 concerns, with the ceremony having an "extremely limited" footprint and a "reimagined" parade.

President Trump's folding ... the guy finally put pen to paper on the latest COVID relief package that he shot down last week, which means some cash is one the way to Americans -- plus, a potential trade-off he insists is on the way too.

Trump signed the $900 billion-plus bill Sunday -- also helping fund the government and avoiding another shutdown -- which will get a second round of stimulus checks to adults who qualify ... namely, in the amount of $600 ... plus other assistance.

In a statement to his supporters, he says he's signing the legislation on the condition that Congress look into alleged voter fraud from the election, take up a new bill guaranteeing higher payments and revisit a provision about big tech (and who can sue them).

For now, though, this will have to do ... or so it seems.

The timing is odd ... if Trump was gonna sign anyway, why didn't he just do it Tuesday, when checks could've possibly gotten to folks before the New Year (and before their unemployment benefits lapsed, which happened this weekend because of his delay. Plus, rent is due)?

Remember, 45 made a big stink at the 11th hour ... indicating he'd veto the bill -- which members of his own administration helped negotiate -- because he felt the stimulus money was too low, not to mention the fact the bill was packed with tons of other spending that had nothing to do with COVID. Again, things his team negotiated.

DT demanded $2,000 for individuals and up to $4,000 for families -- something Dems actually praised and were willing to do STAT. Problem is, Trump was nowhere near on the same page as his Republican colleagues on that front ... and the messaging was all off.

Now, after leaving people wondering if they'd get any assistance before Joe Biden takes office ... he's put down his signature, on the basis of supposed promises which may not even come to pass, despite his assertions that it will.