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Joe Biden has finally picked a Vice President ... California Senator Kamala Harris will be joining him on the ticket.

The presumptive Democratic candidate announced his VP running mate Tuesday, and the choice is historic. Harris will become the first black female vice presidential candidate in the history of this country.

Biden appeared to signal Harris as his running mate back in July, when a reporter got a peek at his cheat sheet during a news conference and at the tip, it had Harris' name with the words ... "don't hold grudges."

Of course, the "grudges" note references their first debate, where Harris attacked Biden for his stand against school bussing ... something that Harris benefited from during her school days.

Harris was in a somewhat unique position among the various women Biden was considering. She has executive experience, both as a District Attorney and California Attorney General. That's a huge asset for Biden, and for voters.

Given Biden's age, a Veep who can step into the role is a reality and, some say, a necessity.

It's interesting ... just Monday, Charlamagne and Diddy warned Biden ... if he didn't pick a black female, he'd lose the election.

The one problem Biden has with Harris ... both have been criticized for their stance on crime. Biden's support of the '94 crime bill had dogged him, while Harris took some shots during the debates over prosecuting marijuana cases which disproportionally affected African-Americans.

Biden's big decision comes ahead of a big week for the Dems ... the Democratic National Convention kicks off Monday, and Biden will accept the party's nomination Thursday from Delaware, where he will deliver his virtual acceptance speech.

Now, buckle up and wait for President Trump to tweet about Biden's pick in 3 ... 2 ... 1.

Ryan Reynolds or Sir Paul McCartney could become the next chief of a First Nation in Canada ... the native community has spoken, and the famous non-natives are up for election.

Ryan and Paul have been nominated as Chief for Walpole Island First Nation, a reservation nestled on an island bordering Michigan and Canada ... according to the indigenous community's director of operations, James Jenkins.

He tells TMZ ... the actor and rock icon were nominated by 2 eligible electors this weekend, which instantly qualifies the celebs as official nominees for Chief.

It's pretty interesting ... we're told Ryan and Paul don't technically have to be part of the native community to be nominated or even rise to the top as Chief. There's a loophole from way back in 1868, when Walpole Island First Nation elected a non-member as chief, forging a precedent allowing nonmembers to run for Chief.

Now, Ryan and Sir Paul just have to get on the ballot. Actually, they're already on, but we're told they have until Thursday to contact the Walpole Island membership office to have their names removed. If the deadline passes without a peep from either, we're told they'll both remain legit candidates for Chief when the election is held Sept. 19.

If one of them wins, the First Nation would contact them, and Chief Ryan or Chief Paul would have to assume office or resign.

The intentions behind the nominations remain unclear, and we're told there are mixed emotions about it. Some members believe either has the stuff to be an effective leader because of their wildly successful entertainment careers.

What else would ya think after seeing 'Van Wilder' ... right? And, that's why others think their nominations are an inappropriate joke.

The Chief, we're told, is similar to being mayor ... they're the head of the council and the voice of the community, tasked with overseeing programs and services run by administrators. Naturally, we're told Chief is the most respected position in Walpole Island First Nation, which has about 5,000 members.

Walpole Island is no stranger to celebs ... we're told Cher and Kid Rock have spent a great deal of time in the area, going fishing and duck hunting.

One last caveat ... we're told Ryan or Paul would likely have to move close to the reservation if elected Chief. Sorry, you can't attend tribe meetings on Zoom.

Ryan's at least Canadian, so that gives him a leg up, but ... Paul's a Beatle.

Kanye West is firing back at the Wisconsin Democratic Party, and now officially beefing with it ... accusing the Dems of spying on his presidential campaign.

Kanye's responding to a complaint in the Badger State asking officials to block Ye from the ballot due to allegedly submitting fake signatures and failing to get signatures in on time -- and make no mistake, he believes the WI Democratic Party is behind it.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Kanye claims the Dems hired a private investigator to track his signature-gathering street team ... as part of an "organized effort of harassment and intimidation" against his candidacy.

He also says the Dems spies merely wasted their time because they turned up nothing nefarious.

As we reported ... Kanye filed signatures and paperwork last week to get his name on the ballot for Prez in Wisconsin. He needed 2,000 signatures from registered voters in the state to get on the ballot, and his third-party petitioning group, Let The Voters Decide, helped him obtain the signatures.

Ye claims the complaint filed on Friday seeking to prevent him from getting on the ballot was submitted by a man who is widely reported to be a front for the Democratic Party. The complaint suggests Kanye's campaign submitted bogus signatures and includes affidavits from people who claim they were tricked into signing their names on Yeezy's paperwork.

So, what's next? We're told the state's Elections Commission will review the legal papers and make a recommendation -- about Kanye's slot on the ballot -- to a bipartisan panel of 3 Dems and 3 Republicans.

Rudy Giuliani believes Kanye West secretly wants Donald Trump reelected, and the former NYC Mayor seems to be saying Ye could spoil Joe Biden's chances.

We got the President's personal attorney Sunday in NYC and asked whether he thought Kanye's campaign could shake up the election. Rudy's hesitant to weigh in on Ye's bonafides ... but he does say Mr. West is still a fan of 45.

Rudy goes way further ... insinuating Kanye could be a surrogate for Trump to get the black vote. RG says Kanye is expressing the dissatisfaction African Americans feel about the way they've been treated and ignored for decades, specifically by Democrats.

Kanye has made it clear -- at least publicly -- he's not a spoiler ... that he's in it to win it. Nevertheless, in a close state, Kanye could become a deciding factor if he maintains 2% of the vote or higher.

Remember ... there are multiple reports Republican operatives are working to get Ye on the ballot in various states, including the swing state of Wisconsin.

President Trump reportedly lobbied the Governor of South Dakota to have his mug added to Mount Rushmore, which might explain his 4th of July rally at the site.

Gov. Kristi Noem gifted DT a mini replica of the national monument on July 4th -- with his face carved in next to the other iconic four presidents -- as a joke-y way to make up for the fact she couldn't do it for him in real life ... this after his aides called her asking about it.

According to the NYT, Trump had some White House aides ring Kristi and co. up last year about the process of potentially adding a fifth presidential head on the side of Black Elk Peak. The calls from aides came AFTER Trump had told the Gov. himself during a White House visit that it was his "dream" to be featured on the structure ... which she laughed at.

Apparently, Donnie wasn't joking at all ... and had his people follow up on it, which appears to have prompted the strange make-up gift. Of course, the issue of adding a fifth face to Rushmore has been kicked around -- to no avail. It's said to be virtually impossible, as there simply isn't enough room to do it without compromising the whole thing.

Funny enough, the National Park Service says it's actually a question/request they get pretty often from a number of different groups -- so it's not just Trump's ego that's enormous. More importantly, Mount Rushmore was made to showcase America's birth and growth through its first 150 years ... at least that's how the OG sculptor Gutzon Borglum reportedly envisioned it.

Kanye West wants you to donate to his campaign so he can become the 46th POTUS, and he's making the pitch by laying out his positions on various issues, and one thing's clear ... he's playing to both Democrats and Republicans.

Ye, who calls his platform, "Creating a Culture of Life," is seeking contributions ranging from $20 to a grand. As for his positions, the first is revealing ... "Restore faith and revive our Constitutional commitment to freedom of religion and the free exercise of one's faith, demonstrated by restoring prayer in the classroom including spiritual foundations."

That seems to be a cornerstone of his campaign ... freedom of religion, which for him includes a hard-line, antiabortion stance. This position clearly targets Republican voters.

But, then he pivots to the Dems, promising to reduce household debt and student loan debt. He also wants to restructure the educational system, by opening it up to "at-risk and vulnerable populations."

He takes a stand on policing, promoting policies that "treat all Americans the same, regardless of race, color, or ethnicity." And, he promises to protect the environment by promoting clean air and water as well as renewables.

And, then he pivots back to Republican voters, promising to "place Americans' best interest first and foremost." He also vows to "Maintain a strong national defense."

Kanye says he's not a spoiler ... he's in it to win it. This turn shows he's trying to win votes by traversing party lines.

Nick Cannon says America needs another Black man in the White House ... that's why he's team Kanye 2020.

Nick was at LAX Friday when the photog asked him what he thought of Ye's run. Answer: "I love it!"

Now, the photog took it a step further and asked if he'll still be with Kanye when he casts his ballot, and Nick gave the semi-emphatic "Yes." We say semi because there's clearly a slight smirk.

On another subject ... Nick was asked about his recent troubles over some anti-Semitic comments. Nick has been earnest in attempting to educate himself ... even meeting with rabbis.

Kanye West's Presidential run just got a death blow, at least in Illinois, where election officials say more than half his submitted signatures are invalid ... and that means he's off the ballot.

TMZ broke the story ... multiple people stepped up to object after Kanye submitted his petition to get on the ballot in his home state. That triggered a review -- from the State Board of Elections -- of all the 3,128 signatures on his documents.

The tally is in, and 1,928 were ruled invalid ... which leaves Ye way more than a thousand short of the 2,500 needed to be a Presidential candidate on the state's ballots. What we don't know is what was wrong with the bad ones.

It could be any number of issues -- fake names, fake addresses, unregistered voters in Illinois -- or even simply an illegible signature.

Bottom line is Illinois will be officially removing him on August 21, or he still has the option to gracefully announce he's withdrawing.

Although Illinois isn't considered a swing state in the Presidential campaign, it's a big blow for Kanye ... not only because he's from Chicago, but he just boldly declared his "goal is to win."

Hell, he even posted his 2020 vision board, which included the number 46 ... as in the 46th President of the United States.

Kanye West insists he's out to become America's 46th President, not just play spoiler for Joe Biden in the upcoming election -- that is, if you buy into his vision boards and ALL CAPS tweets.

The rapper's presidential campaign is facing increased scrutiny and skepticism lately, as various reports suggest it's being fueled by Republican political operatives working for President Trump to get Kanye on certain states' ballots ... in order to steal votes from Biden in November.

Kanye even seemed to indicate this is the case in his latest interview with Forbes when he didn't deny the spoiler accusation, but later he tweeted ... "THE GOAL IS TO WIN."

So ... he's sticking to being serious about winning, even if all signs point to him having no chance.

Kanye also shared his "2020 Vision" board, but it doesn't do much to clarify things.

As we reported ... a Wisconsin official is outraged over what he calls a "shameful, pitiful" ploy by the GOP to use Kanye -- despite his mental health issues -- for what he believes is a trick to lure black voters away from Biden in his state.

Kanye has enlisted the help of a third-party organization in order to acquire enough signatures needed to get him on the presidential ballot, especially in major swing states like Wisconsin and Ohio.

Someone on President Trump's campaign team is painfully tone-deaf, opting to crank "Live and Let Die" before his Ohio event ... as about 1,000 Americans are killed daily by COVID-19.

Ya probably wouldn't believe it, if there wasn't video, but a reporter covering Trump's speech at a Whirlpool factory posted it -- and Guns N' Roses version of the Paul McCartney classic was, sure enough, blaring on the live feed.

The reporter, Robert Mackey, points out the obviously disturbing nature of the track blaring at a time like this. Not to mention, Ohio's Governor, Mike DeWine, couldn't attend the event because he just came down with COVID-19.

And, of course, the virus is on the rise in a majority of states and killed more than 1,400 Americans just Wednesday.

Bottom line: It's either the worst timing ever or someone's idea of a sick twisted joke. BTW, Mackey says it played twice!

For the record, GnR frontman Axl Rose is no fan of Trump or his handling of the coronavirus, and actually used the song title to mock the President back in May.

The band released a bunch of shirts reading ... "Live N’ Let Die With COVID 45."

A Milwaukee Councilman is slamming Republicans for what he believes is a trick to lure black voters in Wisconsin to cast their ballots for Kanye West and steal votes from Joe Biden ... but he predicts it will backfire.

Cavalier Johnson has been the Alderman for Milwaukee's 2nd district, and he's sounding the alarm for what he calls a "shameful, pitiful" ploy attempting to take advantage of a man struggling with mental illness.

There have been reports Republican operatives are behind Kanye's efforts to get on the Wisconsin ballot. As you know, Wisconsin was a swing state in 2016 and if it's close again, a spoiler like Kanye could make all the difference.

Johnson says ... "It’s hard to imagine how this president and the GOP could top the racism, xenophobia, white supremacy, COVID failures, apologies for Russia, pocketing millions in taxpayer dollars with visits to Trump-branded golf courses, etc.," but he accuses them of doing exactly that in Wisconsin.

Despite his outrage and disgust, the councilman doesn't think the plan will work, saying when the word gets out it will further unite the black community in support of Biden.

As we reported ... Kanye has enlisted the help of a third-party organization in order to acquire enough signatures needed to get him on the presidential ballot, especially in major swing states like Wisconsin and Ohio.

Kanye West's egalitarian community is being resurrected -- or so it seems, 'cause the guy wants to lock up the rights on a name for it ... which is in line with his Presidential campaign.

Ye's company, Yeezy LLC, just filed legal docs declaring his intention to snag the exclusive rights to a phrase for his dome-like structures -- which Ye and co. actually call shelters in the paperwork. Ya ready??? Looks like he's gonna call them ... "2020Vision."

It's not the first time Kanye's used that phrase -- if you'll recall, he dropped that same verbiage when he announced his presidential campaign about a month ago. At the time, Ye wrote ... "We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future. I am running for president of the United States! #2020Vision."

Kanye's team also reveals more details on how they plan to use "2020Vision" -- saying he intends to use the name on permanent metal and non-metal dome shelters, as well as actual construction and engineering services that'll be used to make them a reality.

Remember, Ye already erected a number of these dome structures on his Calabasas property not too long ago -- only to see them get torn down when the City came knocking after he failed to obtain the proper permits ... not to mention pissing off his neighbors with the noise.

At the time, it seemed like Kanye was putting the project on pause -- and it wasn't clear if he was going to try again in the same area ... or try rebooting elsewhere, like on his Wyoming properties.

President Trump says his threat to ban TikTok is about China stealing data, but that's just a cover story ... at least according to TikTokers who think he can't take a joke, and simply wants revenge.

TMZ spoke with Mary Jo Laupp -- AKA TikTok Grandma -- and DeJuan Booker, a couple of proud TikTok trolls who've been on a mission to derail Trump's presidency along with his businesses ... and they think he's striking back with the potential ban.

Mary Jo made the original TikTok encouraging people to register for Trump's Tulsa rally and then not show up -- a battle cry that spread like wildfire among teens and K-pop fans. She thinks believes he's still miffed about how it affected his rally, and all his vigor toward banning TikTok is just a grudge.

Laupp says even if he does go through with the ban, it was worth it to show how Gen Z'ers can impact politics -- and hopes it motivates them to hit the polls in November.

Meanwhile, DeJuan -- the leader of "Gen Savage" and creator of multiple Trump pranks -- says Trump's revenge plot won't work, because his community will simply move to other platforms if the Prez bans TikTok.

And, he adds ... you better believe they'll keep speaking out against 45.

DeJuan acknowledges his Trump pranks may be seen as petty, but tells us the whole purpose is to let Gen Z know their voice matters and when they come together ... they can make a difference.

Donald Trump says he's not pulling strings to help Kanye West get on state ballots for the presidential election ... but he's got lots of good things to say about Ye and Kim Kardashian.

Trump denied claims he's encouraging Republicans to help Kanye get on the ballot for prez in swing states. He was asked by a reporter during a Wednesday press conference if he was encouraging several Republican operatives who allegedly were helping Ye ... he said no.

POTUS says he likes Kanye very much. He did not seem to know about Kanye's recent struggles with mental illness but said Kanye has always been nice to him.

That paled in comparison to his praise for Kim, whom Trump largely credited with convincing him to release several inmates, including Alice Johnson.

Rep. Jim Clyburn's adamant that President Trump is dead serious about remaining in office -- whether or not he wins the election -- and says it's not out of the question that military leaders will have to remove him from The White House.

The South Carolina congressman and third-ranking Democrat in the House made headlines this week when he responded to Trump's call to delay the November election by saying ... "I feel very strongly that he is Mussolini. Putin is Hitler."

Clyburn's sticking to that, and in our "TMZ Live" interview he compared Trump's tactics to those of a fascist leader ... who wants to remain that way for life. He says there have been talks about Trump refusing to leave, and there will be more as the election gets closer.

He points out Trump has already stated this in the past "jokingly," but Clyburn believes he means it ... and history has shown what can happen if it's not taken seriously. Coincidentally, Trump just tweeted a campaign video suggesting he's not joking either.

So, what happens if Trump loses, but refuses to accept it? Rep. Clyburn admits he doesn't have the answer yet -- it would be unprecedented after all -- but it's clear ... lots of people on the Hill are plenty worried.

Clyburn tells us he believes government officials and military leaders have already seen how Trump has misused and abused his power -- with his use of force to dispel peaceful protesters in Lafayette Park for a photo op coming to mind -- so they'll be ready.

Kanye West's uphill battle to become President is getting steeper every day, but he IS ahead of Joe Biden in one way ... he's officially listed Michelle Tidball as his running mate.

Kanye 2020 is having an up-and-down Monday, so far, because his campaign submitted petitions to get on the Arkansas ballot for prez -- but then missed the deadline in nearby Kansas.

The big news, though, is Tidball is named in the Arkansas filing as his Vice President ... more documented proof of their partnership. He also put her name down on his Missouri ballot filing last week. As we reported, she's yet to confirm it herself.

As for the campaign's progress ... a spokesperson for the Arkansas Secretary of State tells TMZ Ye also turned in the required 1,000 signatures to become an independent candidate, with just 15 mins to spare before the noon deadline.

If you've been keeping track, this has pretty much been Kanye's M.O. We're told the state will now go through the process of verifying all the signatures are legit. This has already been an issue in his home state of Illinois.

Although he checked Arkansas off his list Monday, Kanye missed Kansas ... and we're told there's no way he will be listed on the ballot now.

According to a spokesperson for Kansas Secretary of State's office ... he needed 5,000 signatures by noon and didn't turn in anything. We're told the deadline is very strict, so the only way Kanye can get presidential votes in the state now is as a write-in candidate.

For the record, both Arkansas and Kansas are worth 6 electoral votes.

As we reported ... the rapper's been working with a company called Let the Voters Decide to amass enough signatures to get on the ballots in several states, including swing-state Ohio.

Despite this seemingly sporadic focus on getting on state ballots, Kanye claims he's committed to winning the White House ... recently tweeting he could beat Biden.

It's relevant that people close to Kanye, including Kim Kardashian, say he's been coping with a bipolar episode.