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The Democratic National Convention deciding to go fully virtual this year is saving everyone millions of dollars ... TMZ has learned.

According to federal docs we obtained, the total cost of protecting everyone involved in the week-long DNC events will run around $1.5 million -- which also includes putting bodies on the ground at Joe's house in Wilmington, DE ... where he'll deliver his acceptance speech.

While a million-bucks plus is nothing to sneeze at -- it's a helluva lot cheaper than the original plan, which would've seen the Service spending way more in security coverage had the convention been held in person in Milwaukee -- something they scrapped very recently.

If there were conventions in convention halls, the Secret Service was anticipating security expenses at almost $4 mil for Joe and co., and practically double that for Trump.

Considering this order of $1.5 mil appears to encompass everyone participating in the DNC -- it's likely the government spent little to no extra money accommodating Biden's change of location. Presumably, he's already had people stationed -- and getting a few extra agents on his detail this week probably isn't breaking the bank.

All things considered -- going digital is saving the Dems (plus, you and us) millions that can and hopefully will be better spent elsewhere ... say, for coronavirus relief funds, for example.

Michelle Obama was the clear star of the first night of the Democratic National Convention, and even though she only mentioned Donald Trump by name once ... she went for the jugular -- and she even took a shot at Kanye.

The former First Lady told people they should give up on Trump understanding and doing his job, because she says he just isn't up to it. As she said, "It is what it is."

MO hit all the big issues ... coronavirus, race, racism, justice, international relations, but her strongest words were about the office of the President and the President's character. She noted she's one of the few people on earth who have seen the challenges in the Oval Office, and Trump just doesn't have it.

She also seemed to take a shot at Kanye West. As she implored people to get out and vote, she cautioned for voters not to "play games with candidates who have no chance of winning."

Another interesting moment ... she said flatly -- she hates politics.

Joe Biden's crash course in Cardi B is complete, and now you can decide if he passed after their sit down covering race, healthcare and uhh ... that "big chunk of taxes" out of our checks!!!

It's almost a rite of passage -- for Democrat Presidential candidates, anyway -- a campaign chat with Cardi, this one for Elle, and she gave Joe an earful. He started out with flattery and then asked what's her main issue heading into the vote.

Welp ... Biden got more than 2 minutes of her issues -- including education, social justice and childcare -- complete with some okurrrrs! Seriously, Cardi's sound effects seemed to throw him off a bit (go to 3:55).

He's just lucky "W.A.P." didn't come up ... that woulda been a moment.

The fact the presumptive Democratic candidate spent 15+ minutes chatting with Cardi -- the day the Democratic National Convention opens -- makes it clear Biden's campaign sees the reach and influence she has. Remember, she also grilled Sen. Bernie Sanders ... so, she's becoming an important campaign stop.

As for Biden ... he and Cardi spent a lot of time talking about racial equality, but she also slipped in a jab about taxes. Y'know, she's famously gotten heated about where her tax dollars are going -- so pay attention to her final question.

Robert Trump, President Donald Trump's younger brother, has died.

The White House released a statement Saturday night from the President ... "It is with heavy heart I share that my wonderful brother, Robert, peacefully passed away tonight."

It was apparent Robert Trump was gravely ill a few days ago, when Donald Trump flew to New York City to visit him in the hospital. He had reportedly been in ICU for upwards of a week.

Robert Trump was an exec in the Trump organization and close to his older brother. In announcing Robert's death, Donald Trump said, “He was not just my brother, he was my best friend. He will be greatly missed, but we will meet again. His memory will live on in my heart forever. Robert, I love you. Rest in peace.”

Robert Trump made news in the last few months when he tried to block a book, "Too Much and Never Enough," written by his niece, Mary Trump. The book was published in July.

Joe Biden sent his condolences, saying, "Mr. President, Jill and I are sad to learn of your younger brother Robert's passing. I know the tremendous pain of losing a loved one -- and I know how important family is in moments like these. I hope you know that our prayers are with you all."

Robert Trump was 71.

Kanye West gave a belated shout-out to Kamala Harris, but he's not gonna vote for her.

Ye just tweeted, "I know my mom and Kamala Harris would have been friends ... congratulations on being the democratic Vice President nominee ... all love and respect from the future president.  It's an honor to run against you."

So much to say. First, it's cool that Kanye gave the Senator some props. Second, it's also cool he thought about how Donda, his late mom, would have been proud of Joe Biden's pick.

All that said ... Kanye has made it clear -- he's in it to win it, and as we've been reporting, he's trying to get on the November ballot in certain states.

The ongoing intrigue ... what's Kanye's connection to Trump? He's supported him in the past, and Rudy Giuliani told us last weekend he believes Kanye secretly still loves Trump. And then, there's Jared Kushner, who secretly met with Kanye and speaks to him on the phone. Kushner denies they talk politics -- just policy, but it's hard/impossible to believe that.

It seems Trump's people believe Kanye could be a spoiler and hurt Biden by siphoning off black votes from the Democrats.

Forget we're in the middle of a make-or-break election ... Cardi B is already setting her sights on 2024, because she's got her eye on AOC.

Cardi just tweeted that she wants Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to throw her name in the ring for President when she turns 35 ... the required age under the Constitution.

AOC is clearly a Cardi fan ... check out her moves dancing to "Bodak Yellow." But, she's also become a big star in the Democratic party -- or at least the progressive wing of the party -- she'll give a speech next week at the Dem's convention to put Bernie Sander's name in the mix. It's a formality since Joe Biden will become the party's nominee, but AOC will have primetime exposure.

So, here's the deal. AOC is 30 ... she'll turn 31 in October. So, if she were to run in 2024, she'd be 34 -- one year shy of the minimum requirement, but WAIT. We checked the Constitution, and it says anyone can run when they're under 35 as long as they hit that age before being sworn in. Since the swearing-in would be January 20, 2025 ... she'd qualify.

A giant protest went down in D.C. Saturday morning at the home of the Postmaster General, over highly suspicious claims that millions of mail-in ballots might not be counted.

The crowd formed at the home of Louis DeJoy, who had absolutely no involvement or experience in the U.S. Postal Service until Trump appointed him. DeJoy is a Trump loyalist who has contributed money to his Presidential campaign.

DeJoy warned an untold number of ballots in 46 states might not be counted ... this as Trump has said he won't adequately fund the effort to properly count ballots. He as much as said he's against it because mail-in voting helps Democratic candidates. Overtime has already been cut and mailboxes have been removed from streets.

Trump's claims of voter fraud with mail-in ballots are provably false ... there is virtually no fraud with mail-in ballots ... the number is a small, small, small fraction of 1%.

Some of the protesters stuffed fake ballots in DeJoy's mailbox ... although it's unclear if he'll be moved by anyone other than Trump.

As you know, there's a push to expand mail-in voting because it's the safest way by far to vote during a pandemic.

Marge Simpson's known for her patient and loving demeanor, but it seems she has less patience for President Trump's advisor, who used her to jab at Sen. Kamala Harris ... 'cause she's firing back, politically.

TV's beloved animated housewife responded to Jenna Ellis' dig at Kamala ... claiming she sounded like Marge. Well, the 'Simpson' matriarch admits she doesn't usually get political, but she is now.

Marge says Lisa told her Ellis didn't mean her comment as a compliment, and -- as an ordinary suburban housewife -- she's starting to get fed up and feels disrespected. The "suburban housewife" comment is telling.

Marge is referring to President Trump's claim that Joe Biden's selection of Kamala will piss off suburban housewives because he claims it will lead to low-income housing in suburbs.

Point is ... Trump's terrified of losing that demographic, and Marge knows it.

Howard University's president says Sen. Kamala Harris can have a huge impact on students at her alma mater ... where majoring in political science is the hot, new thing on campus.

Dr. Wayne Frederick joined us on "TMZ Live" Friday and told us how Kamala's political rise, from poli sci major at Howard to Joe Biden's running mate, is inspiring students from all backgrounds to get involved in politics and affect change.

Kamala, who graduated from HU in 1986 and added economics to her double major, is the first HBCU grad to run on a major party's ticket ... along with being the first Black woman and person of Indian descent.

Dr. Frederick says Kamala's one of the reasons why the second most popular major for incoming freshman at Howard is political science. It helps to have a role model.

The HU Prez thinks Kamala's influence will extend far beyond minority students ... telling us why she can also inspire white students to get involved in the political process, even if they never step foot on an HBCU campus.

It's not politically one-sided either ... Dr. Frederick also explains how Kamala is helping HBCU grads play a role on both sides of the aisle.

A United States Postal Service truck in NYC hauled away mailboxes ... an ominous sign in the middle of a voter war over mail-in ballots ... a war waged by President Trump.

The USPS mailbox removal in NYC comes on the heels of a similar move in Portland and Eugene, OR this week ... which a Postal Service spokesperson passed off as necessary because of declining mail volume and duplicate boxes in the area.

Many Americans are growing more concerned, as the President has been a foe of mail-in voting and the USPS in general ... and recently made alarming comments about putting the brakes on funding.

Trump also met with U.S Postmaster General Louis DeJoy -- a longtime ally and supporter -- earlier in the month amid his increasing attacks on the USPS ... and shortly after DeJoy made the decision to eliminate overtime for postal workers.

Oh, and the Postal Service also recently removed some mail sorting machines

All of this has sparked big worries and outrage ... that the goal here is to make mail delivery slow and in some cases impossible, 'cause of delays. Of course, the operating theory is that mail-in ballots help Democrats and Trump will stop at nothing to blunt it.

It's pretty outrageous ... in the middle of an out-of-control pandemic where lots of people want to vote by mail because they fear for their safety and the safety of others, 45's focus is winning re-election.

Herman Cain's political takes from beyond the grave will continue -- even if some Twitter users think it's dirty pool -- because they're not breaking any rules.

The late pizza tycoon and politician's Twitter account raised eyebrows Wednesday night when it started firing off anti-Joe Biden posts in response to Joe announcing Kamala Harris as his running mate.

The tweets drew a mixed reaction -- some joked Cain had jumped online posthumously to keep supporting President Trump. But, others fumed the account was violating Twitter policy ... since the person posting is obviously not HC.

Not so, according to a Twitter spokesperson, who tells us the profile info and images have been updated to reflect who is truly managing the account ... so, it's all Kosher.

The new group in charge calls itself "The Cain Gang," and -- led by his daughter Dr. Melanie Cain Gallo -- vows to continue working on his political mission.

Since Wednesday, that's included several tweets and retweets supporting Trump and slamming his opponents.

The updated account also includes a disclaimer ... "The Cain Gang consists of different writers who have their own opinions. We all lean right, but we're also individuals. Each piece reflects the opinions of that writer. That's how Herman wanted it to work."

As we reported ... Cain died last month from COVID-19. He tested positive for the virus after attending Trump's Tulsa rally on June 20 -- where he was seen without a face mask.

Kanye West's team of petitioners working hard to get him on the presidential ballot in Montana got rewarded for their efforts ... with a trip on a private jet.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... as the filing deadline approached earlier this week, the group Kanye hired to get his petitions signed -- Let the Voters Decide -- utilized a private jet to make it happen in the nick of time.

We're told the group already had members on the ground in Montana racking up signatures, but due to the state's vast rural landscape ... they needed backup. Fire up the jet.

Our sources say Kanye simultaneously had petitioners working in Utah for next week's deadline there, but to get over the hump in Montana ... a small group was flown over to Big Sky Country to hit up the more populated areas.

Even better for Ye ... the plan worked. We're told the group ended up submitting about 9,000 signatures across multiple counties -- way more than the 5k required -- before Wednesday's deadline.

He's not across the finish line yet though. Candidates file petitions with county officials, who have 7 days to verify signatures before sending a final count to the Secretary of State's Office.

If Kanye still makes the 5,000-count requirement ... he'll be on the presidential ballot as an independent, and be eligible to receive Montana's 3 electoral votes. That's right -- lotta work for 3 votes.

As we've reported ... Kanye is facing opposition to get on the ballot in Wisconsin, and he's been booted from the ballot in his home state of Illinois. The issues in both states are over the validity of the signatures.

Jared Kushner says he talked with his good buddy Kanye West about lots of things during their infamous pow wow ... and he's not denying they discussed the 2020 Election.

President Trump's son-in-law and trusted aide spoke Thursday morning at the White House about his weekend summit with Kanye -- describing their face-to-face as a great discussion about a lot of things.

Jared was asked directly if they discussed the election at all, and ya gotta watch his response. He did not firmly stamp out the theory many people have expressed -- that Kanye's Presidential campaign is Trump-engineered purely to spoil Joe Biden's chances

Jared points out he's been pals with Kanye for about 10 years, and says Yeezy has great ideas for what he would like to see happen in the country, and admires a lot of President Trump's initiatives.

Remember, Kanye sat down with Trump, Kushner and Vice President Mike Pence back in 2018 inside the Oval Office.

And, don't forget Rudy Giuliani, another Trump crony, told us over the weekend he believes Kanye remains a secret Trump supporter -- implying they're all in on this together.

Joe Biden just introduced his new running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, and her first speech as a potential VP went off without a hitch ... and sounded as good as one could've hoped for.

Joe and Kamala made their official debut as the faces of the Democratic ticket Wednesday in their first joint press conference out in Wilmington, Delaware. After Joe got through a fairly moving speech himself about why he chose Kamala and what he expected of her ... he let her speak for herself, and boy she did not disappoint.

Check it out ... Kamala was polished, firm and in command of her talking points as she bashed Donald Trump and Mike Pence's failure of leadership ... while at the same time propping up Joe and eloquently explaining what their administration would bring about.

She also discussed her own upbringing from immigrant parents -- one from Jamaica and another from India -- and how that has shaped her own life path and decisions ... leading her to where she is today. Kamala said her parents met during the Civil Rights movement, and used to bring her out to protests in a stroller -- which she said is being reflected again now.

She rattled off the different groups of Americans that she said she hoped to represent and fight for if she and Joe are elected into office come November -- and she made clear what a Biden White House would look like for America ... drawing a stark contrast to Trump's term.

It's the stuff of movies, really, how well this joint presser went -- and if we do say so ourselves, Joe knocked it out of the park with his choice here. She held her own fantastically.

Biden's historic choice makes Harris the first Black woman to join a major party's Presidential ticket -- and she's the first candidate of Jamaican and Asian descent. Her parents were Indian and Jamaican immigrants.

Harris is also only the third woman to be selected to join the ticket as VP for a major party ... behind Alaska's Republican Gov. Sarah Palin and NYC Democratic Rep. Geraldine Ferraro.

As we reported ... it appeared Biden was all but going to pick Harris, when back in July a reporter got a peek at his cheat sheet during a news conference that included Harris' name with the words ... "don't hold grudges." The "grudges" note is in reference to their first debate, where Harris attacked Biden for his stand against school bussing ... something Harris benefited from during her school days.

Harris would go on to endorse Biden in March after she suspended her own presidential campaign. Biden's announcement has already paid dividends, literally.

Andrew Yang is a big fan of Sen. Kamala Harris as a candidate, but more importantly, as a person ... and says they bonded early, when he was a political unknown.

The former presidential candidate joined us on "TMZ Live" Wednesday and heaped tons of praise on Joe Biden's running mate, telling us what separated Kamala from the pack.

Andrew says he first met Kamala early on in the Democratic primaries and they forged an instant bond on a number of non-political issues they have in common.

He added ... there was something else about the VP candidate that really impressed him. Andrew says Kamala was always warm and friendly, which stood out to him because no one knew who the hell he was early in the Democratic primary races.

Andrew says that taught him a lot about his then-opponent's character, which is why he thinks Kamala makes a great veep.

Andrew's ready to go to bat for Biden and Harris at next week's Democratic National Convention, and broke some news about the event.

Kanye West met with President Trump's son-in-law and White House staffer, Jared Kushner, last week -- the strongest indication yet Trump's administration might be involved in his campaign.

Ye had a private face-to-face with Kushner, a Trump cabinet member, over the weekend in Colorado, where Kanye was vacationing with Kim and the kids following their Caribbean trip ... this according to the NYT.

They report Ivanka was traveling with Jared too, and that Ye flew to Telluride to touch base with them ... sans Kim. The details of the meeting are scant, but the Times says when they asked Ye about it ... he didn't deny chatting, only saying their discussion was about Black empowerment.

He also copped to the meeting publicly on Twitter, writing ... "I’m willing to do a live interview with the New York Time about my meeting with Jared where we discussed Dr Claude Anderson’s book Powernomics."

Of course, it's eyebrow-raising, at minimum, that a Trump aide -- his own family member, no less -- is meeting with Ye at a time of heightened scrutiny around his campaign ... which many people believe is simply a Trump-engineered spoiler attempt to ruin Joe Biden's chances.