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Pete Buttigieg believes there may be immediate consequences for the LGBTQ community -- as well as people with preexisting conditions -- if President Trump succeeds in swiftly replacing Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court.

Mayor Pete's one of many prominent voices calling Senate Republicans hypocrites for pressing to fill the SCOTUS vacancy -- when they blocked President Obama's 2016 appointment of Merrick Garland, claiming it shouldn't be done in an election year.

Since they're now ignoring their own theory, Pete says this is an obvious power grab on the GOP's part -- one that's sparking fears for him in his own home.

Buttigieg points to his own marriage, saying it might not have even been possible if a more conservative, anti-LGBTQ Justice would have been on the High Court in 2015 instead of Ginsburg.

Then, of course, there's Obamacare, which the Supreme Court is set to make a major decision on in November. As Pete says ... lives literally depend on the case, but if Trump and Senate Republicans get their way, it won't be much of a case at all.

President Trump's suggesting Ruth Bader Ginsburg's dying wish to not be replaced until after the election isn't real, but rather a political ploy whipped up by Democrats.

Trump made a routine pit stop on "Fox & Friends" Monday morning, and was asked about RBG telling her granddaughter -- reportedly while on her death bed -- that her wish is for the next elected President to choose her successor on the Supreme Court.

Trump says he doubts if Ginsburg -- who died Friday due to complications of metastatic pancreatic cancer -- actually said those words, and instead speculates the "dying wish" was written by either Rep. Adam Schiff, Sen. Chuck Schumer or Rep. Nancy Pelosi.

Ultimately, "maybe she did, and maybe she didn't," is the best Trump can offer as proof that RBG's dying wish is illegitimate ... and moved on to telling the Fox News crew he plans to move quickly in replacing her.

As we reported ... Judge Amy Coney Barrett has emerged as a frontrunner to fill RBG's vacant seat, which would give conservatives a 6-3 majority on the High Court.

Kanye West enlisted a small army of signature gatherers in several states in order to make the presidential ballot, and even though he spent a fortune ... he still came up short in spots where he dropped a lot of cash.

According to a source at Let the Voters Decide -- the 3rd-party petitioning group Kanye's been using this summer -- the rapper's campaign paid them between $3.5 and $4.5 MILLION across 15 states to send workers out for John Hancocks.

We've covered many of the individual states where the group has been dispersed on Kanye's behalf, but we're told one of the biggest chunks of money went toward Arizona -- where Ye allegedly dished out $1 million to get 93,000 signatures -- only to have a judge bar him from the ballot anyway.

The same is true in Ohio and Virginia -- where our source says Kanye's campaign allegedly spent $325k and $300k respectively to gather signatures ... only to not make the ballot.

As we reported, Kanye also spent at least $30k with LTVD in Illinois -- and that ended poorly for him -- and though it's unclear what he spent in Wisconsin ... he's currently been booted from the ballot in that state too for missing a deadline by just seconds.

Of course, without paying big bucks to Let the Voters Decide, he likely wouldn't have made the prez ballot in states like Kentucky -- where we're told he spent $400k -- or Iowa, where he dropped $80k. He's currently made the ballot in 12 states.

BTW -- the bill keeps growing for Ye, because as you recall, he's already reported $6 million he's spent and disclosed in his first financial report with the FEC earlier this month, which outlined various disbursements to other companies to get him on various ballots.

So, it begs the question ... is it all worth it? Kanye's running as an independent, but many believe his campaign is being fueled by pro-Trump operatives and having his name on the ballot will mostly hurt Joe Biden. Ye denies he's working with Trump and co.

Shortly before President Trump's North Carolina rally, a group of his supporters were rolling deep and screaming racist rhetoric in the streets, not too far from where he'd touch down.

A convoy of pickup trucks decorated with Trump 2020 stickers and American flags roared through downtown Elon, NC Saturday ... where some folks in their vehicles screamed out "white power!" to bystanders watching them go by. You hear it clearly, at least twice.

According to the Triad City Beat, which first posted the incident, a local professor was standing quietly on the corner -- which you can also see in the video -- holding a "Black Lives Matter" sign. That appears to be what triggered all the honking and hate speech.

TCB reports the convoy was organized by local neo-Confederate activist Gary Williamson.

Mind you, Trump held a rally in nearby Fayetteville, NC ... just a couple hours south of Elon.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wants folks to turn their despair over Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death into rocket fuel for November ... and she's got a step-by-step plan on how to do it.

AOC posted a lengthy video of herself addressing her constituents, fans and anyone who's willing to listen -- but, more importantly, anyone who's worried about what the death of RBG might mean for this election. She makes it clear ... the stakes are higher than ever.

She explains how some people might think there's nothing they can really do, but quickly corrects them and points out that EVERYONE can make a difference in their own small way. She's not talking in platitudes or vagueries ... she lays out specifics.

First off, AOC literally begs people to make sure they're properly registered to vote ... even if they think they're already good. It doesn't hurt to check and to update one's info.

She then touches on organizing, or at the very least ... supporting those who do organize on the ground. Then comes what might be her biggest and most doable suggestion -- lobbying people you know, and helping spread awareness in your own circles.

We'll let AOC speak for herself -- and frankly, it's worth watching her full, 41 minute-plus talk. Her overarching message ... everyone has someone only they can reach, and that in this crucial time, it's time to do that.

She also said this is an even bigger issue than voting for Biden ... it's about voting to preserve democracy.

The frontrunner to fill the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's seat on the Supreme Court -- if Donald Trump gets his way -- has all the signs of voting to repeal Roe vs. Wade.

The 48-year-old jurist currently sits on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals and is a committed strict constructionist of the Constitution, meaning she interprets the document as the framers intended. That's code these days for saying abortion is not mentioned as a right in the Constitution, therefore the right does not exist.

Amy Coney Barrett, a devout Roman Catholic and mother of 7, told Senators during her confirmation hearing for the Court of Appeals ... her religion would not, pardon the expression, trump the Constitution ... presumably trying to give assurance that she would not overturn Roe based on her religious beliefs. Nevertheless, there's evidence she's opposed to abortion.

She's been against ObamaCare's birth control mandate, calling it a "grave violation of religious freedom."

Barrett clerked for the late Justice Antonin Scalia, a fiercely conservative, strict constructionist. She was a professor at Notre Dame School of Law for 15 years before her appointment by Trump in 2017 to the 7th Circuit.

She was in the running to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy's seat back in 2018 and many conservatives favored her. Trump ultimately went with Brett Kavanaugh.

If Barrett gets the nod and is approved by the Senate, conservatives were be cemented on the High Court with a 6-3 majority. It could mean the end of ObamaCare and Roe, and that's just for starters.

The United States Supreme Court is temporarily the backdrop for a stunning memorial to the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Flowers, American flags and messages of condolence filled the area around the Courthouse steps as a steady stream of people came to pay their respects. Some folks wept as other sat silently or prayed.

Senator Elizabeth Warren spoke Saturday night on High Court steps, leading the crowd in a chant honoring RBG ... "I will fight!"

That fight is quickly becoming the centerpiece of the 2020 election. Trump says he will nominate someone -- he says probably a woman -- sometime this coming week. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has already vowed to ramrod it through the Senate, much to the outrage of Democrats and some Republicans. As you know, McConnell and co. blocked President Obama's nomination 11 months before his term ended, saying it was appropriate to wait for the next President. One thing's clear ... politics reigns over consistency.

If Trump gets his nominee confirmed, the Court would tilt right by a 6-3 margin, affecting everything from abortion to immigration, from health care to all issues of equality.

President Trump says his Supreme Court nominee is very likely going to be a woman, and his "first place" consideration to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

DT made the announcement Saturday as he was departing the White House to a rally in North Carolina, telling reporters that he hasn't decided who exactly ... but did address rumors of certain names that have been floated as possible candidates.

There's Amy Coney Barrett -- a conservative federal appellate court judge -- as well as Barbara Lagoa, another appellate judge from Florida. Trump said he liked both, especially Lagoa. He says he'll likely make the announcement this upcoming week.

Donald Trump has thrown down the gauntlet -- less than a day after the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg -- making it clear he will try and ramrod her replacement through the Senate ... which will almost certainly make abortion rights the centerpiece of the Presidential race.

Trump made his position clear Saturday on Twitter, saying, "We were put in this position of power and importance to make decisions for the people who so proudly elected us," adding the most important decision a President can make is nominating Supreme Court justices. He said, "We have this obligation, without delay!"

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made it clear Friday night, he'll facilitate what Trump wants by making sure his nominee gets a vote by the full Senate ... a Senate currently controlled by Republicans.

This is objectively the most important vacancy in many, many decades. Trump vowed earlier this month to appoint an anti-abortion justice to the High Court. If he gets his way, it would be 6-3 against abortion rights. Even if conservatives lose a vote, they'd still have a majority, and many legal experts think that could spell the end of Roe vs. Wade.

Remember ... it was Mitch McConnell who denied an Obama nominee a Senate confirmation vote, because he said it was more appropriate for the next President to choose. Obama's nomination came 11 months before he left office. Trump's expected nominee would be sent to the Senate 4 months before he leaves office ... were he to lose. McConnell hasn't explained the obvious inconsistency, but it all boils down to politics.

Democrats are furious and are planning a full-court press to block any such nomination. As you know by now, RBG dictated a note days before she passed, saying her dying wish was that her replacement be selected by the person who wins the election. She made it clear in 2016, she was not a fan of Donald Trump.

Democrats are now talking about expanding the Court if Trump gets his nominee confirmed. They can do that, and the talk is expanding the court to as many as 15 justices.

As for the politics of it all ... coronavirus may not be the biggest issue on the ballot anymore. That's a boost from Trump, whom the majority of Americans think royally screwed up and actually did damage in his pandemic response.

And, the RBG vacancy will almost certainly become the overriding issue in many of the Senate races. The Democrats believe they have a shot at taking over the Senate, but everything must now be recalculated if abortion becomes the litmus test for voters. McConnell and Lindsey Graham are in tight races, and now it could all boil down to a referendum on abortion.

The open question ... if the nomination is not confirmed by election day, who's more motivated to vote -- the pro-choice voters, or the anti-abortion voters? That could be the deciding factor in who occupies 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. on January 20, and which party controls the Senate.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death and President Trump's race to fill her seat isn't just a one-issue problem ... so says Lil Nas X, who fears big setbacks for the LGBTQ community.

LNX was leaving LAX Saturday when he told a photog how he felt about the Supreme Court Justice's passing, and what it could possibly forebode ahead of the election. He says he's worried a super-conservative justice could seriously hurt progress made for gay rights.

Check it out ... Nas X is a man of few words, but the ones he does drop are powerful and speak to the anxiety being felt by various marginalized groups.

Yes, the abortion/pro-choice battle is front and center and top of mind -- but the possible dismantling of gay marriage and other LGBTQ causes that have been pushed through SCOTUS in recent years is also a very real possibility if Trump gets his way.

The Patagonia clothing brand taking a political stand is nothing new ... but the tags in its organic shorts are, and the message they're pushing is change.

The company is now confirming it's indeed putting a tag that reads, "VOTE THE ASSHOLES OUT" in some of its clothing. A pic of the tag spread like wildfire on Twitter last week, but no one knew if it was legit.

Brad Wieners, the company's director of copy, says ... "With an assist fm @BallotReady we've got a widget to help folks folo thru on that advice, too" followed by a link directing consumers to its website calling for Americans to vote climate deniers out of office.

Hmmm ... think they might be referring to President Trump?

You'll recall the current occupant of the White House most recently laughed off climate change during a wildfires briefing with California Governor Gavin Newsom.

Patagonia -- which closes its stores on Election Day -- and the Trump administration have been at odds for some time now. The company sued the administration in 2017 to protect national monuments. The company also donated the money it got from tax cuts to environmental groups.

James Otis -- best known as the guy who destroyed Donald Trump's Hollywood Walk of Fame star right before he was elected president -- is trying to do his part to make sure DT doesn't get re-elected ... by littering NYC with Trump's lies.

Otis -- who's also an heir to the Otis Elevator Company fortune -- made his way to the top of the Empire State Building Thursday morning and dropped thousands of gold flyers down upon the city.

Naturally, an employee caught him in the act and told him to stop and leave immediately, but as you can see ... the damage was already done.

We got the anti-Trump vandal after his stunt, and he tells us he didn't get in any serious trouble for the flyer drop ... suggesting he talked his way out of it.

Otis says he explained to the building authorities that what he did was a non-violent act to spread the word about President Trump's incessant lying ... and they were "cordial."

However, on the downside ... he says he's now banned for life from the Empire State Building.

As for the flyers, Otis says they were printed on both sides with more than 20,000 examples of lies Trump has told in office ... along with the fact-checking to refute them.

Examples include Trump quotes about tax-cutting, the economy, Joe Biden, protests and the VA Choice bill ... and those are just from the past few months. James says he dropped at least a couple thousand flyers.

As you'll recall ... Otis was charged with vandalism for the pickax stunt he pulled on October 26, 2016, to protest then-candidate Trump. He pled no contest in February 2017 and was sentenced to 3 years probation, community service and ordered to pay $4,400.

Attorney General Bill Barr believes the calls for nationwide lockdowns and stay-at-home orders to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are the "greatest intrusion on civil liberties" of all time ... you know, other than slavery.

Barr made the unbelievably tone-deaf claim Wednesday at a Constitution Day celebration hosted by Hillsdale College in Michigan, after he was asked about constitutional hurdles in blocking churchgoers during a pandemic.

This led to a lengthy response in which Barr blasted state governors -- claiming they're stifling citizens and businesses from returning to work -- and compared coronavirus lockdowns to house arrest and slavery.

The offensive parallel has pissed off politicians, celebs and journalists ... all of whom are going off on the AG.

Now, Barr did qualify his comment by saying slavery "was a different kind of restraint." Gee, thanks for pointing that out, Bill.

President Trump got grilled by voters who identify as undecided, and it was a far cry from his rallies as several of them held his feet to the fire on issues like healthcare and systemic racism ... and didn't back down.

The Prez was challenged with many tough questions at an ABC News town hall in Philadelphia Tuesday night ... in particular 2 undecided voters.

Assistant Professor Ellesia Blaque told Trump how she has struggled with a preexisting medical condition all her life, adding it's especially difficult for her as a black woman to get adequate medical care. Trump tried to interrupt her but she wasn't having it and shut him down.

Trump predictably went after Obama and spewed a couple of lies about the Affordable Care Act ... but it didn't go unchecked by ABC's George Stephanopoulos. Like we said -- this was no Trump rally.

Samuel L. Jackson is keeping his word and now teaching Americans how to curse in 15 languages ... after fans show him they'll get out and vote.

The legendary actor dropped a 2-minute video ... teaching us how to curse in 15 different languages ... after fans showed up and blew past the Voter Action Goal for the #GoodToVote campaign.

Earlier this week, SLJ solicited 2,500 fans minimum to prove their commitment to voting ... by registering to vote, checking voter registration rolls, or simply making a plan to vote. And after fans came through ... so did Mr. Jackson.

Samuel wastes no time showing fans how to curse in Basque, Vietnamese, Ukrainian and Swahili, among other languages. Samuel -- who BTW dropped 40 "motherf*****s in "Shaft" alone -- thanked fans for pledging to vote.

Chris Evans has addressed his NSFW leak ... and the response is so good Captain America would be pretty damn proud.

The actor grabbed everyone's attention when he accidentally leaked video this past weekend displaying a gallery of videos and pictures ... which included a photo of Chris' penis. He had uploaded it to Instagram Live but forgot to trim the video to hide the NSFW pic. He deleted the video ... but by then it was too late. Fast-forward to Monday ... and Chris had an epic response to his social media gaffe ... turning it into something positive by telling folks -- now that he has their attention -- they need to exercise their franchise and VOTE!!!

Chris' co-stars came out to support their pal ... Mark Ruffalo tweeted, ".@ChrisEvans Bro, while Trump is in office there is NOTHING you could possibly do to embarrass yourself. See.... silver lining." Chris' brother, Scott, also chimed in ... "Was off social media for the day yesterday. So. What'd I miss?"

Chris' fans also supported him with some heartwarming pics. The Chris Fans account, Cevans Archive tweeted, "pictures of chris evans with his dog dodger to cleanse your timeline."

President Trump is pouring cold water on hard facts pointing to climate change sparking wildfires across the West ... insisting scientists don't know what the hell they're talking about.

The President left a few mouths agape with his comments during a briefing on the disastrous wildfires with California Governor Gavin Newsom. The Guv dropped some hard facts on climate change, record heatwaves and the historic fires burning throughout the state -- as did other emergency relief officials in the meeting.

Trump's response ... "It'll start getting cooler. You just watch."

He then took a direct jab at scientists and their knowledge about the Earth's climate.

Trump's quip flies in the face of what Newsom and co. are seeing happen in Cali, where August was the hottest on record and the fire season is already the worst ever and by a long shot. Over the weekend, Gov. Newsom went off, standing in a still smoldering forest, about climate change deniers.

Newsom was direct, but polite on the issue while meeting with the President ... and asked him to respect California's science-based approach to dealing with the fires.

Not sure how it sat with Gov. Newsom, but Trump's promise for cooler temps in California feels about as respectful as telling America the coronavirus is going to just go away.

No denying this ... the state is burning.