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Donald Trump's pettiness apparently knows no bounds, because Joe Biden isn't getting what Trump himself got ... a government aircraft taking him to D.C. for his inauguration.

Biden just boarded a private jet for the short flight to Washington. Protocol has been for the incoming President to get the courtesy of a military aircraft. Aside from the fact this tradition is rooted in the transfer of power, it's gotta be safer, with all the bells and whistles that come with it.

FYI ... Donald Trump was afforded this courtesy when he flew to Washington on January 19, 2017, the day before he was inaugurated.

This is one in a series of protocol breaks. Among the others ...

-- Trump hasn't called Biden to congratulate him on winning the election

-- Trump has not invited Biden to the White House

-- Trump has offered tepid cooperation in the transition, making it much harder for Biden and his team to prepare for the ascendency to power.

-- Trump will not greet Biden on January 20th for tea at the White House before Biden heads to the Capitol

-- Trump will not attend Biden's inauguration

One more tradition ... an outgoing President leaves a note for the incoming President in the Oval Office. Trump was effusive about the note Obama left him. Joe Biden ... don't hold your breath.

Joe Biden got choked up during a sendoff from his home state of Delaware, and the reason for his emotions -- his late son, Beau, was at the center of his thoughts.

The President-elect got a farewell ceremony Tuesday at the Delaware National Guard Joint Force HQ ... it's named after Beau Biden -- who was a Major with the Delaware National Guard.

During his remarks, Joe teared up thanking the state officials who intro'd him ... plus, his fellow Delawareans whom he's come to know so well over the years as a U.S. Senator. He told anecdotes about the Amtrak train he used to ride from DE to D.C. ... and how he'd wait on a Black conductor to take him to his job each day.

Joe says things have come full circle now that he's got Kamala Harris at his side.

He also quoted Irish novelist James Joyce, who once told a friend that when his time came to pass ... Dublin would be inscribed on his heart. Joe said the same applied to him, except it would be Delaware written on his.

One last thing that was pretty touching ... Joe said he regrets the fact Beau wasn't around, because he felt he could've been President himself.

Not every Trumper at the U.S. Capitol was down with the siege ... or at least so it appears based on this one MAGA cap-wearing man's convo with Capitol Police in the middle of the riot.

Check out this clip that just surfaced from Jan. 6, when the guy approached a group of Capitol Police officers who were standing off to the side ... while the mob stormed into the building.

The man's words here are telling ... he asks why the cops are letting this happen, and why they haven't called for backup -- noting this is the U.S. FREAKIN' CAPITOL THAT'S BEING INVADED, and that these people storming it are "out for blood."

Anyway, the officers didn't seem to respond at all, and the man continued his diatribe ... telling them that if no extra help was on the way, it means they don't care about what's happening to the Capitol.

The whole thing is pretty ironic -- a clear Trump supporter right in the thick of the action denouncing the act of breaching the premises. Now, we have no idea what his motives were here, or if he was genuinely separating himself from the illegal activity.

We'll say this ... he does seem to rejoin the mob as the video ends, but we have no way of knowing if he actually went inside the Capitol.

As Joe Biden's inauguration looms -- and as many expect civil unrest -- a number of the Capitol Police's rank and file fear they won't be supported by leadership if they have to use deadly force to protect themselves.

Capitol Police sources tell TMZ ... there's been a lot of chatter lately about officers tasked with guarding the Capitol come Wednesday and whether they're allowed to use deadly force if push comes to shove ... and if so, will they be backed by the Department?

Our sources say the issue came up at a roll call meeting last week, where one USCP officer asked his sergeants in the room, if they find themselves in a life or death situation -- like several cops did on Jan. 6 -- can they do whatever it takes to save their own lives, including the use of deadly force?

And, just as important ... would USCP brass have their backs in the aftermath? We're told the answer they got was NOT reassuring -- more of a wishy-washy response that catered more to optics and the need to accommodate peaceful protesters. In other words, the answer they got was vague and, many say, unhelpful.

There've been several suspensions, firings and resignations from the fallout Jan. 6. Some of the rank and file feel they've been made scapegoats ... and much of the discipline was unfair. All of this, we're told, has negatively affected morale.

It's not lost on the officers that they lost one of their own during the insurrection -- Brian Sicknick, who suffered a fatal injury. And, they heard the story of the officer who was dragged down Capitol steps and beaten. These cops want a clear policy on the right to use lethal force.

Hillary Clinton thinks President Trump continues to do Vladimir Putin's bidding, and that his allegiance might be behind the Capitol insurrection.

HC hosted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on her podcast, 'You and Me Both,' and openly speculated Trump might have been on the phone with Russia's President the day of the riots ... going on to say she'd like to see his call records.

Clinton presented no evidence to back up her conspiracy theory but floated it nonetheless, and the Speaker piggybacked ... saying she wants another 9/11-like commission to dig into Trump's Presidency, the riots and potential ties to Russia.

It's clear they both feel Trump is beholden to Putin, and by extension -- so are his followers, who Hillary now refers to as cult members. Not sure if that's an upgrade or downgrade from "deplorables."

It's interesting she brings up Russia again -- a matter many put to bed after Special Counsel Robert Mueller's nearly 2-year-long probe found the Trump campaign wasn't actively conspiring with Russia to influence the 2016 election.

That being said, Putin's still at the front of Hillary's mind after losing the Presidency in the wake of Russian meddling.

Rosie O'Donnell is just days away from being able to declare victory over her longtime nemesis, President Trump, and says the cherry on top would be him standing trial and going to prison.

Rosie was at LAX Monday when she opened up about how she's feeling as Trump's final days in office wind down. Not shockingly, she's thrilled to see him go, but still wants justice for the events of January 6.

She believes Capitol rioters should be punished to the full extent of the law for sedition ... and insists people who compare Jan. 6 to Black Lives Matter protests are way off base. Rosie's also pretty adamant Trump's a shameless criminal -- she hurled an allegation to that effect while discussing the stack of pardons he's about to sign.

Remember, they were enemies for a decade before he entered politics, but Trump infamously took a shot at Rosie during a 2015 Republican debate. He also claimed no one feels sorry for Rosie during a later debate with Hillary Clinton.

There was a mad scramble after January 6 to get ambulances to Washington D.C. for the inauguration, and the federal government inked a multi-million dollar deal to make it happen.

FEMA has hired a company called American Medical Response, Inc. to provide emergency services for Wednesday. The value of the contract -- $10 million.

The deal was signed last Friday and runs through next Monday. AMR offers ground and air ambulances as well as EMT-trained personnel.

The inauguration's already off to a scary start ... as we reported, Monday's rehearsal was interrupted by smoke billowing nearby, leading to a lockdown of Capitol Hill.

D.C. is like an armed camp, with more than 20,000 National Guard troops at the ready. Although the feds now say the inauguration should be secure, they're clearly taking no chances. It's unclear how many ambulances are coming to D.C., but for $10 mil it must be a lot.

Staging preparations for Joe Biden's inauguration were interrupted Monday morning when smoke billowed up nearby ... prompting a lockdown of Capitol Hill.

As multiple groups were meeting to practice for the festivities on Wednesday, smoke was seen rising up behind the Capitol Building ... forcing an evacuation.

According to reports ... Capitol Hill staffers received a message warning of an "external security threat" prior to the dress rehearsal for the inauguration.

Everyone was ordered back inside and instructed to stay away from windows and doors and seek cover if outside.

The good news -- the D.C. Fire Dept. located the fire and put it out ... and nobody was hurt. Our sources say the fire was started at a homeless encampment and is no longer viewed as any sort of threat.

Of course, there is a very strong security presence everywhere in the area -- bolstered by some 20,000 National Guard troops -- and the brief evacuation is a sign of the high alert that remains since the Jan. 6 Capitol riots.

We already knew Joe Biden was bringing 2 dogs to the White House, but now he'll also have Doggface -- the TikTok superstar -- as part of his welcoming committee.

TMZ's learned viral "Dreams" skateboarder Nathan Apodaca will be part of Biden's virtual inauguration parade next week, which will feature the stories and talents of Americans from all across the country.

Sources close to the President-elect's inauguration planning team tell us ... they reached out to Nathan to ask him to join the project, because they saw how his feel-good video uplifted the world this past fall during social unrest and pandemic anxiety.

We're told Biden's team was impressed by Nathan's humble response to the immense worldwide reaction to his video ... and suggested he incorporate the skateboarding into Biden's digital celebration on January 20.

We're told Nathan agreed and has already shot something for the virtual parade from his home in Idaho Falls.

Doggface is one of the few people who had an amazing 2020 after the TikTok of him skateboarding and grooving to the Fleetwood Mac tune -- while sipping cranberry juice -- blew up online.

Ocean Spray gifted him a brand new truck, his merchandise biz took off, he bought a home ... and he got engaged to his girlfriend, Estela! Unfortunately, he and his fiancee also got COVID in December ... but thankfully they've recovered.

Joe Biden's inauguration will still have some semblance of normalcy when he's taking his oath of office, because there's going to be a crowd out there watching him ... whose seating arrangement is now becoming crystal clear.

Construction for the inauguration stage -- as well as for the surrounding viewing area, as it were -- at the Capitol is in full swing, and on Sunday ... somebody captured a full front-to-back shot of what the layout is looking like thus far, just three days before Jan. 20.

As you can see, there will be butts in those chairs watching JB and Kamala Harris be sworn in ... which are spaced out for social distancing. They only go back so far, taking up just the first patch of grass on the west side of the Capitol. It's unclear if they're planning to set more before Wednesday, but probably not. It's gonna be relatively small crowd.

The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies laid out the ground rules in December, saying only members of the 117th Congress were allowed to attend and watch in-person ... plus one guest for each member. All in all, that accounts for about 1,000 people.

As you might've heard, the National Mall and surrounding roads/bridges throughout D.C. have been closed ahead of the ceremony ... so you're not likely to see any normies out there trying to watch the festivities. That closure, of course, is because of the Capitol riot ... law enforcement's running a tight ship, so gatherings of any sort probably won't fly.

The way things currently stand, it looks like just members of Congress and other invited guests of Biden and Harris will be there in the flesh to witness the inauguration. The rest of it, including the traditional parade through the streets, will be broadcast virtually.

Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez are also set to perform that day, and it appears they'll also be there in person to put on a show.

Video has just surfaced -- the most dramatic and upsetting by far -- showing the Capitol insurrectionists storming the building as they told cops, "There's a f***ing million of us out there. We are listening to Trump, your boss."

And as they enter the Senate Chamber you hear someone say, "While we're here we must as well set up a government."

The video was shot by New Yorker war correspondent Luke Mogelson, who was covering the "Stop the Steal" rally.

The video is unlike all the others, in that you really see how determined the rioters were to invade the Capitol ... pretty clearly determined to do great harm. As they breach the Chamber, you hear someone say in frustration, "Where the f*** is Nancy." Someone else screams, "Where the f** are they?"

The group at times tries to compliment the cops and other times they attack, screaming, "F*** you police" and "f*** the blue" as they enter the building.

It's clear all members of Congress were at grave risk. You hear someone scream, "Start making a list, put all those names down and start hunting them down one by one." And then someone screams, "Traitors get the guillotine."

Jake Angeli, the "Q Shaman," is anything but chill, as he sits in Pence's chair and screams, "Mike Pence is a f***ing traitor." Angeli tries to act like the leader, chanting, praying, and screaming obscenities. Then he has someone take a photo of him at Pence's desk.

As they peruse Ted Cruz's notebook, someone says, "I think Cruz would want us to do this."

Kamala Harris's achievements are off the charts -- District Attorney, Attorney General, Senator, and soon-to-be Vice President, but thing is -- according to her husband -- she's a normal person who really loves her Chucks!

Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, were grilled by Jane Pauley on "Sunday Morning" about her penchant for Converse Chucks. She wore them a lot on the campaign trail and Jane seemed genuinely disappointed Kamala chose something more formal for the interview.

Jane wanted to know when it became a thing, and Harris said this was not just something she started wearing on the campaign or, for that matter, on the cover of Vogue.

She explained Chucks have been part of her life forever. Harris says she loves them because they're super comfortable.

Then Doug piped in, saying Chucks are a marker of who she is, adding when they met Kamala was all about Chucks and jeans.

But then, Doug got in a little trouble by suggesting Kamala has closets full of Chucks. The Veep-Elect squashed that. No Imelda Marcos for her!!!

Doug recently started his official Twitter account as the Second Gentleman.

State capitols aren't the only landmarks authorities fear might become potential targets for violence in the wake of Joe Biden's inauguration ... we're told law enforcement will pay special attention to other landmarks around the U.S.

In New York, we're told there will be heightened security at Trump Tower and other locations linked to the outgoing President ... with additional officers patrolling City Hall in the days leading up to the inauguration. We're told there are no specific threats targeting these buildings, but the NYPD and other agencies aren't taking any chances.

Our sources say in L.A., aside from fortifying government buildings, the LAPD is going to pay special attention to power structures, water treatment plants, communication towers, power grids and the L.A. Zoo. This isn't the first time the zoo got special protection. As for why ... police are concerned people who want to cause trouble would go in and release animals, which would turn the city upside down.

Likewise, Beverly Hills PD sources tell us they're pulling out all the stops in terms of police presence on Inauguration Day. You may recall, Bev Hills was the site of protests and some unrest in the wake of George Floyd's death -- lots of pro and anti-Trump activity.

"Monitoring the situation" is the mantra in San Fran, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Chicago, Atlanta and Miami as well ... according to our sources.

The D.C. police officers who've been tasked with protecting the nation's capital in the aftermath of the Capitol riots are feeling depleted ... which is causing concern in the days leading up to Joe Biden's inauguration.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... since January 6, the date of the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, officers with both Capitol Police and the Metropolitan PD have been working a minimum of 12-hour shifts, 7 days a week, with no clear end in sight.

We're told a large number of cops are feeling drained with all of the overtime, and fear they won't be in good form come Inauguration Day -- when they need to be eagle-eyed.

Our sources say some Capitol Police staff are upset with leadership at the agency, because they feel they're most worried about image right now ... given the disaster on January 6.

Officers with the Metro PD have also been enlisted to protect the Capitol and buildings in D.C., and we're told they have many of the same grievances since the riots -- 12-14 hour days with no breaks ... and everyone's fatigued.

We're told Metro and USCP officers have been told they need to be on board with little or no time for family for a couple weeks ... possibly well into February if there's still a credible threat of unrest after the inauguration.

It has already taken its toll, with some law enforcement personnel resigning.

Our sources say a common question being asked by the officers is ... how are we supposed to be 100 percent if we're already spent?

The silver lining, according to our sources, is that officers are being allowed to take time off if they are having mental health struggles. We broke the story ... Capitol Police are being encouraged to seek counseling to deal with the deaths and trauma linked to the riots, and are getting the help they need.

There were Capitol police who were nothing less than heroic trying to contain the January 6 insurrection, and there were other Capitol cops who were up to no good ... so says Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

AOC appeared Friday on Rachel Maddow's show, and talked somewhat obliquely about the terror she felt during the failed coup.

Her account is bone-chilling ... "These acts of great heroism, even within Capitol Police and within Congressional staff, etc, that were juxtaposed with acts of great betrayal by people in those same ranks."

As AOC explains ... she and other members couldn't tell the good guys from the bad. As she put it ... "Whether they are there to hurt, or help."

Maddow asked the Congresswoman about what AOC had previously described as a brush with death, though she was not specific at the time. AOC had explained she couldn't provide details because of security concerns, but something frightening clearly went down.

TMZ broke the story ... the FBI almost immediately honed in on what appears to be a small group of Capitol police and Capitol staff, investigating whether they facilitated the insurrection. Several Capitol cops actually opened the door for some of the rioters.

You may have heard ... several members of Congress actually gave some of the insurrectionists a guided tour of the Capitol the day before the riot, which could, in part, explain how they could beeline to Nancy Pelosi's out-of-the-way office and to Jim Clyburn's office that had an unmarked door.

Emma Jablonski was heartbroken when she watched Officer Daniel Hodges doing his job in agony, as he was crushed by a metal door frame during the attack. He was trying to fend off the rioters who had overwhelmed him and other Capitol cops.

Emma couldn't do much from her home in Billings, but she wanted to do something ... so she wrote Hodges a get well card that read ... "I hope you heal from being crushed. I feel bad for you. Those people are really bad hurting you... I saw the video on CNN about people crushing you with a door. I almost cried. Get well."

Emma tweeted her note, and it only took a few hours for the Capitol police to see it. The Dept. responded by telling the girl, "Officer Hodges is recovering and doing well."

Word got to Hodges, and he and Emma connected on video chat. Emma decided she'd send him a card with her note along with a gift or 2.