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Sometimes racism is subtle, oblique ... but not here.

United States Senator Ron Johnson says he didn't feel threatened at all during the failed coup attempt on January 6th, because the rioters were true patriots, but God forbid, if the shoe was on the other foot where Trump won and there was a BLM Capitol protest, well he says that would be downright scary.

The Republican Senator from Wisconsin made his comments on "The Joe Pags Show," and it's drawing heavy fire. Johnson said of the Jan. 6th insurrectionists, "Even though those thousands of people were marching on the Capitol were trying to pressure people like me to vote the way they wanted me to vote, I knew those were people that loved this country, that truly respected law enforcement, would never do anything to break the law, so I wasn't concerned."

Before we get to the BLM comment ... is he kidding? Cops were beaten by protesters, 140 of them were injured and one was killed -- respect law enforcement??? Law-abiding???

Now, as for Johnson's BLM comment, check this out ... "Had the tables been turned and President Trump won the election and those were tens of thousands of Black Lives Matter and antifa protesters, I might have been a little concerned."

Donald Trump's taking to the friendly skies in a not-so-friendly plane for someone who was the most powerful man on Earth a couple months ago ... a jet so compact he can't stand up in it!!!

Trump was spotted by the DailyMail in NYC taking a few short steps into what appears to be a Cessna Citation X ... a super-midsize jet that's the envy of all social media influencers but a basic bird for your average CEO. The jet's reportedly a 1997 model registered to the Trump Org.

It's one helluva downgrade for the ex-Commander-in-Chief ... who for 4 years enjoyed all the luxury Air Force One had to offer.

Of course, no one expected Trump to continue flying on his own private 747 after leaving the White House, but it's still surprising to see him flying around in the Cessna instead of his 757 with his name on it -- a 43-seater Trump used during his first campaign.

It's unclear why he opted for the 8-seater ... which forces him to bend down his 6-foot-3 frame while inside a cabin with a 5-foot-7 height. There's no red carpet either.

Tiffany Haddish has the BEST, and funniest, take yet on Meghan Markle's interview -- complete with a shout out to Queen Elizabeth, and ... Jerry Seinfeld!!! Yeah, it's that kinda clip.

So, we got Tiff Wednesday night on her way out of Catch LA in WeHo, and when we brought up the Duchess of Sussex, she made one thing clear ... "I believe anything a Black woman says!" She added, Meghan "didn't lie on the Queen. She respects the Queen."

Now, you really gotta see HOW she says all this, because it's fair to say Tiff probably enjoyed a drink or 2 at dinner -- and the guys helping her into her car know this. They tried, but ya just can't contain Tiff's comedy.

Just watch, because that's the only way to understand how she got from Meghan and the Queen to ... owning her own microscope!!! Trust us, it'll make sense.

Oh, and Seinfeld? That's about Tiffany's Grammy nom, and she's got plenty to say about that too.

Former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter came together to encourage everyone to get COVID-19 vaccines ASAP ... just like they did.

The ex-Presidents say getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourselves, your loved ones and get back to normal living. They all talked about what they're most looking forward to once the pandemic is behind us.

For Bush -- a former owner of the Texas Rangers -- it's hitting up a baseball game with a stadium full of fans. Yeah, that sounds nice.

Then, 4 of the 5 living former POTUSes got their shots along with their former First Ladies. It's all part of a campaign by Ad Council to urge folks -- especially those on the fence -- to get vaccinated.

The timing of this powerful visual is interesting ... coming directly on the heels of LeBron James NOT saying whether or not he'll get vaccinated. Critics have said his silence could discourage many from getting the shot.

Sorry, Rep. Matt Gaetz, but your cohorts in Congress don't plan to put Britney Spears or conservatorships on a front burner -- there are just bigger issues, affecting millions of people, to tackle.

That's the gist from a spokesperson for the House Judiciary Committee anyway, who tells TMZ ... the committee is currently working "to advance critical legislation to protect and strengthen civil rights and civil liberties for all Americans."

We're told this includes holding hearings on enforcement of controlled substances, upholding standards of conduct for Congressional members, and reviving competition related to a free and diverse press ... and that's just this week.

So, sources close to the situation tell us there has been NO discussion whatsoever about the Britney-inspired hearing requested by Gaetz and Rep. Jim Jordan to discuss conservatorships and guardianships.

We're told that doesn't mean it won't happen down the road -- as it's been acknowledged that House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler has received their request -- but it seems the timing's just not right at this moment.

Jamie Spears and his legal team say Reps. Matt Gaetz and Jim Jordan have it all wrong when it comes to Britney Spears' conservatorship -- telling us it only works to protect Britney -- and saying anything otherwise is flat out wrong.

Jamie's attorney, Vivian Thoreen, says since the beginning, the conservatorship has been a system of checks and balances with annual accountings, reviews and expert opinions. Not only that, Thoreen tells us Britney and her own legal team have been a part of the decisions involving the conservatorship over the years.

She continues by laying out the structure of the conservatorship, saying, "Britney’s Conservatorship of the Estate was co-managed by a private professional fiduciary and her father until early 2019. At that time, Britney requested in court papers that her father be the sole conservator of her estate. Her Conservatorship of the Person is not managed by her father but by a private professional fiduciary"

Gaetz and Jordan called Jamie's motives "questionable" in a letter obtained by TMZ Tuesday. Thoreen clearly takes issue with that too, telling us, "Jamie Spears has diligently and professionally carried out his duties as one of Britney’s conservators, and his love for his daughter and dedication to protecting her is clearly apparent to the court."

Not only that ... Thoreen points out the fact that in 13 years Britney and her legal team have NEVER filed a petition to end the conservatorship.

As we reported, Gaetz and Jordan sent a letter to House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler asking for a hearing to discuss conservatorships and guardianships ... using Britney's case as a prime example.

President Biden's dogs just got the old heave-ho from the White House ... sounds like they were too aggressive for 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

The Bidens' 2 German Shepherds, Major and Champ, were shipped back to the family home in Delaware last week following some un-doglike (or maybe doglike) behavior at the White House, including a biting incident.

Major, the 3-year-old pooch Biden adopted from a Delaware animal shelter in 2019, reportedly got his chompers on a member of White House security.

Major's also said to have been pretty agitated around the residence ... allegedly charging, jumping and barking at staff and security.

Champ, meanwhile, seems to be getting the short end of the stick ... he's been sent back to Wilmington too ... even though he's about 13 years old and has slowed down considerably due to his age.

With the German Shepherds out of the White House, the place is going back to how it was under Donald Trump ... a no-pet zone.

Unclear if Major and Champ are banished to Delaware for good, or if they're just in timeout.

President Biden's dog trainer says the White House was just too crazy of an environment for German Shepherds used to chilling in Delaware, and they need more training before going back to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. ... and he's the man to do the job.

Mark Tobin -- who trained Biden's dogs, Major and Champ, before -- appeared on "TMZ Live" Tuesday and told a pretty simple story. Joe's pups suffered from culture shock at the White House. They went from a typical, single-family home, to a residence jammed packed with hundreds of strange people and an insane amount of activity.

As you know ... Biden's dogs have been sent back to the family home in Delaware following some aggressive behavior at the White House by Major, including a biting incident. A White House official said the First Lady had been traveling so until she returns the dogs will stay with a family friend in Delaware.

Mark, who runs K-9 Camp Training in Delaware, says he's putting in a call to the Bidens shortly so he can re-train the 2 dogs even before they make their way back to D.C.

Donald Trump had to know his first trip back to NYC since leaving the White House would be a turbulent one ... and the Big Apple is delivering.

There are about a dozen or so protesters outside Trump Tower in Manhattan waving a huge "Arrest Trump" banner. There's also a giant inflatable caricature of Trump and others are holding signs that read "Go Home Florida Man" and "Indict Trump."

It ain't all bad news for 45 in the Democratic stronghold of NYC -- a throng of Trump supporters also gathered nearby pumping up his potential return to the Oval Office in 2024.

It's unclear what brought Trump, who arrived Sunday night, back to his old stomping grounds ... but it could be tied to his legal problems. The Manhattan D.A.'s Office is currently investigating Trump for tax and bank-related fraud.

The White House is now weighing in on Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's interview with Oprah ... applauding them for their courage to tell their story.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was asked Monday during her daily briefing if President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden had any reaction following Meghan's claims of racism against the Royal Family.

Psaki sidestepped whether the Bidens actually watched the interview, but added ... "For anyone to come forward and speak about their own struggles with mental health and tell their own personal story — that takes courage, and that's certainly something the President believes, and he's talked about the importance of investing in a lot of these areas that they’re committed to in the future as well."

She was careful, though, not to ruffle any feathers across the pond because Psaki also emphasized America's "strong and abiding relationship" with the United Kingdom.

A bill being proposed in California would make it illegal to advertise certain sections of retail stores as just for boys or just for girls ... including clothes and toys.

The bill, AB 1084, was just introduced into the California legislature late last month by Assemblymembers Evan Low of the Bay Area and Cristina Garcia of Los Angeles ... which aims to do away with gendered signage in big department stores of 500+ employees.

In other words, places like Target, Walmart or Kohls that sells childcare items, children's toys/products or children's wardrobe wouldn't be able to steer folks to certain sections based on sex -- it would just be a free-for-all ... where parents and kids could roam freely to what they liked. They'd also be prohibited from dividing the floor space up by gender.

There's more ... any websites these stores operate would have to change their categories too -- so instead of boys/girls (whatever) ... it'd read "kids," "unisex" or "gender-neutral." We should also note, some of these stores have already started designating certain sections of their floor as gender-neutral -- like Target, which apparently made the move in 2015.

As for why they're trying to make this official ... supposedly, for fairness and equity for kids, who might not like what a gendered section has to offer and want something from the other side. For example, low publicly cited an anecdote from a fellow staffer ... whose 9-year-old daughter was confused on why she had to go the boys toy section to get a science kit.

Oh, and if this passes ... it wouldn't just be a slap on the wrist for those who don't comply -- these big-box chains would be fined $1,000 each time they violate the would-be law.

The reactions to the bill -- which could be introduced in committee for discussion/voting as early as March 21 -- are quite mixed ... many are criticizing it as unnecessary and frivolous (especially amid a pandemic) but others support it and say it's a step in the right direction.

I do not like green eggs and ham ...

And, your reading is a sham, Kevin I am.

Rep. Kevin McCarthy appeared clueless as he read Dr. Seuss's "Green Eggs and Ham" out loud ... presumably in protest of the decision to yank 6 of the famed author's books because of racist images.

McCarthy apparently wasn't down with the decision, but his choice of books to read in defiance misses the point. Fact is ... "Green Eggs and Ham" was NOT pulled. The books that were pulled ... "And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street," "If I Ran the Zoo," "McElligot's Pool," "On Beyond Zebra!," "Scrambled Eggs Super!" and "The Cat's Quizzer."

What's more ... Congress is debating a pretty important bill -- getting stimulus checks to suffering Americans, and here sits McCarthy reading Dr. Seuss.

Elon Musk founding his City of Starbase, Texas is getting support from at least one local official ... who says the move could lead to a serious job and tourism boom.

Joey Lopez, one of four elected commissioners for Cameron County, tells TMZ ... Elon's SpaceX has already made an impact -- currently known as the unincorporated area of Boca Chica Village -- by attracting tourists who come watch rocket launches.

Hopefully, the rockets will do better than the one Wednesday ... an unmanned test flight of a SpaceX rocket Elon hoped would go to Mars exploded after trying to stick a clean landing at the South Texas landing facility.

Lopez says SpaceX has also created jobs in the area. He says in June of 2020 there were 600 county residents who worked for SpaceX. That number's swelled to as high as 1,800 ... according to Lopez.

And, if Elon starts his own city ... Lopez sees that number skyrocketing. #PunIntended.

What's more ... Lopez says Elon's already ingrained himself in the community ... like recently helping save sea turtles during Texas' recent deadly winter storm. He also provided generators that helped maintain water pressure in two Cameron County towns.

As we reported ... a county judge has already said Elon must comply with all state laws if he wants to own a piece of Texas. Lopez says Elon has a lot of work to do if he wants Boca Chica Village Starbase to become a self-sufficient city.

Prince Philip was way sicker than the Palace led everyone to believe ... because they just revealed he underwent heart surgery.

Queen Elizabeth's 99-year-old husband is recovering from what the Palace describes as a "successful" heart operation for a pre-existing heart condition. They went on to say he'll continue to be hospitalized "for a number of days."

The whole thing is a little Trumpian. In case you forgot, when Trump contracted COVID and went to the hospital, his doctor said he was doing fine, when in reality his condition was so dire he was almost placed on a ventilator.

Well, in Philip's case, the Palace said on 2/17, “The Duke’s admission is a precautionary measure, on the advice of His Royal Highness’s doctor, after feeling unwell." “The Duke is expected to remain in hospital for a few days of observation and rest.”

On 2/19 -- "It is understood he had felt unwell for several days before royal doctors ordered him to hospital as a “precautionary measure."

On 2/22 Prince William said his grandpa was "OK."

The Palace never mentioned a heart issue until 3/1.

It's not unusual to downplay the severity of an illness when it comes to government officials, but the timing here is problematic. The Palace is in a brewing war with Meghan and Harry, and people are going to be taking sides after the Oprah interview this Sunday. If people feel the Palace was misleading on the Philip front, it could create doubt they're fessing up on the Meghan and Harry front.

Paris Hilton's feeling proud and thankful about the passing of a Utah bill she testified to support, calling it a huge step in the right direction for survivors like herself.

As you'll recall ... Paris testified last month about the alleged abuse she suffered while attending Provo Canyon School as a teen in the '90s, and she says Utah's Senate Bill 127 passing makes much of what she went through back then illegal.

SB127 prohibits Utah's youth treatment centers from certain punishments of children, such as denying food or water, spanking, hitting, or other treatments "intended to frighten or humiliate."

Paris says this includes strip-searches, seclusion, use of chemical restraint and peer restraint and gender-based discrimination ... and adds that the bill does so much more to ensure the well-being of thousands of kids in these Utah facilities.

She says back when she was at Provo she dreamed of making a difference like this, adding ... "The teenage version of me would be so incredibly proud to know I accomplished my goal of protecting youth who are experiencing abuse in the name of treatment. Survivors, this is a BIG step towards systemic change!"

Paris also thanked Utah lawmakers for "listening to us survivors, prioritizing this issue, and taking the necessary steps to protect our future generations."