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Harvey Levin, like millions of Americans, is sick of the government shutdown, and, he wants help issuing an ultimatum to EVERY member of Congress -- end the shutdown this week or face primary challenges in next year's midterm elections.

The founder and executive producer of TMZ called for our whole office's attention during Monday's TMZ Livestream to announce a new movement called "OWTA" -- which stands for "Out With Their Asses."

HL says he's done with gridlock in Washington, especially because of the ongoing government shutdown ... and, he wants to hold politicians to account. Basically, calling on voters to support non-incumbents in next year's election cycle to force pols on both sides to the table.

Gavin Newsom slammed the White House after a live-fire demonstration by the Marine Corps resulted in a California Highway Patrol vehicle being hit with shrapnel.

The demonstration took place at Camp Pendleton in San Diego Country on Saturday, and an explosive artillery shell was fired as part of the event, which was attended by Vice President J.D. Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to The Hill.

Newsom had ordered part of Interstate 5 to be closed down prior to the demonstration after being advised by traffic safety experts from CHP.

It looks like Donald Trump's really trying to get things winding down in Ukraine ... because he reportedly told Volodymyr Zelensky to consider cutting his losses.

POTUS had a sit-down with the Ukrainian President at the White House over the weekend, and the former spoke to reporters on Sunday and claimed he didn't tell Zelensky to give up entirely, according to the New York Post.

However, 47 admitted he'd advised Zelensky to think about stopping the fighting where the current battle lines are and sending his forces home.

The United States Secret Service is looking into a hunting stand found in Florida which they say had a direct sightline to where Air Force One could park.

The law enforcement agency revealed Sunday they found the stand near Palm Beach International Airport last week ... releasing a photo of the structure set up in a tree.

In a statement released to media, the U.S. Secret Service Chief of Communications, Anthony Guglielmi said, "During advance security preparations prior to the Palm Beach arrival, which included the use of technology and comprehensive physical sweeps, our teams identified items of interest near Palm Beach International Airport."

6:50 AM PT -- George Santos told CNN Sunday morning he learned about his sentence being commuted while still behind bars ... saying other inmates saw it on TV before he did. "The President was very kind," Santos said. "It was humbling to speak with a sitting President ... that's not something that happens where I come from."

Santos added he had "no expectations" of a commutation and only found out when fellow inmates called him over after seeing the news on a prison TV. "I'd just been released from 41 days in isolation for no valid reason," he said. "I was shocked when I found out. My family confirmed it after I called them."

When asked to address the outrage over his controversial commutation, Santos said Trump could pardon Jesus Christ himself and people would still be mad.

George Santos has broken his silence following his surprise release from federal prison ... thanking President Donald Trump for giving him what he calls "a true second chance at life."

In a lengthy post on X Saturday, the ex-Congressman said he was deeply moved by Trump's "kindness" and "generosity" after the President commuted his seven year sentence for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

"Yesterday, I was given something I never thought I’d have again: a true second chance at life," Santos wrote. "First and foremost, I want to thank our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for never abandoning me... I also want to express my deepest gratitude to President Donald J. Trump."

Eric Trump's unhappy with the investigation into the attempt on his father's life ... and, he seems to be indicating there's widespread conspiracy surrounding it.

The son of President Donald Trump made an appearance on CNN Sunday to promote his new book "Under Siege: My Family's Fight to Save Our Nation" ... and, he was asked about a recent comment he made saying he was "unsatisfied" with all the questions surrounding the July 2024 attack in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Trump launches into an angry tirade ... telling the host he's absolutely pissed that it doesn't seem the public knows anything about the man who shot Trump, Thomas Matthew Crooks.

Thousands of demonstrations are taking place around the world today ... with protesters flooding the streets in opposition to the Trump administration.

New York City, Boston, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Memphis and many more major areas are playing host to protests today -- and, activists are shaking signs and even dressing up in costume to make their point.

Protesters gathered in Chicago's Millennium Park outside the famous Cloudgate statue ... with one person holding a sign of Trump dancing with "Party Like It's 1939" written underneath -- a reference to the comparison between DJT and Adolf Hitler some have made in the past.

Prince Andrew is voluntarily relinquishing his royal titles ... though he's still vehemently denying all of the scandalous accusations against him related to Jeffrey Epstein.

The senior royal announced the news in a prepared statement Friday ... writing that, in consultation with his brother King Charles and his other immediate family, it's become clear the allegations leveled against him have distracted from the work of British Royal Family.

He explains he has decided to put his family first once again -- just as he did when he stepped down from his duties five years ago -- and, so he will no longer use his honorifics.

Donald Trump received a special treat in the White House Friday ... a live solo from Andrea Bocelli!

Check out the clip -- the Italian singer fills the Oval Office with his famous tenor vocals as the prez stands behind the Resolute Desk in awe.

Another clip shared by Trump’s special assistant, Margo Martin, shows the pair meeting in the Oval Office as they listen to Andrea's music -- pretty iconic!

It looks like Donald Trump's beefing up his aggressive approach to Venezuela ... because he confirmed Wednesday he's authorized covert CIA activity in the country.

Trump is reportedly dedicated to ousting Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela's longtime president, from power, according to The New York Times.

Trump also admitted his administration is looking into the feasibility of conducting land strikes inside Venezuelan borders.

ICYMI ... 47 has bragged about bombing small boats allegedly transporting drugs from the country in the Caribbean in recent weeks. His administration claimed the strikes all went down in international waters ... killing everyone on board -- though legal observers note little evidence has been presented about the boats' cargo, and no details have been released about the supposed suspects, or why they've been attacked instead of intercepted and seized.

Trump claims he's authorized Central Intelligence Agency -- the nation's foreign intelligence service -- personnel to operate in Venezuela because the country's leaders have "emptied their prisons" into the United States. The agency is reportedly authorized to carry out secret actions either by itself or as part of a bigger military operation.

That authorization doesn't sit well in the capital, Caracas, and the Venezuelan government issued a statement accusing Trump of trying to appropriate the country's petroleum resources.

Donald Trump's really proving he's a Baby Boomer ... because he just announced he's going to be making IVF treatment easier to access nationwide.

The president revealed his administration had cut a deal with pharmaceutical company EMD Serono, the biggest fertility drug manufacturer in the world, to reduce the price of its medications, according to CBS News.

Trump claimed the per-cycle cost of fertility drugs would drop by an estimated 73%, which would mean a pretty big markdown from current cost of a cycle, which can end up being north of $25,000.

10:37 AM PT -- A rep for McConnell tells TMZ ... "He’s all good -- went on to vote and ready to do this next vote… to see if Dems decide to fund our nation’s defense priorities or not…"

Mitch McConnell tripped and hit the ground hard while walking through the Russell Senate Office Building basement ... and the tumble was caught on video.

The 83-year-old Republican Senator from Kentucky -- who has served in Congress for more than 40 years -- was listening to a question about ICE when he fell to the ground ... slamming hard against the unforgiving stone.

Mitch has had his fair share of health concerns in the past ... including abruptly freezing in front of the camera multiple times like he did in this video from July 2023.

An altered American flag featuring the image of a swastika was found in the Washington, D.C. office of U.S. Representative from Ohio Dave Taylor on Wednesday ... and Capitol Police are investigating.

Politico was first to report the incident ... the flag was reportedly pinned to a bulletin board on a wall next to where one of Taylor's staffers sits ... the flag was noticed during a virtual meeting.

The Republican rep issued a statement confirming he'd seen the image, which he described as featuring a "vile and deeply inappropriate symbol" ... Taylor told Politico he's ordered an investigation alongside the police looking into how the flag ended up in his office.

Taylor condemned the Nazi image "in the strongest terms" and said it's not reflective of the "values or standards" expected of his staff.

Donald Trump could end up ticking off a whole lot of New England-based soccer fans in the near future ... because he just floated the idea of moving 2026 FIFA World Cup matches out of Boston.

The president made his comments about the potential change-up in the tournament's schedule during a press event on Tuesday ... his remarks were prompted by a reporter asking about a "street takeover" by a crowd of more than 100 people, during which a Boston police vehicle was set on fire, according to local station WBZ-TV. Two people were arrested in the incident.

47 said when the time comes, if he thinks there are "unsafe conditions" in Boston, he could call FIFA President Gianni Infantino and have the games moved out of Beantown if he really felt like it.

Trump also took a shot at Boston's mayor, Michelle Wu, whom he described as "radical left." He said ... "I know the games are sold out, but your mayor is not good."

FYI ... the 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to take place at several venues throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. There are currently seven matches scheduled for Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, roughly 22 miles outside of Boston.

Boston's not the first city to receive this kind of treatment from Trump, because he threatened to pull World Cup games out of San Francisco and Seattle last month.

Vice President J.D. Vance is not very bothered by a report detailing a recently revealed group chat featuring vicious racist and misogynistic comments exchanged by young Republican leaders from across the country

Here's what went down ... messages from a Telegram chat written by various individuals associated with Young Republican clubs and groups were leaked to Politico and published Tuesday.

The chat was filled to the brim with racial slurs, comments admiring Adolf Hitler and the use of gas chambers, threats of violence against political opponents, and jokes about sexual assault.

The backlash to the leaked chat was immediate, and the National Young Republicans board of directors called for everyone in the chat to "immediately resign" from the organization, according to Politico.

Vance downplayed the content of the chat on X later Tuesday, and said the comments aren't as bad as texts allegedly sent by Jay Jones -- currently the Democratic nominee for state attorney general in Virginia -- in 2022.

Charlie Kirk was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Donald Trump on Tuesday.

The POTUS gave the award to Kirk's widow, Erika, who accepted the award on her husband's behalf.

The ceremony took place at the White House Rose Garden on what would have been the media figure's 32nd birthday, according to Newsweek.

Trump addressed the crowd at the event -- which included Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife Usha -- before giving Erika the award, and he described Kirk as a "martyr for truth and for freedom" and compared him to figures like Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr.

He also spoke about Kirk's death in Orem, Utah last month, and characterized the conservative activist's murder as "demonic."

47's speech turned topical, and he touched on recent events, including his work in the Middle East and ICE activities in Chicago, in his speech.

Erika also addressed the crowd, and tearfully claimed the Presidential Medal of Freedom would have been "the best birthday gift" her late husband could have received.

Kirk's widow -- who's since taken over as the CEO of Turning Point USA -- sent a shout-out to the various chapters of the organization, whom she called the "heartbeat of this movement."