"You can’t sit with us" isn’t just a "Mean Girls" quote ... it’s apparently a very real rule in Congress … and Rep. Sara Jacobs says she’s had to use it IRL!
TMZ caught up with the Democratic California congresswoman in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, and she spilled the tea on Capitol Hill being basically one giant high school ... with cliques and cool kids and unofficial rules.
Watch the video ... she takes us on the underground Congressional subway train and breaks down how the House floor's lack of assigned seating doesn't mean you can just plop down anywhere you like ... because groups like "Penn Corner" and "California Row" already have their unofficial spots locked down like a school cafeteria.
Donald Trump confirms the presidency comes with its perks ... including a massive ego boost ... which he says he desperately needed after Democrats "rigged" the 2020 election.
The President of the United States spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. Thursday morning ... and, he repeated his oft-mentioned claim the 2020 election was stolen from him.
President Donald Trump attacked a female reporter for "not smiling" on Tuesday ... after she asked him about the most recent release of Epstein Files material.
Watch the CNN clip here... during a press conference Tuesday in the Oval Office, CNN Anchor and White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins asked Trump if he'd read through the latest massive trove of documents.
Trump answered, "No, I have a lot of things I'm doing."
Collins pressed him, saying some alleged victims' names were not redacted.
Trump said ... "I think it's really time for the country to get on to something else really, now that nothing came out about me, other than it was a conspiracy against me, literally, by Epstein and other people."
The New York Times found at least 38,000 references to Trump, Melania Trump, Trump's Mar-a-Lago club, and other related words.
Collins followed up with a question about people saying they want justice from the investigation. Trump responded by calling Collins "the worst reporter."
Trump said, "You know she's a young woman ... I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile. I’ve known you for 10 years. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a smile on your face. You know why you're not smiling? Because you know you're not telling the truth."
Trump kept going, calling CNN a "dishonest organization" that should be "ashamed" of Collins.
Collins pointed out she was asking about survivors of sexual abuse.
He's insulted Collins specifically during both his terms in office, most recently in a December Truth Social post -- misspelling her name "Caitlin Collin’s" -- calling her "Stupid and Nasty."
And it's not the first time Trump's attacked a reporter for asking him about the Epstein Files ... he called Bloomberg White House Correspondent Catherine Lucey "piggy" after she asked him about the files in November.
Men telling women to "smile more" is widely considered offensive, particularly in the workplace, and it's apparently common ... "98% of women reported being told to smile at work sometime during the course of their careers, and 15% said the request to smile on demand happens weekly for them, if not more frequently," according to Entrepreneur.
How’s this for locker-room lore -- Rep. Eric Swalwell says the real political tea ain't spilling over cable news... it’s going down at the gym, where he claims Republicans are quietly trashing Donald Trump between sets.
We caught up with the California congressman on Capitol Hill Tuesday, and he tells us the congressional gym is where the truth really gets a workout ... with GOP lawmakers privately unhappy with Trump, but way too scared to say it out loud in public in case he claps back with threats.
Now you may be thinking, "no whey that happens" -- but we bench-pressed Eric a little harder, and he says it's abs-olutely true ... in fact, he compares it all to WWE, saying once the cameras are off -- especially in the gym -- Republicans switch personas real fast!
The 83-year-old Kentucky Republican was hospitalized Monday night after experiencing flu-like symptoms over the weekend, his office said. According to a spokesperson, McConnell checked himself into a local hospital out of "an abundance of caution" to be evaluated by doctors.
The good news here is his camp says his prognosis is positive. "He is grateful for the excellent care he is receiving," the statement read, adding that McConnell has remained in regular contact with his staff and is already looking forward to getting back to work in the Senate.
Representative Jasmine Crockett says she can't divorce the art from the artist ... and that means she straight-up ain't listening to Nicki Minaj tunes anymore.
We spoke to the Democratic congresswoman from the great state of Texas on Tuesday -- and she made it clear she's always been more of a Cardi stan anyway -- but Nicki's foray into right-wing politics has certainly upped her distaste for the "Starships" rapper.
JC says she can't do "sellouts" -- especially not in a moment as politically fraught as this one -- and, she feels that's exactly what NM is, given she's an immigrant cozying up to an administration obsessed with hunting down undocumented immigrants.
President Donald Trump says he's willing to put even more federal resources forward in order to help Savannah Guthrie's missing mother ... and, he says he even plans to call Savannah later in the day.
POTUS answered several questions from reporters Tuesday ... including one about whether he'd consider putting forth more federal help -- the FBI's currently assisting in the investigation -- to find 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie.
The prez says he's fully briefed on the situation in Tucson ... and he's also got a solid relationship with Savannah ... who he plans to call later on today to check in.
Nicki Minaj says she's got no problem with transgender people, as long as they're adults ... but minors are a different story.
TMZ obtained a clip from Nicki's interview with Katie Miller ... and Nicki explains her thoughts on trans folks.
In a nutshell, Nicki says adults can do whatever they want with their bodies -- more power to them -- but she says it's a different ballgame when kids are seeking out gender-affirming surgeries.
The Clintons agreed Monday to testify as part of the House Oversight Committee's investigation into Epstein, the convicted pedophile, who used to hang out with Bill.
Bill and Hillary had been fighting a subpoena from Rep. James Comer, the GOP chairman on the House Oversight Committee, but they waved the white flag and agreed to testify only days before the House was expected to hold a vote on holding them in criminal contempt of Congress.
President Donald Trump announced the Kennedy Center will be closing for about two years ... in an effort to complete what he described as a "complete rebuilding" of the space.
POTUS announced the news about the performing arts center on Truth Social on Sunday, where he claimed he consulted with various experts about the best path forward for the venue ... and decided it was best to shut it down completely.
Trump wrote "Interruptions with Audiences from the many Events using the Facility" would likely extend the project's duration and added ... "the temporary closure will produce a much faster and higher quality result."
47 described the venue as "a tired, broken, and dilapidated Center, one that has been in bad condition, both financially and structurally for many years."
Trump said financing for the project is already in place ... and declared the Kennedy Center will close on the 4th of July and construction will then begin.
The Kennedy Center's been a touchy subject in recent months ... its board of trustees -- which was overhauled by Trump -- voted to rename the venue the The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts in December. Trump's also the chairman of the Kennedy Center's board of trustees.
President Trump is taking aim at Trevor Noah for his Jeffrey Epstein joke during Sunday's Grammy Awards, threatening to sue the comedian and calling him a "total loser."
47 hopped on his Truth Social platform Monday to blast the 2026 Grammy Awards along with Noah -- the host of the show. Trump claimed the Grammys were the "WORST, virtually unwatchable" telecast, noting that CBS is lucky 2026 would be the last year it would broadcast "this garbage litter" after a 10-year run.
Then Trump zeroed in on Noah, saying he's almost as bad as the low-rated late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. The commander-in-chief said Noah "INCORRECTLY" stated during the broadcast that Trump and Bill Clinton spent time on Epstein Island, which Trump categorically denied.
Don Lemon was welcomed with a rousing standing ovation at Clive Davis' annual pre-Grammy Awards party at the Beverly Hilton Hotel Saturday ... after his hugely controversial arrest.
As you know ... Lemon was arrested Thursday night in Los Angeles for allegedly co-conspiring with protesters to disrupt a church service in Minneapolis. Of course, Lemon contends that -- as a journalist -- he was just reporting on the events taking place.
The Trump administration seems to have turned Don into a folk hero of sorts, representing the fight against what many view as an assault on the institutions of America's democracy.
A 5-year-old boy whose detention by ICE agents sparked national outrage is finally heading home.
Liam Conejo Ramos returned to Minneapolis on Sunday with his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, after the two were released from a family detention center in Texas following nearly two weeks in custody. Footage obtained by ABC News shows the father and son boarding a plane back to Minnesota, with Adrian carrying his sleeping child.
"I'm happy to finally be going home," Adrian told the network.
Vic Mensa just got back from Minneapolis ... and, he says ICE is engaging in state-sponsored terrorism in the city.
We caught up with the rapper in Los Angeles earlier this week ... and, he says the federal agency isn't just killing people -- they're attacking citizens with sonic cannons and more which might affect them for life.
While it's a scary situation out in Minneapolis, Mensa's not at all phased ... telling us, as a Black man in America, this isn't the first time he's scene this kind of response by law enfoircement to protesters.
Patrick Bet-David hopped into the "TMZ Live" hot seat over Don Lemon’s arrest Friday -- and it got fiery real quick, with PBD insisting Don blurred lines by mixing with protesters instead of just covering them.
The conservative podcast host and media personality doubled down hard ... even when Harvey Levin and Charles Latibeaudiere pushed back, saying Don got way too close to the protesters and perhaps even joined in their planning.
Patrick warned that Don's actions were a slippery slope -- pointing to footage that he says raises big questions about whether Lemon was observing or participating.
When President Trump invites his underlings to a social event, they show up ... look no further than the premiere of Amazon's new Melania Trump documentary.
The Kennedy Center looked like a Trump cabinet meeting Thursday night ... with a who's-who of Republican elected officials showing up in support of their boss and the First Lady.
Dr. Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, was in the house with his family. Ditto for Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and his wife, Kelly Lary.
