Lindsey Graham and Benjamin Netanyahu had such a buddy-buddy thing going on ... the late senator suggested the Israeli PM hook it up for rounding up lawmakers to be in Bibi's corner.
In audio obtained by TMZ ... the two discussed Graham's success building a bipartisan group of lawmakers to denounce the International Criminal Court while it was investigating Netanyahu for crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip -- and, ultimately, issuing a warrant for his arrest.
Graham tells Bibi to toss a "ton of sheckles" his way for the legwork ... and it seems the PM said he'd take him to dinner -- or get him great seats for a show.
Despite the warrant, Netanyahu said he will speak in September at the UN, defying the ICC's arrest warrant -- and despite Mayor Zohran Mamdani saying he is not welcome in the city and asking the feds to follow through on the warrant.
Rep.Lauren Boebert says Dr. Anthony Fauci's silence speaks volumes ... arguing he had no reason to plead the 5th Amendment unless the truth was "radioactive."
The Colorado congresswoman joined "TMZ Live" Wednesday after Fauci refusedto answer every question during a fiery Senate hearing on the government's COVID-19 pandemic response.
As we previously reported, Fauci blamed Sen. Rand Paul's repeated calls for his prosecution ... but Boebert says President Biden's preemptive pardon gave Fauci every reason to talk.
Dr. Anthony Fauci was not about to play ball at Wednesday's Senate hearing, where he was getting grilled about his leadership during the 2020 pandemic ... pleading the 5th Amendment to every question, and sparking at least one heated exchange.
Republican Sen. Rand Paul took the lead during the Senate's Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing ... focusing on Fauci's private journal entries between December 2019 and December 2022.
Paul subpoenaed the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to testify ... but it seems it'll be a waste of time.
The heroic teen lifeguard who saved a young boy in Santa Cruz, CA also saved other swimmers that day, according to his family.
16-year-old Ryder Williams went viral for a video of him rescuing a young boy from intense waves off last weekend at Seabright Beach, but as intense as that action was ... turns out Ryder did that 2 more times.
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His grandfather told the California Post ... "He had two rescues afterwards on the same day that were more gnarly." In fact, the proud grandpa says Ryder's total tally was 5 saves on Saturday alone.
Sen. Mark Kelly says President Trump doesn't care about making Americans' lives better ... because all Trump cares about is "bull**** and corruption."
Charlie got the Senator from Arizona Tuesday in D.C. and asked if a Democratic prez would have the gumption to dismantle pieces of Trump's legacy ... like his plans for a White House ballroom and an arch.
Kelly says the next Dem who wins the presidency will be focused on improving our country ... not obsessing over "bull**** and corruption."
Lindsey Graham's funeral just wrapped in Washington ... and politicians from both parties gathered in the nation's capital to say goodbye to the longtime South Carolina senator.
President Trump delivered remarks during the funeral at Washington National Cathedral. He recalled his rocky start with Graham ... joking that leaking the senator's personal cell number during the 2016 campaign somehow became "the beginning of a friendship."
President Trump says E. Jean Carroll pulled a $5.6 million "bait-and-switch" ... claiming she promised to park his payout somewhere safe before moving it into a personal investment account.
In new court docs, obtained by TMZ, Trump says Carroll's attorney assured the court the money would be placed in an "interest-bearing account" after it left judicial control.
Trump claims the tune changed once Carroll got the cash ... with her legal team later revealing the funds were being held in a personal investment account for her retirement.
Gov. Gavin Newsom's former lover is pulling back the curtain on their affair ... revealing the lengths she went to get him alone -- and the advice Kamala Harrisgave her when the scandal exploded.
Ruby Rippey writes in a new Vanity Fair essay that professional boundaries with Newsom began crumbling while she worked as his secretary during his time as San Francisco mayor.
Rippey says she would scan Newsom's calendar for openings, show up wherever he was expected to be and make sure he spotted her before slipping away. She says her phone would soon light up with a text asking, "Where are you?"
John Fetterman did the unthinkable Tuesday on Capitol Hill ... he put on a suit and tie.
The Senator from Pennsylvania traded his signature hoodie and shorts for a jacket, pants, dress shirt and a tie ... as lawmakers waited to board buses to Lindsey Graham's funeral -- prompting our Charlie Cotton to ask how it felt to dress up for once.
Fetterman had a deadpan response ... proving the guy inside the suit is the same we've come to know inside the hoodie.
Ben McKenzie could be headed from "The O.C." to D.C. ... if the crypto bros keep pissing him off and he decides to run for political office.
Our intrepid producer Charliegot the 'O.C.' star Monday on Capitol Hill, where the actor was testifying against the CLARITY Act ... but the real campaign tease came when Charlie asked if all these Washington trips might lead to a new career in politics.
While Ben tells us he hopes it doesn't come to that, he doesn't exactly slam the door shut ... adding, "If I get so mad, I might do it."
Joe Biden's ghostwriter got more than family stories during their recording sessions ... he also got repeated warnings that the material in front of them might be classified.
Newly released audio from Biden's 2016 and 2017 interviews with Mark Zwonitzer captures the former prez leafing through papers while working on his memoir, "Promise Me, Dad" -- and repeatedly pumping the brakes over what he was reading aloud.
At one point, Biden says ... "Some of this may be classified, so be careful with it. I'm not sure ... it's not marked classified, but ..."
In another recording ... Biden announces, "The next thing I have here is, um, this is classified."
Kelsey Grammer thinks the education system in America is like "child abuse" ... because he claims teachers criticize the U.S. too much.
Kelsey breaks his reasoning down to Katie Miller on her podcast ... the way he sees it, educators who crap all over America aren't good for our kids.
According to KG, teachers are saying the U.S. is a bad country, in turn making children wonder if they're bad, too ... something he says is straight-up abusive.
Kaitlan Collins is still in a back-and-forth with President Trump, telling Jon Stewart she wasn't surprised at all the commander-in-chief insulted her during his speech at the White House Correspondents' Dinner because he does it all the time.
The CNN host of "The Source With Kaitlan Collins" sat down with Stewart on Monday's episode of "The Daily Show," revealing that the president "pretty regularly" insults her inside the Oval Office, so it was no biggie that he did it at the WHCD last Friday. She said the only difference this time was that it was a larger venue.
She also said Trump was just pissed she won an award for her tough-as-nails reporting about him, which is why he likened her to trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney during his WHCD speech. Trump also said Kaitlan never smiles despite being young and attractive, and she works for "CNN fake news."
Mitch McConnell dropped his second proof-of-life photo Monday, and his doctor put out a statement about the Senator's health ... but when a photog asked the doc about McConnell, he feigned ignorance.
Dr. Brian Monahan, attending physician of the U.S. Congress and Supreme Court, had just gotten his lunch on Monday when a photog peppered him with questions about McConnell ... and the doc refused to say anything of substance.
Dr. Monahan claimed he had "no information" about McConnell ... even though his office put out a long statement Monday discussing McConnell's slow recovery from a June fall at his home.
The doc didn't know much more about his Subway sandwich -- he had no clue what kind of cold cuts he was being served -- and the photog rightfully gave him grief about his fast food choice.
Mitch McConnell just dropped another picture as proof of life ... along with an update on his health recovery ... and if history is any indication, there is no way in hell the internet is going to take this at face value.
In a written statement released Monday, the Senator from Kentucky says ... "I'm still working hard to get back to my full schedule of work in the Senate and in Kentucky, keeping up with intense physical therapy per my doctors' orders."
McConnell's statement also says he won't be able to attend an annual festival in Kentucky this upcoming Saturday and adds ... "As always, I appreciate all of your continued well wishes, and I'm looking forward to getting back to the Senate and to Kentucky soon."
The press release also included a photo of Mitch sitting in a geriatric chair next to his wife, Elaine Chao, presumably in the rehab center where he's been recovering.
Jimothyhas friends in high places ... two members of Congress are demanding Seattle protect its viral raccoon "at all costs."
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TMZ obtained an exclusive letter from Reps. Anna Paulina Lunaand Tim Burchett to Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson -- warning Jimothy's newfound fame could attract people looking to harm him or disrupt his daily raccoon business.
Their solution: put City Hall on raccoon patrol.
The lawmakers want him enrolled in community carnivore monitoring initiatives ... including sighting-report platforms and databases tracking his movements, well-being and "general mischief."
