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What a shock ... Russians cast their vote on the sexiest man in the country, and guess who won?

Yep, the guy with the killer smile, Vladimir Putin, snagged top honors ... maybe under fear of death. More than 2,000 Russians say the 68-year-old dictator is the hottest man in the land.

The Moscow Times published the results -- 18% of Russian men and 17% of Russian women thought Putin also ruled when it came to looks.  We're guessing it was a secret vote, because God help the remaining 82% if the sexiest man finds out they didn't vote for him.

Some of the 80+% may be in the clear ... turns out 19% of the men surveyed said THEY were the sexiest in the land. And, 18% of the women said there were no sexy men in Russia.

The U.S. Capitol is in lockdown mode after someone in a car tried ramming a security barrier ... and hit 2 U.S. Capitol Police Officers.

Capitol Police issued an alert Friday telling people inside the complex to remain indoors due to an "external security threat" that required a massive police presence ... including the landing of a helicopter on the east side of the Capitol.

USCP said it responded to the north barricade vehicle access point along Independence Ave. "for reports someone rammed a vehicle into two USCP officers." The suspect is in custody. The officers, along with the suspect, were transported to a hospital.

Neither the House nor the Senate was in session at the time of the incident and President Biden had left Washington earlier in the day for Camp David. The alert instructed people inside the Capitol to "stay away from exterior windows, doors" and "if outside, seek cover."

According to reports ... Capitol Police opened fire when the suspect attempted to ram the car through the barriers. It's unclear if the suspect was hit but one of the officers is reportedly in critical condition.

Story developing ...

Donald Trump loves him some McDonald's, but ain't so keen on paying for it ... at least according to a former bodyguard who claims he's still $130 in the red, thanks to DT.

Kevin McKay says he worked as Trump's bodyguard for 5 years ... and one time in 2008, after visiting one of his golf courses in Scotland, their convoy of 6 Range Rovers hit up Mickey D's before flying home.

Thing is ... McKay says Trump didn't have any UK currency, "so he asked me if I could front him the cash." McKay says he did, and ordered 20 cheeseburgers and fries and around 10 to 15 Cokes.

McKay told the Daily Mail ... Trump ate his usual fave -- 2 cheeseburgers with fries and a diet coke. McKay says $130 at the time was kind of a big deal to him, especially because he only made around $2,700 a month while working for Trump.

McKay says he should have asked for the money, but kept blowing it off ... and Trump never brought it up either. Trump's McDonald's obsession is widely known. You'll recall he served a McDonald's buffet to Clemson and North Dakota State after they won football national championships.

Dr. Jill Biden has another successful prank under her belt -- all it took was a flight attendant's costume, a wig and a name badge to get her staff laughing their asses off during a cross-country flight.

The First Lady's April Fool's Day stunt was so good even the Secret Service fell for it hard while traveling with her on her plane, Executive One Foxtrot. Jill reportedly dressed the part with a short black wig, black pantsuit and black face mask.

Her name badge ID'd her as Jasmine. She then hit up the cabin to pass out Dove ice cream bars to staffers, Secret Service and the press pool. Five minutes later ... Jill returned without her wig to reveal it was all just a good 'ol fashion April Fool's joke.

The prank was so good ... Jill's senior advisor, Anthony Bernal, and her press secretary, Michael LaRosa, were laughing pretty hard. Dr. Biden, who was returning to D.C. after a trip to California, is known for not passing up a good prank opportunity.

President Biden's usually her target, like that one time during his first term as VP on a trip to California -- Jill stuffed herself into the baggage compartment of Air Force Two.

Joe explained to Rachael Ray back in 2014, "We get in Air Force Two, we're flying and I'm saying, 'where the hell is Jill?' And, I open up the baggage compartment on top, above, you know? And, she jumps out of the compartment. This is the Second Lady of the United States of America jumping out of the overhead baggage compartment."

Claudia Conway's been hospitalized and thinks she might have appendicitis, but don't cry her a river ... 'cause she's dancing the pain away.

Kellyanne Conway's 16-year-old daughter revealed she's in the hospital by doing what she does ... posting it on TikTok. In the video, she's dancing from her hospital bed and flexing while attached to an IV. Not sure her doctors, or parents, would recommend that, but Claudia's gonna be Claudia.

She captioned the video, "Let’s hope that my appendix isn’t about to burst." She put the text, "drip too hard? yall rocking w/ IVs?" over the video ... a reference to Lil Baby and Gunna's track "Drip Too Hard." Yeah, she's a natural TikToker.

Claudia's status at the moment is unclear but based on her moves things may turn out OK.

The hospital trip comes a little over a week after Claudia was axed from "American Idol." Katy Perry applauded her, though, for taking control of her life, and invited her to audition again next year.

Schoolchildren across America are being scarred for life because of gun violence, but there are ways to fix the problem ... so says author John Woodrow Cox.

John hopped on "TMZ Live" Wednesday for a sobering conversation about the impact of guns on our nation's youth ... something he's as passionate about as he is knowledgeable.

John's new book -- "Children Under Fire: An American Crisis" -- chronicles the scope of the problem. For example, 4 million students were impacted by school lockdowns in one year, and these are not drills ... they're actually incidents involving guns on campus.

John says these lockdowns can really mess with kids' heads ... with many thinking they were going to die. He says he's poured over tons of text messages by children to their parents saying goodbye because they thought they were living their final moments.

While mass shootings subsided during coronavirus lockdowns, John points out there were two -- one in Colorado and another in Georgia -- as soon as restrictions were relaxed.

President Biden's dog, Major, is still hanging around 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. after his latest biting incident ... but now it looks like he's got his own team of aides.

Biden's rescue German Shepherd was back on the White House South Lawn Wednesday for his morning stroll ... the first time we've seen the pooch since he nipped at someone Monday while walking on WH grounds.

As we reported ... Major's latest bite victim needed medical attention. The pup was previously sent home to Delaware after nipping at a White House staffer, but the Prez said that bite didn't break the skin.

As you can see, Major's got some extra handlers with him now ... and the man with the white hair is reportedly Major's new main trainer, Dale Haney.

Biden's older German Shepherd, Champ, is also rolling with Major, but interestingly the older dog's allowed to be off-leash. Keep in mind, Champ hasn't bitten anyone.

G. Gordon Liddy -- the mastermind behind the Watergate break-in -- said he would go to his grave without talking ... and he's officially done just that.

Gordon's son, Thomas Liddy, tells TMZ ... Gordon died Tuesday morning in Mt. Vernon, Virginia. Gordon, who had been sick and was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, died at the home of his daughter, Alexandra Liddy Bourne.

We're told Gordon did NOT die of COVID-19. In fact, Thomas says his father had received the vaccine 3 weeks ago in Maryland. Thomas and Alexandra were holding Gordon's hands as he passed away.

A little history lesson here for the young ones ... Gordon -- a political operative and former FBI agent -- was one of the guys behind the bungled 1972 break-in at the Democratic National Committee's Watergate headquarters.

They had initially planted bugs and photographed crucial docs ... and gotten away clean. But, some of the burglars -- with Gordon in a Watergate hotel room running point guard -- returned to the scene a few weeks later and got caught.

Gordon was among those arrested and indicted on charges of burglary, wiretapping and conspiracy. Of course, the scandal -- from the break-in to the cover-up -- led to President Richard Nixon's resignation in 1974.

And, while some sang like canaries to get lighter sentences ... Gordon kept true to his word and kept his mouth shut. He spent nearly 4 and a half years behind bars after refusing to testify to a Senate committee ... but President Jimmy Carter would later commute his 6 to 20-year sentence.

After getting out of prison, Gordon made his mark on the small screen with minor roles in "Miami Vice" and "18 Wheels of Justice" ... but it was his nationally syndicated radio talk show that brought him stardom in the 1990s until his retirement in 2012.

Rep. Matt Gaetz is under investigation for sex trafficking, allegedly with a 17-year-old girl, but Gaetz says he's not only innocent ... he suggests there's foul play afoot.

The U.S. congressman from Florida came on Tucker Carlson's show Tuesday to explain his side after the NYT published a story that Gaetz was being investigated by the DOJ over an alleged sexual relationship he had with a 17-year-old girl, whom he supposedly paid to travel with him a couple years ago. There's a bizarre exchange, where Gaetz tries to remind Carlson of a dinner they had -- Carlson, his wife, Gaetz and an unnamed woman -- almost like it was an alibi. Carlson said he didn't know what Gaetz was talking about.

The Times says the investigation is part of a broader case involving local politician Joel Greenberg, who's pled not guilty to charges of sex trafficking a minor. The outlet says the probe was opened late in Trump's final months at the behest of AG William Barr.

As for Gaetz ... he's flat-out denying any wrongdoing, while also insisting what's happening is actually a lot more sinister behind the scenes. Long story short, Gaetz says a former DOJ official named David McGee is trying to blackmail him and his family ... having allegedly demanded $25 million to make the allegations "go away."

MG even says he and his family went to the FBI to tell them about this, and he claims they set his father up with a wire to help expose the alleged plot. It's all very bizarre.

That didn't take long ... President Biden's dog, Major, is likely back in the dog house after a new biting incident at the White House, and this one sounds more serious.

A White House spokesperson tells us, "Major is still adjusting to his new surroundings and he nipped someone while on a walk. Out of an abundance of caution, the individual was seen by WHMU and then returned to work without injury."

As we reported, photogs got a shot of Major out for a walk Monday on the South Lawn, and he was on a leash. It's unclear who was walking the pup at the time.

Remember ... Major was sent back to Delaware earlier this month after he nipped at a White House staffer. The Prez said that time the bite didn't break skin.

President Biden's four-legged friend is feeling himself again at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave ... and he looks happy to be back at the White House after a brief banishment.

Biden's German Shepherd, Major, had his tail wagging Monday as he took a stroll around the White House South Lawn ... the first time we've seen the pooch since he was welcomed back to the President's residence following a pesky biting incident.

Major wasn't exactly allowed to roam free -- he'll have to prove himself -- for now, he's on a leash. The good news for the pooch -- he's muzzle-free, so it looks like the training worked.

Major and POTUS' other German Shepherd, Champ, were sent packing earlier this month after the rescue's chompers made contact with a W.H. staffer, but a trainer in Delaware apparently did a good job acclimating the dogs to all the commotion and people at the People's House.

It's been over 4 months since the November election, and Donald Trump is still acting like a sore loser -- that, or a belligerent wedding guest.

Check out this video we got of the former President all tux'd up for a reception that went down Saturday night at Trump's fortress of solitude, Mar-a-Lago, where the former chief himself got on the mic at one point to say a few words for the happy couple, John and Megan Arrigo ... but this speech would have nothing to do with the couple... it's all about him.

Before everyone knew it, he was launching into politics ... singing the same ol' song about false claims the election was rigged.

Watch for yourself -- DT rails on the Biden administration over what he considers shortcomings in the early months of his presidency, including foreign policy/deals with China and Iran ... plus, Trump goes in on the border situation which is now drawing national attention.

It's interesting ... Trump seems to be saying the way he was handling things before his exit -- separating kids from their parents and housing them in cages -- was more humane than what's happening now. At the moment, large groups of people are being sandwiched together in encampments, and the conditions are awful. He did not, however, mention the misery he caused these families when he was in charge.

Senator Steve Daines seemed a little too nostalgic over what he described as homegrown American meth -- which was apparently ruined when Mexican cartels started infiltrating.

The Montana legislator was one of 18 U.S. Senators who were down at the southern border this past week -- surveying what they're calling one of the biggest crises facing the country today ... this in light of the fact President Biden hasn't been down there himself just yet.

Sen. Daines stepped to a podium Friday and delivered remarks about how the issue of illegal immigration -- and the ramifications of that -- have affected his state. In a bizarre train of thought, he said one of the hits Montana has taken from this is ... more potent/fatal meth.

No, we're not kidding ... the guy appeared to be harkening back to a time in Montana when meth was American-made, and not nearly as strong as it is today, via Mexican drug lords.

It almost sounded like he was saying, "Remember good old-fashioned American meth?" That's certainly the vibe, anyway -- and you can even see some of his comrades chuckling behind him, including Sen. Mike Lee ... who's looking around with a major WTF face.

The Republicans down there now have been cruising along the Rio Grande River and putting on a big show at different border sites ... claiming things are bad as the surge of migrants continues at a startling pace. The problem is certainly real, there's no question about that ... but their song and dance demonstration is a bit silly. They're also kinda reveling in this visit a bit too much, we'd argue, taking photos of themselves in boats with bulletproof vests.

There's also Ted Cruz's live, on-the-scene video ... which has also made the rounds. He's reporting from the banks of the Rio Grande, and claims to have seen Mexican cartels sneaking in with his own eyes -- saying they heckled him as they passed.

An elected official and U.S. Army veteran who is Asian made a stunning point at a town hall meeting in Ohio ... taking off his shirt and displaying some pretty severe war wounds, and then asking the crowd if that was patriotic enough for them.

Lee Wong is an elected official in West Chester, Ohio. He also served in the military for 20 years. In the middle of the town hall, he decided to make a point about the anti-Asian wave in this country. It's interesting ... no one in the crowd made a comment to prompt the display, but it was clearly on Wong's mind.

He said, "There are some ignorant people that will come up to me and say I don't look American or patriotic enough." That's when he took his shirt off and asked, "Is this patriot enough?"

Wong said he was beaten up in Chicago soon after coming to the U.S., and that's what prompted him to join the military, adding, "I have put up with a lot of s*** in silence ... too afraid to speak out, fearing more abuse and discrimination."

He went on to say, "We need to be kinder, gentler to one another because we are all the same, we are one human being on this Earth."

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has come up with a novel idea on how to repair the neglected roadways around the country -- a tax on mileage driven, and he's getting dragged.

The former presidential candidate said the Biden Administration is noodling on the idea and it's showing "a lot of promise."

Here's the criticism ... it's unfair to people who live in rural areas. because they have to drive further by necessity than urban dwellers.  But, more fundamentally, a mileage tax in big cities like L.A., New York City, Chicago and on and on hit middle and lower-income people harder than people who are well-to-do and can live smack in the middle of their city. People who are not well off typically move to suburbs far, far away from the city center.

Buttigieg, already nicknamed "Pothole Pete," has a tough job to sell ... the infrastructure plan will cost $3 TRILLION. The term "infrastructure" has been redefined broadly to include pre-K programs and childcare.

President Joe Biden plans on keeping his job for 8 years ... because it's his "expectation" to run for reelection in 2024.

It's the first time Biden's publicly stated that he plans to run again, though some of his close allies like Sen. Chris Coons have previously said that Joe's up for the challenge.

But, the Prez is now on record, telling reporters Thursday at his news conference that he expects to be a 2-term POTUS ... unlike his predecessor, Donald Trump.

Biden also gave props to Vice President Kamala Harris for doing a great job and called her a great partner, and says he expects her to be on his ticket again. He did hedge a little though ... saying it's hard to plan anything for certain 4 years out.