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Matthew McConaughey only has one path to victory over Greg Abbott if he's serious about running for governor of Texas, and that's to hitch his wagon to the Democratic Party right away ... so says the Chair of the Texas Democrats.

Gilberto Hinojosa tells TMZ ... he truly believes the "Dallas Buyers Club" star and Oscar winner can beat Gov. Abbott in the next election, because along with polling well, he says Texans are eager for new leadership.

Hinojosa says Matthew can't go it alone though -- meaning he believes the actor won't win running as an Independent -- and says he's got no shot at winning the 2022 Republican primary because the Texas GOP is run by "right-wing extremists."

Gilberto tells us McConaughey is way too moderate for that crowd, but he could be the perfect fit for the Dems if he joins them soon ... and his political views line up.

For instance, Hinojosa tells us Matthew's stance on gun reform is strong and will help him gain support of Texans who are sickened by ongoing mass shootings ... 2 more of which occurred in the State this past week.

However, where McConaughey stands on fundamental issues for Dems like climate change, healthcare, education and abortion are less clear ... so Hinojosa's encouraging the actor to publicize those views and explain WHY he wants to be governor.

Then, if the Texas Democrats like what they hear, Gilberto says the party would do everything it can for him to make his campaign as simple and successful as possible.

Matthew needs to make up his mind relatively quickly though -- it's a huge state and will take a lot of time and effort to win ... and the deadline to throw his hat in the race for any party is December.

As we've reported ... the popular actor's openly mused about the possibility of running, saying "it would be up to the people." Then, some of those people -- 45 percent of a little more than 1,000 registered Texan voters -- said they'd vote for him if he runs for Gov.

Donald Trump's apparently a big fan of Waka Flocka Flame's charity work ... because the former President recognized the rapper with a lifetime achievement award.

We are told Waka's award is for his humanitarianism and philanthropy as a volunteer for the Chicago non-profit Daughter of Destiny.

Waka received the Trump award Friday in Atlanta, his hometown, with his pastor and mentor Apostle Dr. Bridget Outlaw presenting WFF with an official certificate and medal.

As you can see, Waka was beaming from ear-to-ear with the framed award in hand and the medal around his neck, and he had a few kind words for Trump.

Daughter of Destiny's an outreach program helping women by providing employment, food, housing, community and inner healing ... and the certificate recognizes Waka's "lifelong commitment to building a stronger nation through volunteer service."

We're told 45 signed the certificate and the Trump Administration had everything approved before Trump left office in January.

Walter Mondale, the influential former Senator, Vice President and Democratic nominee for president, is dead.

Mondale, who served as President Jimmy Carter's veep from 1977 to 1981, died Monday in Minneapolis ... according to his family.

Known as Fritz to loved ones, friends and voters, Mondale was the Democratic nominee for president in 1984 after transforming the VP role while serving alongside Carter ... but he lost the general election in a landslide to Ronald Reagan.

Despite missing out on the presidency, Mondale made history with his running mate Geraldine Ferraro ... making her the first woman to run for VP on a major party's ticket.

Mondale was the first VP to take on a larger role, becoming a model for those who followed ... including Joe Biden, Dick Cheney, Al Gore and George H.W. Bush.

In fact, Biden famously said Mondale was the first person he called when Barack Obama asked him to be vice president.

Mondale was born and raised in Minnesota and served as the state's U.S. Senator for 12 years from 1964 to 1976, helping boost civil rights, social programs and environmental protections during Lyndon B. Johnson's presidency.

He also served as the U.S. ambassador to Japan for 3 years, being appointed in 1993 by President Bill Clinton.

Mondale was 93.

Matthew McConaughey's chances at winning the Texas governorship look solid -- at least based on a random sampling of 1,000 or so registered voters who say they'd vote for him.

The actor stacked favorably against incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott in terms of winnability ... this according to a new poll conducted by The Dallas Morning News and The University of Texas Tyler, which found McConaughey raked in 45% of the people who were asked.

The team talked to 1,126 registered Texan voters -- slightly more Republican than Dems -- and when asked if they'd be more likely to support MMC over Abbott ... nearly half said they WOULD, while 33% said they'd back GA -- and 22% said they'd vote for someone else.

That's pretty incredible ... especially considering Matt's openly mused about the possibility of running, and even recently said "it would be up to the people" on whether he'd run or not.

As for what political party platform he'd potentially run on ... it's unclear. Matt hasn't said one way or another if he's registered to either the GOP or the Dems, and his views on issues are pretty nuanced -- but as for where he lands on its face, probably more centrist than anything.

McConaughey has said that the "left" of this country often goes too far in their approach to things -- especially when it comes to finding common ground with conservatives and being cordial.

Then again, he's made clear that those on the far-right can be just as extreme ... and has written off a lot of their beliefs as well. So, seems he's right down the middle somewhere.

A Canadian lawmaker put on one helluva show when he got buck naked during a virtual Parliament meeting. As they'd say in French ... super awkward!!!

Member of Parliament William Amos virtually joined a House of Commons meeting Wednesday, but had just gotten home from a jog ... and needed to change into work clothes.

Makes sense, but as you can tell from this screenshot... ol' Wilie forgot to turn off his camera and ended up freeing his willy in front of his fellow lawmakers!

He managed to censor his frank and beans with what looks like his cell phone, and was flanked by the Canadian and Quebec flags. Keeping it patriotic, don't ya know!

Amos, who's rocking some washboard abs, shouldn't be too embarrassed, but he did apologize ... telling CTV News it was an "unfortunate error."

He added, "I sincerely apologize to my colleagues in the House of Commons for this unintentional distraction."

BTW, the meeting continued and party whip Claude DeBellefeuille playfully jabbed at Amos, saying ... "It may be necessary to remind the members, especially the male ones, that a tie and jacket are obligatory, but so are a shirt, boxer shorts or pants."

She did have a compliment for him, though, as she added, "We have seen that the member is in great physical shape"

Sylvester Stallone has hung his hat in Florida, but a recent report saying he's become a member of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago is flat out wrong ... TMZ has learned.

A story ran earlier this week claiming Sly was a newly-minted member of the club, having recently been spotted inside Mar-a-Lago's walls.

Sly's reps, however, say Sly is not, and has never been, a member at Mar-a-Lago. The rep tells us he was recently an invited dinner guest at the club, but does not own a residence on the golf course, nor has he paid for a membership.

While he isn't a member at Mar-a-Lago, we're told Sly remains a member of The Breakers Club, also located in Palm Beach.

Congressman Dan Crenshaw has gone dark, the result of what he calls a "terrifying" medical issue in his eye that will leave him temporarily blind following emergency surgery.

If you aren't familiar, the GOP Representative from Texas is a former Navy SEAL who lost an eye in an IED blast in Afghanistan ... but the injuries also caused serious damage to his other eye.

Dan says he began to experience "dark, blurry spots" in this eye last week and when he went to the doctor Thursday ... he was told his retina was detaching.

Rep. Crenshaw says, "Anyone who knows the history of my injuries knows that I don’t have a 'good eye,' but half a good eye" ... making his prognosis incredibly scary.

So, Dan underwent emergency surgery Friday at a VA clinic in Houston, and says the doctors put a gas bubble in his eye to act as a bandage for my retina ... which means he has to rest face-down for about a week, unable to see anything.

He says that he'll be effectively blind for about a month, so he won't be doing any interviews or social media posts except to update on his health.

Crenshaw's staying positive though, adding ... "I have gotten through worse before, and I will get through this."

The Rock may be blowing smoke about running for President in 2024, but it's looking increasingly like he's serious.

A poll shows 46% of the people surveyed felt he'd be a good enough Prez to gain their support. And, check out our own TMZ poll today ... very similar.

He said, "I don't think our Founding Fathers EVER envisioned a six-four, bald, tattooed, half-Black, half-Samoan, tequila drinking, pick up truck driving, fanny pack wearing guy joining their club -- but if it ever happens it'd be my honor to serve you, the people."

It's unreal how Americans assume an entertainer they like could pivot to the White House, but that's clearly the case. At a point there's going to be a disclaimer for candidates ... NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED.

Geraldo Rivera has seriously pissed off his fellow Fox News pundit Leo Terrell by challenging his cred in the Black community -- and they just went HAM on each other!!!

Geraldo and Leo were on Bill Hemmer's "America's Newsroom" Thursday to talk about race and policing, particularly in St. Louis. That city's Mayor-Elect Tishaura Jones -- a Black woman -- questioned the "lived experience" of white allies in leading a population that is nearly 50 percent Black.

That remark got Leo all hot and bothered, and as he started going off on Mayor-Elect Jones ... Geraldo jumped in with, "Hey, Leo! When was the last time you were in the ghetto?"

Explosion in 3, 2 ...

Leo -- a famed civil rights attorney for several decades -- damn near jumped through the TV screen in his rage at Geraldo. Both men exchanged inner-city resumes, barking out their hometowns. FYI, Leo's reppin' the West coast, and Geraldo the East.

You gotta see the fireworks. Far as we can tell, the only real winner is Fox News' ratings. We doubt Geraldo and Leo will be breaking bread anytime soon.

Ron Paul's proving that age is just a number ... at least when it comes to wearing a tight pair of Daisy Dukes.

The 85-year-old former Congressman and Presidential candidate accidentally revealed his interesting wardrobe Wednesday night in the final seconds of his YouTube interview ... when he backed away from the camera a little too soon.

The well-known Libertarian was discussing the future of personal liberty on Zoom with Doug Casey, and turns out he took some liberties with his interview outfit by matching his suit jacket and dress shirt with a pair of short jean shorts.

What's interesting is ... back in 2015, Ron's Senator son, Rand Paul, was running for Prez himself when he ruffled some GOP donor's feathers by wearing jeans with a blazer to a major fundraising event.

Ralo may soon benefit from a clemency program currently in the works under the Biden administration ... according to activist Weldon Angelos, who's been pushing for the rapper's freedom.

Weldon, a cannabis and clemency advocate, joined "TMZ Live" Tuesday, and said the White House reached out to him about a clemency program it's putting together that would primarily focus on cases with harsh sentences for non-violent marijuana offenses.

Ralo -- whose real name is Terrell Davis -- could become a primary beneficiary of the program, if it comes to fruition. The rapper was busted in 2018 with 444 pounds of weed on a private plane. He's been locked up ever since ... and faces up to 8 years in prison on conspiracy charges.

Weldon's been actively calling on the powers that be to grant the rapper clemency, given the laws on weed have changed exponentially over the last decade. It's now legal, in some form, in more than half the states ... although it's still illegal federally.

And, Weldon's main point is this ... Ralo's being punished "for violating the same federal statute many entrepreneurs and corporations violate every day in 36 states across the country, who are not subject to federal prosecution."

Drake, 2 Chainz, T.I. and Killer Mike are others joining Weldon's push as well. In fact ... they all attached their name to a letter Weldon sent to the Biden admin asking for clemency.

Weldon's been exactly where Ralo is -- he got a 55-year sentence in 2004 for $900 of ganja, but President Obama granted him clemency in 2016. He's crossing his fingers Biden will do the same for Ralo and many others.

Pete Buttigieg says his boss's big-ticket infrastructure plan is overdue for modern American life -- but he's got even more to say about his new gig and his first run-in with Major!

The Transportation Secretary will be on 'TMZ Live' Tuesday ... pushing President Biden's robust American Jobs Plan -- a $2.3 TRILLION proposal he just unveiled, which entails sweeping changes not just to roads and bridges ... but a heck of a lot more, including stuff you'd never think of as traditional "infrastructure."

Pete says folks shouldn't find this bill or its vaulted price tag too daunting ... because the definition of infrastructure for Americans in 2021 has evolved, and this plan reflects that.

We also got into his day-to-day on the job, and turns out ... he and other Biden officials just recently got together for their first cabinet meeting. Check out how Pete describes it -- beyond having to keep it COVID-friendly, it sounds inspiring.

Of course, we also had to ask Pete about the President's pooch ... Major, who's had a streak of bad luck lately with a couple biting incidents. He tells us he's actually interacted with the canine himself, and by his account ... there's nothing to fear!

The Easter bunny's back at the White House after a 1-year hiatus ... albeit with a different look this year, but, hey, something's better than nothing.

President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden brought out the Easter bunny Monday during a White House ceremony to commemorate the holiday. They took the opportunity to also urge Americans to get vaccinated.

It's pretty cool considering the bunny did NOT make an appearance last year due to the pandemic. It's also the second consecutive year the annual White House Easter Egg Roll -- which draws tons of kids and has been hosted on the South Lawn almost every year since 1878 -- was canceled due to the outbreak.

But now, Peter Cottontail and Co. are getting back in the biz ... the bunnies have hopped back to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

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.