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An alleged tape showing Donald Trump watching Russian prostitutes urinate on a hotel bed quite likely exists -- so claims the British spy who put the story on paper to begin with.

Christopher Steele -- who was hired to dig up dirt on the Trump campaign in the run-up to the 2016 election -- has emerged from the shadows for an ABC documentary, with anchor George Stephanopoulos at the helm with the interviewing and grilling.

He's asked whether all the intel he collected and reported in the dossier is true -- this after the feds here in the U.S. and other investigative bodies debunked a lot of it -- and Steele's response is ... it may not all be 100% accurate, but he has opinions on which parts are ... including the claim that Michael Cohen met with Russians in 2016 in Prague.

Of course ... the other part he thinks is "probably" true is that the Russians might have blackmail over Trump in the form of a tape showing him taking in a "golden showers" show ... in none other than a bed the Obamas are believed to have once slept in while visiting.

Trump has adamantly denied any such occurrence -- even as recently as last week, per reports -- saying he's a germaphobe ... and that he's had no shady dealings with Russians.

So, naturally, GS asked why Steele believes the tape hasn't leaked yet if it does, indeed, exist. Steele's answer -- it hasn't needed to be released ... because the Russians feel they got good value out of Trump during his time as President.

Washington is requiring all state employees be vaccinated by Monday -- but one trooper quit ahead of the deadline with a sobering final sign-off ... and harsh words for the governor.

22-year vet Robert LaMay -- who worked for the Washington State Patrol -- hung it up over the weekend, issuing one final thank-you to his coworkers and peers on the official dispatch system ... while also taking a big shot at Gov. Jay Inslee, who's enforcing the mandate.

Check it out ... LaMay, who's apparently unvaccinated, gets on the radio and says this will be his final time in a WA state patrol car, all because he's been deemed "dirty," as he puts it.

He goes on to recount the good times he had on the job, while thanking his colleagues for getting him home safe each night -- and, finally, ending his remarks with, "Jay Inslee can kiss my ass." He drops the mic on his lap ... waiting for someone on the other end.

Eventually, the dispatcher jumps on and goes through a list of his contributions as a trooper ... also thanking him for his service. It's somewhat unceremonious, which he acknowledges.

Of course, this paints a stark picture of what a lot of law enforcement officers -- and others -- across multiple states are facing -- and there's rumblings mass firings/resignations could be coming as more and more vaccine mandates go into effect over the coming weeks.

Even on the federal level, vaccine mandates are being hotly discussed and debated -- especially among airlines ... which got roped into President Biden's order since they contract with the federal government. And yet, not every airline will play ball -- like Delta.

Jon Stewart is back after a long hiatus -- and it sounds like he thinks a couple things are ripping this country apart ... sensationalism in the media, and focusing on Donald Trump.

The former 'Daily Show' host sat down with CNN's Jake Tapper Sunday, to plug his new Apple TV+ show, "The Problem with Jon Stewart," but to also discuss the current state of things as it relates to our politics, national discourse and culture wars we're going through.

On that last point ... Jon got pretty real on what he thinks about issues like CA's new gender-neutral toy section law -- and that feeling is ... this is trivial, so who gives a s***!!!

Check out his thought process ... we as a society -- plus the media, by selecting/feeding us headlines -- seek out the conflict lines as opposed to news that actually matters in our daily lives. The gender-neutral thing is one example, but he brings up Karens/masks too.

Jon notes we see a ton of anti-masker stories all across media ... but what about stories reassessing the efficacy of masks, which affects us day-to-day??? Nowhere to be found.

Of course, Jon also talked Trump after Tapper asked him about his role in the ongoing division in the U.S. -- but Jon doesn't think this issue lives and dies with DT ... if anything, he says Trump is just the latest incarnation of a phenomenon that has long existed here.

His point is that there've been many rulers and institutions of this nation, historically, that've been power hungry, and he thinks the solution -- as it always has been -- lies in the people.

President Biden dished a vote of confidence to our men and women in black and blue -- acknowledging the tall order of enforcing the law, while rejecting defunding the police.

JB and the First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, attended 40th Annual National Peace Officers' Memorial Service Saturday at the U.S. Capitol ... where they paid tribute to the fallen police officers who'd been killed in the line of duty over the past couple years -- upwards of 491.

The First couple laid flowers at memorial wreath for fallen officers from right there in D.C. -- including those who served in the Capitol Police, the Metropolitan Police Department and other local law enforcement agencies.

Of those officers from the D.C. area, he thanked them for their service -- especially those who laid their bodies on the line to defend the Capitol on Jan. 6 ... for which Biden says the nation is grateful.

He eventually pivoted to policing in the modern era ... confessing that, yes, it's a difficult job to do in 2021 -- and one that seems to be less and less sought after ... which the Prez says is a shame, as he said our cities, neighborhood and citizens need police to stay safe.

And then ... he talked about defunding the police, without using those exact words, per se. Joe says policing does need to change -- but he simply doesn't think stripping resources is the way to do it. If anything, he said the opposite ... that cops need more resources, and education on how to best implement them, referencing community policing and other tools.

It's an interesting stance ... and appears to differ with what some in his party have called for in the wake of George Floyd and other high profile police cases over the past year or so.

Cardi B has a surprising ally in her corner ... it's the GOP, which is encouraging her NOT to be intimidated by cancel culture and continue talking politics.

Paris Dennard, a National GOP spokesman, tells TMZ ... the "I Like It" rapper should continue talking politics because if she stops, young people will see this and also become scared to express themselves for fear of backlash from democrats and republicans alike.

It's surprising ... Dennard says Cardi shouldn't be fazed by sharing opinions about politics/social issues that line up with democrats ... or the people she's standing up for.

ICYMI ... Cardi tweeted Thursday she'd refrain from sharing her political views because she was "tired of getting bullied by the republicans and also getting bashed by the same people I was standing up for."

Dennard makes it crystal clear ... with Cardi having a massive platform, any political statement could trigger backlash from both sides. He insists ... any of that shouldn't silence her because having an influencer like herself sets an example for others, particularly with young people.

He says it's important for Cardi -- who interviewed President Joe Biden and trash-talked former prez Donald Trump with Sen. Bernie Sanders -- to be a free thinker. What's more ... Dennard says having polarizing views doesn't necessarily mean getting canceled.

He points out some prime examples like Kanye West and Lil Wayne ... just some of the rappers who supported Trump. Dennard also points to Nicki Minaj ... whose COVID-19 vaccine claims riled up social media, but she came away mostly unscathed.

Rosario Dawson says "Saturday Night Live" needs to give BF Cory Booker his due the next time 'SNL' impersonates the Senator ... and she's got a few ideas for the stars to workshop.

We got the actress leaving ABC Studios in New York and asked what she thought of the show's impersonation of her boyfriend.

Rosario doesn't seem too impressed ... she says she's yet to see anyone nail Cory's true personality, and she explains why he's like the Fred Rogers or Ted Lasso of the Senate.

The 'SNL' skit mocking the recent Facebook hearing in Congress featured tons of politicians, but the Cory jokes were mostly centered on him dating Rosario.

Next time, Rosario says, the show should instead give her man props for everything he's doing for his State, from cannabis to police reform.

Former President Bill Clinton has been hospitalized with what his doctor says is an infection that spread into his bloodstream.

Clinton's docs say 42 was admitted to UC Irvine Medical Center Tuesday and is being closely monitored. The infection reportedly first started as a UTI, but became much more serious once it got into his bloodstream ... he's currently in the intensive care unit.

Dr. Alpesh Amin, from UC Irvine and Clinton's personal doctor, Dr. Lisa Bardack, say the former Prez is currently receiving antibiotics and fluids through an IV.

Reports say the 75-year-old is in good spirits while being cared for, and he's expected to be just fine.

His doctors told CNN, "After two days of treatment, his white blood cell count is trending down and he is responding to antibiotics well. We hope to have him go home soon."

Clinton was in California for a fundraiser before falling ill and being hospitalized.

Of course, Clinton has had his share of serious medical issues, he had a quadruple bypass heart surgery in 2004 and in 2010 he had two stents inserted to open an artery.

His doctors insist his most recent hospitalization has nothing to do with COVID or with his heart.

President Biden is starting his week off with a wedding ... because his nephew is about to tie the knot with a real housewife.

The White House says the President and First Lady Jill Biden will be in attendance when Biden's nephew, Cuffe Owens, marries 'Real Housewives of Orange County' star Meghan O'Toole King today.

Monday's ceremony is said to be pretty small and reserved for family ... and it's going down at the home of Biden's sister, Valerie Owens.

Cuffe is a 42-year-old attorney based in Los Angeles, and he only recently went public with his relationship with Meghan.

It's the third marriage for Meghan ... remember, her last marriage to former MLB star Jim Edmonds ended in a messy divorce complete with a nude text messaging scandal and alleged infidelity with their nanny.

POTUS is attending the wedding after spending the weekend back home in Delaware, then it's back to The White House.

No word if Biden's planning to say a few words at the ceremony.

George Clooney is shooting down any notion of diving into politics -- saying he doesn't want the stress ... while also noting Joe Biden deserves a break after Trump's presidency.

The actor sat down with BBC's Andrew Marr Sunday to plug his new movie, "The Tender Bar," and eventually ... they got to talking about President Biden and ex-Prez Trump -- the former of whom GC says will need time to clean up the mess he says DT left behind.

Marr noted Biden's poll numbers are down -- in the wake of Afghanistan and other issues -- but George brushed those off as fleeting and ever-changing. He likened the U.S. today as a battered child, and that thinking they'll be okay on the first day of school is foolish.

Bottom line ... George says there's a lot of healing that still needs to happen, and that these repairs will take time. So, Biden not fixing things ASAP is NBD to him -- and he backs him.

Speaking of Trump ... Clooney also dishes on what Donald was like back in the day -- saying he was nothing but a knucklehead chasing girls. He also says Trump despises his staunchest supporters ... rural folks from middle America, who come out in droves to his rallies.

Matthew McConaughey says he's still not sure if he'll run for Governor of Texas -- heavily suggesting it's NOT in the cards for him, considering how little leg work he's done thus far.

The actor did a wide-ranging interview with the NYT's Kara Swisher for a recent episode of her 'Sway' podcast ... and it's pretty astounding how little Matt knows about current issues, and how unwilling he seems to be in committing to one side of the aisle or another ... or even expressing a clear cut, definitive view of what he considers right or wrong.

The one thing he did clarify -- after constant (and much-needed) follow-up questions from Swisher on where he landed/what he's going to do -- is that he's woefully unprepared for a serious gov run in the Lone Star State ... as he's only in the consulting phase right now.

Matt says he hasn't started forming committees, conducting polls or much of anything else yet that comes with getting a legit campaign started and rolling. Apparently, he's still just talking to certain people about the idea of running ... and the election is just a year away.

MMC also says this about the proposition ... "Who am I going to be? No, who -- who am I going to be? Where can I be most useful? Is politics an embassy for me to be of the most use to myself, to my family, to the most amount of people in my life moving forward?' He adds, "I could arguably have more influence as an informal leader than a formal leader."

He also called the current American political system (2 parties, seemingly extreme views on both sides) "broken" ... implying he was more of a centrist than anything, also saying in philosopher fashion that he continues to "measure" what avenue would be best for him.

What that measurement entails, exactly, is anyone's guess ... but Matt says he's "studying" the issue. Speaking of issues, he actually did end up weighing in on some concrete ones, after incessant badgering (and explaining of said issues) from Swisher. On mask mandates in TX ... for. On voter rights protections ... for. On the abortion bill ... against.

You can listen to the full podcast to hear how he explains his rationale for each -- some explanations of which are a bit of a doozy, and sorta hard to unpack. But, based on how he answers, McConaughey appears to lean center-left ... more than anything.

At one point, Swisher asks what he made of Beto O'Rourke saying Matt was an enigma, and hadn't made a lot of his positions clear -- something he thinks is essential to being a real contender in modern-day U.S. politics. Swisher said she perceived that as "shade."

Bill Maher ended his show Friday night with a message ... "I hope I scared the s*** out of you," and he delivered ... by laying out a believable scenario of how the 2024 Presidential election will go down.

Maher believes we are in the grips of what he calls a "slow-moving coup" at the hands of Donald Trump, and his evidence is really hard to rebut. As he says, Trump learned from 2020 that you can't overturn an election with the current players in place, so he's been spending most of his time trying to change all that.

The evidence is out there ... we've seen Trump trying to purge the GOP of RINOs and endorsing secretaries of state all over the country -- these are the folks who manage elections. Trump's also been active in trying to change state legislatures so his people are in place who can grab more power over election tabulations. And, of course, he'll be the beneficiary of the 2022 midterms, when Republicans are expected to regain control of the House.

As you know ... the House certifies the election and although Trump couldn't get the results overturned in 2020, the landscape will shift in such a way that it could happen the next time around.

And, here's the craziest part ... Maher says it doesn't matter who Trump is running against. Even if it looks like the Democrat won, the day after the election Trump will declare victory and the pieces will be in place to affirm it -- whether he really wins or loses.

And, wait till you hear him lay out what might happen on January 20, 2025. It's a set up for civil war.

Donald Trump ramped up his anti-immigration rhetoric on TV Thursday night ... telling Sean Hannity the thousands of Haitian migrants believed to be heading to America's border likely have AIDS.

The ex-President did his best DaBaby impression by spewing out ignorant claims about the disease, suggesting on "Hannity" that because Haiti has a "tremendous AIDS problem" ... accepting people from there is "like a death wish for our country."

What Trump's comments ignore, however, is that while there may be a large number of people living with HIV/AIDs in Haiti ... it's impossible to know if those trying to flee the country are afflicted.

Likewise, even if migrants with AIDS are admitted to the U.S. ... it does not equate to a "death wish."

Later in his chat with Hannity, Trump also alleged other countries are "emptying out their prisons into the United States."

The Supreme Court Justices just returned to work -- beginning work on cases related to Roe v. Wade -- and the court is on lockdown, surrounded by cops investigating a security threat.

U.S Capitol Police say a suspicious vehicle is parked near the Supreme Court Building, and they have officers all over neighboring blocks ... shutting off all traffic in the area. Tensions are running high -- Monday was the Court's first day back in session, and with Roe v. Wade on the Justices' front burner for the current term, there are immense security concerns.

There are reports the vehicle is an SUV parked at the front of the building, and that the driver refused to move when cops told him to do so.

The Justices are scheduled to hear arguments regarding Mississippi's abortion law later during this term ... and it could ultimately lead to Roe v. Wade being overturned.

It's unclear if the Justices were already in the building when police locked down the building.

Story developing ...

Grimes boning up on some Karl Marx has America's Communist Party applauding the singer ... because they say she's advancing their cause.

A spokesperson for Communist Party USA tells TMZ that even though the singer has said she doesn't identify as a communist, the fact she was spotted reading "The Communist Manifesto" is a massive win for them.

As we reported ... Grimes was seen with the book over the weekend, following her recent split from billionaire baby daddy Elon Musk.

The CP Rep tells us even if the Grimes pics were just a publicity stunt, it's a textbook case of all publicity being good publicity.

The way the party sees things ... the first step to getting people to join the Communist Party is by making them reconsider our current political system. Through Grimes, folks will be inspired to read Marx and ultimately begin to question capitalism and the billionaires calling the shots ... like Elon Musk.

Fact is, celebrities have played a major role in changing American politics in the past decade. Bernie Sanders, a self-described Democratic-Socialist, entered the 2016 presidential race, and despite running as a Democrat, he was hardly supported by any Dems in Congress. Endorsements from stars like Sarah Silverman, Killer Mike and many more propelled Bernie into the mainstream ... and as Bernie grew, so did Democratic-Socialism.

Elizabeth Warren says the Facebook employee who blew the lid on how they allegedly put profits over accuracy says she shouldn't be called a whistleblower ... but a patriot.

The U.S. Senator was on Capitol Hill Monday, where we got a chance to ask what she made of Frances Haugen's appearance on '60 Minutes' ... on which she made some bombshell claims against her former employer, for whom she worked up until earlier this year.

ICYMI ... Haugen alleged FB honchos have opted, of late, to highlight divisive -- and oftentimes erroneous -- posts and/or content on the platform ... killing their news filtering process in place for the election, and helping fuel the Jan. 6 insurrection with inaction.

Like we said, heavy-hitting stuff ... to which Sen. Warren says, good for her -- and also, THANK YOU.

Check out how she characterizes Haugen coming forward ... she uses the word "democracy" and says the woman is actually working to preserve our system of government by getting the word out on how this mega social media company is allegedly operating behind the scenes.

A lot of people are singing Haugen's praises right about now -- especially as she's set to testify on this exact issue in front of Congress in the not too distant future.

Of course, we also had to ask the Senator about this weird mass outage that unfolded Monday -- literally on the heels of Haugen speaking out ... which had FB, Instagram, What's App and a ton of other services down. People were slowly able to access their accounts after 6 hours.

"Let’s bring her up here and look at her ass."

That's what former President Donald Trump told staffers as he summoned a "young, highly attractive" aide to his private office on Air Force One ... this according to a new book.

Stephanie Grisham -- the former White House press secretary under Trump famous for holding zero press briefings -- makes the claims in her book due out Tuesday, saying she tried to keep Trump away from the press wrangler he allegedly took a liking to.

TMZ's obtained an excerpt from the book -- titled "I'll Take Your Questions Now: What I Saw in the Trump White House" -- in which Grisham says Trump was ogling the young woman from the day he first laid eyes on her.

In fact, Grisham writes ... "I began to notice that he was taking an unusual interest in a young, highly attractive press wrangler on my team ... What I do know is that he behaved inappropriately. And, since the woman worked for me, I tried to protect her and keep his unusual interest in her under wraps."

Grisham says Trump often asked her about the woman, and when he wanted the aide to see him on Air Force One, Grisham made sure they weren't left alone because, "the whole thing never felt quite right."

Things allegedly got weird on one trip Grisham missed ... she claims Trump asked how the woman was doing before instructing his staff to bring her to his office cabin so he could get a look at her butt ... so Grisham tried keeping the aide off future trips.

Grisham says she doesn't know if anything happened between Trump and the woman, but she writes that she came close to telling Melania about her husband's alleged behavior before ultimately being "too chickens***."