Mayor Pete Buttigieg thinks he can surprise a lot of people who believe it's impossible for him to successfully court super religious voters.
The South Bend Mayor will appear on "TMZ Live" Monday afternoon and he makes it clear ... he's not giving up on voters who believe the Holy Scriptures disqualify gay candidates.
The openly gay Mayor, who announced his candidacy for President Sunday, says voters have surprisingly open minds, and he points to something then-Indiana Governor Mike Pence was pushing back in 2015 -- a law that allowed people to discriminate against the LGBTQ community.
Buttigieg, who came out during what he calls that ferocious fight, notes that he not only had Democrats on his side but Republicans and even NASCAR fans.
During the show (click here for times), Mayor Pete says what his strategy will be when Trump gets homophobic and what should happen to parents who got their kids into college by hook or crook. He also shows off his guitar skills ... with no less than a Hendrix riff.