Are We On The Brink Of War? feat. Buck Sexton | Ep. 1

Summary

Summary of "Are We On The Brink Of War? feat. Buck Sexton | Ep. 1" - The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Release Date: April 7, 2025
Hosts: Clay Travis and Buck Sexton
Guest: David Rutherford

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I. Introduction

In the inaugural episode titled "Are We On The Brink Of War?", Buck Sexton engages in a profound conversation with guest David Rutherford. The discussion navigates through Rutherford's personal journey, his professional challenges, and his insights into the current geopolitical tensions, particularly focusing on the European Union's stance and the looming threat of global conflict.

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II. David Rutherford’s Personal Journey ([01:00] – [19:06])

David Rutherford opens up about his tumultuous personal and professional life, charting a path from his early years at Penn State University to his military service and subsequent ventures into private security and motivational speaking.

• Academic and Military Beginnings ([01:00] – [10:00]): Rutherford recounts his time as a lacrosse player at Penn State, his subsequent removal from the team, and his struggle with depression. This period marked his transition from academia to the military, where he aspired to become a Navy SEAL. He reflects on the harsh realities of combat during his deployment to Afghanistan in 2002, which starkly contrasted with his earlier romanticized notions of elite warfare.

  “I really started to begin to learn that my impression of the world wasn't exactly what it should be…” ([05:30])

• Private Security and Intelligence Work ([10:00] – [15:00]): After leaving the Navy, Rutherford joined Blackwater and later the Central Intelligence Agency. His roles involved training case officers and managing operations alongside JSOC units. These experiences further deepened his understanding of modern warfare and the intricate interplay between military action and political agendas.

• Motivational Speaking and Setbacks ([15:00] – [19:06]): Transitioning into motivational speaking, Rutherford worked with various Fortune 500 companies, aiming to uplift and empower youth. However, the rise of political tensions, particularly surrounding former President Trump, and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic led to the collapse of his business. Rutherford discusses being unjustly "canceled" online, losing access to his audience, and the profound impact this had on him personally and professionally.

  “Covid hit. And when Covid hit, the whole world changed in that moment. I really believe that's when the lies, the veil of those lies came crashing down…” ([16:00])

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III. The Turning Point and Collaboration with Buck Sexton ([19:06] – [47:31])

Rutherford details his resurgence, crediting Buck Sexton for extending support and fostering a collaboration that aimed to rebuild his platform and amplify their shared mission.

• Rebuilding with Buck Sexton ([19:06] – [22:13]): Buck Sexton reaches out to Rutherford, offering him a chance to reintegrate into the podcasting world. This partnership is described as a pivotal moment, providing Rutherford with the opportunity to voice his insights once again.

  “Our mission is to consolidate and contextualize this tsunami of information that you're trying to deal with every day… so that you can join the fight against that negative insurgency.” ([19:10])

• Introducing Jordi and Expanding the Network ([19:06] – [22:13]): Rutherford introduces Jordi Long as a key collaborator, emphasizing the collective effort to deliver "flashbangs of truth" aimed at combating misinformation and empowering listeners with accurate information.

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IV. The European Union and the Brink of War ([22:13] – [46:22])

The core of the episode delves into the precarious state of the European Union, examining the rise of populist leaders and the potential for escalating conflicts that could spiral into global warfare.

• Rise of Populism in the EU ([22:13] – [30:59]): Rutherford and Sexton discuss the alarming trend of populist leaders gaining traction in NATO countries, including Romania, Brazil, France, Moldova, Turkey, and Germany. They explore how these leaders are often met with bans and suppression, arguing that this stifles national sovereignty and ignites public backlash against elite-controlled collectivist agendas.

  “The slow eradication of sovereignty for European countries and for America is a huge part of the backlash against the elites that have been pushing this non-nationalism.” ([39:26])

• Historical Parallels and Nationalism vs. Collectivism ([30:59] – [35:19]): The conversation draws parallels between the current political climate and the conditions that led to World Wars I and II. Rutherford highlights how the suppression of nationalism and the rise of collectivist ideologies might mirror the early 20th-century tensions that eventually led to catastrophic conflicts.

  “If democracy is allergic to populism, we need to ask why... How is patriotism as an American different from nationalism?” ([27:00])

• NATO’s Role and Strategic Failures ([35:19] – [46:22]): Sexton critiques NATO's strategic positioning, suggesting that without substantial commitment from member nations, the alliance risks becoming ineffective against emerging threats. He emphasizes the necessity for NATO countries to build their own defensive capabilities, reducing over-reliance on the United States and preventing potential entanglements in unwinnable conflicts.

  “Ukraine is not a NATO member... We should be honest... The lesson of 20 years of war in the Middle East and South Asia is you don’t just send your guys and gals to fight and then you don’t want to stop the fighting because what were you fighting for?” ([42:07])

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V. Conclusion and Future Outlook

As the episode wraps up, Rutherford and Sexton reiterate the importance of national sovereignty, informed citizenship, and proactive measures to prevent global conflicts. They call on listeners to engage with their content across various platforms to support their mission of promoting truth and resilience.

• Final Remarks and Call to Action ([47:04] – [53:28]): Rutherford expresses his dedication to supporting American ideals and his commitment to delivering thoughtful, intelligent content. He encourages listeners to subscribe, share, and engage with their platforms to amplify their message.

  “We're happy that you do that for us. But again, your ability to subscribe and tell friends and then leave us comments out there… So we would really appreciate that.” ([53:28])

• Promotion of Associated Networks and Future Content: The episode concludes with promotions for related podcasts and content, emphasizing the network's expansive reach and commitment to delivering diverse, impactful discussions.

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Notable Quotes with Attributions and Timestamps

1. David Rutherford ([05:30])

   “I really started to begin to learn that my impression of the world wasn't exactly what it should be…”

2. David Rutherford ([16:00])

   “Covid hit. And when Covid hit, the whole world changed in that moment. I really believe that's when the lies, the veil of those lies came crashing down…”

3. David Rutherford ([19:10])

   “Our mission is to consolidate and contextualize this tsunami of information that you're trying to deal with every day… so that you can join the fight against that negative insurgency.”

4. Buck Sexton ([39:26])

   “The slow eradication of sovereignty for European countries and for America is a huge part of the backlash against the elites that have been pushing this non-nationalism.”

5. David Rutherford ([27:00])

   “If democracy is allergic to populism, we need to ask why... How is patriotism as an American different from nationalism?”

6. Buck Sexton ([42:07])

   “Ukraine is not a NATO member... We should be honest... The lesson of 20 years of war in the Middle East and South Asia is you don’t just send your guys and gals to fight and then you don’t want to stop the fighting because what were you fighting for?”

7. David Rutherford ([53:28])

   “We're happy that you do that for us. But again, your ability to subscribe and tell friends and then leave us comments out there… So we would really appreciate that.”

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Key Takeaways

• National Sovereignty vs. Collectivism: The episode underscores the tension between national sovereignty and collectivist agendas pushed by elite-controlled entities, highlighting the backlash against the erosion of individual nation identities.

• Populism and Democracy: Rutherford and Sexton explore the complexities of populism within democratic frameworks, questioning why democracy appears resistant to populist movements that aim to reflect the people's genuine interests.

• NATO's Strategic Dilemmas: The discussion critiques NATO's current strategies, advocating for stronger self-reliance among member nations to prevent overdependence on the U.S. and avoid entanglements in unproductive conflicts.

• Historical Parallels to Current Events: Drawing lessons from pre-World War eras, the hosts emphasize the importance of addressing nationalist sentiments and geopolitical tensions proactively to avert large-scale wars.

• Empowerment Through Information: The overarching mission of the show is to empower listeners with accurate information, fostering critical thinking and resilience against misinformation and negative insurgencies.

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Conclusion

"Are We On The Brink Of War? feat. Buck Sexton | Ep. 1" serves as a compelling exploration of the intricate dynamics shaping current global politics. Through David Rutherford's personal narrative and Buck Sexton's analytical insights, the episode provides listeners with a nuanced understanding of the potential pathways to conflict and the imperative of maintaining national sovereignty amidst growing collectivist pressures. The collaboration between Rutherford and Sexton promises a series dedicated to unraveling complex issues and empowering audiences to engage thoughtfully with the world's evolving challenges.

Transcript

[Ryan Seacrest]

It is Ryan Seacrest here. There was a recent social media trend which consisted of flying on a plane with no music, no movies, no entertainment. But a better trend would be going to chumbacasino.com it's like having a mini social casino in your pocket. Chumba casino has over 100 online casino style games, all absolutely free. It's the most fun you can have online and on a plane. So grab your free welcome bonus [e-mail] sponsored by Chumba Casino.

[Buck Sexton]

No purchase necessary vgw group void where.

[David Rutherford]

Prohibited by law 21 + terms and conditions apply.

[Gilbert King]

Something unexpected happened after Jeremy Scott confessed to killing Michelle Schofield in Bone Valley season one.

[Jeremy Scott]

Every time I hear about my dad is, oh, he's a killer. He's just straight evil.

[Gilbert King]

I was becoming the bridge between Jeremy Scott and the son he'd never known.

[Jeremy Scott]

At the end of the day, I'm literally a son of a killer.

[Gilbert King]

Listen to new episodes of bone Valley Season 2, starting April 9 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[David Rutherford]

What's up, team? Today I'm gonna address what I've learned over the last 30 years and how I finally come to the conclusion that pretty much most of it is a lie. And then we're gonna bring on Buck Sexton of the Clay and Buck Show. He's gonna talk about how the European Union is on the precipice of potentially getting everybody else into World War three. This is the David Rutherford show. When I was a kid, one of my favorite books of all time was by John Lewis Carroll. It was Alice in Wonderland. Now, before you start going, wait a minute. How does a frogman love Alice in Wonderland? I was a kid, right? And what I loved about it was the animation idea. I love the story of this person who falls into this great world and discovers all these crazy things about, you know, dancing cards and talking rabbits. And my personal favorite, the Mad Hatter. Hell, I've got a Mad Hatter tattoo on my side right here. Who's got holding an MP5 in a Med bag? Because I used to want to be the Mad Hatter in the teams, right? But that just goes to show you how much I love this classic fairy tale, this classic children's story, because of what it means. It means the. The proverbial fall down the rabbit hole. Now, every human being has those falls, right? We have them when we're young. We have them when we're old. And. But they always seem to happen. And what I want to Do. As we launch this show, right, this new show, I want to tell you about my journey down the rabbit hole. Like, obviously. So here I am. I'm. I'm in my. My fourth year at college at Penn State University, where I'd gone to play lacrosse there, and. And I'd been kicked off the team. I was no longer on the team. I was kind of isolated. I wasn't doing well. I was battling depression. I was a mess. But thankfully, like, I. You know, I. I was an art major with a minor in poetry. Now, listen, I know you're laughing out there because everybody does, but don't ever forget, I am a hippie who can kill you, okay? So as. As I'm in my art history courses, I'm in my humanities courses, the one thing that begins to happen is that I'm reading all these incredible works by Nietzsche, Camus. I'm reading these great storytellers of all time. And what is taking place is the recognition, the reinforcement of that thing that influenced me as a kid with Alice in Wonderland is really the need or the desire to go out on my own quest. And that's what I chose to do. So I dropped out of Penn State. I joined the Navy to go be a Navy seal. Now, mind you, I thought the rabbit hole was a lot more like the cartoon than it actually was in this particular case. And so very quickly did I find having my ass handed to me was not the same as reading a fairy tale, Right? But the reality of it was, is I really started to begin to learn that my impression of the world wasn't exactly what it should be, and that the idea of the illusion of what it meant to be an elite fighter or an elite commando man, I had no idea how hard it was gonna be. And so that was really the beginning of this whole nursery rhyme getting torn apart from my consciousness. Now, fast forward, where. Where it jumped into hyperspeed was on my first combat. My first and only combat deployment in the SEAL teams in the summer 2002 to Afghanistan, when I quickly realized that fighting wars isn't just that. It's not going after the enemy. And, man, almost no other time in our history of our nation did we so clearly know who the enemy was. But as I'm over there, immediately we begin to realize that politics play a role. And so I remember going through all of the different ups and downs emotionally of, oh, you can go operate here. You can't do this, or there's the new loyal Jirga, and we need to support Karzai and Here I am part of the E5 mafia and I'm like, wait a minute, this doesn't make any sense. We know where they are, we know where they let us go do our jobs. But that wasn't the case. And so that really triggered this accelerated descent into potentially what might be the lies that we were forced to believe or the lies that we were convinced were real right now down that rabbit hole. You know, I had got out a little bit short after that, about a year after that, and, you know, went to work for Blackwater and, and, and again, that's where this thing jumped into light speed. And I began to realize, oh my God. Because my, my second deployment to Afghanistan, a fall 05, here I am working with the counter Afghan counter drug commandos, and I'm mentoring them on missions. And what we're doing is we're running missions against fictitious people, mind you. Like, I'm like, wait a minute. I'm working with DEA fast teams and they're squared away, but I'm like, I'm like, wait a minute, does this, does this make sense to anybody? Like we're, we're doing these big ops and there's nobody here. I mean, there's nobody even in the compounds we're raiding. And again, that light bulb is like flickering even more. Well, after I left them, you know, I started my, my, my company, Frog Logic Concepts. And my initial quest was to work with kids to try and lift kids up and give, Give kids, give kids this whole idea of self confidence, right? What's going to lift them up to get them in the fight and to be able to confront that negative insurgency of their life? Well, as soon as you start to get into how under attack our children are with obesity, with poor school performance, with the wrong role models, I mean, that was another shocking reality. Myself, I'm like, wait a minute, where did all the kids role models go out there? Where did all the young men role models go? Like, where are the, where are the dudes that they're supposed to look up to? Like, like I did as a kid, man, I tell you what, John Wayne, man, that dude was a God in my house, right? I mean, holy cow, you have Rambo, you have, you have Commando, you have Die Hard, man. These were the things that lifted me up every day to want to become a courageous man, right? Well, after the economy collapsed, you know, I said, all right, I gotta get going in a whole nother way. And thankfully I had some people reach out, recruited me to go work for the Central Intelligence Agency. And so for Two years I trained case officers how to better integrate with JSOC units downrange. Cause the first time since Vietnam they were really co located on the same forward operating basis. And then so for two years I did that. And then for two years I deployed with case officers and helping them manage their operations from a security and tactical perspective. If you saw the movie 13 hours, that's what I did. In fact, after a year in Afghanistan, a year in Pakistan, my next duty station was gonna be Libya. Fortunately for me, it didn't turn out that way. But unfortunately from my friends, Ty woods and Glenn Dougherty and some other of my folks, Oz and some of the other guys that were there, and Tato and Boone and everybody, man, you know, it was the, one of the worst days of my life. And that was also a massive wake up call for me. Like wait, what, Wait, what are you telling me? There were Americans in distress, saving other Americans lives and nobody went to support them. Now that was a big one. That was a huge one. And so I, but I just kept my head down. I was like, no, this is a one off. This isn't what it is. And I started speaking professionally at that time and really enjoyed this beautiful career of being a motivational speaker a lot in the financial services industry. But I worked with all these different Fortune 500 companies, from Coca Cola to Comcast, cable to Revlon, you name it, I've worked with them. But I've also worked with the largest family owned pig farmers out there too. So I don't care, man. I just want to help people improve on performance and motivate them. Right? That's, that's what's kind of what drives me in life. And then something else happened. Now, luckily I had reached this really beautiful spot. I was at the time, I was on this great podcast with, you know, I'd started my first podcast called Navy seal radio in 2013. And then a friend of mine, a good friend of mine, Marcus Lutrell, asked me to join him on a podcast. We called it the Team Never Quit Podcast, along with the Wizard. And everybody hopefully remembers the wizard, man. I love you, wizard, if you're out there. And we delivered this really positive content of people telling their greatest never quit stories. And again, I was like, man, I was reinvigorated. We were doing well. America seemed like it was on good stand with good ground. We were positive with these stories. Even in 2018, which was one of my best years I've ever had in my life, I met my new wife, I won a world Series with the Boston Red Sox, Man, I was riding this absolute tsunami of positivity, right? I was kicking the shit out of the negative insurgency at that time. And then 2018, 19, Trump's attacks began to come out. The story behind it and what Russiagate was really about, and this unjust, fabricated allegations of him being a Russian asset. I'm like, wait a minute. That does. I mean, are you serious? This guy was the most beloved human being in the country. I mean, look at all the frigging rap songs that were had. Were praising Trump. And now all of a sudden he's a racist. Now all of a sudden he's a bigot. Now all of a sudden, he's a direct threat to national security. I was like, this ain't right, man. Something, it doesn't feel right. And I bet if you're like me, you had that spidey sense tingling as well, too. Well, guess what? Now I was about really ready to really felt, fall down to the depths, right? The Dante's ninth gate of the rabbit holes of rabbit holes. And then Covid hit. And when Covid hit, the whole world changed in that moment. And I really believe that's when the lies, the veil of those lies came crashing down around those who have been perpetrating them to us for a long, long time. Right? You're gonna kill grandma. Don't go outside. Right? You gotta wear a mask. Six feet distant, we know. All made up. And everybody out there was like, this doesn't make sense. And then that emerged that summer, all these riots in the streets. Oh, you can't go outside, but you can burn down a city. Now we're starting to hit. What is really, I mean, in all conscious terms is basically a modern Marxist revolution taking place. And that's when I started to really wake up in ways I never thought I would before. Because that summer, my business had collapsed. I had lost a ton of speaking work. I was supposed to work with the Minnesota Twins that year that collapsed, and all this other great stuff. Thankfully, I pivoted online. We were starting an online training company. And then about a month and a half before the elections, they canceled me. That's right, they canceled Rut. The hand grenade of positivity. I'd never been political in my whole life, ever. I never talked trash about people. I'd never called out injustices. All I cared about was making sure that you were motivated every day to make sure that you understood that no matter how hard you got kicked in the teeth, there was something to anchor your heart to. There was something that was going to save you. But guess what? When I was canceled unjustly, that about destroyed me, right? I got locked out. I lost access to about 150,000 people, and after 300 plus attempts to figure this out, nobody responded. Ever. Now imagine, you know, 15 years of content creation, all of a sudden switched off, lights off, no explanation. And meanwhile, I'm feeling this whole feeling that the world is changing, something's taken place, and that solidified it. Now, fortunately for me, I had some really amazing, good, solid teammates in my life that got behind me, lift me out of my, my whole, you know, Richie and Sean and, and Mark P. And geez, there's this whole slew of people that just leaned in and really, like, pulled me out of the abyss I was in because I was like, how can this be real? And one of them, my friend Paul, he's the one who said, hey, man, you know, come to work with me. I think you'll love this company. You know, very hardworking, very dialed in, conservative group. And I went to work and he saved my life, he saved my family, he saved my career. And I got back on my feet. Now it's taken me a while to get there. And in all that time, what else did we see? We saw craziness take place with COVID shots. We saw the insanity of the attacks on Trump with the judicial system, the waging war against him, trying to. Then we saw him tried to assassinate the guy twice, right? Meanwhile, you're telling me that I'm a domestic terrorist. You're telling me my views as a Christian. I'm a white nationalist Christian supremacist, man. To hell with you. That's all bogus. That's not true. I know what I believe in. I know who I believe in, and I know that I'm a good person, right? But all that didn't change the fact of what I was seeing. And so now where I'm at is we, you know, out of the blue. And don't even, don't even get me started on the Afghan withdrawal, because that was like a dagger in my heart. I never had the opportunity to go serve in Iraq with all the incredible human beings that served and died over there. A lot of my friends. But I was in Afghanistan quite a few times, and when we pulled out of there, it was proof positive that the people in charge who made that decision, they don't give a damn about me. And most importantly, they didn't give a damn about my. My dead friends. And that was it. That was the Last straw. That broke my back, and it broke a lot of the rest of us from the gwad as well, too. But here's what I'm gonna tell you. We're not gonna get out there and lay down. We're not gonna get out there and. And moan. We're gonna get out there. We're gonna raise Cain, but in a positive way. And so, you know, and my. As I sit there and I. You know, my. My Frog Logic podcast had been going, but it was struggling. It was struggling to get it done and get it up and running again. And. And so I just was. I had this defeat, but I. I knew inside me, man, that God was gonna serve me up. He was gonna deliver me something special. He was gonna deliver me an opportunity of a lifetime. And you know what? About a month and a half ago, that happened. My friend Buck Sexton reached out to me on a phone call one Tuesday. I'll never forget. He said, hey, Rut, what's up, buddy? And I'm like, buck, my man, what's up? When are we going shooting again, dude? Because I love shooting with him and his brothers. And he said, hey, I got a question for you. And I was like, what's up, Buck? He goes, do you have any interest in getting behind the microphone again? And there you have it. That's at the bottom of the rabbit hole. That's at the bottom where you come to a conclusion. You come to a realization. You receive the blessings of something that's bigger than you, and opportunity presents itself to you. And so Buck said, hey, man, as long as you can convince Julie, you know, the CEO of Premier Networks at iHeartRadio, that you're in all in on this, man. I think you're. We had that call. Next thing I needed to do was find someone that was going to be able to help me do this. And, man, I found the greatest person on the planet that could possibly ever be able to help me climb back out of that rabbit hole so that I could get back on a microphone and start delivering those flashbangs of truth. I found my friend Jordi. And so, Jordy, I want to introduce you to everybody out there, too, buddy. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, I want to introduce you to Mr. Jordy Long, man. Hey, everybody, it's a extreme honor to be here, and I just am so excited to work with David and figure out how to make just the best show possible for everyone. We. All of the things that you were saying, we need to talk about these things. We need to give the those flashbangs.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Of truth like you were saying to the world.

[Buck Sexton]

And I'm just excited to be a.

[David Rutherford]

Part of it and get this going, man. Awesome. So our mission for you is we are going to try and consolidate and contextualize this tsunami of information that you're trying to deal with every, every day across, across all social media, across everywhere you find news, you find content, wherever. Our job is to consolidate that, contextualize it, apply some common sense with some critical think in order for you to have the tools that you need, that you need to invoke that courage inside you so that you can join the fight against that negative insurgency, so that you too can start throwing those flashbangs of truth. All right, my man, what do you think? I think that's enough preaching on my soapbox, brother. I think what we need to do now is, you know, obviously the first thing of all we gotta do is we got to bring Buck Sexton on so he can, we can thank him properly and we can talk about some, some serious things going on in Europe right now. What do you think, Jordy? Yeah, let's do it. Let's bring him on. Booyah.

[Ryan Seacrest]

It is Ryan Seacrest here. There was a recent social media trend which consisted of flying on a plane with no music, no movies, no entertainment. But a better trend would be going to chumbacasino.com. it's like having a mini social casino in your pocket. Chumba Casin has over a hundred online casino style games, all absolutely free. It's the most fun you can have online and on a plane. So grab your free welcome bonus now@chumbac casino.com sponsored by Chumba Casino.

[Buck Sexton]

No purchase necessary vgw group void we're.

[David Rutherford]

Prohibited by law 21 + terms and conditions apply.

[Gilbert King]

Something unexpected happened after Jeremy Scott confessed to killing Michelle Schofield in Bone Valley season one.

[Buck Sexton]

I just knew him as a kid.

[Gilbert King]

Long silent voices from his past came.

[Jeremy Scott]

Forward and he was just staring at me.

[Gilbert King]

And they had secrets of their own to share.

[Jeremy Scott]

I'm Gilbert King. I'm the son of Jeremy Lynn Scott.

[Gilbert King]

I was no longer just telling the story. I was part of it.

[Jeremy Scott]

Every time I hear about my dad, it's, oh, he's a killer. He's just straight evil.

[Gilbert King]

I was becoming the bridge between a killer killer and the son he'd never known.

[Jeremy Scott]

If the cops and everything would have done their job properly, my dad would have been in jail. I would have never existed.

[Gilbert King]

I never expected to find myself in this place. Now I need to tell you how I got here.

[Jeremy Scott]

At the end of the day, I'm literally a son of a killer.

[Gilbert King]

Bone Valley Season 2 Jeremy.

[Jeremy Scott]

Jeremy, I want to tell you something.

[Gilbert King]

Listen to new episodes of bone Valley Season 2 starting April 9 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear the entire new season ad free with exclusive content starting April 9th, subscribe to Lava for Good plus on Apple Podcasts.

[David Rutherford]

When you start something new, you know you have those little bit of butterflies that kind of spin over and over and over and around and. But. But in my case, man, those butterflies, it is one of the most powerful feelings I've ever had my entire life. And the reason these feelings are as good as they are is because of my good friend, Buck Sexton. And so, you know, the only reason I'm sitting here right now in front of all you and coming to you with my new show is because of this man, Buck Sexton. So, Buck, man, I just want to come out of the gate and just say from the bottom of my heart and Johnna's heart and Jordy's heart, thank you so much for this opportunity, brother.

[Buck Sexton]

Oh, man, it is my honor to both be your friend and. And to get to work with you now on this project and see how this is going to take off. And just, you know, when. When this podcast is super big time, just don't forget, don't forget who your friends were in the early days. Okay? That's my only. That's my only request. You know what I'm saying? Like, hopefully he'll still. In a year, he's still going to be returning my text when I'm like, can we go shooting? So that's my plan.

[David Rutherford]

Well, you know what my weak spot is? It's to go shooting, right? But unfortunately, with four daughters and soccer, lacrosse, sometimes I have to bail on you, which I'm sorry, but we. I owe you one. Soon for real.

[Buck Sexton]

Anytime.

[David Rutherford]

Awesome. Well, listen, you know, one of the things that I think is, is what I love so much about you and Clay and you just. You're able to give such a great overview of bigger topics. You're able to consolidate a bunch of ide down and condense them in a way where the audience really understands the power of the information and how to understand in a better way. And so one of the big things that's really just, I think, on my mind, I know it's on the mind of everybody else that's out there is really what's been going on in Europe right now, I think we see all these populist leaders out there that are essentially what. In my mind, they seem like they're, they're under attack from all different formats, whether it was Bull Bolsonaro down in, In. In. In Brazil. And then now we saw. Just this past week, Le Pen has been indicted. What's your take on why this is taking place? Just from where do you think why is. I guess they or them or whatever they are, right. Why are they so afraid of populist leaders?

[Buck Sexton]

Well, it's fascinating because you would think that in populism, right? Demos from the ancient Greek, you know, the people, right? Of. Of the people. And you think, hold on a second. If, If a movement is popular, then it should do well in a democracy. And if a movement is trying to be rooted in really a majoritarian view of what's best for a society, isn't that what a democracy is supposed to capture within the, within the, the, the guidelines of, you know, voting under certain situations at certain times? And Right. There's always rules. It's never just like whatever the mob wants in the moment. But if democracy is allergic to populism, we need to ask why. And in the Western world, that certainly. Which is really where we have the most of the, of the functional democracies or in our case, a republic. That seems to be the case. I mean, I actually have. I'm trying to see if I can pull up the, the full list because think about this, Dave. You, you have to remind yourself of how many places this has been going on, how many places there have been efforts to ban these part. Okay, here you go. So three NATO nations this month alone. This, have. This month. Right. And we're not talking about last decade. This month have banned either the chief opposition party or the chief opposition leader or a combination of the two. Romania has banned its opposition leader. Brazil, you mentioned Bolsonaro. France, that was a big one because, you know, that's, you know, these. Can we think of countries like. We kind of rank them in a hierarchy of importance, at least to us in terms of foreign relations. France, a big deal. Moldova, not as big a deal, but they banned their opposition party. Turkey has banned their opposition party. Now, Turkey is always interesting side note, really, one of the original deep states, I think it was called the Darren Devlet in Turkish or whatever. That's the transliteration. It's a real thing in Turkey, right. The Turkish military and the Turkish military industrial complex can just step in and be like, yeah, no, we don't like what's going on here. We're going to get rid of whoever. There have been so many coups in Turkey over the last hundred years, you can't even keep track of it. And then, of course, America, we tried to. Where they tried to ban Trump. Oh, and Germany, where they tried to band.

[David Rutherford]

That's right. And we've even seen him go after the prime minister in Italy, too, recently, and to the fact where she actually, I think just last week came out and said, listen, we're going to side with America. That's where we want to be. And for me, when you see this list and it keeps going, it makes me start to try and understand, all right, what's at stake here.

[Buck Sexton]

Well, think about this. The notion of nationalism has somehow gotten a negative connotation for a long time to say that you are a nationalist. Oh. And really, what we've grown up in, Dave, you know, your generation. Our generation is a world in which the ruling elites have made this pitch to all of us, and it's not even really a pitch. Have sort of demanded an obedience, a feeling to an idea. Yeah, demanded and forced it on us. Is a much better way of putting it that you're not allowed to think about your nation as something that is more than just an economic zone and some series of treaties with other countries that you never really get to weigh in on or understand. Basically just like, shut up. The adults are in charge, and the adults go to Davos and the adults go to the UN and they do this stuff. Right. And you should never ask, hold on. If I have obligations to the state and if I have a connection to my people, whether it's Americans in our case, or Brazilians or the French. Right. I mean, the Irish. The Irish. Or what does that mean in the context of how I want my leadership to function, not in this collectivist, in concert, whatever all of us together decide. Right. And so that. That, I think is. Is a big part of this is just the. The awakening that why should being a. You know, we. We could say patriotism, Right, Right. How is patriotism as an American different from nationalism? Like, to be a patriot as an American means you love. I mean, Dave, you know, you were in combat zones, right? Like, you picked up guns and said, I will die if need be for my country. Well, you would have felt very differently, I think, if it was I will die if need be, because some EU bureaucrats in Brussels say that it would be worthwhile for me to be engaged, like, you know, in Ukraine.

[David Rutherford]

Right. Or I'm sitting there going to Church with my family and a little minivan walks up with a bunch of dudes in multicam, right? They come in, yank me out and stuck me in that van. Next thing I know, I'm in the trenches three weeks later, after getting trained by a bunch of, you know, French soldiers or EU or British soldiers, now out of Poland. And it's almost. And to go back to what you were chatting about in terms of that collective oppression, right. If we can. We're in charge. We're forcing the hand. You guys just recognize that this is where were a melting pot. That whole idea. We're gonna, we're gonna. We're gonna. We're gonna generate a new patriotism, a new loyalty that's to the greater sovereignty of a European Union. Right. An American union. Right. An African Union. And I think what's really got me and what really scared me in the last, you know, two weeks really was watching, you know, Marcone and Starmer come out and, and, and really help Zelensky, who, by the way, has shut down all opposition party, hasn't had an election, the whole deal. We know that, but has that now they're coming in to sabotage or to torpedo, you know, the, the negotiations going on with, with Rubio and the State Department, because they're saying, no, we're. We're ready to put some boots on the ground. Do you believe. Is that an idle threat, or do you think there's any validation to those, what they're suggesting they're going to do?

[Buck Sexton]

I wouldn't say it's idle. I would say it's improbable. But they've realized that that's the position that they have to publicly take because people. I mean, I've been saying this very openly on radio and been saying this for a long time. First of all, when this whole war broke out, and I mean in the very first days, and the Russian advance, you know, stalled, they didn't take Kiev or Kiev, whatever. I remember saying, I was like, people are going to underestimate the Russian military, the Russian industrial complex, and the will to. Of both Putin and those who support him, which is far more substantial inside of Russia than what you're led to believe in the West. Putin's popularity is far higher than anybody who just reads the New York Times would think. And I know they say he's a dictator. He doesn't have real elections. Everything else, people like him. A lot of Russians actually like him and support him and think that he stands up for Russian interests, that he is a Russian nationalist. Now Isn't it interesting? Even me just saying that? Because the way they try to, the way our own media, and honestly, not just Democrats, a lot of Republicans try to frame this issue. It's. You're a Putin apologist. You know, I'm just describing the same way. If I was an agency analyst and I was, you know, back in the day at the CIA, Right. And if I was writing up an assessment of this, I'd be like, we can think whatever we want about Putin. What's the truth of his support inside his own country, and people who were saying he was going to be ousted, his economy was going to be in tatters, the ruble was going to be destroyed, delusional. None of that has happened. Okay?

[David Rutherford]

None of it.

[Buck Sexton]

None of it. And that's what we were told in the beginning. So the people who knew so much were wrong about everything this war has been grinding on. It's effectively, as you and I know, trench warfare. I mean, literally in trenches, but they've got drones and they're.

[David Rutherford]

With a little sprinkling of modern technology that, that, that makes it scary as hell.

[Buck Sexton]

Right, Right. I mean, they've got, they've got drones that are flying in and blowing people up and dropping grenades on them. And obviously used a lot for just surveillance, too, for the spotting. Right. So now to do the spotting for the old school artillery, like World War I, World War II style artillery. I mean, I know it's more advanced now, but the, I mean, the basic ballistics, it's, you know, fire a big shell that goes boom. But they can do the spotting and the assessing of. Of what the targets are using drones and satellites and sophisticated technology. So. But you're in the same place, which is, okay, we're in a war of attrition, effectively along a front with more advanced technology. But the actual battlefield lines look very similar to what they would have in different parts of the First World War. Where we think of trench warfare as originating actually originated in the Boer War, as you and I know, it's a whole other thing in South Africa. But.

[David Rutherford]

I want to step in on a little bit, because one of the interesting things that for me is as now, I don't know, I think ever since I've seen this, this shift or this focus, this attack on these nationalistic movements, right. I started saying, okay, well, where have we seen this before? And if you do go back and you start to think about the lead up to World War I, right. The lead up to World War II, there's some similarities, right. Where out of These collective calamities, right, These, what is it, 14, 15 million people annihilated in World War I and this horrific entrenchment of just supposed superpowers. And they're jockeying for position economically within the structure of Europe and the emergence of all these new industrial countries. And then all of a sudden you see the same thing start to take place before World War II where you start to see this nationalism emerge, in particular this nationalism in Germany. Some nationalism, obviously a new nationalism emerg emerged out of Russia, right, when they got rid of the czars to the tune of Stalin and his crew. So I think like what you were alluding to before is the idea of nationalism, if it's spun in the right way, in the right context through propaganda, it actually becomes the enemy that you need to generate this kind of nefarious advancement of this Ukrainian Russian conflict. Do you think there's something, are there similarities that you're seeing there too?

[Buck Sexton]

Well, I think that there's certainly been a tremendous focus on suddenly on Ukrainian nationalism and Ukraine's borders at a time when other countries border, right. It's like we pick and choose. Some countries are allowed to be nationalistic and others are not. And it's not. And you go, well, hold on a second. Either this can be virtuous across the board for all nation states, or we're just not applying any sound principles. In the case of Ukraine, like you see all these Americans, generally democrats, not all, there's some Republicans too with Ukrainian flags. These are people that couldn't find Ukraine on a map a couple of years ago, and probably some of them still couldn't if you just erased all the names. And yet they are Slavy Ukraine. And they think that this is the most important battle that the world is facing right now. And this is going on at a time when the interest in our own southern border and the dissolution, the effective dissolution of border controls in a lot of EU countries, certainly here in the United States we had 10 million plus illegals in a four year span under Biden, you know, so on the one hand, the borders of Ukraine are inviolate and the notion that they should give up any territory, they've already given up Crimea. I mean, this has already been happening, right? The notion that they should give up any land whatsoever is somehow a slap in the face to us, never mind to Ukraine. Like we're supposed to be so outraged by this notion. Meanwhile, we have millions of people coming into our country illegally who are a drain on resources and a huge social and Political challenge for the future national security threat. Right? And the same people who care so much about Ukraine, they care a lot more about Ukraine's borders than they care about US borders. And people could say, oh, well, you know, we could walk and chew gum and those are different things. No, because when you're talking about nation state interests and nationalism, right? It's just the fact you talk about nationalism, people go, oh, what is that? I mean, there's, there's a book by, I think it's Yoram Hozoni, the Virtue of Nationalism, that goes into how states the same way that people taking care of that, like, like, you know this, Dave, right? Like if you're hit and there are other people who are hit, like, you gotta stop your bleed first, right? I mean, you're not helping anybody. I mean, Dave, you know, you got to look to number one before you can be that, you know, overwatch that assistance that, that lifesaver to those around you. And I think that, you know, put simply, like, America needs some, a lot more me time and a lot less. And this is why also the USAID defunding that's gone on has been so popular, broadly, especially the Trump movement. I think more generally, it's like, why are we, why are we funding this stuff? All over the place people say, oh, but what about this thing there? So hold on a second. We have a lot of needs in this country, and we're not. The country is not supposed to be run. Our treasury is not a global welfare program. And even if that's a small contingent of it, I think there's enough people who see that as, first of all, we've got $36 trillion in debt. I mean, that's madness. But beyond that, where's the stop and start? And just one other thing, Dave. I think you're asking about the nationalism component of this. I think that. And these leaders were being banned. The one issue, the borders issue actually matters a whole lot, because what unites a lot of these parties, especially in the European and American context, is. Hold on a second. We are a people, we are not an economic zone. And we can't just have unrestricted non us, whatever that means, like people from other countries coming in here in huge numbers. And I think that the slow eradication of sovereignty for European countries and for America is a huge part of the backlash against the elites that have been pushing this non nationalism. Oh, we're all collectivist ideology. And I think that there's a concern among them too, that people are angry about this. And the more they learn about it, the angrier they get. Because now they're seeing the results of mass migration to Sweden, mass migration to Germany, mass illegal migration in the United States. Not good. These are not good things. And the people in charge promised us they'd be amazing.

[David Rutherford]

All right, Buck, just to wrap it up, just I got to hear your thoughts on the idea. The idea that really, I think for me and you and people who. Who are paying attention to this is. Is the Naito question. So if you get an opportunity to sit in a room with Rubio and J.D. and the president, you know, what do you tell them? Like, what. What. What options do we have? What is the kind of the go, no go criteria, where we simply say, all right, that's it. We're done. We're not doing that. We're not staying in NATO. You put boots on the. You know, Marcone puts boots on the ground. Brits put boots on the ground. Which is kind of funny, but no offense, Brits, cuz I fought with you. Some of you guys are super hard, but probably it's been a little while. But what do you tell them that say, hey, we cannot go past this and continue to lead down the potentiality of a World War iii. What are your thoughts you share with them?

[Buck Sexton]

Well, I have a lot of faith in this current team, I'll tell you. And so I've been in the position before where I feel like I'm, you know, I consider myself like a coach. Maybe I'm up in the stands watching the game, but coaching the Trump administration. And I got a lot of thoughts to make things go better with this national security team and with how they're approaching things. So far, I'm doing a lot more clapping than I am criticizing, and that's just the truth. I mean, I align with them on this stuff and some of these other folks. I mean, I'm not even sure if Bridge Colby's gotten through yet at DOD. I've known Bridge for 20 years. The guy's absolutely brilliant. Pete Hegseth has been a friend for 15 years. He is dialed in. Sean Parnell, a great friend, dialed in at dod.

[David Rutherford]

Joe. Ken. Joe Kent's my favorite.

[Buck Sexton]

Who is that? Oh, Joe Kent.

[David Rutherford]

Yeah.

[Buck Sexton]

I mean, you know, you've got. You've got smart guys, war fighters, people that. That see it, you know, see it through realistic eyes. So on the. On the NATO piece, I would just say one Trump getting NATO to commit to more spending and prepare themselves, you know, it shouldn't be. Oh. The only reason that. That, you know, Germany's not going to get invaded by Russia or Poland's not going to give it, you know, whatever is because America is going to land like 82nd Airborne and, you know, we're going to kick their asses or something. They should be able to put up a substantial fight themselves such that it's unthinkable that we would have the kind of tumult, if you will, in Europe that we saw in the 20th century. Right. So if we're going to be in NATO, and I know there are people that even have questions about whether that's worthwhile, we should also be honest. I mean, NATO is an anti Russia alliance. I mean, I remember when I was in Afghanistan, it was a NATO mission and everybody there, as you remember. People.

[David Rutherford]

Everybody.

[Buck Sexton]

Yeah, everybody.

[David Rutherford]

We all wore the ISAF badge.

[Buck Sexton]

No one even really, unless you were there. People didn't even pay attention to this. It was a NATO mission in Afghanistan.

[David Rutherford]

Yeah.

[Buck Sexton]

Which is like, what. And NATO is kind of a, almost a proto UN or something. It makes no sense. This is to stop Russia from, you know, beating up on and invading NATO members. Ukraine is not a NATO member. And so I think that, you know, the, you know, Article 5 of NATO, which is what would require the mutual, mutual defense. You know, I think that as long as America is truly. And as long as America is in treaties where they say if this happens, we will do, we will do the following, we do have to honor that. I think that that's important, but I don't think that we have to honor it forever, indefinitely, without looking at what are we really getting, getting out of this. So, you know, the line in the sand is Article 5. It is the joint defense component of, of the treaties, you know, treaties that we're involved in with NATO. But I also think it's very clear. I mean, you know, you know this better than most, Dave. The, the lesson of 20 years of war in the Middle east and South Asia is you don't just send your guys and gals to fight because you're fighting and then you don't want to stop the fighting because what were you fighting for? And you know, and that's where, that's where people. Ukraine is. We see that lesson through the lens of Ukraine, I think, in a very profound way.

[David Rutherford]

Well, my whole thing is just to tie it up is, you know, I mean, I've got a lot of dead friends and, you know, now it's me looking at their children in the face and saying, hey, you know, your dad died for this very honorable thing, which was you know, a 20 year war in Iraq, which didn't get us anywhere. Our 20 year war in Afghanistan, which now we're actually paying the Taliban $40 million a week. You know, I just, and you look at the numbers now and you look at, I mean, what, anything from, you know, a million to a million five from both Ukraine and Russia. I just don't, I don't see the American young men out there rogering up and wanting to go to war to defend something that quite frankly, maybe shouldn't be defended in the first place on our. Let somebody else take the charge. And I'm not in isolation by any strength. I do believe we need to project power in order to maintain that, the economic power and might that we are. But man, I definitely don't want to see. What's crazy is there's this massive, you've been following this too. I've been watching you post about it. This massive increase in people signing up for the military. And, and I think it has to do with Pete, right? And it has to do with this change and this pride and the President and come back, yeah, I want to go serve. But here's the thing, man, is, is if you do this again, you know, it's going to be, it's going to be a challenge to get young men out there to roger up to go die for some senseless war that fundamentally, as Americans, we don't support. But.

[Buck Sexton]

Well, I think for a lot of people, what we see in Ukraine and what the Trump with the Trump view of it and the, you know, everybody who's voted for Trump is, we learned a very painful lesson as a country. Let's actually, let's actually learn that lesson and be, and be clear on that. Right. And that's why when you brought up, you know, Starmer in the UK and these guys who are, they're not sending troops to go muzzle the muzzle with Russians, but they have to say that because if they won't say that, then it's very clear that our side that saying what's the game plan here, guys? Has the better end of the argument, which is they have no game plan. The game plan, game plan is status quo, people getting chewed up on both sides and dying. When we all know that eventually it's just going to come down to where are the lines on the map drawn and who gets control of what. And then we all go back to living our lives. So that's, that's where that's at 100%.

[David Rutherford]

And I, and I do have a theory about immigration in the future of those wars and those battle lines. But let's do talk about that another time, brother.

[Buck Sexton]

Anytime, man. I hope that. Sorry, sorry. That looks like I'm like a botanist here. But, you know, this is my makeshift studio, so, you know, it's very Miami behind me, though.

[David Rutherford]

I thought you were going to get on with some Lululemon or your little. Your little purse up front.

[Buck Sexton]

This is. This is Lulu. I live in the Lulu. Don't do it. Of course, dude.

[David Rutherford]

I love it. God bless you, brother. Well, Buck, thank you so much for. For being our first guest and also, anytime. I can't tell you how proud I am to be part the. The Clay and Buck podcast network. And just again, man, you are one of the greats out there and. And your confidence in me is. Is overwhelming, and I just. I can't thank you enough.

[Buck Sexton]

God bless, man. You're a dear friend and I'm, I'm, you know, proud of you for stepping in here and, and starting a great. A great program. And I know you're just going to do so well with some of the people that are familiar with claim Buck, and you're going to build it out way beyond too. So everybody wins. So thank you so much for answering the call.

[David Rutherford]

Awesome. God bless you, buddy. Take care.

[Gilbert King]

Something unexpected happened after Jeremy Scott confessed to killing Michelle Schofield in Bone Valley season one.

[Buck Sexton]

I just knew him as a kid.

[Gilbert King]

Long, silent voices from his past came.

[Jeremy Scott]

Forward, and he was just staring at me.

[Gilbert King]

And they had secrets of their own to share.

[Jeremy Scott]

Gilbert King. I'm the son of Jeremy Lynn Scott.

[Gilbert King]

I was no longer just telling the story. I was part of it.

[Jeremy Scott]

Every time I hear about my dad, it's, oh, he's a killer. He's just straight evil.

[Gilbert King]

I was becoming the bridge between a killer and the son he'd never known.

[Jeremy Scott]

If the cops and everything would have done their job properly, my dad would have been in jail. I would have never existed.

[Gilbert King]

I never expected to find myself in this place. Now I need to tell you how I got here.

[Jeremy Scott]

At the end of the day, I'm literally a son of a killer.

[Gilbert King]

Bone Valley Season 2 Jeremy.

[Jeremy Scott]

Jeremy, I want to tell you something.

[Gilbert King]

Listen to new episodes of bone Valley Season 2 starting April 9 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear the entire new season ad free with exclusive content starting April 9th. Subscribe to Lava for Good plus on Apple Podcasts.

[David Rutherford]

Well, I'll tell you what, man, there are not many people that can deliver Succinct thoughts in a meaningful way, like Buck Sexton did. Please, if you can, you know, reach out and follow the Clay Buck Show. It's one of the best conservative podcasts and radio shows in the world. I mean, they are delivering it day in and day out, really at the. At the tip of the spear. They have great guests. They have great people on, on a regular basis. Hell, I mean, Clay was just playing golf with the president last week, so they are definitely connected at the highest level. So give them a shout. And again, to you, Clay and Buck, man, I'm so happy to be a part of your network. It's a dream come true for Jordi and I. We just really appreciate it. All right. You as a listener, I just. We can't thank you enough. We really feel privileged, me in particular, to be back on the microphone in support of. Of. Of America, man, in support of the ideals that built this culture, that built this country. And I. And you have my word that that's what I'm going to be dedicated to. I'm going to do my damnedest to really flush out the ideas in their totality, to be not just passionate about these concepts, but to really be thoughtful and to be intelligent about the way we source our information. We come up with the context of the stories and really helping you be more informed. I mean, that's our core mission right there, is to. To give you the information that, you know, compels your courage in order for you to really step into the fight, if you will, against those negative, negative insurgencies that are desperate to tear down our way of life. If you could, for us, we would really appreciate it if you followed us on every platform out there for YouTube, Rumble, Patreon, TikTok. What am I forgetting? Instagram, Facebook. It's at David Rutherford show on X. It's at D. Rutherford Show. My personal handles on. On all those platforms are at Team Frog Logic. David Rutherford at Team Frog Logic. We'll be posting there constantly. Jordy is a master at delivering all kinds of tidbits of information that you can like and share with your family members, with your friends who are seeking some kind of positive influence or positive information. You know, that's our mission, too, is to help you be able to consume this content and share this content. We ask that you share it and use it and take it in any way you want and deliver it out to the masses. We're happy that you do that for us. But again, your. Your. Your ability to subscribe and tell friends and then. And then to Leave us comments out there. I mean, y'all know the way these. These damn algorithms work on Tic Tac. So we need your help to get out there and for our voice to be heard. So we would really appreciate that. As it comes down to Patreon, one of the things that we really want to make sure you do is, is to join. We'd appreciate the $2 a month, but there you're going to have all kinds of additional content. We just know you'll love it. It's everything from the show chopped up. It's extras. On all the interviews that we do, we're really going to focus on giving information that support young men in their development. So all of that's going to be there. I'm going to be doing live motivational events every so often on there. We're gonna be delivering some motivational education, some FrogLogic concepts from the FrogLogic Institute there. We're gonna be doing tactical videos. We're gonna be doing EDC drops, the whole thing you'd expect from a knuckle dragger like me, and maybe a little bit more. Right? So we again, once again, we're just so grateful for you and your willingness to join our show and to become members of our team and our family. We just love you so much. God bless you. And don't forget, I'm your flashbang of truth. This is the David Rutherford Show.

[Gilbert King]

Something unexpected happened after Jeremy Scott confessed to killing Michelle Schofield in Bone Valley season one.

[Jeremy Scott]

Every time I hear about my dad is, oh, he's a killer. He's just straight evil.

[Gilbert King]

I was becoming the bridge between Jeremy Scott and the son he'd never known.

[Jeremy Scott]

At the end of the day, I'm literally a son of a killer.

[Gilbert King]

Listen to new episodes of bone Valley Season 2, starting April 9 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.