Podcast Summary:

Podcast: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
Episode: Best Of Buck Brief - How Trump is Making Women's Sports Actually for Women
Date: December 13, 2025
Main Guests: Buck Sexton (host), Paula Scanlon (American Principles Project, former Division 1 swimmer)

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the recent developments concerning women’s sports, Title IX, and the controversy over transgender athletes in female competitions. Buck Sexton is joined by Paula Scanlon from the American Principles Project—herself a former Division 1 swimmer familiar with the Leah Thomas controversy—to discuss how actions by the Trump administration, including pulling federal funding, are impacting university policies and the broader debate over fairness in women’s sports. Other cultural topics, such as WNBA pay, team mascots, and the canceling of Stephen Colbert, are also explored with a blend of critique and humor.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. WNBA Salaries and Perceived Entitlement

• Discussion of WNBA players' protest shirts ("Pay Us What You Owe Us")
  • Buck and Paula question the economics behind WNBA salary demands, emphasizing the capitalist model of professional sports.
  • Buck highlights that low viewership and heavy subsidization by the NBA set the market for salaries.
  • Paula Scanlon: “If there’s not viewership in the WNBA, there’s not money going into the WNBA. Players can’t be paid more. … If they’re paid their fair share, their salaries would actually get cut.” (04:10)
• Comparison with Other Sports:
  • Buck brings up professional lacrosse, noting many athletes hold other jobs, and they don't protest about pay.
  • Both agree that sponsorships and star power (like Caitlin Clark) are where female athletes can significantly supplement income.

2. Transgender Athletes in Women’s Sports

• Personal Experience:
  • Paula explains her personal connection to the issue: being on the UPenn swim team when Lia (formerly William) Thomas, a transgender woman, competed and set records.
  • Paula Scanlon: “They let a dude on my women’s swim team in our locker room eighteen times per week. Insanity.” (07:46)
• Trump Administration’s Actions:
  • The Trump administration pulled federal funding from UPenn for non-compliance with Title IX, spurring policy reforms.
  • School agreed to remove Lia Thomas’ name from women’s record boards and sent an apology, signaling an institutional reversal.
  • Paula: “We’ve never seen any of the universities that have put female athletes through this claw back and change their mind and do any of this. So it’s a great first start, but obviously a lot more work needs to be done.” (08:45)
• Ongoing Issues:
  • Other institutions, like Harvard and San Jose State, persist in maintaining records or teams with transgender athletes, showing inconsistency.

3. Title IX, Legislation, and Trump’s “Whack-a-Mole” Approach

• Buck asks if Trump is having to “play whack-a-mole” by enforcing these standards one school at a time.
  • Paula confirms it’s a case-by-case scenario, with some schools (e.g., Harvard) refusing to cede or apologize.
  • Paula: “We weren’t able to pass federal legislation. So the executive orders and the Trump administration going after them, that’s really what we’re stuck with here.” (09:50)

4. Sports Team Mascots and Political Correctness

• UPenn’s Mascot (Quakers) and Broader Mascot Debates:
  • Lighthearted discussion about the oddity of certain mascots (“Quakers,” “Big Green,” “Keggy the Keg”).
  • Buck and Paula agree the mascot disputes are overblown, referencing the Washington Commanders’ (formerly Redskins) name controversy.
  • Buck Sexton: “I think Trump is the master troller. … This man also has a wonderful career going for him in comedy if he ever chooses to go down that route. So I think this is just another example of him doing that. And I’m living for the entertainment.” (14:03)
  • Paula: “The bigger thing is … this liberal ideology that’s saying everything is racist. … The Washington Redskins having their name changed was just part of that entire conversation.” (12:28)

5. Late-Night TV and Stephen Colbert’s Cancellation

• Ratings Over Politics:
  • Discussion of Colbert’s show getting canceled. Paula attributes it to low ratings, not political motivation.
  • Draws parallel back to the WNBA: entertainment survives or dies by capitalist principles and audience demand.
  • Paula: “Bad ratings are bad ratings. Again, back to the original conversation about the WNBA. We live in a capitalist society … If your show is not producing, then it’s not producing.” (15:09)

6. American Principles Project & Ongoing Efforts

• Focus Areas:
  • Advocacy for family rights; ensuring women’s spaces in sports, locker rooms, and bathrooms.
  • Despite cultural progress, full legislative change remains elusive—they rely on executive action and cultural momentum.
  • Paula: “Men don’t belong in women’s sports. It’s really that simple.” (16:45)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On WNBA Salaries
  • Paula Scanlon: “If you’re so concerned about your pay, either yes, you have to get another job or you have to find sponsorships.” (06:45)
• On University Reversal
  • “The University of Pennsylvania no longer has Leah Thomas as a record holder on the women’s team. … Having to do that altogether makes them admit that they were in the wrong.” (08:00)
• On Trump’s Culture War Tactics
  • Buck Sexton: “Trump is the master troller. … I love his tweets. … I think this man also has a wonderful career in comedy if he ever chooses to go down that route.” (14:03)
• On Gender and Sports
  • Paula Scanlon: “I think women should have an opportunity to have professional leagues. … But we can’t just make money. You can’t get free handouts.” (05:54)
• Cultural Shift
  • “I think the culture’s really shifted on that. But unfortunately, until it’s completely done and never happening again, there are people that still have to stand up for it.” (16:10)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [04:10] – WNBA “Pay Us What You Owe Us” discourse
• [07:10] – Examining transgender athletes in women’s sports; Leah Thomas background
• [07:46] – Trump administration pulls UPenn funding, school reforms
• [08:57] – Ongoing university inconsistencies and the “whack-a-mole” issue
• [12:28] – Mascot debates, political correctness, and Trump’s comic interventions
• [15:09] – Colbert’s cancellation and the relevance of ratings
• [15:53] – American Principles Project: Focus on defending family rights and keeping women’s spaces safe

Tone & Style

• The episode is highly conversational, mixing humor, sharp critiques of progressive politics, and pointed personal anecdotes.
• Buck is quick-witted and tongue-in-cheek, while Paula brings firsthand experience and advocacy perspective.

Takeaways

• The Trump administration’s enforcement of Title IX and federal funding leverage is altering some universities’ policies regarding transgender participation in women’s sports.
• Broader debates persist on women’s sports compensation and cultural battles over mascots.
• Both hosts reject what they see as progressive entitlement and “cancel culture,” emphasizing capitalist principles and the defense of women-only spaces.
• Cultural change, paired with executive action, is viewed as the current path forward, as legislative progress remains limited.