Buck Brief - Will Jasmine Crockett Take Off Like a Rocket?

Summary

Podcast Summary: Buck Brief - Will Jasmine Crockett Take Off Like a Rocket?

The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
Host: Buck Sexton
Guest: Shermichael Singleton
Date: December 10, 2025

---

Episode Overview

This episode zeros in on the Texas Senate race and the meteoric rise of Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett. Buck Sexton and guest Shermichael Singleton, political strategist and CNN commentator, analyze Crockett’s campaign, the state of the Republican primary (including the Ken Paxton–John Cornyn rivalry), and how voter demographics and key issues like cost of living and the Second Amendment may influence the outcome. The episode is laced with insights into national Republican strategies for the midterms and 2028, challenges with gun policy, and a look at how candidates can mobilize disengaged voters in Texas.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Jasmine Crockett’s Senate Bid: Viable or Just Viral?

• Shermichael Singleton’s Analysis:
  • Crockett’s campaign purposefully hinges on the hope that Ken Paxton, a polarizing figure, secures the Republican nomination, giving her a realistic pathway to victory.
  • “I’m willing to bet that Jasmine Crockett... are hoping Paxton wins, because he’s a very controversial figure. And they’re probably betting if it is Paxton, she might have a realistic chance of winning.” [04:47]
• Discussion about how Crockett is adept at generating media attention—sometimes seen as inflammatory, but effective in the current political climate.
• Noted Crockett’s ability to energize the Democratic base, especially the left wing.

Texas Voter Demographics and Mobilization Strategy

• Disengaged Black and Hispanic Voters:
  • “Texas has the largest number of disengaged black voters of any state in the country...If I were advising her, I’m going to...figure out who those low propensity and disengaged black voters are. You're going to target them like hell.” [05:49]
  • Emphasis on targeting these groups and Democratic-leaning white voters to build a competitive coalition.
• Negative Campaigning Against Paxton:
  • Anticipation that Crockett’s campaign will exploit controversies around Paxton, especially details from his marital turmoil, to sway moderates and wavering Republicans.
  • “You’re probably going to run a bunch of ads of his wife coming out...saying he’s not an evangelical...that would be a nuclear bomb.” [06:48]

The GOP’s Midterm Outlook: Risks & Opportunities

• Shermichael’s Take:
  • The midterm outcome will hinge heavily on “affordability and cost of living...We have got to address this as a party.” [07:47]
  • Republicans must continue border security successes but pivot to real solutions on the economy and housing.

Strategic Policy Solutions for 2026 and Beyond

• Housing Crisis:
  • “You can’t address affordability without tackling housing...You got to figure out a way to address this issue with companies like BlackRock...buying up all the darn houses...I think you gotta build more houses.” [09:26]
  • Proposal for a public–private initiative led by young men—providing employment, skills building, and addressing supply shortages.
• Opposition to H1B Visas:
  • Singleton calls the notion that America lacks smart tech workers “a farce.” Prefers investment in domestic STEM education and job training.
  • “We have to start prioritizing, training our own people for the next evolution of American superiority.” [10:36]
• Long-term Outlook:
  • Success on these fronts would “put us at an advantageous place come November” and set up the GOP for 2028. [11:16]

Second Amendment Update: Disappointment & Caution

• Current State of Gun Policy:
  • Discontent from gun rights advocates with the Trump administration’s mixed record despite promises.
  • “Pam Bondi...she has done a horrible job...We thought the administration was going to be very, very pro Second Amendment...they haven’t taken any of those positions.” [12:06]
  • Skepticism about new promises, e.g., a proposed Second Amendment civil rights office.
  • Singleton worries about the ability to turn out gun-owning voters if current ambiguities aren’t fixed:
    • “It’s going to be very challenging for us...to try to convince those folks to turn out next November if the promises made are not kept. And so far it’s been a very, very mixed and dicey bag.” [13:30]

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Shermichael Singleton on unique Texas voter dynamics:
  “Texas has the largest number of disengaged black voters of any state in the country...If I were advising her, I’m going to...figure out who those low propensity and disengaged black voters are. You're going to target them like hell.” [05:49]

• Buck Sexton on “inflammatory” rhetoric:
  “Trump says wild stuff. You could say it’s inflammatory. I love it personally...So, like, I can’t pretend like Trump is not doing this stuff. Right. But you know, [Crockett] gets attention for herself. And I think she has a constituency.” [05:25]

• Singleton on Republican strategy:
  “If we lose midterms, it will be because of one reason, and one reason only. Affordability and cost of living, man. We have got to address this as a party.” [07:47]

• Singleton on housing & jobs:
  “You got to build more houses...our young men have a relatively high unemployment rate...You also put young men back to work, which, by the way, our young men have a relatively high unemployment rate, higher than the national average right now. That’s the first thing we could do.” [09:49]

• Singleton’s critique of the administration on gun issues:
  “This is a big missed opportunity because a lot of gun owners turned out to vote for President Trump...and now here we are...people saying, wait a minute here, this is not what you promised.” [12:55]

---

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Jasmine Crockett’s Campaign & Texas Senate Race: [03:15] – [07:26]
• Midterm Republican Strategy & National Challenges: [07:26] – [08:29]
• Policy Proposals: Housing Crisis and Employment: [09:26] – [11:24]
• Second Amendment: Administration’s Record and Voter Impact: [11:24] – [14:11]

---

Episode Tone & Language

• The conversation is candid, fast-paced, and insightful, blending political analysis with straight talk and occasional humor.
• Both Buck and Shermichael’s language is direct, informal, and often colored with real-world examples and some good-natured banter (“No big whoop,” “You’re going to target them like hell,” etc.).
• A sense of urgency and concern pervades much of Shermichael Singleton’s commentary—especially on economic issues and gun rights.

---

For listeners seeking a sharp, inside-baseball look at Texas politics, voter mobilization, Republican midterm strategy, and the persistent challenge of aligning policy with the party base, this episode delivers frank perspectives and actionable ideas—especially for political strategists or grassroots activists.

Transcript

[Podcast Host]

This is an iHeart podcast guaranteed human.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Hey, Ryan Reynolds here wishing you a very happy half off holiday because right now Mint Mobile is offering you the gift of 50% off unlimited. To be clear, that's half price, not half the service. Mint is still premium unlimited wireless for a great price. So that means a half day. Yeah, give it a [e-mail] Switch upfront.

[Podcast Host]

Payment of $45 for 3 month plan equivalent to $15 per month Required new customer offer for first 3 months only. Speed slow after 30 gigabytes of networks Busy taxes and fees extra CMintmobile.com.

If.

[Lowe's Advertiser]

Your appliances can't handle the holiday hosting heat December deal drops at Lowe's makes upgrading easy get up to 35% off select major appliances and rewards members. Save an additional $40 on the whirlpool Electric range and the over the range microwave. Plus get up to 60% off select ladders so you can deck all the halls. Lowes we help you save valid through 1210 while supplies last Selection varies by location. Loyalty programs subject to terms and conditions. See Lowes.com terms for detail.

[Spin Quest Advertiser]

Spin Quest Social Casino the presents are open and you're over the in laws. It's a perfect time to grab your phone and play spinquest.com with live dealer blackjack, craps and a ton of slots. And here's a great deal for the holiday, a $30 coin pack for $10. And if you're hearing this ad, you can play right now on SpinQuest.com SpinQuest.

[Shermichael Singleton]

Is a free to play social casino void where prohibited. Visit spinquest.com for more details.

[Rubrik Advertiser]

AI agents are everywhere, automating tasks and making decisions at machine speed. But agents make mistakes. Just one rogue agent can do big damage before you even notice. Rubrik Agent Cloud is the only platform that helps you monitor agents, set guardrails and rewind mistakes so you can unleash agents, not risk. Accelerate your AI [e-mail] that's R U B R-I K.com we're living in a.

[Buck Sexton]

Time when truth is under attack. Lies are easy to spread and easy to believe. But truth? Truth is costly. And nowhere is the cost greater than for pregnant mothers in crisis. When a woman is told abortion is her only option, silence and lies surround her. But when she walks into a Preborn Network clinic, she's met with compassion, support, and the truth about life growing inside her. That moment of truth happens through a free ultrasound, and it's a game changer. When a mother sees her baby and hears that heartbeat, it literally doubles the chance she'll choose life. Preborn Network clinics are on the front lines, meeting women in their darkest hour, helping them choose life and sharing truth. Would you make a tax deductible donation to Preborn today? So many of you are pro life in your convictions, but action matters. Just $28 provides one ultrasound and the opportunity for a mother to see her baby. To help her choose truth and life, just call 250 and say baby. That's 250 and say baby or give [e-mail] Buck sponsored by Preborn.

[Shermichael Singleton]

You're listening to the Buck Sexton show podcast. Make sure you subscribe to the podcast.

[Spin Quest Advertiser]

On the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Buck Sexton]

Is Jasmine Crockett about to have her candidacy take off like a rocket? We are going to ask our friend Shermichael Singleton about that and much more. We the free.com is his network, his site, very involved in the 2A Second Amendment community, guns, all that good stuff. Also, CNN commentator Mr. Schmichael, pleasure to have you back, sir.

[Shermichael Singleton]

What's up, man? Good to see you, brother. Thanks for having me, sir.

[Buck Sexton]

Tell me this, if you would, what do you think about this? For first of all, is Jasmine Crockett, you talk about this on cnn, right on that on the Abby Phillips show where you, unlike some of my other friends, have not yet been banned. So congratulations on that. How do you, how do you see this? Is she, is she just building her own brand? Could she actually pull off a win here? What do you think?

[Shermichael Singleton]

So I think her argument for the race is predicated upon the fact that she probably believes that Kim Paxton's gonna become the nominee. And right now that's, that's very possible. I mean, John Cornyn is behind Ken Paxton, who's leading the pack on our side, followed by Wesley Hunt. That's the congressman I'm sure your audience is familiar with. And then it's John Cornyn, who, to a surprise, is struggling to catch up. Now, I will say he has decreased Paxton's lead after Paxton's wife came out about the divorce. Cornyn and Pax, supporting Cornyn, have been running a lot of aggressive ads going after Paxton. So you've seen Paxton's numbers come down, but Cornyn is still behind. So I'm willing to bet that Jasmine Crockett, her team, maybe even some Democrats in Texas and nationally are looking at the fact that they're hoping Paxton wins because he's a very controversial figure. And they're probably betting if it is Paxton, she might have a realistic chance of winning. And I got to be honest with you, Buck, I'm not necessarily against that line of argument.

[Buck Sexton]

How do you think she plays in Texas? Like, what are the strengths that she has? Obviously she's very good at getting it. Here we are talking about it, right? Very good at getting media attention. Says some pretty, I don't know if we could even say inflammatory in the current era we're in. People like, I mean, Trump says everything's inflammatory, man. Trump says wild stuff. You could say it's inflammatory. I love it personally. You know, he shouted shut up, piggy or whatever to a quiet piggy to a journalist recently, like a week ago. Yeah, like a week ago. So, like, I can't pretend like Trump is not doing this stuff. Right. But you know, she gets, she gets attention for herself. And I think she has a constituency. I think the Democrat left embraces her.

[Shermichael Singleton]

No, I think so. So people don't realize this. Texas has the largest number of disengaged black voters of any state in the country. So I'm not talking about black voters who are probably going to vote for her in general. I'm talking about black voters who don't typically vote or low propensity black voters. I'm willing to bet as a strategist, if I were advising her, I'm going to look at all the major precincts, number one, I'm going to look at all the sort of middle sized precincts and all the smaller precincts and I'm going to try to go in and figure out who those low propensity and disengaged black voters are. You're going to target them like hell. Then you got to look at Hispanic voters. Now President Trump got about 46% of those in November. When you look at national polling, the data suggests that we as a party have lost that support by some pretty significant margins. So she's probably going to focus on those voters. Then you get your Democratic white voters, you're sort of Democratic leaning white voters. And then you sort of build a pretty compelling mathematical path to her being a competitive candidate against Paxton. And then on the negative side, you're probably going to run a bunch of ads of his wife coming out. You're going to probably run a bunch of ads of some of the stuff that she was saying about Paxton cheating on her, breaking up the family. And if you're Republicans, Buck, I'm hoping like hell that Kim Paxton's wife doesn't decide to come out in the middle of the race to say he is not an evangelical. He's not a Christian, he's not the right person to lead Texas. That would be a nuclear bond that we just cannot afford at all if he does become the nominee. Which is why a lot of people are kind of nervous about where this race might go.

[Buck Sexton]

How do you think we're looking for the midterms?

[Shermichael Singleton]

Hell, man, look, I was nervous about the Texas thing when the federal judge Trump appointed, a federal judge said, look, you can't draw these lines before midterm. Obviously, the Supreme Court came and said, no, yes, you can. That's going to help us a little bit. Obviously, California levels that out. You got North Carolina that just recently did some stuff about two or three months ago. So it's going to be very, very close. If we lose midterms, it will be because of one reason and one reason only. Affordability and cost of living, man. We have got to address this as a party. The American people handed the keys of President Trump and our side because they were pissed off about what they saw four years before from Biden and Kamala Harris. They saw an economy that just was not working for them. They saw a border that was uncontrolled. We've handled the border. That's one side of it, though. We gotta fix the economy. We gotta figure out a way to bring down housing costs. And I got some interesting ways I think Republicans could do that that would put. Really put us at an advantageous part a place come November.

[Buck Sexton]

Let's get into that next. Actually, talk to me about solutions in a second here. But first, our sponsors, Paradigm Press. You all know that I like to do a lot of things, not just politics, but also follow the markets. And that's why I launch Money and Power. It's my own independent venture. Takes everything I know about Washington D.C. and politics and combines it with a team of fantastic stock researchers and market analysts. And my team of analysts break down with me each week what I'm learning from the political side, what they're seeing on the financial side to deliver you real opportunities. So you've trusted me for years, to tell you the truth. Now I want you to stay informed, prepared, and stay ahead by joining Money and Power. That's the name of this weekly newsletter, Money and power. Get 82% off the regular price. Go online to join Buck.com. that's joinbuck.com paid for by Paradigm Press. All right, sure. Michael, how do we fix affordability? No. No big deal, right?

[Lowe's Advertiser]

No big whoop.

[Buck Sexton]

You tell me.

[Shermichael Singleton]

Yeah, yeah. No big deal, right? No, I think in Q1 of 26, the house, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, needs to prioritize two major economic pieces of legislation, the first one being the housing costs. You can't address affordability without tackling housing. Now, removing some immigrants, that's going to levy up some of the available homes, right? You got to figure out a way to address this issue with companies like BlackRock and big banks and financial institutions buying up all the darn houses across the country. That's gonna help. But the biggest problem, also, we have a supply issue. And so I think you gotta build more houses. President Trump could say, look, we're gonna mandate a national housing shortage as an emergency. We're gonna redirect some funds and focus on their public private sector coming together to build these houses. And you know who should build them? Our young men, Buck, who are yearning for recognition, yearning for a sense of purpose and direction. You're gonna pay them good money. They're gonna earn skills that are gonna keep them employed. No matter what happens with AI, they'll still be able to fix those houses. They'll be able to plump, you know, plumbing, electricity, et cetera. So. So I think you address housing. You also put young men back to work, which, by the way, our young men have a relatively high unemployment rate, higher than the national average right now. That's the first thing we could do. The second thing, man, we've got to figure out a way to employ more people. H1B visas. I'm completely against that. This notion coming from Silicon Valley that we don enough, quote, unquote, smart Americans to do these technical jobs is a farce. We have to start prioritizing, training our own people for the next evolution of American superiority, that being technology. You need two pieces of legislation to do that. That'll get people back to work. Over the next three years, America will boom. The American people will be happy. And guess what? That positions us in a position of strength going into 2028, where I would like for us to retain the White House, the Senate, and obviously the House.

[Buck Sexton]

How are we doing? I know you're very involved and you like. You like guns and shooting, as do I. We might even go shooting together soon.

[Shermichael Singleton]

I got some behind me.

[Buck Sexton]

That's right. Is that. Is that a staccato behind you? What do we have there?

[Shermichael Singleton]

Two staccatos, man. I got the Staccato XL and the Staccato P Ltd. With the Dawson Precision twisted on comp.

[Buck Sexton]

Oh, that's very nice. I have my. I have a staccato C2 in this room with me here somewhere, but I don't have it in the shot. That's, that's a much cooler way to do it. How are we doing? I feel like there were times when, because the Democrats, especially when they're in charge, they're a bunch of gun grabbers. They try to abrogate or try to just nullify the Second Amendment. How's the administration doing with gun stuff?

[Shermichael Singleton]

I'm not happy about how the administration is doing with the Second Amendment. I'm going to be very honest with you, Pam Bondi, with all due respect to the president's appointment of her and I respect the president's decision, she has done a horrible job. And you will find a lot of activists, a lot of groups from Gun Owners of America, Second Amendment Foundation, Firearms Policy Institute, National Rifle association that have been very, very critical of some of the positions that the administration vis a vis the DOJ have taken on a plethora of judicial cases that have surprised a lot of us. We thought the administration was going to be very, very pro Second Amendment, trying to roll back as much stuff as possible, not being on the side of the nfa, the National Firearms act, that registry them essentially saying like, hey, we actually kind of need this. We thought they would say no, this should go away. It is a violation of the Second Amendment. They haven't taken any of those positions. Now, granted, you have had Harmeet Dhillon came out recently saying that they're going to have a second Amendment civil rights office. A lot of us in the two way space are very skeptical about that. It's promising, but we'll see. But this is a big missed opportunity because a lot of gun owners turned out to vote for President Trump last November. And it was hard to do so, man, because remember, you had the bump stock ban came out of the Trump administration the first time that pissed off a lot of gun people. It took groups like Gun Owners of America a lot of work and a lot of darn money to convince those people to turn out and vote for President Trump. And now here we are, almost a year into the first term, people saying, wait a minute here, this is not what you promised Goa. This is not what you promised Shermichael Singleton, when you were advocating on CNN for gun folks to go out and vote for Republicans from the top of the ticket down. Now we're seeing that our rights are not being put front and center like you all promised that they would. And so it's going to be very challenging for us Buck to try to convince those folks to turn out next November if the promises made or not kept. And so far it's been a very, very mixed and dicey bag. So I'm not very happy about that.

[Buck Sexton]

Sponsor here is Preborn. Preborn has saved over 350,000 babies in the decades that they have been helping pregnant moms bring their babies into this world. Preborn clinics across America provide unconditional love and support to pregnant moms who don't know what to do. They weren't planning to get pregnant and now they're at a decision point. Well, Preborn says, hold on a second. Let's introduce you to that baby with an ultrasound. That ultrasound costs just $28 and is saving lives each time it happens because the mom is so connected to the baby. After that ultrasound process and all the rest of the decisions made become so much easier, your tax deductible donation to Preborn can be the difference between life and death. I've made donations to Preborn. I hope you'll do the same. $28 a month. Just $28 a month could mean that you're helping to save the life of a tiny baby and change that mother to be's life every month. To donate, dial £250. Say the keyword baby. That's £250 say baby or go to preborn.com buck preborn.com b u c k sponsored by pre board Mr. Shermichael. Thanks for hanging out man. Good to see you.

[Shermichael Singleton]

Thank you Buck. I'll see you soon brother.

[Podcast Host]

I use Shipt same day delivery to stay connected with my sister during the holidays. She lives across the country. Shipt has tons of stores to order from. Groceries from Albertsons, crafts from Michaels, even pet supplies from petsmart. The list goes on. So when we have long distance movie nights, I turn to Shipt to get face masks, snacks and everything else we need delivered to her and to me same day. Download the app or visit shipt.com that's.

[Spin Quest Advertiser]

S h ipt.com Spinquest Social Casino the presents are open and you're over the in laws. It's a perfect time to grab your phone and play spinquest.com with live dealer, blackjack, crafts and a ton of slots. And here's a great deal for the holiday. A $30 coin pack for $10. And if you're hearing this ad, you can play right now on Spinquest.com Spinquest.

[Shermichael Singleton]

Is a free to play social casino prohibited. Visit Spinquest.com for more details.

[Kerrygold Advertiser]

This holiday season, reach for the one butter that never disappoints Kerrygold Made with milk from grass fed cows on Irish family farms, it's rich, creamy and perfect for baking. Whether browning butter for cookies or crafting the flakiest pie crust, Kerrygold's high butterfat content makes all the difference in flavor and texture. Holiday treats will taste extraordinary when the.

[Rapid Radios Advertiser]

Job site gets loud and deadlines get tighter, your team needs a line of communication that won't quit. Rapid Radios keeps crews connected on construction zones, in warehouses, or across campus grounds. No delays, just crisp, reliable talk with the push of a button, group chats, private calls, and battery life that goes for days even in the toughest conditions.

[Buck Sexton]

Rapid Radios gets the job done. Clear comms, fast response, built for work. Visit rapidradios.com@just works we know your small.

[Just Works Advertiser]

Business employees are more than your employees. They're your people. Like Arlo, the coding genius you hired full time even though he lives in Australian Central time. Or Paul, your BFF turned CEO who deserves so much PTO and an easy way to track it. And Gloria, who's been with you since your conference room was a living room and has a knack for landing herself in the emergency room. But hey, at least you got your team that good medical.

[Podcast Host]

I'm okay.

[Just Works Advertiser]

She's okay. Folks, we do your human resources right so you can do right by your people. Just works for your people.

[Podcast Host]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.