The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Daily Review with Clay and Buck - Dec 1, 2025
Date: December 1, 2025

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode dives into the week’s top political and cultural stories, focusing on the tense special election in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, border security and immigration issues, the state of American culture, and the growing phenomenon of "Trump Derangement Syndrome." The hosts, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton, discuss these critical topics with their trademark blend of pointed opinion, humor, and direct listener engagement, featuring high-profile guests such as Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, congressional candidate Matt Van Epps, and psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert.

Episode Breakdown

1. Thanksgiving Recap & Holiday Observations

Timestamps: 02:29–04:12

• Clay and Buck open by comparing notes from Thanksgiving, noting large numbers of Americans traveling by car, smooth experiences at airports, and the traditions of football and family gatherings.
• Clay is surprised only 16% of people play a family football game on Thanksgiving, citing a poll from his site.
  • “I was stunned how few people actually do play football on Thanksgiving day... only 16% join me.” (Clay Travis, 02:46)

2. National and International Headlines

Timestamps: 04:17–06:25

• National Guard Shooting: Clay addresses the shooting of a West Virginia Guardsman and laments Biden’s Afghanistan withdrawal, connecting the tragedy to ongoing national security concerns.
• Ukraine-Russia Talks: Buck notes the “positive indicators” of accelerated peace talks.
• Gas Prices: Both mention gas prices at four-year lows.

3. Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District Special Election

Timestamps: 06:25–33:32

a. Stakes and Strategy

• Clay urges listeners in Tennessee’s 7th to get out and vote for Republican Matt Van Epps, warning of Democratic efforts to exploit low turnout in a newly drawn district:
  • “They are basically gambling that they can pull off the upset and embarrass Republicans and set better momentum for themselves going into the midterms.” (Clay Travis, 07:02)
• Buck breaks down the risk:
  • “In CIA analyst nerd school, we would call this low probability, high impact.” (Buck Sexton, 08:06)

b. President Trump’s Endorsement

• Calls and rally quotes are played that feature Trump’s endorsement of Van Epps:
  • “How the hell can you elect a person like that? I just want to give my total support.” (Trump message, 06:35)

c. Special Election Psychology

• Both hosts stress the high symbolic and narrative value of a potential upset for Democrats, especially given the involvement of major conservative media in Tennessee.
  • “You could sort of see the ads now… all this conservative media firepower concentrated in this very red state of Tennessee, we’re able to pull this off.” (Buck Sexton, 08:41)
• Clay encourages even those unsure of their district status to “show up” at the polls, likening the act of voting to “showing up at the gym—even if the class is canceled.” (11:29–12:09)

4. Venezuela, Immigration, and Geopolitics

Timestamps: 13:40–16:13

• Trump’s Venezuela Policy: Discussion about Trump administration’s hard stance on Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, with Clay advocating for decisive U.S. action.
  • “I actually… think we should take Maduro out. Ideally he would leave of his own volition. He lost the election, he’s clung to power.” (Clay Travis, 15:03)
• Broader Context: The hosts link Venezuelan instability to U.S. border problems, oil markets, and narco-trafficking.

5. In-Depth: Interview with Speaker Mike Johnson and Matt Van Epps

Timestamps: 20:26–33:32

a. Election Momentum

• Speaker Johnson describes huge energy on the campaign trail, emphasizing that “every single seat matters” due to a narrow GOP majority.
  • “This district really does count for the whole country… every single seat matters.” (Mike Johnson, 23:19)

b. Van Epps on the Race

• Van Epps paints his opponent Afton Bain as out of touch and radical, listing her positions (endorsed by the Democratic Socialists, supports transgender surgery for minors, raising taxes, etc.).
  • “She wants to abolish prisons… filming herself bullying and harassing ICE and the Tennessee Highway Patrol… just crazy.” (Matt Van Epps, 29:48)
• Offers website info for voters to find polling locations: matt4tn.com (24:06)

c. Cultural Anecdotes

• Lighter discussion about the Army–Navy football game; Mike Johnson’s son is at the Naval Academy, Van Epps is a West Point grad, leading to friendly rivalry.
  • Mike: “Go Navy, beat Army!” Matt: “Go Army, beat Navy!” (26:39–26:41)
• Johnson reacts to news of Lane Kiffin leaving Ole Miss for LSU, connecting sports to state identity and stress. (27:09)

d. Early Voting and Turnout

• Van Epps shares confidence in early voting numbers but pushes for strong Election Day turnout to “leave nothing to chance.” (31:18)
• Speaker Johnson reemphasizes urgency:
  • “The peril of a special election, especially in a deep red district like this, is that everybody just assumes that a Republican… is going to win. But it is not guaranteed.” (Mike Johnson, 32:44)

6. Deep Dive: Immigration, Welfare, and Social Fraud

Timestamps: 35:14–47:52

• Minnesota Somali Fraud Scandal:
  • Buck highlights massive fraud by Minnesota’s Somali community, with over $1B stolen from social services, questioning state oversight.
    • “Over a billion dollars in taxpayer money… just the most egregious fraud, most egregious theft from the government.” (Buck Sexton, 35:44)
• Debating U.S. Immigration Policy:
  • Both hosts argue modern immigration policy has become a “world's soup kitchen,” harmed by a welfare state and lack of meritocratic filtering.
    • “We actually have the opposite of what you’re talking about… as many people from the third world, from poor countries, through chain migration, through asylum scams...” (Buck, 45:52)
    • “I want the most brilliant, the most highly educated, the smartest people of other countries.” (Clay Travis, 39:49)
  • Critique against the left’s focus on “diversity is our strength,” asserting diversity of thought is more meaningful than diversity of background. (46:48–47:52)

7. Notable Interview: Psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert on “Trump Derangement Syndrome”

Timestamps: 52:28–66:11

• Alpert argues the phenomenon of extreme, life-altering hatred or fear of Donald Trump is real, although not clinically recognized (“it probably should be…”):
  • “We've seen families split up. We've seen people obsessed with Trump… it's ruining their mental health. I would go so far as to call it… a mental health epidemic.” (Jonathan Alpert, 53:48)
• Symptoms described: sleep disturbance, inability to enjoy vacations, relationship breakdowns, irrational fears.
• Alpert recounts backlash he’s received for the Wall Street Journal op-ed on the issue:
  • “I’ve received too many to count hate emails from my colleagues, from therapists wishing me dead… absolutely unhinged...” (Jonathan Alpert, 60:35)
• They discuss the “cause-chasing” cultural dynamic, from BLM to Ukraine to anti-ICE protests, and note the politicization of the mental health profession.
  • “There are some people who always need an object, a person to hate.” (Jonathan Alpert, 62:19)
• Advice is offered for addressing extreme political obsession in family and friends (gently confront, promote rational discussion, accept some are “beyond repair”).
• Alpert teases his upcoming book, Therapy Nation, exploring these trends further.

8. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Election Urgency:

  “90% of success is just showing up. If you show up and you happen to not be in the 7th congressional district… you just get to turn around and go back. But I’m going to be there.”
  (Clay Travis, 12:07)

• Culture & Immigration:

  “One of my favorite quotes from a coach is ‘We recruit our problems.’ United States is recruiting our problems.”
  (Clay Travis, 45:27)

• On Polarization:

  “If the government's being defrauded by billions of dollars and doesn't have any idea it’s going on, we’re failing.”
  (Clay Travis, 38:23)

• Speaker Johnson on Sports & Politics:

  “I used to think speaker of the House is the most stressful job in the world, but it’s really SEC football coach… gotta win every Saturday.”
  (Mike Johnson, 27:09)

9. Key Takeaways and Final Thoughts

• The Tennessee 7th Congressional District special election is the focal point: a proxy for wider national political momentum and a test of Republican voter enthusiasm during an oddly timed, low-turnout contest.
• Immigration policy, border security, and assimilation are scrutinized—framed not just through economics, but through cultural and civilizational lenses.
• The segment with Jonathan Alpert shines a light on the psychological cost of hyper-partisanship and the increasing overlap of politics, cultural identity, and mental health in America.
• The show amplifies the hosts’ belief in direct political engagement, cultural confidence, and meritocratic, Western-oriented immigration.

Important Timestamps for Major Segments

• Thanksgiving & Travel Talk: 02:29–04:12
• National Guard Shooting, Ukraine/Russia: 04:17–06:25
• Special Election – Stakes & Trump Endorsement: 06:25–12:09
• Venezuela Foreign Policy: 13:40–16:13
• Interview – Speaker Mike Johnson & Matt Van Epps: 20:26–33:32
• Minnesota Somali Scam & Immigration Rant: 35:14–47:52
• Trump Derangement Syndrome – Jonathan Alpert Interview: 52:28–66:11

Original Tone and Style

• Conversational, high-energy, mixing sarcasm and directness, particularly in political analysis and critiques of opponents.
• Frequent use of vivid analogies (sports, gym classes) and references to pop culture and recent events to ground arguments.
• Candid about their own conservative perspective, often inviting listener feedback and participation.

For listeners: This episode is a tour of current conservative anxieties and arguments, centered on the electoral battlefield and extending to deeper questions about culture, assimilation, and the escalating personal toll of America’s polarized politics.