Daily Review with Clay and Buck - Dec 1 2025

Summary

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.

Transcript

[Commercial Announcer]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human VRBO's last minute deals make chasing fresh mountain powder incredibly easy. With thousands of homes close to the.

[Clay Travis]

Slopes, you can get epic pow freshies.

[Commercial Announcer]

First tracks and more. Find Last minute deals with the Last Minute filter on the app. Book a private vacation rental [e-mail] come.

[Washington Post Advertiser]

For the black Friday Seasonal Savings Stay for the award winning Reporting for a limited time access to the Washington Post is just 99 cents. That's unlimited access to all of the posts for only 99 cents every four weeks. That's a great deal for the first year. After that it'll cost $12 every four weeks. You can cancel anytime, but don't wait. This Black Friday seasonal offer won't be here for long. Go to washingtonpost.com iheart and grab this deal before it's gone. That's washingtonpost.com iheart the only thing between.

[NordicTrack Advertiser]

You and your best self is a start button this Cyber Monday Explore the world with NordicTrack from the peaks of Peru to the streets of Par, every workout moves you somewhere new with IFIT trainers leading the way. The equipment's amazing, smooth, quiet and those screens make it all feel real. Ready to start your next workout adventure with the number one treadmill brand in the U.S. shop NordicTrack.com for Cyber Monday savings. NordicTrack train anywhere, explore everywhere.

[Whim Sound Advertiser]

Bring incredible sound into every corner of your home this holiday with the new Wimsound smart speaker. Get high resolution audio with a 1.8-inch touchscreen, smart control and modern design in one powerful speaker for just $2.99. From Quiet Mornings to lively holiday gatherings, Whim sound makes every moment sound better and feel better too. Get the gift of the season for the music enthusiast in your life or for yourself. Whim sound Beautifully designed, effortlessly connected. Shop now at Amazon and search whimsound. That's W I I M S O.

[Commercial Announcer]

U n d this holiday season, give the gift of incredible sound with Vizio's full soundbar lineup, available at Walmart. Transform any room into a home theater with rich, immersive audio that brings every movie, show and song to life. Whether you're gifting a loved one or upgrading your own setup, Vizio Soundbars deliver powerful, crystal clear sound that turns ordinary watching into extraordinary experiences. Stream your favorite holiday Playlist with the iHeartRadio app and discover how good your music can truly sound. Head to Walmart.com and find your perfect Vizio soundbar today.

[Buck Sexton]

Whether you're lighting a candle on the menorah or placing baby Jesus in the Nativity. We hope your holiday is full of grace, wonder and love.

[Clay Travis]

And maybe even a little snow. Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah from all of us at the Clay and Buck show. Welcome in Monday after Thanksgiving edition. Probably some of you a little bit, a little bit, maybe possibly a little bit too much fun over the course of the holiday weekend. I had an awesome time, Buck. Had an awesome time. We hope all of you did. And traveled on the busiest travel days of the year. And I thought everybody handled themselves pretty well, at least based on the airports that I was in. I imagine, Buck, you found the same to be true. It did not appear that there was any sort of mass related issues when it came to travel with over 80 million of us projected to be on the road. So I hope friends, family and I was stunned how few people actually do play football on Thanksgiving day. I put up a poll on my own site, Buck. Only 16% of people join me and running around and playing a family Thanksgiving game. So football game, watched a lot of football. That's pretty much all I did, Buck. Thursday, Friday, Saturday, did you watch any of the football at all? Did you see any games going on over the course of the weekend? Did your brothers or your dad kidnap you and hold you hostage in front of the television at any point?

[Buck Sexton]

I tried to turn on at one point when we were all in food coma, some college football and my family mocked me and said, you don't have to pretend, Buck. We'll just tell Clay that you watch some if he asks us. And then we ended up, I think turning on Bluey for my little nephew.

[Clay Travis]

Oh yeah, I've heard that's a killer show for all the kids out there.

[Buck Sexton]

Yes, so that was. I learned about Bluey instead.

[Clay Travis]

We got a lot to dive into. First of all, we are praying for the National Guardsman from West Virginia who is still in critical condition after a deranged Afghan. One of the people who shouldn't have been led in this country in the wake of Joe Biden's disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. After he was shot, we unfortunately lost the life of a 20 year old servicewoman from West Virginia. That happened legitimately as the news was breaking as we went off the air on Wednesday headed into the holiday. So we will continue to monitor that positive news. It appears the Ukraine, Russia peace talks have accelerated substantially and there may be some positivity associated with where that is going. Gas prices will tell you about this at four year lows. Many of you maybe noticed that as you were on the road 90% of people were traveling via car for Thanksgiving. But we began, and we're going to talk to him and the speaker of the House, Mike Johnson in about an hour from now. Matt Van Epps in the Tennessee 7th congressional district. He is running against a crazy, deranged lunatic woman from my living in my hometown of Nashville. This is my congressional district. I am going tomorrow morning to drop my son off at school and then vote in the precinct at his school. I will be voting for Matt Van Epps, the Republican. I know everybody's still in the food coma, so to speak, waking up from the Thanksgiving holiday, but if you are in the Tennessee 7th congressional district, it is time to get out and vote. Tomorrow we're going to talk with Matt Van Epps and like I said, speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, who is here campaigning with him right now in the Nashville area. We will talk to those guys a little bit after one o' clock on the East Coast. So one hour from now. But President Trump has weighed in on this race and this is what he said this morning over the phone at a rally for Matt Van Epps. Listen, cut one if you can.

[Jonathan Alpert]

Go Matt Van Epps.

[Clay Travis]

He's a winner. He's going to be great. Don't let this stuff for you.

[Buck Sexton]

The Democrats are spending a fortune and we don't want people that want to raise your taxes.

[Clay Travis]

He wants to raise your taxes on top of our ideas. But she said two things above all else that bothered me. Number one, she hates Christianity. Number two, she hates country music. How the hell can you elect a person like that? I just want to give my total support.

[Jonathan Alpert]

And he's added right from the beginning.

[Clay Travis]

To Matt Van Epps. He's going to be a fantastic congressman. He's going to represent you so well. And we'll keep our agenda going. All right? So get out and vote. I am going to be there. I'm telling you to do exactly what I do. And look, my wife asked me about this race yesterday because there's a lot of conversation obviously in my circuit. She said, how worried should we be about the outcome of this race? And Buck, what I told her is, and this is, you know, kind of a sports analogy Democrats are playing or a gambling analogy. They're playing with house money. They, they basically are pouring a ton of money into this district. It should be a Trump district through and through. It should be a Republican district. But they're gambling on Republicans not showing up because it's an awkwardly timed election because the district is brand new. People have not even really Gotten used to what congressional district they're in because all these lines were redrawn in 2022. And so they are basically gambling that they can pull off the upset and embarrass Republicans and set better momentum for themselves going into the midterms.

[Buck Sexton]

In CIA analyst nerd school, we would call this low probability, high impact. It's unlikely that they'll be able to take this seat, but if they did, it would give a lot of momentum, at least psychologically and for fundraising to Democrats very early. We're already in a, in a moment here where people are thinking about the midterms.

[Clay Travis]

Yes.

[Buck Sexton]

And soon we're going to be in a midterm election year just weeks away, really. A couple of weeks away, because a lot of people, obviously Congress at the front of the line stop doing a whole lot of work once we get close enough to the Christmas holiday and a New Year's. And so this is, this is important. It also, and I say this only half joking, they really want to spike the football in Clay, Candice, Tommy, the Daily Wire, etc. Etc. Backyard, which would be quite a moment. So they're the Democrats. You could sort of see the ads now and the way that they'll be writing and talking about this. Oh, even with all of this conservative media firepower concentrated in this very red state of Tennessee, we're able to pull this off. The only way they pull it off is if people just don't care, don't show up, think that it's going to be fine.

[Clay Travis]

That's right.

[Buck Sexton]

People decide that someone else is going to take the time out of their day to day to make sure that this lunatic Afton Bain, I mean, she is among the craziest congressional candidates.

[Clay Travis]

She makes AOC look moderate. That's, that's the person that Democrats are running. I don't even think that's a crazy take.

[Buck Sexton]

And if they're able to sneak this one, it is because people are still in their post. Turkey and stuffing and candied yams and maybe even cobbler food comas and not really focused on what's going on in this one district. I understand for a lot of you like Buck, it's one district, it's one seat. Yeah. But politics is a lot about narrative and a lot about emotion. And this is going to be held up as much more important than it is. And it's going on. I mean, we're in the, we're in the heat of it, the thick of it right now. So for all of you in this, in this seventh Congressional district. Get it done. Get out there. Don't make Clay very sad with some communist member of Congress representing him.

[Clay Travis]

I don't. I mean, this would be. This is just like somebody I can't even imagine. I'm apoplectic at the idea, Buck. That this crazy chick could be my congresswoman, that this could in any way be allowed to. To occur is just absolutely crazy to me. And so I think, again, what they are banking on is people not knowing they're in this district. People who have been on the road. You're focused on Thanksgiving, you're focused on your family, and you aren't thinking about voting. So I would ask you, go look up and what's the worst case scenario? Go try to vote. Go to your local polling place. That's what I'm doing tomorrow. And if you are not in the district, if they look you up and they say, hey, you're actually in the sixth district or you're in the fifth district because Nashville is cut in three different districts, then, okay, you did your due diligence. This is like I told my wife, she got me buck. Have you ever done a TRX class? Have you ever done one of the.

[Buck Sexton]

Bands where you pull at the bands? I know I have not done this one, but I've seen.

[Clay Travis]

Okay, so my wife got me in a TRX class with her on Friday morning. So we walked, and Laura is a ridiculous. Like Carrie, ridiculously good shape. Like, she can do all the ridiculous, you know, band work in the trx. And we were there and we walked in and the class wasn't there yet. It was a 9am class. And I was like, you know, it's 8:55 and Patrick, the guy who runs it, wasn't there yet. And I said, maybe you got the time wrong. Maybe. Maybe we're not going to have to do this. And she said, you're hoping that the class is not going on. I said, yeah, what I want is the credit for actually having shown up in the. In the. At the workout, at the gym. And then the TRX class isn't actually going on. That would be the best possible outcome for me. Now it was going on. I labored my way through the TRX class with the bands and everything else. My point on that analogy is 90% of success is just showing up. If you show up and you happen to not BE in the 7th congressional district, you don't have to stand in line. You just get to turn around. You don't have to vote. You just get to turn around and go back But I'm going to be there. I can't wait to be able to go vote here. And I'm going to be hopefully on Tuesday night when the results start to come in, thankful that we kicked this crazy chick's ass. I mean, this is the lead right now on msnbc, Buck. They've got Afton Bain on. This is their opening. This is their, you know, to your point, low probability, high impact. This is them with all the chips in the table saying, hey, let's embarrass Republicans and steal a district. And this matters if you're on the national scale. The reason Speaker Mike Johnson is here, and I bet he tells us this next hour is it only takes a couple of people getting sick or a couple of things going wrong when your majority is this small and you don't even have a House majority this year. So that's also unfortunately, we got a lot of congresspeople who are over 70 years old. You've seen this happen. They have health related issues. It doesn't take very much. All of a sudden you don't have a majority anymore. So that's part of this Democrat calculus, I think, as well.

[Buck Sexton]

Absolutely. We'll be taking your calls. By the way, we have missed chatting with all of you. We were away from this show for a few days and it just feels like a few days too long. So. And also a lot of stories, Clay, I'm just seeing here that are going to be added into our mix today. Alina Haba, they ruled against her in an appeals court in New Jersey as the U.S. attorney. They're saying that she is not a lawfully appointed U.S. attorney. So that's going to get some attention. President Trump also weighing in on these boat strikes in in the Caribbean and the offer that was made to President or from President Trump, you saw this, I'm sure, over the weekend to Maduro of Venezuela, basically saying like, no, no sweetheart treatment here other than you can get out safely, but you better get out. That's what, that's what's being reported right now.

[Clay Travis]

And there is a report now that there is a meeting on Venezuela that's going to happen in the Oval Office soon. What I would point out is this reminds me a little bit of right before Israel struck Iran when they tried to say, hey, negotiations are still ongoing. And then you looked up and all of a sudden the attack had already begun. I wonder on some level whether they have already decided exactly what they are going to do and if that's true, what we think about the Venezuela decision. I Actually, and I don't know what the percentages are here, but I think we should take Maduro out. Ideally he would leave of his own volition. He lost the election, he's clung to power. I know we have a lot of Venezuelan listeners, a ton of them live close to where you are in Miami, Buck, that would be able to tell us in great detail how much of a difference that could make to stabilize stabilizing Latin America. So we don't have as many illegal immigrants trying to come in the country. Tons of Venezuelans just were fed up with the kleptocracy in their country. Would also go a long way towards bringing down oil prices even more. Because in the Western hemisphere, Venezuela is the highest producing country basically when it comes to oil and gas. So there are a lot of American interests there. In particular, I think it's Chevron basically had the entire Venezuelan oil business and then they tried to turn it into a state owned business and all these different things. So I do think that storyline is one to, to pay a lot of attention to. We could have an accelerating situation there. To say nothing of all the drugs as a narco state that they are pouring in here that are killing so many Americans every year.

[Buck Sexton]

Yeah, I mean, you've got Canada and Brazil are big oil producers and Venezuela's producer. Venezuela's production is way down, but it has the largest proven reserves in the world. So that is quite a prize. If that actually starts getting going the way that it should without a lunatic socialist running it. There's quite a deal to be made there. Perhaps we'll get into all of this, my friends, but you know, Legacy Box does this one week a year. Okay, One week a year. It's their Cyber Week event where they discount their digital transfer services by 65%. If you're doing Cyber Monday shopping online today, this is a gift you'll want to include. What Legacy Box does for families is great. They bring memories and moments back to life by digitally transferring home movies on videotape. Super 8 films, whatever might be old school media that your family used before the smartphone was in all of our hands. Right. Legacy Box does this so well. The quality of their work is second to none. I've done it. Clay's done it. You can trust your precious memories to Legacy box. The 65% price discount is huge. You might find them some days with like a 50%, but 65% off. I mean, this is really the best sale of the year. And if you order now, still time to get your memories digitized in time for Christmas. A great gift to get for yourself, for the family. Something you'll all enjoy together. Go to legacybox.com buck to get an incredible 65% off for this Cyber Week event. That's legacybox.com buck legacybox.com Buck, you ain't imagining it.

[Clay Travis]

The world has gone insane. Reclaim your sanity with Clay and Buck. Find them on the free iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Washington Post Advertiser]

Come for the Black Friday seasonal savings Stay for the award winning reporting for a limited time access to the Washington Post is just 99 cents. That's unlimited access to all of the posts for only 99 cents every four weeks. That's a great deal for the first year. After that it'll cost $12 every four weeks. You can cancel anytime. But don't wait. This Black Friday seasonal offer won't be here for long. Go to washingtonpost.com iheart and grab this deal before it's gone. That's washingtonpost.com iheart.com the only thing between.

[NordicTrack Advertiser]

You and your best self is a start button this Cyber Monday Explore the world with NordicTrack from the peaks of Peru to the streets of Paris, every workout moves you somewhere new with IFIT trainers leading the way. The equipment's amazing, smooth, quiet and those screens make it all feel real. Ready to start your next workout adventure with the number one treadmill brand in the U.S. shopnordictrack.com for Cyber Monday savings NordicTrack train anywhere. Explore everywhere.

[Whim Sound Advertiser]

Bring incredible sound into every corner of your home this holiday with the new Whim Sound Smart Speaker. Get high resolution Audio with a 1.8-inch touchscreen, smart control and modern design in one powerful speaker for just $2.99. From Quiet Mornings to lively holiday gatherings, wind sound makes every moment sound better and feel better too. Get the gift of the season for the music enthusiastic in your life or for yourself. Whim Sound Beautifully designed, effortlessly connected. Shop now at Amazon and search Whim Sound that's W I I m S.

[Commercial Announcer]

O u n d this holiday season, give the gift of incredible sound with Vizio's full soundbar lineup available at Walmart. Transform any living room into a home theater with rich, immersive audio that brings every movie, show and song to life. Whether you're gifting a loved one or upgrading your own setup, Vizio soundbars deliver powerful, cool, crystal clear sound that turns ordinary watching into extraordinary experiences. Stream your favorite holiday Playlist with the iHeartRadio app and discover how good your music can truly sound. Head to Walmart.com and find your perfect Vizio soundbar today.

[Mike Johnson]

Shh.

[Commercial Announcer]

You won't believe what my new friend just told me about dinosaurs. Is your child having conversations you never imagined? Are they learning without realizing it? It's not a tablet. It's not a toy. It's Meco Mini plus the a powered companion that turns curiosity into endless learning. Hear the future of playtime. Meet the extraordinary Miko Mini plus, only at Costco.

[Buck Sexton]

Welcome in, everybody. Second hour of play and Buck kicks off right now. And we're joined by Matt Van Epps and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson. We got a 2 for 1 spot special here today. Thank you so much, gentlemen, for. For making the time for us. Appreciate you both.

[Mike Johnson]

Hey, guys, great to be with you. This is Mike, and Matt Van Epps is with me. We are traveling through Tennessee. He's got a big special election tomorrow, as you'll know. And we're going to win this for the country.

[Buck Sexton]

We absolutely have to. Mr. Speaker, tell us what you're seeing, what you're hearing, how the early turnout is looking.

[Matt Van Epps]

Well, I won't speak for Matt here.

[Mike Johnson]

But I'll tell you, it looks great to me. I landed here early this morning and we are going to do a dozen events. We started with a big rally with hundreds of people. There's a lot of enthusiasm. This is deep red country. I mean, Tennessee is a red state, red district. It takes in parts of Nashville and then 14 counties overall. We're going to make our way through all of that today. And people are excited. They know.

[Clay Travis]

We'Re talking with speaker of the House Mike Johnson. They are right now in a car touring the district. Matt van Epps, Tennessee 7th congressional district and Speaker Mike Johnson with us right now. And then we will talk with Matt Van Epps there together. For people out there nationwide, I know President Trump called in this morning. I believe he's going to call in later this evening as well. I will be voting. This is my district in the Nashville area, so we will be there. Why does this race matter so much? I think we have the Speaker. Tell him to call back. Tell him to call back. They're on the road campaigning. They wanted to call in together. So we will get him back. Um, but you heard speaker of the House Mike Johnson there. And again, the fact that we have the President calling in this morning, calling in this evening, getting awareness out that this race is taking place. It is a non traditional time. Again, Election day is tomorrow in this district and they've got the president, they've got the speaker in the district going all over the place today. Awareness is probably the most important part here. Sometimes you have to worry about getting out the undecided voters. That's often how you win swing districts. This is a Republican district. We just have to make people aware that this election is taking place and that they need to get out there and vote. And that's a challenge that's a little bit different. And Democrats are gambling on their crazy cat lady contingent to continue to show up. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson back with us now. Big picture, I'm in this district, Mr. Speaker. I'm going to get out and vote. I want everybody in Tennessee 7 to get out and support Matt Van EP. Why is the President involved? Why are you involved? Why is this district so important?

[Mike Johnson]

Well, this district is, is really does count for the whole country. You know, I presided over some of the slimmest majority delivered huge wins for the American despite that. But it illustrates the importance. I mean every single seat matters and that's why we're so happy to be.

[Clay Travis]

Let's, let's bring in the, the future congressman. I believe he'll be elected tomorrow. Matt Van Epps, you seeing in terms of turnout and if people are not aware if they're in this district, Matt, what would you tell them they need to do, to do? How do you find out because it's still a new district. How do you find out if you, like me, are in Tennessee 7?

[Matt Van Epps]

The information is on our website. Matt4tn.com Matt F O R tn.com We've got all the election information. Folks can find out where their polling location is, links to the Secretary of State's website. So if they go to matt4tn.com they'll get that information. We are up right now and we're going to win when everybody gets out tomorrow. The weather could be an issue and we ask people just to be safe but to get out, have a plan, get to the poll and be a part of this victory because it is for our country and we're going to get it done.

[Buck Sexton]

Matt why is it that whenever I am perusing as one does, not just online, but occasionally I'll even go and see what they're saying. In the crazier corners of the television world, like ms, now formerly known as msnbc, they seem very focused on this race and really want to sneak this one, sneak this one out and take this seat from you. What's going on? It's, it's like this is the biggest thing that they've seen since election Day.

[Matt Van Epps]

Well, it's the only country, it's the only race going right now in the country. And the Democrats are throwing everything they have at it. They're spending a lot of money there. They've had Jasmine Crockett and a bunch of the far left folks that are rallying aoc. And it's an ideology that we have to reject. And we'll do that when folks get out and vote for us tomorrow. I mean, you know, my opponent has been endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America, wants transgender surgery for minors without parental consent, wants to raise our taxes, new taxes that will skyrocket our inflation. And that's to pay for the socialist agenda. We cannot let that happen. And when folks join our team, when all of the Republicans, all of the freedom loving Americans get out in the Tennessee 7th congressional district tomorrow and vote for us, will ensure that we win and we drive America first forward.

[Clay Travis]

They were telling me, guys, that you guys have a unique connection to the Army Navy game, which is coming up soon. I know the president I saw will be there, speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, and also I believe the next Congressman from the 7th district of Tennessee, my Congressman, Matt Van Epps, starting tomorrow, I hope. What is, what is that connection in Army Navy? What's your, what's your bet here?

[Mike Johnson]

Yeah, look, I'm going to be with the President in the suite. My son is a sophomore at the Naval Academy, but Matt here is an Army Ranger and he's a West Point grad. So this is the one thing that he and I are going to disagree on, guys. I'm going to say, go Navy, beat Army.

[Matt Van Epps]

And I'm going to say, go army, beat Navy.

[Clay Travis]

Well, that's going to be an awesome event. I'm excited the president's going to be there. Speaking of which, I don't know if you've weighed in on this. Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson. Lane Kiffin. I bet Buck has even seen this. It swept the nation. Lane Kiffin has left the Ole Miss Rebels. He is now the LSU head football coach. He's being introduced this afternoon. Huge story there. What's your take on that? As one of the most pressing issues in the state of Louisiana, for sure.

[Mike Johnson]

Well, you know, I'm a double alum from LSU undergrad and law school, so I bleed purple and gold. And I, I told my governor and the president of the board of supervisors down there, do I need to lobby Kiffin? Do I need to lobby Kiffin? And they said, no, we think we got it, but we'll, we'll Call you in if necessary. It's a good choice for him. Lsu, as you know, is a premier program. We should be in the national championship every year, guys. I used to think speaker of the House is the most stressful job in the world, but it's really SEC football coach, you know that you got to win every Saturday. Every Saturday it's on the line. So best wishes to him. It's going to be great. And go Tigers.

[Clay Travis]

We've got let's come back to the Tennessee 7th there. And I know we had you on last week. Matt Van Apps, can you tell everybody out there, give us a rough idea of the communities in this district? Because again, a lot of people may not know. And Republicans have to battle Democrats who are going to show up no matter what the race is. They show up in these special elections in big numbers. We've got to make sure our people know about this race tomorrow and also know if they're in the district.

[Matt Van Epps]

Absolutely. And so we've got, we've got 14 counties and it stretches we've got downtown Nashville. I love Nashville, by the way. Love country music. And, you know, and it stretches up to Fort Campbell is Clarksville. I lived in Clarksville for five years when I served in the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. Montgomery county is a great county. We've got part of Williamson down to Franklin and then our western border or Benton Indicator Stuart, Montgomery and Robertson.

[Mike Johnson]

On the north.

[Matt Van Epps]

We have Houston, Humphreys, Perry and Wayne Hickman, Dixon, Cheatham. And it's just a bunch of amazing locations. We, you know, we've got great rural farmers are so important to us. We're just leaving an event in Robertson County. We're going to one in Cheatham county and that, that'll be top of our list. Hardworking families, military veterans, folks that are active duty, National Guard law enforcement. Just, just amazing communities across our 14 counties. And we're going to be working hard every single day for every one of those communities.

[Buck Sexton]

What is the craziest stuff that people should know in your district about your opponent, Afton Bain? I know you have a lot to draw on here. Some of the quotes alone are particularly memorable. That's one that you could say. But in terms of positions, in terms of what she represents, if you were to give me a top three Afton Bain hit list, what would be on it? Cause it's pretty extraordinary from what I can just pull off the top of my head.

[Mike Johnson]

Sure.

[Matt Van Epps]

Well, in the, you know, I alluded to the fact of, you know, she's saying that she hates Nashville, the, you know, part of the district that she wants to represent. But it goes much further than that. She wants to defund the police. There's a whole anti law enforcement bucket. She wants to defund the police. She wants to abolish prisons. She was out as a sitting state legislator filming herself bullying and harassing ICE and the Tennessee Highway Patrol, which is just unbelievable. It's disqualifying. So there's a whole bucket there. She wants transgender surgery for minors without parental consent, believes that men can get pregnant and just, just, you know, crazy. And I think the other piece too is she wants new and higher taxes to fund her socialist agenda that will skyrocket our cost of living. They're just policies that are not good and don't make sense for the Tennessee 7th congressional district. They don't make sense for Tennessee or America.

[Clay Travis]

Do you have a sense? You mentioned that. I don't know how good a data you guys get on who's turning out. For instance, you can join me tomorrow and go vote on election day. Do you have a sense on how the numbers look on the early voting? You mentioned that you feel confident. What kind of data do you have out there? Obviously we want everybody showing up on election day in huge numbers making sure this crazy chick Afton Bain isn't elected in Tennessee 7. But what kind of data have you seen on early turnout so far? Do you have access to that info?

[Matt Van Epps]

We do. We've got some, some polling data and we're, we're up but it, we want to be up by, by a lot. And that's what happens when people put on the jersey, get on the field tomorrow and go and vote and we'll win decisively. When, when that happens, we had, we had a really good early voting outcome and that's great but we want to leave nothing to chance. We want every single person to get out tomorrow and vote if they haven't voted again. Our website's matt4tn.com for more information. Matt F O R tn.com they can find out their polling location, the times the polls will be open. Most are 7am to 7pm but that varies in a few locations. And you know, we just need, we need fights that folks to fight through the any cold or weather tomorrow because every single vote matters in this and it's for the direction of our country. And so we need every vote and folks to be safe, have a plan, get out there and vote.

[Clay Travis]

As I'm watching Buck, MSNBC is leading with this race. They're telling their people to go out and vote if they're watching msnbc. CNN has been talking about it in time a ton. Buck. Anything else you want to hit the duo with?

[Buck Sexton]

Well, I just hope that you guys pull home, bring home rather the W because this is an important one and I don't want to see anything but tears among the MSNB. I'm sorry, Ms. Now commentary it so it's all in your hands, gentlemen.

[Mike Johnson]

Well, no pressure, right? But the peril of a special election, especially in a deep red district like this, is that everybody just assumes that a Republican like Matt is going to win. But it is not guaranteed. You have to get out and vote. We're expecting a little inclement weather here tomorrow. It may be cold, maybe rainy, I don't know, sleet. But you got to go out and do that patriotic duty to ensure that we keep this majority in the House. We can keep moving the Trump agenda and the America first agenda forward. So thanks to everybody. The former member here was Mark Green. So if you lived in Mark Green's congressional district, we need you out tomorrow and we're counting on you.

[Clay Travis]

I'll be there, Congressman. Hopefully tomorrow we'll be celebrating that. And Speaker Mike Johnson, we appreciate the time. Good luck with Lane Kiffin. For all the Louisianans out there listening.

[Mike Johnson]

To us, Go Tigers. Appreciate you guys. Thanks for all the help.

[Buck Sexton]

Thank you.

[Clay Travis]

Speaking of, of Lane Kiffin, I mean that story was everywhere. It's all people wanted to talk about. Down on 30 a price picks. I watched games Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Maybe the best weekend. I think it was the best weekend of football of the year. But we've got the SEC title, ACC title game, Big Ten, Big 12, and many smaller conference games going on this weekend. You just heard the speaker of the House and Matt Van Epps talking about Army, Navy. That's in a couple of weeks. For those of you out there that are interested there, if you like sports, NBA, Major League Baseball, NHL, college and pro football, you need to be signed up right now for prize picks, price picks. You play $5, you get $50 deposited in your account. You can play in California, you can play in Texas, you can play in Georgia, a bunch of states. If you're feeling left out and not able to play along, you will love it. All you have to do is pick more or less for any of these different offerings and you will be hooked up and well on your way to having a really great time. This app is easy to use, it's fun and it just makes sports a little bit more fun. Than it otherwise would be. $50 when you play. $5 on Thursday. I'll have a pick for you. Headed into the weekend, as we always do. That's prizepix.com Code Clay. Go check it out. Pricepix.com Code Clay Stories of Freedom, stories of America, Inspirational stories that unite us all. Each day. Spend time with Clay and Buck. Find them on the free iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Buck Sexton]

All right, welcome back in here to Clay and Box. This is a really interesting story, and it's gotten a lot of attention because not just the immigration implications of it all, but also because Tim Walls, who President Trump just doubled down on calling retarded, that is what the president called him. Just saying that Tim Walls was, what a shock. Asleep at the wheel, or actually maybe even worse than that, complicit with his inaction when he was governor of Minnesota. This guy's a buffoon. And Minnesota has unfortunately been going in a very bad direction as a state for a long time now. It's getting more and more left wing, more and more radical. And a part of that radicalization is the Somali community, which is now approaching 100,000 people in Minneapolis. Minnesota is not that big as a state, so that's a pretty considerable voting block. And what we have here, Mr. Clay, New York Times piece how fraud swamped Minnesota's social services system on Tim Walls watch. This was just published a couple days ago over the weekend. And the fraud is. Is staggering in its scope. Over a billion dollars in taxpayer money. Scores of people involved, almost all of them Somali. And some are naturalized, some were born here, but all from the Somali community in Minnesota. And they were doing things like setting up fraudulent companies and saying that they that were feeding it was a lot of it was charity. They're sort of bilking the system by pretending to be running charities, feeding hungry children. They pretended to feed hungry children so they could buy houses and cars and things like that. Just the most egregious fraud, most egregious theft from the government. It's a whole scheme, Clay. They detail where a another Somali, in this case a doctor, was having parents claim that their kids were autistic and getting kickbacks from that. I mean, just whatever they could do to steal from the system, they were doing, they were doing it ruthlessly, remorselessly, continuously. In some individual cases, you're talking about just tens of millions of dollars. And people are asking a lot of questions like, first of all, how is it, Clay, that the state of Minnesota could have this happen and not figure it out sooner. Part of it, I think, is that, but the Somali community there is an important voting bloc now for Democrats. And there's also this, oh, anything that you're going like, you can't prosecute all the fraud in the Somali community because it's racist, because it's all Somalis doing the fraud. That's another thing that comes up here. It's a mess. And you know, Tim Walls was the VP candidate for Democrats the last go round. I don't think he's going to be the VP this time around, I can tell you that.

[Clay Travis]

Well, I, I, I think the biggest thing to me that stands out is if the government's being defrauded by billions of dollars and doesn't have any idea it's going on, we're failing. I mean, the, the government and, and again, this is not going to shock people, but the health care in this country is such a corrupt mess that this is likely not the only fraud that is going on anywhere near its size, probably happening all over the place. But this idea that we have been told, and I do think it's a real national debate that we should have this idea that we've been told that all of these, what is it, 53 million immigrants in the United States, I think was the number that Trump had in his, in his tweet that 53 million people who live in this country now, and I'm talking about legal, not illegal, that all of them enrich this country in a substantial way and are not a drain on resources, I think is just a lie. And I believe in immigration. I believe in treating immigration. The analogy that I would use is I want the lottery picks, I want the first round draft picks of the world. I want the most brilliant, the most highly educated, the smartest people of other countries. I think bringing them here and allowing American ingenuity to combine with their hard work and their meritocracy, that's a good thing for the country. I buy into that. But the idea that we have low skilled, low wage people from countries that don't have any sort of connection at all, I think this is really what this is about, Buck. Western civilization in general that don't have any commitment to shared civilizational aspects, that have basically dragged us out of a desolate history into modern wealth and prominence. If you're not embracing Western civilization, why should we have you here? And I think that's a real question that's getting asked. And I think the difference is people say, well, what happened with Ellis island and all Those things. Most of the people who came in through Ellis island, they were from Italy, they were from Germany, they were from Ireland. They had a commitment to the ideals of Western civilization in a way that a lot of the people we're bringing in today do not. In fact, many of them reject Western civilization as a good thing.

[Buck Sexton]

And also, 30% of the people who came through Ellis island went home because there was no welfare state, because there was no office to go to where you could say, hey, just start giving me my free stuff. Where's my free housing? Where's my free food and health care? Where's all my free stuff? There was no office of free stuff back then. And so some people realized that it's actually really hard to make it in this country. Yes, there's opportunity, but opportunity comes with risk and cost. And they went home. They went back to their country of origin at a time when the journey here was arduous, expensive, and difficult. We don't have that anymore because we've become the world's soup kitchen. And effectively, increasingly, we are like an economic zone for people who just want to live at the expense of everybody else. And that's a huge problem. And this is what has really turned, I think, the mindset of the American people right now, Clay, against so much of this. Our generosity as a people, as Americans, has been exploited and mocked by the actions of people who have come here claiming fake asylum in huge numbers when they cross our border illegally, scamming our immigration system in every way possible, playing all these different games to get access to resources, resources that are taken from all of you and taken out of your paycheck. If you are an American listening to this, who pays taxes, which I know most of you are, that money is taken from you and given to others. And the scams need to stop. Other countries would not put up with this at all. And we just have to be at a place where we can have honest conversations like, ok, if we're going to have a big problem with the Somali community stealing from Americans, we need to look at how many more Somalis you want in the American family through our immigration system. This is just the way it has to be.

[Clay Travis]

I just. I look at it and say, if you are coming in and you are immediately going on welfare and support court, you shouldn't be admitted to this country. I mean, it's actually a violation of immigration.

[Buck Sexton]

That's a violation of immigration law, Clay. It's just not enforced. You are not allowed to immigrate to this country and become a public charge and get any public benefits. But states like California and New York, they do it at the state level. They commingle federal funds. So it's a lot like the whole thing is a lie. We're told, oh, don't worry, we won't have people who are welfare cases coming here. Tons of welfare cases. 55% of immigrant households get welfare.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah, I mean that to me, it should be a non starter on space. And I'm sure most of you out there listening are nodding along. We take care of people as best we can who are citizens of this country. But people who are not citizens of this country are coming in and they are taking away benefits that would otherwise be going to citizens. They're frankly, we're $38 trillion in debt. They are helping to run up the national debt in a significant way. I, and I just, I don't even look at this as a remotely partisan related question. If you told me right now, I run a company, hey, if you're going to hire these people, they're going to cost you money and they're not going to make you any money, would you bring them into your company? My answer would be no. I don't see this as a difficult call. We should run the country like a, like a company. When it comes to immigration, are we bringing in people who are net benefits to the country that are going to be huge job creators that are going to be huge assets to this country? If the answer is yes, I want them here. Right. That's a meritocratic system. If we get the most brilliant minds around the world and they want to come here and create jobs and, and, and have better outcomes than they could in their country, that's what we should be doing. I mean, the intellectual first round draft picks of the world, I want them here. But people who are going to steal and people who are going to be wards of the state and people with no substantial educational background and value. I just, I, I don't see in any way how this is beneficial to the United States. And again, I go back to culture. The older I get, Buck, the more I'm convinced that culture determines everything. The culture that you create, whether it's in your company, whether it's in your state, whether it's in your country, dictates the outcome that you're going to get. One of my favorite quotes from a coach is we recruit our problems. United States is recruiting our problems. If you go out and you bring in people with bad culture and bad backgrounds, they're not going to be net benefits to the country. I mean, this is just very basic stuff for anybody who's ever been involved in management at all. If you bring in toxic employees, you create a toxic culture inside of your company, inside of your workplace. If we're bringing in toxicity, we're creating a more toxic environment than would otherwise exist in the United States, particularly when it's not committed to basic Western values of civilization that have propelled us to the success that we have today.

[Buck Sexton]

We actually have the opposite of what you're talking about, which is we have a system where we take as many people from the third world, from poor countries, through chain migration, through asylum scams, through all of this. That's a huge portion of our immigration system, legal and illegal. And one of the challenges that I think now the country is willing to finally look at and be honest about is there are going to be some countries that are predominantly non white countries where you're not going to take a lot of immigrants because the objective criteria that you have set for immigrants will not be met by people from those countries. And that has not been the case in America for a long time. We've been taking whatever bring us your war torn, you're impoverished, you're illiterate, and you're culturally backwards. That has become the American immigration policy de facto for decades now.

[Clay Travis]

And the consequences are becoming clear. And I think President Trump saying, hey, let's pause, and this is not new. This, you know, if you're a student of history, 100 years ago people said, hey, I think we've had too much immigration in the United States. We need to pause and allow what's already happened to occur, to allow that sort of melting pot to occur. The problem is, again, I come back to culture. If you don't have similar cultural values to someone else and you try to come to this country, you're going to import the culture of the third world as opposed to the, the culture of Western civilization. And I don't think that's good. I mean, I'm sorry, I, I just, I look around and I say, you know, I think one of the great lies that many of us were taught was diversity is our strength. I actually don't think diversity is, is, is a strength. Diversity of thought can be a strength if you apply it and the best ideas win. But just diversity itself as somehow a positive outcome or goal, diversity of thought is the only diversity that matters.

[Buck Sexton]

There's also zero historical precedent or basis to believe that having a huge number of people in a country, not from that country speaking 300 different languages of all different religions, of all different political belief systems is going to result in a cohesive nation state.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah.

[Buck Sexton]

Over the long run, there's just zero. In fact, there's a lot of evidence. All of the historical evidence is in the other direction.

[Clay Travis]

It doesn't work.

[Buck Sexton]

Which is it doesn't work. This is not a good idea. So we're starting to have to face up to this as a country. All right, look, you want to be able to defend your home and that's critical. And to do that right. I want to tell you about these products from Sabre. They manufacture the best non lethal self protection tools. Some are so easy to use, you'll be ready to go pretty much right out of the box. Others, with just a little bit of training, you'll feel like you are really set to stop the threat. Sabre is the number one pepper spray brand trusted by law enforcement. Spelled Sabre. Clay and I both have Sabre products in our homes. Their Saber pepper gel projectile launcher in particular has a real standout product. I think you should check it out yourself. Saber's been at this for 50 years. Family owned. Their products are reliable and trusted. Can help protect you and your family. And their pepper gel projectile launcher, that's what I would really start with. I think that's something that you're going to really want to have for your self protection tools. For a lot of you it's going to be an addition to your two way firearm self protection. But you want to have forced escalation. Maybe people in your household, some of them are more comfortable with non lethal. You want to have that option. Decide what you're most most comfortable with when you go to the website and see for yourself. Go to sabreradio.com that's S A B R E radio.com youm'll say 15% there. Sabre radio.com or call 844-824 Safe 844-824.

[Clay Travis]

Safe Two guys walk up to a mic. Anything goes. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton. Find them on the free iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Washington Post Advertiser]

Come for the Black Friday seasonal savings stay for the award winning reporting for a limited time access to the Washington Post is just 99 cents. That's unlimited access to all of the posts for only 99 cents every four weeks. That's a great deal for the first year. After that it'll cost $12 every four weeks. You can cancel anytime. But don't wait. This Black Friday seasonal offer won't be here for long. Go to washingtonpost.com iheart and grab this deal before it's gone. That's washingtonpost.com iheart the only thing between.

[NordicTrack Advertiser]

You and your best self is a start button this Cyber Monday Explore the world with NordicTrack from the peaks of perfect Peru to the streets of Paris, every workout moves you somewhere new with IFIT trainers leading the way. The equipment's amazing, smooth quiet and those screens make it all feel real. Ready to start your next workout adventure with the number one treadmill brand in the U.S. shop NordicTrack.com for Cyber Monday savings. NordicTrack train anywhere explore everywhere Bring incredible.

[Whim Sound Advertiser]

Sound into every corner of your home this holiday with the new Whimsound smart speaker. Get high resolution audio with a 1.8-inch touchscreen, smart control and modern design in one powerful speaker for just $299. From quiet mornings to lively holiday gatherings, WinSound makes every moment sound better and feel better too. Get the gift of the season for the music enthusiast in your life or for yourself. Whim Sound Beautifully designed, effortlessly connected. Shop now at Amazon and search Whim sound. That's wiimsound this holiday season.

[Commercial Announcer]

Give the gift. Everyone will gather around a Vizio Smart TV now available at Walmart. From a super sized Walmart 100 inch TV to QLED TVs of all sizes, Vizio delivers breathtaking color and crystal clear picture quality that takes entertainment to the next level. Plus with Watch Free plus built in they can enjoy free live and on demand TV right out of the box. Have a music lover on your list? They can stream their favorite music on the iHeartRadio app ready to go on every Vizio TV. The perfect gift is waiting. Head to Walmart.com and discover Vizio TVs today.

[Clay Travis]

Then the space hamster flew his hot.

[Commercial Announcer]

Air balloon all the way to the bottom of the ocean. Where did that story come from? Book Dream? Nope. It came from a conversation. Meet Mikomini, the AI companion that co creates personalized story adventures with your child in real time. What color was the hamster's cape and what did he pack for lunch? Unlock your child's imagination. Discover Miko Mini plus and the Magic of AI exclusively at Costco.

[Clay Travis]

Welcome back in Clay Travis Buck Sexton Show. Appreciate all of you hanging out with us. A lot of you coming out of of Thanksgiving holiday. Maybe there were conversations that you had with people who hated President Trump. Maybe you've had had them in the past over the last decade. Maybe you have friends and family that you have lost potentially because they have become so deranged when it comes to President Trump and the way that, that they see him. I read in the Wall Street Journal a great write up on Trump derangement syndrome from our current guest, Jonathan Alpert as almost its own psychiatric psychological diagnosis. And we said, okay, we got to get this guy on. And he is now with us. This is Jonathan Alpert. I, I, I loved your piece. For people who have not read it, you're a psychotherapist, New York and D.C. and you got a book called Therapy Nation about all the different aspects of therapy going on. But when you see people who it appears, frankly, do have Trump derangement syndrome, is that a real thing? Kind of take people through the argument that you made in the, the Wall Street Journal editorial.

[Matt Van Epps]

Yeah.

[Jonathan Alpert]

And Clay, great to be here. It's, it's not a real thing. However, it probably should be a real thing. But I don't think we'll ever see it in the, in the dsm, which is sort of the bible of psychiatric disorders in my profession. But what I have seen is quite troubling. We've seen families split up. We've seen people obsessed with Trump, they're hyper fixated on Trump and frankly, it's ruining their mental health. And I would go so far as to call it a, in some ways a mental health epidemic that's focused or revolves around Trump. And I don't care if it's Trump or Biden or Harris or anyone. If you're that hyper fixated on a figure, you need to check in with a therapist, someone like me.

[Buck Sexton]

Now, Jonathan, appreciate you being with us. It's Buck. The, what would be the, the things to look for where someone, I mean, you said things like hyper fixated. You know, what are some of the, the red lines that somebody would want to look at where something goes from just being a very, perhaps overzealous belief or very overzealous thoughts about, in this case, a politician, to where it actually is clinical. Because what I see myself as, a non medical, non psychoanalyst, is a lot of people who have a bizarre, irrational and really delusional fear themselves, personally. Like, I know people who lose, truly lose sleep at night. I mean, they've told me this because they're worried that Trump is going to just pull them off. Like Trump is going to have people pull them off the street and throw them into a cell somewhere for no reason. Like, how different is that from somebody who's, you know, agoraphobic or something?

[Mike Johnson]

Yeah.

[Jonathan Alpert]

And Bach, it's not too different if you're at the point where you are losing sleep over our president, or if you, like some of my patients, enjoy a vacation, because, quote, how can I possibly relax and enjoy a vacation knowing that Trump's in office? You're sick, you've got issues. And similar to other mental health issues that we see, whether it's OCD or anxiety disorders, it disrupts a person's life. It impairs relationships, whether it's romantic relationships or work relationships or friendships. This is when it rises to the level of pathologic. And that's where I become greatly concerned. And if you look back over the past decade, when Trump first entered our world as a politician, I mean, I had patients who were ready to flee the country. I actually know some who did flee the country. And I would remind them that the fact that you can get out there and protest even in front of Trump's house is a good reason to stay here. But the problem is people aren't looking at this in a rational way. They're quite irrational. They do think that Trump is going to round people up and send them off to a island somewhere. They think that Trump is a Nazi. So I've heard all sorts of outrageous statements like that. And as a therapist, I try to confront them and help them see things rationally. And with some of those people, I'm successful, and others, frankly, I'm not.

[Clay Travis]

How do you handle people in your friend or family circle that are just crazy and are suffering from this? Right. I mean, because I think that is probably something that a lot of people out there, particularly in the social media age, I mean, I grew up, I remember my grandma saying, you never talk about politics or religion. Now, certainly people talk about politics all the time, particularly on social media. So you may just come across it on Facebook or you may come across it in, like I said, in your own family or at Thanksgiving. How do you handle people that are, in your opinion, meaning the family member truly gone crazy over the Trump situation? I'll give an example. This is not Trump directly. We had a family member that a younger, I don't want to get too specific, but celebrated on social media. Charlie Kirk getting shot. And I was stunned. I couldn't believe it. Maybe some of you have had, you know, in your larger family circles, things like that happen. How do you handle people who are dealing with this that seem unwell to you? What should you do as a person if that's in your friend or family circle?

[Jonathan Alpert]

Yeah, and I, and I too, witnessed people who were celebrating the horrific murder of Charlie Kirk. I told the Story of overhearing two cashiers at Trader Joe's talking about it and celebrating it. And what's happened is people have demonized figures, whether it's Kirk or, or Trump, and they've learned to hate them and they feel like it's their duty to take them out. But when you have a family member that's, that's speaking like that, I think you need to try to confront them. I think you need to ask them, you know, why. Why do you feel like it's your duty to take this person out or demonize this person or speak ill of the person? You know, it's not healthy for them to be consumed by that figure. So, you know, I think you can try to gently confront them, see how they react, see if you can work with them in that way. Other people are beyond repair and they'll believe what they want to believe. The other problem that we're seeing that you mentioned is social media. People are in these echo chambers. They only surround themselves with one opinion. They feel that the world is conspiring against them. So we've got a lot of work to do if we're going to try to get back to what we saw in the 80s after Reagan was shot. His surgeon famously said today, Mr. President, we're all Republicans, but wouldn't it be great to get back to a time like that?

[Buck Sexton]

Yeah. Yeah. I'm wondering also where the mental health profession is on this more broadly. And I would just say this. I am aware, sir, that your profession is based on the numbers and the data. I believe the single most, the single most left wing medical profession that is out there. Is that, that really the reason why there isn't more of a push to treat Trump Derangement syndrome, even if they're not going to name it to treat it as an anxiety disorder? I mean, I wonder how many psychiatrists have Trump Derangement syndrome. If I can just put a point on this.

[Jonathan Alpert]

Well, Buck, let me put it this way. Since my Wall Street Journal piece came out and since appearing on Fox tv, I've received too many to count hate emails from my colleagues, from therapists wishing me dead, labeling me a pedophile protector, absolutely unhinged, vile emails from licensed mental health professionals. So that tells you what you need to know about my profession. And you're right, it's dominated by liberals. But that said, I also received very supportive emails from colleagues. So I think there are probably some closeted conservative therapist out there. But yeah, I mean, we have people who think I'm absolutely crazy because I'm identifying a trend that I've seen over the past decade. And I genuinely care about these people's mental health, the people that I'm seeing and would like them to start to be healthier and look at things in a more rational manner.

[Clay Travis]

We're talking to Jonathan Alpert. I'm curious, one of the big discussions here, Trump came down the escalator 2015. So we've had a decade of Trump derangement syndrome. Do you believe that this syndrome, to the extent that it exists, that is uniquely focused on Trump, does it translate to or transfer to other Republicans in a post Trump era? What will these people, when Trump exits the stage, as he will In January of 2029, what do you think is likely to happen to their mental health at that point in time?

[Jonathan Alpert]

Well, I'd be shocked if it suddenly improved once Trump left office. I think there are some people out there that always need an object, a person to hate. And if it's not Trump, it might be Rubio or JD or whoever may take over in 2028. So. So I do think these people need something to hate. And we're actually seeing this play out in New York where I am the anti Israel protests have ended. And now I think over the weekend we saw several anti ICE protests. So there are some people who always need to be fighting and need what they perceive as a cause to fight for. And we'll see what happens in a few years.

[Clay Travis]

It is interesting because we appreciate your time. I was watching a video somebody put together a compilation book. I should have sent it to you too. Of all these people, like losing their minds to protest in favor of BLM five years ago and all the crazy videos they were making and everything else. And then, you know, it's kind of a joke. But the same people took the BLM slogan and then had the Ukraine flag in their. In their profile. Do you see that as people have some sort of absence in their life and so they are constantly seeking the next next thing, whatever it is, wear a mask, get a shot. Like they're just jumping from one sort of social obsession to another. Has that become more prevalent? I think in a social media age it has.

[Jonathan Alpert]

And probably before BL blm we saw Occupy Wall street way back.

[Matt Van Epps]

So yeah, reported on yes.

[Jonathan Alpert]

And they probably have an emptiness or disdain in their life or for something and they just want to be part of a cause. And I think these causes, whether it's Occupy Wall street or Israel, anti Israel or blm, it's like a big group therapy session that amounts to absolutely nothing. It's not making these people healthier. I'll share a story with you. After one of the no Kings riots, I was walking around Manhattan admiring the heaping high pile of anti Trump signs and someone came up to me and said isn't this beautiful? And I said not really. I kind of support our president and think he's doing a good job. And she went absolutely nuts and started cursing me, not even knowing who I was. Much like the emails that I'm getting from these strangers since my Wall Street Journal piece. I can't imagine sending a stranger that I may see on TV an email telling them how much I hate them. But that might be the difference between someone with a rational mind and an irrational mind.

[Buck Sexton]

How do we get more right wing mental health professionals?

[Jonathan Alpert]

You know, I wish I knew. I'm part of a small group of conservative therapists who are fed up with the wokeism that's infiltrated our profession. My forthcoming book Therapy Nation does touch on this, how our graduate programs, our profession are just dominated by social justice warriors. So I think the more people like me that can get out there and who aren't afraid to speak their mind and be okay with conservative values and put their thoughts out there, the better we'll be as a nation, the healthier we'll be and we'll be far less divided.

[Clay Travis]

Thank you. Jonathan Alpert. Encourage people to check out the book and we will share that Wall Street Journal editorial you wrote as some people may be dealing with some of this in the post Thanksgiving era in which we currently live. Thank you so much.

[Jonathan Alpert]

Yes, thank you very much. Take care.

[Clay Travis]

Look in Tennessee. Great company helping families reconnect with all the home movies old pictures they've been storing away for years called Legacy Box. They're Based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, my mom's hometown. Staffed with more than 200 technicians. I have seen it for myself, traveled down to speak at the Hamilton County Republican Party there a few months ago, right before the football season started and got to tour their facilities. They are spectacular. It was an impressive place and they are helping everybody preserve their family memories for as long as they possibly can. This week they have a great sale. 65 off regular prices. Best sell of the year right now. Cyber Monday is ongoing. What Legacy Box does for families phenomenal. 65 discount is a big deal. Go to legacybox.com Clay for 65 off right now. That's a legacybox.com Clay check it out. Great gift for you and your family. Legacybox.com give the gift of memories to your [e-mail] Clay for 65 off making America great again isn't just one man, it's many. The Team 47 podcast Sundays at noon Eastern in the Clay and Buck podcast feed. Find it on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Washington Post Advertiser]

Come for the Black Friday seasonal savings. Stay for the award winning Reporting for a limited time access to the Washington Post is just 99 cents. That's unlimited access to all of the posts for only 99 cents every four weeks. That's a great deal for the first year. After that it'll cost $12 every four weeks. You can cancel anytime. But don't wait. This Black Friday seasonal offer won't be here for long. Go to washingtonpost.com iheart and grab this deal before it's gone. That's washingtonpost.com iheart the only thing between.

[NordicTrack Advertiser]

You and your best self is a start button this Cyber Monday Explore the world with NordicTrack from the peaks of Peru to the streets of Paris, every workout moves you somewhere new with IFIT trainers leading the way. The equipment's amazing, smooth, quiet and those screens make it all feel real. Ready to start your next workout adventure with the number one treadmill brand in the U.S. shop NordicTrack.com for Cyber Monday savings. NordicTrack train anywhere. Explore everywhere.

[Whim Sound Advertiser]

Bring incredible sound into every corner of your home this holiday with the new Whimsound smart speaker. Get high resolution audio with a 1.8-inch touchscreen, smart control and modern design in one powerful speaker for just $2.99. From quiet mornings to lively holiday gatherings, WinSound makes every moment sound better and and feel better too. Get the gift of the season for the music enthusiast in your life or for yourself. Whim sound Beautifully designed, effortlessly connected. Shop now at Amazon and search Whimsound. That's W I I M S O.

[Commercial Announcer]

U n d this holiday season, give the gift of incredible sound with Vizio's full Soundbar lineup available at Walmart. Transform any living room into a home theater with rich, immersive audio that brings every movie, show and song to life. Whether you're whether you're gifting a loved one or upgrading your own setup, Vizio soundbars deliver powerful, crystal clear sound that turns ordinary watching into extraordinary experiences. Stream your favorite holiday Playlist with the iHeartRadio app and discover how good your music can truly sound. Head to Walmart.com and find your perfect Vizio soundbar today.

[Clay Travis]

Shh.

[Commercial Announcer]

You won't believe what my new friend just told me about dinosaurs. Is your child having conversations you never imagined? Are they learning without realizing it? A tablet? It's not a toy. It's Meco Mini plus, the AI powered companion that turns curiosity into endless learning. Hear the future of playtime. Meet the extraordinary MECO Mini Plus. Only at Costco. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.