Daily Review with Clay and Buck - Dec 17 2025

Summary

The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Daily Review with Clay and Buck – December 17, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle a range of pressing topics in news, politics, and current events, blending sharp analysis with witty banter. The episode features an in-depth discussion of recent political blunders (notably the Susie Wiles Vanity Fair interview), predictions for the midterms, New York City’s controversial free bus policy, and an extended conversation with Senator Rand Paul on issues from Venezuela to healthcare, fiscal policy, and inflation. The hosts also reflect on the show’s progress and share personal notes, all while maintaining their trademark tone of irreverence, skepticism, and optimism.

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Main Topics & Key Insights

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1. Susie Wiles’ Vanity Fair Interview – Strategic Media Missteps

[04:00–15:30]

Discussion Points

• Susie Wiles, White House Chief of Staff, participated in a Vanity Fair profile, which both hosts consider a “colossal miscalculation.”

  • Clay argues it’s her biggest blunder since taking the role, particularly because legacy media often “cherry-picks” and misrepresents conservative perspectives.
  • The expectation that Vanity Fair would offer “a fair reflection of conversations” was misplaced, given its reputation as “prestige, but hostile media.”

• Media Lessons for Conservatives

  • Clay emphasizes avoiding non-live or edited legacy media interviews. “If you are giving your time and effort and quotes to legacy media institutions… the absolute least they could do is share every single thing that you said on the record.” (Clay, 06:00)
  • Buck frames the interview as “a tempest in a teapot”—ultimately non-consequential but instructive about the dangers of hubris: “One of the challenges that conservatives have … is that we want a pat on the head so badly from somebody who’s cool and famous, that we’ll just do anything for it.” (Buck, 07:32)

• Political Judgement

  • Clay notes the persistent error of seeking affirmation from left-leaning “prestige” outlets. “My concern is… it’s a judgment error. I don’t even know anybody who reads Vanity Fair.” (Clay, 09:21)

• Quote of the Segment:

  • “Vanity is the ultimate sin. If you look at all the characters that have really bad things happen to them that you’re rooting for, hubris is what brings them down.” – Buck Sexton, [07:02]

Memorable Moment

• A comic digression into the correct pronunciation of “patina” (vs. “patna”), ending in producer Greg’s research confirming both are acceptable.
  • “I feel very comfortable that I have pronounced something for once in my life in an accurate way.” (Clay, 15:50)

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2. Political Landscape: Midterms, Trump 2.0, and Intra-GOP News

[10:15–13:30]

Insights

• 2027 Republican Nomination Expectations
  • Discussion on Marco Rubio’s decision not to challenge J.D. Vance, setting up Vance as a presumptive favorite.
• Internal GOP Critiques
  • Susie Wiles’ blunt critique of Pam Bondi’s handling of the Epstein investigation is highlighted:

    “First she gave them binders full of nothingness and then she said the witness or client list was on her desk. There is no client list and it sure as hell wasn’t on her desk.” (Clay quoting Wiles, 12:30)

  • Buck contextualizes this as part of internal party accountability and reminders about the unforgiving nature of “regime media.”

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3. Reflections, Gratitude, and Show Development

[20:00–23:00]

Key Moments

• Buck takes a moment to thank listeners for a landmark year and the show’s ongoing growth, referencing their inheritance of Rush Limbaugh’s audience and legacy.
• Clay highlights the milestone of now being syndicated across 550+ stations, emphasizing the behind-the-scenes effort and the surprising popularity of consuming audio shows via video, especially among younger audiences.

Quote:

“Our audience is the absolute best. And we all hope that we’re doing a great job and that Rush is smiling down on us from heaven.” – Buck Sexton, [21:04]

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4. New York: Mayor Mamdani, Free Buses, and Urban Policy Critique

[25:00–32:40]

Discussion Points

• Buck introduces “Mamdani-ism” and the idea that people are waiting to “see what happens” before moving out of NYC post-inauguration.
• Analysis of the “free buses make streets safer” argument as presented by NYC’s incoming mayor, citing statistics on driver assaults:
  • “We made five bus routes free…assaults on bus drivers dropped by 38.9%.” (Mayor Mamdani audio, [26:39])
• Buck’s logical pushback:
  • “So you know what we could do, Clay, to eliminate scuffles with security? Just make it legal for people to steal stuff.” ([27:14])
  • Making buses free, Buck argues, “will just turn them into mobile homeless shelters… you are just rewarding bad behavior and thinking that that’s going to stop the bad behavior.” ([27:09]–[30:41])
• Clay shares personal experience on city buses, skeptical that abolishing fares improves safety or service quality.

Quotes:

• “If only they had a free bus fare, they wouldn’t be laying hands on… a city employee? No.” – Buck Sexton, [30:41]
• “I think we need a society where people have greater personal accountability. We want to promote a society where people are held responsible for their actions.” – Buck Sexton, [31:45]

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5. Extended Interview: Senator Rand Paul

Topics, Quotes & Timestamps

A. Venezuela Blockade, War Powers & Intervention

[34:44–36:27]

• Senator Paul warns against U.S. engagement in Venezuela (“regime change in the process”), insisting war “should be a last resort… in self-defense.”
  • “Presidents, under the Constitution, don’t have the power to initiate war without approval of Congress.” – Sen. Rand Paul, [35:20]

B. Trump 2.0: Year One Report Card

[36:56–38:05]

• Paul gives Trump’s current administration “triple plus” marks on border security, notes his success hasn’t been sufficiently communicated.
  • Positive grade for maintaining tax cuts; criticism for lack of progress on reducing spending/deficit.

C. U.S. Strikes on Narco Boats

[38:05–40:12]

• Senator Paul voices opposition to using lethal force against unarmed drug smuggling suspects, citing a high error rate and moral concerns.

D. Health Care, Shutdowns, & 2026 Policy

[40:12–43:07]

• Paul advocates association health plans and universal health savings accounts—policies with little to no taxpayer cost and broader access.
  • “Why not join a private collective that negotiates better prices?” ([41:30])
• Warns that Democrats’ 2026 midterm strategy will likely center around shutting down the government and accusing Republicans of wanting to “take away everybody’s health care.”

E. Inflation, Affordability, and Debt

[44:03–46:15]

• Paul traces housing unaffordability to “the value of your dollar shrinking,” connecting inflation to government debt and money printing.
  • “People need to realize that rent control in New York is the same thing they have in Venezuela. That’s why they have no food… [it’s] a variation of socialism.” ([45:28])

F. Policy Priority for Trump

[46:18–48:25]

• If he could, Paul would urge President Trump to propose a “budget that balances, proposing to spend less money… but almost all the spending is entitlements, which neither party wants to touch.”

G. Entitlements & Welfare Reform

[47:00–48:20]

• “We serve Coca Cola to people on food stamps… it’s just candy. You can buy candy on food stamps… We’ve got to do more on having government live within its means.” (Paul, [48:20])

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6. Closing: Personal Reflections & Veteran Tribute

[52:52–56:18]

• Clay shares a heartfelt tribute to his late uncle, a Vietnam veteran, calling for greater public appreciation of Vietnam vets who were “not embraced when they returned.”
  • “Say thank you to the Vietnam vets in your life… hug as many friends and family members as you can, because we don’t know when the holiday is going to be the last we get to spend together.” ([53:30])

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On media relations:
  “If you are giving your time and effort and quotes to legacy media institutions… you can’t talk all day and allow them to cherry-pick quotes.” — Clay Travis [06:00]

• On conservative ‘coolness’:
  “…we want a pat on the head so badly from somebody who’s cool and famous, that we’ll just do anything for it.” — Buck Sexton [07:32]

• On free buses policy:
  “Making the bus free, as I’ve said all along, will turn them into mobile homeless shelters. That’s part one… part two, also, how much more redistribution of wealth and how much bigger debt does the City of New York want to run up?” — Buck Sexton [31:45]

• On inflation:
  “Part of the reason that President Trump won this last time around was because it was becoming unaffordable to live under Biden… [with] about 25% inflation over the last five years.” — Senator Rand Paul [44:03]

• On balancing the budget:
  “Proposing a budget that balances, proposing to spend less money. The hard part… is that most of the money are entitlements… and we need to fix them.” — Senator Rand Paul [46:30]

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Important Segments with Timestamps

• Susie Wiles Vanity Fair discussion: [04:00–15:30]
• Political analysis of 2027 nomination & GOP media errors: [10:15–13:30]
• Show growth & gratitude: [20:00–23:00]
• NYC free buses & urban crime policy: [25:16–32:40]
• Sen. Rand Paul interview (Venezuela, border, spending, health care, inflation): [34:44–48:25]
• Personal reflection—Vietnam War tribute: [52:52–56:18]

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Tone and Style

• The hosts mix humor (“patina”/“patna” debate, “mobile homeless shelters”) with pointed political critique and accessible policy discussion.
• Direct, irreverent, and candid; both hosts pride themselves on dissenting from groupthink and emphasizing personal accountability.

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This summary provides a comprehensive guide to the episode’s main discussions, memorable moments, and notable quotes, with clear timestamps for those seeking specific segments.

Transcript

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[Clay Travis]

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[Clay Travis]

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[Buck Sexton]

Candle on the menorah or placing baby Jesus in the nativity. We hope your holiday is full of.

[Clay Travis]

Grace, wonder and love and maybe even a little snow. Merry Christmas and happy Hanukkah from all of us at the Clay and Buck show. Welcome in Wednesday edition Clay Travis Buck Sexton Show. This is Buck's final show of the year. He's like a kid getting out for Christmas break. So sprint through the the close here. I'll be with you guys on Thursday and Friday and then it is officially into the holiday season. We will have a lot of great guest hosts as we always do. We will get into some of that down the line, but a bunch of different stories that are out there. Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff, did a Vanity Fair interview that is just a colossal miss Steak in terms of intent, delivery, everything. We're going to dive into some of it. We've got the Brown University shooter. I know, Buck, that you talked about this quite a bit yesterday, but the more this continues, the stranger and stranger the entire story appears to me. And we've got a lot of other different stories to run into. But let's start with this Susie Wiles Vanity Fair piece. And and I'll give you a couple of takes, Buck, and you tell me if you sign on if you disagree. I think this is Susie Wiles biggest misstep since she became chief of staff in one year. Now, I do think probably on a positive side, the overall fact that virtually no one has lost his or her job in year one of Trump 2.0 is not discussed enough, but is almost 100% a function, buck. I think of the lesson Trump learned in his first term, which is whenever somebody has some sort of controversy that emerges about them and you decide to fire them, you're not going to quell the criticism that comes from the legacy media outlets. You're just going to get put more blood in the water. They're going to come after somebody new. We have talked about this a ton on the show. Pete Hegseth is probably the most attacked member of the administration by far in year one. In second place, I would say probably RFK Jr and then I would put Pam Bondi probably in there at third place. And then other members of the administration have been attacked, but much less significantly. And so the fact that she decided to do this interview that they all set for these elite Vanity Fair photo ops and they expected that it would be in some way a fair reflection of the conversations that took place is just a colossal miscalculation. And what I would say about this in in general, Buck, is what are you thinking you should never, ever, ever there are a lot of Republican senators and congressmen and their staffs who listen to this. I don't understand how many people get bit by this. If you are giving your time and effort and quotes to legacy media institutions, the absolute least that they could do is share every single thing that you said on the record and let people go watch or listen to that. I think if you're doing anything other than live interviews, anything other than full form podcast interviews, and you're totally misunderstanding the power dynamic at play here, you can't talk all day and allow them to cherry pick quotes. So I can't believe that she would fall for this. I read it yesterday and I just, my jaw dropped over the fact that she had given this writer this much control and power.

[Buck Sexton]

Yeah, I mean, it's a blunder, but it's going to pass. It doesn't really matter. There's nothing that no one's going to get fired over this. It's not going to change.

[Clay Travis]

But I do think it's instructive in that we keep making the same blunders. Shouldn't that be addressed?

[Buck Sexton]

So my theory about the show Game of Thrones, which I think does very much descend into nihilism and maybe well and well in the final seasons, it just collapses into nonsense. But I think overall the show doesn't really have much, as much as I enjoyed it, doesn't really have a, a heart and soul. Although the takeaway I have from it is that hubris is the, is the ultimate sin or vanity is the ultimate sin. If you look at all the characters that have really bad things happen to them that you, that you're rooting for, hubris is what brings them down. And I think one of the challenges that conservatives have in general, and this isn't unique to this instance, we see this with whenever some, you know, third tier celebrity says anything conservative and conservatives go, oh my gosh, did you see this guy who was playing the, you know, number four lead in a sitcom from the 80s? Now there are some conservatives who are from AC. I mean, from, you know, entertainment. I mean, like James woods is a brilliant guy and a great commentator and a very accomplished actor. Right. I'm fine with that. But I mean, when people go after some one thing that a person said, it's like we want a pat on the head so badly from somebody who's cool and famous that will just do anything for it. There was a bit of this also when in the early days when people were so excited about Kanye and his relationship and Kim Kardashian and her relationship with Trump. I was like, guys, slow your roll.

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[Buck Sexton]

Vanity Fair is a prestige journal. I think it's communist propaganda, and it's written by the enemy, but it's something that people see when they go into a fancy, you know, doctor's office out on the table or they go into a fancy law office or something. And I think it's very hard right now for a White House that is racking up so many wins to think that anybody could really puncture their. Their balloon of greatness right now. So I think there was a bit of. I think there was a bit of hubris in thinking that they could maneuver around this and not get got. But I also think that this is a tempest in a teapot. Who really cares? Everyone's going to keep working together. Everyone knows that this was a hit job. So what's. What really? What difference does it make?

[Clay Travis]

My concern is. It's just. I mean, it's a judgment error. And to your point, I don't even know anybody who reads Vanity Fair. So I guess it would be nice if Vanity Fair wrote an incredible profile about me. I. I don't think anybody would see it, like, if. You know, like, I just. I don't think most of the people that have any idea I exist even have opened a Vanity Fair magazine. So I'm wondering. Yeah, my. My big issue.

[Buck Sexton]

Can I just give you. I actually think there's something important from this, too, though. I mean, I. Hubris might be the thing that I view as how they fell into this a little bit, which I understand, because the Trump administration has just completely shellacked its opponents for the last year. I mean, ever since the election, it's just. They've been on defense, defense, defense. The opponents of Trump and the. And this administration. But I think this is a good reminder, Clay, because I've been saying all along, Kamala lost by 250,000 votes over a handful of states, basically, in a country of 350 million people, give or take, that is a razor thin actual margin. I know the electoral college win was big, and it was an incredible story with Trump. We've celebrated that all along. My point is merely, there's still a lot of people that would have voted for Kamala, and there are a lot of people who are gonna vote for the next Democrat. And the midterms are coming up, and the opposition is every bit as dedicated. Yeah, they've been. They've been beaten a few rounds, Clay, but they're about to get back in the ring. So I think that this is a little bit of a media haymaker that the Trump administration caught on the jaw. And it's probably a good reminder as we go into this midterm year. Yeah, the other side, they're still gunning for us.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah. No, I think that's 100% right. I will say there were two bits of news that I thought were interesting from the Vanity Fair piece. First of all, again, let me just say it's a colossal miscalculation that you would spend this much time with a writer when his opening paragraph, Buck says nine people died in the January 6th terror attack. Basically nine people. I mean, that's a complete and total lie. I do think the fact that they reiterated yet again that Marco Rubio is not going to run against J.D. vance and that he will support J.D. vance if he runs. J.D. vance is going to enter 2027 after the midterms as, I think, the biggest favorite for a nomination on the Republican side since. Go back in time with me, Buck. George H.W. bush after Ronald Reagan. Would that be the. I mean, it will have been. Now, I'm not saying that he's 100% going to be the nominee, but if Marco Rubio is not going to run against him in 2027, there is going to be a Patna of expectation surrounding JD Vance the likes of.

[Buck Sexton]

Did you just say patina?

[Clay Travis]

I thought it was pronounced patna.

[Buck Sexton]

I think it's patina. Am I wrong? Someone check this out.

[Clay Travis]

Research. Penumbra. There'll be a penumbra of expectation. I think I pronounced that one right. That is completely surrounding J.D. vance. That he's going to be an aura of expectation that he's going to be the nominee. And then the second part, when we have our. Our fact check there on my pronunciation also, this I thought was kind of interesting. Susie Wiles absolutely hammered Pam Bondi on the Epstein thing. Quote, I think she completely whiffed on appreciating. That was the very targeted group that cared about this. First she gave them binders full of nothingness and then she said the witness list or the client list was on her desk. There is no client list and it sure as hell wasn't on her desk. I mean, for the Chief of Staff to just. I mean, she's right and all that, but for the Chief of staff to pull out a two by four and just whack the Attorney General on that. I presume Susie Wiles said all that face to face with Pam Bondi at some point in time, too. But I did think that was a pretty significant. I, I kind of read that and I was like, who there? That was, that was a pretty significant two by four.

[Buck Sexton]

But you have to also remember, it is widely believed Susie and Bondi have a close relationship stretching back to Florida. It is widely believed that the reason Pam Bondi did not get fired over that is Susie Wiles. So she threw herself in front of Trump's very understandable rage at that situation because it was totally unforced error. But, you know, again, Clay, yes, people are talking about it, so we have to talk about it for a second. But I feel like we cover it by just saying, or rather it is covered, that the topic, we've gotten what we want out of it by reminding the administration that regime media, I know that seems weird because Trump is the administration, but I mean, the forever regime, you know, the Democrat apparatus media will do everything they can to destroy Trump. They have learned no lessons. They are no more ethical, they are no more honest. And they really, really want to impeach him again, make sure the Democrats have the House in order to do so. And they want to push all of them. There's nothing about what Biden did. The problem that they have with Biden is merely that the border was so bad and he was so inept and then so clearly had dementia that he cost them power. But, Clay, all the policies that were being written in Biden's name for him, they want to pursue all that stuff again. They want to go right. Vanity Fair wants to go right back to the White House putting out statements about how 12 year olds need gender reassignment surgery. Like they want that. So they've changed nothing.

[Clay Travis]

I hope they have learned not to do this again. But the fact that they had to learn this lesson again, it's tough. By the way, big win for me in the opener of the show. My pronunciation, according to Merriam Webster dictionary is acceptable, as both pronunciations are acceptable. That is according to producer Greg's research, which I've always said producer Greg is an elite research talent.

[Buck Sexton]

I mean, you go, you Google it and it says P T, nuh. So that's, that is the American pronunciation. Pronunciation. I've, I've never heard it pronounced a different way. But then I've learned something. I've learned something new. But, Clay, I feel like we could take a draw on that one. So you can go both ways.

[Clay Travis]

I feel very comfortable that I have pronounced something for once in my life in an accurate way. You know what else I feel comfortable about? The cozy earth blankets. They are Absolutely phenomenal. They have the blanket. They've also got the bamboo sheets. Perfect combination of luxury, comfort and relaxation all in one. Fabrics are incredibly soft, smooth and breathable. Whole team's been raving about the bubble cuddle blankets. They are the bubble cuddle blanket. I mean, that. First of all, how could something called the bubble cuddle blanket not be an absolutely incredible blanket? I mean, it's like Smuckers, right? Like, it's got to be good with a name like that. We've even heard from public people that say their pets love the bubble cuddle blankets. You will love them too. Right now, use my name. Clay. You get 20% off right now at cozyearth.com code clay that's cozyearth.com code Clay cozyearth.com code Clayton get hooked up today. 20% off.

[Buck Sexton]

Clay Travis and Buck Sexton.

[Clay Travis]

Mic drops. That never sounded so good. Find them on the free iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Senator Rand Paul]

Shh.

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[Narrator/Advertiser]

The toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and mental breaking points. You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract worth $250,000.

[Clay Travis]

This is where mindset comes in.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Someone will be eliminated.

[Clay Travis]

Pressure is coming down. Trainer Games on Prime Video January 8th. Watch the trailer on trainer games.com welcome.

[Buck Sexton]

In everybody to the second hour of the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton show and we are continuing with our last week of live shows for the year. Very, very much want to say while I can, thank you to all of you for helping us have some a great year or you are the reason we had such a great year on the program. I know it's we're still in the news cycle. We'll be getting into all this in a second, but since I only have you for today and then Clay is going to be throwing a Christmas keg party for you for the next couple of days afterwards. We've had a great, really, honestly, a great year on this show. It has been an honor to be able to spend time with you all every day. Or y', all, as I'm allowed to say now because so many of you are Southerners and you've given me permission.

[Clay Travis]

Well, you married a Southerner, so I think that helps your ability to embrace the word y'. All.

[Buck Sexton]

That's true. And so we just want to say thank you to all of you. Honestly, it's been a phenomenal year. Our team in New York City is the absolute best. Our audience is the absolute best. And we all hope that we're doing a great job and that Rush is smiling down on us from heaven thinking that we're carrying on the legacy and holding the torch as best as we can. And I can put promise you we do that absolutely every single day.

[Clay Travis]

And and to build on that which is well said in the this will be when we come back in January together it'll be. We're working on the fifth year. We added 86 stations this year. We have added, thanks to you guys, over 200 affiliate stations since we launched this show in June of 2021. So that's a testament to a lot of work going on behind the scenes. I think we were around 350 when we, when we launched ish and now I know we are over 550 and added an absolute ton of stations this year and many of you are listening to us all over the country on stations that weren't with us in June of 2021. So thanks to all those stations out there. Obviously we want to be on as many platforms as possible everywhere. Clay and Buck Podcast network is rolling and we're going to have more and more video for you as many people out there. I never really would really believe this is where we were headed Buck but a lot of people consume audio on video. In fact it's more popular to consume audio on video now often than it is just plain audio, particularly the younger you are. So we're going to be adding in more and more video attributes of this program. It's a big part of the 2026 plan. So we would like for you to be out there subscribing to us on all those platforms including YouTube because there's going to be a lot more video coming for all of you.

[Buck Sexton]

And I will say this, and this is definitely self serving but also 100% true when any of you come up and see me. Someone was jogging Clay yesterday who listens to the show and stopped his jog for a minute to come alongside me to chat a little bit some ideas.

[Clay Travis]

And I felt bad.

[Buck Sexton]

I was like I'm interrupting your jog. It's like well yeah right Sexton, I gotta. But we always appreciate whenever you see any of us and, and you always should feel like you can come up and talk to us and, and we feel like we know you be and you feel like you know us because you do because you spend so much time with us over the course of the year and, and some of you even a couple of hours, two or three hours a day when you have the time. I would also say that whenever we meet somebody who listens to this show I truly immediately this little thing in my brain goes, oh, you're one of the good, smart conservatives who doesn't waste his time with nonsense. So I'm just saying that is honestly what I think. So I think it is to your tremendous credit, all of you, that with. I know there's so much noise out there. There's so much stuff that is online in particular these days, and there's a lot of sort of petty nonsense and people getting crazy and getting a little reckless. And you stay with us here and you stay with the mission, and we greatly appreciate that. So I wanted to say thank you. And I do have a high opinion of each and every one of you who listens to the show. So. So that is. That is from bottom of the heart. All right, now we can do some news. You. You mentioned Mamdani. Now I'm going to tell you something. There are people who are claiming now, Clay, that since Mamdani came into New York, or rather since he won the election, he becomes mayor January 1st, I believe since he won that election, there have actually been some people moving to New York to experience Mamdaniism. There has not been the flood of residents to. Or new residents to Florida that even some realtor friends of mine were expecting. People tested. They, they. They want to know that the lifeboat is there. They did not get into the lifeboat, though overwhelmingly, I have not. By the way, if you. If you happen to be somebody who has left New York because of Mom Donnie and moved anywhere, let us know. The numbers show. This is a very small group.

[Clay Travis]

I will say that I think most of those people, if they leave Buck, they're going to let Mom Donnie try it out. Most people have kids, they have grandkids moving around. Christmas is hard to do. So I think you'll see if people are going to flee Mom Donnie's era. New York, it will happen in the spring and summer. So that's when I'm actually curious to see whether or not there will be any sort of mass movement, because you'll have a few months. He gets inaugurated in January. You'll have a few months to see how the. How the process of Mom Donnie is going. And then people's school years get out, and then they start to move. We'll play the Mom Donnie. By the way, new videos being released now as we speak, of a person of interest leading the news on Fox News, leading the news on MSNBC right now in that Brown University shooting. So a little bit better visualization. We'll try to share some of those videos from the Clay and Buck account. For any of you out there that may be in that area or just trying to figure out who that person of interest is. But you were mentioning Mom Donnie and I teased this book. Mom Donnie weighed in on how he thinks free buses are actually going to make there be less issues on public transportation. And it's a heck of a of a whopper that he told here, listen.

[Senator Rand Paul]

We made five bus routes free in New York City when we made those bus routes free. After a year, assaults on bus drivers.

[Buck Sexton]

Dropped by 38.9% on the bus drivers.

[Senator Rand Paul]

Bus drivers, because unlike the train, the act of fare collection on the bus happens on the bus.

[Buck Sexton]

It's their job.

[Senator Rand Paul]

And bus drivers and unions have shared anecdotally that about 50% of assaults happen around the farebox.

[Buck Sexton]

So when you eliminate the farebox, you.

[Senator Rand Paul]

Make for a safer experience for the bus driver, for everyone.

[Buck Sexton]

Can I. Can I take mamdaniism to its logical conclusion here? You know where there can be scuffles in drugstores and supermarkets and things like that by the front door with security when people steal stuff. So you know what we could do, Clay, to eliminate scuffles with security, Just make it legal for people to steal stuff. There we go. That's. That's another approach to this, right? Just say, you know what, you can take whatever you want. Now I understand public service, public transportation, they can change the fee schedule. But my point here is you are just rewarding bad behavior and thinking that that's going to stop the bad behavior. It's just not true. This is a really stupid idea. And also, he does not have the funding for it, but he's going to stay with this.

[Clay Travis]

I. Did you ever ride public buses? Very much when you.

[Buck Sexton]

I've done a ton of subway in my life. I mean, I was a real subway guy for a long time. I have done very little. The New York City bus is a. Is a humbling and often depressing experience.

[Clay Travis]

We didn't have. We don't have a subway in Nashville. So as a kid, and we did not have. I went to a public school in Nashville, but there were no public school buses for my school from seventh to 12th grade. Martin Luther King was a school downtown Nashville. So if you rode the bus, you rode the city bus. So when school got out, a lot of us kids would go and we would get on the city bus and we would ride the city bus all over the, you know, city. And it's. I don't know, I look back now and I'm like, man, I was 12 and I was just getting on the city bus and I was just riding into downtown and I was just walking around the city streets. I. There's a zero percent chance my wife would let our seventh graders do that. I'm just saying I think people have gotten more protective of kids and I think there are benefits and disadvantages to it. There's a movement, I know of parents out there to have free range kids, to have kids out and about in streets and cities more often. My point on this is getting on the bus and paying and having your toke token or having your, your, your bus pass and then having your fare is something that makes it way safer. And I just say this is somebody who rode city buses because otherwise vagrants, when it's cold, if there is no charge, will just get on the bus and they will sit there and they'll never leave. And producer Ali has talked about this. There are people who get on the subway and they stink and they're homeless and it's cold and they just stay on. I don't understand in any way. I bet Buck they did that pilot program. I bet they did it on the nicest routes that you run in the New York City area. I, I find it impossible to believe that making all buses free is in any way going to make it safer for the people who are riding the buses or that the environment's going to be better. I just, it does not comport with any element of any experience that I've had as a city bus rider. It's been a long time since I did it. But the bus is not that expensive and I cannot imagine that there are that many people who would otherwise ride that can't afford a bus fare in some way?

[Buck Sexton]

What kind of person do you think is physically assaulting a bus driver? Do you think it's a person who, if only they had a free bus fare, they wouldn't be laying hands on and becoming violent with a city employee? No. Ok. This is a total misunderstanding from Mamdani or a really just I think ignorance of what it's like for people who live in low income, high crime neighborhoods where there are people who are just going to get into trouble, they're going to do things, they're going to break laws, they're going to hurt people. Making the bus free, as I've said all along, will turn them into mobile homeless shelters. That's part one, so no one's now going to feel like they want to be on the bus. And two, also how much more redistribution of wealth and how much bigger debt does the city of New York want to run up. So now this would be another thing that other people have to pay for in a city that already has a huge welfare state in addition to federal benefits that people get. And I just think that it shows it's totally wrongheaded in its approach. We need a society where people have greater personal accountability. We want to promote a society where people are held responsible for their actions and we are all treated as equals and as adults. But we also have consequences for when we violate that trust. That's the only way to make things better, to placate the people who break the rules, are violent, break the law. It just encourages more of it.

[Clay Travis]

Totally. And I again, I think your point on hey, people, there's not been a mass departure from New York in general. I think people exaggerate what they are going to do when someone gets elected that they don't like. We hear all the time, if Trump wins, I'm moving to Canada. And to her credit, Rosie o' Donnell is like the only person that has been famous that has left the country. She went to Ireland. I give her credit because she at least stood behind her comments. Uh, she doesn't seem like she's doing very well in Ireland. Doesn't seem like the Irish people like her that much. Doesn't seem like her family's doing that well. But she followed through on her promise, which most people do not do. What I will say is I do believe that in the spring and summer when school years end, I think there are going to be a ton of people in the New York City era area that will kick the tires on potentially leaving. With that in mind, you live through it, Buck. If you were willing to stay in New York City through Covid, I don't know how much worse things would have to get for you to finally say, this is my breaking point. For a lot of people, the COVID restrictions was the breaking point. If you're still in New York after five years, six years of COVID going into next year, then I just don't understand how this is going to finally be the tipping point that sends you off into a new horizon. Look, Rapid radios can make a great Christmas gift. Modern day walkie talkies helping families stay connected even when there's a service disruption or a power outage. Rapid radios work on a nationwide LTE network, meaning you can talk with anyone anywhere in the US with just a touch of a button. When you give a pair of rapid radios you're giving away to stay in, you're Giving a way to stay in touch in the best of times as well as during emergencies. Rapid Radios deliver peace of mind when it matters most. No monthly fees, no complicated setup, just pre programmed reliable communication when it counts. Rapid Radios because every just in case matters, go to Rapid Radios.com. make sure your family's never out of reach. That's Rapid Radios.com. no promo code needed. Rapid Radios communication redefined. You don't know what you don't know, right? But you could. On the Sunday Hang with Clay and Buck podcast.

[Buck Sexton]

Welcome back in here to Clay and Buck. And we have Senator Rand Paul with us. Senator Paul, appreciate you being with us. Let's just jump right into this. So now we have an embargo going, or actually a blockade, I'm sorry, a blockade going on of ships carrying oil from Venezuela. We have a flotilla the likes of which the Caribbean has not seen in quite some time of US Naval and, and other military power. We have a effectively an ultimatum from Maduro. Is this regime change? What's going on?

[Senator Rand Paul]

It looks like it's going to be regime change. It's sort of regime change in the process. Personally, I think that war should be last resort, that we should try to attempt to avoid war and that we should act in a way that we have to go to war when we have to defend our country. So war should be in self defense. And this to me is an offensive war. It's a war because we don't like the government of Venezuela. You know, I don't like socialism. I wrote a book called the Case Against Socialism. In it, I open in the beginning of the book talking about gangs in Venezuela looking for food because the economy is so desperate under socialism. But at the same time, we could probably list two dozen countries around the world that have either authoritarian rule or authoritarian socialist rule. And I just don't think it's the job of the American soldier to, you know, go around and spread freedom at the point of a bayonet. So now I'm not for this war and I think it ought to be voted on by Congress. The presidents under the Constitution don't have the power to initiate war without approval of Congress.

[Clay Travis]

Where we're talking to Senator Rand Paul and there are a ton of things going on out there. As we finish year one of Trump 2.0, what would you, if you were giving a letter grade, given the fact that exams are going on all over the country right now, what letter grade would you give President Trump and his administration on year one? 2.0. And what do you think should be the top priorities when Congress returns to action in January of 2026.

[Senator Rand Paul]

Well, I'd say a triple plus on controlling the border. And in fact, they did so well and did it so quickly that they've actually forgotten to tell the American people they did it. So it's become accepted. You know, just everybody expects now the border is controlled. But this was a border that Biden was letting millions of people cross unattended, many of them a danger to our community and a lawlessness at the border. He came in and within three months controlled that. I think the mistake is they've moved on to other things instead of promoting and telling the people about what a good job they did on the border on maintaining the tax cuts that I supported back in 2017. A triple plus, great idea to continue those tax cuts on spending and deficit, you know, about the same grade that all parties get. You know, Republicans and Democrats have historically been terrible with the debt. And I think the debt continues to accumulate at an alarming rate. We now have over $1 trillion in interest. So I think they can do much better on spending and debt, but on the taxation level, pretty good. And on the border, great.

[Buck Sexton]

Now, you have been very vocal, Senator Paul, about these strikes on suspected or alleged narco boats in mostly the Caribbean, also some in the eastern Pacific, off the coast of Mexico. Are there other Senate colleagues on the Republican side who share your concerns? And what would you like to see? What would the administration have to do, this White House have to do for your concerns to be allayed regarding these strikes?

[Senator Rand Paul]

You know, one of the questions I've been putting forward is, are they armed? I mean, we have a long standing tradition, not just here, but around the world among civilized people, that we don't shoot unarmed people. So, you know, some questions came out. Do we shoot shipwrecked people when people are clinging to wreckage? And it's actually part of our military law that we don't. We also usually don't shoot unarmed. So these boats that are alleged to carrying drugs, probably a lot of them do have drugs. I'm not disputing that. Most of these boats don't have the capability to even get to the United States. They can go about 100 miles and have to refuel. So a lot of these drugs, if they are drugs, are being distributed by unarmed people into some of the lower Caribbean islands. What we've done historically for crimes is we capture you and prosecute you. It's difficult work, it's not easy, but that's what we have always expected. Coast Guard interdicts these boats routinely, still does. And the ratio of boats that have drugs to those who don't is about one in four of every boat that's boarded doesn't have drugs. So that's a pretty high error rate to expect that we're going to kill unarmed people based on an error rate of about one in four being picking up the wrong people. So I'm absolutely opposed to this. I think that, you know, there are some on the Republican side who are uneasy, but most voices have been somewhat tamp down on the Republican side on any policy they disagree with the president. But I think that makes us weak as a country. I think we all need to be big enough to be able to, you know, have criticism even within the party.

[Clay Travis]

What should happen on health care? I know you and the president have been going back and forth on some disagreements and issues, but there's talk that maybe the government's going to shut down again. In January, I saw where Chuck Schumer refused to say that he would not shut down the government again. Tell me if you think I'm wrong, Senator, but it feels like me that a big part of the 2026 Democrat plan, as they get ready to run in the midterms, is going to be shutting down the government, arguing that Republicans all want to take away everybody's health care and they want everybody to die. I mean, we all know how this is going to play out. It seems kind of clear to me what should happen, what will happen in the world of health care.

[Senator Rand Paul]

You know, on health care, President Trump and I have a great deal of agreement. We work together in the first administration to craft an executive order that the int was to allow people to buy insurance across state lines and insurance as part of a co op or a collective like Sam's Club or Costco. The problem with the executive orders, the problem we often have with executive orders, is the law's not changed. We try to bend the law through an executive order. People sue in court. So all the Democrat AG sued, they tied it up in court and never really got to have its full effect. But I've communicated with the president in the last couple weeks, and he says he still favors this policy that I've been pushing, and mine would basically cost nothing. Doesn't cost a taxpayer or anything. Just makes it legal to buy across state lines. It makes it legal for anybody that wants to collect people together, particularly groups that already exist like Amazon, Costco or Sam's Club, to buy insurance as a group. What would happen is you'd really have no more individual market. So if you're an accountant and you have three employees you buy insurance for, or maybe you're construction guy and you got 100 employees, why would you want to buy insurance on your own? Why not join a private collective that negotiates better prices? And I think we could really drive prices down. If you just take the subsidies that we're currently giving to insurance companies and you give those subsidies to people's health savings Accounts. I think that's just a, you know, a distinction without a difference. You're still giving away money we don't have and it's still going to all wind up in the insurance company's pocket. So my association health plans would bring prices down. The other thing I would do is I wouldn't give taxpayer money to health savings accounts, but I would let everyone have a health savings account. Right now, only 10% of insurance plans sold. Is it legal to have a health savings account? People on Medicare cannot have health savings accounts. I would let everybody in America have a health savings account. All I gotta do to think about this is think about how many kids have braces. I had three kids that all had braces. But I did it with pre tax money through my health savings account. It's not fair that only 10% of the public gets that. We should let that, that great benefit accrue to everyone.

[Buck Sexton]

Speaking to Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky and Senator, affordability is the big catch word for what is a focus of 2026 policy and politics. People are already projecting that the midterms will take affordability into account in a major way. And affordability is really just kitchen table economics. Right. This is a concept that we've been dealing with for as long as American political parties have been vying for attention and power. But what do you see as the ways that the administration and to the degree Congress. Well, I'm not sure Congress is gonna be able to do much on this. But what do you see as the best way forward, especially on the housing issue? Because there's, it's so complicated, so important and it has gotten too expensive for the average American family to be able to afford the median home in this country. What can be done? What should be done?

[Senator Rand Paul]

Well, people have to realize the price of things goes up because the value of your dollar shrinks. So part of the reason that President Trump won this last time around was because it was becoming unaffordable to live under Biden. Biden had about 20% inflation in four years and wages rose less rapidly. So if you add In a little bit of inflation under Trump, plus the 20% under BIDE, about 25% inflation over the last five years, that 25%, unless your wages went up 25%, you've all gotten poor. So people are being squeezed, things are less affordable because of the value of the dollar. Why is the dollar lose its value because of the debt? The debt is bought by the Federal Reserve. They buy it by introducing new dollars into circulation and devalues the dollars we have. That's what price inflation is. It's not a mystery. It comes from debt and then the printing of money to pay for the debt. So I think they, it better explain where inflation comes from. And then you combat it basically by introducing balanced budgets and less debt. And the problem is both parties are terrible with debt. You know, Biden was terrible with it, but really the previous Trump administration added 8 trillion, then Biden added 8 trillion. We're on target to add another 8 or 9 trillion under this administration. So we have to do a better job at controlling debt and affordability. With housing, part of it's the loss of the value of the dollar, but part of it also is controls that forbid you from raising or improving the value of things. Like rent control in New York is a disaster. It's why you have no apartments and none of them get fixed up. Because if you can only charge $400 to live in Manhattan, guess what? There's no money left over to do any of the repairs. And so these apartments are just decaying in New York. But people need to realize that rent control in New York is the same thing they have in Venezuela. That's why they have no food. So when you have price controls, it's a variation of socialism. And they've just elected a socialist mayor in New York. So I think it's going to have to get a lot worse before it gets better until hopefully the young people of America will see socialism for the disaster that it is.

[Buck Sexton]

What is the one. Sorry.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah, no, go ahead.

[Buck Sexton]

I was gonna say what is the one thing, Senator Paul, that if you could get President Trump to really dial in and focus on for him to spearhead and try to accomplish next year in advance of the midterms, what would it be?

[Senator Rand Paul]

Proposing a budget that balances, proposing to spend less money. The hard and difficult part of that equation though is that most of the money are entitlements. Two thirds of the spending of government is entitlements. One third is military and non military discretionary. That's what we vote. The hard part about the Deficit is. The deficit's about 2 trillion, and the budget that Congress votes on is about 2 trillion. So you could actually zero out. I'm not proposing this, but if you had zero military spending and zero discretionary welfare spending, you'd balance your budget, which means basically the taxes that come in are equivalent to all the mandatory programs without the discretionary programs. So we are really buying the eight ball. And this gets worse over time. I mean, it's going to become an escalating problem that will at some point spiral out of control. And it's fixable now if you do something, if we gradually start fixing the entitlements. But the president, as many of his predecessors have said, oh, I'm not going to touch entitlements. It's the third rail, so we're going to stay away from that. And then when we had the discussion over the big beautiful bill, some of us tried to fix Medicaid in that bill and say, look, they ought to at least have the same formula for the states that once had. Where the states pay part, federal government pays part. Instead, Obamacare added all these people to Medicaid and said, oh, the federal government will pay the whole thing. And those people are still on. And because it was free or virtually free to the states, the state said, sure, we'll welcome more people on Medicaid and more people join Medicaid. Everybody's gotten on food stamps. We serve Coca Cola to people on food stamps. We serve Ding Dongs, Twinkies, Donuts. I mean, it's just candy. You can buy candy on food stamps. So we've got to do more on having government live within its means.

[Buck Sexton]

Senator Rand Paul, appreciate you, sir. Merry Christmas and we'll talk to you in the new year.

[Senator Rand Paul]

Same, you guys.

[Buck Sexton]

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[Clay Travis]

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[Clay Travis]

Pressure is coming down. Trainer Games on Prime Video January 8th. Watch the trailer on trainer games.com welcome back in Clay Travis Buck Sexton show. We're going to be joined by Senator Rand Paul at the bottom of the hour. I was out yesterday. I wanted to mention this. So many of you said nice things and I appreciate it. My uncle Kenneth died at the age of 84 and I was at his funeral in East Tennessee and he was a Vietnam vet and worked for Buck 30 years for South Central Bell, going around working on phone lines all over the Chattanooga, Tennessee area. And he was just such an amazing guy. And I know there are many also Vietnam war veterans out there that are listening to us right now. And I know somewhat that has changed in the past last couple of decades about how we've responded to the people who fought in that war. But I actually think we should be doing a better job of saying thank you to everyone who fought in that war. Certainly when they came back, they were not embraced. It wasn't their choice to go to that war. It wasn't their choice to be putting their lives on the line. But they were willing to answer when the country called. And my uncle is representative of that generation. You know, he worked on helicopters, served in, in Vietnam. And as I was at his funeral yesterday, he was supremely healthy for 83 and a half years. Just got very sick in the last six months with cancer. But I wanted, as you know, they had the flag at his casket and as they were talking about his, his service there at the, at the funeral, I wanted to just think about that, say thank you for the responses that people have shared out there in the audience. But bigger than that, say thank you to everyone out there listening to us right now that is a Vietnam War vet. Because I think in many ways we have largely neglected saying thank you for everybody out there who put their lives on the line in that war. So, so thank you for everybody. He had an amazing life. Phenomenal guy. I feel honored that I had the 46 years of my life to be able to experience with him. He was as good of an uncle as anybody could be. And it's the holiday season comes up, I would just encourage all of you, you know, hug and kiss as many friends and family members as you can because we don't know when the holiday is going to be the last one that we get to spend together. So hopefully we all have a lot more. But last Christmas was our last Christmas with him. Didn't know it. And just would encourage everybody out there to say thank you to the Vietnam vets in your life and also to to make sure that you don't neglect saying thank you to anybody out there that is a a member of, of your family that you may not get to spend another Christmas with. All right, hopefully that wasn't too negative. But I just wanted to say thank you. Buck we got Senator Rand Paul who's coming up here in a moment. Will all the latest info from Capitol Hill.

[Buck Sexton]

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[Clay Travis]

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[Buck Sexton]

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Boy Grizzlies versus Neo's Gentleman's Gaming.

[Buck Sexton]

It's a 4v4 matchup featuring Call of Duty, Tetris, Trackmania, Tony hawk Pro Skater.

[Clay Travis]

3 4, and Tekken 8. Season 0 of the Global Gaming League is live streaming on YouTube and Twitch.

[Buck Sexton]

Head over to globalgamingleague.com.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Clay Travis]

Guaranteed Human.