The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show: Daily Review – December 9, 2025

Main Theme & Overview

In this episode, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton dive into the latest in politics and current events with their trademark mix of analysis and humor. Key topics include: the Supreme Court’s debate on presidential authority versus independent agencies, their strong criticism of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, an in-depth interview with Bill O’Reilly (touching on presidential legacies, the economy/affordability, and the mysterious death of General Patton), the ongoing immigration debate, Obamacare and health care costs, and a lively discussion about the culture of holiday gift-giving. The tone is sharply opinionated, irreverent, and thoroughly conversational.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Supreme Court Showdown: Executive Authority vs. 'Deep State'

Segment Starts: [02:37]

• Buck opens discussing Jasmine Crockett’s Senate run, but quickly pivots to a critical Supreme Court case about whether the President can fire people in independent executive agencies.
• Focus is on the constitutional separation of powers, with Buck and Clay aggressively critiquing Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s arguments during oral arguments.
• Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Position (audio played): Argues that certain regulatory bodies must be independent and run by nonpartisan experts, not subject to the whims of a new president.
• Buck’s Take: “It sounds to me like she thinks there is a special imputed power from Congress to have elements of government outside the executive branch, outside the legislative branch, where people are unfireable because of their so-called expertise.” [12:30]
• Clay’s Take: Advocates for presidential authority, calling Jackson’s argument “anti-democratic” and “basic,” and makes the case that her appointment itself might be illegal due to Biden’s stated race/gender criteria (a claim both hosts revisit several times).

2. Sharp Critique of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson

Segment: [06:43]–[17:10]

• Clay repeatedly claims he’d be a better Supreme Court Justice than KBJ:
  • “I have never said this before. I would be a better Supreme Court justice than Ketanji Brown Jackson…” [06:43]
• Both hosts accuse her of not understanding basic civics and acting more as a legislator than a judge.
• Clay: “She wants to do politics, that's fine. But the job of a justice sitting on the Supreme Court is not to articulate political arguments. And that's all she seems capable of doing.” [13:25]
• Buck: “She’s so deeply mired in her perspective, point of view and political ideology that she does not know the difference between the role of a judge and the role of a legislator.” [14:27]
• They suggest even her liberal colleagues are frustrated with her: “Even Elena Kagan and Justice Sotomayor are not that happy with Ketanji Brown Jackson.” [15:04]

3. Bill O’Reilly Interview: Presidential Legacies & Political History

Interview Begins: [21:17]

A. Trump’s Legacy vs. Other Presidents

• O’Reilly describes a conversation with Trump, recounting:
  • “‘He’s asking me the same question that you just asked me. So what's my legacy? Am I number one yet? ... I said, you'll never be number one. ... But you're in the top 10 right now and you're the hardest working president of all time.’” [23:38]
• O’Reilly’s presidential rankings: Lincoln #1 (“will always be the best president”), Trump “hardest working,” Biden #2 worst president after Buchanan because “Biden did not solve one problem in this country, not one.” [24:09]

B. Affordability and Trump’s Economic Messaging

• O’Reilly discusses being “yelled at” by Trump about the economy and midterms:
  • He notes prices are up (especially insurance) but claims many measures are good, and “the press is pounding every second. Affordability, affordability, affordability.” [27:46]
  • “The economy is in pretty good shape. Stock market's good. 401k people, retirement plan, people prospering. You can get a job if you want it. Wages are up. Bacon is up. ... But a whole number of other foods are down. This is a contrived thing with one exception. Insurance costs are killing working Americans.” [27:46]
  • Offers Trump campaign advice on economic messaging.

C. The Death of General Patton: Assassination Theories

• Clay and Buck ask O’Reilly about “Killing Patton” and the theory that Patton may have been assassinated by the Soviets, not just killed in an accident.
  • O’Reilly: “Many very strange things happened … none of them added up. He should not have died in that hospital in Luxembourg. ... A lot of people, including me, suspect that he was murdered. Who would want to murder him? Russia, Stalin, Soviet Union.” [31:27]
• Caller chimes in to say his father drove the car in Patton’s accident; O’Reilly acknowledges oddities but says, “I'm not a conspiracy guy … What I lay out is 100% accurate. The only resolution to this is to exhume the general's body … and test.” [32:21–35:35]

4. Obamacare, Health Care, and Affordability

Starts: [39:15]

• Buck discusses Trump’s criticism of Obamacare at a recent roundtable, highlighting high insurance company profits:
  • Trump: “The insurance companies stock has gone up by 1700%, 1800%. ... Obamacare is a setup to make insurance companies rich. And I want to pay the people and I want the people to go out and buy their own health care. ... Obamacare is a disaster.” [40:29]
• Clay and Buck agree health care costs are a disaster for Americans, with few understanding their costs:
  • “Nobody is happy. ... I would submit to you that everyone's least favorite thing almost in the world is having to get on the phone with an insurance company adjuster...” [41:11]
• Buck notes the system’s sustainability is questionable as demographic trends shift, suggesting upcoming political battles.

5. Immigration and the Political Divide

Starts: [48:29]

• Clay discusses data showing 2 million people have ‘self-deported or been removed’ under Trump, with declining birth rates among non-citizens as evidence of increased enforcement.
• Buck plays audio from NY councilman Zoran Mamdani, giving advice to illegal immigrants about avoiding ICE, causing Buck to comment: “For Democrats, illegals are a protected class of person, Clay. And this is what is going to continue to be a huge problem for him.” [49:39]
• Clay: “They're on the wrong on this issue. They're on the wrong on every issue, which is why...they're just going to try to pivot and blame Trump for the fact that Biden's inflation drove up the prices... so substantially.” [50:15]

6. Holiday Gift-Giving Culture: “Only Kids Should Get Gifts”

Discussion Begins: [55:07]

• Clay launches a lighthearted rant against “overplayed” Christmas music and the stress of gift-giving.
• Buck agrees, proposing adults should end most gift exchanges:
  • Buck: “You get gifts for kids under 18 in your family… My little nieces and nephews, we give them gifts too… I contribute to niece and nephew college funds. ... Adults don’t need gifts.” [58:11–58:45]
• Clay: “I don’t think anybody over the age of 18 should get gifts for Christmas.” [61:15]
• Buck shares his family’s decision to only buy gifts for children, adding humor about repeated gifts: “I think when he gave me a belt for the fourth year in a row, I was like…” [59:52]
• Callers add thoughts about creative gift-exchange apps and family traditions.

7. Presidential Greatness Rankings and Historical Debates

Starts: [63:46]

• Caller Steve objects to Bill O’Reilly and Clay’s (and Buck’s) disregard of George Washington as greatest president.
  • Buck: “I would put GW in the number one spot. No question in my mind, for a whole bunch of reasons.” [64:12]
• Clay: “I'd actually put Washington three. I think that I'd put him now.” [64:29]
• Segue into light, humorous debate about the Founding Fathers’ merits and historical foibles.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Supreme Court and Ketanji Brown Jackson:
  • Buck Sexton: “She’s so deeply mired in her perspective, point of view and political ideology that she does not know the difference between the role of a judge and the role of a legislator.” [14:27]
  • Clay Travis: “I have never said this before. I would be a better Supreme Court justice than Ketanji Brown Jackson.” [06:43]
• On Presidential Rankings:
  • Bill O’Reilly: “Lincoln will always be the best president the United States.” [23:49]
  • Bill O’Reilly: “You’re the hardest working president of all time... But a lot of your policies are yet to be known…” (to Trump) [24:09]
• On Affordability:
  • Bill O’Reilly: “Insurance costs are killing working Americans, Killing them. Health insurance, car insurance, house insurance.” [27:46]
• On Healthcare:
  • Trump (via roundtable quote): “Obamacare is a setup to make insurance companies rich. And I want to pay the people and I want the people to go out and buy their own health care.” [40:29]
  • Clay Travis: “Everyone’s least favorite thing almost in the world is having to get on the phone with an insurance company adjuster…” [41:11]
• On Holiday Gift-Giving:
  • Buck Sexton: “I contribute to niece and nephew college funds. That is such an old man move, by the way.” [58:45]
  • Clay Travis: “I don’t think anybody over the age of 18 should get gifts for Christmas.” [61:15]

Timestamps of Key Segments

• 02:37 – Show kicks off: Senate run, executive authority, “deep state”
• 05:50 – KBJ Supreme Court argument audio played and discussed
• 06:43 to 17:10 – Critique of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson
• 21:17 – Bill O’Reilly joins, discussion on presidential legacies
• 27:46 – O’Reilly on affordability and the election
• 31:27 – Killing Patton and Patton assassination theories
• 39:15 – Obamacare/health care affordability segment
• 48:29 – Immigration, self-deportation, ICE controversy
• 55:07 – Holiday gift-giving, family customs and gripes
• 63:46 – Debating the greatest presidents, George Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln

Final Thoughts

The episode delivers in equal parts: sharp-edged analysis, political snark, and banter about everyday life. Clay and Buck’s critical, unapologetic style comes through strongest in their excoriation of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and their commentary on political legacies and the economy. The O’Reilly interview provides historical context, notable presidential anecdotes, and alternate theories on history’s mysteries. Lighthearted moments about Christmas traditions and family life humanize the show amid the political jousting.

This summary should provide listeners, even those who missed the episode, with a detailed roadmap of all salient discussions, arguments, and major takeaways from the December 9, 2025 “Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show.”