The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Daily Review with Clay and Buck – November 20, 2025

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Episode Overview

On this episode of The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, Buck Sexton leads a solo broadcast, diving into major political headlines and current events with his trademark blend of sharp criticism, humor, and insight. Key topics include the looming meeting between former President Trump and newly elected New York City mayor Zoran Mamdani, the pitfalls of rent control policies, major tax reform proposals in Florida with Governor Ron DeSantis, ongoing transparency issues in the FBI and government, and breaking news about the potential dismantling of the Department of Education. Frequent guests, including Governor Ron DeSantis and Senator Ron Johnson, provide detailed commentary. The tone of the conversation is both combative toward progressive policies and encouraging toward conservative reforms.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Mamdani, Trump, and the New York City Rent Freeze (03:33 – 14:59)

• Zoran Mamdani, New NYC Mayor: Buck discusses the upcoming White House meeting between Trump and Mayor Mamdani, nicknamed "Commie Mom Donnie," and frames it as emblematic of progressive mismanagement and failed policy, arguing Mamdani represents far-left, redistributive ideology.

• Rent Freeze Critique:

  • Buck delivers a lengthy critique of Mamdani's proposed rent freeze and similar left-of-center housing policies.
  • He draws parallels to socialist interventions, referencing Hayek and the "road to serfdom" (07:30).
  • Quote: “Government intervention in markets begets more government intervention in markets. The more the government tries to play God... Then there's this tendency for them to say, oh, we've created a distortion in the market. Let's fix it with more government regulation.” (07:45)
  • Buck explains how excessive regulations cause landlords to withhold properties from the market, fueling scarcity and expense, especially for young people.

• Artificial Housing Constraints:

  • Laws restrict landlord renovation cost recovery, leading to an estimated 50,000 NYC residential units vacant and uninhabitable—"off the market entirely and in disrepair" (10:17).
  • Buck notes the city’s budget reliance on its wealthiest 1%, comparing NYC’s economic setup to an oil-rich state squandering revenue on failed projects.

• Political Accountability:

  • Buck predicts Mamdani will evade responsibility for policy failures, blaming “the rich, the fat cats, the millionaires and the billionaires...Or it’s Donald Trump’s fault.” (15:02)
  • He views the Mamdani-Trump meeting as politically charged, setting up Trump as the scapegoat for future failures.

Notable Quote

“My problem with Mamdani, my Momdani-ism is he has no response ... other than to grin and tell people, we're going to make it better for you. What I just explained is the reality that there are artificial constraints on housing that make the existing housing more expensive. And instead of dealing with those constraints and letting the market [work]... he's going to punish the people you actually need to incentivize.”
— Buck Sexton, (12:41)

2. Florida Tax Reform with Governor Ron DeSantis (21:16 – 34:32)

• Proposal to Eliminate Florida’s Homestead Property Tax:

  • Governor DeSantis outlines his plan to scrap the state’s homesteaded property tax, describing the tax as a critical burden on young families and retirees alike.
  • Emphasizes Florida’s financial health (“I have a surplus, I have a maxed-out rainy day fund. I don't get property tax revenue, I don't need it.” – 23:09) and unique tax situation where much residential property is owned by non-Floridians.
  • The plan aims for a 2026 referendum, structured to prevent tax-motivated migration from blue states.

• Local Government Growth and Spending:

  • DeSantis critiques Florida local governments' spending explosion: from $32 billion (2019) to $56 billion (2025) in property tax revenue (23:39).
  • Blames “a huge increase in the size and scope of local governments because they're getting this” new revenue stream.

• Opposition to Reform:

  • Argues that resistance comes from both left-wing ideology and special interests, labeling claims the reform is a “giveaway to boomers” as a “leftist argument” (28:14–29:00).

• Comparison to NYC:

  • Points out Florida (23.5 million) operates on a budget half the size of New York’s for fewer people.
  • “New York City’s budget is bigger than the entire state of Florida’s budget... and that's before Mandami, you know, takes over the grocery stores and does things that's going to cost even more money.” (31:24)

• Criminal Justice Concerns:

  • Warns Mamdani’s “defund the police” stance will drive residents out, predicting a return to de Blasio-era disorder and worse.

Notable Quotes

"If I reduce your taxes, I'm not giving you anything. That's your property. You own it. It's not the government's."
— Gov. Ron DeSantis (28:23)

"Mandami is going to do dumb things in terms of the economy. He's going to try to raise taxes. He's obviously going to be governed by a woke agenda... but the number one thing that's going to drive people out of that city is that he hates the police."
— Gov. Ron DeSantis (32:48)

3. FBI Transparency and the Epstein Files with Senator Ron Johnson (36:05 – 48:51)

• Thomas Crooks/FBI Investigation:

  • Johnson expresses frustration at the slow pace of FBI transparency regarding Thomas Crooks, alleged assassin:
  • Quote: “There are things that are interesting that we need to kind of complete the investigation before we start publishing. But no, there's an awful lot unknown about Thomas Crooks that from my standpoint, we should have known quite some time ago.” (38:36)

• Releasing the Epstein Files:

  • Johnson supported the bipartisan push for release, contemplates concerns raised by Trump and the House about potential reputational harm for those wrongly implicated.
  • Emphasizes that the public’s demand for transparency won out: “When you for a year are, that's the number one thing that people calling to your office is, you know, vote to release the Epstein files... in the end, representative government actually works.” (43:05)

• Healthcare Policy and Filibuster:

  • Discusses GOP health reform and his support—mirroring President Trump’s—of ending the Senate filibuster to pass conservative priorities, warning Democrats will do it for their own power if Republicans don’t act first (45:21–45:52).

• FBI "Arctic Frost" Investigation:

  • Says the Biden-era FBI ran a “massive partisan dragnet really meant to cripple the Republican Party,” targeting Trump, GOP officials, and grassroots supporters in probe related to January 6th and the 2020 election (46:22).
  • Calls for exposure of coordination between federal officials and outside leftist legal groups in “lawfare."

4. Dismantling the Department of Education (54:05 – 61:06)

• Press Secretary Caroline Levitt’s Announcement:

  • The Department of Education is entering interagency agreements to transfer core responsibilities to Labor, Interior, HHS, and State, setting the stage for a full shutdown (“This brings the Trump administration much closer to finally returning education where it belongs – at the state and local level, not in Washington D.C.” – 54:47).

• Buck’s Commentary:

  • Applauds the move, calling the Department of Education a “progressive policy arm under the guise of education... part of a really a lib deep state operation for a long time.” (55:54)
  • Argues its primary function is channeling funds—not meaningful oversight or civil rights protection—making the agency unnecessary.

5. Democratic "Communism" and Political Labeling (60:33 – 61:06)

• Caroline Levitt frames Mamdani as a “communist coming to the White House,” decrying the normalization of hard-left ideology:

  • Quote: “Speaks volumes that tomorrow we have a communist coming to the White House because that's who the Democrat Party elected as the mayor of the largest city in the country.” (60:33)

• Buck expands on the historical roots of the American far-left merging with the Democratic Party; portrays current trends as more than “democratic socialism.”

6. Military, “Illegal Orders,” and Political Division (64:09 – 65:17)

• Levitt and Buck on Military PSA Controversy:
  • Levitt blasts Democrat politicians for allegedly encouraging active-duty personnel to defy lawful orders, warns it's dangerous and undermines the commander-in-chief (64:20).
  • Buck contends the PSA is an attempt to “undermine the commander in chief,” a symptom of Trump derangement, not legitimate oversight.

Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

• On rent control and housing policy:

  “Whenever the government has done something, you're like, well, that's a dumb idea. What happens later when everyone realizes it's a dumb idea? ... they generally want to do another dumb thing to fix the dumb thing they should not have done in the first place.”
  — Buck Sexton (09:13)

• On left-wing government in New York

  “New York has more billionaires than anywhere else in the country and more extreme high earners... If you had a flight of just even half of that 1%, the whole city… just can’t function.”
  — Buck Sexton (11:41)

• On the Department of Education:

  “Education Secretary Linda McMahon has started a public campaign for the end of her department. Yes, yes, that's what you like to see. The person running it saying this should not even be a job. This should go away.”
  — Buck Sexton (56:18)

• Thanksgiving Moment

  • Senator Ron Johnson shares his ideal Thanksgiving plate: “It's the turkey, it's the dressing, it's the gravy, it's the mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and corn. That is my Thanksgiving dinner. I gotta have it all in the right portions.” (48:18)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:33 – 14:59: Buck’s extended takedown of Mamdani and rent freeze policies
• 21:16 – 34:32: Governor DeSantis on tax reform, Florida politics, NYC comparison
• 36:05 – 48:51: Senator Ron Johnson on FBI, Epstein transparency, healthcare, lawfare
• 54:05 – 61:06: Announcement and analysis of Department of Education restructuring
• 60:33 – 61:06: Levitt and Buck on political labeling, “communist” Democrats
• 64:09 – 65:17: Levitt and Buck on military PSA and political attacks on Trump

Tone and Style

True to Clay and Buck's style, the discussion is irreverent, combative toward progressive leaders, supportive of small government and market-based reforms, and peppered with humor and pointed analogies. Policy critique is combined with cultural pushback, with Buck’s commentary alternating between detailed policy analysis and zingers about “commie” politicians and left-wing bureaucracies.

For New Listeners

This episode focuses on big-picture debates about government overreach, the inefficiency of left-leaning policy solutions, and the need for transparency in government. Expert guests provide inside perspectives on developments in Florida's tax policy and federal investigations. The conversation is engaging and informative, providing a clear conservative perspective on current political battles, with the humor and cultural commentary regular listeners expect.