The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Daily Review with Clay and Buck – Nov 25, 2025
Date: November 25, 2025
Host: Clay Travis (Buck Sexton traveling, joins in some segments)

Overview

This episode, hosted primarily by Clay Travis (with contributions and upcoming appearances from Buck Sexton), delivers a lively and opinionated rundown of U.S. news and politics heading into the Thanksgiving holiday. Major topics include the state of the border and crime under President Trump, the economic challenges remaining, a unique and inflammatory congressional race in Tennessee, cultural observations on dating and family, and lighter takes on movies and holiday traditions. Featured guest: data analyst Ryan Girdusky.

The signature blend of humor, populist conservatism, and cultural complaints is on display throughout, with a heavy focus on encouraging listener action and engagement, particularly in the Tennessee special election.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Thanksgiving Travel, Turkey Pardon Tradition, and Show Banter

• Travel Rush:
  • Today is described as “the busiest day in advance of Thanksgiving travel,” with Clay noting record-setting numbers (82 million expected travelers, 90% by road, 10% by air).
  • Personal anecdotes about travel plans and the importance of safe journeys.
• White House Turkey Pardon (03:06):
  • Announced as "major breaking news" and treated humorously.
  • Clay reads Donald Trump Jr.’s joke tweet:

    "How long till a leftist federal judge reverses the turkey’s pardon?"

• Producer Ali and the White House Invite (05:19):
  • The show’s producer admits she receives (and ignores) many formal invitations, including one to the turkey pardon.
  • Backs up the show's irreverent, inside-joke tone.

Presidential Performance: "EBC – Economy, Border, Crime" (09:30)

• Clay's Grade on Trump’s First Ten Months:

  • "If you look in the first year, the border, no one even talks about the border anymore… he pulled out his pen and we have never had a more secure Southern border." (13:55)
  • On crime:
    • Memphis stats cited: “Murders down 50%, assault down 40%, robbery down 60%.” (15:40)
    • Lauds the cooperation between Memphis, the state, and federal authorities.
  • On Nashville: “Murders are at a 60 year low in the city of Nashville.”
  • "It turns out when you let police officers do their jobs and when you put violent criminals behind bars and you keep them there, it turns out that cities get a lot safer. I know, go figure. It’s wild."

• Economy: The Remaining Challenge

  • Clay laments cost-of-living increases post-Biden:

    "Everything has skyrocketed… there is a visceral anger out there in America that crosses party lines from everybody that has to pull out their wallet." (17:24)

  • Personal anecdotes about sticker shock at fast food (“$30 for Subway for two, $50 for Chick-fil-A family meals”).

• Political Prognosis:

  • Predicts that economic issues will be decisive for 2026 midterms:

    “Trump has delivered on border, he's delivered on the crime. But the economy is now going to be the flashpoint, the cultural litmus test...”

Tennessee’s 7th District Congressional Race – Deep Dive (22:06 & 25:32)

• Setting up the Race:

  • Seat identified as historically Republican (+20), but Democrats are investing, hoping low Republican turnout due to holiday travel will help them steal it.

• Afton Bane, Democratic Candidate: Series of Audio Clips & Criticisms

  • On Hating Nashville:

    "I hate the city. I hate the Bachelorettes, I hate the Pedal Taverns. I hate country music…" (26:09 & 26:46)

    • Clay/Buck mock her open contempt for district culture and predict electoral doom:

      "I hate country music should immediately keep you from being able to be elected… in the entire state of Tennessee." (27:02)

  • On Family & Power:

    “I don’t want children, I want power.” (28:08)

    • Clay: “She just said there, I don’t understand what you would even classify as a successful wife if you are denigrating people who decided to get married and have kids. Now I understand everybody doesn't have kids. That's a lifestyle choice. Sometimes not even a choice.” (29:06)
  • On Gender:

    “As women who can give birth. Men and women who can give birth… Men can get pregnant.” (32:37)

• Political Atmosphere and Stakes:

  • Dems are “outspending the Republican in this race by at least a 2 to 1 margin.”
  • Low turnout expected; Clay calls for urgent action:

    “This chick should lose 90 to 10 if people show up and actually understand what she’s saying… they're counting on Republicans not showing up." (33:19, 33:47)

Interview with Ryan Girdusky: Election Analysis & Pop Culture

Early Voting Patterns and Turnout (38:44):

• District background: historically R+21, Trump +22.
• Early vote at 19% of 2024 numbers, with strong Dem turnout in Clarksville and Nashville; exurbs turning out for the GOP; rural southern part lagging.
• Prediction: “I think it'll be enough to sit there and kind of counter whatever Clarksville and Nashville throw at them. I'm not that worried. It would take, really, a monsoon…” (39:55)

2026 Election Tea Leaves (43:48):

• Dem enthusiasm is high, reflects nationwide trends.
• Dems gaining ground on “economy, cost of living, inflation, and taxes, AI.”
• GOP’s edge on border security declining in salience.
• “These early elections … do show an enthusiasm and Democrats certainly have an enthusiasm... That's why the Tennessee that you're mentioning, which is an R+20 seat, is causing some heartburn among Republicans.”
• Michigan’s Senate and Governor races identified as key 2026 bellwethers.

Pop Culture Moment—Rush Hour 4 (46:24):

• Clay: “President Trump advocated for Rush Hour 4 to be greenlit…Paramount just greenlit it.”
• Ryan: “My first intern … the only movie he loved to watch was Rush Hour. He texted me and said, Trump’s the greatest president who ever lives because of this Rush Hour movie.” (48:23)
• Banter about possible sequels; Clay suggests future "Back to the Future," "Lost Boys," and more.

Key Quote on Immigration vs. Economy for Hispanic Voters (50:16):

• “There’s this big commentary … that President Trump’s immigration policies are the reason he’s having problems with Hispanics. It is not true… It is the economy. That's what's stinging him with all these voters. Immigration is not the issue that is moving them. It is the economy right now.” – Ryan Girdusky

Modern Dating, Family Formation, and Gender Commentary (60:32+)

Caller Christie on Dating and Single Women (60:32):

“There’s a lot of us who are decent women and there was a period of time where ... dating just stopped. So the numbers of women compared to the amount of men, like there's just more women options. So guys started becoming very picky, very selective…”

• Clay’s Theory on the Current Dating Market (63:08+):
  • “Men have never had it easier than right now.”
  • “If you went back in time to 1962… guys are going to be able to have sex with almost no commitment. You're not even going to have to take girls out to dinner… send a message to 60 different girls ‘you up’ where you at now, not even using basic grammatical correctness...”
  • “What has been sold as female empowerment is actually every man's sexual fantasy from the 1950s and 1960s in real life today.”
  • Observations on falling birth rates, less family formation, and the paradox of "girlboss" culture theoretically empowering women but, in practice, benefiting men.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Time | Speaker | Quote / Moment | |---------|-----------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:06 | Clay Travis | “President Trump is going to pardon the two turkeys. We will have that breaking news from the White House soon.” (tongue-in-cheek) | | 13:55 | Clay Travis | “He has solved border issues. The number of illegal immigrants… over a million of them have left.” | | 15:40 | Clay Travis | “Murders down 50% in Memphis. Assault down 40% in Memphis. Robbery down 60%.” | | 17:24 | Clay Travis | “Everything has skyrocketed… there is a visceral anger out there in America that crosses party lines…”| | 26:09 | Candidate Audio | “I hate the city. I hate the Bachelorettes, I hate the Pedal Taverns. I hate country music. I hate all of the things that make Nashville apparently in its city to the rest of the country.” - Afton Bane | | 28:08 | Candidate Audio | “I don’t want children, I want power.” – Afton Bane | | 32:37 | Candidate Audio | “Men and women who can give birth. We could maybe leverage that as collective bargaining…” – Afton Bane| | 39:55 | Ryan Gardusky | “I'm not that worried. It would take really, a monsoon…” (on Dems flipping TN-7) | | 46:24 | Clay Travis | “President Trump advocated for Rush Hour 4 to be greenlit…Paramount just greenlit it.” | | 50:16 | Ryan Gardusky | “It is the economy. That's what's stinging him with all these voters. Immigration is not the issue…” | | 63:08 | Clay Travis | “Men have never had it easier than right now…what has been sold as female empowerment is actually every man's sexual fantasy from the 1950s and 1960s in real life today.” |

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Thanksgiving Travel & Turkey Pardon Banter: 03:06 – 06:27
• Producer Ali and White House Invite: 05:19 – 06:27
• Clay’s “EBC” Trump Performance Review: 13:00 – 19:15
• Memphis Crime Down, Nashville Safety: 15:40 – 17:24
• Economy and Sticker Shock: 17:24 – 20:00
• Tennessee 7th Congressional Deep Dive & Afton Bane Clips: 22:06 – 33:47
• Interview with Ryan Girdusky: 38:44 – 52:32
• Pop Culture Interlude (Rush Hour 4): 46:24 – 49:27
• Modern Dating, Family, and Gender Commentary: 60:32 – 75:10

Tone and Language

The episode is energetic, direct, irreverently humorous, and unapologetically populist-conservative. Clay frequently leans into hyperbolic metaphors, personal anecdotes, and blunt assessments of both social and political issues.

In Summary

This episode provides a snapshot of the show’s approach: conservative optimism on Trump’s first year (except on inflation), strong warnings about the endurance of culture war battles at the local level (especially in Tennessee), laments on the economic landscape, and sharp-tongued cultural critique—plus a side of pop culture.

Frequent calls for action and listener engagement (“Go vote,” “Wake up!”), along with in-depth guest analysis, make it engaging and informational for anyone interested in U.S. news and politics.