Daily Review with Clay and Buck - Oct 10 2025

Summary

The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Daily Review with Clay and Buck – Oct 10, 2025
Date: October 10, 2025
Host: Clay Travis and Buck Sexton (with Ben Ferguson guest hosting)
Notable Guests: Jason Miyares (Attorney General of Virginia), Jack Carr (Author & Former Navy SEAL)

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Episode Overview

This episode zeroes in on headline political and legal controversies, spotlighting the federal indictment of New York Attorney General Letitia James, the heated Virginia Attorney General’s race (with firsthand insight from current AG Jason Miyares), and cultural-political flashpoints including media hypocrisy, left-wing violence, and cancel culture. The hosts weave through these stories with their trademark blend of incisive commentary and humor, culminating in an extended segment with bestselling author Jack Carr that explores the process of writing modern military thrillers, their intersection with real-world events, and the enduring appeal of the genre.

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Main Topics & Key Insights

1. Letitia James Indictment: Legal and Political Fallout

Timestamps: 02:06–17:01

• Breaking News: Letitia James, New York’s Attorney General, has been federally indicted for mortgage fraud. Clay and Ben dissect the legal and moral ramifications, focusing on irony and perceived double standards.
• The Legal Case:
  • The case’s simplicity, involving improper claims of two “primary” residences, draws parallels to cases prosecuted under her own watch.
  • Clay stresses the seriousness of the charge for a state’s chief law enforcement officer:

    "You can't have a chief law enforcement officer of the state of New York who is under federal indictment for mortgage fraud executing the office..." (11:11 – Clay Travis).

• Political Irony: James’s prior zeal in pursuing Trump for related charges is highlighted:

  "She played with fire and now she’s seeing that can go both ways, no doubt." (13:23 – Ben Ferguson).

• Debate on Her Future:
  • Should James step down? Clay and Ben question why more voices (including NY Governor Kathy Hochul) aren't demanding her resignation.
  • Clay: "I think she’s going to have to step down. And I’m surprised that more people aren’t already raising this as an issue." (11:48)
• Double Standards: The hosts point out that officials and lawyers connected to Trump have faced removal for less, highlighting inconsistencies.

Notable Quotes:

• “The law either applies to everyone or should apply to no one. And by the way, here she is... making that very point.” (09:31 – Ben Ferguson)
• “She’s benefited because she’s in a blue state. But there have been disbarment proceedings brought against Trump-related officials... for far less than felony mortgage charges.” (10:51 – Clay Travis)

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2. Virginia Attorney General Race & Jay Jones Controversy

Guest: Jason Miyares, current AG of Virginia
Timestamps: 21:57–36:17

• Vile Texts Surface: Democratic nominee Jay Jones is under fire for text messages wishing death on his GOP rival’s children and equating him to Hitler and Pol Pot.

  • Miyares: “At the age, the ages of Todd’s children when he sent these text messages... they were 2 and 5 years old...” (23:30)

• Democrat Response:

  • Democrats outside Virginia are denouncing Jones; Virginia Democrats are largely silent or deflecting.
  • Miyares: “Political class in Virginia says... he needs to be held accountable. But they don’t say what accountability looks like. I think Virginia voters are going to hold him accountable for sure.” (24:16)

• Broader Impact:

  • Discussion centers on rising acceptance of political violence and the stakes for democracy.
  • Miyares: "This election now in Virginia is not about right versus left. It's about right versus wrong." (27:38)

• Law Enforcement Support: Law enforcement groups denounce Jones, emphasizing his anti-police remarks and willingness to tolerate or encourage political violence.

• Virginia Crime Drop: On Miyares’ record:

  • "City of Roanoke, 62% drop in our murder rate. We've had a double digit drop in our violent crime rate..." (33:58 – Jason Miyares)
  • Focus on targeting repeat violent offenders and removing fentanyl from streets.

Notable Quotes:

• Clay Travis: “I mean, do I think Todd, who was the speaker of the House and Jennifer his wife are evil and that they’re breeding little fascist. Yes, I mean this is vile, vile things that J. Jones is saying.” (29:56)
• Jason Miyares: "Once you've actually experienced that, you can't even imagine that on your... even if they're your political enemy." (30:55)

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3. Government Shutdown, Middle East Peace, and Trump’s Role

Timestamps: 37:31–41:18

• Government Shutdown Update: Speaker Mike Johnson blames Democrats, referencing an upcoming "Hate America rally". Hosts argue that for the first time, Democrats are publicly shouldering the blame.
  • Ben: "...first shutdown I can remember where Democrats are getting squarely the blame..." (38:36)
• Middle East Truce & Hostage Release: Clay predicts the Trump-brokered truce and return of hostages will dominate headlines.
  • "Even for Trump’s detractors, that will be an event that is very difficult not to imagine it. Leading news all through Monday." (39:11)
• Theme: Democrats, pressured by their radical base (especially in NY), are unable to negotiate or resolve quickly.

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4. Left-Wing Violence, the Media, and Antifa Denial

Timestamps: 41:24–46:42

• Antifa Denial: The White House and Jimmy Kimmel are lampooned for downplaying Antifa’s existence.
  • Kimmel: “There’s no antifa. This is an entirely imaginary organization...” (42:18)
  • Clay: "I've seen Antifa... this is the typical way this goes, right? They say that's not happening. Then they say, okay, it happens, but not very often. Then they go to, yeah, it's happening and it's a good thing." (43:52)
• Media’s Double Standard: The show criticizes how left-wing attacks—including those targeting Supreme Court justices—vanish from the news, while right-wing violence (e.g., Jan 6) is endlessly discussed.
  • Ben: "Jan6 happens, and they talk about it for years and they refuse to allow it to vanish. Meanwhile, there's an assassin outside of Brett Kavanaugh's house..." (45:27)

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5. Cancel Culture and Media Hypocrisy

Timestamps: 47:21–51:23

• Jimmy Kimmel & Media Spin: Kimmel complains about being “mischaracterized” after falsely attributing violence to MAGA supporters; the hosts reject his defense and discuss cancel culture.
  • Clay: "We never apologized for an actual opinion... I don't think there was a mischaracterization." (48:54)
  • Both reinforce their opposition to cancel culture and advocate for free speech, even for controversial or “moronic” statements by creators.

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6. Interview: Jack Carr – Writing, TV Adaptations, and Inspiration

Guest: Jack Carr (Author, Former Navy SEAL)
Timestamps: 56:02–69:49

• Dark Wolf & Terminal List Success:
  • Carr celebrates the runaway success of his streaming series and his latest book, Cry Havoc.
  • “Both went to number one on Prime Video, which is not bad.” (56:30)
• Behind the Scenes:
  • Details how actors like Chris Pratt and Taylor Kitsch were cast, the challenge of juggling writing and production, and the exhaustive research for Cry Havoc set in 1968.
  • "Balance is a bit of a misnomer... It’s just mass chaos. But I feel extremely fortunate..." (58:45)
• Advice for Aspiring Writers:
  • Focus solely on writing the best possible book before anything else.
  • “Don’t worry about anything else but writing that book... all that bandwidth is now bandwidth that is not going into making that product... the best that it can possibly be.” (60:55)
• Process, Inspiration & Predicting Reality:
  • Carr outlines his writing process—title/theme, executive summary, outline, then narrative—and credits a host of authors for inspiration (Clancy, Morrell, Ludlum, Le Carre, etc.).
  • “Every sentence in this book has to be written through the lens of 1968...” (59:09)
  • Often, real-world events catch up with or echo his fiction, but he doesn’t force current events into stories: “I just focus on the story... But things have happened that I’ve written about that I didn’t. It looks like I’m projecting something... but I certainly do not.” (64:50)
• Best War Movies:
  • Carr’s picks: Band of Brothers, Platoon, Uncommon Valor, Apocalypse Now, Longest Day (67:23–68:26).
• Celebrity Fans:
  • Carr is still in awe that David Morrell (creator of Rambo) and Charlie Sheen are fans of his work.

Notable Quotes:

• “My job is to be the people’s protector of everyone. That’s such a different mindset from someone who says, I would like to see... my political opponents have two bullets in their head.” (27:09 – Jason Miyares)
• Jack Carr: “If you have a story to tell, write it. Don’t get bogged down in websites, agents, or social media—write the book first, make it as good as it can possibly be.” (60:55)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Letitia James
  • "She’s prosecuting people right now for the crime that she has been indicted for in Virginia. That feels to me to be untenable." (11:05 – Clay Travis)
• On Political Violence
  • "We have some chapters in our history, obviously as our country, but we settled a long time ago. We don’t settle our differences with bullets. We settle them at the ballot box." (28:02 – Jason Miyares)
• On Media Hypocrisy
  • “Meanwhile, there's an assassin outside of Brett Kavanaugh's house who is trying to kill him to ensure that Roe v. Wade is not overturned. We still don't know who the leaker was..." (46:42 – Clay Travis)
• On Cancel Culture
  • "I think if you're in creative space, any comedian out there, you're sometimes going to speak inarticulately and sometimes you're going to say moronic things. And I think as long as you are doing your best... I don't think we should try to cancel people." (49:36 – Clay Travis)

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Important Timestamps (mm:ss)

• Letitia James Indictment Analysis: 02:06–17:01
• VA AG Race & Jay Jones Scandal: 21:57–36:17
• Shutdown & Middle East Discussion: 37:31–41:18
• Antifa Denial & Media Critique: 41:24–46:42
• Cancel Culture Segment: 47:21–51:23
• Jack Carr Extended Interview: 56:02–69:49

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Tone

The episode blends serious political, legal, and cultural commentary with irreverent humor and a conversational, rapid-fire style. The hosts aren’t shy about expressing outrage, especially over perceived double standards, threats of political violence, and the failings of legacy media and cultural institutions. Throughout, they maintain an “insider” yet accessible tone—especially in the writing and publishing discussion with Jack Carr—which should feel both energizing and revealing for regular listeners and newcomers alike.

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Summary

This episode delivers a critical, often biting review of the week’s biggest stories shaping US politics and culture—from the downfall of a powerful state attorney general to the raw underbelly of campaign rhetoric, left-wing violence, and media spin. The show balances the urgency of these developments with a refreshing inside look at modern thriller writing and adaptation for screen—all delivered with Clay and Ben’s trademark wit and candor.

Recommended for:

• Listeners who want sharp, uncompromising political analysis with a populist edge
• Those interested in legal controversies, campaign ethics, and media culture
• Fans of military thrillers and writing process insights

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For more engaging discussions, analysis, and interviews, catch The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show weekdays. Find their podcast feed on iHeartRadio or your favorite podcast app.

Transcript

[Ben Ferguson]

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[Ben Ferguson]

The truth became a web of lies.

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From prologue projects and Pushkin Industries. This is Fiasco Benghazi.

[Jason Miyares]

What difference at this point does it make?

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Listen to Fiasco Benghazi on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ben Ferguson]

I'm Ben Ferguson.

[Ted Cruz]

And I'm Ted Cruz. Three times a week we do our podcast Verdict with Ted Cruz.

[Ben Ferguson]

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Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, we break down the news and bring you behind the scenes inside the White House, inside the Senate, inside the United States Supreme Court.

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We arm you with the facts to be able to know and advocate for the truth with your friends and family.

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[Clay Travis]

Wherever you get your podcasts, people ask us all the time how we can save the next generation.

[Ben Ferguson]

We've got our show and the info is an antidote. But we also have a couple books coming out, Clay.

[Clay Travis]

That's right. And you can pre order both of them right now and be book nerds just like us.

[Ben Ferguson]

You'll laugh, you'll nod, and you'll get smarter, too.

[Clay Travis]

Mine's called Balls How Trump Young Men in Sports Saved America.

[Ben Ferguson]

And mine is Manufacturing Delusion how the Left Uses Brainwashing, Indoctrination, and Propaganda against you.

[Clay Travis]

Both are great reads. One might even say they would make fabulous gifts.

[Ben Ferguson]

Indeed. So do us a solid and pre order yours on Amazon today. Welcome in everybody, to the Friday edition of the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. I am in a great mood today, Clay, because I am finally home after almost two and a half weeks of travel. Saw Ginger Spice by the front door. It's not that she's the most important, it's just that she's the fastest on four legs. She came up and gave me a big hello this morning. Saw my beautiful Wife Carrie, my adorable baby. And I'm finally home. So yay for that. Also, some really good news for the whole world. The truce goes into effect between Israel and Hamas. So that's great news. And President Trump deserves so much credit on this, so much so that even some of his adversaries and enemies are saying, yeah, that's a pretty good one. Tells you, I think, all you need to know. But let me tell you what else you need to know. For the show today, we have Jason Meares, the Attorney General of Virginia, and he's going to talk about this other guy who wants to be an Attorney General for the state of Virginia, who had some text messages released that were not good. We'll talk about that. The Virginia race also getting a lot of attention because of the debate. We are going to take you right into this. Allison Spamberger. Span Burger. Whatever. Abigail. I said Abigail, didn't I?

[Clay Travis]

I think you said Allison. I. But I think it's the same.

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Whatever.

[Ben Ferguson]

I actually didn't mean to do that. But it's the same.

[Clay Travis]

The point is, nobody knows Spanberger is her last name. You got that part right.

[Ben Ferguson]

I got that part right. The whole thing is, who are you voting for? I don't know. She's a Democrat, she's a woman. What does she stand for? Nobody really knows. And that's the whole game. Well, they tried that on the debate stage and it didn't work out well for her. One of the worst debate performances I've seen in a. Well, very long time. Not quite Joe Biden level debate performance, but pretty terrible. Uh, so we will play some of the lowlights of that for you, and I am looking forward to it. Also, our friend Jack Carr, former Navy seal, author of the Terminal List series, and he's got. He's got the series on Amazon right now.

[Clay Travis]

Black Wolf.

[Ben Ferguson]

It's awesome. It's doing great stuff. It's actually worth watching everybody. Unlike a lot of stuff you see on the streaming services. So we'll talk to him. But, Clay. Oh, my. Right after we got off the show yesterday, the news came out that New York State's Attorney General, Leticia James, has been indicted for mortgage fraud. Here is what she has to say about this clip. Thirteen, hit it.

[Clay Travis]

This is nothing more than a continuation.

[Ben Ferguson]

Of the President's desperate weaponization of our justice system. He is forcing federal law enforcement agencies to do his bidding. All because I did my job as a New York State Attorney General.

[Clay Travis]

These charges are baseless, and the President's own public statements make clear that his.

[Ben Ferguson]

Only goal is political retribution at any cost. Clay, I have a lot of thoughts on this. I'm sure you will, too. I want to start with this one. The charges aren't baseless. I mean, you know, you could say a lot about it. And I actually believe that some of these laws, and specifically mortgage fraud, unless it's systematic and intentional and over a large. I mean, the mortgage fraud laws are. Needs. Need to be reformed. I will say that. But that doesn't change the fact that she's an attorney general, put other people in prison for mortgage fraud, had no problem with it. Used statutes in ways they never had been used before to try to bankrupt Donald Trump. But let's just look at it this way, Clay. She broke the law based on the allegations. Unless the facts are in dispute here, which they don't seem to be, she broke the law.

[Clay Travis]

Well, I would go back to the same thing I said when James Comey was indicted. This was a grand jury. This was a grand jury in a Northern Virginia, I believe, Alexandria as well, courtroom. So what I would ask Letitia James, if she were on the radio with us right now, we played that clip, is why did the grand jury get it wrong? Because you can say, oh, Trump is going after his political adversaries, but it requires that a grand jury agree that there is a legitimate basis for these charges to be brought. And that is not a grand jury of your or mine peers. Buck, this is not where I live in Nashville, Tennessee area. This is not where you live in the Miami, Florida area. This is among the best possible grand jury pools that Letitia James could have. They probably voted as a group, 7030 Biden, 7030 Kamala. And they are looking at all this evidence and they are saying, we think Letitia James broke the law. I will say this. It's another one we got right. This is not a very complicated case because everybody has to fill out these forms. And if you are a lawyer and you are in charge of enforcing the law in one of the biggest states in the country, I think a lot of people out there do not give you the benefit of the doubt if there are parts of the mortgage application that are wrong that are favorable to you. This is not your average guy or gal out there who's running through a mortgage form as fast as they can. When you pass a bar exam and when you are charged with enforcing the law for, again, one of the biggest states in the country, I think that you have a higher standard of expecting to understand what you are filling out when it comes to Mortgages. And so I think that she's in a tough spot. And of course, this is a delicious irony, as it were, because she went after Trump for alleged fraud when it came to the loan proceedings that he was able to get relating to his assets and the loans that he had repaid. And so this is based on a property that she owns in Virginia that evidently she has lied about what it's being used for.

[Ben Ferguson]

Well, yeah, she said that she had two primary residences, and the word primary is a problem for her there. Everybody knows what that means. You can't have two primary residences. And Clay, beyond that. So. So there's the facts of this, which are very straightforward. And I'm sorry, but if you're the Attorney General of New York, to Clay's point, you should understand the law really better than anybody and should be held to a standard that you've held everyday Americans to. It's a very straightforward question. Have people gone to prison for mortgage fraud like this in New York State with Tish James overseeing the prosecutorial offices that do this? Because it's all federal? The answer is yes. So if somebody can go to prison for this, she can go to prison for this. And people might say, oh, that's harsh. Well, to that I say it is harsh. But either the elites, and that includes prosecutors, live under the laws they use against us, or we are in a tyranny, my friends. The law either applies to everyone or should apply to no one. And by the way, here she is, this is cut 14, making that very point. Clay, play it.

[Clay Travis]

The President of these United States is.

[Ben Ferguson]

Not above the law.

[Clay Travis]

No matter how rich, powerful, or politically connected you are, everyone must play by the same rules. Please sue him for us.

[Ben Ferguson]

Oh, we're going to definitely sue him.

[Ted Cruz]

We're going to be a real pain in the.

[Ben Ferguson]

She said everyone has to play by the same rules. Looks like she broke the rules according to this grand jury. She certainly did. I mean, Clay, also, if she didn't do this, this wouldn't be where it is. This is a very straightforward crime. This is, in fact, the crime that they try to get the corrupt congressman in the show, the Wire on. And, and they. And they call it at that time, the, quote, headshot, because you can go away for years based on mortgage fraud.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah. She's facing up to 30 years in prison now, again, which is insane.

[Ben Ferguson]

Which is insane. And we can all, like, by the way, we can all agree that's insane, but change the laws, everybody. There's these. Some of these federal laws are absurd. It should only be, you know, multiple counts, accounts systemic. Essentially a RICO situation. Like if you did this 50 times, OK, yeah, you should face maybe 30 years. I know she'll only probably get, if she's found guilty, six months or something. But again, James Comey, we're seeing a pattern here. Comey sent Martha Stewart to prison for a little fib that didn't matter. Comey told a little fib, too. Guess what?

[Clay Travis]

More significantly, too, I don't know how she remains the New York Attorney General. If you are the chief law enforcement officer of a state and you are facing felony charges, I don't understand how you remain in that position. And she's benefited because she's in a blue state. But there have been disbarment proceedings brought against Trump related officials who have law degrees for far less than felony mortgage charges. So my question would be for everybody out there listening on war and all over the state of New York, and this would be a question that I think Kathy Hochul should have to answer. How can you have a chief law enforcement officer of the state of New York who is under federal indictment for mortgage fraud, executing the, executing the office of New York Attorney General. Because, look, Buck, she's prosecuting people right now for the crime that she has been indicted for in Virginia. That feels to me to be untenable. I think she's going to have to step down. And I'm surprised that more people aren't already raising this as an issue because again, when you are the chief law enforcement official of a state and you are facing felony charges, how in the world can you be expected to be a fair and impartial ruler of the law when you're prosecuting people for felony charges that you yourself face? That seems like a tough putt to say.

[Ben Ferguson]

It's a huge problem. Huge problem. And there's more irony here. There's a lot of irony in this whole situation. Remember, she brought effectively mortgage fraud charges against now civilly. But to bankrupt hundreds of millions of dollars worth of this, to bankrupt the Trump Organization, even though the banks involved with them said it was great, we would do it again, there was no problem here. Look, what are you talking. And her, her valuations for properties were absurd. I mean, to say that Mar A Lago is worth $16 million or something, this is, this is truly bonkers. Nobody would ever say that. But beyond that, Clay, she's going to. I mentioned Clay Davis, who's actually the guy, a different Clay, the guy from the wire who is prosecuted for mortgage fraud. That's how they get the politician and what does he do? He appeals to the jury on sort of purely emotional political grounds. He really goes for jury nullification. Here is Leticia James. This is just a quick one. This cut 15. She told everybody she was going after Trump for political reasons. Play it.

[Clay Travis]

It's important that everyone understand that the.

[Ben Ferguson]

Days of Donald Trump are coming to an end. Prosecutors should not be saying things like that. Okay? Correct. Especially when they're bringing active charges against somebody. She played with fire and now she's seeing that can go both ways, no doubt.

[Clay Travis]

And again, I would love team see if there's been any questioning. Of course there probably hasn't because the New York media is mostly left wing. But I'm surprised there hasn't been more discussion about how Letitia James can stay in office given that she has felony charges against her. I mean judges would typically have to recuse themselves from any sort of judicial proceeding if they were facing felony charges. How can Letitia James stay in the office of New York ag? Now the answer is politically this might actually be good for right because it elevates her profile. And in the left, if you're fighting Trump, I was laughing when Trump said, hey, we should arrest JB Pritzker. That Gavin Newsom has to be so mad. You know, Gavin Newsom's like, why won't he say he has to arrest me? You know, like Gavin Newsom was probably throwing his, his wine glass against the wall when he saw that J.B. pritzker and Brandon Johnson are getting threatened with arrest over ice and not him. But in all honesty, I'm going to, you know, I'll tweet this out, but I haven't seen anybody asking that question. It feels like a no brainer that she would have to immediately step down as New York Attorney General. You can't prosecute cases that are similar to the ones that you are facing from a felon basis.

[Ben Ferguson]

Here's where my guess, Clay, I have to look at the New York state laws about this, but my guess is that like a judge recusing himself or herself, there's some degree of, it's like up to the person unless they get maybe pressured from the legislature in New York state that hey look, you either can step aside or we'll remove you. And I just think that she'll be able to. Again, I'm totally spitballing here, but my sense is she will be able to rely on the anti Trump lunacy of any Democrats. Of course, the New York State assembly is Democrat and the governor is a Democrat. So there won't be pressure on her, I think, from her own party in New York State to step aside. So unless there's clear, you know, written out law that you must, which I don't think there is, or we would have already heard about it, she'll be able to ride this out in office until the actual trial happens. That's my. Do you agree with that or you.

[Clay Travis]

See that going a different way? I don't. I mean, I'm working through in my head the legal ethics morass, for lack of a better way to describe it, on who lawyers can represent is enough to make your eyeballs roll back into your head the conflicts and the withdrawals and the mandatory aspects of things.

[Ben Ferguson]

But do you think she stays in office or not?

[Clay Travis]

I think that she has to. I'm going to send this tweet out, but I think she has to step down. I don't understand. Well, I understand she'll fight it. And again, this is political versus legal, which is two different fronts like we talked about.

[Ben Ferguson]

So that's what I mean. There's probably a good faith. Oh, you should recuse yourself in the, in the ethics, you know, the written ethics about the attorney general for New York. But my guess is it's not an automatic. And if it's not an automatic, then it relies on pressure from other Democrats who can. I'm sure, you know, she could be fired by the, by the governor. She could be removed from office, I'm sure by the state legislature. There's processes in place usually for things like that. Clay, I don't think they're going to do that. I think they're going to let her fight this thing out and see how it goes with a jury. That's my guess. We'll see.

[Clay Travis]

Look, and I'm going to tee off here, so get ready for some popcorn if you want to see the reaction. What I'm about to post here in addition to what we've said, obviously, but this may be one of the first weeks in a long time. Buck, have you seen the videos? I was in Tel Aviv where all of the hostage protesters have been gathering for years now. The celebration in the streets of Israel is extraordinary to see with the 20 living hostages brought back. Ali, Producer Ali and I got to talk with a dad who's had a son that was hell. I can't even imagine. For those of you who are parents and grandparents, can you even comprehend what it would be like to have Hamas holding your kids or your grandkids hostage for the past two years? And God willing, on Monday, those surviving hostages are finally going to be brought back home. And that's due to the work of President Trump. That's due to the work of a lot of really good people, Christians, Jews, people of good faith all over the country. And we're so proud to be a part of that. With the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. They do incredible work. They show the world that Israel is not alone. The fellowship between Christians and Jews is stronger in many ways than it ever has been before. You can join that fellowship and the Flags of fellowship [e-mail] that is ifcj.org It's a phenomenal time. Thanks to President Trump, thanks to Benjamin Netanyahu and all of the good Christians and Jews in the world out there standing on the side of good. Join the side of good. Fight back against [e-mail] that's ifcj.org 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.

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[Leon Neyfak]

Was making a podcast about Benghazi. Nine times out of ten, they called me a masochist, rolled their eyes, or.

[Ben Ferguson]

Just asked why Benghazi? The truth became a web of lies.

[Leon Neyfak]

It's almost a dirty word, one that connotes conspiracy theory.

[Ben Ferguson]

Will we ever get the truth about the Benghazi massacre?

[Leon Neyfak]

Bad faith, police, political warfare, and frankly, bullshit.

[Jason Miyares]

We kill the ambassador just to cover something up. You put two and two together.

[Leon Neyfak]

Was it an overblown distraction or a sinister conspiracy?

[Clay Travis]

Benghazi is a Rosetta Stone for everything that's been going on for the last 20 years.

[Leon Neyfak]

I'm Leon Neyfak from Prologue Projects and Pushkin Industries. This is Fiasco Benghazi.

[Jason Miyares]

What difference at this point does it make?

[Ben Ferguson]

Yes, that's right. Lock her up.

[Leon Neyfak]

Listen to Fiasco Benghazi on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ben Ferguson]

I'm Ben Ferguson.

[Ted Cruz]

And I'm Ted Cruz. Three times a week, we do our podcast, Verdict with Ted Cruz.

[Ben Ferguson]

Nationwide, we have millions of listeners.

[Ted Cruz]

Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, we break down the news and bring you behind the scenes inside the White House, inside the Senate, inside the United States Supreme Court.

[Ben Ferguson]

And we cover the stories that you're not getting anywhere else.

[Ted Cruz]

We arm you with the facts to be able to know and advocate for the truth with your friends and family.

[Ben Ferguson]

So download Verdict with Ted Cruz now, wherever you get your podcasts.

[Clay Travis]

Welcome back in Clay Travis Buck Sexton show. Appreciate all of you. We are joined now by the current Attorney General of Virginia, Jason Meares, who is right now in the midst of a very close race against Jay Jones, who is the Democrat nominee. We were just playing a lot of cuts from the governor's debate last night, Jason, which I'm assuming that you watched in full. And for people out there who have not heard, I jotted down a lot of the awful things that J. Jones said, and we'll run through them. But can you believe that he's still running for the office of Attorney General based on the stories that are out there right now about calling for someone's kids who was the Virginia speaker of the House to die, to send them a message saying they're being raised as fascists? I mean, it's truly vile and reprehensible. And I was kind of stunned that anybody would say it, much less somebody who's running to be the chief law enforcement officer of a state.

[Jason Miyares]

Yeah, I mean, I gotta admit, as Attorney General, your job, your number one job is to stop violence. I can't imagine someone running for this position has advocated for it. And you know, part of why this has been so surreal for me is I previously prior to being Attorney General, I served in the General assembly in Virginia with Jay and Todd. Todd Gilbert. Todd is a personal friend of mine. In fact, during session, me, him and another legislators would get an Airbnb. He was my roommate during session. He's a personal friend. I know Jennifer, so does Jay Jones. I mean Jennifer Gilbert would come to the Assembly. Jennifer Gilbert would bring her children. You would see them running down the hall or on the House floor. So this wasn't some hypothetical. Part of what makes this so startling to me was the fact that at the age, the ages of Todd's children when he sent these text messages was they were 2 and 5 years old. Yeah. And I got to tell you on this first broke my team was all like you've got to get a statement out. I said just stop. I need some time to process this because just imagine this politics aside, imagine somebody saying this about a friend of yours and their family. Imagine how you would feel. And so the idea that he would say this about someone he knows, someone he's worked with, children that he has met, I think has just made this at a different level. That has just astonished me. And you know, it seems like you are seeing a few Democrats outside of Virginia that clearly have indicated he they can't vote for him. But as far as right now, the political class class in Virginia right now is saying these are horrible texts. He needs to be held accountable. But they don't say what accountability looks like. I think Virginia voters are going to hold him accountable for sure.

[Ben Ferguson]

Well, Mr. M.E. attorney General Mears, I got to ask the moment where on the debate stage, and we played it for this audience just a few minutes ago where the Lieutenant Governor asked Abigail Spanberger if she still endorses Jay Jones for Attorney General. How can you have somebody who is hoping to be governor who can't even say that the attorney general from her or the would be attorney general from her party has her full endorsement. It just seems like this is a should be a non starter.

[Jason Miyares]

Well, it's clear. It's clear. That's where we are now. And just to remind people that Abigail Spamberger had asked for Ralph Northam's resignation as governor, the previous Governor, over a 30 year old yearbook photo. But to your point, I mean I think there should be a question asked of every elected Democrat or even elected official on either side of the Iowa in Virginia if someone was applying for a job to work in your office. And it came during their vetting that they had sent these and expressed these sentiments and had actually wished or they hoped a two and five year old child would die in their mother's arm. Would you still hire them? Well, then the extra question, the answer is no. Then why would you vote to elevate this person to be literally the top prosecutor in the entire Commonwealth of Virginia? And it just shows. And just for your listeners to realize the background, like what, what set Jay Jones on this path is he was very upset that Todd Gilbert had said nice words in memory of a moderate Democrat that served in the assembly that had passed away. He was angry that Todd was saying something nice about a member of his own party. And his response was that he wanted to be able to pit on the graves of his political opponents. I mean, think about that, where you're coming from and for your listeners. You know, I keep a sign in my office in Richmond. It's one of my favorite quotes from Thomas Jefferson. And it is this. I have never found a difference of opinion in politics, philosophy or religion to be caused to withdrawal from a friend. It's just a reminder for me and my job that I may disagree with you politically. I'm not going to withdraw my friendship for you. I met with victims. I had never once asked a victim of a crime whether they ever voted for me what party they are. I don't care. My job is to be the people's protector of everyone. That's such a different mindset of someone who says, I would like to see a, you know, my political opponents have two bullets in their head. And when he's texted by his colleague Jay, you're literally saying you're hoping that Jennifer Gilbert's children die in her arms. Your response is yes, because it is only through change that pain, through pain that change occurs. Well, that is an incredibly dark worldview to think that you have to inflict pain on individuals to somehow achieve a political objective. That is a, you know, we have some chapters in our history, obviously as our country, but we settled a long time ago. We don't, we don't settle our differences with bullets. We settle them at the ballot box. And that's a sign of a vibrant democracy. And so it's a, I do think this election now in Virginia is not about right versus left. It's about right versus wrong. It's about a basic standard of decency. And candidly, it's just nationwide, what is the signal that can you say anything you want about Your opposition even saying you hope violence against their family and there not be a political price. And I think I trust Virginians are going to get it right. But I think the stakes here for the larger nation is a sobering one.

[Clay Travis]

Let me hit you with some of those quotes. You mentioned them a lit a little bit. I am reading from the New York Times, which actually managed to cover it today. At one point, Jay Jones, as you said, remarked that he would quote on the graves of Republican delegates when they died. He went on to say that if he had two bullets and a gun and his choice was to shoot Adolf Hitler, the former Cambodian dictator Pol Pot, or Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert, a Republican, that he would shoot Mr. Gilbert twice. And he said spoiler, put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people, you know, and he receives both bullets every time. He also said that he hoped that Jennifer Gilbert's children would die and he didn't back down. He said, yes, I've told you this before, only when people feel pain personally do they move on policies. He then said, I mean, do I think Todd, who was the speaker of the House and Jennifer his wife are evil and that they're breeding little fascist. Yes, I mean this is vile, vile things that J. Jones is saying. So are you surprised you mentioned that there are some Democrats out of the state that are saying. Even Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said, yeah, I would have trouble voting for, for Jay Jones. He's the Democrat governor of Kentucky. Are you surprised that Virginians in the Democrat party so far are staying rock ribbed behind Jay Jones given what he, what he did, what we know that he said?

[Jason Miyares]

Yeah, I mean I am surprised. I candidly am very surprised. But I do think that there has been a disconnect between the political leadership and where everyday Virginians are. Obviously it's something I am hearing about constantly when I am out talking to individuals. But think about this as well. What this also tells me that about my opponent is that he's never actually met with real mothers that have actually lost their children to violence. I have, I have met the moms of murdered victims and I could tell you that right now there is no cry like the cry of a mother that has lost her child. There's nothing like it. It is, it is soul searing. And once you've actually experienced that, you, you can't even imagine that on your, on anybody, you know, even if they're your political enemy. But it just shows that he is a, he's, he's not prepared. He's obviously reckless with his judgment and he has a worldview that is. Is completely incompatible with this office, period. And don't forget, it also has come out that he apparently told another colleague that as far as, you know, police violence, that he said, if you could get rid of qualified immunity to sue police personally and maybe if some cops died and actually they would change their behavior. And so you've seen the Fraternal Order Police and a host of other law enforcement organizations also have come out. You had a group of sheriffs and commonwealth attorneys in Virginia say that he should not stay in the race. So you've seen law enforcement has come out quite forcefully saying, we don't want him to be the top prosecutor in the state.

[Jack Carr]

Period.

[Jason Miyares]

And so you have seen, I think, not surprisingly, an enormous amount of courage from our law enforcement heroes that have come out quite forcefully, a lot of which are apolitical. The Virginia State Police association, which normally rarely ever delves into anything slightly political, has come out quite forcefully about these remarks. Because the hardest thing for me is attending the end of watch funerals for officers that have died in the line of duty. That is by far the most difficult moment that you ever have as a public official. You realize it's the hardest job in America. And you just sit back and you think, I can't imagine. Not that I think we'd ever attend, but somebody who actually has wished, because when you talk to these family members and they talk about the job and the burden of the badge and what it means to carry the shield every day. And earlier this year, I attended the end of watch with Officer Cameron Girvin, Officer Christopher Reese. They died February 22nd of this year. Two officers in Virginia beach gunned down in the line of duty. You know, you talk to those family. You know, Cameron left behind a wife who had just found out she was pregnant with a baby girl. I mean, you. You get those stories, you meet these law enforcement guardians, and you realize what Jay Jones has said. This worldview of violence against individuals to advance agenda is so outside of the normal frameworks. I think he's disqualified himself from the job.

[Ben Ferguson]

Attorney General Miaris, could you just tell everybody with the couple of minutes we have left, what have you done as Attorney General that has had real impact that you're proud of, that has shown the kind of law enforcement focus in the. I love Virginia. It's a state that. It's like a top five in terms of time spent state for me, I would say so. I'm. I have family in Charlottesville. I'm very, very fond of Virginia. Tell everybody what you've been doing in your state.

[Jason Miyares]

Yeah, well, listen, when I came in the office, Virginia had a murder rate at a 20 year high, violent crime rate at a 30 year high, the highest levels of addiction deaths ever recorded. And I had this novel idea, Clay. I said, I'm going to, I'm going to work with law enforcement, not work against them. We also saw that we had unacceptable violence. Our murder rate was driven by violence in certain areas of the state, certain of our localities. We saw that 5% of felons were committing over 50% of the violent felonies. So we went after these repeat violent offenders by a way, a lot of which are in the narcotics trade. City of Roanoke alone, for example, 0.12% of the population of the city of roanoke, that's 1/5 of 1% were committing over 30% of the homicides. So we went after this small subset of repeat violent offenders, we investigated them, we indicted, we prosecuted them and the murder rates dropped dramatically. City of Roanoke, 62% drop in our murder rate. We've had a double digit drop in our violent crime rate. Our ceasefire cities, this huge reduction. More people are alive today. We, we prosecuted and got enough fentanyl off the streets that would have killed 7 million Virginians. Record settlements against some of the opioid manufacturers that has gone to treatment. So Virginia is not top 10, we're not top five. We are now the number one state in the entire country. And the overall drop in of addiction deaths, from this record high of addiction deaths to this number one in the country in the drop, huge drop in reduction or violent crime. I say as Attorney General, I'm the people's protector. I protect all Virginians whether they're Republican, Democrat or independents. We're proud of that record. I said Virginian safety has been my mission from day one. That's what I'm asking Virginians to rehire me to continue to do that good work and definitely don't hire somebody to be the top prosecutor who A, has never been a prosecutor in his life, B, has a legislative voting record of voting against police and against victims and C, literally has advocated for violence against his political opponents and said he hopes to see their children die. He's simply unfit and disqualified for this office.

[Ben Ferguson]

Attorney General Meores, appreciate what you've done, sir. And we know our audience is going to get out there in your state, those who are listening, who live there and, and help you pull this one over the finish line. Thanks so much.

[Jason Miyares]

Yeah. Stanwithjason.com Stanwithjason.com thanks so much for having me, Clay. Great to be with you.

[Ben Ferguson]

Absolutely. All right, look, I've taken on a lot of writing lately and I'm having a lot of fun doing it. It's work, but it's work that can benefit you a lot because when I'm not on the radio, I've been creating a weekly E newsletter and we've called it Money and Power. And the reasons are obvious. If you subscribe, you'll see for yourself. It's a one of a kind opportunity, I think, designed to help ordinary people capitalize on the huge wealth explosion that's being created by what I call the Manhattan Project, too. I've combined the information that I have with access to people in D.C. who make the decisions, titans of industry all across the country, and of course, Wall street expertise to bring you ideas that can level the playing field so everyday folks like you can finally get a fair shot in the markets. All the details can be [e-mail] right now. Join our movement today. Get 82% off. You'll be so glad you did. Go check it out. Insider2025.com paid for by Paradigm Press.

[Clay Travis]

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.

[Ben Ferguson]

All right, it's third hour of play again, Buck last hour before the week weekend gets going, which is so exciting. And let's just bring up to speed all latest news here. Let's dive into it, shall we? First of all, the government shutdown is still a thing. The government is still shut down. And Speaker Johnson, who play while you were out, he actually called into the show. So we spoke to the speaker of the House about this issue, but he just weighed in earlier today and his take is that Democrats know they're going to have to cave. But first they have to go through the theatrics of perhaps some rallies over this weekend. Here is the speaker of the house, cut 30. Hit it. We're so angry about it. I mean, I, you know, I'm a very patient guy, but I have had it with these people. They're playing games with real people's lives. The theory we have right now, they have a Hate America rally that's scheduled for October 18th on the National Mall. It's all the pro Hamas wing and the, you know, the antifa people, they're all coming out. Some of the House Democrats are selling T shirts for the event. And it's being told to us that they won't be able to reopen the government until after that rally because they can't face their rabid base. I mean, this is, this is serious business, hurting real people. And I just, I'm beyond words. I can't believe they're actually doing this. Democrats putting the politics of the moment ahead of real people's interests. Clay, not a surprise here at all. And I think this is the first shutdown I can remember where Democrats are getting squarely the blame from a majority of Americans.

[Clay Travis]

I don't think most Americans feel impacted by the shutdown at all. I mean, the Trump Middle east peace agreement and him traveling to the Middle east is going to take over. All of the news through the weekend. The release of the hostages, hopefully which will occur after two years on Monday, will be an unbelievable moment in the Middle east, even for Trump's detractors. That will be an event that is very difficult not to imagine it. Leading news all through Monday. I just, I feel like Democrats are in a tough spot. And the reality is it seems like Trump's kind of calling their bluff and saying, okay, we're going to start laying off primarily Democrat workers and they caused this and they don't really seem to have a way to fix it. And I just think it's going to drag on for a long time until some of these senators in swing states, Michigan, New Hampshire, Georgia, Arizona, till they start looking around and recognizing that their constituents are not pleased over their decision making. Remember, there's nothing going on here. This is unprecedented because the continuing resolution would just continue to spend money, as has already occurred. And I just think they're in a really tough position. I, I, I don't know how they get themselves out of this mess. And I think the only reason Chuck Schumer let it happen is, is because he's terrified of aoc. And I think Hakeem Jeffries is terrified over one of the Mamdani guys who evidently is going to challenge him in his seat. And I think radical left wing ideas have taken root because, remember, the leader of the House is a New Yorker, the leader of the Senate for Democrats is a New Yorker. And the left in New York City has lost its mind. They're going to elect a socialist, a communist, it appears, and that has taken over the entire Democrat Party. So I think this is actually just a local political preservation move that Hakeem Jeffries and Schumer are engaged in.

[Ben Ferguson]

Meanwhile, speaking of the radical left, Clay, the White House puts Out this on X. Make no mistake, Antifa is a radical terrorist organization that explicitly calls for the overthrow of the US Government, law enforcement, and our system of law under the Trump administration. Antifa's days are over. But noted extremism expert Jimmy Kimmel, who still has a TV show. Everybody, I guess the First Amendment's not dead.

[Jack Carr]

Oh, my gosh.

[Ben Ferguson]

Jimmy Kimmel was off the air for two days. Here's Jimmy. Or was it three days? Whatever it was, here's Jimmy Kimmel.

[Clay Travis]

Four days. To be fair, I don't. I don't want MSNBC fact checking you on your lack of commitment to. To truth and decency.

[Ben Ferguson]

Thank you. Clay's. Clay's always got my back. Jimmy Kimmel lying to his audience about antifa. This is 24. Hit it.

[Jason Miyares]

You understand.

[Clay Travis]

There'S no antifa.

[Ben Ferguson]

This is an entirely imaginary organization.

[Jason Miyares]

There is not an antifa. This is no different than if they announced they rounded up a dozen Decepticons.

[Ben Ferguson]

We've captured the Chupacabra, everyone. Clay, I've read books about Antifa. I've seen Antifa. Personally. I've never seen the Chupacabra, though. So I think that Jimmy's analysis here needs a little bit of work.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah, he's wrong. And I've seen Antifa too. I remember when Antifa really kind of got its start. Remember all the World bank protests that they used to have? I don't think they care about the World bank anymore. But my recollection is this is where all of the crazy people became crazy for the first time, was related to the imf. Do you remember that? When they decided the IMF was uniquely evil. And I haven't heard about the IMF in a very, very long time. But when I was in college, the IMF is right next to George Washington University and they basically rioted in 1999 or 2000 or whatever it was. I just remember walking through campus and all these Antifa lunatics running around with spray paint cans and throwing. Can, throwing Molotov cocktail a little bit. Like, it wasn't as if it was the same level that we saw during the BLM protest, but lots of graffiti, lots of the spray lighting things on fire. Remember that back in the day when people used to have. I don't know what it was, but they would spray something and they'd have a lighter and it would kind of turn into a blowtorch or whatever.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, of course.

[Clay Travis]

A lot of that going on and.

[Leon Neyfak]

Yeah.

[Clay Travis]

So I, I don't understand the argument being this thing that you're seeing happen is not real. This is the typical way this goes, right? They say that's not happening. Then they say, okay, it happens, but not very often. Then they go to, yeah, it's happening and it's a good thing. So at some point they're going to come back around to, yes, antifa exists, but they're not very impactful. And eventually we're all going to be told, yes, antifa exists, then they have to exist, because otherwise who would stand up to fascism? And, and that's kind of the, the treadmill that we're on when it comes to the way we talk about left wing violence in the country, even talk about this. Apologies if we didn't, but it may have been earlier this week, you may have mentioned it. Everybody just totally, basically stopped talking about a guy who had 200 explosive devices and showed up outside of a church where the republic, the, the, the Republican appointed and confirmed Supreme Court justices tend to go worship. And he wanted to kill as many people as he could. Thankfully, they caught him 200 incendiary devices in his car, though. That seems like kind of a big deal. It just totally plays that story.

[Ben Ferguson]

Before we know whether he should spend the rest of his life in prison or not, we have to know, does he identify as trans? Yeah, it's important because if you identify as trans, you get a very light sentence, even if you're planning a political assassination. That was just established based on the guy who said he wanted to kill Brett Kavanaugh, because now he says he's trans. It's like, whoa, whoa, hold on a second. I didn't know he was trans. We can't put him in prison that long, Ed.

[Clay Travis]

We're gonna put him in a women's prison. That's what they're trying to do. I mean, I'm gonna be honest with you. I guess if you had to get sent to prison, like, if I ever face multiple years in prison, I'm gonna say I'm a chick too. I, it's probably a lot safer in a girl's prison than it is a guy's prison. Am I crazy?

[Ben Ferguson]

Much better deal for a guy to be in a woman's prison in a whole. I would assume, I would assume. I don't have experience.

[Clay Travis]

I feel, I feel like I'm gonna be safer in the showers, let's put it that way, than, than I would in the men's prison. So I, I necessarily surprised by the decision. But I mean, in all seriousness, we just keep stacking all of these left wing Wounds one after the other. And they happen so frequently that the stories vanish and they have no resonance whatsoever. And it just reminds me of the Jan6. You know, Jan6 happens, and they talk about it for years and they refuse to allow it to vanish. Meanwhile, there's an assassin outside of Brett Kavanaugh's house who is trying to kill him to ensure that Roe v. Wade is not overturned. We still don't know who the leaker was. Worth mentioning. That set all of this in order and was designed to set this in order. Right. That basically drew the big target on the. On the Supreme Court justices because it was essentially.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yes, it was inciting terrorism. It was inciting. Releasing that decision was meant to incite violence and perhaps an assassination of a Supreme Court justice to stop that decision. Because Democrats kill as many babies as they want with no one stopping them.

[Clay Travis]

Until the opinion is published, it is not law. So that was an unprecedented leak which never occurs. And there's only 50 people probably that had significant access to that opinion. And basically everybody just threw up their hands and said, well, we'll never know. But that was the impetus under which Brett Kavanaugh's assassination was attempted.

[Ben Ferguson]

Jimmy Kimmel, not finished, by the way, with his statements about politics lately. Here he is. Remember, he got in trouble because he said that Charlie Kirk's assassin was a MAGA guy, which was a lie. It was preposterous. Now here he is saying that he didn't say anything wrong. It was the way that people pounced on what he said. Play 25.

[Jason Miyares]

I didn't think there was a big problem. I just saw it as distortion on the part of some of the right wing media networks. And I was. I aimed to correct it. I have problems, like all the time. And it's kind of funny because sometimes you think, oh, this is not a problem, and then it turns into a big problem. And then sometimes it goes the other way where you think like, oh, this is going to be a problem and nobody really notices. And so at what point did you realize this was a problem? I think when. When they pulled the show off the air. Well, that's unusual. You felt like your initial comments had been mischaracterized. I didn't feel like it. They were. It was intentionally and I think maliciously mischaracterized.

[Ben Ferguson]

How. How is someone mischaracterizing his words when what he said was clearly false and malicious? This is where I wish somebody would ask, like, explain how that's a mischaracter. You said something that was clearly untrue and you didn't. It wasn't part of a joke, by the way. That's also a lie. He wasn't making a joke. He was making a political statement.

[Clay Travis]

So now I don't know what the answer is. Yeah, I mean, I don't think there is one. I mean, look, I would just say we talk live every single day, and so far, to my knowledge, we haven't really had to apologize for anything. Now we get facts wrong unintentionally, we come back and we say, hey, we saw that, we said this, but we never apologized for an actual opinion. I don't think there was a mischaracterization. Now, I do agree with him. That was, I thought, actually kind of funny when they took the show off. That's when you know it's a bad thing. This is why I'm anti cancel culture. Many of you who listen to Rush know this. They will not stop coming after us, no matter what. They came after Rush with everything they had. And I don't think that they're suddenly going to say, oh, they're coming for us, too. We're going to change it. I think this is where you stand on principle. I understand some people disagree and say, hey, live radio, live television, whatever it is, it shouldn't be a cancel culture at all. And I said that for Roseanne. I said that for. For Gina Carano. I think if you're in creative space, any comedian out there, you're sometimes going to speak inarticulately and sometimes you're going to say moronic things. And I think as long as you are doing your best to, To. To try to be creative in the space, I don't think we should try to cancel people. But the words weren't mischaracterized. They were poorly said, and they were. They were rightly condemned, I think, by people saw that he lied or, or either.

[Ben Ferguson]

Or. Or he said something false because he's a moron. But either way, it's a. It's a bad thing to say.

[Clay Travis]

Living on blue sky, the amount of left wingers who do not know basic truths now. And this is why I talk about the cognitive dissonance. You've been told Trump's Hitler and now he's on the COVID of Jerusalem Today or whatever it is, and is going to bring back all the terrorists. I mean, at some point, the alarm bell should start going off in your head, hey, wait a minute. Maybe the things that I've been told by the media I follow are not true. And I'm cautiously optimistic. Buck. If you look for instance at what's going on with the Washington Post, that people like Jeff Bezos are starting to get fed up with things and there is a cultural shift that is significant even in left wing publications.

[Ben Ferguson]

Fingers crossed you have more faith than I do.

[Clay Travis]

I'm an optimist. This is true. Yes you are.

[Ben Ferguson]

You are an optimist. I'm surly pessimist. All right. So good to be home after nearly two straight weeks of traveling. Aside from seeing my family, Carrie Speed and Ginger Spice, which is amazing, being back in my own bed is such a luxury and a big reason for that. We've got Cozy Earth sheets. These things are incredible. If you've not heard all the buzz about this company yet, they make some of the most comfortable and soft sheets you're ever going to sleep on. Truly incredible products. Treat yourself to some Cozy Earth indulgence. I'm going to tell you this. My wife, she's very down to earth gal, but when it comes to her sheets, she's a little fancy and she loves these Cozy Earth sheets. She is all about them. She also loves their blankets. They have so many great products. Find Cozy Earth products [e-mail] cozyearth.com you're like why are the sheets so good Buck? Well look, they're temperature regulating and moisture wicking and super soft to the touch. But you'll sleep cooler when you have these sheets on your bed. Try them risk free 100 night sleep trial and a 10 year warranty. That means you get three months and then some to make sure these Cozy Earth sheets are the best sheets you've ever slept on. I think you're gonna find exactly that. Upgrade the place you spend the most time your bed. Go to cozyearth.com use my name buck for 20% off. That's cozyearth.com code buck cozyearth.com code Buck let's go home with Cozy Earth.

[Clay Travis]

Sometimes all you can do is laugh and they do a lot of it with the Sunday hang. Join Clay and Buck as they laugh it up in the Clay and Bug podcast feed on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

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[Leon Neyfak]

Was making a podcast about Benghazi, nine times out of ten they called me a masochist, rolled their eyes, or just asked why Benghazi?

[Ben Ferguson]

The truth became a web of lies.

[Leon Neyfak]

It's almost a dirty word, one that connotes conspiracy theory.

[Ben Ferguson]

Will we ever get the truth about the Benghazi massacre?

[Leon Neyfak]

Bad faith, political warfare, and frankly, bullshit.

[Jason Miyares]

We kill the ambassador just to cover something up. You put two and two together.

[Leon Neyfak]

Was it an overblown distraction or a sinister conspiracy?

[Clay Travis]

Benghazi is a Rosetta Stone for everything that's been going on for the last 20 years.

[Leon Neyfak]

I'm Leon Naifak from Prologue Projects and Pushkin Industries. This is Fiasco Benghazi.

[Jason Miyares]

What difference at this point does it make?

[Ben Ferguson]

Yes, that's right. Lock her up.

[Leon Neyfak]

Listen to Fiasco Benghazi on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ben Ferguson]

I'm Ben Ferguson.

[Ted Cruz]

And I'm Ted Cruz. Three times a week we do our podcast, Verdict with Ted Cruz.

[Ben Ferguson]

Nationwide, we have millions of listeners.

[Ted Cruz]

Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, we break down the news and bring you behind the scenes inside the White House, inside the Senate, inside the United States Supreme Court.

[Ben Ferguson]

And we cover the stories that you're not getting anywhere else.

[Ted Cruz]

We arm you with the facts to be able to know and advocate for the truth with your friends and family.

[Ben Ferguson]

So download Verdict with Ted Cruz now, wherever you get your podcasts.

[Clay Travis]

Welcome back in everybody.

[Ben Ferguson]

We're joined by Jack Carr. He is a former Neil Davy Seal turned Bestselling author of the Terminal List book series and the streaming show, which is an excellent show. Highly, highly recommend. The books and the show usually, Jack, you know, you don't get both to be great. Like, you can write great books, but they don't do a great show. You are in very rarefied air, my friend. As somebody who has both great books and great show.

[Jack Carr]

Thank you. Thank you so much. Yeah, both went to number one on Prime Video, which is not bad. And the first one that aired in 2022, summer of 2022, hops back into that top five, which is unusual as well. So after so many years. So that was pretty, pretty cool. We'll find out in the next couple weeks if we get a second season of Dark Wolf looking good, though, everybody wants to do it, so we shall see. And then we just finished filming True Believer, the second book, over in Morocco and finished up there. Been filming that since February in South Africa, Morocco and Toronto, and that should come out next summer. So there's. There's a lot in the works I really appreciate.

[Ben Ferguson]

You know, in your. In the first episode, the first episode of Dark Wolf, which obviously I saw recently, it. To me, there's so much really good content that could be done about that G. Watt era and special operations, but really, very few people have done it or certainly done it well. And I think you just nailed it in the opening episode of Dark Wolf. I'm also. Taylor Kitsch and Pratt are like two of my favorite actors. So how did you manage? Did you get to pick? Were you like, you know what? I just want these two awesome guys to be playing important roles in my series.

[Jack Carr]

Well, Chris optioned it out of the gate. He's the only person I wanted to option it and play the character of James Reese. So he was. He was my pick and set from the beginning. And then the first season, I wasn't involved in the casting process. I was involved in it for the second season and for Dark Wolf, but first season I wasn't. So it was a. Not a surprise, but I guess a surprise in the fact that I didn't pick him. I didn't pick anybody because I wasn't involved. But they said Taylor Kitsch is playing Ben Edwards. And I said, oh, my gosh, that is the best pick.

[Ben Ferguson]

You got Riggins to play a Navy.

[Clay Travis]

SEAL from your series. That's awesome. Buck even recognizes the star from Friday Night Lights.

[Jack Carr]

Yeah.

[Clay Travis]

And so that's an incredible combo. What is it like to balance writing obligations with making television show obligations? Because I imagine you're on the road all the time. You're promoting the book, the books all the time. But you have to continue to produce new books. How do you balance it all out? Do you have a set regimented schedule? There's a lot of people out there in creative space, I bet, that are curious how you balance all of that.

[Jack Carr]

Yes, well, balance is a bit of a misnomer. I hope to get to some balance one day. But there's a reason we're talking here in October and not in June when the book was supposed to come out. And that is because I was juggling so much with both the TV show, two TV shows, essentially, Dark Wolf and True Believer, and writing this book that I thought was going to be the most efficiently written book yet, meaning I thought I had a good understanding of Vietnam, lessons learned From Vietnam, the 60s overall, the feel of that period of time. And then I dove into the research for this book, Cry Havoc, that I'm on book tour for right now. And I realized I'd really just scratched surface because every sentence in this book has to be written through the lens of 1968. I didn't want to have 50 plus years of hindsight applied to any character's perspective on an event, a situation, or part of a conversation. So that took a lot longer than research for a contemporary thriller. And that's why we're here in October. Point being, the balance thing is something I am still working on every morning I get up and it's like being shot out of a cannon with kids, wife, dog, and all the rest of it. So it's just mass chaos. But I feel extremely fortunate to be working on multiple Hollywood projects, multiple books, and to have Cry Havoc out there, which I think is my best book yet.

[Ben Ferguson]

Oh, that's saying something. Yeah. And you know, my father in law is a huge fan, huge fan of the series, so I think I sent him one.

[Jack Carr]

Or if I didn't, I'm gonna have to rectify that.

[Ben Ferguson]

No, I think you did. Thank you for that. And he, he reads it like within, you know, days of getting it. So he's always very up to speed on it. I want to ask you the one thing that we get here a lot, especially when I see people in person, Jack is. They'll say, you know, I'm thinking about doing a podcast. Like, do you have any advice? And I'll, you know, and we really do a radio show that's also a podcast. But I just say, yeah, here's my advice. Do it and just start doing it and just do it a lot and then go, what if someone comes up to you and says, you know, hey, man, like you, you really, you know, you're the Tom Clancy of our era, like you've become this huge phenomenon. So much success in writing. How do I start to write a fiction book in the most general terms? What do you say to them?

[Jack Carr]

I say, don't worry about anything else but writing that book. Meaning don't worry about, do I need to find an agent, do I need to find a publisher? How does that happen? Do I need a social media presence? Do I need to build that up in order to sell books? 20 to get a website going when you start? No, all of that bandwidth is now bandwidth that is not going into making that product. In this case, a book, the best that it can possibly be. So focus those efforts on making this book the best it can possibly be. And then once it's done, or you get it to a place where you think, hey, if I worked on this for the next five to 10 years, it would get better, but it would get better by a degree or two. And when you're at that stage, then it's time to start thinking about those other things, thinking about how to find an agent and a publisher and all the rest of it. But the first thing you have to do is have that product that.

[Ben Ferguson]

I got one follow up question for you, Jack, and sorry, I may or may not be taking notes here because I think writing a fiction book would be fun. Do you structure the whole thing out or do you start writing based on the story you want to tell and then create structure after you've gotten a chapter out or something?

[Jack Carr]

Yeah, I've had the same exact process from the entire time and it's not based on anything that I read or anyone's advice. It was just what I thought was common sense. And I come up with a title and a theme for every book and I've come up with a title, even if it's going to change. So I'm not wasting bandwidth. Worried about coming up with a good title. So I do that. I have a theme that's going to guide the writing process. In the case of the first book, it was Revenge Without Constraint. And I had that on a little yellow sticky on my computer as I typed away just to keep me on track. Then I read a one page executive summary and I read it and I say, is this worth the next year to the year and a half of my life? And if the answer is yes, I read it again and I say, if Someone was to walk by a Hudson News at the airport and pull this book off the shelf and read something similar to this that describes the book. Would they be willing to invest time in this story that they're never going to get back? And if the answer is yes or most likely, then that's my project, that's the next book. And I take that one page executive summary, turn that into the outline so I know where I'm going. So I have that beginning, that middle, that end, a few scenes that are going to happen along the way, and I at least have a destination. And if there's some things in that.

[Jason Miyares]

Line where I'm like, ah, how is.

[Jack Carr]

He ever going to get out of this situation? Or well, I know I have a year to figure it out. This isn't the battlefield in Iraq and Afghanistan where I have to make a split second decision that's going to affect people to my right and left forever and their families. No, I have time. I can sleep on it, I can wake up, I can edit. And in a year I am confident that I'm creative enough that I can figure this out. So get that to that stage and then I turn that outline into the narrative.

[Clay Travis]

We're talking to Jack Carr. Cry Havoc is the latest and best book that Jack Carr has ever written, according to Jack Carr himself. I love those answers, by the way, and I would encourage people out there to take that advice and pursue your own writing desires. Let me ask you this.

[Leon Neyfak]

This.

[Clay Travis]

The world is evolving and there's so much crazy happening every day. You write out those plot points and do you ever think, boy, there's no way anything like this could happen. And then there's a plot point that is very similar to what you have thought about before. And to your point, you spend a year writing, but it can end up looking very timely. How much do you pay attention to current events? Buck just came back from Taiwan, for instance. I'm not giving you ideas you probably haven't thought about a lot, but you know, you can kind of think of where the geopolitical flashpoints might be. Are you conscious of that? Are you thinking about it as you're writing, or are you trying to divorce yourself from the current world in which you sit?

[Jack Carr]

I'm always, ever since I was a little kid, I'm always interested in current current events, also history, the merging of those two, what lessons we can draw from history and apply to the problem set of the present as wisdom. But I'm not thinking about, I need to grab something from the headlines or I need to project into the future. It happens naturally. I'm very aware of what's going on around the world. That's just where my interests lie. But I'm not obsessed with trying to.

[Jason Miyares]

Fit it into a story.

[Jack Carr]

Instead, I am focused only on the story. And if I'm only focused on this story without worrying about the current event or a headline, or if I'm going to upset somebody with if I say X, Y or Z or. Hey, are short chapters better than long chapters? Now, I don't consider any of that. I just focus on the story. And in doing so, I honor, I think, the readership and the listenership now that that is going to spend time with me that they're never getting back. So I focus on that. But things have happened that I've written about that I didn't. It looks like I'm projecting something like the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but that was not a hard one. That was. That came out in 2019. That's the one we filmed, True Believer that we just finished. And that storyline had to change a little bit because the Russians actually did invade Ukraine. So there's been that. I talked about an AI quantum computer well before anyone had heard of ChatGPT. There are certain things like that that have come up in the novels. October 7th, something similar to that I wrote about in Israel not too long ago before it happened. So some of these things look like I'm projecting. I have a crystal ball, but I certainly do not. They are just. They just happen to correspond with some current events. I do like to weave a lot of things that are topical into the storylines, because one day people are going to go back maybe and read these and it'll be like a time machine. It's me going back and reading Hunt for Red October. Now, that's a time machine back to 1984. And so I do. I am cognizant of that.

[Ben Ferguson]

You think Tom Clancy is the biggest inspiration you had? Who would you say, as a writer, for what you're doing, if you had to pick one author, would be the biggest inspiration?

[Jack Carr]

I can't pick one because I read so many growing up and they're all part of my foundation. So it's certainly Clancy, it's David Morrell, it's Nelson DeMille, it's AJ Quinnell, it's JC Pollock, it's Mark golden, it's Louis Lamour, it's John Le Carre, it's Ian Fleming, it's Robert Ludlam, it's all of those masters that I read from the 80s all the way through the 90s and continue to to read today. David Morell, who created Rambo in 1972 with first blood, kicked off this book tour with me in Phoenix just a few days ago. Such an honor to be on stage with him. And all of those guys had, were so instrumental during those very formative time in my life, let's say for most of us age 10 to 20. And during that time, I am reading all those masters and they're really becoming my professors in the art of storytelling. But back then, I didn't look at it that way. I just looked at it as escaping into the magic of those pages. But it created this foundation that I then coupled with the academic study of warfare and my experiences downrange in Iraq and Afghanistan, so I can bring the feelings and emotions behind certain events that.

[Jason Miyares]

I was involved with.

[Ben Ferguson]

All right, all right, Jack. Jack, you're a best selling author. You're an American page. You're a fantastic guy. You're being far too diplomatic and humble though. So I want to put you on the hot seat with three best war movies of all time. Then you don't have to give me your author number one. But the three best war movies for you are what?

[Jack Carr]

All right. Band of Brothers. Even though it's a series, I think it's, you know, go keep that one to the side. But it's a series. But that is certainly up there. I was just actually right before we came on here, I had to wrap up a podcast with Charlie Sheen and we were talking, oh, wow. Yeah, we're talking about Platoon and his experience on set with Apocalypse now when he was like 9 or 10 years old with his dad. Because my book is Pro Havoc 1978. And so we're talking about that and his experiences on set with Marlon Brando and Dennis Hopper and Robert Duvall and just, just a fascinating conversation with him. So I would say Band of Brothers. I would throw a platoon in there for sure. I love Uncommon Valor for those who have. Remember that one, Apocalypse Now, Longest Day? Those ones really stand out to me.

[Clay Travis]

Last question for you as we go to break here. I've got one here who is a guy who or gal who has read your book that you were blown away is a fan. Has there been somebody that you met and you just couldn't get over it? Because look, you come from a background, you're busting your ass, you know, doing what you do in the military before you end up writing these books. Is there anybody that you were just in disbelief was a Reader or a big fan of your work?

[Jason Miyares]

It's. Yeah.

[Jack Carr]

David Morrell, who created Rambo. I, I can't believe that he's. He actually gave me a blurb. When that blurb ends with I'm a fan. Just that that one blew me away because discovering him through Rambo. First Blood Part 2, a novelization, which is a book based on a screenplay in the Summer of Rambo 1985. Then going back and reading First Blood, then reading Brotherhood of the Rose, Fraternity of the Stone League of Night and Fog, and then having him, one of my heroes in the literary realm, read my books and be a fan. That's a little crazy. And then Charlie Sheen, he, he was a fan of the books before, before he even came on the podcast. I mean, that was a little bit crazy too, having grown up watching him in these movies. To include Navy Seals.

[Clay Travis]

No.

[Propane Advertiser]

Very cool.

[Ben Ferguson]

Well, Cry Havoc is the book. It's gonna be a runaway bestseller. Get your copy today. Also check out I'm mid series right now for Dark Wolf. Highly recommend it to all of you. Our friend Jack Carr, as always, congrats on all your success. Come back and hang out with us anytime.

[Jack Carr]

Oh, man. Thank you guys so much. Love what you're doing. Stay strong.

[Jason Miyares]

It's. It's important.

[Ben Ferguson]

Will do.

[Clay Travis]

Thank you. Great author, great television series that are out there, I guess, streaming series. I don't know that we still say television, but that is certainly worth checking out as is price picks. You get $50 when you play. $5. Right now we are rolling into the middle of October and October, I think is the best sporting month of the year. You got baseball, Major League Baseball playoffs underway. You've got NHL starting, you've got the NBA if you're a fan there starting. And college and NFL football is hitting its stride. And I gave you guys a pick and we already won half of the pick this week.

[Jason Miyares]

Week.

[Clay Travis]

I said Jalen Hurts is going to have at least one passing touchdown. He did. I said Jackson Dart is going to have at least one passing touchdown. He did as well. We need Cam Ward to have at least one passing touchdown. That's more than one half. And Drake May of the New England Patriots to have more than one and a half touchdowns. If that happens, nearly a five to one payout, we'll give you another pick as we do every single Thursday. But right now you can get hooked up with $50 when you play. $5. Texas, California, Georgia, Florida, nationwide, at least 40 states. You can play along with us. All you have to do is download the Prizepix app or go to prizepix.com use my name Clay that's prizepix.com my name Clay for $50 when you play $5. Join the team. Let's see if we can win for a fourth time this year. Halfway there. Pricepix.com code clay keep up with the biggest political comeback in world history on the Team 47 podcast Clay and Buck Highlight Trump replays from the week, Sundays at noon Eastern. Find it on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Leon Neyfak]

What I told people I was making a podcast about Benghazi. Nine times out of ten they called me a masochist, rolled their eyes, or.

[Clay Travis]

Just asked why Benghazi?

[Ben Ferguson]

The truth became a web of lies.

[Leon Neyfak]

From prologue projects and Pushkin Industries. This is Fiasco Benghazi.

[Jason Miyares]

What difference at this point does it make?

[Leon Neyfak]

Listen to Fiasco Benghazi on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ben Ferguson]

I'm Ben Ferguson.

[Ted Cruz]

And I'm Ted Cruz. Three times a week we do our podcast, Verdict with Ted Cruz.

[Clay Travis]

Nationwide, we have millions of listeners.

[Ted Cruz]

Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, we break down the news and bring you behind the scenes inside the White House, inside the Senate, inside the United States Supreme Court.

[Clay Travis]

And we cover the stories that you're.

[Ben Ferguson]

Not getting anywhere else.

[Ted Cruz]

We arm you with the facts to be able to know and advocate for the truth with your friends and family.

[Ben Ferguson]

So download Verdict with Ted Cruz now.

[Clay Travis]

Wherever you get your podcast.

[Ben Ferguson]

This is an I Heart podcast.