
Loading summary
A
This is an iHeart podcast.
B
This is Jim.
A
Hello.
B
Jim started advertising with iHeartradio way back in April, and now I have customers out the door. And this is Sarah.
C
Hi.
B
She started putting a portion of her marketing dollars in podcasting back in June. Business is booming. That's why I'm working on a Saturday. Want to be like Jim and Sarah? It's easy. All you have to do is own or manage a business and reach out to iHeart. Get started today at iHeart or iHeartadvertising.com.
C
When I told people I was making a podcast about Benghazi, nine times out of ten they called me a masochist, rolled their eyes, or just asked why Benghazi?
B
The truth became a web of lies.
C
From Prologue projects and Pushkin Industries. This is Fiasco Benghazi.
D
What difference at this point does it make?
C
Listen to Fiasco Benghazi on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
B
Welcome, everybody to the Monday edition of the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. And it's a big one. A lot of celebration, a lot of news, much to discuss with all of you. All 20 remaining hostages returned. Of the hostages who could have been returned alive, they have been return to Israel from Gaza. All 20 remaining hostages alive in Gaza have been returned to Israel is the headline. A lot of celebration on the streets. The end of that war, the return of 20 hostages still alive. You've also got the exchange of couple thousand Palestinian detainees as part of this process. Trump is in Egypt. He has been pushing for not just discussions about this deal now, but also a broader permanent Mideast peace. He says phase two of the peace deal has begun. We have a tremendous amount to look at now, both in celebration and also in look ahead. Here is President Trump. This is cut 10 addressing Israel's Knesset, their their legislative body. This is cut 10. Listen to what the President had to say.
E
We gather on a day of profound joy, of soaring hope, of renewed faith, and above all, a day to give our deepest thanks to the Almighty God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. After two harrowing years in darkness and captivity, 20 courageous hostages are returning to the glorious embrace of their families. And it is glorious. 28 more precious loved ones are coming home at last to rest in this sacred soil for all of time. After so many years of unceasing war and endless danger, today, the skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still. And the sun rises on a holy land that is finally at peace. A land and a region that will live God willing, in peace for all eternity.
B
Clay, it is just a momentous. A momentous occasion, a huge day, massive win for the Trump administration, for humanity. For the first time in my lifetime, people are talking about peace in the Middle east as truly achievable after this massive agreement has gone into play.
F
I think it is one of the greatest days of many great days in the Trump administrations over the past decade. I had so many thoughts as I watched the hostages come back, and I know many of you did as well. I think you can start with the American side, which is they told us for a decade that Trump was Hitler, and now Trump is the most popular politician in the history of America in Israel. Probably a pretty significant sign that that is a major, major lie that all of us knew was being told. But I think even for the people who've been lying about that for a decade, it's going to become very difficult to do it going forward. The response that President Trump got in the Knesset was actually better than the response that he got in the State of the Union in the House of Representatives chamber. I think that's significant. And for a big picture take, when we went to Israel in December, producer Ali Andrew on our team and me, we got off the planes, Buck, we were some of the only foreigners in Israel. And you saw these hostage placards everywhere in Tel Aviv airport. For the first time in two years, they've been taken down. The hostages have come home. We went to Tel Aviv Hostage Square, they called it, where they had nightly protests to bring back the hostages. I saw videos of pandemonium breaking out as all of the hostages, the 20 remaining hostages that are alive, came back to Israel and met their families. And for all of you out there that are fortunate enough to be parents or grandparents, can you imagine the hell of living with your loved ones, your kids, your grandkids, being held hostage by Hamas for two straight years, and then suddenly you get to see them in the flesh back. Now, unfortunately, many of those hostages were killed by Hamas, but for the ones who are still alive, it is a. It is a fitting cornerstone to what we hope is a foundation of peace that's being built there. And. And, Buck, on top of everything else, I just look at this, and it really does feel like Trump 2.0 is going to be the most transformative presidency of the 21st century by far, and maybe the most transformative presidency since Ronald Reagan. For those of us out there who have been alive for the past several generations, Trump is now competing, not to me, Buck, in the annals of the American presidency and where he ranks. But in the annals of global politics, whether it's Churchill, whether it's Reagan, people who were seismic historical forces for freedom and good. And for those of us out there who have been Trump supporters, this is a day of validation that our. Our judgment was sound and we picked the right guy to be leading America out of a place of darkness into a place of light. That's kind of my big thoughts as. As I watched all this take place this morning. Buck.
B
If you were to lay out in advance of an administration, what are the great things that could be achieved that have so far been unachievable for previous administrations? Mideast peace, almost as a cliche, would be at the top of the list. You know, oh, Mideast peace, it's. So, yes, everyone tries, everyone fails. I actually knew someone who had worked in the State Department for decades, and he said the one thing you always have to remember a Middle east peace is everyone tries. Meaning every administration tries and everyone fails. And that was the cynicism that 40 plus years of trying some kind of a deal.
F
Yes.
B
I mean, stretching back to the Reagan era and the US Intervention in Lebanon and before that, I mean, I don't even know where you want to start this, basically, the World War II era they've been trying to get peace in the Middle east has been unachievable. Trump is closer to that goal now than any administration before him. Clay, you mentioned you went and visited Israel. You went to Hostage Square. You know, people are rightly in exaltation. They are jubilant over the return of 20 of these hostages. This has been something that the entirety of the Israeli people, the Jewish people, Americans, allies of Israel, have been waiting for. But I have to say, the sense of accomplishment here, for anyone who. Who has been focused on this region for a long time, the sense of accomplishment almost feels surreal that this is the first time that Hamas has accepted truly a battlefield defeat with conditions that are supposed to get rid of Hamas, period. This honestly evil entity that has bedeviled the region for as long as you and I have been alive. They're now going to be under agreement, pushed out of leadership. This is an end of an era of terrorism that I think is possible to achieve now in a way it hadn't been before. But Mideast peace was where I started in college, looking into the Middle east issue as. As a realm of study. Clay, this has been the thing. This has been the durable, unfortunately, challenge for diplomacy and for policy in the region. And there has never been A day of greater hope and promise than this one. And there has never been a president who has achieved more so far than this one.
F
Yeah. And how did he do it? I think there are going to be a lot of books written about for generations to come. If hopefully we can have a lasting peace that continues to flow, flourish in the Middle East, I think it's by focusing on deal making over religion. And some people out there are going to say, okay, what do you mean by that, Clay? I think Trump's unique genius here was he has a great relationship with a lot of the Arab leaders, which is based on the foundation of we want to build new things business, we want to create new opportunities through capitalism. And Trump has those relationships. I think Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff, all of those guys are dealmakers. They're primarily real estate guys that have put together big deals elsewhere. And they basically looked at Mideast peace. Not through the prism of always religion, not through the prism of what I would say all of the sort of Swarthmore faculty lounge, an analyst on the Democrat Party side would have attempted, but through, okay, let's find a commonality. We like to make money. We like to build things. That's an agreement. That's a relationship that's very positive. And upon that foundation of capitalism and on building new things, let's create a durable, hopefully, and lasting piece on that. And so I think they started with that commonality and then worked towards the ultimate conclusion here, which is, Hamas has to be eradicated. Buck, I saw somebody share a tweet. I thought it was great. And there may be multiple people who've made this argument, but essentially the only hostages Hamas has left now are the people of Gaza, and they have to be allowed to have freedom inside of Gaza. And this is where now the management of this is going to be so important, because you have other Arab leaders who are saying, enough already. We don't want to fight forever with Israel. Let's just build a foundation of peace and prosperity that all can benefit from. There is a form of rationality and realism that I think has taken root partly based on the relationships of Trump, Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff, and everybody out there who said this is not an intractable problem that can never be solved. Let's start with the foundation of mutual benefit through commerce. And I think that's the way Trump has approached this and had a great deal of success. And they tell me cut 13 goes with this if we want to play cut 13.
E
From October 7th until this week, Israel has been A nation at war, enduring burdens that only a proud and faithful people could withstand. It was a very tough period of time for so many families across the land. It has been years since you've known a single day of true peace. But now, at last, not only for Israelis, but also for Palestinians and for many others, the long and painful nightmare is finally over. And as the dust settles, the smoke fades, the debris is removed and the ashes clean from the air. The day that breaks on a region transformed and a beautiful and much brighter future appears suddenly within your reach.
B
Clay. I've had so many people come up to me recently, yes. But also stretching back over many months, particularly this year in 2025, to say thank you to you, to me, for this show, for standing with Israel and maintaining a moral clarity on what had happened here, starting on October 7th, all the way through two years of war, when some people, even on the right, some people that I personally like and have respected their work in the past, I think, began to see this through the wrong lens, perhaps began to lose faith in what is a very clear issue of right and wrong, what is really a moral, a moral war, a just war that has been fought here. And I've had many people, and even in recent days. That's why I'm thinking about it, come up and say thank you for what you have been willing to do and say on the show. Because it has been a tremendously emotionally taxing two years for a lot of American Jews, for a lot of Americans, period, who have been observing this and have been hoping that this conflict would come to an end, but also maintaining that there has never been a moral equivalency between the Israeli people, between the IDF and Hamas. And there were a lot of efforts, a lot of efforts in the media by Democrats and by leftists in this country to conflate those two, to confuse the American public. And now here we are. Donald Trump was never confused. And we see that his administration saw this with the clarity necessary to bring it to a just conclusion or the best conclusion we could hope for under the circumstances.
F
Yeah, and I'll, I'll echo that and just leave you all with a question as we finish the opening segment here. Where are all the ceasefire now? People celebrating now that they have a ceasefire in the Middle east over years, college campuses, all over American streets, all over global streets, people marched in the streets chanting ceasefire. Now, wouldn't you expect, Buck, if those people were honest about their motivations, that they would all be out in the streets celebrating instead? They're not. Because for them, this is not about peace. It's about hating Israel and hating Jews, the Elon Omar's of the world. They certainly aren't saying very much about Trump bringing peace to the Middle east because they don't want peace. They want Israel eradicated from the Middle East. We'll talk about this some more, but I want to tell you all eyes on Israel and the Middle east today. The return of 20 hostages who've been kept in captivity for more than 735 days. I hope you watch some of those reunions with the family. So many moving stories. Israel's been under near constant assault for the past two years since the terror attack of October 7, 2023, and today is one of the proudest days that the country of Israel has ever had. And I'm not sure that the relationship between Israel and the United States has ever been stronger. If you watched Trump's speech today, if you saw the extreme popularity for President Trump throughout Israel, that's one of many reasons why we support Israel, support the United States, and why we also support the international fellowship of Christians and Jews. We're not just helping people in, we're honoring those who helped us establish our spiritual foundation. Discover the top reasons why Christians and Jews all over the world are supporting Israel by visiting ifcj.org that's ifcj.org what a powerful, peaceful tribute today has been for all the people in the Holy Land. Go today to ifc, IFC and make a difference with your voice and your dollars. IFCJ.org you ain't imagining it. The world has gone insane. Reclaim your sanity with clay and bun. Find them on the free iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.
D
Life's messy. We're talking spills, stains, pets and kids. But with Anabe, you never have to stress about messes again. At washablesofas.com, discover Annabe sofas the only fully machine washable sofas inside and out, starting at just $699. Made with liquid and stain resistant fabrics, that means fewer stains and more peace of mind. Designed for real life, our sofas feature changeable fabric covers allowing you to refresh your style anytime. Time need flexibility. Our modular design lets you rearrange your sofa effortlessly. Perfect for cozy apartments or spacious homes. Plus, they're earth friendly and built to last. That's why over 200,000 happy customers have made the switch. Upgrade your space today. Visit washablesofas.com now and bring home a sofa made for life. That's washablesofas.com offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply. This is the story of the One As a custodial supervisor at a high school, he knows that during cold and flu season, germs spread fast. It's why he partners with Granger to stay fully stocked on the products and supplies he needs, from tissues to disinfectants to floor scrubbers, all so that he can help students, staff and teachers stay healthy and focused. Call 18 click granger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.
C
When I told people I was making a podcast about Benghazi, nine times out of ten they called me a masochist, rolled their eyes, or just asked why Benghazi?
B
The truth became a web of lies.
C
It's almost a dirty word, one that connotes conspiracy theory.
B
Will we ever get the truth about the Benghazi massacre?
C
Bad faith, political warfare, and frankly, bullshit.
B
We kill the ambassador just to cover something up. You put two and two together.
C
Was it an overblown distraction or a sinister conspiracy?
B
Benghazi is a Rosetta Stone for everything that's been going on for the last 20 years.
C
I'm Leon Neyfak from Prologue Projects and Pushkin Industries. This is Fiasco Benghazi.
D
What difference at this point does it make?
B
Yes, that's right. Lock her up.
C
Listen to Fiasco Benghazi on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
B
Welcome back into Play and Buck. It is Columbus Day, everybody. It's a huge day of celebration for Mid east peace. We're gonna get back into that in a second, but I don't want to forget because Columbus is a hero in this house. Play Columbus. As Tony Soprano explained to us so eloquently many years ago, he's a hero in this house and. And he is for what he accomplished in discovering the new world and overcoming the opposition of really a very a Stone Age people was what he came upon. Things got a little rough, as they tend to in conquest. I'm not saying it didn't, but here we are now in a better place as a civilization, so that's good news for everybody and the world in communication with each other as a result of Columbus. All right, so I'm just saying Columbus. Pretty amazing stuff. And maybe we could have some conversation here later on in the show about what the world was like earlier on. But let's get back into Trump and the massive Mideast peace deal. Let's get into where things stand Right now with all of this, Trump is speaking, by the way, we'll bring you some of that audio momentarily. But here I thought this was really interesting. CNN's Clarissa Ward saying Trump is possibly even more popular in Israel than he is in America right now. Play cut four. They have been cheering like crazy from the moment that Air Force One was first spotted making its descent over Tel Aviv, landing at Ben Gurion Airport, to the moment where the door of Air Force One opened and President Trump then began to make his way down the steps of the aircraft. You heard the whole crowd here started to erupt into cheers of, thank you, Trump. Thank you, Trump. And I have to say, say everywhere you go here, there are posters of Trump.
A
We have seen people who have made.
B
Artifacts dedicated to Trump fair to say that President Trump is possibly even more popular here than he is in the United States. Clay, could you want me to just give you some of the, some of the highlights here from some of these folks because, well, as you've been saying all along, I know you want to jump in on this point because it's an important one. It's bizarre for the state of Israel, home to the Jewish people or, you know, the homeland of the Jewish people. Bizarre that he is so. That Donald Trump is so beloved, and yet there are people here who say that he is Hitlerian. That's quite strange. I agree with you.
F
Yeah. And when I was over there in December, I remember having conversations with people and they said, look, if Israel was an American state, Israel would vote for President Trump more than Wyoming did, more than Mississippi did, more than West Virginia did, Tennessee, Alabama, wherever. Trump is his most popular in the United States, if Israel were our 51st state, they would vote for Trump more. And so I wonder, as I watch that Clarissa Ward report, which I actually think Underplayed plays it, because she says he's probably more popular in Israel. He's definitely more popular in Israel than he is in the United States. What do all those CNN viewers who have been told that he is Hitler? What do they think when they hear Clarissa Ward saying, the guy is more popular among Jews than any American has ever been?
B
Clay.
F
Like, it's just the cognitive dissonance has to be off the charts.
B
The, the advantage of being delusional is you never have to be accountable. Something I discuss in my upcoming book. That's a good phrase, Delusion in January. Thank you. Thank you. But you never have to go back and actually look at what you were saying, what you were thinking, what reality is. Now they'll tell themselves well, even Hitler can get lucky, you know, selves whatever crazy thing they have to to explain why they have said that Donald Trump is Hitler, which is, it's in on its own an insane statement and actually.
F
As we have been saying for a decade, but this is their talking point and I do think it is hard for a talking point to be more publicly refuted. I think we have met Benjamin Netanyahu. Let's just go ahead and put this out there saying Israel's never loved an American politician more. Here is Netanyahu in the Knesset just a little bit earlier today.
B
Thank you for withdrawing from the disastrous Iran nuclear deal. Thank you for supporting Operation Rising Line and for your bold decision to launch Operation Midnight Hammer. Boy, is that you got to hear this. This is the most fitting name ever named for a military operation because a little after midnight you really hammered them. My friends, this is only a partial list, but it's enough to affirm what I've said time and again. Donald Trump is the greatest friend that the state of Israel has ever had in the White House. I mean that speaks pretty full force on what the reality is here of Donald Trump as a president and also as an ally of the state of Israel and the Jewish people. Now something else that I want to address here, Clay, because and I understand this and all the jiwad veterans listening, veterans of Iraq, Afghanistan and the other, counterterrorism, counter jihadist military operations of the last 24 years or so and beyond, but particularly in the post 911 era, a middle east like what we are seeing right now, with the worst players in the worst position they have been in in living memory is the best possible future for the US because it means that there's not even going to be or there won't even be a need for, hey, we're not fighting that war. Hey, we're not putting troops on the ground in that place. It is America first to have a peaceful Middle east that we don't even have to think about or worry about. That we can just get oil and other things from in trade and we can visit countries that we want to visit safely as American citizens and that it doesn't have to be this roiling hellscape constantly. That's a good thing for this country. It's a good thing for America. Even if you are a staunch non interventionist, isn't it great to never even have to think about that possibility going forward? Now that is contingent on Hamas being removed from leadership. It's contingent on none of these terrorist groups resurging. I know, you have a former Al Qaeda guy running Syria. There are still problems and risks. But there's a better realistic possibility, Clay, for a durable framework of peaceful coexistence in the Middle east now than at any time in my lifetime. And I've been following this. I mean, I've been studying this since I was a teenager in high school. So we're going back 30 years.
F
Yeah. And for the America first people out there, it's really hard for America to be first without affordable oil and gas. And the relationship between Trump and the Saudis has ensured that oil is free flowing and that we're able to effectively run commerce here in the United States. We can't be held hostage by petro dictators. This makes that much less likely, which makes America stronger, which Trump understands. I also think there's another little angle here worth pointing out. You and I were right about the necessity of striking Iran. That was considered to be controversial five, six months ago whenever it happened. I don't think Hamas would have agreed to this deal if Trump hadn't shown them the hard fist of American power. And a lot of you out there who understand people on the left, they want to claim that peace needs to happen. You can't have peace without strength. You can't have peace without somebody knowing that you could beat their ass if you needed to. And Israel basically wiping out Iran in 12 days with the assistance of the United States. I think it was very eye opening for people in the Middle east because Iran's entire leadership has based its existence on we're going to wipe Israel off the earth. We are going to go to war with America and we're going to win. That's what their leadership's been telling the people of Iran all throughout the Persians Persian Empire. And what happened in 12 days, they were begging for mercy. And if the United States had so desired, the Ayatollah would have been overthrown. We chose not to do that. But everybody in the Middle east saw that power, saw that strength. And I think the reverberations of that power and strength is what helped to lead Hamas to the willingness to finally give the hostages back and effectively cede control of Gaza to a larger Arab peace communities. Now, there's lots of details to be worked out. Unfortunately, there's always going to be terrorists who want to attack Israel in the Holy Land. That's not going to go away. But I think if you look at Hezbollah in the north, I think if you look at what's happened to Iran, I think if you look at what's happened to all of the proxies funded by Iran in the wake of October 7th. They have been largely neutered and wiped out.
B
And speaking of neutered, some of Trump's biggest critics having to come forward, I mean, how can you talk about this in a negative way? You would sound even crazier than usual on msnbc. As I said, Clay Mitty's piece has been the thing that people have been striving for in administrations for our entire lives, quite honestly and unsuccessfully correct. And I understand that there's still a lot of of clock, so to speak, left here. We're talking about an indeterminate future and things can change. But this is the first time that it has been, like I said, a realistic framework of peaceful coexistence for Israel, its neighbors. And also with Iran now defanged, the broader Middle east is looking better than it has. And the willingness of the Saudis and the Gulf states to be constructive with international relations in the Middle east here, it is massive, the implications of all of this. Meanwhile, over at msnbc, their favorite historian, Jon Meacham, who has said that Trump is a threat to democracy. This is an existential threat. I mean, he's, along with the others, said some of the craziest things you'll hear anyone say on MSNBC about Trump. Even he's, even he has had to be like, you know what? Pretty good day for Trump Play seven.
F
It's a terrific day for the hostage families. It's a terrific day for President Trump, for our national interests. You're right. We don't know how the story ends, but stories are made up of chapters. But we should make no mistake about this. This is a victory for President Trump and for those who wish that we can govern ourselves at home and around the world, not simply by brute force, but by ideas and civilized norms. This is a, I give credit to Meacham. I want to see who's been Biden's best buddy, who tried to tell Biden, hey, you're transformative president. You can be fdr. A lot of these guys who are historians, I believe, are start, are going to start to recognize that they've been on the wrong side of history and that historians are good at analyzing history 50 or 100 years after it happens in retrospect, not always great at analyzing history in real time. Remember that moron Michael Beschlos said that if Trump won, people would be lined up with firing squads and, you know, there wouldn't be history in the future. I wonder when he's waking up. Now, again, if you're a rational person at some point in time, you have to acknowledge all of the evidence. And I understand there's 35% percent of America that's so brain dead that they wouldn't, you know, if Trump made everybody a billionaire and, and peace reigned throughout the world, they would still find something wrong with it. So there's about 35% of the population that are unpersuadable. They, they are, their brains are broken by Trump derangement syndrome. But I do think there's 15 or 20% of people out there that are still sitting around that are having a hard time reconciling what they've been told for the past decade by the legacy media and what they're now seeing play out on their television screens. And I think Jon Meacham is one of those people. Switch your cell phone service from AT&T, Verizon or T Mobile to Pure Talk, the cell phone company embracing freedom. Pure Talk stands by the principle that Americans should be able to speak openly about politics, religion, family values without retribution. Not everyone's always going to agree, but you should be able to speak and listen to an opposing point of view in a civilized way. Switch your cell phone service to Pure Talk and support a business that appreciates free speech. You're going to get great 5G nationwide coverage on a reliable and secure network. Monthly plan Starting at just 25 bucks a month, so you'll save a ton of money. Dial pound250, say Clay and Buck to switch to our wireless company PureTalk. My kids have this wireless company, my 17 year old, my 15 year old, I use their wireless network of Pure Talk to stay in touch with them. And right now you can save an additional 50 off your first month. Dial pound two five zero, say clay and Buck to switch to Pure Talk. Do it today. Clay, Travis and Buck Sexton telling it like it is. Find them on the free iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.
B
Second hour of Clay and Buck gets going right now and our friend Carol Markowitz is in the mix. Oh, Clay had step away. So it's just going to be me guys on the host side for the rest of the show. Clay is in Mississippi and he is doing an interview of a sports legend. I had not heard of the fellow before but apparently very important in the SEC sports world. So that's going on and I am here with Carol Markowitz in the meantime. And Carol, you know what, first of all, congrats. Two years this week of the Carol Markowitz program on the Clay and Buck podcast network. So there's a lot of celebration going on all over the place today. A lot of celebration. Some people are saying a day of celebration. You know, we're going to look into it. Day of, day of celebration everywhere. But let's, let's actually speaking of Trump, kind of let's. Just a few moments ago he said this, this is cut 30 guys on his Gaza peace plan. The signing of it. Play this one.
E
This took 3,000 years to get to this point. Can you believe it? And it's going to hold up, too. It's going to hold up.
B
Clay, I mean, Carol, sorry, Clay's gone. Carol. Bold talk from Mr. Trump, but I think a lot of people are saying he's got the hot hand. Don't doubt him.
A
I agree. If anybody's doubting him right now is making a big mistake, I think that he is in a really good position to enforce this piece. I, of course, worry about what's going to happen in three years when he is out of office. You know, I'm making the Trump 20, 28 joke because of this, but it's going to be really tough for anybody to follow in his footsteps and to enforce the peace that he's established in the Middle East. I think that it is a very hopeful moment. It's a hopeful moment for that whole region. They should take this opportunity that Trump has given them and live peaceful lives.
B
It's a huge moment for the Israeli people today with the return of those 20 hostages who were still held alive in captivity in Gaza. Carol, I do think, though it should be noted just how vile it is that there were hostages taken in the first place, that so many of the hostages died in captivity. And also while I know it's joyous for the families to have their loved ones back, the treatment of the hostages was horrific.
A
Yeah, it was appalling. And the world was largely silent about it. America was really the bright spot in this and they really, it showed. It showed because when Britain or France are now trying to take credit for this peace deal, when they really stood in the way of it at every opportunity, really appalling. But yeah, you're absolutely right. You know, my nine year old at one point during the last two years said to me, why doesn't Israel just take their people and hold them hostage? And then they could, you know, that then they'll understand. And it's so hard to convey to him that civilized countries don't do this, that this is not the work of civilized people. They don't steal babies and their mothers and kill them in captivity. That is just, it's horrendous to even think about. And the fact that Israel is coming out of this strong and united is a real bright point for me.
B
Yes, it seems the Israeli people recognize the, well, the incredibly momentous nature of what is going on here. And let's talk about that a bit, because when you and I haven't yet gotten into some of the details that have come out about the negotiations and specifically Trump's role in it. But, yes, it was only possible. And even his biggest detractors, some of his biggest detractors are admitting that without Trump, this deal doesn't happen the way that it did. But some of the regional players, some of the regional countries put real pressure on Hamas here, too, which is an indicator, right?
A
It is. And hopefully that holds up as well. I hope that these countries don't backtrack on that. I hope they see Hamas as losers that they are. And the fact that the last two years didn't have to happen. October 7th didn't have to happen, and all the days since then didn't have to happen. So all the people who pretended that they wanted peace for the last two years, now that peace is here, I'd love to hear them celebrating. But you're right, the countries in the Middle east need to enforce this as much as anybody else does. They need to say to Hamas that the days of killing innocent people and doing things like this is over. More than anything else. They all need to accept that Israel isn't going anywhere. And I hope that they can do that. I know that that is a stretch for a lot of the countries. I know it's a stretch for a lot of the people who have been radicalized. But that's the main goal here, is to say Israel is not going anywhere. How do we live in peace side by side?
B
How do you feel about the prospects for Hamas being truly pushed aside in all of this? One of our callers in the last hour brought up that there's been some factional fighting inside of Gaza already between Hamas terrorists and this sort of entity, this group. It's, I believe, a family that has considerable sway inside of Hamasistan, if you will. And there's clearly a score settling and a jockeying for power that's going on there. But is it just going to be on Israel's shoulders once again that if Hamas starts breaking the deal, NETanyahu and the IDF are going to have to go in there and finish this, right?
A
Well, absolutely. If Hamas starts breaking the deal. There's no question that they're going to have to go back in. But the real question is what if that area breaks out into a civil war? What if they are fighting each other? What is Qatar, what is Egypt? What do they do then? What do all the countries that are involved in this peace process do at that point? And it's hard to say because who are the good guys in that situation? Nobody really knows. And again, I'm hopeful about that, about this moment. But there's so many details here that are really large questions hanging over the whole thing. Again, I hope these countries all step up and do the right thing and enforce peace overall. But it gets really murky over there.
F
Yeah.
B
Well, of course we're speaking to Carol Markowitz, host the Carol Markowitz show and which is two year anniversary normally also with Mary Kathryn Ham on the Clay and Buck Podcast network. So walk me through some of the what do you see as critical for what comes next here? Because we haven't the first hour just, you know, Carol was this is amazing. So happy for the families. You might have heard some of it. You know, Trump giant win for him. You know, forget about Mount Rushmore. It should be Mount Trump more at this point. Right. I mean people are all very excited about this. But what comes next?
A
It's so hard to say because of that internal struggle and because they've been for so long radicalized to believe that they could end Israel at some point. If the last two years have shown that region anything it that Israel isn't going anywhere. I think the Iran 12 day war was very instrumental in that. I think Qatar is thinking twice about their alliance with Iran at that point because Iran was supposed to be the lion that they were supposed to be the ones who would should they get involved in a war in the Middle east, that war would end very quickly and Iran would be the victor. Turns out that's not the case. So these countries needed this reality check. It's unfortunate that it came in such a way with so many people dead, but this is the truth. There is that they need to accept Israel and they need to understand that all of the previous things that they've done to harm the relationship of Israel with other countries, it needs to come to an end. They could have peace. That's what Trump is saying to them. You could live peacefully. You can have Gaza be a beach resort. You can be different. You can raise your children differently. That's really what I hope happens here.
B
Yes, that's the huge mindset shift that we're all hoping occurs here for these Middle Eastern peoples, Middle Eastern countries. So, so that aspect of it, I think is, is very much to be decided. But there is reason to believe there's reason for optimism, I would say, in a, in a region where optimism has been in, in deeply short supply for a long time. And on the optimistic side of things, I mean, Carol, just looking at this from a, you know, former CIA targeting and, and that perspective. Hezbollah, weakest it has been in certainly recent memory. Hamas, weakest it has been. Iran, weakest it has been. I mean, you start to look at the regional evildoers, I mean, the malefactors, the bad players in all of this, and they have been substantially brought to heel.
A
They have, yeah. And again, this couldn't have happened, a lot of the things that you mentioned could not have happened without the alliance between the United States and Israel. What always happens when Israel gets attacked, and this is true even when those Republican presidents, they are stopped from finishing any of the jobs that they need to finish. In this case, Donald Trump gave Israel so much space to do what they needed to do and to not prematurely end the conflict, which is generally what happens. When I was in Israel last year or two years ago, many people said to me, you know, what always ends up happening at the end of these wars is our greatest ally says, that's enough. That's how the war ends. It doesn't end because we finished the job. It's because America says no more. This time Donald Trump said no, they're going to get to do what they need to do to end this. And that's the only way peace is really possible here. Donald Trump has been a miracle for that region. And you hear Israelis today, you know, posting their thoughts online and they're all so grateful and they understand that it was Donald Trump, it was President Trump who led the way on this. And they really, really get that it's America's role that has led them to peace.
B
If you could speak also, Carol, to the perspective of a proud American Jew, as you are, and what it has been like for the last two years to see some of the, you know, yes, debate and discussion is always fine. And these are weighty issues of foreign policy and war and peace. And. But there was something else that gained a lot of steam over the last two years here at home, nevermind the Middle East. And I know it was, it was.
A
Troubling to see it was, but I still think it was largely on the left. I know that the right is going through its own insane moment right now, but I still think it's so limited. Every poll shows that the right continues to be in the right place in terms of Israel, in terms of Jews in America. So I've been grateful to be a conservative these last two years because my non Jewish friends, my Clays and my bucks have been so behind us and so amazing that it's been heartwarming and comforting and secure, really. I felt so secure in my conservative beliefs because my side was on the right side and there's a lot to that. A lot of my liberal Jewish friends have been scrambling the last two years and openly sad that none of their friends say a word about any of this. And don't talk about the fact that Jewish kids on college campuses can't go to classes and they're being harassed and sometimes hurt and their friends don't say a word. And I'm like, well my friends said many words and I feel so grateful for you, so grateful for Clay, so grateful for many others on the conservative right. I think that we're in a strong place where we have a hopeful future. And I, you know, it feels good right now to be a Jewish conservative.
B
Absolutely. Well, I still sit here and you and I have had this conversation before. Left wing, left wing Jews are, it's a little bit like left wing Catholics to me, but that's a whole other conversation. I'm just like, what are you doing? Like explain, explain to me how this is a thing that you are going to hold up, politically speaking. But anyway, also I know you have friends and even some extended family in Israel and on your husband's side, on shy side. What's the feeling like over there? I mean just describe to me because I know you're in contact with them. How are they doing today?
A
Just such joy and gratefulness. His sister, sister is there and she's sending pictures from the hostage. Square has now been renamed Freed Square. And it's just, it's an amazing moment. I have to say that I think a lot of Israelis believe this moment as possible. I'm a very optimistic person. But I did not think this was going to happen. I really didn't. I thought those hostages would meet a terrible end in captivity. I have to admit that I didn't believe and I thought those yellow ribbons that people wore, I thought they'd wear them forever. So they had hope that I simply didn't have. I guess they had to have that hope, that hope being realized today. It just Smiling faces. National holiday. Biggest deal ever over there.
B
Check out the Carol Markowitz show everybody on the Clay and Buck Podcast network also looks for columns in the New York Post. Carol, hugs to you Shy and the whole family and a great day and thank you so much for joining to share your thoughts on it.
A
Thank you Buck. Thank you.
B
How many times has somebody politely said to you, I hope you get a good night's rest? Well, what if it's more than just words, my friends? What if I can help you get a great night's sleep? Cozy Earth sheets are a game changer in the sleep comfort department. These sheets are incredibly soft. I mean like five star luxury hotel feel kind of soft, naturally breathable, moisture wicking, temperature regulating. It's great for all you hot sleepers out there. I've got these on my bed. Carrie is very specific, my wife, very specific about what kind of sheets linens we sleep in and she's all about these Cozy Earth sheets. They're durable enough to last for years, yet soft enough to feel like brand new wash after wash. That's the magic of the bamboo fabric that Cozy Earth uses. And with a 100 day night sleep trial or sorry, 100 night sleep trial and a 10 year warranty, you can try them risk free. That means more than three months to make sure you're as happy as we are here in the Sexton household with Cozy Earth Sheets. Find them online@cozyearth.com, use my name Buck. That's cozyearth.com code Buck cozyearth.com code buck for 20% off your purchase. Make sure you let them know you heard about them on Clay and Buck. Let's go home with Cozy Earth Stories.
F
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.
D
Life's messy. We're talking spills, stains, pets and kids. But with anibe you never have to stress about messes again. At washablesofas.com, discover Annabe Sofas the only fully machine washable sofas inside and out starting at just $699. Made with liquid and stain resistant fabrics, that means fewer stains and more peace of mind. Designed for real life, our sofas feature changeable fabric covers allowing you to refresh your style with anytime need. Flexibility. Our modular design lets you rearrange your sofa effortlessly. Perfect for cozy apartments or spacious homes. Plus they're earth friendly and built to last. That's why over 200,000 happy customers have made the switch. Upgrade your space today visit washablesofas.com now and bring home a sofa made for life. That's washablesofas.com offers are separate and certain restrictions may apply.
A
This is the story of the One as head of maintenance at a concert hall, he knows the show must always go on. That's why he works behind the scenes, ensuring every light is working, the H Vac is humming, and his facility shines with Grainger's supplies and solutions for every challenge he faces. Plus 24. 7 customer support. His venue never misses a beat. Call quitgranger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.
C
When I told people I was making a podcast about Benghazi, nine times out of ten they called me a masochist, rolled their eyes, or just asked why Benghazi?
B
The truth became a web of lies.
C
It's almost a dirty word, one that connotes conspiracy theories.
B
Will we ever get the truth about the Benghazi massacre?
C
Bad faith, political warfare, and frankly, bullshit.
B
We kill the ambassador just to cover something up. You put two and two together.
C
Was it an overblown distraction or a sinister conspiracy?
B
Benghazi is a Rosetta Stone for everything that's been going on for the last 20 years.
C
I'm Leon Neyfak from Prologue Projects and Pushkin Industries. This is Fiasco Benghazi.
D
What difference at this point does it make?
B
Yes, that's right. Lock her up.
C
Listen to Fiasco Benghazi on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
F
People ask us all the time how we can save the next generation.
B
We've got our show and the info is an antidote. But we also have a couple books coming out. Clay.
F
That's right. And you can pre order both of them right now and be book nerds just like us.
B
You'll laugh, you'll nod, and you'll get smarter too.
F
Mine's called Balls How Trump Young Men and Sports Saved America.
B
And mine is Manufacturing Delusion how the Left Uses Brainwashing, Indoctrination and Propaganda against you.
F
Both are great reads. One might even say they would make fabulous gifts indeed.
B
So do us a solid and pre order yours on Amazon today. Welcome back to Clay and Buck Columbus Day, Mid East Peace Day, Trump on the World Stage Day. A lot of stuff happening and mostly very good, very encouraging, very promising. Happy to see it. And that is remember, we take stock of our wins here on this show as well. We don't just do the catastrophe thing. Everything is terrible. Nothing matters. You know that's. It's such a boring and cheap way to get attention. For content, whether it's written or spoken or tv, we don't do that. But when there's problems, we say there are problems and we talk about how to fix them. When there are wins, we take a moment to describe and enjoy together those wins. And today is certainly a big win for the Trump administration, for Israel, and for the broader Middle East. And if you hear any growling in the background, it is because Ginger realizes that my lunch has made its way into the studio, and now all of a sudden, she loves me more than ever. Look at that. My little Australian labradoodle has decided that, you know, Trump is pretty great, but Papa Buck has some fresh cooked chicken nearby, so I gotta make sure that she's not growling into the microphone here. All right, let's get. Let's dive into this. I think this is really interesting, the details of how Trump got this deal to go through. Wall Street Journal had a really excellent write up on this in the last 24 hours. And let me. Let me share some of this with you. When Hamas leader Khalil Al Haya first saw President Trump's plan for peace in Gaza, which demanded that his group disarm with few concrete steps to ensure Israel would end the war, his immediate reaction was no. The plan, heavily amended by Israel and presented to Hamas by the Qatari prime minister and Egypt's spy chief, looked nothing like what Haya had been led to expect. Haya, who less than a month earlier had been a target of Israel's audacious attack on Hamas in Qatar, told his visitors the group would keep its Israeli hostages until it had enforceable guarantees the war would end. But two days later, Hamas came back to Arab mediators with a yes. The deal hadn't changed. The pressure on Hamas had. Egypt and Qatar told Haya the deal was his last chance to end the war. According to the officials, they pressed Hamas to understand that holding the hostages was becoming a strategic liability, giving Israel a source of legitimacy to keep fighting. End quote. Ok, this is really important because we often think of this as a US Israel, IDF action. Right? It's like we're negotiating. Trump is negotiating, Israel's doing the fighting, and we have intermediaries over there. But clearly the diplomacy that the Trump administration was negated, engaged in and really negotiations more like a business deal than what I think your general diplomat would be engaged in. Right. Trump has a different approach to this stuff. I mean, diplomats I've known, State Department diplomats, I've been around State Department diplomats in an earlier life when I was a government guy myself. They don't get stuff done. It's just not a culture of getting things done. It's a culture of process. The State Department is by its very nature a lethargic bureaucracy that mostly exists to exist. Cuz we gotta have diplomats somewhere, we gotta have open lines of communication with these different countries, etc. But generally the results, overwhelmingly the results are really unimpressive. Trump comes in there and he's got sleeves rolled up. He's got his team led by Marco Rubio, whom I might point out Trump is saying is going to go down in history as the greatest Secretary of State in our history. Now I'm going to say I think Rubio, full credit to Rubio for doing a phenomenal job so far. But if you're talking Secretaries of State in all history, there have been some pretty big moves, you know. Right. Didn't one of them buy Alaska? I mean, there's been some pretty big stuff. So I don't, I'm not saying Marco's not going to get there, but number one for Marco, all time. Number one, maybe our lifetime. Sure, Number one, all time. We still got a little work to do. You know, there's still some things that have to be looked at here, but certainly it has been the administration's team that got us to this point, which is an incredible success. And the fact that you have these other Mideast countries that were willing to tell Hamas, you got to knock this crap off and end this war, like enough is enough, is really indicative, I think, of how much the pressure that Trump's team was bringing to bear had borne fruit, how much this was really moving the ball downfield because Qatar, as you know, the Israelis launched a strike in Qatar. Then Trump had the whole, come on, you got to apologize. I mean, Trump has been the guy in the bar here who is holding back two guys who have really bloodied each other up. And one of them started it, that's Hamas. One of them is responsible for the fight. But he was able to stand in between these combatants and say, all right, you're going to knock this off. And hey, you, if they knock it off, you're willing to, you're willing to let it go, right? You know, we're going to stop this thing. And you needed that, you needed that to get us to this point. But that Turkey would, for example, Turkey is way too favorable toward Hamas for a whole bunch of reasons. But that Turkey was going to say, if you don't Agree to this deal, we're. You're on your own. Basically, Turkey was telling Hamas we're cutting you loose. That's a big. For people who have been following the region, and that's big stuff. You know, Hamas has been far too willing, or rather Turkey has been far too willing to be there in support of Hamas through. Through thick and thin. Finally, it got to be too thin. Finally, it got to be too much. So this campaign that got the final. The final, really. Surrender. It's. Hamas is surrendered. It's a surrender with guarantees. But surrender is what this is, and that's what it should be. The. The members of Hamas who are still alive should consider themselves lucky. I know Hamas is a death cult, and they love sending other people to die and to kill as many innocent Israelis and Jews as possible. I know that's what Hamas really is at its core. But it's still for the leadership that somehow doesn't like to die. The Hamas leadership, they don't like to be suicide bombers. They want to send other people to be suicide bombers. But for Hamas leadership, they should count themselves very lucky, very fortunate that they still have their lives at the end of this, because Israel would have been well within its rights. And really, I have argued from the beginning, Israel had an obligation to wipe Hamas out after what they did on October 7, a moral obligation to the Israeli people and to the world, to the degree there is an international community, to humanity. Israel had an obligation, a moral and ethical one, as well as just a national security imperative, to hunt Hamas down. And they have done so, and they have been incredibly effective as well as ethical in that process. That does not mean perfect. War is never perfect. There will always be civilian casualties. There's always going to be collateral damage to a city. But now even it will become more clear than ever. The people who were telling you that there was mass starvation in Gaza as a result of Israeli policy were lying. The people who are saying that Israel was engaged in a genocide were lying. This is going to become even more clear in the days ahead. Those voices are just going to try to fade, I might add. They're going to fade, and you're going to hear a lot less of them. But what they were saying was a slander, and it was morally obtuse. It was decrepit. It was disgraceful. And that is what they were doing intentionally, during a time of war, to confuse as much as they could, America as an ally of Israel in this process. This was always very clear to me and to Clay and to Clay's Immense credit. I know he's away for the rest of the show today. We never coordinated response. We never had to say, well, you know, we're going to be disagreeing or agreeing on this or anything like that. That from the moment October 7th happened forward, we saw this through the same moral lens. And I think that's. I have a, obviously an international relations, national security background, but Clay's just a very high iq, high wattage guy, and also with a very clear sense of right and wrong. And so we never had static on this show. We never had a sense of, oh, but maybe Israel has gone too far, or maybe Israel is engaged in a genocide. That never. And you know, this, you who have been listening for these two years, that never entered into our consciousness on the show for one second. And we followed this as closely as we could from afar. And Clay went to get ground truth in Israel, as you know, last, last December. But, and I'm very proud of that. And as I've been saying, I've had a lot of people come up who are listeners to the show, and I have a tremendous number of conservative Miami Beach American Jews who listen to this show. I know because when I'm walking the streets, they come up to me and they. The first thing they say is, great show. The second thing they say is, thank you for standing with Israel. And not, you know, abandoning would be extreme, but even being a bit wishy washy on it, you know, even getting to a place where you start, oh, I'm just asking questions, you know, is Israel really the good guy here or is the IDF really justified? Is no, none of that nonsense here for one second. And now that this conflict is over, I think people will be able to look back on it with even more factual clarity about who was accurate and who was playing propaganda with this stuff. So these are all important considerations. These are all things that I want us to remember as we move forward. And we will continue to cover this and look to see what happens with Hamas and look to see what regional players want a more stable and prosperous Middle East. But this is the question of the moment. Are there Muslim majority Arab countries, including now perhaps a majority of the Palestinian people, who want their lives to be about whether their kids are able to pick the careers they want, build the families they want, and have the futures that they want, or is it going to be suicide bombers, Allahu Akbar, and all the other nonsense and atrocities that we have seen for decades? That's really what it comes down to. This is a choice. The Israelis stand on the other side of this willing to say, okay, we can move forward with that positive, with that prosperous future. And America and other partners here are willing to be there in assistance to build a Gaza where the lights stay on, the water's clean to drink, the businesses can flourish and. But we can do that. You know, Gaza can be, Amman, Gaza can be a safe, you know, reasonably happy and prosperous place. And everywhere has their challenges. But, you know, there's an old joke about, and I say this, I've been to Jordan and I think the Jordanians are great people and they're actually great allies to America, too. But people joke around that it's the Hashemite kingdom of boredom because not a lot goes on there. Now, that's unfair. And there's Petra and there's a lot of cool stuff, but there's a very low crime rate in Amman. So it's said, really with praise, in a sense that it's boring. It's very low crime rate. And generally a stable place. Gaza could be a stable, reasonable place, too. It does not have to be some terrorist hellhole. Doesn't have to be that. And now maybe, maybe that can happen. And it will be because of the people that have seen this with clarity all along. And also brave IDF soldiers who took the fight to Gaza and did what was necessary. And President Trump negotiating this deal. President Trump ordering the strike on Iran. President Trump standing with Israel when they debilitated diminished Hezbollah. So all of this together puts us where we are right now. Something to really be proud of. Oh, we'll take some calls here in just a moment. You know, I want to ask you what's for dinner. It's a question that more kids have asked more moms. Making dinner than any other. Dinner was the meal that got everyone to the same table. But was it like that at your home? As our lives get busy, you don't always have dinner with your family. But Good Ranchers wants to remind everybody. Make time for that great tasting meal, especially with meat. Chicken, pork and salmon from Good Ranchers. Make time for that family dinner. From now through Thanksgiving, Good Ranchers is encouraging families to sit down and share a meal every Thursday. Doesn't have to be fancy, just has to be together. And here's the fun part. Every week, one lucky winner will win a free Thanksgiving ham just for sharing a photo of their gathering on their Instagram story. Tagging oodranchers and using backtothetable. Visit goodranchers.com use my name Buck as your promo code when you subscribe for an additional $40 off your initial order plus free meat for life. That's code Buck for $40 off plus free meat for life. Good ranchers.com code Buck welcome to the table.
F
Two guys walk up to a mic. Anything goes. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton. Find them on the free iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast.
B
Wishing the holidays could come early. If you own or manage your business, they can. With help from iHeartradio. People are already shopping for their loved.
F
Ones and hunting for deals wherever they.
B
Can find them, including right here. They're listening to the radio. They're listening to podcasts. They could be listening to you. Don't wait for everyone else to kick off the holidays.
F
Get your best season of the year.
B
Up and running today. Call 844-844-IHEART or visit iheartadvertising.com.
C
When I told people I was making a podcast about Benghazi, nine times out of ten they called me a masochist, rolled their eyes, or just asked why Benghazi?
B
The truth became a web of lies.
C
From prologue projects and Pushkin Industries. This is Fiasco Benghazi.
D
What difference at this point does it make?
C
Listen to Fiasco Benghazi and the I iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
B
This is an iHeart podcast.
Podcast: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
Hosts: Clay Travis, Buck Sexton (plus guest Carol Markowitz)
Theme: A Historic Day: Hostage Return, Mideast Peace, and Trump’s Defining Moment
This episode is dominated by the monumental breakthrough in the Middle East: the return of the remaining Israeli hostages from Gaza, the exchange of Palestinian detainees, and what the hosts call a true and unprecedented “Mideast peace.” Clay and Buck analyze the historic significance, the diplomatic process, Trump administration's role, the region’s transformation, and the enduring validation for conservative supporters of Israel and Trump. Guest Carol Markowitz provides analysis on the ground in Israel and the broader Jewish American perspective.
“Trump is now competing … in the annals of global politics... people who were seismic historical forces for freedom and good.” ([06:10])
“This is the first time that Hamas has accepted truly a battlefield defeat … an end of an era of terrorism.” (Buck, [08:11])
“President Trump is possibly even more popular here [Israel] than he is in the United States...” and “there are posters of Trump everywhere you go” ([22:23]).
| Timestamp (MM:SS) | Quote | Speaker | |---------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------| | 02:23 | “…above all, a day to give our deepest thanks to the Almighty God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob… 20 courageous hostages are returning… after so many years of unceasing war… today, the skies are calm, the guns are silent…” | President Trump (audio) | | 04:11 | “…for those of us out there who have been Trump supporters, this is a day of validation that our judgment was sound and we picked the right guy…” | Clay | | 08:11 | “Almost as a cliche… Mideast peace would be at the top of the list… Trump is closer to that goal than any administration before him.” | Buck | | 10:04 | “Trump’s unique genius here was he has a great relationship with a lot of Arab leaders… based on the foundation of…let’s create a durable… lasting peace … through capitalism.” | Clay | | 13:30 | “…I’ve had so many people come up…to say thank you…for standing with Israel and maintaining a moral clarity…” | Buck | | 22:23 | “President Trump is possibly even more popular here than he is in the United States… there are posters of Trump everywhere you go.” | CNN’s Clarissa Ward (audio) | | 27:47 | “It is America First to have a peaceful Middle East that we don’t even have to think about or worry about.” | Buck | | 31:27 | “This is a victory for President Trump and for those who wish that we can govern ourselves… by ideas and civilized norms.” | Jon Meacham (audio) | | 35:39 | “This took 3,000 years to get to this point. Can you believe it? And it’s going to hold up, too.” | President Trump (audio) | | 44:39 | “Donald Trump has been a miracle for that region. And you hear Israelis today…they understand that it was Donald Trump who led the way on this.” | Carol Markowitz | | 46:49 | “His sister is there [in Israel] … and she’s sending pictures from the hostage Square has now been renamed Freed Square. …national holiday. Biggest deal ever.” | Carol Markowitz |
The discussion is jubilant, triumphant, and deeply political. Clay and Buck see this day as a vindication of conservative policy and a hard-earned victory for Trump’s presidency. They repeatedly underscore Trump’s difference in deal-making, the unique validation for his supporters, and the moral clarity they believe has guided them and the audience through two years of war and contentious debate. Guest Carol Markowitz offers a more emotional, community-focused perspective, stressing relief, gratitude, and hope in the wake of trauma and loss.
The episode closes with both hope and caution: a sense that something historic has occurred, but acknowledgment that many details and challenges lie ahead. The dominant message: for Trump supporters and allies of Israel, this is a once-in-a-generation “I told you so” moment—and a new era may be dawning in the Middle East.
This summary covers the core content—news analysis, historical context, guest insight—and is an engaging, comprehensive recap for those who haven’t listened. It highlights the complete arc of discussion, from celebration to critical analysis to cautious optimism about the Middle East’s future.