The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Daily Review – October 22, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton broadcast live from Fort Wayne, Indiana, to discuss the latest developments in U.S. politics and current events with their characteristic mix of humor and candid commentary. The primary topics include the New York City mayoral race, Democratic leadership struggles, the future of national politics post-Trump, and red state policy innovation—featuring an extended interview with Florida Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins. Listener calls and social media reactions pepper the conversation, providing a lively back-and-forth on strategy and electoral outlooks.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Broadcasting from Fort Wayne: Red State Reactions and Air Travel Observations

• Buck notes the milestone of broadcasting from a station with a 100-year legacy and jokes about his repeated visits to Fort Wayne despite being from Manhattan. (01:39–02:28)
• Clay and Buck riff on traveling through red vs. blue states: “If you just put me on a plane and you didn't tell me where I was going, but just based on the friendliness of some of the passengers... I know if we’re going to a red state or a blue state for the most part.” — Buck Sexton (03:23)
• Ongoing observations about mask-wearing are raised, noting regional and international differences. (04:18–05:28)

2. Andrew Cuomo, Lawfare, and Democratic Infighting

• Clay details rumors about Andrew Cuomo refusing to appear on the show, theorizing it's due to their harsh critiques during COVID (“…I said a lot of awful things, all true, about Andrew Cuomo during COVID.” — Clay Travis, 05:28).
• Buck discusses alleged White House involvement in legal investigations targeting political rivals, including Donald Trump and Eric Adams, painting the Biden team as vindictive: “It was all being run through command central... and Biden wanted Trump to go to prison. He actually wanted his opponent to go to prison.” (07:07)
• Clay references Jake Tapper's book Original Sin to characterize the Biden inner circle as a "mafia" and argues the White House orchestrated takedowns of both Cuomo and Adams. (09:02)

3. Kamala Harris’ Political Positioning and the State of the DNC

• Buck reviews a new Kamala-centric book, criticizing it for being a "book of zero accountability" and a ploy to separate Harris from the Biden administration’s failures: "I'm like some third-tier school... I don't think they'll give her Berkeley or UCLA." — Clay Travis (11:10)
• DNC’s financial woes are attributed to debts from Kamala Harris’ “colossal” campaign spending: “She spent, Buck, $1.5 billion in 107 days... that's $14 million a day.” — Clay Travis (13:11)
• Buck points out that this spending did not translate into political momentum, leaving Harris and the party weakened. (13:30–14:08)

4. New York City Mayoral Race: Sliwa, Cuomo, Mamdani, and Political Stakes

• The hosts analyze the implications of Curtis Sliwa staying in the mayoral race, with Buck concluding that an outright Sliwa victory is a fantasy: “Sliwa winning would be the biggest shock election win… of all time.” (28:35)
• Trump’s take is played and discussed; he says he’d rather have a Democrat (Cuomo) than a Communist (Mamdani) as mayor: “It’s really a question of, would I rather have a Democrat or a Communist? And I would rather have a Democrat than a Communist.” — Donald Trump (21:41)
• Clay uses a memorable analogy: “It’s like, would you rather step in gum or poop?... Momdani is poop and Cuomo is gum.” (22:54)
• Caller Jacqueline passionately disagrees, insisting polls underrepresent non-Democrat voters and arguing that Cuomo dropping out is the only chance for a non-leftist win (29:39–32:35).
• The hosts discuss possible national ripple effects if so-called "far-left" candidates win in New York, suggesting this could actually help Republicans statewide and nationally.

5. Listener Feedback and Political Realism

• Callers and listeners weigh in, some blaming the hosts for “helping” the Communist win by being pessimistic; others insist on a maximalist GOP push.
• Buck tries to bring the debate back to reality: "We're commenting on the situation, and our commentary is right in line with Donald Trump on this one, because he also understands the situation." (23:30)

6. National Democrat and Republican Futures: J.D. Vance, MAGA, and the Next Wave

• Buck and Clay discuss how the left is already preparing to paint J.D. Vance as the next boogeyman after Trump, despite the contradictions: “Now what’s it going to be? JD is scarier in essence because he’s younger, he’s got a more polished resume… he’s a scarier, younger Trump.” — Buck Sexton (39:12)
• The conversation turns to changing definitions and expectations for Democrats and Republicans, noting that “1990s Democrats… would be Republicans today.” — Clay Travis (42:06)
• Clay and Buck also comment on how personal narratives like Vance’s (overcoming poverty, military service, biracial family) complicate standard-issue left-wing attacks. (44:44–46:39)

7. Interview: Florida Lt. Governor Jay Collins on Property Tax, Migration, and DeSantis’ Succession

• Collins outlines Florida’s proposal to exempt homesteaded properties from property tax, arguing it’s both mathematically possible and a matter of principle: “The American dream is to own your home and you never really own it if the government can take it from you.” — Jay Collins (57:20)
• Buck presses for details, and Collins insists cuts wouldn’t threaten essential services, promising specifics once DeSantis’ official policy is rolled out. (58:21)
• The impact of blue-state policies and outmigration is discussed, with Collins calling Florida America's "conservative proving grounds" and predicting greater influx if leftists take over NYC: “…you're going to see a stream of caravan of people come in fleeing New York just like during Covid because of his horrible leadership.” — Jay Collins (60:12)
• Collins hints at his own potential run for governor, pending family and team discussions, and praises DeSantis as “the greatest governor in our nation’s history.” (61:45–62:47)

8. Closing Thoughts: The Future of National Elections and Leadership

• The hosts preview impending battles within both parties for 2028, speculating on candidates (J.D. Vance, Marco Rubio for GOP; Gavin Newsom, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for Democrats) and leadership styles.
• Buck and Clay emphasize the importance of pragmatic analysis and voter turnout, reiterating their belief that electoral outcomes have deep, far-reaching effects.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Cuomo’s Refusal: “We invited Andrew Cuomo three different times on the show. Cuomo will not come on... I’m going to be honest, a lot of awful things, all true, about Andrew Cuomo during COVID.” — Clay Travis, 05:28
• On DNC Spending Problems: “Kamala said they didn’t hear my message. That’s her argument. She spent buck $1.5 billion in 107 days.” — Clay Travis, 12:51
• Trump on the NYC Race: “It’s really a question of, would I rather have a Democrat or a Communist? And I would rather have a Democrat than a Communist.” (21:41)
• Clay’s Analogy: “It’s like, would you rather step in gum or poop?... Momdani is poop and Cuomo is gum.” — Clay Travis, 22:54
• On Property Rights: “The American dream is to own your home and you never really own it if the government can take it from you.” — Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, 57:20
• On GOP’s Next Era: “I do think MAGA will be absolutely behind JD and I think Marco Rubio is going to be his vice president.” — Buck Sexton, 47:35

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Fort Wayne intro & Red State travel: 01:39–05:28
• Cuomo, Lawfare, Biden White House: 05:28–09:29
• Kamala Harris Book & DNC Debt: 09:29–14:08
• NYC Mayoral Race, Trump’s Input: 19:44–23:48
• Caller Jacqueline Debate: 29:31–33:48
• Democrat Party, J.D. Vance Discussion: 37:44–46:39
• Jay Collins Interview (Florida, taxes, migration): 54:29–63:40
• Political Futures and Closing Discussion: 63:40–66:18

Conclusion

This episode is a lively exploration of America’s shifting political landscape at local and national levels. Clay and Buck keep listeners engaged with candid, often humorous commentary while unspooling strategies, dissecting candidate personalities, and raising caution flags about both Democratic and Republican futures. The in-depth Jay Collins interview offers a look at policy innovation in Florida and the migration dynamics reshaping red states, reinforcing the core message: political choices made in 2025–26 will echo for years.