The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show – Daily Review

Episode Date: October 29, 2025
Hosts: Clay Travis & Buck Sexton
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts

Overview

This episode focuses on the hard-fought New York City mayoral race, with in-depth conversations about the candidates (Curtis Sliwa, Zoran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo), their ideologies, and what’s at stake for NYC and national politics. The hosts also talk with Florida Congressman and gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds, discuss the culture war within the Democratic Party, critique diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) politics, and highlight broader societal trends.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The NYC Mayoral Race: Candidates, Policy Clashes & Culture Wars

• Curtis Sliwa (Republican), Zoran Mamdani (Democrat), Andrew Cuomo (Independent)
  • The hosts scrutinize Mamdani’s far-left ideology using his own past statements.
  • Clay Travis frames the election as a battle between “radical leftists” and “mainstream/moderate Democrats,” lamenting a Democratic Party civil war (13:25).
  • Discussion on Mamdani’s views on policing/criminal justice reform, drawing on his comments about prisons and trauma (05:32; 07:12); critique of his statements on NYPD-IDF collaboration and Israel-Palestine (08:16).
  • Buck highlights that NYC’s large Jewish population makes the anti-Israel rhetoric especially paradoxical for Mamdani’s candidacy (11:23).

Clay Travis [08:53]: “He believes intellectually in the idea that Israel is an apartheid state, that the NYPD exists as a colonialist occupier... and that you must overthrow the systems of government that exist in the United States in order for the people to truly be free.”

Flashback Timestamps:

• [05:32]: Mamdani on why prisons “don’t make us safer”
• [07:12]: Mamdani on entering politics to “fight apartheid from the inside”
• [08:16]: Mamdani links NYPD and IDF as “oppressive”
• [13:25]: Cuomo warns, “the far left will destroy the Democratic Party”

2. Curtis Sliwa Interview: His Case, Criticisms, and Political Odds

Interview begins [22:08]

• Sliwa emphasizes his blue-collar, populist credentials; criticizes Adams and Cuomo as creators of the current city crisis (23:50).
• Fields tough questions about vote-splitting and whether he might spoil the race for anti-Mamdani voters.
• Dismisses dropping out (“Billionaires tried to bribe me with $10 million. Now I got to walk around with armed guards… You really think that Curtis Sliwa… is going to drop out?” [25:16]).
• Describes his unique “Protect Animals” ballot line—appealing to single-issue animal welfare voters.
• Paints Cuomo and Mamdani as indistinguishable on key criminal justice issues: “They are birds of a feather, two peas in a pod. They’re Democrats. They have caused the destruction of New York State.” (27:12)

Memorable Moment:

Curtis Sliwa [26:04]: “Think of that last scene in Braveheart… I’m saying: impale me. I will never support Andrew Cuomo, the Prince of Evil.”

Electoral Pathway:

• Builds on 28% previous support, now targeting independents, animal rights advocates.
• “One person, one vote. Let the people choose the next mayor.” (28:20)

3. National & Florida Politics: Rep. Byron Donalds Interview

Interview begins [37:45]

• Donalds discusses gridlock in Congress over the government shutdown—calls Democrats leaderless and strategy-less (38:38).
• On his candidacy for Florida governor: touts strong fundraising, wide support, and commitment to visiting every county (40:17).
• Backs DeSantis’s plan to end property tax for homesteaded properties but stresses funding for vital services needs safeguarding.
• Advises incoming Florida transplants from blue states to “remember why you left” and support Florida’s principles (43:21).
• Predicts Mamdani’s win would make NY’s leftward tilt national; warns these “Marxist” policies could go mainstream (44:52).

Byron Donalds [44:52]: “To be an out and out Marxist and really subscribing to policies that have never worked anywhere in the history of the planet, that’s terrible for New York City.”

Lighthearted Exchange:

• Hosts rib Donalds on college football; Donalds dishes back over Seminoles and Gators rivalry (47:25).

4. DEI Politics, Democrat Party Shifts, and Media Critique

• Hosts react to Katie Miller’s viral comments on CNN, criticizing Karine Jean-Pierre’s White House press secretary role as a “DEI” appointment (58:12).
• Clay Travis [60:53]: “As a black gay woman, I believe… Why do I care about your race or your sex?”
• Comparison of the Democrat Party platform from 2012 to 2024: references to men and fathers have plummeted, LGBTQ rights references up “1044%” (63:16).
• Commentary on “sword and shield” nature of identity politics—Democrats use identity to both attack and defend, but criticism from others is off-limits (65:43).

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• Buck Sexton on Mamdani’s rhetoric: "That's like Protocols of the Elders of Zion kind of antisemitism" [10:28]
• Curtis Sliwa refusing to drop out: “Think of that last scene in Braveheart… I’m saying: impale me.” [26:04]
• Curtis Sliwa on bribery offers: “They know not what they do, but anybody moving forward—hey, you’re going to be prosecuted…” [33:10]
• Byron Donalds on Democrats: “They don’t have a plan. They got no strategy.” [38:38]
• Clay Travis on DEI: “You want to hire the best for the role, not just based on skin color.” [58:12]
• Byron Donalds on New Yorkers moving to Florida: “Remember why you came here… Don’t try to remake Florida into the place you just left.” [43:21]
• Clay Travis mocking Democrat identity preambles: “It is the modern-day royalty…” [60:19]

Important Segment Timestamps

| Timestamp | Topic/Guest/Theme | |-----------|------------------| | 03:00 | Main discussion begins: the NYC mayoral race | | 05:32 | Mamdani on prisons and criminal justice | | 07:12 | Mamdani on "fighting apartheid from the inside" | | 08:16 | Mamdani on NYPD-IDF, oppression rhetoric | | 13:25 | Cuomo’s stark warning on Democratic civil war | | 22:08 | Curtis Sliwa joins show: campaign strategy, critiques | | 26:04 | Sliwa’s “Braveheart” moment, refusing to drop out | | 37:45 | Rep. Byron Donalds interview: shutdown, governor race, policy | | 44:52 | Donalds on national consequences of NYC’s left turn | | 58:12 | CNN clip: DEI, Karine Jean-Pierre, identity rhetoric | | 63:16 | Democrat platform shift: references to men/down, LGBTQ/up | | 65:43 | Discussion of "sword and shield" of identity politics |

Tone & Language

The hosts’ style is energetic, combative, and infused with humor and sarcasm, especially when critiquing left-wing politics or media. Guests are engaged in a direct, sometimes playful way—the three-way with Sliwa balances skepticism with camaraderie; with Donalds, the conversation toggles between substantive politics and sports banter.

Summary Takeaways for Listeners

• The NYC mayoral race is a microcosm of a national struggle over leftist versus moderate politics and the role of identity and ideology in governance.
• Curtis Sliwa paints himself as the only “populist” challenger, refusing to drop out despite pressure and even alleged bribe attempts.
• Mamdani’s rise is deeply tied to youthful frustration, left-wing radicalism, and shifting campaign tactics (TikTok, social media over legacy press).
• Byron Donalds expects to ride strong conservative momentum in Florida, encourages policy emulation nationwide, and predicts Democrats’ radical tilt will backfire.
• Throughout, the hosts sharply critique current Democratic identity politics and the ascendance of DEI frameworks, highlighting what they view as the disconnect with productive governance.

For listeners seeking detailed analysis of the NYC mayoral race, critical discussion on national political trends, and brash, unapologetic conservative commentary—this episode delivers.