The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show – Daily Review

Episode Date: September 23, 2025
Hosts: Clay Travis, Buck Sexton
Podcast Network: iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the week’s major political and cultural stories with Clay Travis and Buck Sexton’s trademark blend of analysis and humor. Key topics include Donald Trump’s appearance at the United Nations, the resurgence of climate change discourse, the controversy around Kamala Harris’s book tour, the censorship admissions from YouTube and Google, the suspension/saga of Jimmy Kimmel, and congressional insider trading, particularly in New Jersey’s gubernatorial race. The hosts voice sharp critiques against perceived liberal hypocrisy, media bias, and the broader political establishment.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. United Nations Visit: Trump’s Speech and NYC Logistics

• Timestamps: [03:37]–[05:41]
• Clay opens with frustration over the logistical mess caused by the UN General Assembly in New York, suggesting the event should be moved elsewhere to avoid disrupting daily life for residents.
  • “If we're going to have the UN On US Soil ... it should not be in New York City because it makes everything a mess for the 8 million people who actually live there for the two weeks it's there.” —Clay Travis [03:37]
• Trump’s UN presence: Clay praises Trump for his directness, especially for “laying down the law” and calling out the “climate change nonsense”.
• Buck points out the cyclical concern for climate change in the media, noting how quickly priorities shift.
  • “It went from the thing that they were obsessed with that we didn't care about at all to nobody cares about it to now they're going to pretend they care again. Sort of like also the war in Ukraine.” —Clay Travis [06:23]

2. Climate Change and Liberal Fads

• Timestamps: [05:41]–[06:32]
• Buck references a New York Times piece questioning why climate change has faded from the spotlight.
• The hosts mock the performative concern many liberals show for causes like Ukraine and climate change, suggesting it’s more about self-image than substantive action.
• Clay draws parallels between the “religion” of masking during COVID and climate change for the “too smart for religion” crowd.

3. Kamala Harris Book Tour & The View Exchange

• Timestamps: [22:35]–[36:59]
• Buck and Clay ridicule Kamala Harris’s attempt to revive her image via a new book. They reference a problematic answer she gave on The View, where she couldn’t name anything she’d have done differently from President Biden.
  • “There is not a thing that comes to mind in terms of. And I've been a part of most of the decisions that have had impact.” —Kamala Harris [26:58]
• They replay Sunny Hostin’s questions, highlighting the obviousness of Kamala’s blunder.
  • “They didn't weaponize her answer. They just used her answer. Yes, she weaponized the answer by being a moron.” —Buck Sexton [29:28]
• Wider point: The inability to admit mistakes or offer honest answers undermines credibility and public trust.
• Clay compares this to Sarah Palin’s infamous “what do you read?” gaffe: both failed at basic communication.
• Buck and Clay brainstorm how even a basic non-answer would have sufficed for Kamala.

4. Jimmy Kimmel, Disney, and Hypocrisy in Free Speech

• Timestamps: [08:39]–[17:00]; [38:18]–[39:58]
• The hosts respond to the outrage over Jimmy Kimmel’s brief suspension from ABC, mocking liberal media figures (notably Howard Stern’s protest via canceling Disney+):
  • “These libs are such babies. This is, this is not even a scintilla … of the cancellation and censorship and everything that the right has been dealing with for 20 years now, especially online.” —Clay Travis [10:07]
• Buck theorizes that Disney’s real interest lies in extracting itself from news and minimizing controversy to protect business relationships with the NFL and other leagues.
• Clay and Buck both highlight that left-wing personalities rarely face true censorship and are “crybabies” when it happens.
• Note: Outage of the Kimmel show due to affiliate issues could impact up to 35% of viewers. Buck teases potential fallout.

5. YouTube & Big Tech Censorship Admissions

• Timestamps: [07:54]–[08:39]; [38:18]–[48:59]
• The hosts discuss Google/YouTube’s recent admission to the House Judiciary Committee that they censored COVID-related content and conservative voices under pressure from the Biden administration.
  • “Every time I mentioned the COVID shot and said, hey, I don't think you should get the COVID shot... we would get strikes... At one point, they suspended us... for a month, from being able to make any money at all.” —Clay Travis [41:19]
• Impact: Conservative outlets lost millions, possibly billions, due to suppression of monetization and distribution.
• Buck and Clay highlight their own show’s experiences with shadow bans, suppressed interviews (e.g., Rand Paul, Trump), and relegation to “YouTube jail”.
• Deep frustration that the Supreme Court “whiffed” on protecting online free speech:
  • “The Supreme Court had this case and it was, I think one of the most important First Amendment cases that they have had in my life.... One of the worst Supreme Court decisions we have seen in a long time.” —Clay Travis [50:25]
• Warning: Big Tech likely to revert to censorship if/when the political winds shift.

6. Critique of ESPN, Sports Media, and Cultural Shifts

• Timestamps: [13:07]–[14:29]
• Clay laments ESPN’s drift from news reporting to endless, shallow debate segments.
• They note how Disney’s priorities are now business-driven (“glorified middleman”), steering clear of real news to avoid hurting partners.
• Humorous interlude about Clay’s gym habits and his unapologetic love for Mountain Dew.

7. Congressional Insider Trading & NJ Gubernatorial Race

• Timestamps: [58:35]–[72:36]
• Focus on Mikie Sherrill, Democratic NJ gubernatorial candidate, and allegations about rapid wealth accumulation via stock trades possibly tied to inside information.
  • “If you're a member of Congress making about 180 grand... if you made $7 million trading the stock market... I think you should know.” —Clay Travis [60:42]
• Hosts and Charlemagne tha God (clip) press Sherrill on mysteriously large profits.
  • Sherrill: “I haven’t. I don’t believe I did. But I’d have to go see what that was alluding to again, what kind of came from…” [60:34]
• Discussion highlights systemic issues: lack of meaningful prosecution for congressional insider trading; weak disclosure laws; need for reforms like mandatory blind trusts or index fund investment for all lawmakers.
• Clay recounts the COVID early-briefing scandal: Congress members dumped stock after hearing private warnings, a clear appearance of corruption.
• Legislative history: The STOCK Act requires disclosure but prosecution is rare and difficult to enforce for trading connected to government knowledge.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Media Fads:
  “It went from the thing that they were obsessed with ... to nobody cares about it to now they're going to pretend they care again. Sort of like also the war in Ukraine. Where are all those Ukraine flags?” —Clay Travis [06:23]

• On Kamala Harris’s Book Tour and Communication Fumbles:
  “They didn't weaponize her answer. They just used her answer. Yes, she weaponized the answer by being a moron.” —Buck Sexton [29:28]

• On Censorship Double Standards:
  “These libs are such babies. ... This is not even a scintilla ... of the cancellation and censorship and everything that the right has been dealing with for 20 years now, especially online.” —Clay Travis [10:07]

• On Big Tech’s Role:
  “They would not air my show live because we were getting so many strikes that were disallowing us from being able to monetize. ... This damages – it might be in the billions.” —Clay Travis [41:19]

• On Congressional Insider Trading:
  “I think it should be standard for everyone out there. And if they're arguing otherwise, I think it's highly suspect for people to be trading hundreds of times in a year.” —Clay Travis [66:45]

• On Public Trust and Corruption:
  “We don't just focus on corruption itself. We focus on the appearance of corruption because it's so toxic to public trust. How is there not a direct appearance of corruption when individual congressmen and women are making trades and destroying the greatest investors of our lifetimes in their results?” —Clay Travis [67:12]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• UN General Assembly/Trump & NYC: [03:37]–[05:41]
• Climate Change Coverage Disappearing: [05:41]–[06:32]
• Kamala Harris Book & The View: [22:35]–[36:59]
• Jimmy Kimmel Suspension & Media Hypocrisy: [08:39]–[17:00]; [38:18]–[39:58]
• YouTube/Google Censorship: [38:18]–[48:59]
• ESPN, Sports Media Critique: [13:07]–[14:29]
• Congressional Stock Trades (Mikie Sherrill): [58:35]–[72:36]

Episode Tone & Style

Fast-paced, irreverent, and combative—but also laced with humor and banter. Both hosts maintain a conversational, “in the trenches” perspective, mixing personal anecdotes with policy critique and cultural commentary.

For Further Listening

For those interested in First Amendment issues, political media controversies, or corruption reform, this episode provides a critical (conservative-leaning) deep-dive into several interrelated hot topics shaping national debate in late 2025.

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