Podcast Summary: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show – David Rutherford Show: Wisconsin vs. Marxism: This Green Beret's Fight To Keep The State Free (Feb 16, 2026)

Main Theme / Purpose

This episode of The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, hosted by David Rutherford, features a deep-dive interview with Nick Pulse, a former Special Forces Green Beret running for Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin. The discussion explores Pulse’s motivations for running, his worldview shaped by military service, the state and national political landscape, and his concrete policy priorities for Wisconsin, notably around defending free-market values and pushing back against what he calls "collectivism" or "Marxism." The conversation balances serious political concerns with a tone of camaraderie and urgency, focusing on the 2026 election as pivotal for both Wisconsin and the country.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Nick Pulse's Background & Motivation for Running

• Military Service & 9/11 Impact

  • Pulse served over 11 years in the Army, deciding to serve after witnessing 9/11 as a college senior.

  • Sought to join Special Operations "to take the fight to America’s enemies" [04:29].

  • Ongoing dedication to service, now with the motivation to protect his 9-year-old son’s future.

    "Carrying that and learning from that is what I’m carrying forward now into my campaign here for lieutenant governor in Wisconsin." – Nick Pulse [05:06]

• Why State-level Politics?

  • Pulse believes effective change is more possible at the state level, where issues are “closer to the problem set” [07:30].

2. Challenges for Republicans in Wisconsin

• Loss of Momentum Post-2014

  • Since 2014, only Ron Johnson and Donald Trump have won statewide races as Republicans.

  • Pulse points to Republican messaging failures, advocating for a populist, working-class focus:

    "When we run on that messaging here in Wisconsin, we can win, and when we stray from that, we’re racking up losses." – Nick Pulse [08:32]

3. Economic Policy & the Lieutenant Governor’s Role

• Limited Formal Powers, Big Advocacy Platform
  • The WI lieutenant governor’s powers are few, so Pulse envisions being a convener for business, education, and local government [10:07].
• Cutting Regulation, Taxes and Preaching Economic Freedom

  • Wisconsin is "one of the most overregulated states in the Midwest," driving up business costs.

  • Cites recent property tax increases as especially problematic.

    "When you combine high regulations...high property taxes...income taxes... that creates a lot of restraint. I want to create freedom." – Nick Pulse [10:07–12:19]

4. Health Care Costs & Government Fraud

• Driving Down Costs and Increasing Competition

  • Pulse proposes allowing more health insurance companies to sell in WI by executive action, and removing plan mandates that raise prices [13:17].

  • Stresses need for auditing spending before raising taxes:

    "I’m willing to bet that if we audit, we’re going to find a whole lot of money... that we can then decide how to allocate for...Wisconsinites and not have it go to fraud, waste or abuse." – Nick Pulse [13:17]

5. Immigration, Fraud, and State Spending

• Distinguishing "Fraud" from "Illegal Immigration"
  • Pulse sees government program incentives as driving fraud, with Wisconsin not immune to such risks [17:10].
  • Points to Fort McCoy as a hub for Afghan migrants, and cites challenges of assimilation and program abuse in immigrant communities.
  • Asserts many government programs "incentivize" spending without accountability.
• Government Spending Growth (State-Level)

  • Wisconsin government spending up 50% in 8 years, with no corresponding service improvements [27:33].

  • Calls for keeping "more of your money in your pocket" and restraining bureaucratic expansion.

    "There's no Federal Reserve in Wisconsin that can just turn on the printing press." – Nick Pulse [27:33]

6. Election Integrity

• Calls to Abolish the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC)
  • Prefers elections be managed by a constitutionally-elected Secretary of State, not a split-party commission.
• Absentee Ballots and Voter Rolls
  • Wants more verifiability in absentee voting, criticizing COVID-era rule relaxations [30:05].
  • Pushes for thorough cleaning of voter rolls, describes resistance to DOJ review as suspicious [30:05].
• Voter ID and Residency
  • Wisconsin has voter ID, but Pulse wants to tighten rules on rapid-state-residency, especially for college students [32:58].

7. Political Opponent and Wisconsin’s Political Divide

• Democratic Opponent: Sarah Godlewski
  • Positions her as collectivist, pro-sanctuary-state, pro-regulation, antithetical to WI’s values [35:02].
• Urban vs. Rural Divide
  • Dane (Madison) and Milwaukee counties drive Democratic turnout with more radical policies, overshadowing the rural, individualist electorate [36:58].

8. Youth Outreach and Critique of "Marxist" Appeal

• Approaching Gen Z

  • Pulse aims to share his family-centric story, recognize legitimate generational frustrations (housing costs, debt, job competition), and counter socialism’s emotional appeal.

  • Warns about the danger of leftist ideas capturing the "moral high ground":

    "We have to focus on the emotional level too, when we're battling against socialism, because they try to capture the moral high ground. And we cannot let them capture moral high ground because nowhere in socialism do they ever get to capture the moral high ground. Never works." – Nick Pulse [43:17]

9. Campaign Tone and Hopes for Wisconsin and National Politics

• Against Rhetorical Escalation and Dehumanization

  • Expresses concern over "march towards more and more aggression, more and more violence."

  • Calls for returning to problem-solving and mutual respect:

    "I'd love to see a dialing down of the demonization of people on different issues...Once you demonize them or once you dehumanize them, then it becomes easier to do other things. That's another lesson of history." – Nick Pulse [47:17]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "For me in Wisconsin, I think a lot of ways Washington, D.C. is not a lot [of] lost cause. It’s so far gone that to me the states is where we can fight, we can preserve, we can protect and eventually rebuild..." – Nick Pulse [07:30]

• "I'm running for my 9 year old...I want him to feel safe in the United States. So those are the things why I got into the race." – Nick Pulse [05:06]

• "We haven't gotten 50% better services. We haven't gotten a 50% better quality of life. So the spending is continually increasing." – Nick Pulse [27:33]

• "When you have a lot of absentee ballots flooding the system, it makes it easier to be able to get the outcome that you want in an election, because once the ballot is separated from the envelope, it's near impossible to figure out if that is legitimate and verifiable..." – Nick Pulse [30:05]

• "I see this election as a very stark contrast between...the collectivism, the socialists, the Marxists...and the folks that believe in freedom." – Nick Pulse [43:17]

• "I’d like to see a dialing down of the rhetoric...Focus on how do we solve problems, what's going to be best for my state here in Wisconsin..." – Nick Pulse [47:17]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction and Nick Pulse’s Background – [02:38–06:03]
• Why State-Level Politics? – [07:30]
• GOP's Messaging Challenges in Wisconsin – [08:32]
• Lieutenant Governor’s Role & Economic Freedom – [10:07–12:19]
• Health Care & Fraud Issues – [13:17–15:08]
• Immigration and Fraud Commentary – [17:10–20:19]
• State Government Spending Increase – [27:33]
• Election Integrity & Absentee Ballots – [30:05–32:25]
• Voter ID, Residency, Young Voters – [32:58–43:17]
• Opposition Candidates & Urban/Rural Divide – [35:02–38:00]
• Youth Outreach & Critique of Marxism – [41:12–45:55]
• Reducing Political Rancor & Campaign Goals – [47:17]
• Campaign Plugs & Closing Remarks – [48:46–49:57]

Conclusion

Nick Pulse’s appearance on the show highlights a mix of military-informed pragmatism and populist conservatism, rooted in his personal story and Wisconsin’s unique political environment. He paints a battle between individual liberty and collectivist (Marxist/socialist) movements—especially as reflected in the urban/rural and generational divides of Wisconsin. Throughout, Pulse emphasizes pragmatic solutions, broad outreach (especially to the young and disenfranchised), and a commitment to dialing down political extremism in favor of common sense, accountability, and personal freedom.