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Clay Travis
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Moment when it comes to keeping our brains healthy. American innovators are cracking the code on Alzheimer's. Real breakthroughs. Helping people keep their memories, their independence, their lives. But here's the truth. Previous administration's policies could slow progress down. Our president is working to cut through the bureaucracy. That's where the Market Institute comes in. Their team is leading the fight to cut red tape, empower patients, and unleash innovation. America's got the best doctors, researchers and entrepreneurs in the world ready to defeat Alzheimer's. They're just asking for the government to work for the people. Join the fight@marketinstitute.org that's marketinstitute.org because when we free the market, we make America healthier. How are USDA staff cuts and budget challenges affecting farmers?
Buck Sexton
I have land in conservation to provide water quality benefits.
Clay Travis
With the nrcs being short staffed, the USDA isn't releasing any information because they're not there.
Buck Sexton
I made an agreement.
Clay Travis
I've done my part.
Buck Sexton
But now I'm sitting on potentially a large sum that is owed to you.
Clay Travis
My bills are coming due at the end of the year, but I can't.
Caller/Listener
Even finalize my plans for next year.
Buck Sexton
It's pretty frustrating.
Clay Travis
Protect conservation funding and staff that supports farmers paid for by Invest in Our Land welcome in Clay Travis, Buck Sexton show. We appreciate all of you, especially those of you who heard the clarion call to show up yesterday in the final election of 2025 in Tennessee's 7th congressional district, where you guys got out the vote and comfortably helped Matt Van Epps become my congressman. He won by around nine points in a frankly turnout that was roughly half of what typically happens in congressional races. This was, you're going to hear a lot of spin, although it seems to me that they have already kind of dropped this story in the legacy media. Um, and as a result, they are not paying a lot of attention to this because the result was a very comfortable win for Matt Van Epps. Nine points. They initially tried to say, well, Trump won this district by 22 points in 2024. And yeah, that's true. Way less people showed up to vote. The Democrat crazy base shows up to vote in all of these special elections. This was their best opportunity to get a steal in this seat, and they lost by 9 points. So congrats to Matt Van Epps. It took a lot of effort to. To make people aware that this race was happening yesterday in the middle of the holiday season, the week after Thanksgiving. We had him on this show twice. President Trump, speaker of the House Mike Johnson. They all got out. And I want to say thank you to everybody who showed up for this race. And frankly, Buck, I think there are a lot of people out there who would have been voting Van Epps that still had no idea this race was taking place because it was a December election. The week after Thanksgiving, special election, new congressional districts, just very difficult to mobilize. This was the best case scenario for the Democrat Party. I watched the results come in. I celebrated by kicking back and finishing the first four episodes of season five of Stranger Things with the Travis boys. So it was a fun night in the, in the Travis household. That's how we celebrated.
Buck Sexton
Buck, I'm of two minds on this. Okay. On the one hand, yes, of course, this is a Republican win. Good for the country. Afton Bain was clearly a lunatic and the good guys won this round. That's all true. And it's important for the midterms that they didn't get some crazy off, you know, off year, special election win that they could turn into. All of that is true. But there's a little part of me that is Sad. A little part of me that has had to sit here while you have thrown all sorts of columns. Is that the right word at New York City for mom Donnie's win? And I was going to have some fun with the fact that your district might have been full commie. There perhaps could have been breadlines outside of Peg Leg Porker, my favorite Nashville barbecue. There would have been girls on those outdoor bar bicycle things singing the Soviet national anthem and drinking nothing but cheap vodka because that's how the motherland of the Soviet Union would have wanted it. So, on the one hand, yes, Clay, the good guys won. On the other hand, the opportunity for all of us to troll you for living in a communist dystopia district is now gone. So I just wanted to be honest about that.
Clay Travis
I am so glad that I don't have to worry about having this crazy chick representing me, Afton Bain. She got kicked to the curb.
Buck Sexton
And I do think, you know, she's going to be tweeting at you and, and. And all the Daily Wire guys at the trolling that you were going to have to endure would have just been very difficult.
Clay Travis
Oh, the. The cope now in my mentions, the cope now is, well, this is a crazy right wing district where racists like Clay Travis lived. It's really hard to win. And let me just tell you, thank the Lord that I live where I do. I live in Williamson County, Tennessee, God's country. I am never leaving for the rest of my life. I am living right here in this county. I think I've said this on the air before, Buck. I don't know if I think I've told you. I don't know if I've said it on the air. After Covid, I told my wife, I said, you know, we. We've been picking a new place to live in the area because the boys are getting bigger and we want to be a little bit closer to their school. All those things. I said, you can find us a spot. I said, I will not live in Davidson County. That is Nashville's Davidson county, where I was born and raised, because I'm still so angry of how they handled Covid. I said, you know, look, it's a small thing, but I will not give them property tax dollars because I am so angry about the choices they made during COVID So Williamson county, which is, for those of you know, the Nashville area, Brentwood, Franklin, it is the greatest place, I think, anywhere in the country. I do not ever want to leave here. And when you looked at the results, Williamson county showed up for Matt Van Epps in big numbers. And I do think this is a, an important story going forward, Buck, because the nation may be saying, okay, this, this race is over. What do we learn?
One, you got to run towards Trump. You cannot run away from him. I mean, this is the story.
Buck Sexton
This is what, this is what Congressman elect Van Epps just said. This is cut one. Listen to him say it.
Cut one.
Clay Travis
And with President Donald J. Trump and stood firmly behind our campaign, I am humbled beyond belief to stand before you tonight as your next representative. I say this to my friends in the liberal media and to the professional panickers in my own party. Tonight we showed running from Trump is how you lose. Running with Trump is how you win.
Yeah, look, I think it's going to be a big decision in 26. And I am super optimistic, as we have talked about on this program, that the economy is going to be very good by the summer. And that is going to be ultimately, I believe, the deciding factor in many of these different races out there. But there are going to be a lot of people who have to make decisions about how to win without Trump on the ballot. And Donald Trump is never going to be on the ballot again for the rest of our lives. There are a lot of people who show up to support Trump that do not show up in races when Trump's not on the ballot. So I am cautiously optimistic for 26. But I do think one of the lessons of what happened here was Trump is doing a good job, you cannot run away from him. And you absolutely, positively need to motivate the base that is the Republican Party because there's a lot of non traditional voters and this is going to be true all these off year elections. To the extent that people are out there listening, I would really implore, if you're a Republican in Congress, I get that you may be unhappy or there may be life related concerns. I don't understand why you would leave and force an off year election or an off calendar election at this point. Please stay the, the, the opportunity here was created because my congressman, Mark Green decided to step down. The only way these people win in Trump districts is by relying on these off calendar elections. When the crazy Democrat voters show up, they're more loyal. They just are.
Buck Sexton
And hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on.
Clay Travis
Loyal.
Buck Sexton
I can't. They have less to do. They tend not to have jobs and families the same way that our voters do. You know, they're, they're, they're sitting around without a whole lot on the calendar except Dyeing their hair purple and talking about fascism in Trump's America. So yes, they show up. I'm not sure it's a loyalty thing. Our people are busy picking the kids.
Clay Travis
Up from soccer press. But maybe when I say loyal, I mean their political belief is all that defines them. I think we're saying somewhat similar things. If you're a Trump voter, there's a lot of things going on in your life. You're probably religious, you're committed to a church, you probably have a family. You're obligated to be running your kids or your grandkids all over the place. There are a lot of people for whom the Democrat party has become their sun, moon and stars. It's their religion, it's their life, it's their entire value system. It is something that fundamentally defines them.
Buck Sexton
It gives them identity. Yes, that is their identity. That is who they are and that's why they're so annoying about it. When you are sitting next to them at any kind of a function or if they figure out what you or I do, for example, they want to start telling us what's really going on. Let me tell you a thing, sir.
Clay Travis
I mean, I'll be honest with you, Buck. When I went and voted yesterday, it was cold. Know it's 35 degrees. Like the worst weather that Nashville can have.
Buck Sexton
Yeah, none of that down here in South Florida, my Florida peeps, none of that.
Clay Travis
I know the best thing about when I lived in the, in the, in the Caribbean for a couple of years when I was a young kid. When you watch bad weather other places and you live in great weather, you're just like, why do people do this? You know, you're already doing it. All you Miami people, you sit in your warm in, in your perfect weather and you're like, why would you be a place where it snows? You know, you're watching a football game on television or you're watching the weather reports and you're just like, what a crazy idea that these people have to just go sit in the cold. The Afton Bain supporters, Buck, old women. It was super cold. They were standing outside on the street for hours, no cover, with Afton Bain signs. And I'm not talking. I mean these are not like 20 year old college kids. This is like 75 year old women. Their entire life purpose is the Democrat party. And I think there are a lot of women that they have, that they have grabbed, that they have captivated as your life's purpose is to show up and do this work for the Democrat party and that those people show up in these special elections in a way that I would say, quote, unquote, people with lives.
Buck Sexton
Yeah.
Clay Travis
Do not necessarily.
Buck Sexton
Well, this is also why being, being a Democrat means, and I'm talking about going back for decades, never having to address personal accountability. Being a Democrat means that you can have this whole system that will justify choices you made based on convenience, based on emotion, based on how it made you feel at the time. I would argue that the central ethos of the Democrat party runs contrary to the wisdom that you accrue from life. And so if you are a woman in your 60s or your 70s who has always, always, always voted Democrat, it is in fact in some ways more important than ever that you perpetuate that system. Because the moment you start to question it, you question a lot of things that you have thought and done in your life previously.
Clay Travis
I'm weird in this way. There's probably many ways many of you out there are going to say, I'm willing to accept that I could be wrong about everything. And I don't know what that is. I mean, maybe it's partly legal training, maybe partly it's just a willingness to accept and acknowledge larger questions out there. I think a lot of our listeners are, I think a lot of our listeners are in that camp. And with age comes wisdom. And I don't, you know, when there's a 20 year old running around who has an opinion, um, I tend to think and hope that as they have life experience, they will become more educated. You have kids, you have different experiences, you become a grandparent, you have different experiences. But you're right, I think a lot of these crazy left wing people, they're so committed to it being their identity, how they vote, that if they ever examine that even the party that they vote for is no longer the party of the 1980s or the 1990s, it would require them to revoke much of their entire life's work. And they're unwilling to have that. That realization.
Buck Sexton
A lot of things that they have believed for a long time would start to crumble before their eyes. So that's why they're like Afton Bain, Free Palestine. Climate change is an existential threat. Because if they stopped the hysteria, they would look around and they'd have to think, I really wasn't very nice to people who were important in my life at different times. I really didn't think about others. I really didn't put my country or my community in any meaningful way. I just pretended and voted for these silly commies that's my view of it, at least. All right, look, last night I. You know, Clay, I'm a modest guy, but I got to tell everybody about this one. I was all cozy on the couch. And I mean, I was in a great spot. I had Ginger next to me. Speed had already gone to sleep. And I'm sitting there, I'm drinking my tea, and I've just got this wonderful blanket from Cozy Earth that is wrapped around my legs.
Clay Travis
It is pretty awesome.
Buck Sexton
Bubble cuddle blanket.
Clay Travis
And my wife in South Florida. This is. You got. Your air conditioning was going.
Buck Sexton
Yeah, I was going to say the air conditioning is very strong here. So my, my beautiful wife is also on the couch and she has some flimsy. I'm just going to say it. Some flimsy kind of sad blanket. Sad, exclamation point. Blanket on her feet. And I don't even know where this thing came from. You know what I did? I said, honey, we can share. So we shared our Cozy Earth blanket. And it was great. Let me tell you, it's big, it's warm. It's the coziest you're going to find anywh. It is a perfect gift for anyone who is important in your life this holiday season, including yourself. You can get one for yourself and then to the husbands out there. Cause you can even get one in pink. But you share it with your wife and you're a hero. Not all heroes wear capes. Get yourself a bubble cuddle blanket. That is a universal favorite. I've got to get probably another one now because Carrie's going to make sure it's on her side of the couch every night. Cozy Earth has a whole range of incredible products, though. I just recommend, no matter what situation you're in, you get some new sheets from Cozy Earth because they're better than whatever sheets. You've got time to refresh those sheets. This holiday season, you sleep on your bed hopefully seven, eight hours a night, maybe six, seven hours a night. You want to be comfortable. Cozy Earth comes through for you. We love this company. Amazing stuff. All of the gifts for my family in New York this year. Cozy Earth, Cuddle, blanket, pajamas, towels. One Stop Shop got it all done and they're very happy. Go check it out right now. Cozyearth.com cozy earth c o z y cozyearth.com use my name Buck for up to 40% off. Make sure to order by December 12th. So you've only got a little bit of time here, but you know, 10 days or so. December 12th for guaranteed Christmas delivery Guaranteed Christmas delivery if you get this, get it done this week. Get it done today. Go to cozyearth.com code buck for up to 40% off Clay Travis and Buck.
Clay Travis
Sexton Mic drops that never sounded so good. Find them on the free iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Clay Travis
Then the space hamster flew his hot.
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That's rapidradios.com American innovators are cracking the code on Alzheimer's. Real breakthroughs. Helping people keep their memories, their independence, their lives. We've got the best researchers in the world ready to defeat Alzheimer's. But first they have to defeat bureaucratic red tape that's where the Market Institute comes in. Their team is fighting to empower patients and unleash innovation. Join the fight@marketinstitute.org that's marketinstitute.org because when we free the market, we make America healthier. How are USDA staff cuts and budget challenges affecting farmers with conservation?
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I wouldn't have been able to do that without the NRCS programs.
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A lot of farmers are thinking that they're not able to farm next year.
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Crop prices are below cost of production. And so these programs are what keep farmers in the business of farming, protect conservation funding and staff that supports farmers paid for by Invest in Our Land.
Buck Sexton
All right, welcome back into Clay and Buck Van Epps. Matt Van Epps brought home the wood we had yesterday. Speaker of the House Johnson and Van Epps calling in. And we were hitting this one hard because as we had been telling you all along, it would have been both sad, exclamation point and in some ways kind of funny for those of us who don't live there. If Clay's congresswoman was maybe the most insane single member of the United States Congress living in this wonderful red state of Tennessee, but an absolutely insane member of Congress, she did not end up winning. Leslie in Birmingham, Alabama is on the phone. She wants to chat with us about this. What's going on? Leslie?
Caller/Listener
Hey, good morning. Yes, sir. I listen to you guys every day and I really want to just send my kudos and big thank you for making the country aware of the situation. I have two young adult sons who are married in Tennessee. One lives in Franklin, one lives in Nashville. And because of your show and bringing this to light, I contacted them hoping that would transfer into four more votes for the rest of Tennessee. So thank you.
Clay Travis
Thank you, Leslie. We're glad to have done a small part. I do think awareness was the key here. Again, a lot of people know when the midterm elections are going on, when the certainly the presidential elections are going on, getting people out to vote. Buck, we were talking about this off air turnout about 50% roughly of what a traditional election would be, which is why this margin went from 22 to 9. But they were trying to steal the election. By the way, I will be in Birmingham next Wednesday raising a bunch of money for, for a big charity event, Birmingham Quarterback Club. I'm speaking down there. I think they have hundreds of people, so hopefully I can entertain them. But I'll be down in Birmingham next week.
Buck Sexton
Yeah, I, I, I Like Birmingham, that is with a. Really tied to my first ever college football at a, at a big level experience because that's where I was hanging out before we went to Tuscaloosa, another very fun town I had not been to before.
Clay Travis
I meant to mention this, by the way, Paul Finebaum not running for Senate. I mentioned it on social media, didn't mention it yesterday on the program. Look, if you're out there right now and you are getting geared up for, for travel again, maybe you just got back from Thanksgiving, maybe you are getting geared up right now to travel for Christmas. Maybe you're gonna even be in a car convoy driving multiple different cars. Maybe you got a bunch of kids in your family like we do. In my family we have rapid radios. Kids love to play along with these radios. In fact, I was thinking about rapid radios cause I was watching Stranger Things last night, season five, first four episodes with my kids. And they're using walkie talkies to communicate all over the place because there weren't cell phones back in the 1980s. And what you find out is kids may want cell phones, but they love walkie talkies. Keeps them off the Internet, keeps you in touch with them. They work nationwide. Go check this company out. Rapidradios.com code radio. That's rapidradios.com code radio. Welcome back in Clay Travis Buck Sexton show. Appreciate all of you hanging out with us, had a little bit of fun here. We'll get some of your calls here momentarily. But Buck, I saw this stat this morning as I surveyed the landscape of the stock market. American Eagle Outfitters. You remember when American Eagle was in the news back in the summer when they brought Sydney Sweeney the buxom, I think is the way that you described her. Buck. Some lass into their, into their advertising world. They did the great jeans commercial. For those of you out there that have forgotten about this, I do think culturally this is significant. It's just a pretty girl wearing jeans. They sold out of the jeans. But then she said she had and.
Buck Sexton
It upset a lot of people. That's, that's the craziest part.
Clay Travis
On the left, people on the left said, well this is Nazi eugenics. You know, how can a blonde blue eyed girl say that she has great genes? They had the big discussion all through left wing media. American Eagle stock is soaring again today, Buck. After they beat earnings estimates, they now have gone up over, over $3 today. If you bought the stock the day the ad campaign began, Stock is up 120%. You would have more than doubled your money. If you had simply seen a buxom lass in a jeans commercial that was being criticized and thought, you know what? I think America might respond well to a pretty girl selling blue jeans. And guess what? America has responded quite well to it. I think what you're seeing and I. And people say, okay, well, why does this matter? We were so lied to. When you were walking through the mall and you saw a fat, androgynous chicken in a bra and a panty in the window at Victoria's Secret and you thought to yourself, boy, I don't know that, you know, I want to buy underwear when the model looks like Clay. Travis might as well have a beard and a bra and panties on. I don't know that that's really going to make a lot of sense. But they tried to slam this home through the culture. Advertising agencies are among the wokest of all brands in the entire world. They try to make you think that the world looks differently than it does and that you should like things that you don't. It's all going up in flames, all of it. And I thought that anyway, as I'm watching that stock price soar, I did think it was super interesting in that respect. We got a bunch of people who want to weigh in. Carmen in Florida, let's take some of your calls. Carmen, what you got for us?
Caller/Listener
How you doing, guys? Listen, this is my take on it. I'm so glad that Van won. As for the Republicans, because had it been the other, the Democrat AOC would have would have thought that her, you know, her movement, her socialist movement would have been the way to go, validated, you know, and not only that, because she was so successful with Mandani, she thought that she can do the same with this, with this Democrat lady. I just think that that would have blown her head even more.
Clay Travis
Yeah, look, I think in general, when you start to look through all of all of the arguments that are going to be out there, what you're going to see is what works in New York City and la, and this should be common sense, but for a lot of Democrats, it's not. What works in New York City and in LA is, is not going to work in the same way in the larger, you know, the battleground states. I was looking at numbers coming out of Michigan, for instance. I think we got a real shot in Michigan of flipping the governor's seat and the Senate seat there. Remember, Trump won Michigan by relatively small, you know, tight margin. But there are big battleground states out there that I think the idea of mom Donnie and this crazy Afton Bane chick are not going to pan out. Tom in Tampa, what you got for us?
Caller/Listener
Hey, first, I do want to talk about that I'm so happy about David's accounting, so forth, but I do want to give you a free plug for the audiobook Balls. Okay. I, I not only got my copy, but a former salesman, my best friend, used to draw the balls up on easel, and I got him one for Christmas. So, Joe, this was for you. Clay, on the election. Obviously, praise God for you for what you did and, and everything. But I have to also say I am totally shocked that that spread was only nine points. I'm sitting there saying, like, I've spent a lot of time in Davidson County, Winston county, even though I'm in Tampa, like, that that spread should have been 25, 30 points. And also, one last thing on balls. You and I have the same grandfather. Mine came through Ellis island, so I'll listen to you.
Buck Sexton
So you, you got, you have family members calling in now, Clay, this makes sense, given how much this guy.
Clay Travis
I don't know how we have the same grandfather here, but, But I appreciate Tom in Tampa. I don't have any, right?
Buck Sexton
I thought he was a member of your family before he even said the part about genealogy. That guy loves.
Clay Travis
What are you, what are you saying? How do we have the same grandfather, Tom? I didn't know I had any relatives in Tampa.
Caller/Listener
The same grandfather has to do with. People have to get your audiobook to understand your dynamic about, about grandparents. And, and just so you know, I, I, I stay up at night worrying about the birth rate, just like you do. If I had a critique of Balls. If I had a critique, it would only be because I know, because of demographics, that people buy the most crap in their life, the most luxury crap of their life, between 48 and 58. And without the, Without a birth rate to support that, guess what? We're screwed. So I, I am totally on point with you. Get balls.
Clay Travis
Thank you. Not. Not an actual relative there, Buck. I was, like, trying to figure out what exactly was the point. But, yes, look, the book, by the way, you can get it autographed and you get coffee. What we said yesterday, this is a good play. You go right now to crockettcoffee.com you will get an autographed copy that I'm holding a pen in my hand. I will actually sign it, unlike Joe Biden, and you get coffee. So you can give a book as a gift, read it, get credit for it as a gift, and you can get delectable Crockett coffee, which I am in the process right now of drinking@crockett coffee.com. please go join our revolution there, Nancy in Michigan. Nancy, what you got for us?
Caller/Listener
Oh, hey, guys, congratulations on Tennessee. Awesome. But I was listening last week. I wasn't able to get through. Well, this, this guy from New York called and he was dissing Trump because he's trying to get along with the commie mayor. Electricity. Well, you know, it's all about keeping your friends close and your enemies closer. And people should not give up on Trump that quick. He knows what he's doing. You gotta trust the guy. You know, he's incredible what he does.
Buck Sexton
Well, we were saying this too. And this is, this is Buck speaking from the New Yorker perspective, or I guess former New Yorker. Now, there was no upside for Trump being gruff or rude. Mamdani hasn't done anything other than run a campaign where he said, you know, and said some things in the past that Trump disagrees with. But Trump's approach of, hey, if you want to be more reasonable than people expect, you know, we're willing to meet you on some of the issues where you're going to be reasonable. Yeah, maybe Mamdani forgets all that and acts like the lunatic we think he'll be, but at least Trump gave him the opportunity. At least Trump's, at least Trump was willing to be the bigger man and say to him, if you want to be a good mayor, we're here for you. And I think that's absolutely the approach. What's the alternative? Trump looking like some petulant child. I can't believe you won. You're terrible. This is the White House. He's the president. He did exactly the right thing.
Clay Travis
I think once they made the decision to have the face to face meeting, if Trump wanted to continue to snipe and go back and forth, I think he would have not done the meeting, if that makes sense. Once you're going to be face to face in the White House, you, I don't think you win substantially by having that battle in public in that same way, if that makes sense. By the way, 800-282-2882, we will continue to take some of your calls during the course of the program.
Buck Sexton
I want to know why. Sometimes I legitimately get curious. You know, you guys who want to get on the air anytime that you leave us with a little bit of a tease, like I just was told here that someone wants to pull my man card. I'm like, what Did I? What did I do? This is Truck Driver Steve. We love our truckers. You gu with us three hours a day. A lot of you all across this country. Truck Driver Steve Clay, this is CC Says he's pulling my man card. I don't even know what I did yet. Play, CC hey, guys, Truck Driver Steve here.
Caller/Listener
You know, we might have to seriously.
Clay Travis
Consider pulling bucks, man.
Buck Sexton
I mean, the. The drinking tea thing, giving the wife the blanket for her fee.
Caller/Listener
Come on, dude.
Buck Sexton
Could be drinking a beer and putting.
Caller/Listener
The empty beer box on her feet.
Buck Sexton
I gotta tell you, Truck Driver Steve, happy Carrie means a happy everybody around here. If I got. If I got to give her the blanket, I gotta, you know, give her a foot rub. Whatever wifey needs, wifey gets. Okay? There's no man card getting pulled over that one.
Clay Travis
The fact that you have got the air conditioner turned up too high, that you need a blanket while you're watching the show, it's a little bit of a taunt on the rest of America right now, which is dealing with snowpocalypse all over. When do we have more Easter?
Buck Sexton
I think with the AC indoors here in South Florida, sometimes it'll get to 68 or 69 degrees, and that's just. Ooh, it's chilly.
Clay Travis
Yeah, I'm gonna be down next week. I'm not gonna lie. I'm looking. I'm looking forward to.
Buck Sexton
He's gonna be wearing flip flops appropriately next week instead of having his toes turned blue in Tennessee. So that's.
Clay Travis
I went down to get my newspaper this morning and my flip flops and. But it was cool. It was cold. That'll wake you up in the morning. I'm the only person who's still get. I'm living in fear, Buck. Every time I open my email that they're going to stop delivering print newspapers. This is. I moved to a new location here, and I had to switch, and I was like, oh, my goodness, are they still going to be able to get my newspapers here or not? And that's got me a little bit nervous. Not going to lie, my friends.
Buck Sexton
We'll take more calls, more your talkbacks and all of that here, but we're giving you great gift ideas for this holiday season. We want to make it easy for you. You don't have to sit around and think about this stuff. And honestly, in the era of, like, Amazon and people having all this stuff delivered, gifts that have some meaning, gifts that matter, gifts that show some thought, go so much further because, you know, you can have something sent Here from China the next day. And who cares? This is where Legacy Box is so special because Legacy Box is an all American company based in Clay's home state of Tennessee, okay, employing hundreds of people. We know the founders, they're great entrepreneurs, they're great Americans. They stand with this and many other fantastic shows that love this country. And they do this really cool thing where you fill the box, Legacy Box with your old media and then they digitally transfer it. I've done it. Clay's done it. It's easy and it's fun too, because one, you can get together with family this holiday season and you can say, hey, all right, everybody, you know, after dinner, we're going to take our old VHS tapes and we're going to take, we're all going to put it in the box together and you'll end up talking about some of this stuff. And you remember when so and so in the baseball game slid into third base and he was in the fourth grade. You're going to have all this fun with it. And then they send it to you digitized. And now you can text it to, you know, your, your, your great uncle Harold or your, your second cousin Phyllis and say, hey, look at this video. Look at this family reunion from 50 years ago, this VHS tapes. You start to think about how old they are now, right? Legacy box, 65% off right now. That's the best deal I think you're going to get all year with Legacy Box. So this is the best time to do it. If you order now, there's still time to get your memories digitized by Christmas. Move fast on this one. Get it done. If you haven't done Legacy Box, Clay's done it. I've done it. It's just the best holiday season gift that I think you know is going to bring together all of your old memories. It's amazing. Go to legacybox.com 65% off when you go to legacybox.com Buck that's very important because we want them to know you heard about them here, obviously. Legacybox.com Buck for 65% off.
Clay Travis
Want to be in the know when you're on The Go the Team 47 podcast Trump highlights from the week, Sundays at noon Eastern in the Clay and Buck podcast feed. Find it on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Clay Travis
Shh.
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Buck Sexton
Welcome back in here to Clay and Buck. We're going to get into here. Coming up in a little bit more on this story out of Minnesota, Tim Walls land about when and with a lot of Somali immigrants about the Somali fraud that has been going on there. Trump weighed in on this, Clay, and we're going to talk about it because the president's talking about it. So I think that's certainly something that we should dive into. And we have a lot of great talkbacks and a lot of people who are weighing in currently. This one I did. I'm just curious what she's going to say here. Again, it's like a tease because she's going after the part of Williamson county that Clay lives in. I don't even know there's a thing. Lisa, this is E On the talkbacks. Hit it.
Caller/Listener
This is Lisa, and I live in Williamson county, but I live in the Republican part that did not vote yesterday. I made sure I lived in this part of Tennessee. You're in the woke part. You knew that when you moved there. You are not in the hardcore Republican center of Williamson county because if you voted in that election yesterday, you're in the wrong part.
Buck Sexton
She's saying you're in the squishy part, Clay, the squishy, not so hardcore Republican part of your county.
Clay Travis
Sir, I will say the Williamson county part of my county is such that the left wingers on social media were fired up about how well it voted for Matt Van Epps. In fact, it barely swung. And, and I was actually, I'll pull this up because it was, it was pretty great. I love when people who. Here's what a couple of people said. Uh, man, suburban Williamson county just absolutely nuked. Afton Bain went from Trump + 30 and 24 to Van Epps + 24, which is basically nearly. I mean, people showed up in big numbers. I love Williamson County. I love this place. Remember, Buck, it was the school board meeting here was one of the first times where I said, hey, we're starting to finally see some substantial pushback against the crazy Biden era. And then some guy who has the tag, liberal Hoosier who was a left winger from Indiana. Poor bastard said in response to these turnout numbers, that place is a white supremacist haven. A bunch of far right pundits live there like Matt Walsh and Clay Travis.
Oh, yeah, dude. Franklin and Brentwood are awful.
Buck Sexton
Dude. Matt. Matt Walsh gonna be so sad. We're so sad when he hears this. This mean thing said about him.
Clay Travis
Kenneth Franklin, Tennessee. God's country. What you got for us?
Caller/Listener
Yeah. Hey, guys, one thing I wanted to say is, you know, I'm sure the left will be going crazy today about how they shrunk the. The, you know, the vote with only winning by nine points. But, I mean, I'm a lifelong middle Tennessee, and. And I contribute that shortfall completely to Republicans just not getting out and voting around the holidays. People living their lives. I just think special election. I just think it really had everything to do with that because I was calling a lot of my friends that I know were conservatives, and the majority of them, as of yesterday, had not voted and hadn't really. Hadn't really planned to get out and do it.
Clay Travis
Yeah.
Caller/Listener
So that, to me, that is, you know, that's what the difference was. We've had a lot of people move down here, Clay, as you know, from outside the state, but I mean, Middle Tennessee and Tennesseeans in general, we just don't believe in all that garbage that she was pushing. And they. I don't think they shrunk anything other than Republicans. Just like we always seem to do, a lot of times we get a little lazy. We live our own lives and we don't go out and vote because we think everything's great.
Clay Travis
I think that's exactly right from Kenneth. And I think winning by nine. That's why I was happy that we.
Buck Sexton
Kenneth knows the frequency.
Clay Travis
Yeah, look, us native Middle Tennesseans like me who live in God's country, Williamson county, we have. What did I. What did I miss?
Buck Sexton
What's the frequency?
Clay Travis
Kenneth, Come on. I didn't even get your REM joke. I didn't get your REM joke. I've got an uncle, Kenneth. Great guy. I bet he was excited at the results, too. He knows the frequency.
Buck Sexton
Thank you. The team in New York is giving me high fives from afar.
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This is an iHeart podcast.
Clay Travis
Guaranteed Human.
Date: December 3, 2025
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts
In this episode, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton dissect the Republican victory in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District special election, celebrating the win by Matt Van Epps and analyzing what it reveals about political trends, especially regarding the enduring influence of Donald Trump. With signature humor and sharp commentary, the hosts explore voter turnout, Democratic mobilization, and cultural flashpoints, interspersing calls from engaged listeners.
Matt Van Epps Wins by 9 Points
Media Reaction and Motivation
Celebration at Home
“Tonight we showed running from Trump is how you lose. Running with Trump is how you win.”
(Van Epps, cited by Clay, 08:57–09:24)
Democratic Base: High Motivation & Identity Politics
Weather and Dedication
Personal Growth and Political Rigidity
Calls from Tennessee and Beyond
Demographic and Regional Pride
Clay Travis:
“This was their best opportunity to get a steal in this seat, and they lost by 9 points.” (04:18)
Matt Van Epps (clip):
“Tonight we showed running from Trump is how you lose. Running with Trump is how you win.” (08:57–09:24)
Buck Sexton:
“They have less to do. They tend not to have jobs and families the same way that our voters do…sitting around without a whole lot on the calendar except dyeing their hair purple and talking about fascism in Trump’s America.” (11:06)
Clay Travis:
“There are a lot of people for whom the Democrat Party has become their sun, moon and stars. It’s their religion, it’s their life, it’s their entire value system.” (11:29)
Buck Sexton:
“The central ethos of the Democrat party runs contrary to the wisdom that you accrue from life.” (13:51)
Listener (Leslie, Birmingham):
“Because of your show and bringing this to light, I contacted [my sons]…hoping that would transfer into four more votes for the rest of Tennessee. So thank you.” (22:26)
This episode offers a dynamic, insightful commentary on the Tennessee special election, using it as a lens to examine bigger truths about American politics: the ongoing centrality of Trump to the GOP, differences in voter motivation, and culture war flashpoints. Clay and Buck’s chemistry, humor, and interaction with callers make the results relatable, both locally and nationally.