The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Hour 1 – Another Big Win

Date: December 3, 2025
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts

Overview

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.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Tennessee Congressional Election Breakdown

• Matt Van Epps Wins by 9 Points

  • Clay and Buck open with gratitude to listeners for driving turnout in an unusually timed December election.
  • Clay stresses the significance of overcoming low turnout, noting “turnout that was roughly half of what typically happens in congressional races.”
  • Despite claims that “Trump won this district by 22 points in 2024,” they emphasize the difficulty Democrats faced: "the Democrat crazy base shows up to vote in all of these special elections. This was their best opportunity to get a steal…and they lost by 9 points." (Clay Travis, 04:18)

• Media Reaction and Motivation

  • Hosts point out the "legacy media" downplayed the win once it slipped out of Democratic reach.
  • Clay describes the challenge of getting Republicans to vote during the holidays and in special elections: “This was the best case scenario for the Democrat Party...” (Clay, 05:11)

• Celebration at Home

  • Clay celebrates the win with a personal touch: “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 Travis household.” (Clay, 05:20)

2. Political Strategy: The Trump Effect

• Running With, Not From, Trump
  • Clay insists successful GOP candidates “cannot run away from [Trump]. I mean, this is the story.”
  • The point is hammered home with a clip from Matt Van Epps:

    “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)

  • Buck agrees: “It’s important for the midterms that they didn’t get some crazy off-year, special election win that they could turn into… But there’s a little part of me that is sad.”
  • Clay warns about post-Trump era elections: “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.” (Clay, 09:40)

3. Voter Turnout, Loyalty, and Identity

• Democratic Base: High Motivation & Identity Politics

  • Buck lightheartedly claims: “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.” (Buck, 11:06)
  • Clay elaborates: “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.” (Clay, 11:29)

• Weather and Dedication

  • Clay recalls seeing elderly Democratic supporters braving the cold for hours: “Afton Bain supporters, Buck, old women… 75 year old women. Their entire life purpose is the Democrat party...” (Clay, 12:36)

• Personal Growth and Political Rigidity

  • Buck argues the Democratic ethos avoids accountability: “The central ethos of the Democrat party runs contrary to the wisdom that you accrue from life.” (Buck, 13:51)
  • Clay admits, “I’m willing to accept that I could be wrong about everything... with age comes wisdom.” (Clay, 14:40)
  • Buck: “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...” (Buck, 15:45)

4. Listener Engagement and Local Identity

• Calls from Tennessee and Beyond

  • Leslie from Birmingham thanks the show for raising awareness: “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.” (Leslie, 22:26)
  • Clay underscores awareness as central: “A lot of people know when the midterm elections are going on…but getting people out to vote…turnout about 50% roughly of what a traditional election would be…which is why this margin went from 22 to 9.” (Clay, 22:55)

• Demographic and Regional Pride

  • Clay defends Williamson County, calling it “God’s country,” and celebrates its strong GOP turnout: “I do not ever want to leave here.” (Clay, 07:06)

5. Cultural Commentary

• Advertising and Woke Backlash
  • Clay recounts the cultural impact of the American Eagle Outfitters’ ad campaign with Sydney Sweeney: “It’s just a pretty girl wearing jeans. They sold out of the jeans.” (Clay, 25:44)
  • He criticizes woke marketing: “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.” (Clay, 26:45)

6. Humor, Banter, and Notable Moments

• Buck Laments Missed Opportunity for Friendly Trolling
  • “...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.” (Buck, 06:45)
• Clay on Local Politics
  • “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.” (Clay, 07:06)
• Listener Calls for ‘Man Card’ Revocation
  • Truck Driver Steve critiques Buck’s coziness: “The drinking tea thing, giving the wife the blanket for her feet…could be drinking a beer and putting the empty beer box on her feet.” (Truck Driver Steve, 34:17)
  • Buck replies: “If I got to give her the blanket, I gotta… give her a foot rub. Whatever wifey needs, wifey gets. Okay? There’s no man card getting pulled over that one.” (Buck, 34:32)
• Clay’s Love for Physical Newspapers
  • “I'm living in fear, Buck. Every time I open my email that they're going to stop delivering print newspapers.” (Clay, 35:21)

7. Callers Weigh In on the Election and Trump

• Carmen from Florida reflects on what AOC’s movement would have meant if Democrats had won: “I just think that that would have blown her head even more.” (Carmen, 27:50)
• Tom from Tampa plugs Clay’s audiobook and critiques the margin: “I have to also say I am totally shocked that that spread was only nine points. I’m sitting there saying…that spread should have been 25, 30 points.” (Tom, 29:19)
• Nancy from Michigan defends Trump’s approach with opponents: “He knows what he’s doing. You gotta trust the guy. You know, he’s incredible what he does.” (Nancy, 31:59)
• Kenneth from Franklin, TN attributes the reduced margin to low GOP turnout: “I contribute that shortfall completely to Republicans just not getting out and voting around the holidays.” (Kenneth, 44:21)

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• 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)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [04:18–05:20]: Election recap and significance of the Van Epps win
• [06:45–09:24]: Buck’s mixed feelings, discussion on running with Trump, and Van Epps victory speech
• [11:06–12:36]: Democratic activist base, political identity, and anecdotes about dedicated voters
• [13:51–15:45]: Buck and Clay discuss the roots of Democratic identity/politics
• [22:26]: Listener Leslie expresses gratitude for the show’s election awareness efforts
• [25:44–26:45]: Clay on American Eagle ad, woke advertising backlash, and culture wars
• [34:17–35:21]: Humor and banter about Buck’s man card, household dynamics
• [44:21]: Kenneth from Franklin comments on turnout dynamics

Conclusion

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.