The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Hour 1 - Buck's Beloved NYC
Date: October 29, 2025
Host: Clay Travis & Buck Sexton

Overview

This episode focuses on the looming mayoral race in New York City, with Buck’s deep affection for NYC setting the emotional tone. Clay and Buck dissect the players in the race—especially the controversial Zoran Mamdani ("Mamdani the Commie"), Andrew Cuomo’s attempted comeback, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, who is set to join the next hour. The conversation branches into broader criticisms of left-wing politics, victimhood narratives, cancel culture, and the ideological drift inside the Democratic Party, all delivered with the hosts’ signature blend of wit and political skepticism.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Election Preview: The Stakes of NYC’s Mayoral Race

• Buck’s NYC Loyalty: Buck describes his unyielding love for New York, saying he'd still consider it the greatest city even "if there was nuclear winter in New York" (03:00).
• The Candidates:
  • Zoran Mamdani: Criticized by the hosts as far-left and deeply anti-police.
  • Andrew Cuomo: Described as an "independent, third-party candidate" whom Buck believes is only in the race due to name recognition, not political skill.
  • Curtis Sliwa: The Republican “long shot” who will argue his case on the show.
• Turnout: Clay notes that turnout may reach its highest since Giuliani's victory in 1993 (23:33).
• Prediction: Both hosts express skepticism about Sliwa’s and Cuomo’s chances, positing that Mamdani could win due to vote splitting among opposition (46:38).

2. Victimhood and Identity Politics: Kamala Harris & Karine Jean-Pierre

• The hosts mock Karine Jean-Pierre's book tour, using it as a springboard for criticism of identity politics within the Democratic Party.
• Clay’s Take: "There are white. White men are evil, and if you’re black and gay, you can do no wrong" (07:07).
• The book tour "is a glorious catastrophe," says Buck, comparing Kamala’s media competence favorably against Jean-Pierre (05:56).

3. The Zoran Mamdani Controversy

• Victim Narrative:
  • Mamdani’s claims of post-9/11 Islamophobia are challenged; Buck and Clay assert he fabricated victim status for political leverage.
  • “He didn’t lie. He just said something that was untrue, got caught, and now wants to move on,” Buck says (10:37).
  • Clay: “Conveniently is now pointing to someone who’s dead that cannot be tracked down” (10:41).
• Broader Point: Hosts see this pattern across leftist politics—turning every disaster into a narrative where the preferred group is victimized, even if the group’s members were perpetrators (14:07).

4. The Roots and Dangers of Left-Wing Ideology

• Police and Prisons:
  • Mamdani’s past comments about abolishing prisons and skepticism that policing “makes us safer" are replayed (27:51).
  • Buck: "This is why old ladies can’t walk down the street... Prisons don’t make us safer" (28:28).
• Anti-Israel Rhetoric:
  • Mamdani links the NYPD to the IDF, insinuating shared “oppressive” tactics (30:35).
  • Buck calls this “Protocols of the Elders of Zion kind of anti-Semitism and anti-cop joke" (32:12).
• Legacy of Radical Thought:
  • Discussion of Mamdani’s father, who wrote books equating US actions with those of terrorist groups (38:45).
  • Clay highlights how fringe academic arguments migrate from university campuses to mainstream politics.

5. Intra-Democratic Party Civil War

• Andrew Cuomo:
  • On Fox Business, Cuomo warns: “The far left will destroy the Democratic Party nationwide if that far left becomes dominant" (35:03).
  • Clay agrees with the diagnosis but suggests Mamdani’s youthful base is motivated by frustration with the political establishment.
• Occupy Wall Street:
  • Buck: “It was more a meme than a movement” but “class warfare stuff was going on” (36:48).
  • The hosts see current far-left politics as a continuation of Occupy Wall Street and early BLM activism.

6. Electoral Math & Skepticism

• Clay worries vote-splitting between Sliwa and Cuomo clears the path for Mamdani, likening him to a "crazy left wing, frankly anti-American" candidate (44:27).
• Optimism? Buck is resigned: “I think Mamdani’s winning the New York City mayor’s race… Let the chips fall where they may” (46:38).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Buck Sexton — on NYC’s greatness:

  "There could be nuclear winter in New York and I would still think it is the greatest city." (03:00)

• Clay Travis — on left identity politics:

  "There are white. White men are evil, and if you’re black and gay, you can do no wrong." (07:07)

• Buck Sexton — on Mamdani’s Islamophobia narrative:

  "He didn’t lie. He just said something that was untrue, got caught, and now wants to move." (10:37)

• Clay Travis — on 9/11 victimhood logic:

  "If people connected to you in any way have committed the worst terror atrocity in modern American life ... I don’t think it’s crazy for you to think ... people might associate me with them. And by the way, that’s rational." (14:31)

• Andrew Cuomo — on Democratic Party splits:

  "There’s a quiet civil war going on in the Democratic Party..." (35:03)

• Buck Sexton — on anti-Israel rhetoric:

  "That’s like Protocols of the Elders of Zion kind of anti-Semitism and anti-cop joke." (32:12)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:00] — Opening thoughts on the NYC mayoral race; Buck’s love of NYC.
• [05:53] — Kamala Harris, Karine Jean-Pierre, and Democratic identity politics.
• [10:00] — Buck & Clay dismantle Mamdani’s "aunt/victim" story.
• [14:07] — The logic of post-disaster victimhood narratives.
• [23:33] — Turnout in NYC, path to victory scenarios.
• [27:51] — Mamdani archive: “Prisons don’t make us safer.”
• [30:35] — Mamdani: NYPD and IDF, "tactics of oppression."
• [35:03] — Andrew Cuomo: "Civil war" inside Democrats.
• [38:45] — Mamdani’s father’s radical academic history.
• [44:27] — Clay’s fear: Mamdani wins with a fractured opposition.
• [46:38] — Buck’s resigned prediction: Mamdani victory inevitable.

Tone and Style

The show’s tone is fast-paced, brash, occasionally comedic, and deeply skeptical of progressive politics. Clay and Buck use candor, humor, and sarcasm to critique the left, and their style is conversational but sharp.

For First-Time Listeners

This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the current ideological battles playing out within American urban politics—especially where old-school party machines meet new left-wing activism. It’s also a primer on how victimhood narratives and online discourse migrate from campus esoterica to city hall, with NYC as the prime battleground. The hosts’ chemistry balances irreverence with deep political pessimism, making their analysis both accessible and provocative. The next hour promises fireworks with Curtis Sliwa’s guest appearance.