Hour 1 - Consequence Culture

Summary

The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Hour 1 – Consequence Culture

Date: September 18, 2025

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Overview

In this episode, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton analyze the recent controversy surrounding Jimmy Kimmel's suspension—potentially permanent—after comments made about the Charlie Kirk assassination on his late night show. They explore how this incident ties into the broader debates on "cancel culture" versus "consequence culture," especially in light of similar high-profile firings from the past. The hosts delve into questions around free speech, the evolving rules for public figures, the shifting landscape of late-night TV, and the implications for corporate and political power dynamics. The episode also features reactions from public figures like Donald Trump and Stephen A. Smith, plus reflection on society's double standards.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: What Happened to Jimmy Kimmel?

• Controversial Comment: Jimmy Kimmel made a claim on his show that suggested the assassin of Charlie Kirk was aligned with Trump supporters—a claim that was not substantiated and quickly drew backlash ([04:43]).
• Affiliate Backlash & Broadcast Dynamics:
  • Affiliates like Nexstar and Sinclair refused to air Kimmel's show following the incident, leading to uncertainty about if or when the show will return ([06:42]).
  • Clay explains that most local ABC affiliates are not owned by Disney, but by companies like Nexstar and Sinclair. These affiliates acted independently, highlighting the complexity of broadcast licensing ([05:30], [25:40]).
• Regulatory and Political Dimensions:
  • FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr reminded the public that broadcast networks, unlike cable, are subject to fairness obligations due to their use of public spectrum ([07:30]).

Clay Travis [07:48]:
“Disney basically decided, with Nexstar and Sinclair putting out public comments… that they were not going to be airing the Jimmy Kimmel show. There is no set return date. It is now turned into Jimmy Kimmel is seen as a martyr for free speech on the Left and those on the right are pointing out that this is consequence culture, not cancel culture.”

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2. “Consequence Culture” vs. “Cancel Culture”

• Double Standards and Precedents:
  • Clay draws parallels to previous Disney firings, notably Roseanne Barr and Gina Carano, pointing out media and left-wing silence then versus outrage now ([09:40]).

Clay Travis [09:50]:
“When you create a culture where someone can be fired when they say something that is considered offensive, you have created the standards by which your own stars can also be fired… If you didn’t say a word about Roseanne and you didn’t say a word about Gina Carano, I don’t understand how you think you have the moral high horse to suddenly ride in and say, 'Oh my goodness, look at what they’re doing to Jimmy Kimmel.'”

• Buck’s Take:
  • Buck has “no sympathy” for Kimmel, relishes the turnabout in media power, and argues this is not a First Amendment matter ([10:55]).
  • He highlights that during COVID-19, right-wing voices were censored under government pressure—with little outcry from the left or mainstream media ([11:30]).
  • Buck criticizes a 2024 Supreme Court decision that he believes failed to address government-orchestrated private censorship ([12:45]).

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3. First Amendment Nuances

• Distinction Between Government and Corporate Action:
  • The hosts detail how government cannot lawfully coerce private actors to suppress speech, and criticize the Supreme Court for not sufficiently recognizing this in recent precedent ([13:56]).
• Personal vs. Corporate Decisions:
  • Clay affirms that businesses can make content-based employment decisions but fears a world where anyone is fireable based on a viral comment or tweet ([14:37]).

Clay Travis [15:58]:
“I think you could fire Jimmy Kimmel if you think he’s not good for Disney—that’s how all businesses work. I personally don’t like the idea that he said something, even if I think it’s wrong, and that is going to be the action that suddenly he’s no longer employable…”

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4. Is Late Night TV Still Relevant?

• Declining Audience & Industry Questions:
  • Trump’s response blames Kimmel’s ratings, not just the controversy, for his suspension—claiming Kimmel is “not a talented person” and should have been fired earlier ([22:16]).
  • Clay and Buck debate whether ABC, NBC, CBS can run successful, widely appealing late-night talk shows anymore in a fragmented media era (e.g., streaming/comedy specials vs. traditional TV) ([23:13], [35:33]).

Trump [22:16]:
“Jimmy Kimmel was fired because he had bad ratings more than anything else... he’s not a talented person… This is a similar situation to the Colbert thing…”

• The Gutfeld Example:
  • Fox News's Greg Gutfeld bucks the trend with strong ratings, but the hosts suggest this is due more to the FoxNews platform than just the late-night time slot ([23:33]).

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5. Sinclair/Nexstar Demands & the Difficulty of Reinstatement

• Affiliate Statement:
  • Sinclair refuses to air Kimmel’s show until a public apology is issued to the Kirk family and a donation is made, setting a tough condition for Kimmel’s return ([25:40]).

Clay Travis [25:40]:
"Sinclair will not lift the suspension… until formal discussions are held with ABC… [and] calls upon Mr. Kimmel to issue a direct apology to the Kirk family… [and] a meaningful personal donation…”

• Turning Point USA Leadership Change:
  • Announcement that Erica Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk, will become CEO of Turning Point USA ([26:55]).

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6. Media Response & Societal Double Standards

• Stephen A. Smith’s Commentary:
  • Smith questions where the “joke” was and criticizes Kimmel for making a slap at Americans, not a comedic statement ([28:29]).

Stephen A. Smith [28:29]:
“The only thing that I would say as it pertains to Jimmy Kimmel was where was the joke? Because you're a late night host, and obviously that has a comedic attachment to it… Obviously it wasn't anything funny about that.”

• Selective Outrage:
  • Buck and Clay revisit Kimmel’s emotional TV response to the death of Cecil the Lion—pointing out the disparity in his public empathy for a lion versus a murdered conservative leader ([29:25], [32:20]).

Buck Sexton [32:20]:
“He can cry for Cecil the Lion, but he's mocking the Charlie Kirk supporters and saying that they won't deal with the reality that they're responsible for. I mean, think about the mentality.”

• Sinclair’s Programming Choice:
  • Sinclair is airing a Charlie Kirk tribute special during the Kimmel time slot, indicating not just suspension but active replacement with programming reflecting their values ([33:37]).

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7. The Changing Comedy & Media Landscape

• Fragmentation and New Avenues:
  • The hosts talk about how the comedy ecosystem has shifted to streaming, social media, and TikTok, making legacy late-night slots less powerful and less able to draw broad, bipartisan appeal ([35:29]-[36:25]).
  • Example: UK comedian Jimmy Carr and others achieving huge audiences through podcasting and online channels ([36:05]).

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8. Listener and Broader Reactions

• Caller from Honolulu:
  • Suggests that Kimmel and Colbert were network “useful idiots” for anti-Trump efforts; now, with Trump’s resurgence, there’s no longer a need for them ([44:14]).
• Clay’s Response:
  • Affirms the role of economics—low ratings, higher costs, and political shifts all merge to make Kimmel and Colbert expendable ([45:37]).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Buck Sexton [10:55]:
  “The funniest thing that has involved Jimmy Kimmel in a long time is him getting ganked off the air. Ok. Like I think this is hilarious. I have no sympathy for him at all. He’s not a First Amendment martyr.”

• Clay Travis [09:50]:
  “…If you didn’t say a word about Roseanne and you didn’t say a word about Gina Carano, I don’t understand how you think you have the moral high horse…to suddenly…say, 'Oh my goodness, look at what they’re doing to Jimmy Kimmel.'”

• Donald Trump [22:16]:
  “Jimmy Kimmel was fired because he had bad ratings more than anything else. And he said a horrible thing about a great gentleman known as Charlie Kirk. And Jimmy Kimmel is not a talented person. He had very bad ratings and they should have fired him a long time ago.”

• Stephen A. Smith [28:29]:
  "The only thing that I would say as it pertains to Jimmy Kimmel was where was the joke? Because you're a late night host and obviously that has a comedic attachment to it."

• Buck Sexton [32:20]:
  “He can cry for Cecil the Lion, but he's mocking the whole, you know, the Charlie Kirk supporters… I mean, think about the mentality.”

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Important Timestamps

• Jimmy Kimmel’s Controversial Comment & Fallout: [04:31] – [07:48]
• Comparisons to Roseanne, Gina Carano, Cancel Culture: [09:40] – [10:55]
• Supreme Court & Free Speech Discussion: [11:30] – [14:37]
• Trump’s Reaction: [22:16]
• Sinclair/Nexstar’s Demands & Statement: [25:40]
• Stephen A. Smith’s Commentary: [28:29]
• Kimmel's Cecile the Lion vs. Charlie Kirk Reaction: [29:25] – [33:37]
• Comedy Landscape Shifts: [35:29] – [37:41]
• Listener Reaction: [44:14]

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Conclusion

Clay Travis and Buck Sexton use the Jimmy Kimmel suspension controversy as a springboard to examine the hypocrisy and complexity inherent in the modern culture wars over "cancel culture." They contend that the left, having built the framework for high-profile cancellations, now faces its own standards—and that the rules of engagement for free speech, comedy, and media power have permanently changed. The demise of legacy late-night TV is discussed against an ever-fragmenting media environment, with streaming and social media now setting the terms. Throughout, they highlight the shifting balance of political and economic power and urge listeners to see the current moment as both a consequence of past decisions and a sign of larger societal upheaval.

Transcript

[Lisa Booth]

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[Clay Travis]

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[Buck Sexton]

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[Buck Sexton]

Welcome to today's edition of the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton show podcast.

[Clay Travis]

Welcome in Clay Travis, Buck Sexton Show, Thursday edition of the program. We hope all of you are having fantastic starts to your day so far, and we hopefully are going to make it a little bit better as we roll through the Thursday edition of this program. Let's jump right into it. Peter Navarro, by the way, going to join us in the third hour of the program about going to prison. Timing on that certain interesting, given everything that's going on in the climate as it pertains to criminal investigations and the political sort of universe that is surrounding all of those. But we began with news that hit last night as I was in the process of flying back home. I'm texting with Buck. We first hear that there is going to be some of these different affiliate stations that carry the Jimmy Kimmel show on ABC that are refusing to carry it. Um, and maybe let me take a step back. For those of you who have not been following this story. Let me kind of lay it out for you, uh, on Monday, and you can correct me if I get any of these facts wrong, Buck. On Monday, Jimmy Kimmel made a joke. Uh, and really it was more of the comment that preceded the joke that was the controversy. And I want to play that for you. That is now, I believe, cut number 26. This happened on Monday's Jimmy. Jimmy Kimmel Show. Listen, we had some new lows over.

[Buck Sexton]

The weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.

[Clay Travis]

Okay, so that was not actually a joke. That was a comment that suggested that the assassin was actually one of us, that is a Trump supporter, that is someone who voted for Trump. That, of course, was not true, and there was quite a lot of evidence that it was not true on. By Monday afternoon evening when that show would have been taped. Uh, there was, then, I believe, the show aired on Tuesday. There was no reference to it, to that joke, to that commentary. It then grew in intensity during Tuesday and last night. They said, jimmy Kimmel's not gonna air. Now, the pressure, it appears, came from two different affiliate networks. And let me explain how this exactly works, because I, I don't think most people understand this. I live in Nashville. My local ABC affiliate is owned by nexstar. That is, it's not owned by Disney. It is basically licensing ABC content. But it is a locally owned Nashville, for instance, where I live station. Sinclair is another company that owns many different ABC affiliates. These are very big companies that own multiple different networks across the political across the country. And last night on my ABC affiliate, because I flipped it over, the guide said it would air Celebrity Family Feud in the place of Jimmy Kimmel. Instead, they aired News Nation, which is also owned by nexstar. So I thought that was interesting. Just I presume, their nightly news content.

[Buck Sexton]

I am a friend of Leland Vittertz, I think I could say, or he's a friend of mine. And so I will do his show sometimes on News Nation because, you know, Leland's a good guy and we may have him on the show soon to talk about his book, but he's a News Nation host, so there you go.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah, so. So I flipped it over and that's what was on. There are a variety of different reactions now that are across the political spectrum. I don't believe, unless it's happened in the last 15 minutes that Jimmy Kimmel has officially been fired, but there is no return date so far or any certainty that he will ever come back. It could be like Stephen Colbert, which CBS announced they were going to be canceling. Now, in addition, that's the background and I think I got all that right. Buck, you can correct me if, if there's any details that you think are facts that you think we need to add into the equation here. I just want to make sure all of you are well informed and understand all the background. The commissioner of the fcc, Brendan Carr, who we have had on the program quite often weighed in yesterday about the fact that the broadcast licenses, I.e. aBC, CBS, NBC are actually just that they're licenses and they are required to try and be down the middle of the road when it comes to their news telecast, when it comes to their broadcast overall, in other words, because that is government spectrum, unlike cable, which can be as partisan as theoretically it wants. To a large extent, your broadcast networks, abc, CBS and NBC are being given the ability to broadcast on publicly owned spectrum. And as a part of that, they have obligations of fairness. With that in context, Disney basically decided with nexstar and Sinclair putting out public comments and we'll read some of those for you, that they were not going to be airing the Jimmy Kimmel show. There is no set return date. It is now turned into Jimmy Kimmel is seen as a martyr for free speech on the Left and those on the right are pointing out that this is consequence culture, not cancel culture. I think I'm kind of summing up that argument. Here's what I would say to you, Buck, as we begin now, having laid all those parameters out, Roseanne Barr had the number one show in America other than football. So obviously I'm talking about a scripted television show. More people were watching the Roseanne show, whatever it was called. She made a joke on Twitter and Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, according to her, among many other prominent left wingers called Bob Iger, the CEO of Disney and he fired Roseanne on the spot. They wrote her off the show and had her die of a drug overdose. I think some of you will remember, I think the show was called the Conners and, and that was the end of her sitcom career. At least in that show we also had Gina Carano who was one of the stars of the Mandalorian, which at the time was the most popular Disney plus streaming show out there. She shared social media posts that were considered to be unacceptable by those on the left. Disney fired her. Not one word from, from anyone on the left. When both of those firings happen based on a tweet, based on social media posts. And now suddenly Jimmy Kimmel is the cause celeb of everyone on the left here. So I would point out that when you create a culture where someone can be fired when they say something that is considered offensive, you have created the standards by which your own stars can also be fired. And to me, if you didn't say a word about Roseanne and you didn't say a word about Gina Carano, I don't understand how you think you have the moral high horse or legitimacy to suddenly ride in and say, oh my goodness, look at what they're doing to Jimmy Kimmel. So that's my take. Buck, what's your thoughts?

[Buck Sexton]

We've got a couple minutes here, so I'll give you a quick. I knew you were fired up. I'll give you a quick, a quick and dirty clay because I, you're going to want to dive on into this one too. All of those cases, all of those instances are very important lead up and context to understand why so many people on the right feel the way they do right now. Which is the funniest thing that has involved Jimmy Kimmel in a long time is him getting ganked off the air. Ok. Like I think this is hilarious. I have no sympathy for him at all. He's not a First Amendment martyr. And there's. And you established Much of why that is. I would add to it, though, where were all of these people right now? And we'll play some of their voices like Brad Stelter's, like, oh, my Gosh, it's DEFCON 1. Yes, it's DEFCON 1 for free speech. Man, that guy needs some chalk. But, you know, they're. They're trying to make this big, this big case about how this is a violation of the First Amendment. Well, where were they during COVID when people like you and me were having social media platforms shut us down, penalize us, demonetize us, and all the rest at government direction, the government was directing them to do this. The government was singling out. We could have Alex Berenson on his. You know, his hair would be on fire talking about this. The government was by name. Biden's administration was by account saying, silence this person. Take them off. And this is. And remember, people, this is a lot of people make, you know, their living by being able to share their thoughts on social media, tell people about their. Their content, their substack, their podcasts, whatever it is. So there's clear monetary. Monetary damage. And I saw you tweet about this, Clay. The Supreme Court In June of 2024, 6, 3, got this one terribly wrong. Totally wrong. Roberts and Amy Coney Barrett completely screwed this one up because they. I, you know, they didn't want to get all rough with the Biden administration. Oh, no. And they essentially said that there was. And this is a very brief overview from when I did a quick scan of it again this morning, the case. But essentially they said that the. That what was it? Missouri, I think, was one of them that brought the case, lacked standing, couldn't prove that there would be future instances of this kind of censorship. Couldn't prove that the government urging necessarily resulted in the suppression, and basically just washed their hands of it. Now, I think they got it wrong. But, Clay, that's the law of the land. The Supreme Court said, unless you can prove the government took an action because of. Or, sorry, the private company took an action because of a government action itself, the government just saying something to a private company is not enough on its own for. For you to be able to claim some big First Amendment infringement. So these are the rules. Deal with it, libs. Deal with it.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah, and that, by the way, Supreme Court decision is wrong in my opinion, because the most important pre. I would say, of many important aspects of the First Amendment, and I'm. I'm synthesizing and simplifying here, is the government can't ask a private actor to do what it could not do because otherwise there is no purpose of the government restriction. So the government can't say to a private company, hey, go censor that guy or that gal, because the government itself could not do it. Uh, that's basically all they did with social media. They went to Facebook and they threatened Facebook and they threatened social media companies. If you don't either censor, take down these comments, or restrict their sharing, there will be consequences for your business. They even said it publicly, and the Supreme Court said, six, three. That's okay. Now, on the Jimmy Kimmel front, I think this is such an important aspect of this story. We have created a world where you can be fired no matter how much or how long you've been doing a thing of creative work in the larger public. If somebody that is powerful enough or a group of people are powerful enough to have seen what you tweeted, what you posted, what we said on this show. As you all who listen to Rush know, Rush was one of the initial targets of Cancel Culture. And I just think that's wrong, and some people are going to get mad at me. Um, I am one of the few who was defending Roseanne, was defending Gina Carano, was defending Rush. And I don't think. I think you could fire Jimmy Kimmel if you think he's not good for Disney. That's how all businesses work. I personally don't like the idea that he said something, even if I think it's wrong. And that is going to be the action that suddenly he's no longer employable. And by the way, I've been saying this for a long time. I said it when Bill Ma or got fired off Politically Incorrect for what he said about the 911 terrorists. I. But this is profoundly, by and large, created by the left, and they are now bearing the consequences of the culture that they created. And I understand why other people out there are like, hey, good riddance. You made this, you made your bed, now lie in it.

[Buck Sexton]

It's really just about a power shift. And the power dynamics have changed. They don't have the power to just crush their opponents over issues like this anymore. And in fact, the Trump movement has taken a lot of that power into their own hands. So shoes on the other foot, as far as I'm concerned, there's no principle that they're operating on here. Just don't ever forget that. Look, no matter how safe you think your neighborhood is, there's always a chance you'll be a victim of a Home invasion, a burglary. It happens about twice a minute nationwide. You want to have the right tools to defend yourself and protect your family until the cops can show up. And that's where products from Sabre come in. You can go big with their pepper spray projectile launchers. In fact, there's a bundle that you can get right now when you go to sabre radio.com a special bundle picked out that has everything you need including practice projectiles which you can just take into your backyard. By the way. You don't have to go to a gun range with these. You can do this all in your own yard, in your own space. Saber Pepper projectile launchers are the best in the game and they will stop the threat. Plus for just keeping your pocket pepper sprays and pepper gels, Saber is the number one pepper spray brand trusted by law enforcement. This is a company that Clay and I both trust to protect our families with the best non lethal self protection tools out there. Look, as you know, I'm a force escalation guy. I got a lot of lethal stuff at home too. I got a lot of edge weapons and a lot of firearms, but I believe in having non lethals. My wife particularly likes having non. Lethals. So add this to yours home your home defense toolkit. Go to sabre radio.com that's s a b r e radio.com you'll save 15% there. That's saber radio s a b r e dot com or call 844-824 safe 844-824 safe.

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[Clay Travis]

Now you can stream Fox News live on the Fox one app. Stay on top of breaking news and the biggest stories live as they happen, all from the FOX voices you trust, bringing you the coverage you won't find anywhere else.

[Buck Sexton]

Start your seven day free trial today. Offers are subject to change. Go to Fox one for complete terms and conditions. Fox one we live for live streaming now.

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[Buck Sexton]

As we know, Trump is having a historic second state visit to the United Kingdom and there's a lot that's come out of it. But he did speak about the I don't know. I don't know, Clay. If they've said suspended indefinitely. Before I get into this Trump clip, do you think there's Any chance that Kimmel comes back in that slot, that they just let this, let the dust settle and things blow over and then they bring him back in a month?

[Clay Travis]

I think it would require a direct address of that statement that we played you and I think it would require some form of public apology. And I'm not sure that Jimmy would be willing to do that. And so I don't think the show will ever come back.

[Buck Sexton]

Yeah, I think you're probably right. Well, Trump has some thoughts on this one. Donald Trump, never short on opinions and, and insightful ones at that. Here he is on Jimmy Kimmel and what happened here. Play 27. Jimmy Kimmel was fired because he had bad ratings more than anything else. And he said a horrible thing about a great gentleman known as Charlie Kirk. And Jimmy Kimmel is not a talented person. He had very bad ratings and they should have fired him a long time ago. So, you know, you can call that free speech or not. He was fired for lack of talent. His ratings were really bad. So this is a similar situation to the Colbert thing where I think his most recent ratings, Clay, were at the million, at the million viewers rating, which is really terrible for network tv. It's a, it's like a fraction. Some of these, you know, NCIS shows and stuff get, yeah, 8 million people watching crazy numbers and, and also he was in fourth place or last place among whatever the late night shows are.

[Clay Travis]

I actually think it would have been better off for Disney, candidly if they had just decided in the wake of Colbert, hey, we're also going to move on from late night. And I do think, as opposed to reacting to something that was said on a show, I also think is a big debate out there. Does anything. I know Gutfeld works, but that's to a large extent a testament both to him and to the overall success of Fox News. Every show on Fox News produces huge ratings. Is there a way on abc, NBC, CBS to actually have a funny late night show anymore or have comedy specials on Netflix and everywhere else kind of taken over the audience that once would have watched these shows? I think that's a really interesting question about society today.

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[Clay Travis]

A lot of different reactions pouring in across the political spectrum to the Jimmy Kimmel news. I did see this and I did want to read it to you and let me make sure that I go find it because I sent it to our team last night when I saw this news breaking. And it is so outspoken.

[Buck Sexton]

And.

[Clay Travis]

Here is what Sinclair said that they were going to do. That is again, I understand a lot of people don't really understand this. Sinclair and nexstar are affiliate companies that own a bunch of ABC stations. Most stations, most ABC stations are not owned by Disney. Fox doesn't own most Fox stations. CBS doesn't own most CBS they own some, but there are a ton more affiliates out there. Sinclair is demanding the following. And I thought this was, this was interesting and this is why I don't think he's ever gonna come back. Sinclair will not lift the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel live on our stations until formal discussions are held with ABC regarding the network's commitment to professionalism and accountability. Sinclair also calls upon Mr. Kimmel to issue a direct apology to the Kirk family. Furthermore, we ask Mr. Kimmel to make a meaningful personal donation to the Kirk family and Turning Point USA. Regardless of ABC's plans for the future of the program, Sinclair intends not to return Jimmy Kimmel live to our air until we're confident appropriate steps have been taken to uphold the standards expected of a national broadcast platform. So even if Buck Disney decided, hey, you know what, we're going to bring back Jimmy Kimmel, I'm not sure Sinclair or nexstar would ever carry the show. Which means many people across the country that live in nexstar or Sinclair stations would not be able to to effectively go in and and air this program. We should also mention since Turning Point is is mentioned in that statement. Turning Point just announced that they have elevated Erica Kirk to that is the widow of Charlie Kirk to the role of head of Turning Point usa. So she is ascending to CEO of Turning Point usa. They just announced that that is going to be occurring as well. Okay. Several different comments, a lot of different reactions pouring in. But I wanted to play this too since Stephen A and I buck on Tuesday had a debate. Stephen A is employed by Disney. He has guest hosted for Jimmy Kimmel's show as well. And he is already weighed in as well. This is cute. 15 Stephen A. Smith on Jimmy Kimmel. Let's listen.

[Buck Sexton]

The only thing that I would say as it pertains to Jimmy Kimmel was where was the joke? Because you're a late night host and obviously that has a comedic attachment. Attachment to it.

[Clay Travis]

Where was the joke?

[Buck Sexton]

Obviously it wasn't anything funny about that. Correct. It wasn't a joke. It was just a slap and a lie. A slap at half of the country, more than half the country who are still really distraught and angry over what happened. And it's an obvious falsehood as well.

[Clay Travis]

And they had an opportunity to rectify it Tuesday on the show and they chose not to address it at all. And then it grew during the course of Tuesday as that clip echoed and resonated through social media to the point where Disney made the move on Wednesday.

[Buck Sexton]

Do you remember Clay? It might have been.

[Clay Travis]

I don't know.

[Buck Sexton]

You guys can tell me. Like a decade ago there was the story of Cecil the lion.

[Clay Travis]

Oh yeah, I do remember that.

[Buck Sexton]

You remember this? Oh yeah, huge thing. Because this guy who I think was a dentist from Ohio or Idaho or somewhere would like to do big game hunting and he shot a lion. He was allowed to shoot a lion, but it wasn't maybe this lion or. So there was some problem. He, he got the wrong lion and there was this big freak out about it. And do you remember Jimmy Kimmel? We can pull the clip. Broke down in tears on his show talking about Cecil the lion in Africa who was shot by a hunter. It's not like this was his pet lion that got run over by a car, some lion somewhere. Jimmy Kimmel cried like a baby and.

[Clay Travis]

I just remember the left took over. I don't remember that specifically, but do you remember to their credit, producer Greg.

[Buck Sexton]

Can we try to find Jimmy Kimmel crying over Cecil the line. Thank you.

[Clay Travis]

Do you remember to the credit, I think it was of the New York Times. It became such a left wing thing.

[Buck Sexton]

It was a phenomenon of a story.

[Clay Travis]

For a While, yeah, they wrote an editorial, somebody did, saying, hey, I'm from Africa. Yes, lions kill people. We. This is not the Lion King. Like, we think about lions differently here than you do in the United States. And it was, like, really well done.

[Buck Sexton]

It was a guy. It was a guy who grew up in. I forget which country in sub Saharan Africa. I remember exactly that story because it really was.

[Clay Travis]

A lot of people still.

[Buck Sexton]

Well, once they become habituated to eating human beings, they realize, oh, we're like, slow and weak unless we have guns and we're easy prey. And there are stories, the lions of what in the. What was in the. In the Transvaal. I'm trying to remember.

[Clay Travis]

There's that ghost in the lion.

[Buck Sexton]

Ghost in the Darkness, which the movie could have been better, but it's based on a true story. Those lions are actually stuffed in the Chicago Museum of Natural History, I think, and they're enormous.

[Clay Travis]

My understanding, because I interviewed a tiger hunter once, obviously in India. Typically, they do not like the taste of human. That's actually the benefit that we have. Is that the reason why these big cats were too gamey.

[Buck Sexton]

Yeah, they don't like it.

[Clay Travis]

So they just don't like our taste. But every now and then they have a rogue animal that decides it does like the taste of human flesh, and then it will become effectively a serial killing lion or tiger. Because they do want to eat us.

[Buck Sexton]

Yes.

[Clay Travis]

Which is, again, I'm fascinated.

[Buck Sexton]

And then they have to hire a professional hunter to go out and try to track and kill these.

[Clay Travis]

That's right.

[Buck Sexton]

But, but yes, the thing about the lion was, you know, everyone. But my, my. So, yes, I remember that editorial. It was Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and was fabulous because it was the reality. This guy's like, I have friends who were eaten by lions in my village. Like, this is not, you know, they're.

[Clay Travis]

Not worry at night about being killed by lions. Like, these are not. Yeah, like your kids.

[Buck Sexton]

My, my, my point is about Jimmy. Jimmy Kimmel. He was blubbering like a child on tv. He's crying. And I actually am a big animal lover. Like, you know, I love dogs or whatever, but, you know, that's. That's taking a little too far. He's crying about Cecil the Lion. Look at how callous he is in talking about what happened to a human being. Yeah, it's a good point to Charlie Kirk on video. There's video of it. There were hundreds, maybe thousands of people there. He's got a wife, he's got kids, he's got a family. And Jimmy Kimmel's not crying at all. Talking about Charlie Kirk, by the way. I think people, you know, you and I got emotional about it again and we're very honest with this. There are people that know Charlie a lot better than I do or Clay does. And we both knew Charlie, but. But I mean, we just. There's this human response to this guy was on our team doing great stuff for the country. And Clay and I, it's the same thing. I think about, you know, you think about what about Laura? What about your boys? I think about what about Kerry? What about my boy Speed? Like that's where your brain goes right away and it just, it eats you up inside. And I just think about with Jimmy Kimmel, he can cry for Cecil the Lion, but he's mocking the whole, you know, the Charlie Kirk supporters and saying that they won't deal with the reality that they're responsible for. I mean, think about the mentality.

[Clay Travis]

No, I think that's well said. I should mention also, and I meant to when I read that Sinclair post, they're also on Friday on Sinclair stations, ABC affiliates, they're airing a Charlie Kirk tribute special during the time that Jimmy Kimmel's program would have otherwise aired. So I mean, whatever you think about this whole process, the culture shift has occurred in rapid and earnest fashion. And that's why when we went to break Buck, I was asking you the question. I don't even know that late night television on abc, NBC, cbs, that there is a guy or a gal who could speak to both sides of the nation, make them laugh and produce an audience. Maybe it's possible. And again, some of you can point to Gutfeld and I love Greg. Fox News is the most watched network on the planet. Whoever they put on is going to dominate. And Greg's show is very good and it shows late night humor can still be done. But I think on Fox News it can still be done. I don't know that it could be done on abc, NBC, cbs. Maybe Nate Bargazzi is a friend of mine. I don't know that he would take a job in late night comedy. But he's profoundly apolitical and he just tries to entertain people and make them laugh. Would a show like that work in this era? Or is comedy taken over by Netflix and streaming and everything else such that the demand that used to exist for hey, I'm going to get in my bed. And I was in this group, I'm going to get in my bed. Or right before I go to bed, I'm going To watch David Letterman or Johnny Carson or Jay Leno or whoever it is. Does that demand still exist in the marketplace? I don't claim to know the answer. I think it would be an interesting test.

[Buck Sexton]

I just think it's a far more competitive field than it used to be. It used to be. And I just know about this from, you know, reading about the lives of different comedians and hearing their stories that they'll tell, usually on podcasts. But, you know, you do all the standup stuff and that eventually you get your special and then you really, you know, you wanted to end up maybe getting an SNL gig and then you wanted movies. Maybe you go from SNL to a late night show. Like there are pathways now. You can just become a phenomenon in your own right. Some guys. This guy in the uk, Jimmy Carr, I see his. Do you know him? Jimmy Carr?

[Clay Travis]

I don't know who he is.

[Buck Sexton]

Oh, I see. He's. He. His crowd work. So when. When people in the crowd yell out and he deals with them on the fly, it's all over. I mean, millions and millions of views on TikTok. There's a guy, I don't know, he's kind of a Malusian. I don't know. You know, the ladies think he's very handsome. He's a young guy. He also has gone very. He's American, very viral for his videos of. Of Stand Up Now. I mean, I mean, you know, and he had a Netflix special. So there are more ways to. To do this. Do you know Bruce Rally? Do you know I'm talking about the guy? You know, he's like. He's like the hand. He's like this handsome young comedian. He's gotten all famous. He's young, too. He's like maybe 30 or 25 or something. Anyway, I can't remember the guy's name, but I said, because I'm on TikTok, Clay. I'm on TikTok, so I know where the cool people are. And I also have found out, thanks to Clay's boys, because he told me this, that New Balance sneakers aren't just for dads anymore. New Balance sneakers are cool. So I'm feeling like I'm pretty in the know at this point in time. Oh, do you want to hear. Do you want to hear Jimmy? Jimmy Kimmel on Sissel the Lion? Do you want to compare this? Can we play it? Play it. If you want to do something, if you want to make this into a positive, you can. Sorry. Okay, I'm good. Make a donation. Support them at the very least, maybe. Maybe we can show the world that not all Americans are like this jackhole here. Play. He breaks down in tears talking about a lion in Africa that was shot.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah.

[Buck Sexton]

And he is heartless talking about the Charlie Kirk situation. Who is this guy?

[Clay Travis]

I think that comparison, if producer Greg put them side by side, would likely go mega viral. And I think it's a fair question about why does a lion being killed in Africa produce more empathy than a dad being killed in America? I think that. I think that is a very fair question for anyone out there listening to Ask. And I didn't remember that. I remember the editorial. I didn't remember breaking down. I just remember the lion story. It was like the Coney story, where you remember when Coney, like, everybody suddenly.

[Buck Sexton]

Cared about this African, Joseph Kony, the warlor. Well, because there was a cool EDM song that went viral online with, like, a story of Coney and.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah, like, suddenly everyone in America cared about the Joseph Kony situation. Is he still. I don't know what happened to that end of that story. No.

[Buck Sexton]

But nobody knows what happened. That's how much they cared about it.

[Clay Travis]

But that was one of the first things that I remember on social media, sweeping the entire. From a political perspective in any way. And I remember the Cecil the Lion story. I didn't remember the reaction to it on late night.

[Buck Sexton]

I mean, you know, it's not like. It's not like he had to go out and shoot Old Yeller himself. Like, he never even met Cecil the Lion. Maybe Cecil the Lion was kind of a jerk.

[Clay Travis]

Maybe he deserved it.

[Buck Sexton]

You know what I'm saying? Maybe Cecil the Lion was talking a little too much smack. You know, the villagers said, this guy is no longer to be protected.

[Clay Travis]

I just remember so much that reading that editorial. I think it was a New York Times. It was.

[Buck Sexton]

It was a great piece.

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We should.

[Buck Sexton]

We should pull it up and pull some of the piece from him. But I will tell you, Clay. Clay, the family were getting death threats.

[Clay Travis]

Oh, yeah.

[Buck Sexton]

Of the hunter.

[Clay Travis]

Well, and. And by the way, not to get into conservation and hunting. This occasionally turns as a story every now and then. It's one of the best ways to protect species is to have these sold hunts where big ticket, big game hunts.

[Buck Sexton]

Yes, I'm very familiar with this, actually.

[Clay Travis]

Take the money that's paid for these to help raise more of the animals, and it's actually good for conservation. But of course, that requires a little bit of nuance, and that doesn't typically play very well in a emotional social media space.

[Buck Sexton]

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[Clay Travis]

Now you can stream Fox News live on the Fox One app. Stay on top of breaking news and the biggest stories live as they happen. All from the Fox voices you trust, bringing you the coverage you won't find anywhere else.

[Buck Sexton]

Start your 7 day free trial today. Offers are subject to change. Go to Fox one for complete terms and conditions. Fox one we live for live streaming now.

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[Buck Sexton]

Want to take some calls, get some talk backs and get you ready for what's coming up the next hour. Clay, you know how I had mentioned on from my days. I like to think of it like as I was an infiltrator of the enemy camp at cnn. It's going back almost a decade ago how they used to play this game where they would try to say the real terrorism is right wing terrorism and they would exclude 9 11. The Cato Institute just did this again. Did you see this? Just did this again to try to show that the real terrorism is right wing terrorism. We will discuss that. We will get to that in just a moment. Let's do a a podcast listener AP in Honolulu. Oh, hey, what's going on Honolulu? What you're missing here is that Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel were useful idiots for the networks trying to defeat Trump. Now that Trump has come back to the White House and is flexing, those useful idiots are no longer useful. So that's why they're getting rid of them. Have a great one, guys. Aloha. Hey, man. Aloha to you. I would, I'd say I agree with you, but we're not missing that. We know that. I mean, that's, that's not a. No.

[Clay Travis]

It's a particularly hidden element.

[Buck Sexton]

It's a fair point, a fair point to make. But I think we're pretty clear that we view it the same way. So aloha. We're all in agreement there, Mr. AP.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah, look, if that show was making $40 million a year, I think it's basic economics, they would keep it. You know, Colbert was losing 40 million a year. There isn't an economic incentive to continue it. I think that Trump actually offers a convenient excuse to fire now.

[Buck Sexton]

So we'll take more of your calls, get into more of your talkbacks and basically dive into all the latest here and play you're back at home so you can have Crockett Coffee. So that's exciting for you. Crockett coffee.com that's where you got to go. Code book for a copy of American playbook signed by Mr. Clay. The best coffee in America. Go to Crockett coffee.com we'll be right back.

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[Clay Travis]

Illustrated Tickets America is changing and so is the world. But what's happening in America is isn't just a cause of global upheaval, it's also a symptom of disruption that's happening everywhere.

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I'm Asma Khalid in Washington, D.C. i'm.

[Clay Travis]

Tristan Redman in London and this is the Global Story.

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Every weekday we'll bring you a story from this intersection where the world and America meet.

[Clay Travis]

Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts. Take a deep dive into the stories.

[Buck Sexton]

Making the news headlines across the world. The News Agents we're not just here.

[Clay Travis]

To tell you what's happening, but why?

[Buck Sexton]

From me, Emily Maitlis and me, John Sopel with Global's award winning podcast the News Agents Dropping daily covering everything you need to know about politics and current.

[Clay Travis]

Affairs and the newsagents USA listening to.

[Buck Sexton]

The news agents on America's number one podcast network, iHeart. Open your free iHeart app and search the news agents to start listening.

[Clay Travis]

Now. You can stream Fox News live on the Fox One app. Stay on top of breaking news and the biggest stories live as they happen. All from the FOX voices you trust, bringing you the coverage you won't find anywhere else.

[Buck Sexton]

Start your 7 day free trial today. Offers are subject to change. Go to Fox one for complete terms and conditions. Fox One we live for live streaming now. This is an I Heart podcast.