Hour 1 - Dems Undermine Primary Process

Summary

The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Hour 1 – Dems Undermine Primary Process

Date: July 7, 2026
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts

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Episode Overview

In this hour, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton dissect two major stories dominating headlines: the collapse of the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team at the World Cup, and the escalating scandal involving Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner in Maine, who faces serious sexual assault allegations. They discuss the broader implications of each event—on American sports culture and on the integrity of the Democratic primary process—injecting their trademark blend of political insight and irreverent humor.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. U.S. Men’s Soccer World Cup Exit

• Host Reaction: Both Clay and Buck share their frustration and disappointment over the U.S. team’s “pathetic, weak, uninspired, scared performance.” (Clay Travis, 02:07)
  • Clay’s Take: The team lacked spirit and collapsed under pressure, despite high expectations and home advantage. “Congrats to Belgium. They were the ones doing the trump dance.” (02:07)
  • Notable Moment: Belgium’s players “doing the trump dance” after their fourth goal, rubbing salt in the wound.
• Sports Culture Analysis:
  • Buck: Recurring American optimism about soccer is misplaced; the U.S. simply doesn’t have “world-class soccer players” and may have to accept their second-tier status. “Maybe we need to just accept that that’s the way this is going to be.” (06:44)
  • Clay’s Optimism: America remains an outstanding host nation, and the Cup itself is a “tremendously awesome summer event.” (03:23)
• Where Do U.S. Sports Priorities Lie?
  • Clay challenges the common excuse that top American athletes choose other sports: “If you’re under 6ft tall, you almost have no chance of playing any other sport at a really, really high professional level… You can be the greatest soccer player in the world and be 5’10. I’m not sure you can be the greatest at any other team sport.” (07:14)
  • Buck interjects: “Messi is 5'8.” (08:01)
  • Clay, humor intact: “Sorry, short kings.” (08:03)
• Comparison with Mexico:
  • Buck praises Mexico’s performance against England, contrasting their heart and fight with the U.S. team’s lack: “If you left it all on the field, you know, nobody was booing Rocky when Apollo got the decision.” (04:30)
  • Clay sums up: “If we had lost in that fashion, I would have said, okay, like, that's frustrating, but we just got out early, eviscerated.” (09:44)

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2. Graham Platner Scandal & the Democratic Primary Process

• Allegations & Fallout:
  • Breaking down the ongoing scandal, Clay details the sexual assault allegations against Graham Platner, the Democratic Senate nominee in Maine. He notes the severity of the new accusation: “Jake Tapper interviewed the accuser and she said straight out that he raped her.” (12:54)
  • Audio Excerpt:
    • Tapper: “Did Graham Platner rape you?”
    • Accuser: “By definition? Yes, absolutely.” (13:02)
• Political Repercussions:
  • Clay’s Analysis: The timing of the Politico exposé, just days before Platner could withdraw and allow the Democrats to select a replacement, suggests deliberate party maneuvering. “This is a Democrat hit. So are they just going to pay him off?” (19:53)
  • Buck’s Take on Platner’s Future: Buck argues Platner likely won’t drop out, as withdrawal now could be read as an admission of guilt: “If he were to leave the race now, it would be in some ways viewed as probably an admission.” (18:51)
• Democratic Party Critique:
  • Both hosts lambast the Democrats for seemingly ignoring ethics in favor of winning at any cost. Buck: “It seems like…they have no ethics or morals and they don't care at all about anything but power. And that's not a good look for them.” (17:18)
  • Clay details the candidate’s problematic history: “He’s had multiple different sexting relationships with women he wasn't married to. Now sexual assault allegations… a bevy of the Reddit past posts…” (13:36)
• Primary Process Undermined:
  • Clay’s Critique: Democrats are trying to “pull a Biden/Kamala situation where they completely eliminate the primary process…this is not coincidental that they have one week to force him out so that they can hand-select a candidate of their choice.” (22:01)
  • He speculates Platner might demand his wife be the replacement candidate. (22:27)
• Listener Call-In – Rep. Gary from Maine:
  • Gary predicts Platner’s days are numbered due to pulled funding. “When the dollars aren't there, he's not going to get his message out.” (34:25)
  • Gary, a Republican, actually wants Platner to stay in: “...as a Republican legislator, we really wanted Platner to stay in because it's such a contrast between his non-record and her [Collins’s] record.” (32:29)
• Notable Media Coverage:
  • The View’s Sunny Hostin audio clip surfaces in which she admits she’d still vote for Platner, citing an “existential crisis” in America and criticizing Democrats for not “falling in line” like Republicans. (27:42–28:25)
    • Buck: “This is just… psychological projection, denialism… the issue is Democrats right now.” (28:25)
• Final Thoughts on Platner:
  • Clay speculates Platner is being offered millions in hush/exit money and doubts any real political future outside being an “oyster farmer whose only customer is your mom and when your dad has had to buy your house…” (29:05)
  • Buck: Democrats are mostly coldly calculating—if Platner could still win, they’d back him regardless.

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3. Brief Note on Mitch McConnell’s Health

• Health Watch:
  • Buck updates listeners, mentioning the long hospital stay and circulating rumors. “It's looking, someone goes to the hospital for three weeks and they're fine, you are generally going to hear that from their team and their staff.” (38:28)
  • Clay relays an encouraging update from Scott Jennings, who spoke to McConnell for 20 minutes on various policy topics. (39:22)
  • Both host offer wishes for McConnell’s recovery.

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• US Soccer Team Collapse: 02:07–10:58
• Belgium’s ‘Trump Dance’: 03:00 (Clay Travis: “Congrats to Belgium. They were the ones doing the Trump dance.”)
• Short Kings in Soccer Debate: 07:14–08:16
• Intro to Graham Platner Scandal: 10:58–13:36
• Accuser Audio (Jake Tapper segment): 12:54–13:36
• Analysis of Democratic Hit Piece Timing: 19:35–21:03
• Democratic Primary Process Critique: 22:01–23:20
• Sunny Hostin’s Controversial Statement (The View): 27:42–28:25
• Listener Call-in from Maine: 31:18–34:49
• Mitch McConnell Health Segment: 36:38–39:35

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Clay Travis (on US Soccer):
  • “It was a pathetic, weak, uninspired, scared performance put forward by our soccer team.” (02:07)
• Buck Sexton (on US soccer reality):
  • “We do not have world class soccer players in this country, and we’re not about to have world class soccer players in this country. And maybe that’s just okay.” (06:44)
• Clay Travis (about short men in sports):
  • “Sorry, short kings.” (08:03)
• Jake Tapper (to Platner’s Accuser):
  • “Did Graham Platner rape you?”
  • Accuser: “By definition? Yes, absolutely.” (13:02)
• Buck Sexton (On party ethics):
  • “Once again the Democrats are caught backing a person in a way that seems like…they have no ethics or morals and they don’t care at all about anything but power.” (17:18)
• Sunny Hostin (The View):
  • “This is a disgusting time in politics where we decide what we’re willing to morally accept based on the jersey you’re wearing… If I lived in Maine, I would have, you know, plugged my nose and I would have voted for him anyway.” (27:42)
• Listener Gary, Maine Rep.:
  • “When the dollars aren't there, he's not going to get his message out. And I think that Uncle Chuck is going to stop the funding…he’s going to lose his voice without that money.” (34:25)

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Tone & Style Highlights

• Candid, irreverent banter: Hosts intersperse sharp political analysis with sports metaphors and tongue-in-cheek humor (“Sorry, short kings.”)
• Deep skepticism of Democratic motives: Both repeatedly frame developments as top-down party power plays, challenging the ethical underpinnings.
• Interactive and local insight: Caller participation sheds light on the Maine political calculus.

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Conclusion

This episode dives deep into the intersection of sports disappointment and political scandal, using the failings of the U.S. soccer team and Maine’s embattled Senate candidate as launchpads for broader commentary about American culture, party politics, and the mechanics of power. Clay and Buck’s analysis is fast-paced, snarky, and grounded in the week’s most dramatic headlines, making for an engaging listen—or read—for anyone looking for context and commentary beyond the headlines.

Transcript

[Buck Sexton]

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[Clay Travis]

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[Clay Travis]

Welcome in Tuesday edition, Clay and Buck. We got Graham Platner, Maine Senate News. We told you that things were rapidly unraveling in Maine. We will get to that as Graham Platner faces a new sexual assault allegation. What should he do? What will he do? How does this impact the overall Senate landscape as we move towards the overall 2026 midterm elections? All of that to come, but we begin with the utter collapse of the United States soccer team. Buck watched. I watched tens of millions of you watched. And it was a pathetic, weak, uninspired, scared performance. Put forward by our soccer team. One of the goals was maybe the worst goal that I've ever seen that our goalie gave up to put us down. Three, one, buck. We were favored to win this game globally and we came out. Huge awesome crowd in Seattle. Entire nation is ready to get behind this team even more than they already were. And we tripped and fell and knocked ourselves out. Congrats to Belgium. They were the ones doing the trump dance. I don't know if you saw it or not, but after the fourth goal, rough after the fourth goal, Belgium's players were doing the trump dance on the field in celebration of their obliteration of us. You and I were texting during the match. We still on a positive side. Since I try to be optimistic, I will say the hosting of the World cup has been a tremendously awesome summer event in the United States. And they're still are a bunch of games that remain between the best of all of the teams out there. So that will still be exciting for those of us who are big sports fans. As the most elite teams have continued to advance. But the US Fell flat on its face. Utter failure. Your take.

[Buck Sexton]

Well, every four years when the World cup happens, there are these people in America who care about soccer, which is. I know a lot of you are not in that category, but there are people who care about soccer even when it's being played in like Russia or Qatar or Qatar or whatever. And they tell us, oh, the U. This U.S. men's National Team is different. We finally are competitive at the highest level of soccer. By the way, no one's expecting that the US Was going to win the whole thing or that's. That's crazy talk right there. There were teams that are still a full tier above. Teams like France and Spain and. And England. They're a full tier above the US Team. But we were led to believe, and are continuously led to believe we're in that second tier right below the big. Called the Big 5 or Big 10 teams. We are not. So that was. That was what we saw yesterday. For those who watch the game, they were just. They were a better team and our team played poorly for the level that our team is at. I would say that having watched the Mexico England match, England is a tier above, by the way. England is still in it. Still in it, perhaps to win it. Those of you who were doubters from the beginning, but England is a tier above Mexico in terms of ability and talent. But the Mexican national team at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City acquitted themselves very well and Fought really hard against a better team. And, and I think there, I just think that, you know, athletics, this is true in any sport. If you left it all on the field, you know, nobody was booing Rocky when Apollo got the decision. The point was he took the champ the full distance. I thought we'd be able to give them a real match yesterday, and I think a lot of people did. And that was the disappointment that it looked like a college team playing a JV high school team. I mean, it was, it was embarrassed. It was an embarrassing ass kicking. And, you know, I feel badly for the guys. I know they work really hard and they got up to this point and they had played well, and I know that they wanted to do better than they did. But on the positive note, Clay, it's been a great World Cup. It has been really fun for the viewers who have gone to the games or just watched it on tv. It's been a great showing for America as a country and as a host nation. And I do think that matters a whole heck of a lot more in every sense. So, yeah, don't worry. Not a lot of soccer analysis coming today other than we're just not there, folks. We're just not. We. We do not have world class soccer players in this country, and we're not about to have world class soccer players in this country. And maybe that's just okay. Maybe we need to just accept that that's the way this is going to be.

[Clay Travis]

I actually, I have a ton of thoughts on this. I think we should and could be one of the greatest, uh, I think we should be the best at everything. And I think we actually have to be more aggressive in copying, frankly, the way that Europe develops its soccer talent. Belgium only has what, 11 million people? So for people out there who say, oh, too many of our best athletes go to football, basketball, baseball, hockey, whatever you want to point to. If you're under 6ft tall, you almost have no chance of playing any other sport at a really, really high professional level. This is just reality for men. I mean, harsh reality, but it's true. You could be the greatest soccer player in the world and be 5 10. I'm not sure. You could be. You could be 5 8.

[Buck Sexton]

Messi is 5 8.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah, right. You can't be the great. Maybe, I guess you could be a jockey. You can't be the best hardly at any sport. Sorry, short kings.

[Buck Sexton]

Clay just told all the under six foot men of America. You can be a jockey.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah, you can be a. Well, I was trying to be positive you could be the greatest soccer player in the world. You can't be the greatest at any other team sport. You can't. You have no chance of playing in the NBA. You have no chance really of playing in the NFL unless you're going to play second base. In baseball. There's almost no guys that are significantly under 6ft tall that are very successful. You can be the greatest soccer player in the world. So I don't buy the, oh, there's other athletes competing, all these different things. I want to be the best. But I do think we have to face the harsh reality, which is we went to the round of eight in 2002, 24 years ago, and otherwise we haven't been able to do better. And this was set up perfectly. The, the nation was behind us. We would have had an entire week of incredible drama leading up to where I think we would have lost to Spain. But at least if we had gone out, Buck, like I hate to say it, Mexico did. I don't think there's anybody who watched that Mexico loss to England and said, oh, I feel like I was cheated. Mexico left their heart and soul on the field. They played a really high spirited brand of soccer. They happened to lose to a better team.

[Buck Sexton]

They very easily could have tied and

[Clay Travis]

then won in panel.

[Buck Sexton]

I mean, they were, they made it very, very close. You were sweating. I was sweating as an England fan, literally.

[Clay Travis]

So, yeah, if, if we had lost in that fashion, I would have said, okay, like, that's frustrating, but we just got out early, eviscerated. And like I said, we had a great call from one of our listeners down in Texas. Unfortunately, the Trump dance ended up being done by Belgium and not by the, by the United States. Because when you to the victor go the trash talk, right? And, and I give them credit, like they absolutely walked into a hornet's nest of a stad in Seattle filled with red, white and blue and people who were ready to be all about it. I saw a great clip. We were tied for 61 seconds after we got the, the, the goal to make it 1:1. Did you see the Vince McMahon clip where everybody uses that meme of Vince McMahon, former WWE President, the founder, where he's doing an interview and he just. I'm sure you've seen that meme where

[Buck Sexton]

he's like, oh, he starts crying. The crying. Yeah.

[Clay Travis]

He's like, people use that meme all the time on social media. And it was, hey, dad, tell us about the time when the US was tied with this for 61.

[Buck Sexton]

It made it Seem like we had a chance for one whole minute of the entire. That was the only minute where you really believe, by the way, because they were outplayed. Every other minute of every other, you know, both halves, the whole thing. It was.

[Clay Travis]

All right, we'll take some of your calls. I will say, if you want to look for the shining light, I do believe that America as a nation has acquitted itself phenomenally well. And in. In terms of hosting all of the different people who have traveled to the United States to celebrate the World cup. And I still will really enjoy watching. I think there's only like eight or nine games left in the entirety of the World Cup. We'll have four in the quarterfinals, two, one. And I know they play a third place game, I guess, but I don't think that many people watch it. So I'll be looking forward to watching that. We'll take some of your calls. You can react, you can make your analogies of how you felt. I bet we'll get some really funny talkbacks associated with that. Let's also, though, Buck, dive into and start to set the table for this Graham Platner drama. Yesterday, if you were listening, as we were finishing the show, we told you that there was an expectation that there may well be information coming out that would threaten Platner's ability to stay in the race. So let me give you a little bit of a background here as we prepare to go into the break. And then we will dive into this story in earnest because I do think it's a big one. Graham Platner has until July 13 to withdraw from this race. That would then give Democrats two weeks to select a new nominee. Politico wrote a story that featured a sexual assault accusation. Very detailed. And I have got. I'm sure we have that audio. Jake Tapper interviewed the accuser and she said straight out that he raped her. This is cut one, I believe. Let me just be. And I apologize.

[Buck Sexton]

Let me be as direct as I can.

[Clay Travis]

Did Graham Platner rape you?

[Buck Sexton]

By definition? Yes, absolutely.

[Clay Travis]

Because he had non consensual sex with you.

[Caller Gary]

Yeah.

[Buck Sexton]

Forced himself on you after you had told him no and fought him off?

[Caller Gary]

Yeah.

[Buck Sexton]

He violated multiple layers of consent that night by coming into my home when I asked him not to and by advancing on me when I told him not to.

[Caller Gary]

And.

[Buck Sexton]

And furthermore, another incident that I had told him not to do. And with protection.

[Caller Gary]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Clay Travis]

Okay. So so far, Graham Platner has not dropped out of the race. He was selected as the nominee. There's a lot of questions about what the New York Times knew because they wrote a story that suggested inappropriate behavior on several different levels by Graham Platner in relation with many different women, but was not this detailed. This woman was willing to go public with Politico. Now all these Democrats who stood behind Graham Platner over the Nazi tattoo, who stood behind Graham Platner, remember when he said that if somebody tried to rape his house, he would, sorry, rob his house. He would rape them if any guy did that, but not in a sexual way. They admitted that he said that he's had multiple different sexting relationships with women he wasn't married to. Now sexual assault allegations. I mean, there is a bevy of the Reddit past posts, all these different things that would suggest that Graham Platner was not the right candidate. And all of this is now coming to a head. And so we will talk about it when we come back and and say where we think this story goes next. But in the meantime, want to tell you all about Tunnel the Towers to mark the 25th anniversary of 9 11, the Tunnel Towers foundation undertaking the most comprehensive commemoration in its history, one that honors the past, educates generations of tomorrow. At the heart of this effort, Steel Across America, a nationwide campaign that will transport a 24 foot steel beam recovered from the World Trade center across the United States. This Friday, the tour will be in San Francisco, open to the public. For all those interested in seeing this powerful exhibit, Feel Across America will be traveling through September to various landmark locations, sporting events and town squares. It creates moments of connection for those who live through 911 and educational opportunities for those too young to remember. The journey represents more than remembrance. It's a bridge between generations, a reminder of the spirit of service embodied by firefighter Stephen Siller and so many others that continues to inspire Americans today. Go to t2t.org to learn more about Steel Across America and to donate $11 a month to Tunnel to Towers. You can amplify your impact with a car or land donation. That's T the number2t.org looking for normal in a world of crazy, Clay and Buck have your back. Hi, Ryan Reynolds here for Mint Mobile. Are you looking for a beach read this summer? May I suggest your big wireless bill? It's got suspense, mystery, a slightly flat emotional arc, and a shocking twist where you realize you've been overpaying for the entire time. Fortunately, though, Mint's story is better. Every plan, $15 a month, even unlimited.

[Buck Sexton]

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[Clay Travis]

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[Clay Travis]

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[Buck Sexton]

Welcome back in here to Clay Ann Buck. So we told you before, you've got this main Senate race which is getting a lot of attention because, well one, it's a competitive seat. But also, also you have a situation unfolding where once again the Democrats are caught backing a person in a way that seems like, I don't know, they have no ethics or morals and they don't care at all about anything but power. And that's not a good look for them. Maybe they don't care. They don't care, but Graham Platner has responded. So to be fair to the facts of this case so far, or prefer rather to where the story stands so far, this is Graham Platner as of yesterday. Play seven, please. I wanted to directly address the troubling, serious and false allegations against me. Any accusation of non consensual behavior is categorically false, regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting, but mindful the political reality it will inflict. We are taking the time to reflect on the best path forward for the state that I love, the people that I love, the movement I belong to, and the goal of defeating Susan Collins. Every one of you deserves to see that vision come to fruition and see Susan Collins defeated. And we will use every tool at our disposal to do so. Clay, if this is the there there are rumors out there that there could be other hit pieces and other stories, I should say not hit pieces. Well, it depends on who you believe. Other stories out there that could be published that are very damaging about Graham Platner, I think my sense of this is he says that this is a lie, that the allegation is false. If he were to leave the race now, it would be in some ways viewed as probably an admission and even if it's not, criminally speaking, viewed that Way politically and for his reputation. It might be viewed that way. I think it would be. And so I don't think he's. I don't think this is enough. He said he's going to reflect. So some people are saying they're preparing to withdraw from the race. I don't think this is going to push him out. What do you think?

[Clay Travis]

I got so many thoughts on this. First of all, the fact that they waited till after the July 4th holiday to drop this, this attack story is evidence that they timed this to put immense pressure on him because he has to drop out by July 13th.

[Buck Sexton]

They want him out for sure. They, we agree on that. They want him out.

[Clay Travis]

This is a Democrat hit. So are they just going to pay him off like. I think ultimately this just comes down to somebody rich inside of the Democrat party saying, hey, we'll hire your wife and pay her $500,000 a year to work at a think tank and we'll find some cushy job for you where you can go around and advocate on policy and we'll pay you $500,000 a year to do that. This is what Democrats are really good at. They have all of this sort of think tank apparatus where they pay their people to go and, and bide their time. But if I were him, I agree with you, I wouldn't drop out and I would actually forcefully come out and say these attacks are being brought against me by the Democrat establishment. You all voted last month in Maine. These allegations were out there. They're not true. I'm not stepping down. That's what, that's what I would say if I were Graham Platner. Because you step down, you're admitting they're true.

[Buck Sexton]

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[Clay Travis]

Welcome back in Clay and Buck. All right, let's dive into this Graham Platner situation. By the way, a bunch of people are weighing in 800-282-2882. And we will take your calls on both U.S. soccer and Graham Platner, which is a wide range of top topics that are going on as we speak. President Trump is also in Turkey and was taking questions earlier in the day from Turkey. Not to my knowledge, Buck. Huge news that has come out there. Ok, let's go into this Graham Platner situation a bit more. You and I both agree that we would not drop out if we were Grand Platner. And I think this is important to point out again, this is a Democrat hit piece that is coming after Graham Platner. Republicans are really not involved in this at all. In fact, I would say most Republicans think that Democrats should have to wallow in their choices in the primary because what they're trying to do now is say, oh, well, let's just switch. They're trying to pull a Biden common situation where they completely eliminate the primary process where there were all of these allegations out there. It's not like Grant Planner has a frigging Nazi tattoo on his chest and admitted that he was sexting lots of different women he wasn't with. You knew that there were women alleging inappropriate relationships. All of this, I would argue, was public when Democrats went to the polls and made him their choice. And so this is not coincidental that they have one week to force him out so that they can hand select a candidate of their choice. Ultimately, Buck, I think this is going to come down to the question, will Graham Platner drop out or not? And he's saying he's got demands. He wants to be able to pick potentially who the candidate's going to be. A part of me thinks, and you guys may think this is a crazy take that he's going to suggest his wife just something to put out there. I have no idea what kind of candidate she would be. But then he is a Senate spouse even if he's not a senator. And it, it may give some of the same people who had been supportive of Graham Platner an idea. Well, ok, we're going to support his wife. Now there are also reports that other Democrat candidates also have their own issues. Will he drop out? I just, a lot of times, Buck, they get guys or gals to drop out because they say, hey, in the future we'll have your back. I don't think that Graham Platner is going to have any political future going forward. He's an oyster farmer now. He doesn't actually have a significant job. What else does he have to lose? I would roll the dice and I would aggressively come out if I were him and say, hey, I'm imperfect. You guys knew all this when we had the primary. I'm not going to let a Kamala Biden situation happen. We saw what happened with Kamala Harris. I'm staying in I2 I would do if I were him.

[Buck Sexton]

I'm always reminded of the congressman in the wire who they've got absolutely nailed on mortgage fraud. And he goes in front of the jury and just does the whole, the whole song and dance about all the things he's done for the community and everything else. Sure enough. But the speech he gets beforehand because he's thinking about taking a plea deal. I forget who gives it to him, is it. I forget who tells him. Basically says, you got to stay in the game. You don't take yourself out of the game based on some concern over ethics or the future or anything like that. You want to be in a position where you still have cards to play. And as long as you're still in the game, you have cards to play. And that is, I think right now, likely the Platner.

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Right.

[Buck Sexton]

You know, the place where he finds himself or how he thinks of his situation. People have said there could be something worse that comes out. I mean, he's been accused of forcible rape by a woman on the record named who he did have sexual relationship with. I mean, this is really bad. Yes, the fact that. But interesting, isn't it, that it's really bad. Some Democrats are still kind of like, well, he denies it, you know, we'll see. And this is, of course, there's a part of them that wants to say, well, look at the other people. And we know who they're going to start bringing up. They're going to talk about Trump. They're going to start saying things. This isn't some allegation from 40 years ago with no corroboration from a person who can't remember what year it happened that Trump says, I don't even know this crazy person, ok? That's what Democrats mobilized behind and said you had to treat as sacrosanct this time around. It's somebody who everything here is entirely plausible, credible, named on the record, all of that. Now it's an allegation. It is not proven it certainly is not adjudicated. I think Democrats are like, can he win? If he can win, stay in. I think a lot of them feel that way.

[Clay Travis]

The story is that his polling numbers have collapsed since the last allegations came out, and they are now of the opinion that main voters will not vote for him.

[Buck Sexton]

Wait, wait, did you see the Sunny Hostin thing? This is incredible.

[Clay Travis]

Oh, yeah, I sent it to the team just a few minutes ago. So I don't know when it's gonna. When it's gonna be in, but, yeah, Sonny Hostin just went on the View and said I would still vote for him. And look, I.

[Buck Sexton]

Can we hear. Can we hear from Sonny real quick?

[Clay Travis]

Do we have that audio in?

[Buck Sexton]

Oh, we have it.

[Clay Travis]

Okay.

[Buck Sexton]

Yes.

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30 play is a disgusting time in politics where we decide what we're willing to morally accept based on the jersey you're wearing. And if you are one of those people that was Will, you're the problem. Well, then I'm the problem, because I was one of those people, and I said it. If I lived in Maine, I would have, you know, plugged my nose and I would have voted for him anyway. I think that we are in a time of existential crisis in this country. I think Republicans fall in line. They don't fall in love. Democrats want to fall in love and not fall in line. You know, the Republican Party, the bar is so very low. I can't believe. I cannot believe that they want to try to assume the moral high ground of the Republican Party.

[Buck Sexton]

Clay, this is just. This is like psychological projection, denialism. All kind. All kinds of problems that Sunny Hostin has here with. With reality. One of them is the issue is Democrats right now.

[Clay Travis]

Yes.

[Buck Sexton]

She keeps talking about Republicans. Democrats are the ones that are worried about this guy. The New York Times is. And Politico are writing these kinds of pieces about him. And, you know, we just went through a presidency where they were all willing to stand behind a president with dementia and act like he didn't have dementia. We all knew that he did. So there's no moral high ground to stand on about what they're willing to vote for and pretend that doesn't exist when it does.

[Clay Travis]

I think many people out there have decided that personal failings don't matter because of the significant dire straits that the country faces. And so that's why I would say, if I'm Graham Platner, I'm going to stay in this race. I don't really see what he has to lose. He either becomes a senator, which is pretty good. Job compared to being an oyster farmer for most people. I would say, especially when you're an oyster farmer whose only customer is your mom and when your dad has had to buy your house, this is not a guy who has launched himself successfully in other facets of his life. So he's either going to be a senator or no one really will know him and he'll be a random oyster farmer in Maine. That doesn't seem like a tough decision for me. And again, I think what is ultimately going to happen is Democrats are going to give him millions of dollars. I think that Democrats will say, we care so much about this Senate seat and this is why it matters in the big picture. Because if Democrats can't win Maine, there is no pathway that they can contend in the 2026 Senate race that Maine is their must have state and they recognize it. And so that's why I think comparatively, if they give Graham Platner five or six million dollars guaranteed, this is a small price to pay in their mind for being able to contend. What I do wonder about, though, Buck, is in their haste to try to find somebody to replace Graham Platner, are they going to find someone else with significant issues in his or her background? And this is why a lot of people wanted Janet Mills, even though she's 80 years old. They wanted her to be the nominee because she's already been elected statewide multiple times. Whatever you're going to say about her, everybody already knows. Gary, in Maine, you're listening to us right now. You've got to take. What do you think?

[Caller Gary]

Yes, this is a. I'm a representative up here in the state of Maine, and I think Graham Platner is done. And I think Uncle Chuck is going to pull his funding, as he probably did with Governor Mills. And what I'm witnessing with Graham Platner is he's got real issues with Trump derangement syndrome and he's going around the state saying, Collins is bad. I am good. And on the other side of the coin, you got Senator Collins pointing out her record of 10,000 votes, things she's done for the state of Maine. And also as a side note, the Honorable Troy Jackson, the former president of the Senate, is already putting in his paperwork to replace Graham Platner.

[Buck Sexton]

Now, let me ask you quick, can I ask on this, because you're clearly dialed into Maine politics, sir. Is it actually, ironically going to be worse for Collins when someone does step up to replace Platner? I mean, essentially as a Republican, do we want Platner to stay in Because Susan Collins looks so likely to beat him. How do you assess that?

[Caller Gary]

Yeah, as a Republican legislator, we really wanted Platner to stay in because it's such a contrast between his non record and her record. Now also, I think any Democrat that will step up, and probably these are people that had ran for governor and didn't win, I don't think they have a chance against our good senator because she is a moderate, which a lot of people on my side are disappointed in her. But when you consider the alternative, they will show up and they will vote to keep Senator Collins in office. And also, just as a quick side note, you know, as a Republican, I've always been against earmarks, but since the senator has become the chair of the Appropriations Committee, the things that she's brought back to the state of Maine, I got to say it's really helped even my own community who received a million dollars for new fire stations. So she's got a. She's got an impeccable record to helping the people of the state of Maine.

[Clay Travis]

If you were trying to assess, you obviously are very plugged in with the market up there. When do you think Graham Platner drops out and what would they do if Graham Platner. You're right, by the way, Chuck Schumer has said we will not spend any federal campaign dollars to try to help him. The Democrat Senate Committee, that raises hundreds of millions of dollars, they say they won't buy ads, but what if Graham Platner just says, you know what, the voters of Maine knew all about my background. I'm imperfect. And what if he even started to attack the Democrat Party a little bit and said, I'm not going to do what Joe Biden did. We saw what happened with Kamala Harris. She lost. Nobody else can win. What if he goes on offense here? What would the Democrats do?

[Caller Gary]

He can go on all the offense that he wants, but as we all know, it comes down to the dollars. And when the dollars aren't there, he's not going to get his message out. And I think that Uncle Chuck is going to stop the funding and I think all these other groups are going to stop their funding and he's going to lose his voice without that money.

[Clay Travis]

Thank you for the call. We will see how it all shakes out. And look, we'll see the odds are buck. If you look at the gambling markets right now, the prediction markets, the cow she's in, the poly markets, that he's going to drop out within the next 24 hours. That is what they are saying, so will they be right? We talked about this yesterday. Sometimes you can see when stories are coming, by the way the markets move and I don't know, we'll see how exactly all this shakes out.

[Buck Sexton]

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[Clay Travis]

the guys right there when you need them most. Clay and Buck, just preset them on the iHeart app.

[Buck Sexton]

Welcome back in here to Clay and Buck. One thing we haven't talked about yet on the show, I think, and I just wanted to mention it because we're discussing the realities of the main Senate race. There's a lot going on there, but for a while now, it has been, it has been clear that something is, something with Mitch McConnell's health has been amiss. I mean, he's, he's in, he's in bad shape, my friends. This is the bottom line. He's been in the hospital for weeks and there is a little bit of a, of a quiet around his actual condition. There are people who have said things prominently online that are very distressing about, you know, the future of, well, about the health condition, let's just say of Mitch McConnell. But I do think Clay, it is, it is something that we'll, we'll follow and we'll look at. Clearly, there's already, he's not running for, it's not like he was running for reelection. But that is a real era of the Republican United States Senate, that, that door is closing. And Mitch McConnell has had a very big imprint on politics in this country for a long time. And Clay, it's, it's looking, someone goes to the hospital for three weeks and they're fine. You are generally going to hear that from their team and their staff. So we offer up thoughts and prayers. You know, look, he's a human being. He's an American, he's a father, he's a husband. He served his country in the Senate, and, and we wish him well. I just know that a lot of rumors out there right now, and the rumors are very, you know, they're, they're sad rumors, I will put it that way, about Mitch McConnell's current state. So we're waiting for updates on that.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah, I would just add, echo everything you said. From a larger political perspective, it may be the case that Kentucky has to have a new senator before the election takes place in November and the swearing in would take place in January. I, I, I don't think that is a difficult proposition to put forward at all, I will say. Scott Jennings just tweeted, I spoke to my old friend Mitch McConnell this morning. He's still recovering in the hospital. We talked for just shy of 20 minutes about Iran, Ukraine, the unfolding situation in Maine, my visit to the Teddy Roosevelt Presidential Library and more. And a little bit of Senate history. I told him we want to see him back at work as soon as possible. He just posted that two minutes ago.

[Buck Sexton]

So that's really encouraging because there's all this, you know, like I said, we don't report rumors. I just know there are rumors out there. But if Mitch is having conversations with Scott Jennings, that's, that's very encouraging, no doubt.

[Clay Travis]

And so we will see what ends up transpiring there. But we did want to mention that when we come back, we got loaded lines. We'll take a bunch of your calls. We'll continue to break down the latest in Maine, probably get some of your great talkbacks on the US Collapsing the analogies that you have there. All that and more coming your way as we roll into hour two.