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Ritual
At Ritual, we know what goes into the holiday season, the potluck planning, the gift giving, the spreadsheets. So this new year, take a moment for yourself with science backed support that puts you first. So whether you're focusing on supporting foundational health with a clean vegan multivitamin or supporting your gut health with symbiotic plus, do it with 30% off your first month@ritual.com podcast. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Clay Travis
Welcome in everybody. Wednesday edition of Clay and Buck kicks off now. Lot to talk to you about. Thanks for joining us here. We've got, we got more on this whole signal chat thing. We'll work you through some of this. I think increasingly clear that they're making a mountain out of a molehill, a tempest in a teapot. It's, it's one thing to say, okay, it's not great, we got to fix this. It's another thing to say, oh my gosh, how could we ever, ever trust these people ever again? They just hate Trump and everybody who works for him. So we have to keep that in mind. We will discuss, though, the latest details that More Chat is an interesting Clay A day ago, Jeffrey Goldberg is, oh, I don't know if I can release this stuff, it's so sensitive. And then he releases it today. What a big surprise. Almost like this is all a political hit and not really having anything to do with national security, which I will also point out was not harmed in this. I talked to you yesterday about the classification system and how it is all built upon perceived possible harm. Like top secret would be grave, grave damage to US national security interests. Confidential is, you know, moderate damage to US national security interests. It's an imprecise thing. This is more art than science in a lot of ways. But we'll give you the details on this because I don't want your angry neighbor when you're trimming the hedges or whatever or mowing the lawn to be able to shout. Did you see about the signal chat? You're like, no, I didn't see. We'll tell you about it so you'll know. Also, we are enjoying the spectacular downfall of Disney with more from the Snow White megaflop that is underway right now, the IMDb ratings. The finger pointing has begun, Clay, about who is to blame for this thing to be such a mess. So that is to be something that we will dive into. And then we've got Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett Clay, I'm sure you saw this after calling Governor Abbott Hot Wheels. Governor Abbott, who is wheelchair bound because of a tragic accident, has been for, I don't know, 50 years, 40 years. Now, she says that she was not referring to him in a wheelchair. That, that had nothing to do with it.
Buck Sexton
That's. First of all, I admire the blatant lie because it's so ridiculous. What is her explanation? I haven't. I didn't even see this. What is her explanation for what she was referring to if she wasn't referring to him being in a wheelchair?
Clay Travis
Do you want me to tell you now or should we keep our audience on the edge of their seats and get to this?
Buck Sexton
I genuinely have no idea. I'm curious what the spin is here. I have not seen this.
Clay Travis
I think you'll have to stay with us to the bottom of the hour and I will tell you.
Buck Sexton
Oh, that's what you call a good tease. I'm not going to be able to.
Clay Travis
Leave, you know, I want you guys to stay with us here. Let's start with this. We had the dni, Tulsi Gabbard. And I keep telling you this because it's true. The best thing she can do is to fix the eye, the intelligence community to the best of her ability and then come forward and say that there should no longer be a dni. Because there shouldn't, because it's absurd. But that is, that's not Tulsi's fault. She's doing a great job. She spoke this morning about the signal chat situation and here is what she said. Play cut one. It was a mistake that a reporter was inadvertently added to a signal chat with high level national security principles having a policy discussion about imminent strikes against the Houthis and the effects of the strike. National Security Advisor has taken full responsibility.
Buck Sexton
For this and the National Security Council.
Clay Travis
Is conducting an in depth review along with tech technical experts working to determine how this reporter was inadvertently added to this chat.
Buck Sexton
The conversation was candid and sensitive, but.
Clay Travis
As the President, National Security Advisor stated, no classified information was shared. There were no sources, methods, locations or.
Buck Sexton
War plans that were shared.
Clay Travis
This was a standard update to the National Security Cabinet that was provided alongside updates that were given to foreign partners in the region. Clay. This is an internal senior level, a senior level deliberation of national security officials in the government. Somehow a, an American journalist got access to it. And I think it's just an oversight, an error, one that will not be replicated. And I'm already kind of tired of talking about it, but I just don't want to let anybody leave anybody in the lurch with the ability to get attacked by, oh, but did you see the latest or did you see more? But this is a, this is a political hit. They've had nothing to attack Trump with other than the stock market went down today, the price of eggs is high, and so now they're doing this. I don't think we're talking about this by Monday of next week. And that's the way that it should be.
Buck Sexton
So the one thing I will say is it definitely feels more and more calculated to me the way that this has been released because they're trying to turn it into a multi day story as opposed to a one day story. So yesterday's story was, oh my goodness, can you believe this happened? I guess it was actually the day before yesterday. Right. This initially happened on Monday afternoon, if I remember correctly. But after we were off the air Tuesday, we talked about it. That seemed to kind of have died down and, and basically ended. And then this morning more of the text change, text chain is released. And I wonder if Goldberg is keeping more of the text chain to try to have a third bite at the apple, so to speak, to keep the story getting a lot of attention. I think in general, the fact that the reporter was added to the chat, it makes it look more incompetent than malicious if this, if that makes sense. And I also think that one reason this is not going to, I agree with you in terms of how many days it's going to go on, but one reason it's not going to be a never ending multi day story is because there was no hypocrisy, by and large, in what we've seen so far on the text chain that was released publicly that is different than really what people would say privately. And usually these stories blow up in a big way when we become aware that what was being said publicly was very different than what was being discussed privately. And we've seen for instance, a lot of the emails around Covid when you saw the scientists privately expressing doubts about, for instance, the lab leak and whether it might have happened or whether Covid was created in a lab as opposed to coming from an animal. But then when they all went out in public, they uniformly said, oh, there's no, there's no basis whatsoever for anything other than this one story. I do think that Trump coming out and basically shutting it down has also gone a long way towards, towards eliminating the fallout. And of anybody out there, who do you think trust the national security experts less than Donald Trump right now after the same guys with, we talked about this, the FBI raided his house and took out all these supposedly classified documents. And then we didn't talk about it a lot, but just a few weeks ago, they gave them all back to him. Buck, did you notice when he was on Air Force, Air Force One a couple of weeks ago, but also on Marine One, they were carrying boxes which were the papers that they had seized that they were going to try to put him in prison for the rest of his life for having. Oh, by the way, now they've given him back to him. I just think that that capstone to this story did not get a lot of attention if these papers are so dangerous. I know he's the President of the United States. Again, theoretically, he could declassify anything if he wants. But I think he recognizes that a lot of this is bureaucratic rigmarole in the way that it talks. Let me also add this. I don't think the average American cares that much. Right. I think if you're a die hard propagandist partisan on the left, you're super fired up about this story. The average person in America today, I don't think that there would be anyone out there that, that is obsessively following this who is a middle of the road voter, just a regular person.
Clay Travis
I think the people who are particularly critical of this in public, again, it's a mistake. There's no question. They've admitted that it's a mistake. But nothing bad happened, right?
Buck Sexton
Right.
Clay Travis
The no harm, no foul principle should apply to things like this, just like it does everything else in life. The strikes happened. The, the Houthis. I know people say Houthi and Houthi, by the way, and it has to do with the transliteration from the Arabic. Modern standard Arabic has something closer to a th sound for English speakers, but in the Arabic dialect, I believe in Yemen, it's more like a T. So just if I switch back and forth, everybody switches back and forth. Clay says Hootie. I say Houthi. DNI Gabbard said Houthis. Because I know we're going to, you know the pronunciation. Police. I know you're out there. I know you're cruising around with your aviators on and your state trooper hat, you know, drinking your, drinking your black coffee, just looking out there, waiting for somebody to mess up the pronunciation. So I am, I am well aware of the differentiation between Houthi and Houthi. But Clay, the. None of this stuff is big Nothing happened. Look, the, the problem that I have had in the back of my mind with this or the thing that could become a problem is if Jeffrey Goldberg had something really sensitive in there that shouldn't be in a signal chat and they've lied about it by saying there's nothing sensitive and then he drops that. That, that was my concern. It doesn't seem like that's going to happen right now based on the chat. We've all read the chat logs now. They've been released. Unless he's holding something back and setting a trap for the people that were coming forward to speak about this. But, you know, you asked us, okay, what, what happened? The strike occurred. There's no reason to believe the strike didn't happen exactly as planned. What's the problem? Right? I mean, you know, you ask yourself that question and there's really no answer to it. And I think that that tells you all you need to know about this. The, the. I don't know how Jeffrey Goldberg got added it. Somebody added him. Ok? Like, I don't like being talked to. Like we're idiots. There's a little, a little tiny bit of that coming around on some of this stuff. Like, we don't know. We need to have the smartest tech minds. No, you guys, someone mistakenly added a journalist and they meant to add somebody else. Ok, let's not, let's not do this thing. Where is the Atlantic hacking into? No, the Atlantic, which is run by and, you know, full of staffed by imbeciles, is not hacking into signal with top principles of the United States government national security complex. Somebody made an oopsie. Nothing bad happened. Don't make another oopsie. And the Democrats are doing what they always do, which is just find some way to make this all about attacking the people in charge because they don't like them. That's, you know, that's really what this comes down to.
Buck Sexton
One thing I have thought about this and I agree with a lot of that. How many different other signal chats are currently underway on the group text chain? In other words, if we've gotten one dealing with the Houthi bombing that's going to be taking place, are there 10 other group chats? This is one thing I, I am thinking about. And are we certain that everybody on those group chats is who they're supposed to be? Because I don't think that for the first time ever, they just had. I think it was an 18 person group chat relating to this particular incident. I would think based on the way these Guys are communicating, that they are regularly communicating in general. So how many other group chats are out there? I think that's one of the steps that'll be taken next. And hopefully there's no random journalist on.
Clay Travis
Them, but this is fine. Clay, national security officials are human beings who have to operate in the real world as well. They speak on open lines. They. I was just on the phone with the CIA yesterday. Don't even get me started. Trying to get my book through the review process. I am.
Buck Sexton
How's that going, by the way?
Clay Travis
I am very, very unhappy with them. But that's a whole other conversation. They're blaming Elon now. We can't get anything done. Oh, you know, anyway, I don't want to get into it. I don't want to get into it. It's very, very frustrating. Very frustrating over there. But when you're. When you're on an open line, I mean, you. You can speak to people on an open line, and you just can't speak about classified. And if you start to. They're just gonna hang up on you right away. So there. There are ways that, you know, you can get in contact with national security officials, or rather the national security officials speak to each other, and you just have normal conversations. Right. I mean, or you speak about things as though you could be recorded, or you have to assume you're being recorded, you're being intercepted, and you don't talk about classified stuff. But this is like the foundation of all operational security. It all comes down to the individual. There's all these posters and things. If you go into, whether it's a military base or you're in a, you know, CIA, CIA office, there's, you know, operational security starts with you. Yeah. Because, you know, stuff that if you shout it out loud, it would be very bad. So you don't do that. And it's on you to make sure that the level of classification that you're operating on or under is attuned to the system you're using. So open line phone, assume the Russians are listening, and who cares? Right. Because then you're assuming they're listening. So, Clay, when you're saying, are there other signal chats? That's not a problem. There are unclassified emails that go around government officials. Right. The same thing with Hillary and her server. The problem wasn't that Hillary Clinton ever used unclassified email. The problem was she only used unclassified email and had special access program data and all kinds of really classified stuff in there. Right. That was the. It's not. Oh, my God, how could you send an unclassified email about yoga and Chardonnay drinking? It's that she messed it up. So I don't know that we can assume or we should assume that anybody messed anything up on any signal chats. But yeah, this one is not. Look, it's not good. I'm not going to. But it's not a big deal, right? There's not good and not a big deal. It's in the national security world. I would say it's more like a speeding ticket and they're saying that this is more like a mass murder because they're insane. So.
Buck Sexton
Well, and they need something to attack. And this is where you've given the opportunity. Of all the journalists that could have been added on the group chat, maybe the worst one to add, just, just tossing it out there.
Clay Travis
That is a very good point. I mean, to add the national security quote, unquote, correspondent or writer or editor or whatever, who is probably more directly than almost anybody else, tried to destroy Donald Trump. That's the thing, right? I mean, if they had added some reporter, it could have been you or me.
Buck Sexton
We would have been like, hey, I don't think we're going to be on this.
Clay Travis
I don't think I'm supposed to be on this.
Buck Sexton
And it would have. Nobody would have ever known, right? I mean, it's that they added this guy, he stayed hidden in the chat, saw all the chats, and he hates Trump. And so they, they basically got the worst possible journalists to screw up and add to the chat, if that makes sense. It's not only who they added, but I want to tell you, uh, our friends at, at Hillsdale want everyone to know the Constitution front to back, fundamental to their core teaching mission. That's why kids at Hillsdale, college kids have to take Constitution 101. Everyone they think at Hillsdale could be and should be able to experience this learning. But there's also lots of other topics. World War I, World War II, rise and fall of the Roman Empire. Greatest books ever written. Millions of Americans have taken one or more of these Hillsdale courses and they're all 100% completely free on your timeline. No grades, no set schedule, just learning at your choice of time, place and manner. Why not Check it out? It's super cool. Clay and Buck4Hillsdale.com is that website. That's Clay and Buck f o r hillsdale.com to register one more time. Clay and Buck4hillsdale.com Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Mic drops that never sounded so good. Find them on the free iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.
Ritual
At Ritual, we know what goes into the holiday season. The potluck planning, the gift giving, the spreadsheets. So this new year, take a moment for yourself with science backed support that puts you first. So whether you're focusing on supporting foundational health with a clean vegan multivitamin or supporting your gut health with symbiotic plus, do it with 30% off your first month@ritual.com podcast. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Nate Silver
I'm Nate Silver.
Maria Konnikova
And I'm Maria Konnikova. We're both journalists and professional poker players. And on our podcast Risky Business, we talk about taking risks in everything from poker to politics.
Nate Silver
And we talk about betting. From betting on elections to betting on your favorite basketball team, we've learned a lot about taking risks through our own research and sometimes even our own bets. And we share what we've learned with you.
Maria Konnikova
Are you still doing sports betting? I had no idea that you'd wagered over a million dollars for your research.
Nate Silver
I bet almost the entirety of the 2022, 23 NBA season, all the regular season, then about half the playoffs. And I learned that, I mean, it's probably what I should have expected. I learned that it's pretty hard. I went on a huge heater at the start of the NBA season where it was up like 70,000 bucks. I'm like, man, I'm really good at the sports betting stuff. But then, but then things change.
Maria Konnikova
Now that March Madness is upon us. We're talking bracket strategies and a whole lot more. Join us and listen to Risky business on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Buck Sexton
Welcome back in Clay Travis Buck Sexton show we'll dive into Jasmine Crockett because I do want to hear her explanation for how calling Governor Greg Abbott of Texas, who is in a wheelchair, Governor Hot Wheels did not have something to do with the fact that he is in a wheelchair. That is an all time spin job that she was attempting to pull off. We'll play that for you and discuss the continued craziness that she is one of the forward facing members of the Democrat Party. We'll break all that down for you. By the way, I don't know if we mentioned it off the top, but our friend Bill O'Reilly will join us at the top of the next hour for A always fun visit.
Clay Travis
I want to hear Uncle Bill's take on the whole signal chat thing. I think that would be pretty.
Buck Sexton
I'll be curious to hear that too.
Clay Travis
You know, he, he'll just say it, right? Like he doesn't even if it's going to upset some of, some of the people who are in Trump world. He doesn't care. But I have a feeling he's going to say it's over. It's not good, but exaggerated is my sense of what he'll say or the, you know, they're exaggerating how big a deal it is. But we'll see. I don't know. Uncle Bill keeps us, keeps us on our toes around here. How about this money saving idea? Follow my lead and switch your cell phone service to PureTalk. If you're with Verizon, ATT or T Mobile, make the switch and immediately save $50 or more. For just 25 bucks a month, you can get unlimited talk, text and 5 gigs of data on America's most dependable 5G network. Just to give you perspective, the average sized family of four saves more than $1,000 a year when they switch to PureTalk. And with PureTalk's US customer service team, you can switch hassle free in as little as 10 minutes. You can keep your phone and your phone number using your cell phone. Dial £250, say the keywords Clay and Buck to make the switch and you'll save an additional 50% off your first month. Again, dial £250, say Clay and Buck. You can start saving today. I've been on Pure Talk for years. The customer service is the best in the business and the prices are simply unbeatable. Month to month, you're just saving money. More money in your bank account left over. Dial pound 250, say Clay and Buck to switch to pure talk. That's £250, say clay and Buck. All right, welcome back in. So let's talk about Hot Wheels Gate. Now, first of all, Clay, totally separate. But it does remind me anything that allows me to indulge my 80s 90s nostalgia. Gets me excited. Were you ever a Hot Wheels guy when they were a big thing? Remember the car? Remember on tv, they made it seem so cool, all these toys. And then you'd get them when you were like 6 years old and it didn't go by itself and it didn't look as cool as it did on tv.
Buck Sexton
I was not. But my oldest son was a big Hot Wheels kid. Like we had a lot of, you know, Cars for him to play with. He had the, the tracks, you know, where you can race cars against each other. He was, of my three boys, the one that I remember being the most sort of into Hot Wheels and we spent a lot of time playing cars.
Clay Travis
I remember my little nephew who's growing up very fast, my sister's boy. It's funny because it's one of those experiments that you didn't mean to run, but you see it in real time. He just like so many other little boys. This is just in the whole gender, you know, what's gender normative? Everything else. He loves trucks and dinosaurs.
Buck Sexton
Yep.
Clay Travis
And what I think is no one ever told him you need to like trucks, you know, like dump trucks and you know, like, like construction kind of trucks. He's, he's got all these toys everywhere. He's, you know, three years old now and dinosaur, he knows more about dinosaurs than I do. And I actually think I was pretty good. You know, he was talking about like pachycephalauris or something. I don't even know that. But the boys like things that boys like at a young age, you know, and it's different. He's not sitting there playing with little tea sets. And it's just based on what he asked for. Side note. But I do think it's, and there's a lot of science that all the scientific data supports this, I might add that little boys like different things in terms of, you know, how they play and their toys and everything than little girls. And it's not, you know, oh, if only we gave them gender neutral clothing, this wouldn't happen. Okay. Side note. But hot. Ok, back to Hot Wheels because Buck is, Buck has been, has been weaving the story here a little bit. Back to Hot Wheels. Here's what we've got. Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, she said she made a Hot Wheels joke. And I don't do the pearl clutching thing. I don't think any of you do it. You know, look, it's an inappropriate, it's a gross thing to say, but, you know, Governor Abbott's running the great state of Texas and you know, he's an incredible success story. And you know, I don't think he's up at night upset about this.
Buck Sexton
Right.
Clay Travis
I mean, you know, he's, he's a big, successful, powerful guy and you know, it's, it's gross.
Buck Sexton
I would be wearing a Governor Hot Wheels T shirt.
Clay Travis
Yeah, I agree with you that leaning into it that, you know, if he decided to get like flames painted on the side of his wheelchair or something.
Buck Sexton
Actually, really, really funny.
Clay Travis
Right?
Buck Sexton
It's a great idea. Yes.
Clay Travis
Yeah. Like if he just leans into it because, yeah, obviously, you know, he's overcome a tremendous challenge in his life, but he's done so with. With amazing success. And, you know, we know. And like the governor, Texas a good guy. So anyway, she said that. Which was not good. Okay. It was not. It was not. It was a. It was a nasty and dumb thing to say. Not a surprise coming from Congresswoman Crockett. And then she put this out, Clay, and I'm quoting here, this is her justification or her rationalization of what I.
Buck Sexton
Want to hear this. I have not seen this.
Clay Travis
Yeah, this is first time for Clay. So you're getting this in real time. I think a lot of you will be getting this in real. I wasn't thinking about the governor's condition. I was thinking about the planes, trains and automobiles he used to transfer migrants into communities led by black mayors, deliberately stoking tension and fear among the most vulnerable.
Buck Sexton
Literally.
Clay Travis
The next line I said was that he was a hot ass mess, referencing his terrible policies. At no point did I mention or allude to his condition. So I'm even more appalled that the very people who unequivocally support Trump, a man known for his racially insensitive nicknames and mocking those with disabilities, are now outraged. Clay. One, she didn't write this. Two, no one believes this. She doesn't believe it. Her supporters don't believe it. We don't believe it. What is she doing?
Buck Sexton
I just. I don't think she's very intelligent. I mean, and, and we said that about aoc. I think AOC is a next level smarter than Jasmine Crockett. I just, I don't know who the Jasmine Crockett constituency is. I understand that she has a congressional district. I presume, if our team can look it up. I presume that it is one of the congressional districts that the state of Texas has basically loaded with Democrats. Right. Unfortunately, to a large extent, most congressional districts are not actually that competitive. There's 435 of them nationwide. I think there's about 30 that in any given year now can swing one direction or the other. Both parties have gerrymandered to such an extent that they have guaranteed themselves the maximum number of seats in the states that they control. And they have stuffed a lot of Democrats in seats or they've stuffed a lot of Republicans in seats. So I'm guessing Jasmine Crockett is representing one of those seats. And so there is no requirement that she in any way be a reasonable person. Having said that, I encourage her to keep talking. I think that every time Jasmine Crockett opens her mouth, Republicans gain more supporters, and she doesn't gain anyone. And this is not a spot you want to be in. It can be simultaneously the case that it's good for her career to be saying the things that she's saying because she is in a safe seat in the state of Texas, I think the Houston area somewhere, and she can't be removed because she's seen as a powerful person in Democrat politics. But it can also be the case that she is lighting on fire her ability, her ability to grow the overall Democrat Party, by the way, Dallas, not Houston area district. And I just encourage her to keep talking. And that is. I mean, that's when you're attacked. The basic PR move now is to pivot on your attack and immediately double and triple down on the attack that you made in the first. First place. So she immediately goes after Trump for being racist and whatever, xenophobic, whatever she wants to accuse him of. But everybody knows, I mean, a governor is in a wheelchair. Do you really. You don't think, if she's too dumb to recognize that calling him Governor Hot Wheels is like, let's presume that might.
Clay Travis
Actually be worse than being a nasty person who would. Who would make fun of that kind of a disability?
Buck Sexton
She would actually be so dumb that she wouldn't even conceive of, like, no. No light bulb goes off in her head when she's like, he's literally in a wheelchair and you're mocking him using wheels. I mean, come on. Like, that's.
Clay Travis
She.
Buck Sexton
If she's truly that dumb, it's even worse, almost.
Clay Travis
The pivot you talked about, the PR pivot. Was it Harvey Weinstein, if memory serves, this is like a decade ago. Who said when the allegations came out about him, I'm going to dedicate myself to fighting the nra. Was it Harvey Weinstein who did that? I think so.
Buck Sexton
That's really funny.
Clay Travis
Which was one of the. It was like. It was like, excuse me, I was not sexually assaulting all these women. And I'm going to redouble my efforts against the nra.
Buck Sexton
Was it Kevin Spacey who came out for the first time as gay? As soon as he got charged with sexually inappropriate behavior, somebody came out.
Clay Travis
Well, there was the governor. The governor of New Jersey had a. Had, like. I think it was his again, guys, I'm going on memory. I don't remember everything. I think it was his lover. He was married to a woman and I think had kids.
Buck Sexton
Governor McGreevey was gay. Yeah, that's right.
Clay Travis
And then came out and said, I am a gay American. When he had gotten his like boyfriend, basically some senior level six figure job, like a no show job in the Jersey state government. And it turned into this whole scandal. Guys, fact check. Sorry, we're throwing a lot of fact checks at you in real time. I think though, Harvey Weinstein was the one who pulled the NRA thing, which was just like, it's, it's like, hey, hey, hey. I know everyone's thinking that I like did all these terrible things to women, but I'm going to write a check to fight the NRA right now. And that was supposed to get him out of it.
Buck Sexton
Well, and a lot of people did the. This is probably years and years ago, but you remember anytime you did something bad, you just went to rehab. Like for. In Hollywood, the number one move for like 20 years was oh, so and so did so and so. And you're like, yeah, I'm just going to rehab.
Clay Travis
Oh yeah, yeah.
Buck Sexton
That doesn't really happen anymore. It's like we don't give the rehab card the same way. So now it is very odd. Like I think it was Kevin Spacey who was like, you know, actually I'm gay and I'm just being targeted because I'm gay.
Clay Travis
Oh, by the way, I actually nailed it with the recall on this one. I pulled this one up. Clay. Harvey Weinstein. This is back in. I said it was a decade ago. Is that right? Yeah, 2017. So basically a decade ago he said, this is amazing. Remember this guy was accused. I mean he's serving time, I think still, or I think he. One of his convictions got overturned, but he has served time for rape. I'm not sure what the current adjudication of his cases is, but he went to prison for a long time. But when this was all coming out, he said, this is true. I've decided that I'm going to give the NRA my full attention. He is determined to, quote, channel his anger toward the National Rifle Association. That that was really his pivot. That was his go to. It's like, hey, I know you think that I'm a rapist or I've been charged by women on the record and, and by law enforcement with sexual assault. But I really hate the nra. So let's focus on what matters here. Now that didn't work for him, but I just think that that may be the most outlandish pivot of that kind I can remember. But Jasmine Crockett pulling the. Oh, I wasn't making fun of Governor Hot Wheels in a wheelchair, by the way. Trump is really bad. What does that have to do with anything?
Buck Sexton
Correct with anything. It's a very predictable pivot. But again, I love your idea of him putting flames on. Actually be really funny for his next press conference. If he came out with the Hot Wheels flames on his wheels, I would definitely wear the Governor Hot Wheel. I mean, I don't think it's a bad nickname, honestly. Like, and it definitely throws it back in her face and makes it very funny. I think that would, I think that would be phenomenal. I would encourage the governor to take that move because I think even people who don't like Greg Abbott would respect the sense of humor that he is showing. And obviously he's a very accomplished guy. And to your point, I mean, a tree fell on him when he was out, I think jogging in his, in his 20s.
Clay Travis
It's a horrible accident.
Buck Sexton
Horrible accent, awful.
Clay Travis
Yeah. So, yeah, yeah.
Buck Sexton
By the way, Kevin Spacey, Buck did also come out as gay as soon as he was accused of sexual misconduct. It's like, oh, by the way, guys, I'm gay. You know, like, well, okay, but you are accused of sexual misconduct. That was, that was. That's very funny.
Clay Travis
I feel like we can look back now at this, at the rise of. Remember they used to talk about intersectionality all the time.
Buck Sexton
Yeah.
Clay Travis
Which is the pseudo scientific description of a society that's just all these interlocking oppressed groups. Right. And there's this hierarchy of oppression and everyone's. We don't, they don't even use the term really anymore. But with the rise of intersectionality, there was the, oh, I'm in trouble. I have to retreat into the bunker of my oppressed group as fast as possible.
Buck Sexton
That's right.
Clay Travis
That was the move. Right.
Buck Sexton
But even like, even gay people on the Kevin Spacey thing were like, no, you, this is not the way you get to come out and be like, I'm being targeted because he was accused, remember Buck, initially of sleeping with a 14 year old boy. So I think.
Clay Travis
No, no, I think I. No, no, I think it was, I think it was making a move on. I don't think I.
Buck Sexton
Maybe you're right here.
Clay Travis
I don't think.
Buck Sexton
Let's see.
Clay Travis
Well, anyway, he was accused of something bad.
Buck Sexton
Sexual advances.
Clay Travis
It's sexual advances. Yeah. He did not. Actually there's a distinction there. But there he did.
Buck Sexton
Anyway, point being.
Clay Travis
Yeah, he he completely. He also has always. I don't think he ever was charged with anything, was he? He's always.
Buck Sexton
I think he beat the charges in England.
Clay Travis
Oh, that's right, in England. Yeah.
Buck Sexton
So he was actually maintained his innocence. Yeah.
Clay Travis
But yes, he did do. He did do the pivot. All right, look, if your family is storing old video cassettes full of family movies from back in the day, let's get them digitized. The days of popping those video cassettes into a VCR that actually works, those are long gone. I haven't even seen a VCR in like couple of decades now. But there is somebody who can help you with this Legacy Box, because Legacy Box can digitize all of your family memories, including those old VHS tapes, whatever form of media you have. Everything from old Polaroids you might want to have digitized professionally all the way up to Betamax, vhs, Laserdisc, they got everything. And they can digitize your family memories so well. So effectively. They've done it for me, they've done it for Clay. It's really a fun family experience too. If you haven't done this, you know, you bring the fam around the table and you say, hey guys, can we get together Those old albums, those old VHS tapes, you put them in the box. That's why it's called Legacy Box. So it's pretty easy. You get this box, you put them in the box, the box gets sent in. It's all very straightforward. And then you get everything digitized. You can send it, you can text it to grandparents across the country, you can put it up on Facebook if you want all of your family memories. And right now, Legacy Box is running their spring cleaning sale. So digitize your old home movies for just $9 a tape. That's 65% off their regular, regular prices, plus 90 days of free Legacy Box cloud access. Don't wait until it's too late. Visit legacybox.com buck to shop their $9 per tape sale and claim your cloud access. That's legacybox.comb u c k. Big shout.
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Nate Silver
I'm Nate Silver.
Maria Konnikova
And I'm Maria Konnikova. We're both journalists and professional poker players. And on our podcast Risky Business, we talk about taking risks in everything from poker to politics.
Nate Silver
And we talk about betting. From betting on elections to betting on your favorite basketball team, We've learned a lot about taking risks through our own research and sometimes even our own bets. And we share what we've learned with you.
Maria Konnikova
Are you still doing sports betting? I had no idea that you'd wagered over a million dollars dollars for your research.
Nate Silver
I bet almost the entirety of the 20, 22, 23 NBA season, all the regular season and about half the playoffs. And I learned that, I mean, it's probably what I should have expected, but I learned that it's pretty hard. I went on a huge heater at the start of the NBA season where it was up like 70,000 bucks. I'm like, man, I'm really good at the sports betting stuff. But then, but then, things change.
Maria Konnikova
Now that Marge Madness is upon us, we're talking bracket strike strategies and a whole lot more. Join us and listen to Risky business on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Buck Sexton
Welcome back in Clay Travis Buck Sexton show. We are scheduled to be joined by our good friend Bill O'Reilly at the top of the next hour. Brad in Vero Beach, Florida, wants to weigh in. Brad, what you got for us?
Clay Travis
Good afternoon. Hey, what I want to say is that I think this journalist that got copied in this thread is actually the best journalist, being the most critical. He's going to find any more morsel or at least try that he can. And the dog doesn't hunt. If it was a friendly journalist, then the media would be spinning it. Well, there's got to be more there. You know, it's. It's worse than they're saying.
Buck Sexton
I appreciate the call. I disagree. I don't think the story would have ever come out if it were a friendly journalist, because I think, again, I can just use Buck and myself as examples. We text some with these guys, right? If somehow we ended up on a text thread that we weren't supposed to be on that was dealing with major security issues, we would just be like, hey, guys, I don't think I'm supposed to be on this. Talk to you soon.
Clay Travis
I'm deleting my text right now. And just FYI, I'm taking myself off this thread 100%.
Buck Sexton
And by the way, I think that should be the case for anyone, just as normal cultural standard, if you're on a text thread, group text, that you're not supposed to be on, or an email thread or anything else, instead of allowing yourself to continue to see the messages, screenshotting all of them so that you can later turn it into a story, you should, I think, ethically admit that you shouldn't be there. I mean, really, what's.
Clay Travis
What's the story? The story here is that they want us to believe that because someone in this chat pushed the wrong button on the phone that they're all irresponsible and someone should get fired. No, I just. Just know. Sorry. Like, that's. I don't agree with that.
Buck Sexton
I think you can acknowledge a screw up, but what happened here? And you want to look at and say, hey, how do we not. How do we.
Clay Travis
My point, Clay, is mistakes happen. Like, I've been in war zones where people are handling classified information and it's not perfect, okay? If people are doing their best and operating in good faith, you have to give them a little leeway on this stuff. They're not going to make this mistake again and nothing bad happens. So what do we, you know, how much more time do we spend on this? Not you and me in the country.
Buck Sexton
The morality and the ethics. From a Goldberg perspective, the reporter is, I think he actually is in the wrong here. He should have raised his hand immediately, said, I'm not supposed to be on this thread, instead of waiting, screenshotting everything and trying to humiliate and embarrass the Trump official. Now, I think it's unfortunate for the caller's point. I think it's unfortunate that it ended up being him because I think the vast majority of media would not have behaved as he did and would not have turned this into a huge story. In fact, I don't think most of them would have gone public with it because it's an inadvertent error. They would have reached out. Well, talk about this with Bill O'Reilly. What does he think? And we'll continue to let you guys weigh in. 800-282-2882.
Clay Travis
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Summary of "Hour 1 - Governor Hot Wheels" by The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
Release Date: March 26, 2025
Overview: Clay Travis and Buck Sexton delve into the recent controversy surrounding the inadvertent inclusion of journalist Jeffrey Goldberg in a classified Signal chat involving high-level national security officials discussing imminent strikes against the Houthis. The hosts argue that the incident has been exaggerated into a political maneuver against former President Trump rather than a genuine national security threat.
Key Points:
Classification System Flaws: Clay emphasizes the imprecision of classification levels, describing them as "more art than science” and suggesting that the system is built on "perceived possible harm" rather than concrete metrics ([00:30]).
Political Motivation: The hosts posit that the mishap is being used as a "political hit" against Trump and his associates, asserting that the real national security interests remain unharmed ([00:30]).
Responsibility and Oversight: They highlight that the National Security Advisor has taken full responsibility and that an in-depth review is underway to determine how a reporter was mistakenly added to the chat ([04:06]).
Media Strategy: Buck comments on the calculated release of information by Goldberg, suggesting it's an attempt to keep the story in the media for an extended period ([05:22]).
Notable Quotes:
Clay Travis: "It's increasingly clear that they're making a mountain out of a molehill, a tempest in a teapot." ([00:30])
Buck Sexton: "The morality and the ethics. From a Goldberg perspective, the reporter is, I think he actually is in the wrong here." ([38:59])
Overview: The conversation shifts to Disney's recent poor performance with their latest Snow White movie adaptation, focusing on plummeting IMDb ratings and the ensuing blame game among Disney executives.
Key Points:
Reception and Ratings: The hosts discuss the unexpected negative reception of Disney's Snow White, highlighting significant drops in IMDb ratings.
Accountability: Finger-pointing has begun within Disney regarding who is responsible for the film's shortcomings, though specifics are not detailed in the transcript ([02:53]).
Overview: A significant portion of the discussion centers on Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett's controversial remark where she referred to Texas Governor Greg Abbott as "Governor Hot Wheels," insinuating a connection to his wheelchair-bound status. The hosts vehemently criticize her comment as both insensitive and politically motivated.
Key Points:
Incident Details: Crockett claims she did not intend to refer to Governor Abbott's wheelchair when using the nickname, instead justifying it based on his policies ([02:53]).
Hosts' Critique: Clay and Buck accuse Crockett of a "spin job," questioning her intelligence and the rationale behind her justification. They argue that mocking a governor’s disability is inexcusable and undermines her credibility ([03:12], [24:20]).
Political Implications: The hosts suggest that Crockett's remarks are a strategic move to rally her base by criticizing Governor Abbott's policies indirectly while facing backlash for her insensitive comment ([27:55], [28:00]).
Notable Quotes:
Clay Travis: "That is an all-time spin job that she was attempting to pull off." ([18:48])
Buck Sexton: "If she's truly that dumb, it's even worse, almost." ([28:13])
Overview: Clay and Buck draw parallels between Jasmine Crockett's PR strategy and past instances where public figures have attempted to divert attention from personal scandals by shifting focus to unrelated issues.
Key Points:
Historical Comparisons: The hosts reference Harvey Weinstein's decision to focus on fighting the NRA amidst his sexual assault scandal and Kevin Spacey's public coming out following accusations as examples of ineffective PR pivots ([28:34], [30:03]).
Effectiveness of Pivots: They critique the strategy, noting that it often fails to mitigate damage and can appear insincere or desperate ([29:08], [31:33]).
Crockett's Strategy: Comparing Crockett's response to the aforementioned examples, the hosts suggest her pivot to attacking Trump is unlikely to resonate positively with the broader public and may instead alienate moderate voters ([31:33]).
Notable Quotes:
Buck Sexton: "But Jasmine Crockett pulling the... Oh, I wasn't making fun of Governor Hot Wheels in a wheelchair, by the way. Trump is really bad. What does that have to do with anything?" ([30:03])
Clay Travis: "It's a very predictable pivot." ([31:33])
Overview: Amidst the heavy political discussions, Clay and Buck inject a lighter segment reminiscing about Hot Wheels, connecting personal experiences with the broader conversation about Jasmine Crockett's comments.
Key Points:
Personal Stories: Buck shares anecdotes about his son's fondness for Hot Wheels, contrasting with his own lack of interest in the toy cars ([21:27]).
Gender Norms in Toys: The hosts briefly touch on the natural inclination of boys towards trucks and Hot Wheels, challenging the notion that gender-neutral toys could alter these preferences ([22:12]).
Humorous Suggestions: They suggest playful ways Governor Abbott could embrace the "Hot Wheels" nickname, such as customizing his wheelchair with flames, to defuse the situation humorously ([23:31], [23:37]).
Notable Quotes:
Buck Sexton: "I would be wearing a Governor Hot Wheels T-shirt." ([23:31])
Clay Travis: "If he came out with the Hot Wheels flames on his wheels, I would definitely wear the Governor Hot Wheel." ([31:33])
Overview: The hosts delve into the ethical responsibilities of journalists and officials when accidentally accessing sensitive communications, emphasizing the importance of discretion and integrity.
Key Points:
Journalist's Responsibility: Buck argues that Jeffrey Goldberg should have immediately acknowledged his mistake by removing himself from the chat rather than sensationalizing the incident ([38:04]).
Operational Security: Clay highlights the necessity for national security officials to maintain operational security, regardless of human errors, drawing analogies to military protocols ([12:44]).
Public Trust: The discussion underscores the potential erosion of public trust when such incidents are mishandled, advocating for a balanced approach to reporting and accountability ([39:06]).
Notable Quotes:
Buck Sexton: "He should have raised his hand immediately, said, I'm not supposed to be on this thread, instead of waiting, screenshotting everything and trying to humiliate and embarrass the Trump official." ([38:04])
Clay Travis: "Operational security starts with you." ([12:44])
Overview: Clay and Buck announce that Bill O'Reilly will join them in the next hour to provide his take on the Signal chat incident, promising an unfiltered and candid perspective that may "overstate" the issue ([19:27]).
Key Points:
Expectations from Bill O'Reilly: The hosts anticipate that O'Reilly will reinforce their stance that the Signal chat mishap has been blown out of proportion.
Engagement with Listeners: They encourage listeners to stay tuned for Bill's segment to gain a comprehensive understanding of the incident from a seasoned commentator ([19:27]).
Notable Quotes:
Clay Travis: "I want to hear Uncle Bill's take on the whole signal chat thing." ([19:27])
Buck Sexton: "It's that predictable pivot, but again, I love your idea of him putting flames on." ([31:33])
Overview: Towards the end of the episode, Clay and Buck briefly touch on personal endorsements and promotions, maintaining their signature blend of humor and personal anecdotes.
Key Points:
Cell Phone Service Promotion: Buck promotes switching to PureTalk for better cell phone service and savings, integrating it seamlessly into the conversation.
Legacy Box Advertisement: Clay shares personal experiences with Legacy Box's digitization services, encouraging listeners to preserve their family memories ([34:00]-[35:35]).
Notable Quotes:
Clay Travis: "They've done it for me, they've done it for Clay. It's really a fun family experience too." ([34:00])
Buck Sexton: "I would be wearing a Governor Hot Wheels T-shirt." ([23:31])
Conclusion: In this episode of "The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show," the hosts navigate through a mix of national security mishaps, corporate failures, political gaffes, and personal anecdotes. Their analysis underscores a critical view of media sensationalism and political opportunism, all while interjecting humor and personal stories to maintain an engaging narrative.