The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Hour 1 – John Kobylt Guest Hosts

Date: December 29, 2025
Host: John Kobylt (filling in for Clay Travis and Buck Sexton)
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

Guest host John Kobylt, a longtime Los Angeles radio personality, offers an insider’s perspective on California’s decline under Democratic leadership, focusing on Governor Gavin Newsom—regarded as the Democratic frontrunner for the 2028 presidential race. Kobylt details the state’s challenges, from homelessness to rampant crime and destructive wildfires, arguing that the dire conditions in California are a direct result of progressive policies and political one-party rule. He issues a clear warning to a national audience: “Don’t go near this one,” urging skepticism toward Newsom’s political ambitions.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. California’s Image vs. Reality (03:18–07:00)

• John Kobylt recounts his childhood dream of moving to California, inspired by televised football games and sunny parades, only to find the state in crisis decades later.
• He describes a stark contrast between the “magical” California of his youth and its current state of decline.
  • “When I was a kid, I grew up in New Jersey...I'd see sunshine...I thought, wow, this is magical, this is wonderful...When I grow up, I want to go live in California...And then about 10 years ago, everything started going to hell. And it was gradual.” — John Kobylt (06:35)

2. The Homelessness Crisis (07:00–13:00)

• Homelessness is described as the central, day-to-day concern for ordinary Californians, transcending politics.
• Kobylt alleges most homeless people are either addicted to drugs, mentally ill, or both, referencing a UCLA study: “Three quarters of the homeless, they estimated, were mentally ill and three quarters were drug addicts. Well, that’s 150% of the homeless. So it's, it, that's what's going on.” — John Kobylt (09:37)
• He criticizes the “housing first” policy, arguing that billions are spent on ineffective solutions that don’t address addiction or mental illness: “You’re just taking the crazy person or the drug addicted person and you’re putting them inside. And then they wander out during the day to buy their drugs and to act crazy.” (10:45-11:10)

3. Progressive Policy & One-Party Rule (13:00–14:30)

• California’s government makeup is described as “a progressive nightmare”:
  • “We’ve had a Democratic governor now ever since Arnold Schwarzenegger. So it's about 15, 16 years.”
  • City, county, and legislative bodies are uniformly Democratic; the Republican opposition is described as “completely feeble, impotent.”
• COVID-19 lockdowns are cited as an example of harsh governance.
  • “During COVID we were literally locked down. We had the worst Covid shutdown rules in the whole country.” (14:00–14:15)

4. Media Coverage and Information Vacuum (12:00–13:00, 14:30–15:08)

• Kobylt claims national and local media deliberately avoid in-depth coverage of California’s problems, especially those linked to Democratic leadership:
  • “They run protection for everybody in the legislature for Newsom, for Karen Bass by simply not covering it. It’s fascinating. It’s not that they’re biased with all their coverage. There is no coverage. It just doesn’t exist.” — John Kobylt (14:40)

5. Gavin Newsom’s Character: The Palisades Fire Example (18:49–25:30)

• Kobylt plays an extended clip from the Palisades fire aftermath, featuring a confrontation between Gov. Newsom (and his staff) and Rachel Darvish, a distraught resident whose home and daughter’s school were destroyed.

• Key Exchange:

  • Rachel Darvish: “Governor, you got a second? ...that was my daughter’s school. Governor, please tell me what you’re going to do.” (21:07)
  • Gavin Newsom’s Staff/Newsom: “Literally talking to the president right now to specifically answer the question of what we can do for you and your daughter.” (21:17)

• Kobylt dissects the encounter:

  • Newsom claims to be on the phone with President Biden, then says he’s been “trying to call five times,” then blames lack of cell service—shifting stories within minutes.
  • Quote: “When she first ran up to him, he said, I’m literally talking to Joe Biden right now. Well, he wasn’t literally talking to him. He made that up. And then he said, well, I’ve been trying to call five times. And then it’s like, well, I can’t get a cell signal here.” — John Kobylt (22:53)
  • Kobylt uses this as an example of what he calls Newsom’s dishonest, “shape shifter” character.

6. Fire Policy Failures and Environmentalism (25:30–32:30)

• Kobylt details the “milk vetch plant” debacle:

  • Firefighters were removed from state land to avoid damaging an endangered plant, preventing suppression of burning remnants and indirectly contributing to the larger Palisades fire.
  • “6,000 plus homes burned for the sake of the milk vetch plant...the Parks employees are telling the LA Fire Department basically get off the land. The fire department wanted to bring in a bulldozer to cut a fire break. And they wanted to put out all the smoldering. They said no, you can’t do that.” — John Kobylt (28:45)
  • He links these actions directly to Newsom’s administration and policies.

• He expands the discussion to systemic, statewide failures: “There’s tremendously damaging information, and it’s coming from a civil lawsuit filed by thousands of Pacific Palisades residents...now we’re finding out what the real story is.” (31:30)

7. Living Through the Collapse—A Personal Story (32:30–35:00)

• Kobylt describes his harrowing experience during the blackout caused by the fire.
  • His family stayed home amidst no power, no water, and the threat of looting:
    • “My wife wanted to stay because she knew the looters would come and steal all our stuff...Seven homes in our neighborhood got looted because it was completely dark...We had to hire a guy, an ex-Marine, who stood in front of the house with a loaded gun.”
    • “It was a total breakdown of civilization. And I felt like I’d never felt in my life...There was nothing. It was every man for himself.” — John Kobylt (33:45)

8. The Daily Costs and Rackets of Living in California (39:51–42:50)

• Kobylt lists categories where California is “the worst or the highest or the most,” highlighting high gas prices ($4.29/gal average, compared to $2.23 in Oklahoma), costly living, and the disproportionate impact on the lower and middle classes.
  • He blames heavy taxation on a “climate change obsession” and hints at systemic corruption:
    • “There’s several big rackets in this state, again along the lines of the Somalian racket in Minnesota. It’s billions and billions of dollars.”

9. Preview: Investigative Journalism on Newsom

• Kobylt announces an upcoming interview with Katie Grimes (CaliforniaGlobe.com), an independent journalist frequently critical of Newsom and Sacramento politics.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On California’s decline:

  • “Let me start with the homelessness, because the homelessness has infected and overrun the city of Los Angeles, the city of Santa Monica, which used to be a jewel...And it’s a policy from the top on down...” — John Kobylt (08:55)

• On Newsom’s interaction with a fire victim:

  • “I’m literally talking to Joe Biden right now.” — Gavin Newsom (per staff, 21:17)
  • “He isn’t on the phone. You didn’t try to call five times because you don’t have cell service...He was just making it up on the fly. This is what he does.” — John Kobylt (25:00)

• On the collapse of public order:

  • “It was a total breakdown of civilization. And I felt like I’d never felt in my life...There was nothing. It was every man for himself. You had to find a guy who owned a gun and hire him to stand in front of your house.” — John Kobylt (34:05)

• On the media’s role:

  • “They run protection...There is no coverage. It just doesn’t exist.” — John Kobylt (14:40)

• On Newsom’s record:

  • “If you haven’t researched much about him or really delved into him, I’m trying to give you the first warning. Don’t go near this one.” — John Kobylt (18:56)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:18 — John Kobylt introduction, background, and California nostalgia
• 09:00–11:30 — Deep dive into the homelessness crisis and “Housing First”
• 13:00 — Analysis of California’s one-party rule and lack of governmental accountability
• 14:30 — On local and national media avoiding negative coverage of California
• 18:49–22:53 — Play and breakdown of the Newsom/Palisades Fire resident exchange
• 25:30–32:30 — Detailed explanation of fire policy failures and the milk vetch plant saga
• 32:30–35:00 — Personal account: living through blackout, looting, and public safety collapse
• 39:51–41:50 — Examples of California’s high costs, gas taxes, and “climate change” expenses
• 42:50–End — Preview of interview with investigative journalist Katie Grimes

Tone & Style

John Kobylt’s delivery is candid, direct, and often incredulous. He blends personal anecdotes, policy critique, and a sense of urgency to warn listeners nationwide about the leadership and culture of governance in California, culminating in a pointed critique of Gavin Newsom’s fitness for higher office.

Summary

This episode provides a detailed, on-the-ground account of California’s ongoing social and political crises, as seen through the eyes of a radio veteran living through the consequences. It serves as both a warning about Governor Gavin Newsom’s suitability for national office and a broader lament for the decline of the state, tracing systemic issues back to progressive policymaking, lack of governmental accountability, and media neglect. The show promises further investigation with guest journalist Katie Grimes in the next hour.