Hour 1 - Legal Insurrection!

Summary

Below is a detailed, sectioned summary of the episode “Hour 1 – Legal Insurrection!” from The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show (released August 15, 2025):

─────────────────────────────

1. Episode Overview
   ─────────────────────────────
   • The hosts dive into a multitude of current events, with the major focus on an upcoming high-stakes summit in Alaska featuring President Trump and Vladimir Putin.
   • The discussion covers Trump’s authority in Washington, D.C., legal challenges regarding his executive orders, and the broader implications of judicial decisions on the political landscape.
   • Along the way, the conversation wanders into pop culture commentary (including the buzz around Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce), comparisons of government authority and media shortcomings, and reflections on America’s evolving legal and diplomatic norms.

─────────────────────────────
2. Trump’s Legal Authority & the D.C. Controversy
─────────────────────────────
• At the beginning of the episode ([00:00]–[01:03]), the hosts set the tone by emphasizing the significance of Trump’s actions in D.C.—specifically, the deployment of the National Guard and the consequential lawsuit filed by D.C. to challenge the administration’s “police takeover.”
• Host A questions and challenges the logic behind the legal moves: “It’s pretty cut and dry that the president can do this… but I’m wondering where they’re really going to take this,” suggesting the possibility that judicial resistance may simply be politically motivated.
• Host B explains that while Trump “indisputably” has constitutional authority under the 1973 Home Rule Act for these actions, the possibility exists for a sympathetic judge (or one seeking attention) to rule otherwise—even though the legal basis is strong.
• The segment is punctuated by pointed commentary about the modern judiciary: comparing the current actions to past overreaches (like the Colorado ballot controversies) and questioning whether judges are now more inclined to stamp their personal biases over established legal precedent ([05:19]).

─────────────────────────────
3. The High-Stakes Alaska Summit: Trump Meets Putin
─────────────────────────────
• A major portion of the discussion centers on the upcoming meeting between Trump and Putin, which is set to begin shortly after the show in Anchorage, Alaska ([00:55]–[01:03]).
• The hosts note that, beyond its timing in mid-August (a period when geopolitical crisis is normally reserved for events like wars or major terror attacks), the summit is expected to have significant ramifications for foreign policy.
• While Trump is portrayed as playing the “matchmaker” role—bringing opposing sides together without dictating terms—there is cautious optimism that a deal might be reached.

• Quote [24:36]: Trump is heard framing the conversation as a chance “to get him [Putin] at a table” without imposing clear expectations on either side.
  • Host B draws an analogy from everyday business: sometimes, simply meeting face-to-face with a decision maker can clarify whether a deal is worth pursuing. This comparison underscores Trump’s strategy in fostering direct, top-down communication.
  • The hosts also highlight a dramatic shift in circumstances: not long ago, talk of Putin stepping on U.S. soil was met with talk of arrests for war crimes; now, Putin’s willingness to come to America is seen as a noteworthy concession and potential opening for resolving conflict.

─────────────────────────────
4. Judicial Trends and the Role of Political Bias
─────────────────────────────
• The conversation revisits past examples where judicial rulings on matters like redistricting or ballot eligibility for Trump have proven contentious.
• Host B recounts an instance where a district judge (famously connected to a well-known legal family) initially ruled against Trump’s actions—only for higher courts to reverse it—demonstrating that while the law supports Trump’s authority, politics sometimes infiltrates judicial decisions.
• Both hosts express concern that any decision against Trump on established legal grounds might be less about legal interpretation and more about “I don’t like Trump,” thus reducing legal precedents to political theatre.
• They also critique the longstanding pattern of judicial overreach (referencing examples in Colorado and Maine) and warn that these actions may undermine the reliability of legal institutions in future political disputes.

─────────────────────────────
5. Broader Implications: Authority, Trust, and International Negotiations
─────────────────────────────
• A recurring theme is the necessity of trusting the individual at the top of any chain of command—whether it is in business or in government. Host B argues that effective decision-making relies on direct personal trust between leaders, a quality both Trump and Putin supposedly share.
• The discussion expands to consider the consequences if Trump’s deployment of resources in Washington, D.C. succeeds in reducing crime dramatically. The hosts provocatively ask: “What do Democrats do then?”—highlighting how a policy’s success might force opponents to either adapt or face a stark contrast with failed conditions in D.C.
• In a reflective moment ([32:31]–[32:42]), the hosts compare modern diplomatic negotiations with historical examples (e.g., FDR and Churchill) while maintaining a tone that emphasizes the transactional nature of today’s global politics over deep personal connections.

─────────────────────────────
6. Pop Culture Interlude & Media Commentary
─────────────────────────────
• The show briefly shifts focus to discuss pop culture—especially the widely dissected Taylor Swift interview with Travis Kelce.

• At [20:49]–[20:56], Buck jokes about his own lack of knowledge regarding Kelce until his relationship with Swift became headline news.
  • Host B criticizes the state of legacy media, arguing that the “big news” now emerges outside traditional outlets (citing billions of impressions for the Swift/Kelce interview) and contends that this marks the end of the old media guard as a “safeguard of truth.”
  • This segment serves as a commentary on how public discourse and attention have evolved, emphasizing that cultural phenomena now set the narrative tone even for political stories.

─────────────────────────────
7. Final Thoughts and Concluding Remarks
─────────────────────────────
• As the hour wraps up, the hosts summarize their anticipation over Trump’s upcoming summit with Putin, urging listeners to watch how this meeting might redefine diplomatic norms.
• They reiterate that real decision-making rests with the “top guy,” and that any successful culmination would challenge the narrative pushed by critics labeling these actions as “fascism.”
• With a mix of humor, legal analysis, and political reflection, the episode encapsulates the polarized yet high-stakes world of American politics in the Trump era.
• The discussion ends on a teasing note about future topics (including an investigation into Buck’s frequent use of the word “fabulous”), leaving the audience with both serious analysis and lighthearted banter.

─────────────────────────────
Notable Quotes & Timestamps
─────────────────────────────
• [00:00] – Host A: “This is an I Heart podcast. Welcome everybody to... a Clay style moment.” • [05:19] – Host B succinctly sums up judicial unpredictability: “50, 50, 50, 50.” • [24:36] – In reference to Trump’s summit, a snippet captures the anticipation of discussions over territorial swaps. • [26:22]–[26:47] – A recorded exchange where a speaker (labeled “D”) lays out conditions under which Trump might be worthy of a Nobel Peace Prize by ending the conflict without territorial concessions. • [31:53]–[31:59] – Trump is asked about the value of a face-to-face meeting compared to phone calls, underscoring the importance of personal trust.

─────────────────────────────
Summary Conclusion
─────────────────────────────
In “Hour 1 – Legal Insurrection!”, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton weave together the complex tapestry of legal authority in D.C., the diplomatic brinkmanship of a Trump-Putin summit, and shifts in media dynamics. Their back-and-forth analysis points to both the strengths of legally grounded executive power and the risk of political and judicial bias interfering with clear legal standards. Even as they touch on pop culture elements to underline their points, the underlying message remains: in today’s landscape, trust in leadership and the decisiveness of top officials is paramount, regardless of the theatrics surrounding policy and politics.

This comprehensive summary should provide listeners with a clear understanding of the key issues and dynamics debated throughout the episode—even for those who have yet to listen in full.

Transcript

[A]

This is an I Heart podcast. Welcome everybody to the Friday edition of the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton show. Appreciate you. Appreciate you. In fact, I just leaned into that one. I didn't even know it was going to happen. Appreciate you being with us. Did it, I said a Clay style there for a moment.

[B]

There you go.

[A]

And we are excited to tell you about everything going on, including this major summit, this major sit down that is going on in Alaska with Trump and Putin. That especially for a Friday in the middle of August, that's going to be about as big time as it gets for any one individual foreign policy news story. Short of a war breaking out somewhere, a major terrorist attack, it's a big deal. And we're going to get into some of the specifics here. I believe the meeting is occurring post show. Right.

[B]

So we don't, we don't have 3:30 Eastern time. It starts which I believe is 11:30am Alaska time.

[A]

11:30Am alaska time. We had some very interesting deep dive with the governor of Alaska yesterday into things that people might not have known about the lovely state where we have a number of fantastic, fantastic or even fabulous radio stations up there where we have a great listening audience. We appreciate you. It's pretty incredible that people that far away can hear us on the old radio stations. It's great. We love it. But we'll give you some of the details on all this. Also want to take a lot of your talk backs and calls today because it is a Friday. More on the DC Crime drama. They're still going for it. They're still pushing it. In fact, Clay, something that you see today, DC Files a lawsuit challenging the administration's police takeover. This just happened today and this is still breaking. So the District of Columbia has filed an emergency motion challenging the Trump administration's attempt. They're going to have a judge listen to this. The issue as I see it here, it's pretty cut and dry that the president can do this. So you're going to have to find some. And you know, I know the Democrats have a million ways they'll say it violates the Administrative Procedures act or something. No one even knows the Administrative Procedures act is. So this is just what they say. The people who say they know what it is don't even know what it is. So I'm wondering where they're really going to take this and what this judge is going to say. And we still have the redistricting fight going on. By the way, the governor of California, Gavin Newsom, has kicked off his campaign for A proposition. Play your buddy Gavin. I think Gavin is still the lead. I think he is the leading Democrat in the country right now. Bernie Sanders gets more live hype from the, the tours he does, but I think Gavin views himself as, as the alpha male. We're going to get into the alpha males, Trump and Putin here in a second. But what do you think of Both the, the D.C. emergency order challenging this or emergency challenge, I should say, to the crime takeover? Well, let's start with that one. I'm, I'm seeing this as they're just making it worse for themselves. And at this point, all Trump has to do is just keep doing what he's doing and everybody who's opposing him is going to look increasingly foolish.

[B]

It is indisputably the case that Trump has the constitutional authority to act as he did in Washington D.C. with that in mind, it is also possible that a federal District court judge could in the D.C. area question whether Trump has that power, particularly Boasberg, um, and the, and the anti Trump contingent of the district court judges. So the media will chase whatever the district court judges do. But remember the ninth Circuit, I believe one of the federal district court judges, a brother of Stephen Breyer, if I'm not mistaken, in the San Francisco area, said that Trump didn't have the right to call in the guard in la. And almost immediately that was reversed as it moved up the legal hierarchy. But it wouldn't shock me if a judge said that Trump can't do what he clearly can do because many of these judges are basically politicians in robes. And so he can indisputably do this. Lawyers everywhere who have even spent a scintilla of time studying this, not a difficult case. But that doesn't mean that some judge might not say, well, I don't think he could do it, you know, for some reason, just to write an opinion to get a lot of attention, this.

[A]

Is what we're going to see. Are the resistance judges in D.C. willing to remember this is not an interpretation of like a broad spectrum authority that the President has. This, this is specifically in the District of Columbia and looking at a law passed in 1973 that has been good law for 50 years that deals exactly with this issue that says Trump can do this. This is, Trump has 30 days, he can do this. It says it in the law. Are we going to have a judge that comes along? I'm, I'm, I could go either way.

[B]

50, 50, 50, 50. Whether he could have a judge say that he can't do it. Eventually judges will Say he can, but there might be one judge who says he cannot.

[A]

It'll just. It's fascinating, though, because you see this. Judges no longer, when it comes to Trump and the hashtag resistance judiciary, they're no longer. There's no longer the fear of embarrassment at being completely slapped down. 90 Remember when they tried to kick Trump off the ballot in Colorado. I think they talked about it in Maine. Right. But they actually were moving forward on her in Colorado Supreme Court. 90 even Sotomayor, even Ketanji Brown Jackson were like, guys, I mean, we got to pretend. We got to pretend at least, right? This is not even pretending to care what the law says. This is pretty close to that for me. Based on the reading of the 1973 Home Rule act, if a judge manages to come up with some way to stop Trump on this, it's just a judge saying, I don't like Trump. They're not even pretending the law matters.

[B]

I also think this is where there should be some consequences. When judges engage in behavior that's way outside the bounds of what the law is. When you get lifetime tenure, there's virtually nothing that happens to any of these federal district court judges. Sure, there's a measure of embarrassment on some level for people who want to actually apply the law, but I think in many ways, that's canceled out by other judges giving them pats on the back and saying, way to stand up to that tyrant. Way to stand up to that authoritarian. This is what judges should do. And honestly, I think if you get overruled. 9 oh, I think you should actually have a consequence. Um, you know, the, a good example, as you were just pointing out, the Colorado Supreme Court, everybody wants to forget about it because now they're saying, oh, redistricting is putting democracy on the ballot and all these things. The state of Colorado voted to pull Donald Trump off of the ballot and not allow people there to vote for him. And the Colorado Supreme Court said, four, three, that's appropriate. We can do this. Looking at the federal constitution, and then the actual Supreme Court looked at it and said, nine, oh, no, this is unacceptable. But all of those people in Colorado, there were no consequences for them being wrong. There were no consequences that we barely even talk about what they tried to do. And what was it, Maine that followed up? There were multiple states that were willing to get in line and. And say Trump was disqualified from being able to be eligible for President of the United States. If that's not an actual legal insurrection, what is? You know, that's the phrase Kathy Hochul used to describe Texas redistricting. Pulling a candidate off the ballot and not allowing your citizens to vote is, to me, a level of attack on basic democracy. In the process of electing the president.

[A]

That may be the worst judicial overreach we've seen in the Trump era against Trump. I could. Because it's. When you think of it, they also were just deciding that this. There was no. There was no process to speak of. I mean, they just said, yeah, Trump did a thing I don't like, so he can't be on the ballot.

[B]

And you can't even point to that just being one Judge Buck, which is why I find it so troubling. The Colorado Supreme Court, I believe there's seven Supreme Court justices in the state of Colorado, voted for three. We're going to do this. So that actually went through the entire Colorado court system. And they said, yes, and then they got slapped down nine. Oh, and I'm mentioning it now, and I bet a lot of you are just now thinking, oh, yeah, I totally forgot about that. Because there's so many legal process and procedures that have been put in place since then. I think that was, of all of them, the most egregious. And so when you hear somebody like Kathy Hochul, Governor of New York, say, oh, this is a legal insurrection, referring to Texas redistricting, I think it's important to remember what they did legitimately in trying to take Trump off the ballot. And it had to go all the way to Supreme Court to put his name on the ballot. I can't think of anything that's even remotely comparable that any Republican has ever done that is a legal attack of a similar nature on Democrats.

[A]

Meanwhile, there are Democrats out there. This is. As somebody who's been in Baghdad during a war, I gotta tell you, here's Tiffany Cross, Democrat, saying, I guess this is over at cnn, cnn, msnbc, you know, tomato, tomato, it's all the same these days. Here she is saying, remember, she's upset. This is cut 5. She's upset not because DC is dangerous, but because there are too many people who are there to make it safer on the streets. Play five.

[C]

I mean, this is frightening. I kind of disagree with you both. It's not a distraction. And the way we're normalizing fascism is frightening. I left D.C. today. It looked like Baghdad. The way that the National Guard has taken over, the way that they have militarized the police force there, it is scary. And so the fact that he. He has previously threatened to have Gavin Newsom arrested, he had The Christy Noem, the Homeland Security secretary. I mean, for her, killing puppies is business as usual. She's not in any position to even be qualified to oversee a department with this. ICE does not have the authority to arrest anybody. He is deploying them, like you said, like it's his own personal police force.

[A]

Just ignoring everything that's true and just saying things that are crazy and emotionally charged and even, even a shot about the gnomes puppies in the past.

[B]

She did leave herself open to that, but I'm not, I'm not defending it.

[A]

I'm just saying work it. This is a kitchen sink strategy. It's fascism. Attacking gnome for the dog thing, all this stuff. She's, she's, she's going all in on this instead of just saying for a second. Hold on. First of all, there are. I've seen plenty of. There was an armory near where I grew up in New York. You see people in military uniforms all the time. Why is it scary to see people from the National Guard? Why would that be a bad thing? This is a little bit like why police on your block should make you feel safer. And if they don't, you should ask why.

[B]

I agree. And anybody out there who doesn't want more police is probably doing something illegal. And here's a big question. Worst case scenario, Trump does all this additional mobilization of resources to help try to make D.C. safer, and the crime rate stays basically the same. That's the worst case scenario. Absolute worst case scenario. Has anybody really considered what happens if it works? Imagine if Trump brings these resources to bear on the District of Columbia and suddenly violent crime drops by 40%. Look at what he did on the border, where basically nobody talks about the border. It's important sometimes to remember stories that were big. Oh, Trump can't be on the ballot. He's not constitutionally eligible to be president. It just vanishes. Nobody even mentions it. The border, Nobody mentions that at all. Has anybody really thought, this is why I love the move that Trump is making? I don't see a downside. Democrats say, hey, we've got too many police. Most people say, well, we should. If you're upset about too many police, you're probably a criminal. The only person who's upset about a drunk driving test is the person who's driving drunk, right? Like, if you're driving, you know how the person, they can catch you, because some guys are like, oh, and you turn and go the opposite direction and they pull you over. If you see a drunk driving checkpoint, it's probably a sign that you may have been drinking. The only people upset about drunk driving checkpoints are people that might have been drinking. To me, the only people upset about more police on the streets are people who are actually engaged in criminal behavior. But Buck, what if it works? What if in two months we have a 50% decline in violent crime in DC? What if carjacking plummets? What if the number of murders plummet? What do Democrats do then? And worst case scenario, nothing changes. And the problems are so intractable in D.C. right now that more troops and more police on the ground don't impact things. But I just see this as brilliant. When you write, when you analyze risk reward, if the risk is zero and the reward is massive, that to me seems like something you should do in all facets of life. And that to me is this.

[A]

Yeah. And yet they're still going to scream about this and say that it is fascism. Have you written your will yet? Or done something as important as establishing a trust? Here's a little inside tip on both they're no longer expensive or time consuming. Thanks to our sponsor, trustandwill.com they can help you create one or both without having to find and hire an attorney. It's important to do this because your trust or will will eventually become your voice. You don't want your family scrambling after the fact, because if there's no will or trust left behind, your estate can be tied up in probate for months or longer, depending on the state. Set your family up the right way at the time it's needed most. The website to get started is trustandwill.com buck when you go there, you'll save 20%. That's trustandwill.com buck trustandwill.com buck making America.

[B]

Great again isn't just one man, it's many. The Team 47 podcast Sundays at noon Eastern in the Clay and Buck podcast feed. Find it on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast.

[D]

Life's messy. We're talking spills, stains, pets and kids. But with Anabe, you never have to stress about Messes [e-mail] Discover Annabe Sofas the only fully machine washable sofas inside and out, starting at just $699. Made with liquid and stain resistant fabrics. That means fewer stains and more pieces of mine designed for real life. Our sofas feature changeable fabric covers allowing you to refresh your style anytime. Need flexibility? Our modular design lets you rearrange your sofa effortlessly. Perfect for cozy apartments or spacious homes. Plus they're earth friendly and built to last. That's why over 200,000 happy customers have made the switch. Upgrade your space today. Visit washablesofas.com now and bring home a sofa made Made for life. That's washablesofas.com offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

[E]

Life moves fast. A new home, a new baby, a new chapter. But without an estate plan, your future's still vulnerable. With Trust and Will, you can name guardians, start a trust, create health care directives and more, all online in about an hour. It's attorney designed, state specific and built to protect what you love. Plans start at just $199 and every plan is safe, secure and kept completely private. From families with young kids to adults caring for aging parents. Trust and Will makes it simple to take control without a law office, paperwork, stress or court delays. Go to trustandwill.com and use code RADIO to save 20%. Start your plan today. Don't wait for life to force your hand. Estate planning is one of the smartest, most loving things you can do. Trust and Will is an online estate planning service. See website for details.

[F]

Trust and Will the reviews and ratings are in and Ice Cube's Big three is the surprise hit of the summer and to cap off the season, iHeart presents the Big Three basketball playoffs this Sunday at 3pm Eastern. The remaining four teams battle in the out for the right to make the Big three championship in the most physical, fierce and competitive basketball league in the world. The action starts with the Big 3 Monster Energy Celebrity Game where your favorite stars compete in Big 33 on 3 basketball. Then the first of two semifinal games features Dwight Howard and the LA Riot taking on Montrez Harrell and Dr. J's first place Chicago Triplets. The finale will see popular Miami 305 with stars MVP Michael Beasley and Lance will make you dance the Stevenson take on Nancy Lieberman's Dallas Power, who finished the season winning five straight weeks to capture second place. Can Glenn Rice, Greg Monroe and Paul Millsap stop Miami's physical assault? Or will Miami and Beasley put an end to Dallas's winning ways? Who will make it to the Big Three championship? This no holds barred action starts Sunday at 3pm Eastern, 12 Pacific only on CBS.

[A]

In business, they say you can have better, cheaper or faster, but you only get to pick two. What if you could have all three at the same time? That's exactly what Cohere, Thomson Reuters and Specialized bikes have since they upgraded to the next generation of The Cloud Oracle.

[B]

Cloud Infrastructure OCI is the blazing fast platform for your infrastructure, database, application development and AI needs where you can run any workload in a high availability, consistently high performance environment and spend less than you would with other clouds.

[A]

How is it faster? OCI's block storage gives you more operations per second.

[B]

Cheaper. OCI costs up to 50% less for computing, 70% less for storage and 80% less for networking better.

[A]

In test after test, OCI customers report lower latency and higher bandwidth versus other clouds. This is the cloud built for AI.

[B]

And all your biggest workloads right now with zero commitment. Try OCI for free. Head to oracle.com clay that's oracle.com clay how many times have you heard if it ain't broke, don't fix it? While that's great advice for most things, it's not applicable to a cell phone. Over time your cell phone battery fades, the processor can't keep up and it starts to operate slower.

[A]

Fortunately, thanks to PureTalk, your cell phone is something you can replace easily when you switch to PureTalk. This month they're going to give you a Samsung Galaxy A36 for free with a $35 monthly qualifying plan, just 35.

[B]

Bucks a month for talk, text and data and a free Samsung phone with scratch resistant Gorilla glass and a battery that lasts all day, all on America's most dependable 5G network. Supporting Pure Talk is a good thing. You win by cutting your cell phone bill in half. They win by hiring more Americans and helping more veterans make the switch in.

[A]

As little as 10 minutes. Go to PureTalk.com buck to get your free phone today. Or again, that's PureTalk.com buck to switch to my wireless company, America's wireless company, Pure Talk.

[B]

Welcome back in Clay. Travis Buck Sexton Show. I know we got big serious things to discuss, but I do think I've been getting blown up all morning about this. I was just talking about debac. The numbers are out. You have no knowledge of the Taylor Swift interview that she did with Travis Kelce Buck at all. Right. Like you have. You truly have had zero knowledge of it in any way. Have you managed to escape all coverage of it? All attention on it?

[A]

Yeah. Yes. Yeah. I have no idea. I didn't know who Travis Kelsey was until he started dating Taylor Swift.

[B]

That is a very girl like thing for you to.

[A]

I was gonna say maybe I shouldn't have admitted that on the radio. That's. That, that's a little. That was a little fabulous.

[B]

I was actually. Yeah. Well, we've Got some fun, fun analysis there. I, I didn't actually know there was a heterosexual. Not know Travis Kelsey until he started dating Taylor Swift until Buck just told us. So I appreciate him being so honest with us. Audience early in the show today, my phone has been blown up with everybody dissecting this relationship. Let me just tell you this. I do find it interesting in this way. I think the legacy media is to a large degree now worthless. And I say that because look at where major news is breaking outside of Fox News, which is a leviathan unlike any other news organization right now. I think it's fair to say in the country, almost everyone is doing things outside of the traditional metric and the number of people consuming them is off the charts. I was just looking through billions of impressions of that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey interview. Now, whatever you think about it, I do think the Trump election in 2024 to a large extent is a map for what 2028 is going to look like. The 60 Minutes interview thing, which obviously turned into a flap associated with Kamala. That organization is dead. I don't even think it's going to matter in 2028. And I do think it's going to be one of the most profound legacies of Trump that the media that traditionally was the safeguarding universe that analyzed all of this is gone forever. I don't think it's ever going to return. And I think this interview that has taken over much of pop culture is emblematic of what happened in the 2024 election, too.

[A]

You ever seen those stats about CDs and MP3s? And how even after MP3 came out, people were still buying CDs until 2006, and then it was done and then it just died. We'll come back here a second. What percentage of Americans do you think own gold? Is it 5%, 15%? A third of all Americans? Look just more than 12% is the answer. Which is pretty small when you think about it, considering especially that gold has increased by some 40% over the last year alone. For you, for most of this audience, it's an investment opportunity.

[B]

Opportunity.

[A]

And there are a lot of reasons to own gold these days. Not just because of that value increase. It's proven to increase in value over time. That's one thing. And owning it in your savings account is going to help hedge with the declining value of our dollar over time. Owning gold is good, can be physical gold, that's what I've got. But you can also take an existing IRA or 401k and turn it into a gold IRA or 401k with birch gold Group cash in our accounts. The cash in our accounts is going down. Gold is going up over time. Go check it out for yourself. Text my name, Buck to 9898 98. Birch Gold will send you a free info kit on on gold. Text Buck to 98-98-98 today. Welcome back into Clay and Buck. Let's start to dive in with the Trump Putin summit in Alaska today. It's going to be happening. They're sitting down right after the show. So we're telling you what we're expecting, expecting and all of the, the, the preview, if you will, of this diplomatic boxing match that will be going on. Trump was on Air Force One this morning speaking to the press as he does. This is cut 10 and this is what he said.

[C]

Are the territorial swaps on the table?

[B]

Will you be discussing that?

[G]

They'll be discussed, but I've got to let Ukraine make that decision and I think they'll make a proper decision. But I'm not here to negotiate for Ukraine. I'm here to get him at a table. I think you have two sides. Look, Vladimir Putin wanted to take all of Ukraine. If I wasn't president, he would right now be taking all of Ukraine. But he's not going to do it.

[A]

So Trump is really setting this up, I think Clay, and this has been, I believe, the expectation from a lot of people now who have been following this where he is. He's getting the two sides to talk. And so he's talking to Putin about that process. But it sounds like he doesn't have a particular, I don't know, it doesn't sound like he has an expectation of what either side is going to demand. Or maybe I should say he doesn't plan to dictate terms to either side other than just make a deal. Like he's like smashing these two, these two guys together, Zelensky and Putin and saying, figure it out.

[B]

I would equate this to, and I bet a lot of people out there in business and life, you've done this. You go to meet with somebody and you think, I don't really know what the significance of this meeting is. And then you can tell about five minutes in whether or not it's going to be worth your time. I, I, I think that's really what Trump is trying to do. Did you see? I want to play this cut because I couldn't believe it. Hillary Clinton said that Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize if he gets this war to end. I never would have believed that. Do we have that audio? I believe we do. It was in the cut sheet. Can we play that?

[D]

If he could end it without putting Ukraine in a position where it had to concede its territory to the aggressor, had to, in a way validate Putin's.

[B]

Vision of Greater Russia, but instead could really stand up to Putin to make.

[D]

It clear there must be a ceasefire.

[B]

There will be no exchange of territory.

[D]

And that over a period of time.

[B]

Putin should be actually withdrawing from the territory he seized in order to demonstrate good faith efforts, let us say, not to threaten European security. If President Trump were the architect of that, I'd nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize. Okay, that standard. Well, first of all, that standard seems a little snarky.

[A]

She, she doesn't have high faith here.

[B]

Yeah. And also that standard is basically, Russia just puts down its arms and says we never should have invaded in the first place. I do think that Trump's going to get a deal. And I, I, I believe that the media has not covered enough the move to splash big tariffs on India for taking in the Russian oil and gas. And hardly anyone has talked about it. That, I believe, was the move that got Putin to come to Russia and meet with Trump. I also think not enough has been. So for those of you who don't understand that tactically why it was such a big move, there had been a tacit acknowledgment that Europe was not going to pay for oil and gas from Russia, but that we basically weren't going to allow the oil and gas of Russia to continue to, to continue to pile up and not go on to the global marketplace, because that could raise the cost of oil and gas for everybody. And so there was sort of a wink, wink, nudge, nudge. They'll just sell all of their oil and gas to India and also China. But India obviously is a democracy that we have a great relationship with. And India went, I believe the math is from oil and gas from Russia representing 1% of their overall oil and gas imports to, I believe, 33%, basically overnight. So that if you think about India and the amount of size of that country, Russia, I believe, is fueling about a third of their overall oil and gas needs from 1% pre invasion with Ukraine. So that suddenly doubling of the tariff on India was a statement that Trump basically isn't okay with that continuing. Almost immediately, Putin said, okay, let's go meet now. I think that has not gotten enough attention. I think that's what motivated this second part of this, that hasn't gotten enough attention in my mind. Buck, Putin's coming to America. It wasn't very long ago that we were saying through the Biden administration, oh, if Putin ever steps foot in America, we're gonna arrest him for war crimes. Have you heard anyone on the Democrat Party side even mention the idea? Do you remember that tough talk from Biden? Oh, he'll never come to America because the international criminal courts will arrest him and America's gonna take him into custody. And there was talk that he wasn't gonna be able to travel anywhere outside of Russia. He's coming to America. That feels pretty significant, too, that Trump got him to come here. Trump's not going to Russia. Trump's not even going to Sweden or some sort of traditionally neutral country. He's got Putin coming to the United States. Now, I know it's not a huge trip from Russia, but I think both of those parts, before we even see how the conversation go, are illustrative to me of Putin actually being interested in potentially trying to get a deal done here. Now, what does he want? That's the ultimate question we never have really figured out.

[A]

Here's Trump, also on Air Force One, talking about Putin. Just a little throwback here. What was it three years ago when we were in Mar a Lago with Trump in the early, early days of the Russia, Ukraine war, and Trump said, putin's a genius. And it was in the context of a much longer thing where he's basically just saying, this guy is a very savvy operator and knows how to get what he wants, but he was just being Trump. You know, when he says he has a very good relationship with somebody, well, that can change in a day. But Trump likes to present things in a certain way. And the whole Internet melted down over this for a couple days. Remember, there was, like, a global news story that Trump said, Putin's a genius. Trump, I think, has respect for Putin's skill set and for his. His bravado. I wonder, though, if he likes him at all as a person. First of all, he has to. His English is not very good, is what I understand. He speaks. He speaks English, but not well. So they do use it. I think they use a translator that's actually really. I want to know. I know they have translators present. I'm wondering how much that is relied on in an exchange between Trump and Putin. But I do know that Putin's English is not very good. So the. The depth of the relationship between these two men, I don't think is particularly, you know, they don't. They don't really have some deeper connection. Right. This isn't FDR and Churchill slapping each other's backs back in the day, but here is Trump saying some things about Putin. This is cut 11. Listen to it. Now.

[B]

You've had a lot of phone calls with President Putin. What's the difference in a face to face, in person meeting?

[G]

Look, he's a smart guy, been doing it for a long time, but so have doing it for a long time. And here we are with President. That was much more difficult than what I'm doing today, believe me. So we get along. There's a good respect level on both sides and I think, you know, something's going to come of it. I noticed he's bringing a lot of business people from Russia and that's good. I like that, because they want to do business, but they're not doing business until we get the wars out.

[A]

He's not overselling it. Clay. You'll notice Trump isn't saying, this is 100%. Get ready to pop the champagne. He's saying, we'll see. But I'm trying.

[B]

Here's the other thing that I think people say. Oh, Trump gets along too well with dictators, Trump is too chummy with authoritarians. Everything else. Here's what I think Trump relies upon, and I think many authoritarian leaders do, too. You ultimately have to trust the person at the top of the chain that you're making a deal with, because both Trump and Putin and everybody else who's in a position of power is going to have a vast bureaucracy of people that are in charge of implementing the policies that they put in place. This is true for any CEO. This is true for any business. And ultimately, in a top down structure, you have to know, hey, I can get this guy on the phone and I trust him, that we have a mutuality of understanding. And that is ultimately, I think, the case on everything. Anybody who has ever papered a deal of any kind of significance, if you don't trust the guy at the top of the food chain that you're doing the deal with it, everything that you intend gets lost in the flow of the bureaucracy. And you ultimately need to be able to go to the top and say, hey, this is what we talked about face to face, let's work this out. And I think Putin respects that, and I think Trump respects that. And that's why I think there is cautious optimism. I thought, really yesterday, Buck, that the governor of Alaska, I thought that's kind of big news. When he said, hey, it's possible Zelensky just hops in a jet and ends up here too. In other words, there is a possibility that they could extend this visit in Anchorage and maybe continue to hammer out details. I haven't heard anybody else make that comment. But that to me it wouldn't take for, I mean, all these guys have access to huge jumbo jets that can travel around the world and get anywhere. I don't know that that's likely to happen, but maybe there's a possibility this ends up in a longer meeting.

[A]

This is also one of those moments where no one's really talking about this, Clay. But just a reminder, the United nations is essentially worthless.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

You know, you'll notice you don't hear there's no. And really on this issue too, the EU has done some stuff. European allies are helping Ukraine with some money and weapons. But at the end of the day, it's still America that is calling the shots on the global stage. Especially when you're talking about a Russia or China situation. It's us and it's them. You know, the UN the make believe story is that the United Nations Security Council does anything good. It really doesn't. It's, it's either irrelevant or sometimes actually bad in the decisions or in the way. Certainly the UN Human Rights Council is a, is a giant mess. But you would think that this is why you would have, you know, an aggressor, an invasion, a major war, United nations, nobody even cares. Yeah, I'm not going to do anything. Totally worthless. That's why they should move it out of New York to move it somewhere else and, you know, not let these diplomats just run up their charge cards at fancy restaurants.

[B]

Do you know why it's totally worthless? Because they're not the deciders of anything. And that comes back to, you know, why you got to Trump wants to sit down with Putin. Ultimately the only thing that matters is who is the decider. And that's, that's why so frustrating. Big business, big government, because there are 768 different vice presidents of something, but they're all running their request up the flagpole and everything gets bogged down. You always want to talk with the guy or the gal who actually gets to make a decision at any organization. Otherwise it's often a worthless process. And I think that's what Trump gets and that's certainly what Putin gets. I'm going to go down Tuesday to Chattanooga, Tennessee. I'm speaking there at the Young Republican Conference and I'm also going to visit our friends at Legacy Box. I've been talking about this for a while. They have an incredible facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee where you can send all of your old family memories on tape, on on film reels, on any basic type of media and they will digitize it. I think. I'm actually kind of curious to see this room. I believe they have the largest collection of VCRs anywhere in the world because they can basically take any of your VHS tapes and they can digitize them. That's their business. They have a huge factory of people working all the time in Chattanooga, Tennessee to do this and I'm going to see it for myself on Tuesday. But if you've got old media lying around your house, videotapes, audio cassettes, loose photos, they're going to keep fading with time. These VHS tapes are not made to last for a long time. They may be in a hot attic. They may be out in your garage now. And right now you can save a bundle. I might even see some of your gear going through the process of being digitized inside of this amazing factory. Just go to legacybox.com right now/clay to get 50% off your order again. I'm going to be seeing it for myself next week. Look forward to checking out their facilities. But millions of you have trusted Legacy Box to help preserve your family memories and and right now they've got a fabulous deal for you. Legacybox.com Clay 50% off your order. That's a legacy box.com Clay Geek out with the guys on the Sunday Hang with Clay and Buck. Podcast a new episode every Sunday. Find it on the iHeart app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[D]

Time for a sofa upgrade? Visit washablesofas.com and discover Annabelle where designer style meets budget friendly prices with sofas starting at $699. Annabe brings you the ultimate in furniture innovation with a modular design that allows you to rearrange your space effortlessly. Perfect for both small and large spaces, Anabe is the only machine washable sofa inside and out. Say goodbye to stains and messes with liquid and stain resistant fabrics that make cleaning easy. Liquid simply slides right off. Designed for customers comfort, our high resilience foam lets you choose between a sink in feel or a supportive memory foam blend. Plus our pet friendly stain resistant fabrics ensure your sofa stays beautiful for years. Don't compromise quality for price. Visit washablesofas.com to upgrade your living space today with no risk returns and a 30 day money back guarantee. Get up to 60% off plus free shipping and free returns. Shop now at washablesofas.com Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

[E]

Life moves fast. A new home, a new baby, a new chapter. But without an estate plan, your future's still vulnerable. With trust and Will, you can name guardians, start a trust, create health care directives and more, all online in about an hour. It's attorney designed, state specific and built to protect what you love. Trust plans start at just $199 and every plan is safe, secure and kept completely private. From families with young kids to adults caring for aging parents. Trust and will makes it simple to take control without a law office, paperwork, stress or court delays. Go to trustandwill.com and use code RADIO to save 20%. Start your plan today. Don't wait for life to force your hand. Estate planning is one of the smartest, most loving things you can do. Trust and Will is an online estate planning service. See website for details.

[H]

The reviews and ratings are in and Ice Cube's Big Three is the surprise hit of the summer and to cap off the season, iheart presents the Big 3 Basketball Championship and 8th Annual Big 3 All Star Game this coming Sunday, August 21st 4th live from Orlando, the remaining two teams fight it out for the Big 3 Championship Dr. J Trophy in the most physical, fierce and competitive basketball league in the world. Don't miss the wild conclusion of Big Three's eighth and most historic season ever. This is the game no one wants to lose and there's no crying in the Big three. The action starts with the Big Three eighth Annual All Star Game. Don't miss All Stars Dwight Howard, Montrez Harrell, MVP Michael Obviously Lance will make you Dan Stevenson, Jordan Crawford, Greg Monroe, Earl Clark, Nazir Kor and more show you why they are the best three on three basketball players in the world. Big three's exciting all star game plus the crowning of a new big three champion. The no holds part action starts Sunday at 2pm Eastern, 11 Pacific only on CBS.

[B]

How many times have you heard if it ain't broke, don't fix it? While that's great advice for most things, it's not applicable to a cell phone. Over time your cell phone battery fades, the processor can't and it starts to operate slower.

[A]

Fortunately, thanks to PureTalk, your cell phone is something you can replace easily when you switch to pur talk. This month they're going to give you a Samsung Galaxy A36 for free with a $35 monthly qualifying plan.

[B]

Just 35 bucks a month for talk, text and data and a free Samsung phone with scratch resistant gorilla glass and a battery that lasts all day, all on America's most dependable 5G network. Supporting Pure Talk is a good thing. You win by cutting your cell phone bill in half. They win by hiring more Americans and helping more veterans make the switch in.

[A]

As little as 10 minutes. Go to PureTalk.com buck to get your free phone today. Again, that's PureTalk.com buck to switch to my wireless company, America's Wireless Company, Pure Talk.

[B]

Grand Canyon University, a private Christian university in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona, believes we're endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit happiness. GCU believes in equal opportunity and the American dream starts with purpose. Whether your pursuit involves a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree, GCU provides a path to help you fulfill your dreams, offering over 340 academic programs as of September 2024. Find your purpose at Grand Canyon University. Private, Christian, affordable Visit gcu. Welcome back in Clay Travis Buck Sexton show We got a lot of different people weighing in, as is often the case on a variety of different topics. Let's go here. Dave from Brockton, Mass. Dee Dee, talk back. What we got for you. Hey, Clay.

[A]

This is Dave from Brockton and nobody ever heard of him before because he sucked. Now he's with Taylor Swift.

[B]

So I'm part of Patriots Nation.

[A]

You got me in Massachusetts.

[B]

And the Pats are going to smoke.

[A]

Casey this year, mark my words on it. I can't, I can't argue with someone's analysis of the Patriots when they're rocking a Boston accent like that. Like, that's just, he's beyond reproach.

[B]

I appreciate the bitterness. The Patriots are not, in fact, going to smoke anyone this year. They're not very good. Sorry.

[A]

Is that the case? I was, Yeah, I was not aware.

[B]

Yeah, they've been awful without Tom Brady as they were awful without Tom Brady before him. Hurley. I'm not Hurley. It's like lost Hurley from Lincoln, Nebraska. What you got for us?

[A]

EE I hear you talking about Travis and, and Taylor and I have to tell you that I really appreciate them because it helps me when I go to my news websites, I scroll down and I read the articles that I want to read and I know exactly when to stop reading. It's when I come to the first Travis and Taylor headlines. So I love them.

[B]

People click on these stories like crazy. I will tell you, even at Outkick Dennis in Columbus, Ohio, he's mad I did it. Sometimes the things that I say that are going to provoke.

[A]

I knew you were. I was. Swear to you. I was going to say you've pissed off the libertarians who are listening. And sure enough, here we are.

[B]

I am in favor of DUI checkpoints. I think that they are smart. I think that they reduce drunk driving and I don't think you have a right to drive on taxpayer funded roads and not worry that you might be pulled over for breaking the law when it comes to drunk driving. But Dennis from Columbus, Ohio is upset with me for being in favor of DUI checkpoints.

[A]

Congratulations on selling out the fourth Amendment, boys. Not sure which one of you said it, but I can't believe either of you parroted the idiotic line about the only people being upset about sobriety checkpoints are people driving drunk.

[B]

Period.

[A]

What about those of us who don't like to be detained for as much as an hour without probable cause?

[B]

You aren't getting detained for an hour at DUI checkpoint. Again, public roads.

[A]

It was, it was Clay. Just to be clear. It's actually Travis on Twitter.

[B]

I'll take. I am now going to be attacked this week for opposing murder and opposing drunk driving. So I, you know, I'll take the slings and arrows when they come. I actually think that that drunk driving stops now. Thankfully, Uber and Lyft have helped, I think decrease dunk drunk driving immensely. Also, young kids are not drinking as much, which I think is probably a good health move. It's. They're hitting historic lows. But the data is pretty clear that when you drive dragon drunk, you put a lot of people in danger and anything we can do to limit that danger, that is within constitutional authority. And I think that is and has been found to be within the constitutional authority, not violating the fourth Amendment. And I'm in favor of it. I'm anti murder and I'm anti drunk driving. I'm taking some strong cases. This week we come back, we will break down a bunch of serious stories relating to Putin and Ukraine. Also, we have research on my use of the word fabulous. And it turns out, fuck, this is a hell of a tease. Maybe I'm actually gay and I didn't know it. I do use the word fabulous a lot. We'll discuss next.

[A]

This is an iHeart podcast.