The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Hour 1 - Mamdamism
Date: November 20, 2025
Host: Buck Sexton (Clay Travis is traveling in Italy)
Podcast: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show (iHeartPodcasts)

Episode Overview

This episode, hosted solo by Buck Sexton, focuses on the political rise and influence of Zoran Mamdani (“Mamdamism”), the mayor-elect of New York City, as a symbol of progressive/left governance trends. The discussion also explores issues like government overreach, New York’s rent control debates, and a viral blunder involving Rep. Jasmine Crockett confusing donors with the infamous Jeffrey Epstein. There are reflections on political “shamelessness,” effectiveness of progressive policies, and the broader national implications. The tone remains humorous, irreverent, and pointedly critical of left-wing politics.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Buck Flying Solo and the “Double Ron Day” Preview

• Buck opens the show solo, with Clay traveling in Italy.
• Announces a lineup featuring Governor Ron DeSantis (Florida) and Senator Ron Johnson (Wisconsin) later in the day.
• Jokes about his accuracy reporting breaking news: “Always bet on Buck. I don’t just come up with this stuff like a crazy person. I know what I’m doing.” (05:25)

2. Mamdani’s Ascendance and “Mamdamism”

• Zoran Mamdani, mayor-elect of New York (labeled “Commie Mamdani” by Buck), is gaining national attention.
• Rumor clarified: Mamdani is set to meet with President Trump at the White House, which Buck confirms live on air.
• Buck reads a New York Times snippet:

  “Trump and Mamdani will meet at White House on Friday... Mamdani had asked for it and Trump labeled him incorrectly as the Communist mayor of New York City. First of all, the fact that Trump calls him that publicly is hilarious and true.” (21:23)

• Discussion of Mamdani’s policies: Emphasis on rent freezes, universal childcare, and free public buses — criticized as classic central planning, historically prone to disaster.

3. Viral Congressional Gaffe: Rep. Jasmine Crockett and the Wrong Jeffrey Epstein

• Buck delivers a viral “bombshell”: Rep. Jasmine Crockett publicly claimed several Republicans received donations from “Jeffrey Epstein,” but failed to distinguish between an infamous criminal and others with the same name.
• Audio from Crockett on the House floor:

  “Mitt Romney, the NRCC, Lee Zeldin, George Bush, WinRed, McCain, Palin, Rick Lazio. I just want to be clear. If this is the standard that we gonna make, just know we gonna expose it all and just know that the FEC filings, they are available for everybody to review.” (07:49)

• Buck reacts, mocking the blunder:

  “She thought that she just would have her team look up some guy named Jeffrey Epstein and look up donations... That may be the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen in the United States Congress in memory.” (08:20)

• Crockett tries to defend herself:

  “I never said that it was THAT Jeffrey Epstein... I wanted the Republicans to think about what could potentially happen... I was not attempting to mislead anybody. Literally had maybe 20 minutes before I had to do that debate.” (11:09)

• Buck’s commentary:

  “She kind of doubles down. Instead of just doing what any person would do, which is like, ‘Guys, I’m so sorry. My staff made a preposterous mistake.’ ...But no, she’s like, ‘There’s another guy out there, you know, so...’” (12:00)

Notable Quotes

• “That’s up there. That may be the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen... It’s definitely in the pantheon of stupid things that somebody has done in Congress.” (08:20)
• “You have to be shameless to be a prominent Democrat.” (13:00)

4. The Dangers of Progressive Policy: Rent Freezes & Government Intervention

• Buck dives into New York’s housing crisis as emblematic of “Mamdamism.”
• Criticizes Mamdani’s plan for a rent freeze:

  “This is one of these ideas that sounds good, like ‘Oh, the rent’s going to be frozen.’ But why is New York rent so high? Artificial constraints on supply and demand as a result of government intervention.” (23:40)

• Cites Hayek’s “Road to Serfdom”: Government intervention breeds more intervention, worsening problems.
• Explains that 50,000 housing units in NYC are off the market due to punitive regulations, which disincentivize landlords from making units livable.
• Asserts progressive policies scapegoat the rich and blame “the fat cats” for government-created failures.
• On Mamdani's response to criticism:

  “He has no response to what I said other than to grin and tell people, ‘We’re going to make it better for you!’” (36:18)

5. How Mamdani Plans to Pay for His Promises

• Buck plays audio of Mamdani proposing to fund free transit by raising New York’s corporate tax and income tax on millionaires:

  “The two clearest ways to raise that money is through the raising of the state’s corporate tax to match New Jersey... or that’s the personal income tax on those who make more than $1M a year.” (44:18)

• Buck’s criticism: The math doesn’t add up, and taxing the wealthy will only drive out the taxpayers who already fund so much of the city’s budget.

6. Broader Themes and Tone

• The dangers of shamelessness and double standards in Democratic politics.
• Reminder to listeners to find humor amidst political chaos:

  “Thanks, Buck, for reminding me to laugh sometimes at the Democrat antics rather than just feel anger or fear. It’s much healthier to recognize it for what it is.” – VIP email from Pamela (21:23)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Crockett’s gaffe:
  “I don’t know if I’ve seen anything dumber in the United States Congress in memory.” (08:20)
• On Mamdani:
  “He’s a commie. He doesn’t care what rational thought is and what reality is about these things. It’s just emotion. ‘We’ll figure it out. We’ll pay for it. We’ll deal with it.’” (45:41)
• Reflecting on progressive politics:
  “This is the problem with Democrats, everybody. ...They approach it like a child would approach the problem, instead of looking at what caused it and brought it to this point. ...The worst thing you can do for housing affordability in New York City overall is more stupid policy that makes it impossible for there to be more units on the market.” (38:30)
• On Trump’s likely message to Mamdani:
  “He’s gonna say some nice things and he’s going to go, ‘But he’s a communist and he’s going to destroy New York City.’” (21:23)
• On progressive fiscal policy:
  “What happens later when everyone realizes it’s a dumb idea? Does the government say, ‘Let’s stop doing the dumb thing?’ No, they generally want to do another dumb thing to fix the dumb thing that they should not have done in the first place.” (25:15)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:00] – Buck solo hosting; “Double Ron Day” preview
• [05:25] – Confirming Mamdani’s White House visit; “Always bet on Buck”
• [07:49] – Rep. Jasmine Crockett’s Epstein gaffe (audio clip)
• [08:20] – Buck reacts: “Pantheon of stupid things in Congress”
• [11:09] – Crockett’s defense (audio clip)
• [12:00] – Buck mocks Crockett’s unrepentance
• [13:00] – “You have to be shameless to be a prominent Democrat.”
• [21:23] – NYT confirms Trump–Mamdani meeting; “Democratic Socialist vs. Communist” quibble
• [23:40] – Why New York rent is high; attack on “rent freeze” proposal
• [36:18] – Root causes of housing market failure
• [38:30] – “They approach it like a child would”
• [44:18] – Mamdani explains his tax-the-rich plan (audio clip)
• [45:41] – Buck’s critique of free buses and failed funding logic

Conclusion

Buck Sexton’s solo hour delivers a sharp, comedic critique of left-wing policy and politics, using NY’s Zoran Mamdani as a springboard to discuss rent control, government overreach, and Democratic “shamelessness.” The viral Jeffrey Epstein donor error by Rep. Crockett provides comic relief and a cautionary tale about political diligence. The episode repeatedly draws connections between local progressive follies and broader Democratic strategies, always with an undercurrent of skepticism and humor popular with this audience.

For listeners seeking a mix of pointed political analysis and satirical commentary, this episode encapsulates Buck’s energetic takedown of “Mamdamism,” the perils of over-centralized governance, and the current state of Democratic politics.