The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
Episode Title: Hour 1 - Open for Business!
Release Date: November 13, 2025
Host(s): Clay Travis & Buck Sexton
Special Appearances: President Donald Trump (clip), Caller Dave from Elk Grove, CA
Overview of the Episode
The first hour of this episode centers on the reopening of the U.S. government after a prolonged shutdown, Trump’s take on the situation, and the political strategy behind such shutdowns. It then pivots into a nuanced debate about the H1B visa program, juxtaposing caller experiences, Trump’s public comments, and deeper questions about American education, workforce competitiveness, and immigration. There’s also lively rapport between the hosts with an eye toward the upcoming midterms and how these issues may shape the future political landscape.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Government Shutdown Ends — Trump Signs Bill
[02:05]–[04:00]
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The federal government reopens after a 43-day shutdown.
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President Trump’s comments about the shutdown are played, highlighting his position that Democrats gained nothing and attempted to "extort" the country over immigration spending.
"[T]he country has never been in better shape. … Democrats thought [the shutdown] would be good politically. … It's an honor now to sign this incredible bill and get our country working again."
— President Trump ([02:50])"For the past 43 days, Democrats in Congress shut down the government … to extort American taxpayers for hundreds of billions of dollars for illegal aliens … They wanted to pay them $1.5 trillion … We will never give in to extortion because that's what they tried to do…"
— President Trump ([03:19]) -
Clay Travis expresses skepticism about whether Democrats learned anything and wonders if they'll repeat the tactic as elections approach.
"Why will they not just do this again maybe multiple times in 2026 as we come up on the midterm elections?"
— Clay Travis ([04:00])
2. Political Strategy & The Filibuster
[04:00]–[12:00]
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Buck discusses how the shutdown may become a midterm "referendum," noting Democrats will leverage the issue to push affordability and health care as central campaign talking points.
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Clay argues for changing Senate rules to prevent minority-party-fueled shutdowns, citing risks such as interruptions to air traffic control and referencing "Breaking Bad" to illustrate real-world consequences.
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Both hosts assess the political "arms race" that adjusting filibuster rules could ignite—drawing parallels to prior changes on judicial appointments.
"If we modified the filibuster when it comes to Supreme Court appointments, then why in the world would we not modify the filibuster to stop the minority party from effectively throwing a temper tantrum and shutting down the government?"
— Clay Travis ([09:55])"There's something of an arms race that occurs within the Senate procedural rules … But if you want Trump to have a functional government and not just allow Democrats to throw tantrums like this … then it makes a lot of sense."
— Buck Sexton ([10:40])
3. H1B Visas — Debate, Caller Experience, and Policy Critique
[12:27]–[39:05]
Set-Up and Trump/Laura Ingraham Exchange
[12:27]–[22:32]
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Clay and Buck set up a listener call segment focused on the real impact of H1B visas, referencing a debate between Laura Ingraham (critical of H1Bs) and President Trump (defensive of the policy in some cases).
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Trump argues some specialized foreign talent is essential for advanced industries and gives an example involving battery manufacturing.
"You can't take people off an unemployment line and say I'm going to put you into a factory … to make missiles. It doesn't work that way."
— President Trump ([20:03]) -
Buck contextualizes that while there's a cap of roughly 85,000 new H1Bs/year, there are about 750,000 H1B workers currently in the U.S.—highlighting the scale and public misconception.
Caller Dave’s Perspective
[23:45]–[25:49]
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Dave from Elk Grove, CA shares his first-hand experience as a business owner who sponsored H1B visas for highly skilled structural engineers from Kenya and Turkey.
- Stresses the need for a global “meritocracy” in technical fields.
- Refutes the idea that H1Bs are typically underpaid or replace Americans for cheaper labor.
"To oppose this program to me is opposing the meritocracy, honestly. … You have to reach out and get the best talent available wherever you can find it … It's not like you're going to roll out of bed and become an engineer."
— Dave ([23:45])
Economic and Policy Concerns
[25:51]–[34:44]
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Buck points to studies showing H1B workers often earn 20%-30% less than their American counterparts, and argues the program is often abused for cheaper labor, especially by large tech companies.
"The program is being abused on a massive scale."
— Buck Sexton ([27:55]) -
Clay shifts to the educational angle, questioning why U.S. colleges aren’t producing enough highly skilled workers if the jobs are so lucrative.
"Isn't it a huge indictment of the American educational system if we aren't producing enough people with so-called hard education skills?"
— Clay Travis ([28:25]) -
Buck brings up how 75% of H1Bs are from India, raising questions about the fairness and transparency of the process, and notes the loopholes and broader implications with family sponsorships and possible fraud.
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The hosts touch on the irony that many legal/illegal immigrants receive public assistance—contrary to stated policy—compounding affordability and entitlement costs.
"It's just been a massive scam. The elites have sold out the American people…Trump is supposed to stop it."
— Buck Sexton ([32:29])
Future of H1B Visas Amidst AI Changes
[33:26]–[34:44]
- Clay notes that rapid AI evolution may make the entire H1B debate moot by automating most of these technical jobs.
- Buck remarks on how “coding” is about to become as basic and universal a skill as typing once was.
"Coding is about to become a lot easier. … It's going to be like operating an iPhone today instead of operating like a DOS system computer in 1990."
— Buck Sexton ([33:57])
4. Education, Meritocracy, and Societal Priorities
[34:44]–[37:05]
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The hosts lament cultural emphasis on sports over academics, noting that technical fields need to be more valued and rewarded in society.
"Maybe we need to pay them a lot more and maybe our society needs to get a little more attuned to—we actually need people who can do some of these things."
— Buck Sexton ([34:59]) -
Clay lampoons liberal arts degrees as out of sync with job market realities, referencing high tuition for low-market-value degrees.
5. Hosts’ Banter and Show Dynamics
[15:19], [41:03]–[41:44]
- Clay and Buck tease an upcoming conversation with Bill O’Reilly about Gavin Newsom’s political future.
- Light-hearted discussion about “old man strength” and grip, riffing on Bill O’Reilly.
- Buck jokingly chastises Clay for public speakerphone use:
"I'm sitting here defending civilization while Clay is just helping it crumble with his speakerphone use in public…" ([41:44])
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On Shutdowns & Political Strategy
"They may still believe that they gain politically … my concern is why would they not do this potentially multiple times in the upcoming year with the election cycle?"
— Clay Travis ([04:00]) -
On H1B Visas
"To oppose this program to me is opposing the meritocracy, honestly."
— Dave, caller ([23:45])"The program is being abused on a massive scale."
— Buck Sexton ([27:55])"Isn't it a huge indictment of the American educational system if we aren't producing enough people with so-called hard education skills?"
— Clay Travis ([28:25]) -
On Societal Priorities
"We need the NBA equivalent in terms of skill set coming out of our universities."
— Buck Sexton ([34:59]) -
Hosts’ Banter
"I'm sitting here defending civilization while Clay is just helping it crumble with his speakerphone use in public…"
— Buck Sexton ([41:44])
Important Timestamps for Major Segments
- [02:05] — Start of main content; government shutdown ends
- [02:50] — Trump statement on reopening the government
- [03:19] — Trump accuses Democrats of political extortion
- [04:00] — Clay raises the filibuster question
- [10:26] — Buck/Clay discuss filibuster reforms and Senate procedural arms race
- [12:27] — Call for audience input on H1B visas
- [19:02] — Play of Trump/Ingraham H1B visa exchange
- [23:45] — Caller Dave from Elk Grove shares H1B experience
- [27:55] — Buck cites H1B abuses and wage concerns
- [28:25] — Clay critiques U.S. education system’s shortcomings
- [34:44] — AI’s likely impact on H1B-relevant jobs
- [41:03] — Hosts’ banter on speakerphones and society
Summary Conclusion
This episode is a tightly woven conversation about two high-stakes domains—federal government funding and the future of high-skilled labor. Clay and Buck dissect the just-ended government shutdown, probe political tactics and reform needs, and then launch into a robust debate on H1B visas, balancing firsthand accounts against research and public sentiment. Underpinning it all are worries about American education and readiness in a rapidly changing technological world. As always, the show features both sharp critique and playful asides, keeping the tone engaging while tackling weighty issues.