The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Hour 1 – Poor Choices and Chaos
Date: January 8, 2026
Host: Clay Travis & Buck Sexton
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

In this Thursday edition, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton dive into the recent controversial shooting of a protester involving ICE agents in Minneapolis, using it as a springboard to discuss broader themes: escalating tensions around immigration enforcement, the influence of progressive activism, the response from Democratic leaders, and how political narratives are shaping public perception and division. The hosts also respond to listener feedback about Minnesota and New Mexico, peppering the episode with their signature blend of political skepticism and humor.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening Banter and Listener Calls

• [00:00–00:37]
  Clay and Buck open with playful apologies and listener shoutouts, especially to New Mexico after prior jests about the state.
  • Clay jokes about “giving up Minnesota” instead due to recent events.
  • Clay Travis [00:37]: "People on the left in many, many cities have completely lost their minds... what has happened in Minneapolis in particular... is emblematic of the woke mind virus."

2. Minneapolis Shooting Incident & Woke Activism

• [00:37–03:44]
  The discussion centers around the fatal shooting of a white, 37-year-old activist mother who attempted to obstruct ICE agents in Minneapolis. The hosts use the case to illustrate the perceived extreme behavior by left-leaning activists and the consequences of current progressive ideologies.
  • Clay: "How did this woman end up... deciding that it's her duty to show up in her car to try and harass people... such that she ends up losing her life there?"
  • The phrase “woke mind virus” is frequently used to describe the broader phenomenon.

3. Buck’s Book Plug & Analysis of Progressive Activism

• [03:44–06:29]
  Buck plugs his forthcoming book, “Manufacturing Delusion,” tying it directly into the episode’s theme—claiming a pattern of mass hysteria and irrational activism on the left.
  • Buck Sexton [05:01]: "There's something wrong and deranged about the Democrat base... from super gluing hands to priceless works of art to trying to obstruct ICE officers."

4. Media Spin & Video Evidence

• [11:39–13:39]
  Clay accuses mainstream outlets (e.g., MSNBC, CNN) of selectively airing video angles to foment outrage, arguing that clear evidence supports the ICE agent’s actions.
  • Clay Travis [12:42]: "They’re not showing the video that clearly illustrates that this guy had contact made with him on the shooting... they want more of this... they are desperately hoping that ICE kills someone else."

5. Democrat Response and Political Mobilization

• [09:51–11:39; 16:17–17:32]
  The hosts dissect how Democratic leaders like Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey are portraying the incident; they argue that politicians are inciting protest and undermining law enforcement for electoral gain.
  • Buck Sexton [09:51]: "Now it’s going to be Trump is racist, ICE are jackbooted thugs... there is no principle at work here for these Democrats."
  • Clip: Tim Walz [16:50]: “The desire to get out and protest and to speak up... that is a patriotic duty at this point in time.”

6. Analysis of Minneapolis & Broader Political Trends

• [23:20–29:15]
  The conversation shifts to Minnesota politics—its purple-state status, fraud scandals, and speculation about potential Republican gains.
  • Clay muses [23:20]: Tim Walz may use the shooting to pivot attention away from Somali community fraud scandals and recast himself as standing up to Trump.
  • They discuss statistics: Minnesota’s historical voting patterns, razor-thin electoral margins, and implications for 2026.

7. The Makeup of Protesters & Teachers’ Unions

• [29:15–30:06]
  The hosts point to the closure of Minneapolis schools and suggest support from teachers' unions for street protests.
  • Clay: “I bet some of those teachers are showing up to protest... who are these people at noon on a weekday out there?”

8. Democrat Mobilization and ‘Martyrdom’ Narratives

• [30:06–31:20]
  Analysis of how the political value of the shooting victim is filtered through identity lens; Buck argues the incident doesn’t fit the preferred ‘martyr’ profile for the left.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Clay Travis [00:37]:

  "Maybe Canada would do better with everyone in Minnesota... people on the left... have completely lost their minds."

• Buck Sexton [05:01]:

  "My fundamental question about the Democrat Party really became during COVID... how do you make people so crazy?"

• Clay Travis [07:48]:

  "There are hundreds if not thousands... harassing ICE agents... I don't buy that this is a completely organic thing."

• Buck Sexton [11:59]:

  "They are not showing the video... that clearly illustrates... contact made with him on the shooting."

• Tim Walz (Governor of Minnesota) [16:50]:

  "The desire to get out and protest and to speak up... is a patriotic duty at this point in time..."

• Clay Travis [19:01]:

  "The shot going directly through the front windshield would be indicative that he was directly in front of her at the time he fired."

• Buck Sexton [21:20]:

  "All-in on the emotional agitation and inflammation... they want as many people as upset as possible... It energizes the base."

• Clay Travis [29:33]:

  "And I bet some of those teachers are showing up to protest... answering my question big time: who in the world are these people at noon?"

Key Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:37 – Clay’s apology to New Mexico, opening context on the Minneapolis shooting
• 03:44 – Buck intros his book; analysis of activist psychology
• 07:48 – Claims of manufactured protests (“who’s paying for this?”)
• 11:39 – Discussion on media narrative and selective video airing
• 16:50 – Tim Walz’s encouragement of protest (audio clip)
• 19:01 – Forensic discussion of video evidence and shooting justification
• 23:20 – Minnesota’s political future & implications for Tim Walz
• 29:02 – Closure of Minneapolis schools linked to protests and teachers’ unions
• 30:06 – Discussion of the identity politics around protest ‘martyrs’

Listener Engagement & State Banter

• Responding to New Mexico’s oil and gas significance ([34:47])
  • Listener ‘Scott from New Mexico’ [34:47]: “We are the second largest producer of crude oil... We have a $65 billion sovereign wealth fund.”
  • Clay concedes New Mexico may not be the “state to give up” after all.
• Teaser: News about a U.S. proposal to buy Greenland for $100,000 per resident ([35:34])

Summary Tone & Style

Throughout, Clay and Buck mix sardonic humor, political skepticism, and a confrontational stance toward left-wing protest movements. They blend real-time news analysis with playful banter and calls to action for conservative listeners, peppered by direct listener feedback and mock rivalries between states.

For those who missed it:
This episode offers a provocative, partisan look at how a single shooting incident gets weaponized in the broader culture war. The hosts dissect political and media responses, riff on classroom activism, forecast electoral trends, and manage to fold in listener quips—all through their signature, unapologetically combative style.