The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Hour 1 – Rush Warned Us
Date: October 8, 2025
Podcast: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show (iHeartPodcasts)

Overview

In this episode, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle headline-breaking stories with their signature blend of conservative insight and humor. The main focus centers on the government shutdown's real-world effects, media coverage and implications of the James Comey trial, and a broader conversation about crime, law enforcement, and the hypocrisy of political elites. Archival commentary from Rush Limbaugh on James Comey provides historical context. The episode weaves in real listener voice messages, tongue-in-cheek commentary, and critiques of left-leaning media narratives.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Government Shutdown: D.C. As a Ghost Town

[00:36 – 03:40]

• Buck, reporting from Washington, D.C., shares his firsthand observations:
  • The city is uncrowded, streets are deserted, and traffic is nonexistent due to hundreds of thousands of government workers on furlough.
  • This prompts Buck to question the necessity of such a large federal workforce:

    “What do we need all these government workers for if everything seems fine without them going to their jobs? I think it’s a fair ask… this shutdown, it’s a fantastic time to be in this town.” — Buck Sexton [02:56]

• Buck highlights the separation between essential and non-essential services and implies the shutdown exposes inefficiencies in the federal bureaucracy.

2. Updates on High-Profile Political Stories

James Comey Indictment and Trial
[05:36 – 14:38; 16:59 – 23:24]

• Breaking News Recap:
  • James Comey, former FBI Director, has pleaded not guilty to two federal charges: lying to Congress and obstruction.
  • The trial is set for January 5 and is moving quickly (Bill Hemmer brief from Fox News at [05:36]).
• Clay and Buck’s Commentary:
  • Both hosts lambast Democratic claims that prosecuting Comey sets a dangerous precedent:

    “The lawfare they have done against Trump and his family alone has done tremendous damage to the public’s faith in all of these different facets of our criminal justice system… now they want to tell us we should be worried about going too far in the other direction. No — they already did this.” — Clay Travis [06:14]

  • Buck underscores the need for accountability:

    “We are not going to just lie down and accept a two-tiered system of justice in this town, Washington, D.C., or anywhere else for that matter. And that is important.” — Buck Sexton [13:42]

  • They predict acquittal due to a favorable Northern Virginia jury, but assert the indictment itself is a needed message to the political establishment.

3. Rush Limbaugh’s Archival Warnings on James Comey

[18:40 – 19:48]

• Clay plays a 2019 clip from Rush Limbaugh, who revealed Comey previously admitted to being a communist in his youth and questioned the real ideological motivations of figures like Comey and former CIA Director John Brennan.

  “Turns out not to be true [that Comey is a lifelong Republican]… In a 2003 interview with New York Magazine… Comey said before voting for Jimmy Carter in 1980, he'd been a Communist.” — Rush Limbaugh (archival) [18:40]

  • Clay reflects on the “collectivist foundation” of such officials and connects it to larger issues within the national security bureaucracy.

4. Listener Engagement and “Nobody Is Above the Law”

[21:38; 23:03]

• Listeners call and leave messages, reinforcing the central theme that Comey, due to his high status or stature (“even if you’re 6’10” — referencing both his literal height and power), should not be immune from legal scrutiny.
  • One caller quips:

    “Hey, Buck, I just wanted to repeat the Democrat talking point that nobody is above the law, even if you're 6 foot 10.” — Listener [21:38]

5. Media and Left Critique: Hypocrisy and Precedent

[23:03 – 24:17]

• Buck and Clay respond to left-leaning pundits who claim prosecuting Comey sets a dangerous precedent:

  “I'm sorry, was she asleep for the last four years? …We had a presidential candidate and former president under indictment in four different cases. The first time it had ever happened, and then they did it four times.” — Clay Travis [23:24]

  • They point to the comparatively harsher treatment of Trump advisors Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro, who have served prison time.

6. Global Crime Comparisons and Potential Solutions

[25:30 – 34:59]

• Buck compares the U.S. crime crisis with successes abroad:
  • Low-Crime Societies: Buck references Taiwan, Tokyo, and Norway as examples of high-trust, low-crime societies, but pushes back against the idea that cultural homogeneity is the sole cause.
  • El Salvador’s Transformation:
    • He highlights President Bukele’s efforts:

      “In 2015… El Salvador was at 103 homicides per 100,000 residents… This year, 1.1 per 100,000 — a 100 times reduction in the murder rate in 10 years.” — Buck Sexton [30:14-31:02]

    • Buck argues that American cities like Chicago could, in theory, replicate such turnarounds — it’s ultimately a matter of public will and political choice.
    • He rebuts fatalism, insisting that “it does not have to be this way.”

7. Trump, Urban Crime, and Political Strategy

[39:32 – 40:38]

• Caller Eric from Wisconsin suggests Trump’s strategy of sending federal agents to cities could pierce the “Stockholm syndrome” among urban voters, who could shift allegiances if their daily safety improves.
• Clay concurs, noting:

  “If Trump is safe, successful, what then? …Because people being a lot safer… there’s a real shift that can happen.” — Clay Travis [40:38]

8. Preview of Katie Porter Segment

[04:25, 37:49, 40:38]

• Teaser for a segment on Katie Porter (Congresswoman running for California governor) and her viral exchange with a journalist, criticized for being “very nasty.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On DC During Shutdown:

  “It feels like the swamp has been cleared. It’s great… perfect weather, no bureaucrats, and you can drive anywhere in less than 10 minutes.” — Buck Sexton [02:41]

• On Lawfare:

  “They sent an FBI team to Mar-a-Lago and they went through Melania's sock drawer and libs want to lecture us about James Comey… Is there some special carve out for being a, you know, 6 foot 10 jerk who uses the law in order to puff himself up?” — Clay Travis [07:57]

• Rush Limbaugh on Comey’s Past:

  “Turns out not to be true [that he’s a lifelong Republican]… Comey said… he’d been a communist.” — Rush Limbaugh [18:40]

• On Urban Crime Turnarounds:

  “It’s not true… any Latin American country, and really any country, can do what El Salvador has done. And what Bukele deserves a standing ovation for…” — Buck Sexton [32:47]

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|---------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:36 | Buck’s DC government shutdown observations | | 05:36 | Bill Hemmer (Fox News) update on Comey’s trial | | 06:14 | Clay critiques left’s “dangerous precedent” narrative on Comey | | 13:35 | The importance of indicting elite political actors | | 18:40 | Archival: Rush Limbaugh warns about Comey’s ideological past | | 23:24 | Clay attacks media’s concern over precedent | | 25:30 | Comparison: Crime rates in U.S., Taiwan, Japan, El Salvador | | 30:14 | El Salvador’s historic murder rate drop | | 39:32 | Caller Eric: Trump, urban crime, and political consequences | | 40:38 | Clay: “If Trump is safe, successful, what then?” |

Tone & Style

Clay and Buck blend earnest conservative analysis with playful banter, listener engagement, and tongue-in-cheek cultural references (e.g., superhero analogies, jokes about bureaucrats, and wordplay). The segment includes pointed criticisms of left-leaning figures and media, nostalgic nods to Rush Limbaugh, and calls to action for the conservative movement.

Conclusion

The episode provides a brisk run-through of government dysfunction, elite hypocrisy, and criminal justice double standards. With humor, personal anecdotes, and stern warnings, Clay and Buck frame recent events through a conservative lens, all while urging their audience to stay vigilant, informed, and politically active.