The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show – "Subsidizing Fraud" (Hour 1)

Air Date: January 16, 2026
Hosts: Clay Travis and Buck Sexton
Theme: Examining fraud and inefficiencies in healthcare subsidies, the rural-urban divide in healthcare and politics, immigration enforcement battles in Minnesota, and international developments with Iran.

Episode Overview

In this episode, Clay and Buck dig into the ongoing consequences of massive government spending in healthcare, especially concerning fraud within Obamacare and Medicaid. They discuss how rural America continues to be shortchanged by these programs, analyze the latest enforcement battles over immigration in Minnesota, and touch on Trump’s recent engagement with Iran regarding halted executions. The discussion is characteristically energetic and peppered with biting humor, candid observations, and their signature blend of news breakdown and political analysis.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Kicking Off 2026 and Current Events (02:29–06:25)

• The hosts open with banter about the new year and a playful back-and-forth about possibly broadcasting from Greenland.
  • Clay jokes about logistical hurdles; Buck touts Greenland’s “telecommunications capacities.”
• Notable Quote:
  “You and I are going to get to Greenland and no communication devices are going to work… if you’re hearing this, it probably means that we are unconnectable somewhere in Greenland!” – Clay Travis (03:59)

2. Healthcare Focus: Rural vs. Urban Divide & Obamacare Critique (06:25–15:00)

• Trump’s rural health roundtable is highlighted; audio clips feature his criticism of Obamacare’s urban bias.
  • Trump laments that only 7% of Medicaid spending goes to rural hospitals, saying Obama didn't care for rural America and only aided insurance companies (07:24–08:08).
    • Notable Quote:
      “They didn’t care. Obama didn’t care about the rural community. To be totally blunt, what he did care about is insurance companies. And this was a bill to make insurance companies wealthy.” – Donald Trump (07:50)
• Clay and Buck discuss perverse incentives in Obamacare:
  • Health insurers are incentivized to enroll as many as possible for subsidies, even if enrollees don’t use the insurance.
  • Many signed up "never even know they have it," and some “don’t pay even $5” (09:30–10:00).
• Arguing the system isn't real insurance; it’s a complex subsidy and profit center favoring large corporations and urban areas.

3. Fraud in Federal Programs, Especially Healthcare (11:05–14:07)

• Discussion on staggering levels of fraud:
  • Citing prior guest Scott Besson and Elon Musk: up to 10% of the federal budget (about $600–$800 billion) is fraud (12:05).
    • Notable Quote:
      “He [Elon Musk/Scott Besson] said we could probably increase GDP by a substantial margin if we just reallocated those resources outside of the fraud category.” – Clay Travis (12:13)
  • Much comes from healthcare, but also from other subsidized state/federal programs (13:00).
  • Fraud in Minneapolis’s daycare system is linked to why Trump surged resources to the area for ICE enforcement.

4. Political Impact: Census, Redistricting & Immigration (13:10–14:07)

• With increased deportations, the 2030 census—and thus the House of Representatives—could see less benefit for Democrats, since illegal immigrants currently counted in census totals help tip representation (13:30).
  • Potential for significant shift in congressional districts’ balance of power.

5. Rural Healthcare Funding (14:07–15:00)

• Trump claims historic increase of $50 billion for rural healthcare (“the great big beautiful bill”), emphasizing political loyalty and benefit to red-leaning areas:
  • Notable Quote:
    “We increased funding for rural healthcare by an unprecedented, record setting $50 billion over five years, which will benefit Americans in all 50 states.” – Donald Trump (14:51)

6. Obamacare’s Predicted Collapse Didn’t Happen—But Fraud Persists (19:37–22:12)

• Clay relays Wall Street Journal editorial numbers:
  • Enrollment dropped far less than experts predicted, indicating no apocalypse—but also suggests fraud remains rampant (19:37–21:55).
  • Around 12 million out of 24 million Obamacare enrollees report no medical claims—suggesting they may not even know they’re enrolled.
    • Notable Quote:
      “Doesn’t it seem crazy that half of those people would have no health care claims whatsoever? …The math just doesn’t add up.” – Clay Travis (21:24)
  • The requirement for just a $5 annual payment is suggested as a threshold for legitimate enrollment.

7. Ongoing ICE Enforcement Crisis in Minnesota (24:24–32:38)

• Tensions rise in Minnesota as both local and federal enforcement clash:
  • Reports of ICE vehicles broken into, firearms stolen; host notes that federal authorities pursue such crimes aggressively.
  • Scott Jennings (CNN) audio: Criticizes local officials—says using terms like “federal occupation” incites violence (25:15–26:11).
    • Notable Quote:
      “You have Walls and Fry and Flanagan and the rest of these Democrats in Minnesota radicalizing and propagandizing their constituency, telling them things that aren’t true.” – Buck Sexton (25:34)
  • Stephen Miller, former Trump official, calls protestors “insurrectionists” and stresses law enforcement’s national security priority.
    • Quote:
      “Right now, the insurrectionists have come out of hiding. They’re confronting our officers on the street. ... This is a national security priority. … It does feel pretty insurrectiony.” – Stephen Miller & Buck Sexton (27:45–28:35)
  • They discuss the challenge Democrats face in finding sympathetic faces for anti-ICE protests. Instead, too often the focus is on repeat violent offenders—some displaying face tattoos.
    • Clay speculates, “If you have a face tattoo, I think you are 100 times as likely to have committed a violent crime…” (29:23–29:38), humorously highlighting the optics problem.

8. Comparative Safety and Policing in Cities (32:38–35:12)

• Miami and Nashville are highlighted as cities that support their police—resulting in notably low homicide rates, contrasting sharply with Minneapolis.
  • Buck credits this to political climates in Florida and Tennessee that support law enforcement rather than undermine it.
  • Fewer murders in Miami and Nashville are seen as direct results of strong policies and police backing.

9. Progress on Overdose Deaths and the Southern Border (35:12–36:48)

• Clay notes a national drop in fentanyl/overdose deaths in 2025, suggesting stricter southern border controls have saved lives.

10. International Segment: Iran’s Halted Executions (41:00–44:06)

• Trump “truths” a thank you to Iran for canceling 800 scheduled executions.
  • Clay and Buck discuss whether this signals a real thaw or is a maneuver amid US military posturing (41:40–43:37).
  • Buck is skeptical it signals regime change or true reform, suggesting Trump views direct action as unlikely to topple the Iranian government.

Notable Quotes & Time Stamps

• “They didn’t care. Obama didn’t care about the rural community. To be totally blunt, what he did care about is insurance companies.” – Donald Trump (07:50)
• “If you have a face tattoo, I think you are 100 times as likely to have committed a violent crime…” – Clay Travis (29:23)
• “Right now, the insurrectionists have come out of hiding. They’re confronting our officers on the street. … It does feel pretty insurrectiony.” – Stephen Miller & Buck Sexton (27:45–28:35)
• “Doesn’t it seem crazy that half of those people would have no health care claims whatsoever? …The math just doesn’t add up.” – Clay Travis (21:24)

Summary Table of Main Segments

| Topic | Time | Key Points | |---------------------------------------|------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Banter, Greenland, show logistics | 02:29–06:25| Greenland jokes; rural America intro; importance of health care | | Rural health care, Obamacare critique | 06:25–15:00| Trump slams Medicaid focus on cities; insurance company profits; waste and fraud in subsidies | | Fraud in healthcare & programs | 11:05–14:07| Vast fraud estimates ($600–$800B/yr); impedes GDP; example of daycare system fraud in Minneapolis | | Census, immigration, politics | 13:10–14:07| Deportations, 2030 census, House representation; Democrats’ census advantage waning | | Obamacare fraud, WSJ numbers | 19:37–22:12| No “apocalypse” but fraud remains; millions enrolled w/zero healthcare claims | | ICE crisis in Minnesota | 24:24–32:38| Local vs. federal standoff; officials inciting; “insurrectionist” language; violent offenders as protest faces | | Crime data, police support | 32:38–35:12| Safe Miami/Nashville; contrast with Minneapolis; political support for law enforcement as factor | | Fentanyl deaths down; border security | 35:12–36:48| Overdose deaths dropping; border measures credited | | Iran halted executions | 41:00–44:06| Trump’s message to Iran; skepticism about regime change; US carrier moves interpreted as strategic leverage |

Memorable Moments

• The comedic riffing on doing a show from Greenland, questioning remote broadcast viability.
• Clay and Buck’s candid takedown of Obamacare’s perverse incentives, using vivid examples and numbers.
• The direct comparisons of violent crime rates between Miami, Nashville, and Minneapolis, attributing differences to politics and public support for police.
• Clay’s tongue-in-cheek but illustrative “face tattoo” metric when discussing protest optics.
• Segment dissecting the role of fraud in bloated government budgets, painting it not just as inefficiency, but as a drain on GDP and effective governance.

Conclusion

This hour of The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show delivers a high-energy critique of government healthcare subsidies, highlights the political fight over immigration and census representation, and explores both national and international angles with depth and wit. The episode is a must-listen for those interested in the interplay between policy, politics, and the practical realities on the ground in healthcare, law enforcement, and foreign affairs.