Podcast Summary: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show – “Hour 1: The AOC of TN”
Date: November 24, 2025
Hosts: Clay Travis & Buck Sexton
Episode Focus: A pivotal congressional race in Tennessee, the “AOC of TN” phenomenon, and major political storylines including Trump’s approach to new leadership in NYC.
Episode Overview
In this episode, Clay and Buck launch into Thanksgiving week by tackling the critical special election in Tennessee’s 7th congressional district—Clay’s own district—drawing national attention due to an unexpected, highly progressive Democratic contender dubbed “the AOC of Tennessee.” They highlight the intensity of Democratic campaigning, GOP complacency concerns, Trump’s surprising approach to newly elected NYC mayor Mamdani, and the stakes of recent crime policy shifts in major American cities. The hosts balance humor, urgency, and personal anecdotes, especially regarding the remarkable contrasts between Nashville and left-leaning urban centers.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Thanksgiving Travel & National News Roundup
- Clay welcomes listeners back and notes it’s Thanksgiving week, with record numbers of Americans traveling (03:05).
- The duo intends to entertain and inform listeners amidst holiday bustle, with Clay just back from Italy.
2. Tennessee’s Critical Congressional Race
- Early voting is underway; the special election will be held December 2nd—an odd date when many Republicans may be away or distracted by holidays (03:05–06:15, 25:30–37:32).
- The Democratic candidate, “the AOC of Tennessee” (Afton Bain), is running an aggressively progressive campaign, with national Dem fundraising and DNC resources pouring into a deep-red seat.
- Key Concern: GOP turnout. Clay worries Republican voters might not realize the election is happening, while Democratic voters are mobilizing effectively.
"They're relying on Republicans not showing up...The crazy base of the Democrat Party, the people who have the most fervent Trump derangement syndrome on the planet, they show up for dog catcher races to vote against Trump. They show up for every race." – Clay Travis (27:04)
- Democratic Candidate’s Radical Positions
- Afton Bain’s history: Calls for defunding or outright dissolving the Nashville police, cheering burning of police stations, harassing ICE officers (32:25–36:47).
- Clay: “She is absolutely insane. So again, they're counting on their base of crazies. Think about how crazy she is. She won't even walk back saying that she wants to defund the police.” (34:03)
- Audio clip of Bain dodging on-air questions about her past Tweets supporting abolishing police and riots (33:07).
- District Specifics and GOP Anxiety
- The district is Trump +20, but Dems are leveraging low Republican awareness and odd election timing.
- Prominent conservatives like Clay, Brett Cooper, and Candace Owens reside in the district: “They’re going right into your kitchen and trying to eat your drumsticks, my friend.” – Buck Sexton (29:54)
- Clay’s Rally Cry
- Encourages early voting; warns of national embarrassment if the GOP loses a “Beverly Hills of the South” district.
- Urges significant turnout—“If you don't go and vote on this thing, no cobbler for you...no cobbler on Thanksgiving. You're cut off from the smash pie.” – Buck Sexton (37:55)
3. Trump and the “Bro Fest” with NYC Mayor Mamdani
- Trump’s public, congenial meeting with new NYC mayor Mamdani is dissected (06:16–12:05, 46:01–46:38).
- Trump takes an unexpectedly amicable approach, congratulating Mamdani and offering support for New York—“the art of the deal.”
- Reporters tried to provoke Trump by referencing Mamdani’s history of calling him a fascist; Trump shrugs it off: “You could just say yes, okay. It’s easier than explaining it. I don’t mind.” (09:44, Trump, via Buck)
- Analysis: Trump’s strategy is to appear magnanimous, setting up future contrasts if Mamdani fails.
“I think he gains nothing by coming out guns blazing...if anything you could argue it's something of the art of the deal, where Trump is opening up the possibility...maybe Mamdani will actually be less crazy than anticipated. I wouldn't bet money on it.” – Buck Sexton (10:21)
- Listener Call Reaction: Some conservative New Yorkers felt betrayed by Trump’s soft tone, wanting stronger pushback against what they view as a “Marxist Communist” mayor (45:53).
4. Urban Crime: Nashville vs. NYC
- Clay contrasts Nashville’s 60-year crime low with Memphis’s dramatic improvement, largely overlooked by national media (12:24–14:20).
- Clay and Buck credit NYPD’s Jessica Tish, and former mayor Eric Adams for reversing NYC’s post-2020 crime surge—a record 30% drop after BLM year spike (15:08–15:48).
- Debate over whether new progressive leadership will obstruct current police policy and trigger a crime resurgence.
5. Miscellaneous but Notable Moments
- Clay’s visit with the Pope: Clay shares a humorous anecdote about his trip to Italy to meet Pope Francis and facilitate the Pope possibly throwing out the first pitch at a new White Sox stadium (22:36–24:27).
- Judicial News: The hosts break in with news that a judge dismissed federal cases involving James Comey and Letitia James, not for substantive reasons but due to a technical/procedural issue about appointment authority. Clay carefully explains the ruling’s implications (43:15–45:25).
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Democratic turnout:
"The crazy base of the Democrat Party...show up for dog catcher races to vote against Trump." – Clay Travis (27:04)
-
On Trump’s meeting with Mamdani:
“You could just say yes, okay. It’s easier than explaining it. I don’t mind.” – Donald Trump, on being called a fascist (09:44, via Buck)
-
On the “AOC of TN”:
“This chick is...crazy. She is absolutely insane. So again, they're counting on their base of crazies. Think about how crazy she is. She won't even walk back saying that she wants to defund the police.” – Clay Travis (34:03)
-
On consequences of the TN race:
“They’re going right into your kitchen and trying to eat your drumsticks, my friend.” – Buck Sexton (29:54) “If you don't go and vote on this thing, no cobbler for you...no cobbler on Thanksgiving. You're cut off from the smash pie.” – Buck Sexton (37:55)
-
Listener frustration over Trump’s tone:
“What I wasn't expecting was for our president...to tell me as a New Yorker that he's going to be a good mayor, knowing he is a Marxist communist.” – Sean from Queens (45:53)
Important Segments & Timestamps
- 03:05 – Opening, Thanksgiving travel, episode agenda
- 06:16 – Trump-Mamdani “bro fest” discussion
- 09:44 – Trump’s live reaction to being called a fascist (cut 7)
- 12:24-15:48 – Discussion of crime stats in Nashville, Memphis, and NYC; credit to NYPD & Eric Adams
- 25:30–37:32 – Deep dive into Tennessee 7th congressional race; urgency and breakdown of the “AOC of TN's” positions
- 33:07 – MSNBC clip: Dem candidate’s dodges on support for abolishing police and riots
- 37:55 – Hosts’ humorous warning on GOP turnout (“no cobbler for you!”)
- 43:15–45:25 – Judicial procedural update: Dismissing cases against James Comey/Letitia James
- 45:53 – Caller “Sean from Queens” vents about Trump’s approach
Tone & Style
Clay and Buck maintain their signature blend of irreverent humor and consuming political focus. Clay leverages personal stakes and regional insight to build urgency around the TN election, blending self-deprecating jokes and sports metaphors. Buck provides the sharper, almost tactical analysis, particularly regarding Trump’s strategic moves. Their banter is energetic, with palpable concern over progressive encroachment in Republican strongholds, offset by comical threats of "no cobbler" without conservative turnout.
Summary prepared for listeners seeking both immediate political context and an entertaining play-by-play of the hosts' perspectives on key topics of the week.