Hour 1 - The Kick Ass Standard

Summary

The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Hour 1 – The Kick Ass Standard
Date: September 30, 2025
Host: Clay Travis (Buck Sexton reporting from Taiwan)
Producer: iHeartPodcasts

---

Episode Overview

This episode centers primarily on the current cultural and political debates surrounding meritocracy, military standards, and the backlash against "woke" policies within the armed forces and American institutions. The hosts also discuss the ongoing government shutdown, international news on Israel and Hamas, the latest from Donald Trump regarding prescription drug prices, and the broader issue of courage and speaking out against prevailing orthodoxies, exemplified by J.K. Rowling’s public statements.

Clay Travis invites listeners to question narratives around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), merit-based standards, and delivers a strong challenge toward those with means and influence to stand up for their beliefs.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Show Opening and Global Context

• Buck Sexton is reporting from Taiwan, potentially a significant geopolitical hotspot, and will return next week.
• Upcoming guests: Senator Markwayne Mullen (Oklahoma) and Steve Scalise will join in the third hour.
• Main U.S. news focus: Looming government shutdown, which Clay views as overblown and ultimately inconsequential for everyday Americans.
• Middle East update: Awaiting whether Hamas agrees to a new peace deal for Israel.

2. Government Shutdown: Underwhelming Realities

• Clay expresses skepticism about the practical impact of the government shutdown, framing it as media-driven and reminiscent of previous shutdowns during the Clinton administration.
  • Quote: “I feel like they've overplayed their hand on the government shutdown as a major narrative that people care about.” (05:36)

3. Trump’s Announcement on Prescription Drug Pricing

• [06:15] Trump claims credit for Pfizer agreeing to sell prescription medications at the "most favored nation" prices, projecting huge savings for American consumers and taxpayers.
  • Donald Trump (06:15):

    “Pfizer has agreed to offer countless prescription medications at major discounts… as a result of the most favored nation drug pricing order... This will save American taxpayers and consumers hundreds of millions of dollars.”

4. "Kick Ass Standard" in the U.S. Military

• Pete Hegseth’s speech: Emphasizes the necessity for a single, high physical and fitness standard in the military, rejecting different standards based on gender or DEI mandates.
  • [07:54] Pete Hegseth:

    “Each service will ensure that every requirement… returns to the highest male standard. Only because this job is life or death. Standards must be met and… we should seek to exceed the standard.”

  • Hegseth criticizes prior “woke” military policies for weakening readiness and insists merit and capability must return as the primary criteria for military advancement.
  • [09:52] Pete Hegseth:

    “Would you want [your child] serving with fat or unfit or undertrained troops or alongside people who can’t meet basic standards?... The answer is not just no. It’s hell no.”

5. Debate About Meritocracy vs. Diversity in Elite Roles

• Clay uses sports and tech industry analogies (Olympic basketball, spelling bees, Silicon Valley) to argue that strict demographic representation is less important than fielding the most skilled and driven individuals.

  • [10:19] Clay Travis:

    “The best men or the best women should be at the absolute apex in this country. That hasn’t been true in the military. So I give credit to Pete Hegseth for that speech.”

• He directly counters the notion that direct representation is necessary for excellence, pointing to fields where high achievement often comes from overrepresented (or underrepresented) groups.

6. J.K. Rowling, Courage, and Cancel Culture

• Clay devotes an extended segment to Rowling’s recent public statements and the broader theme of “golden handcuffs,” describing how many wealthy or prominent individuals fail to speak out despite having the means.

• Reads lengthy excerpts from Rowling’s online statements pushing back against her “Harry Potter” cast critics, particularly Emma Watson, and calling out the luxury and ignorance of those who support gender identity ideology without having faced real-world consequences.

  • [36:00+] J.K. Rowling, quoted by Clay:

    “Emma has so little experience of real life she’s ignorant of how ignorant she is... She’ll never need a homeless shelter, she’s never going to be placed on a mixed sex public hospital ward…”

• Clay then challenges wealthy and influential listeners to exercise similar bravery, using Rowling as a template:

  • “Why are you such cowards? Why do you continue to try and stay behind the scenes because you’re worried about what people might say to you when you know that they are wrong?”

7. Joy Reid and Misunderstandings of Fascism

• Clay and Buck tackle a claim by MSNBC’s Joy Reid equating less government taxation with “fascism.”
  • [44:51] Joy Reid (clip):

    “If you go back before the 20th century, there were no income taxes, no regulations… That’s the world they want back.”

  • Buck Sexton’s retort (45:12):

    “Fascism is just the government taking less of my money? This is really very funny. These people have the intellectual capability of particularly daft bats.”

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• President Donald Trump on drug pricing [06:15]:

  “We’re going to be paying the lowest price now. We’re going to be paying whatever the lowest prices favored nations. This will save American taxpayers and consumers hundreds of millions of dollars.”

• Pete Hegseth on military standards [07:54, 09:52]:

  “Each service will ensure that every requirement… returns to the highest male standard. Only because this job is life or death.”
  “Would you want him serving with fat or unfit or undertrained troops... The answer is not just no. It’s hell no.”

• Clay Travis on meritocracy [10:19]:

  "We don’t need to have our nation directly reflecting what the population looks like as a whole when it comes to elite jobs.”

• J.K. Rowling, read by Clay [~36:00]:

  “Emma has so little experience of real life she’s ignorant of how ignorant she is... She’ll never need a homeless shelter…”

• Clay’s challenge to the elite [~40:00]:

  “Why is J.K. Rowling willing to put everything that she has on the line to stand for truth and you are still hiding in the shadows…?”

• Buck Sexton on Joy Reid’s fascism analogy [45:12]:

  “Fascism is just the government taking less of my money? This is really very funny. These people have the intellectual capability of particularly daft bats.”

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:36] Show begins; Buck is in Taiwan; government shutdown preview.
• [06:15] Trump announces Pfizer’s drug pricing deal.
• [07:54] Pete Hegseth on military standards—“the kick ass standard.”
• [09:52] Hegseth’s “golden rule” for military performance.
• [13:30+] Clay’s analogy with sports (basketball, Olympics) and other elite institutions.
• [30:00+] J.K. Rowling’s battle with Emma Watson and commentary read aloud.
• [36:00+] Clay’s reflections on “golden handcuffs,” courage, and Rowling’s stand.
• [44:51] Joy Reid clip and Clay/Buck lampooning of “fascism” mischaracterization.

---

Conclusion

This episode is a passionate defense of meritocracy, standards, and the courage to speak hard truths in a climate Clay and Buck argue is dominated by DEI orthodoxy and surface-level discourse. Whether criticizing "woke" policies in the military or calling for millionaires and billionaires to show moral courage like J.K. Rowling, the hosts channel skepticism, humor, and direct challenges to their audience. The balance of current events, iconic pop culture feuds, and tough-love monologues keeps the tone bold, irreverent, and closely tied to the show's conservative brand.

---

Listen to The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show for the full context and future episodes.

Transcript

[Clay Travis]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[LG X Boom Advertiser]

Stop settling for weak sound. It's time to level up your game and bring the boom. Hit the town with the ultra durable LG X Boom portable speaker and enjoy vibrant sound wherever you go. Elevate your listening experience to new heights because let's be real, your music deserves it. The future of sound is now with LG X Boom and for a limited time save [e-mail] with code fall 25 bring the boom xboom there's a lot.

[Cynthia Littleton]

Going on in Hollywood. How are you supposed to stay on top of it all? Variety has the solution. Take 20 minutes out of your day and listen to the new daily Variety podcast for breaking entertainment news and expert perspectives.

[Buck Sexton]

Where do you see the business actually heading?

[Cynthia Littleton]

Featuring the iconic journalists of Variety and hosted by co Editor in Chief Cynthia Littleton.

[Clay Travis]

The only constant in Hollywood is change.

[Cynthia Littleton]

Open your free iHeartradio app, search daily Variety and listen now.

[TiVo Plus Advertiser]

Looking for entertainment everyone will love? TiVo plus has you covered with over 300 free channels. From movies for family night to kids shows, live news, sports and your favorite TV series all in one place. No signups, no credit card required. Just turn on and enjoy. And with new channels and fresh content added all the time, there's always something to watch. TiVo plus free, binge worthy and always on. Check us [e-mail] a new NFL season.

[NFL Shop Advertiser]

Means a fresh start and fresh styles. @nflshop.com you'll find the latest jerseys, hats and sideline gear to rep your team all season long. From rookies making their debut to legends, NFLShop.com has it all. Score exclusive styles you won't find anywhere else and show up ready for every kickoff and big play fan like a pro and Shop now@NFL NFLShop.com.

[Buck Sexton]

When the job site gets loud and deadlines get tighter, your team needs a line of communication that won't quit. Rapid Radios keeps crews connected on construction zones and warehouses or across campus grounds. No delays, just crisp, reliable talk with the push of a button, group chats, private calls and battery life that goes for days. Even in the toughest conditions.

[Pure Talk Wireless Advertiser]

Rapid Radios gets the job done. Clear comms, fast response, built for work. Visit rapid radios.com welcome in.

[Buck Sexton]

Hope all of you are having fantastic Tuesdays wherever you are, across the country or around the world. We have got a ton of different stories to dive into with you. Buck is in Taiwan as I said yesterday, for the entire week, so he will be back on Monday. Monday I'll read a couple of the tweets that he has shared as he has been over there doing meetings and checking out what could become one of the major geopolitical flashpoints in the world. He is there for this week. Like I said, we'll be back on Monday. A couple of guests coming your way in the third hour. Senator Mark Wayne Mullen of Oklahoma and Steve Scalise will join us as well. As the looming government shutdown nears closer, inches closer and closer. Big speech this morning by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. It can be summed up as don't be fat. If you are a general or an admiral, you should be in decent shape. And also the job of the military is to kick ass. And so if you can't fulfill basic standards for health and fitness and lethality, then you shouldn't be serving in our armed forces. And it's very well received speech. We may play a couple of cuts of that for you eventually. President Trump also spoke and has been basically speaking all day so far, and a lot of it focused on both the military and also now on the cost of prescription drugs. And he is right now in the process of letting everyone know that he is doing his best to bring down the cost of prescription drugs. So all of that is underway. We are awaiting news on whether Hamas is going to agree to the Middle east peace plan that was laid out yesterday near the end of the program. And we will continue to monitor the looming, as I said, government shutdown, which is likely to not impact very many of you very substantially. And again, I'm sorry for being cynical on this, but eventually they're going to reach an agreement. It's going to lead to deficits increasing and nobody's life is really going to be that impacted. I feel like they've overplayed their hand on the government shutdown as a major narrative that people care about. And it's been going on for the first time. I really remember it becoming a major issue was in the Clinton White House. And maybe the most significant aspect of the Clinton government shutdown issues were that that was when Clinton initially met Monica Lewinsky and ended up engaging in salacious behavior in the Oval Office. That maybe put it mildly, that may be the most consequential thing that happened from the government shutdowns back in the 90s was the Clinton impeachments and the Monica Lewinsky fracas. But again, this is eventually going to get it. It's eventually going to get itself fixed. So let's play a couple of things just off the top that I do think are significant of the news here is Trump announcing that Pfizer will offer prescription drugs to Americans and at most favored nation prices. This just happened. Cut 32.

[Donald Trump]

Today I'm thrilled to announce that one of the world's largest pharmaceutical manufacturers and one of the best anywhere in the world, Pfizer, has agreed to offer countless prescription medications at major discounts in the United States as a result of the most favored nation drug pricing order that we established earlier this year. As you know, the United States is paying sometimes 10 times more than other countries for drugs. And a lot of excuses were made for that went on for many years, many, many years. Decades. And it's not going on any longer. We're going to be paying the lowest price now. We're going to be paying whatever the lowest prices favored nations. This will save American taxpayers and consumers hundreds of millions of dollars.

[Buck Sexton]

Okay, so that is what's going on right now. Let me play some of these because I do think the cuts from Pete Hegseth earlier today talking to his generals and his admirals is significant because what it's coming to represent is we are pushing back aggressively against the idea basically that diversity is our strength or that men and women are the same and that the ability of someone basically to kick ass is not paramount inside of the military. Hegseth is saying, look, our job is to kick ass and we're going to do everything that it takes to make sure that everyone in the military is capable of doing that. Let's listen to a couple of these cuts because I do think culturally this is significant. Pete Hegseth cut 15 today, at my.

[Pete Hegseth]

Direction, each service will ensure that every requirement for every combat mos for every designated combat arms position returns to the highest male standard. Only because this job is life or death. Standards must be met and not just met at every level. We should seek to exceed the standard.

[Buck Sexton]

This is important because I know a lot of you are in the service and they have developed this idea that there is a male standard for physicality and a female standard for physicality. And if your job is to kick ass, the standard should just be the kick ass standard. Not, hey, men have to do this to qualify and women have to do this lesser ability to qualify. That doesn't make any sense when the job actually requires ass kicking. And so I think this is significant. It also ties in with this cut 18. Biology matters. Men and women are different. Listen to cut 18.

[Pete Hegseth]

As foolish and reckless as the woke department was, those officers were following elected political leadership. An entire generation of generals and admirals were told that they must parrot the insane fallacy that, quote, our diversity is our strength. Of course we know our unity is our strength. They had to put out dizzying DEI and LGBTQ I plus statements. They were told females and males are the same thing. Or that males who think they're females, totally normal. They were told that we need a green fleet and electric tanks. They were told to kick out Americans who refused an emergency vaccine. They followed civilian policies set by foolish and reckless political leaders.

[Buck Sexton]

You know, this is also a standard that Hegseth is applying going forward when it comes to the generals and the admirals as well. In terms of what do you want your leadership to look like? Cut 16.

[Pete Hegseth]

The new war Department golden rule is this. Do onto your unit as you would have done onto your own unit. Child's unit. Would you want him serving with fat or unfit or under trained troops or alongside people who can't meet basic standards? Or in a unit where standards were lowered so certain types of troops could make it in? In a unit where leaders were promoted for reasons other than merit, performance, and war fighting? The answer is not just no. It's hell no.

[Buck Sexton]

Okay? This is important. And the military is symbolic of this in many ways. What the Trump administration is advocating for is a simple and basic return to the idea of the meritocracy that is the best man or the best woman should have the most success, not the person who looks a certain way. And that we don't need to have. And I think this is essential, integral even. We don't need to have our nation directly reflecting what the population looks like as a whole when it comes to elite jobs. And I'll give you an example from the world of sports that I've been hammering for a long time what Pete Hexess said, diversity is not our strength. I think that's 100% true. Now, diversity of thought matters in many respects, but what matters is that the most elite are able to achieve at the highest possible level. Let me give you an example. The Olympics are next year. The United States men's basketball team may not have any white, Asian, or Hispanic athletes on it. Think about that for a minute. Black men represent around 6% of the overall population. They are going to have 100%, potentially, of our US men when it comes to the Olympic team that we put on the court next year. And if they don't have 100%, they're going to have 90% or 88% or whatever. The math is overwhelming numbers. That is one of the foremost examples of a lack of diversity at elite positions anywhere in the United States. Yet those guys are the best. If we said we need a men's basketball team that accurately reflects the American population, we would have 60% white guys, we would have 13, 14% Hispanic guys, we would have right around 12%. This is assuming, by the way, that we're willing to acknowledge there's a biological difference and not saying that women should be on the team too, because that would more perfectly reflect the American population. Right? But let's say for the US Men's basketball team, we're only going to have men because men are better at basketball than women. That would mean if we did a perfect snapshot of America, you'd have to fire a lot of black guys. In fact, nine, probably black guys on the roster would lose their job and they would be replaced by other basketball players that are not as good. And the result would be our basketball team would perfectly reflect American diversity. Majority white, same number of Hispanic guys as black guys, Asian guy and boy. It would be a cosmetically beautiful photo. But we get our ass kicked probably by a lot of other countries because in trying to perfectly reflect American diversity on our basketball team, we would actually end up with a far less meritocratic team. That is the best players wouldn't actually make the US men's basketball team. It's a great example for those of you out there that have to deal with DEI all the time in your own jobs. There's no DEI in basketball. Basketball is actually among the least diverse, high earning jobs in America. Nobody points to it, nobody says, hey, what's wrong here? They're getting this wrong. This, this basketball team doesn't look like America. There's way too many black guys on it. You never hear it said. And in fact, if the basketball team looked like America, we'd all be worse. Well, I think you could make that argument in the military too. Don't we want the baddest ass war fighters on the planet to rise to levels of command and to rise to the levels of the most significant ranks in our military. We don't want Admiral Levine, that dude pretending to be a chick, trying to lead our troops. That isn't actually a strength at all. In fact, it's, I would argue, an example of mental illness inside of the military. That that is someone who is in a position of authority. We should want in all facets of American life the absolute best, most talented people with the most significant jobs. We gotta bring back the meritocracy in America. And sometimes that might mean that the positions at the absolute apex don't 100% reflect America. There's a lot more Asian dudes working at a high level in Silicon Valley right now than there are Asian dudes in the country. Is that racism? No, it's that those guys have a skill set that they are putting to work in Silicon Valley that vastly over exceeds as a population per capita percentage what you would expect to see. The best men or the best women should be at the absolute apex in this country. That hasn't been true in the military. So I give credit to Pete Hegseth for that speech that he gave. Why I think it's significant culturally is it represents a major pivot point from Joe Biden saying, I'm going to put a black woman on the Supreme Court. I'm going to pick a woman to be my vice president. You're not saying you're picking the best person for the job. You're telling us that you're checking a box and in the process you're actually delegitimizing the people that you are picking. This is a real decision that has to be made. The best man or the best woman, not the best man pretending to be a woman, should be on the medal stand when it comes to the end of every sporting event. And the best man or the best woman or some combination thereof should be in leadership everywhere. We're going to dive into this. I want to go back Yesterday. I mentioned J.K. rowling and what I thought was so profound about what she said. I want to dive into that. I'm going to play some of the cuts from my Paul Fine Bomb interview that went everywhere. Don Lemon and Joy Reid have some thoughts on race in America. And I think you're going to enjoy those. And by enjoy those, I mean you're going to fall off your chairs. You're going to have to grip the steering wheel tighter because you're going to look around and say, I can't believe that this is what passes for thought leadership on the left in this country. But first, I want to tell you the two year anniversary of October 7, 2023 in Israel is rapidly approaching. And this Sunday you're going to witness a show of support for Israel in this nation. You haven't like one you haven't seen in a very long time. Grassroots effort to honor the memory of those lost two years ago in the brutal Hamas terrorist attack. You'll see Israeli flags on display in yards, storefronts, cars, everywhere. It's a movement of support for the people in Israel called the Flags of Fellowship, and it's organized by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. Millions of Americans across our nation will display an Israeli flag in honor and solidarity with the families and victims of that Hamas terror attack. You can be a part of this movement, too. Go online to ifcj.org send a message, stand with Israel. Join the Flags of Fellowship movement. Visit the fellowship [e-mail] that's ifcj.org saving America one thought at a time Clay Travis and Buck Sexton. Find them on the free iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Pure Talk Wireless Advertiser]

In business, they say you can have better, cheaper or faster, but you only get to pick two. What if you could have all three at the same time? That's exactly what Cohere, Thomson Reuters and Specialized Bikes have since they upgraded to the next generation of the cloud.

[Buck Sexton]

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure OCI is the blazing fast platform for your infrastructure, database, application development and AI needs where you can run any workload in a high availability, consistently high performance environment and spend less than you would with other clouds.

[Pure Talk Wireless Advertiser]

How is it faster? OCI's block storage gives you more operations per second cheaper.

[Buck Sexton]

OCI costs up to 50% less for computing, 70% less for storage and 80% less for networking better.

[Pure Talk Wireless Advertiser]

In test after test, OCI customers report lower latency and higher bandwidth versus other clouds. This is the cloud built for AI.

[Buck Sexton]

And all your biggest workloads right now with zero commitment. Try OCI for free. Head to oracle.com clay that's oracle.com clay.

[Pure Talk Wireless Advertiser]

Our society works because of the freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment. Everyday American should be able to speak openly about honesty, family and traditional values without retribution. And that's a principle Pure Talk proudly supports. They sponsor our show, which allows us to stand strongly behind the microphone every day and share the truth with you.

[Buck Sexton]

If you want to support brands that defend freedom and pro American values, we encourage you to switch your wireless service to Pure Talk. You're going to get great 5G coverage on an extremely reliable and secure network and with plans from just 25 bucks a month and you'll save a ton of money.

[Pure Talk Wireless Advertiser]

And PureTalk also believes in creating American jobs and supporting small business. So if you're a small business owner, you can save even more while enjoying white glove Service.

[Buck Sexton]

Go to PureTalk.com Clay to switch to the company. My family trusts PureTalk right now. You'll save an additional 50% off your first month again. PureTalk.com Klay to make the switch today.

[LG X Boom Advertiser]

Stop settling for weak sound. It's time to level up your game and bring the boom. Hit the town with the ultra durable LG X Boom portable speaker and enjoy vibrant sound wherever you go. Elevate your listening experience to new heights because let's be real, your music deserves it. The future of sound is now with LG XBoom and for a limited time, save [e-mail] with code fall25. Bring the boom XBoom.

[Cynthia Littleton]

There's a lot going on in Hollywood. How are you supposed to stay on top of it all? Variety has the solution. Take 20 minutes out of your day and listen to the new daily Variety podcast for breaking entertainment news and expert perspectives.

[Buck Sexton]

Where do you see the business actually heading?

[Cynthia Littleton]

Featuring the iconic journalists of Variety and hosted by co editor in chief Cynthia Littleton.

[Clay Travis]

The only constant in Hollywood is change.

[Cynthia Littleton]

Open your free iHeartRadio app, search Daily Variety and listen now.

[TiVo Plus Advertiser]

Over 300 channels, zero bills. That's TiVo plus live news, reality movies and more. No credit card, no signups available on smart TVs powered by TiVo. Grab the remote, press play and start watching Tebow plus free binge worthy always on. Learn more at Tebow.com welcome back in.

[Buck Sexton]

Clay Travis Buck Sexton show one correction there. I think I said the Olympics were next year. The Winter Olympics are coming up. Summer Olympics 2028. The World cup is next year too. So we got a lot of big sporting events coming up soon. But I think in my analogy, I said in the Summer Olympics, Summer Olympics 2028, Winter Olympics we're about to have, and the World cup we're about to have. But I think that's a really difficult argument to get past. Why should we assume that elite talent perfectly reflects the actual population of the United States in all categories? Well, I'll give you another example. There are almost, almost no spellers who are non Indian. You ever watch the spelling bee? Indian kids, they dominate the spelling bee. I would suggest that's because Indian kids are uniquely committed to the spelling bee. Right? And so if you watch it means they train harder at it. That's, I mean, the number of hours that you have to just pull out a dictionary and memorize how to spell everything, you go watch the finals of the spelling bee, they aren't remotely reflective of the population of the United States. Is that a sign of racism? Is that a sign of the failure of the country to engage in high level success? I don't think so. It's just that elite levels of performance across many different disciplines are rarely perfect snapshots of America. And that's okay. Merit matters, not your skin color or your sexual identity or your gender. We'll get into some of this. I'm going to talk about this in the context of J.K. rowling here in a moment, but first I want to tell you about Pure Talk and how you can save a bundle. How about if you could save a thousand dollars over the life of your cell phone plan in 2026? Coming up, not very far, believe it or not, until Christmas season is here, until Thanksgiving is here, Halloween. Are you looking around at the family budget and saying, boy, I expected that we were going to have a lot more than we do right now. Join the club. We've all been there. How much would an extra thousand dollars at the end of your year be helping out? That's what what team, that's what they can take care of instead of AT and T, T Mobile and Verizon all taking way more of your money than you need. You need pure talk. Dial £250, say clay and Buck to switch to our wireless company today. It's the one I trust to keep me in touch with my boys, my teenage sons. £ £250, say Clay and Buck. That's £250, say Clay and Buck. Welcome back in Clay. Travis Buck Sexton Show. Yesterday, I spent some time talking about how I have so much admiration for J.K. rowling because she is, I would argue, one of the most fearless women in the world, one of the most fearless people on the planet. And you say, okay, what do you mean by that, Clay? J.K. rowling became a billionaire because of the Harry Potter book. Once you become a billionaire, you basically have no risk in life remotely anymore if you decide to have an easy life. That is all of the, all of the things that most of us worry about on a day to day basis. They're all eliminated from your life as a billionaire. I'm not saying that everything in life is perfect when you have a certain amount of money because health can be an issue, your family's health can be an issue. There are lots of things that no matter how much money you have, there can still be issues in your life. But in general, billionaires do not have the same concerns that you and me and most of the rest of us would have. And what has often frustrated me is lots of billionaires may agree with everything I say on this radio program or everything you think out there listening, but they're so concerned about what other people think about them that they don't say what they really think. And to me, the only Reason to have money is to have no constraints on what you are able to say, because otherwise you're just putting on a pair of golden handcuffs. You ever hear that phrase, golden handcuffs? Such an interesting phrase. I never heard it because I didn't grow up with substantial amounts of money. The first time I ever heard it was in law school, because young lawyers, you come out and you make a lot of money. And I remember somebody saying, the money's great, but really it's just a form of golden handcuffs. Somebody a little bit older than me. I said, what do you mean, so? Well, in order to make that money, you are selling your labor to the law firm, and you are giving up much of your life in exchange for the money that they're going to give you. You don't have as much freedom when you become a young lawyer as you do when you're a law student now. You have way more money, but you have way more responsibilities, way more obligations. And I bet a lot of you, as you have grown in life, have come to understand that concept. Maybe you bought a house that's a little bit too much expensive for you. That's a form of golden handcuffs. It's a beautiful home, but can you pay the mortgage every month? Maybe you bought a car that's a little bit too expensive. Oh, it looks good. Oh, can you imagine what the girls are going to think when you pull up at the bar in this one? Can you imagine what everybody in the neighborhood is going to think when you're rolling down the street in that car? Oh, but you know, there's a pretty big payment that comes with that car. It's golden handcuffs. Maybe you got a kid and you're excited because they just got into a good college or a good private school, but you're looking at that tuition bill. It's golden handcuffs. You have to keep working harder and harder. Your things may be getting nicer, but you don't really feel that free because your expenses often are growing at the same rate as your income, sometimes exceeding it. So you'll look back and you'll be like, man, I thought if I ever made twice as much money as I do now, I'd be fine. But somehow you have just as little money making twice as much money as you did before, Right. And there are all sorts of financial consultants out there that'll say, oh, well, it's all about budgeting. And there's a lot of truth to that. But in life, metaphorically, if you are too concerned about what people think about you, you are putting golden handcuffs on yourself because you may not speak out and say what you really think. And it seems to me a lot of billionaires do that. And that's why I am so impressed with J.K. rowling. She could have just done the Hollywood circuit where everybody kisses her ass for the rest of her life. She could have just relaxed on the fact that she wrote this seven book series, Harry Potter and they built this fabulous Universal Studios world Harry Potter, which is truly unbelievable and spectacular. If you got young kids who like to read these books, an entire generation of kids she inspired to read, she could have just kind of rode on the path of genius and wealth and only people would have said nice things about J.K. rowling for the rest of her life. She was on that path. But she saw this gender insanity and she said, I can't stay quiet about this. She saw everybody suddenly arguing, men can become women. And she was the person who said, actually that's not true. You ever notice how you've probably been in a room where somebody has said something that you know is not true and most people won't call it out. You may been at, maybe it was at church, maybe it was at business, maybe it was at a PTA meeting. Somebody says something that everybody knows is untrue, but everybody just feels like they have to stay quiet cuz they're afraid of everybody looking at them. J.K. rowling was like, I'm actually, I, I dissent, right? If you watch Curb your enthusiasm. One of the funny things about the Larry David series, which I love, even though he's a super left wing liberal, is that he actually says a lot of what everybody else thinks. I think I have an element of that in my, in my life. What J.K. rowling did though is super rare. Men can become women. Oh yeah, yeah, this is. Oh, good for you. You go girl. She said, no, no, this is actually not true. And worse than that, it's actually anti feminist. When you say a man can become a woman and the first flipping year he's a woman, he gets woman of the year. It's not even the first movie he was in. He's got a penis. He can't be the woman of the year. What are you chicks doing? You're crazy. A lot of women just went along with it. J.K. rowling said, no. Excuse me, this is not right. And this Emma Watson, Hermione Granger, for all of you out there who watch the movie, she's been going after J.K. rowling for years now over these gender issues. And yesterday J.K. rowling was woke up and she just said, I'm sorry, I'm going to end this bitch. And I got to read some of what she tweeted yesterday, because this is 100% true. Last night when I was getting ready for bed, I turned to my wife. We're getting. Or lights are out almost. I pull my. I was like, did you see what J.K. rowling said about Emma Watson? Wife's like, no, I. I didn't see it yet. And I was like, well, let me just read some of this for you. That because I went back last night before I was going to bed to reread this because it was so well said. And I just want to hit you with a couple of these segments. Um, Emma Watson and her co stars have every right to embrace gender identity ideology. This is the words of J.K. rowling. Such beliefs are legally protected and I wouldn't want to see any of them threatened with loss of work or violence or death because of them. But she says Emma and some of the other kids that grew up on the Harry Potter set have ripped her to shreds. And she says years after they finished acting in Potter, they continue to assume the role of the de facto spokespeople for the world I created. Some of these sentences, I mean, are just. Again, they continue to assume the role of de facto spokespeople for the world I created, says J.K. rowling. I think she may have a future in writing. I think she may one day be able to make a decent living when you've not. This is J.K. rowling continuing. When you've known people since they were 10 years old, it's hard to shake a certain protectiveness. Until quite recently, I hadn't managed to throw off the memory of children who needed to be gently coaxed through their dialogue in a big, scary film studio. For the past few years, I've repeatedly declined invitations from journalists to comment on Emma. I told the producers I didn't want her to be hounded as the result of anything I said. And then she continues. Emma asked someone to pass on a handwritten note from her to me, which contained the single sentence, I'm so sorry for what you're going through. She has my phone number. This was back when the death, rape and torture threats against me were at their peak, at a time when my personal security measures had to be tightened considerably and I was constantly worried for my family's safety. Emma had just publicly poured more petrol on the flames and yet thought a one line expression of concern from her would reassure me of her fundamental sympathy and kindness. And then this paragraph. Buckle up. Like other people who've never experienced adult life uncushioned by wealth and fame, Emma has so little experience of real life she's ignorant of how ignorant she is. She'll never need a homeless shelter. She's never going to be placed on a mixed sex public hospital ward. I'd be astounded if she's been in a high street changing room since childhood. Her public bathroom is single occupancy and comes with a security man standing guard outside the door. Has she had to strip off in a newly mixed sex changing room at a council run swimming pool? Is she ever likely to need a state run rape crisis center that refuses to guarantee an all female service to find herself sharing a prison cell with a male rapist who's identified into the women's prison? I wasn't a multimillionaire at 14. I lived in poverty while writing the book that made Emma famous. I therefore understand from my own life experience what the trashing of women's rights in which Emma has so enthusiastically participated means to women and girls. Without her privileges, adults can't expect to cozy up to an activist movement that regularly calls for a free friend's assassination, then assert their right to the former friend's love as though the friend was in fact their mother. Emma is rightly free to disagree with me and indeed to discuss her feelings about me in public. But I have the same right and I finally decided to exercise it. Holy crap. That thing has 58 million views right now on Twitter. And the reason I wanted to share it was twofold. 1. We need more JK Rowlings. More people who are fearlessly willing to stand for what. What is right. Particularly those of you out there. This is directly addressed to you who have the money and wherewithal to do so. Why are you such cowards? Why do you continue to try and stay behind the scenes? Because you're worried about what people might say to you when you know that they are wrong. 2. I think there are a lot of you that are parents and grandparents that can particularly connect with what J.K. rowling said there. You have gone through struggles that your kids and your grandkids, if you are fortunate enough to have built for them, can never even comprehend. They don't even know what they don't know. And I just. I love. I've never met J.K. rowling. I don't know that I ever will. But when I read that it is so perfectly said on so many different levels that I wanted to make sure that I shared it with all of you. We'll link it on Clay and Buck, but I think if you go read it for yourself, most of us are not going to write best selling novels and become multi billionaires, but all of us in our lives are going to be dealing with young people who are oftentimes standing on the shoulders of giants and they have no idea that that's what's going on. Another way of putting it is they're standing on third base and they think they hit a triple. They've got no idea what actually has to happen in life for them to have had the opportunity they have been given. So earlier in the show I came out against Di. I'm also against people who haven't achieved anything thinking that they are the greatest in their line of work. As she said, she had no money when she wrote the book that made Emma Wat Emma Watson famous. So well said J.K. rowling. Again, I wanted to make sure that I read that for all of you because I see it as a personal opportunity to challenge all of you out there with the resources like J.K. rowling. You're listening right now. You're watching right now. Where's your spine? Where is your bravery? Why is J.K. rowling willing to put everything that she has on the line to stand for truth and you are still hiding in the shadows because you're worried about what some charity board's gonna say. If you come out and speak the truth, I hope you can have some of the bravery just a smidge that J.K. rowling showed in that post and that she has shown in the past several years of her life. A challenge from her to all of you. Look, there are certain documents you always want to have in order. Annual tax returns going through that right now. Your kids properly registered for all the things that they do. That's a constant challenge as a parent. Having a will and a trust in place. Definite must have if you haven't yet created one or both. Trustandwill.com is a website that allows you to do it online without having to find an attorney. Trust and will makes the whole process a lot easier too. The result will give you peace of mind now and your surviving family members clarity in the future. The website to get started, save 20% is trustandwill.com clay. They're experts in creating personalized trust and wills that protect your legacy. Visit trustandwill.com clay. You're going to feel better about having those in place for the benefit of your family and loved ones. I have a trust and a will in place. You should too. Trustinwill.com Clay Patriots radio hosts a couple of regular guys, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton. Find them on the free iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Pure Talk Wireless Advertiser]

Our society works because of the freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment. Everyday American should be able to speak openly about honesty, family and traditional values without retribution. And that's a principle Pure Talk proudly supports. They sponsor our show, which allows us to stand strongly behind the microphone every day and share the truth with you.

[Buck Sexton]

If you want to support brands that defend freedom and pro American values, we encourage you to switch your wireless service to Pure Talk. You're going to get great 5G coverage on an extremely reliable and secure network and with plans from just 25 bucks a month and you'll save a ton of money.

[Pure Talk Wireless Advertiser]

And PureTalk also believes in creating American jobs and supporting small business. So if you're a small business owner, you can save even more while enjoying white glove Service. Go to PureTalk.com buck to make the switch to my cell phone company, PureTalk right now. You'll save an additional 50% off your first month again. PureTalk.com buck to make THE switch today.

[LG X Boom Advertiser]

Stop settling for weak sound. It's time to level up your game and bring the boom. Hit the town with the ultra durable LG X Boom portable speaker and enjoy vibrant sound wherever you go. Elevate your listening experience to new heights because let's be real, your music deserves it. The future of sound is now with LG XBoom and for a limited time, save [e-mail] with code fall25 bring the.

[Cynthia Littleton]

Boom XBoom there's a lot going on in Hollywood. How are you supposed to stay on top of it all? Variety has the solution. Take 20 minutes out of your day and listen to the new daily Variety podcast for breaking entertainment news and expert perspectives.

[Buck Sexton]

Where do you see the business actually headed?

[Cynthia Littleton]

Featuring the iconic journalists of Variety and hosted by co editor in Chief Cynthia.

[Clay Travis]

Littleton, the only constant in Hollywood is change.

[Cynthia Littleton]

Open your free iHeartRadio app, search Daily Variety and listen now.

[TiVo Plus Advertiser]

TiVo plus gives you 300 channels of movies, shows, sports, even kids favorites.

[LG X Boom Advertiser]

All free.

[TiVo Plus Advertiser]

And no, we don't want your credit card. Watch live, Watch on demand. Watching your PJs eating pizza. It's all right there on your Tebow home screen. With so much variety, from comedy and action to live news and family programming, you'll never run out of options TiVo plus free binge worthy and always on. Check us [e-mail] a new NFL season.

[NFL Shop Advertiser]

Means a fresh start and fresh styles. @nflshop.com you'll find the latest jerseys, hats and sideline gear to rep your team all season long. From rookies making their debut to legends, NFLShop.com has it all. Score exclusive styles you won't find anywhere else. And show up ready for every kickoff and big play fan like a pro and shop [e-mail].

[Buck Sexton]

Welcome back in Clay Travis Buck Sexton show. I wanted to play this clip and we're going to have some fun with some of your reactions. But Joy Reid says fascism is actually the government not being able to take more of your money. Listen to this.

[Clay Travis]

If you go back before the 20th century, there were no income taxes, there were no regulations on business. You could earn as much money as you want. Leave 100% of it to your children with no taxes. That's the world they want back. And to get it back, they need society to change. They need people to be less modern. They need people to want fewer things.

[Buck Sexton]

Wait, Fascism is just the government taking less of my money? This is really very funny. These people have the intellectual capability of particularly daft bats. They have no idea what they're even arguing. Yeah, I would love if the government took less of my things. You know what? That isn't fascism. Totalitarian governments, they're never really great when it comes to freedom for you and your property. When we come back, we'll talk more about fine bomb. Teeing off on Disney and Don Lemon, more on extraordinaire.

[LG X Boom Advertiser]

Stop settling for weak sound. It's time to level up your game and bring the boom. Hit the town with the ultra durable LG X Boom portable speaker and enjoy vibrant sound wherever you go. Elevate your listening experience to new heights because let's be real, your music deserves it. The future of sound is now with LG XBoom and for a limited time save 25% at LG.com with code fall25. Bring the boom XBoom there's a lot.

[Cynthia Littleton]

Going on in Hollywood. How are you supposed to stay on top of it all? Variety has the solution. Take 20 minutes out of your day and listen to the new daily Variety podcast for breaking entertainment news and expert perspectives.

[Buck Sexton]

Where do you see the business actually heading?

[Cynthia Littleton]

Featuring the iconic journalists of Variety and hosted by co editor in chief Cynthia Littleton.

[Clay Travis]

The only constant in Hollywood is change.

[Cynthia Littleton]

Open your free iHeartradio app. Search Daily Variety and Listen now.

[TiVo Plus Advertiser]

Looking for entertainment everyone will love? TiVo plus has you covered with over 300 free channels from movies for family night to kids shows, live news, sports and your favorite TV series all in one place. No signups, no credit card required. Just turn on and enjoy. And with new channels and fresh content added all the time, there's always something to watch. TiVo plus free, binge worthy and always on. Check us [e-mail] a new NFL season.

[NFL Shop Advertiser]

Means a fresh start and fresh styles. @nflshop.com you'll find the latest jerseys, hats and sideline gear to rep your team all season long. From rookies making their debut to legends, NFLShop.com has it all score exclusive styles you won't find anywhere else and show up ready for every kickoff and big play. Fan like a pro and shop [e-mail].

[Colgate Advertiser]

Oral health goes beyond just aesthetics. It's deeply connected to your general health and well being. That's why preventing oral health problems before they start is so important. Important when you use the Colgate Total Active Prevention System, you're not just helping to prevent oral health problems like cavities and gingivitis, you're laying the groundwork for overall wellness. Colgate Total's three product routine includes a reformulated toothpaste, an innovative toothbrush and a refreshing antibacterial mouthwash that all support a healthy mouth. In fact, the three products were designed to work together to be 15 times more effective at reducing bacteria buildup in six weeks starting from week one compared to a non antibacterial fluoride toothpaste and flat trim toothbrush. Take control of your oral health and get the Colgate Total Active Prevention System today so you can be dentist ready. Visit shop colgate. Com total.

[Clay Travis]

This is an iHeart podcast.