The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Hour 1 – The Unaffordable Care Act

Date: December 11, 2025
Host: Buck Sexton (Clay Travis traveling)
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

This episode is anchored by Buck Sexton, flying solo while Clay Travis is in transit. Titled “The Unaffordable Care Act,” the hour’s focus is on the rising costs of living and healthcare, with a critical look at the failures of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). Buck weaves economy, trade, healthcare, and political messaging into a cohesive argument about the challenges facing America as the midterms loom, all delivered in his signature mix of urgency, humor, and candor.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Setting The Scene – Political and Economic Concerns

[02:37 - 09:58]

• Buck opens by noting the solo hosting due to Clay’s travel and sets the agenda: the economy, immigration, and political strategy (including the impact of Democratic and Republican House/Senate control).
• Key political developments mentioned:
  • DHS Secretary Noem testifies on Capitol Hill.
  • Business leaders meet with Trump about economic concerns.
  • Ongoing federal court developments regarding immigration enforcement, exemplified by the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case.
• Core concern: Affordability and cost of living as central to current discontent and likely a decisive issue in upcoming midterms.

Quote:
Buck Sexton: “If Democrats can throw sand in the gears of the Trump administration, if they can play spoiler just by having a majority in the House, we will get to impeachment number three. It will be a circus, the whole thing.” (03:30)

2. Economic Reality Check – The Price of Everything

[04:45 - 13:00]

• Buck links current economic woes to COVID-era policy, emphasizing the difficulty of reducing prices after inflation and criticizing the shutdown-spending followed by massive stimulus.
• Analysis of trade data: Quotes CNBC’s Rick Santelli for positive news on the U.S. trade deficit, framing it as validation of Trump’s America-first, tariffs-based approach.
• Persistent problem: Even with positive trade stats, consumer prices remain stubbornly high.

Quote:
Buck Sexton: “People are concerned and I hear that concern from many of you… prices are quite high… it’s really hard to bring down prices once they’ve gone up considerably. And this is a legacy of the madness of COVID.” (05:22)

• Focus on housing: Miami and New York serve as examples of how affordability is warping local politics and fueling dissatisfaction, notably among young people.

3. Dissecting Affordability – The Heart of the Election

[09:58 - 13:00]

• Jay Clayton clip [10:32]: Former SEC Chair Jay Clayton, guesting on a news clip, says the affordability crisis is the result of a "22% increase in prices and inflation under Biden."
• Buck’s interpretation: It’s not enough for Republicans to blame Biden; Trump’s team must also show how they're addressing these challenges.

Quote:
Jay Clayton: “The affordability issue is from the 22% increase in prices and inflation under Biden. There's just full stop right there. That's the affordability issue. And you ought to be able to explain that.” (10:32)

Buck Sexton: “... healthcare, housing, education, these things are just. The price, are out of control in some aspects… But groceries, gas prices are down. But many of you and the truckers out there, we love our truckers are saying diesel prices are still considerably higher than we would want…” (11:00)

4. Messaging and Policy: What Should Republicans Do?

[13:00 - 19:05]

• Midterm warning: Buck warns that simply blaming Democrats is insufficient—Republicans must deliver and communicate real solutions, especially on prices and immigration.
• Essentials: Affordability (economy, health care, housing) and immigration will be the two big battlegrounds of the 2026 midterms and crucial for the fate of Trump’s second-term agenda.
• Callout: Suggests Republicans need robust legislative action, with a new healthcare approach and more than just stopgap spending bills.

Quote:
Buck Sexton: “... where's the big legislation, guys? Ah, the big beautiful bill. Ok, it's a spending bill. Where's the legislation? Where's the, you know, the new approach to healthcare? Got to get together on this one and make some things happen. If you lose the House and you're Donald Trump, then it just turns into, all right, we gotta wait for the next election.” (16:55)

5. Critiquing Obamacare – “The Unaffordable Care Act”

[21:36 - 40:33]

• Senate Bills: Buck brings up active votes on competing Republican and Democrat healthcare plans, noting the GOP bill's failure and accusing both parties of insufficiently addressing the core flaws.

• Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) legacy:

  • Argues ACA drove up premiums 100-150%, failed to increase efficiency, and in practice subsidizes care for illegal immigrants.
  • Frames ACA as a step toward single-payer, but resulting in chaos and higher costs:
    “Obamacare... has really put us on a glide path to single payer. And it's a glide, I shouldn't say glide path. It's more like a train that has gone off the tracks and is eventually going to like implode.” (34:17)

• Democrats' Name Game:

  • Buck ridicules the “Affordable” in ACA and the “Inflation Reduction” Act, calling such naming Orwellian doublespeak.
    “Democrats call it the Affordable Care act, and it has without question… made health care far less affordable.” (36:24)

6. Media Messaging, Narrative, and the ‘Food Fight’

[21:44, 43:04]

• Caller Ken’s concern ([21:44]): Asks how to counter 24/7 negative coverage of Trump and Republicans by mainstream outlets like CNN, MSNBC, and The View, especially with younger voters and women.

• Buck’s response ([22:42]):

  • Acknowledges media bias but urges optimism: “Trump is the president and Republicans do have the House and the Senate. …The media advantage is much less [now], I think, than it has been in a very long time.”
  • Stresses the importance of authenticity, refusing petty infighting within conservative media, and keeping the audience informed on real issues.

• Audience praise ([43:04]):

  • Buck commends his listeners for rising above media drama, staying focused, “not getting into the mudslugging.”
    “There is a decency and a maturity in this audience that is, I think, second to none in the entire world of media, but also in, certainly in conservative media.”

7. Healthcare Debate and Legislative Update

[43:04 - end]

• Healthcare battle in Congress: Most listeners, Buck claims, aren’t even aware of the current Senate wrangling over Obamacare fixes and subsidies.
• Key point: The Schumer bill aims to extend subsidies, while Republican tweaks have so far failed.
• ACA’s reality: Despite its name, healthcare is less affordable, premiums are higher, and businesses/consumers are bearing the brunt.
• Why it matters: The legislative agenda, and its messaging, will directly affect the Republican Party’s prospects and voters’ daily lives.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Buck on the ongoing health care debate (on ACA):

  • “There is no counter argument here rooted in numbers and reality. Okay? It has made health care far less affordable. Premiums are up 100, 150%. …And the whole thing is a mess. So what the Democrats want to do is extend the subsidies. Yeah, it is the Unaffordable Care act, and that's the truth.” (36:18)

• On economic messaging:

  • “Now telling people that the worst inflation in 40 years started four years ago is not really a winning strategy. …Talk about what the Biden inflation was, but also how it is coming down, how it is being addressed and how it is going to get better over the next year...” (14:56)

• On intra-party squabbles:

  • “If you're on my team for 90% or 95% of stuff, you're on my team as it pertains to policy, as it pertains to saving the country. …We want to focus on what really matters here.” (25:56)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:37: Buck opens the show, sets agenda (economy, immigration, political implications of House/Senate control).
• 05:22: Critique of COVID economic policy and effects on inflation.
• 06:50: CNBC's Rick Santelli on trade deficit; discussion of tariffs and trade.
• 09:58: Election messaging—cannot just blame Biden, need real solutions.
• 10:32: Jay Clayton on post-Biden affordability crisis.
• 13:00: Emphasis on the two big issues: affordability and immigration.
• 16:55: Republicans’ legislative agenda and urgency for action.
• 21:44: Caller Ken on media narrative; Buck’s response starts at 22:42.
• 21:36 & 34:17: Buck launches detailed critique of the Affordable Care Act.
• 36:24: The naming doublespeak: “Affordable Care Act" and “Inflation Reduction Act.”
• 43:04: Buck praises the audience for focusing on substance over drama.

Tone and Language

Buck Sexton maintains a conversational, candid tone punctuated by humor ("Unicorns and fairy dust" for policy promises; playful banter about his wife’s Christmas-Birthday presents). His language is direct, sometimes sardonic, and always anchored in a sense of mission—informing and energizing conservatives ahead of a complicated election cycle.

Summary

Buck Sexton spends this solo hour dissecting the roots and ramifications of today’s affordability crisis, focusing especially on the legacy and ongoing failures of the Affordable Care Act. He challenges both policymakers and listeners to focus on solutions, not excuses, and insists Republicans must not just criticize but offer better policy, especially on healthcare and immigration. Buck wraps his analysis in relatable economic examples and lauds his audience for seeking substance over drama, ending with a passionate plea for continued focus as the country heads into another crucial electoral contest.