Loading summary
Whim Sound Announcer
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.
Miko Mini Storyteller
Then the space hamster flew his hot air balloon all the way to the bottom of the ocean.
Miko Mini Advertiser
Where did that story come from? Book Dream? Nope. It came from a conversation. Meet Meco Mini plus the AI companion that co creates personalized story adventures with your child in real time.
Miko Mini Storyteller
What color was the hamster's cape and what did he pack for lunch?
Miko Mini Advertiser
Unlock your child's imagination. Discover Mikomini PL and the magic of AI exclusively at Costco 10 athletes will.
Trainer Games Narrator
Face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and mental breaking points. You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract worth $250,000.
Buck Sexton
This is where mindset comes in.
Trainer Games Narrator
Someone will be eliminated.
Washington Post Advertiser
Pressure is coming down.
US Ski and Snowboard Insider Announcer
This is Trainer prime video starting January 8th.
Washington Post Advertiser
Ever wish you could try the Washington Post and see what all the talk is about? Right now you can with a one week pass for just $7. No commitment, no strings attached. Just $7 for one week of unlimited access to the Post. It's the perfect way to explore our award winning journalism and experience what subscribers already know. There's nothing else quite like it, so why not give us a try? Go to washingtonpost.com week and start your $7 one week pass today. That's washingtonpost.com week.
US Ski and Snowboard Insider Announcer
The world's best ski and snowboard athletes are chasing medals. Now you can follow their every move. Join Insider, the official US Ski and snowboard fan loyalty program and get premium viewing at World cup ski events, exclusive athlete meetups, discounts from brands you love and a custom welcome gift mailed direct to your doorstep this winter. Show your support as they race for the podium. Head to insider.usski and snowboard.org and join today.
Whim Sound Announcer
Bring incredible sound into every corner of your home this holiday with the new Whim Sound smart speaker. Get high resolution Audio with a 1.8-inch touchscreen, smart control and modern design in one powerful speaker for just 299. From Quiet Mornings to lively holiday gatherings, Whim Sound makes every moment sound better and feel better too. Get the gift of the season for the music enthusiast in your life or for yourself. Whimsound. Beautifully designed, effortlessly connected. Shop now at Amazon and search Whim Sound that's W I I M S O U n D welcome in everybody.
Buck Sexton
Thursday edition of the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. It kicks off right now. Mr. Clay is in transit so he is in the sky. I will be your solo pilot for the next three hours. My co pilot is on another plane. But we've got a lot to talk to you about. He'll be back tomorrow. We'll actually be together here in South Florida doing the show. And in the meantime, I want to bring you up to speed on all of the things that are happening out there right now. So many of them. So many things. So many things happening. You have DHS Secretary Noem up on Capitol Hill. You have business leaders talking to Trump about the state of the economy and this affordability question. Some people are concerned, and I mean people on our side, capitalists, reasonable, intelligent people concerned about how things are looking going into the end of the year here and what it will mean for the midterms. Now, for those who are saying the concern should be fix the economy, not the political consequences of problems in the economy, well, let me tell you something. It's getting a lot worse. 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. So it is important that we get into a good place here and also that the Trump administration continues to tell everybody what the plans are. More on immigration and ICE enforcement as well. We've got some important sound to share with you, some clips to share with you on that. I'm going to start off actually with a little bit of talk on the economy. There's news today that we will dive into shortly about a federal judge now saying that Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the alleged Ms. 13 gang member, who for over a year now has been at the center of all these administration efforts to deport this guy. And it's, it's turned into a huge political football. This has turned into a Supreme Court weighing in. Guy got sent to El Salvador. We're going to send him to a bunch of other countries, but then we can't. And now you got a federal judge saying you got to let him out right now. So we will see. And that's going on while DHS Secretary Noemi is up on Capitol Hill. So that's certainly in our sights and an important story. Let's, though, just for a bit here, talk about where we stand on the economy. People are concerned and I hear that concern from many of you that prices are quite high. And I understand the challenge here is it's really hard to bring down prices once they've gone up considerably. And this is a legacy of the madness of COVID I think everyone should keep that in mind that many of us, well, not many, some of us, there were even some conservatives who were pretty bad on the COVID stuff, especially on on lockdowns. And all the rest of it were saying you can't just tell people, stay home, don't do anything and print money. And then you can't just spend as much money as you want to juice the economy after that shutdown. Unfortunately, that is largely what happened and we are still dealing with the reality of that. Now I will give you some of these details or we will discuss some of these details. But first up here, CNBC. This is cut 11, Rick Santelli. He's talking some numbers talking trade deficit. Let's hear from the man over at CNBC. Play it. Trade balance minus 52.8 billion. That's a better lower trade deficit than we expected. We were looking for a number closer to 62 billion. And that follows a revised minus 59 billion. Minus 52 billion would be the lightest going back to. Wow, we're really going back. Well, my records go back to 1992 and to find a smaller number, the -52 billion. We're all the way back to June of 2020. So this is important because Trump is establishing a rebalancing of our global trade, America's global trade with the tariffs. And as I've said all along, you don't have to be an expert in tariffs to understand that something is up when all of these other countries have tariffs on us. We don't have tariffs on really anyone. And we're the ones who can't figure this out. Or you know, we're the odd man out. But it's cuz we're so much smarter than every other country. Or is it because we've been convinced by the globalist elite in our own country that entirely free trade, that does not take an America first perspective that allows all the offshoring and all the stuff that we have seen decimate the American, for example, American manufacturing sector, auto industry, all these things that that is somehow to our benefit. Well, it's really to the perhaps the stock price benefit of a handful of companies. But people are changing their tune on this. They're seeing what's really going on. But the problem is prices. The problem is that stuff is still expensive and people are upset about it. In fact, even here in my home, well, I live in Miami beach, as you know, and that's next door to Miami. I didn't even know this until I moved down here. Technically, different cities, they're not part of One city. And so Miami proper just elected downtown. Miami elected a Democrat for the first time in 30 years. And it was a combination of two things that we're going to have to really get right for the next year for the purposes of the midterm election, but also just because they will be central, I think, to the success or failure of the Trump agenda in his second term. Cost of stuff, particularly housing, young people came out. Miami has become incredibly expensive as a city. It used to be a great deal. I mean, if you, if you were smart enough to come here in 2009, 10, and start buying up some condos, you've done phenomenally well. Now, not so much. But the price of things, especially housing in Miami is very high. So that factors in. We saw this also in New York City when you have Mamdanism largely built around the promise of bringing housing prices down or he's gonna bring the cost of rent down. Now, if you know anything about economics, you know that his solutions to these problems will actually make things worse. But they sound good, and you can get a lot of power by saying things that sound good, no matter how bad the results are actually going to be. One of the issues we're gonna have is that going into a midterm year. Right. We're at the end of year one of Trump's second term.
Whim Sound Announcer
Yeah.
Buck Sexton
A lot of us can point to the status of the Biden economy and what was going on, but that is not going to be compelling enough to win in key in challenging races. Former SEC chair Jay Clayton had this to say about the economy. I thought you should hear this. This is cut 12. 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.
Jay Clayton
That's right. And look, I think that with the economic team, President Trump and the economic team led by Scott Benson, you have people who very much understand this. And it was a. They were. They were thrown. You know what I would say the worst economy for the average American in my adult lifetime in terms of the. Like you said, the incredible increase in prices at the household.
Buck Sexton
This is true and the case has to be made, but it is not sufficient on its own. All of you who call in, write in and say, hey, guys. Hey, Clay. Hey, Buck. This stuff is just too expensive. Where I am, particularly healthcare, housing, education, these things are just. The price, are out of control in some aspects, depends on the product. 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 to see them for a robust economy. Spending at Christmas time, I've seen some of the data on this one. Spending at Christmas time seems to be quite a bit down. People are not shelling out the kind of cash that they did even compared to last year. Now, I think there was tremendous ebullience about the economy because of Trump's victory. So that explains in part why last year people were spending cuz they thought, oh, we're going to have a good economy. And they were right. But now it's twofold. The challenge ahead on prices, affordability, a word I'm as I've said along, you have to prepare yourself to hear about this more than any of us are going to want to. But the power balance in D.C. and therefore the future of the country for the next few years is going to be largely determined. I think based upon that, the two big issues, it's going to be the affordability and immigration. Election midterms. That's what's going to, that's what's going to move the needle. And this is Republicans are seeing this early enough. Thankfully, I'm not having this talk with all of you in August of the election year or September of the election year. Hey Republicans, it's time to make the case. I think they're actually seeing this in advance and they have Scott Bessen, who is both very good at the job of Treasury Secretary and a very good spokesman for what this administration, the treasury, the economy, the Fed, all of this is doing. He's a very good mind, a very good mouthpiece on these issues. But this is what Democrats are going to hammer. They're going to hammer the discontent of the prices. Isn't this the most classic move that the Democrats could possibly come up with? They made it so prices get all jacked up. We told them don't. We said don't do it. This is going back to 2021. We said don't do it, guys. It's crazy. Don't spend the trillions. We've already put a lot, a lot of pressure, a lot of heat into the economy with all the shutdown spending. And that was under Trump. But that was both sides were saying, oh, the world's gonna end. You know, the whole thing. Trump left it to the states whether to stay open or not. And with the exception of Florida, states generally did not stay open. South Dakota stayed open. But there's not Very many people in South Dakota. So that was easier. Most states shut down, as you know. And so we had to do something. There was that whole emergency. But now telling people that the worst inflation in 40 years started four years ago is not really a winning strategy. Right. Or in five years ago. Whatever it's, that's not enough. I think that unfortunately is going to be insufficient as part of the narrative. Which brings me to the solutions and the things that Trump and his team are trying to do. Look at what has happened on trade alone. That's why I started with that. Look at where he is on tariffs. They said the so called intelligentsia, Trump's going to crash the economy based on the tariffs. He's going to mess everything up. No, in fact, the economy, the stock market has been booming, but prices have remained high. The only way to bring prices down is, well, if you want to get really technical about it. Technical about it, you got to see a, you can have a cessation of demand or you could have an increase in supply. But the best thing that we could see is an increase in efficiency of manufacturing of goods and services and, you know, and spending and investment. And that's what will bring prices down. Mandates the Mamdani approach. Price controls. Price controls not only have made New York City and the whole state of California, but because of government regulation, but price controls in New York City have made real estate far more expensive. Anywhere where they try this, it makes real estate more expensive. And overall price controls in the economy is part of what has destroyed a large part of what destroyed the Venezuelan economy. I mean, there's many things, but price controls is at the heart of it. Oh, we're just going to seize assets and then we can't make this stuff. We're going to seize the factories. Right? This is the Maduro approach. We'll seize the factories and we'll make the stuff, but we can't make much money off of it and we're not very good at making it. So we'll just say it has to cost this. Well, that doesn't work that way because you can't make them at that price. So guess what happens? Shortages. And then the black market comes in with the real price. And all of this is very well established, but the Trump team has to get very dialed in on here is, yes, talk about what the Biden inflation was, and that's why I played that former SEC chair. 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, year because of what Trump is doing. Republicans got to focus in on this because it is not an overstatement to say if we have a weak year of not just policy but a weak year of messaging. And I'm going to say Republicans, 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. We gotta wait for the, you know, the heir apparent of the Republican Party to take over for MAGA because the Democrats will just tilt. They will, what's the phrase, cut off their nose to spite their face. I mean, they will just make everything stink and then blame it all on Trump. And you know that. So economy, economy, economy. Very, very important. And we will talk about immigration here shortly in the Abrego Garcia order that has come down. Want to talk to you about Sabre. Sabre makes world class non lethal self protection tools. They also happen to make the number one pepper spray projectiles trusted by law enforcement. And I know firsthand there's always a police officer or two at my favorite gun range. And whenever I've asked them what their favorite recommendations are for pepper spray Sabre. I've got Saber products in my home. So does Clay. Get yourself set up. These are fantastic non lethal self protection tools. Start with this one, the pepper spray launcher or sorry, the pepper spray projectile launcher. Because if you're confronted with a home intruder or somebody with evil intent, you can stop that threat in a non lethal fashion with Sabre. Sabre spelled S A B R E. Their website is sabre radio.com their pepper gel projectile launcher, shaped like a pistol or rifle, depends on the model and fires off a pepper gel projectile that goes quite a distance and stops that threat. Go check it out for yourself. Get some today. Great gift for yourself for the holidays or for a loved one. Saberradio.com sabre radio.com or call 844-824-SAFE. That's 844-824-FAFE. Making America great again isn't just one man, it's many the time. Team 47 podcast Sundays at noon Eastern in the Clay and Buck podcast feed. Find it on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.
Miko Mini Storyteller
Then the space hamster flew his hot air balloon all the way to the bottom of the ocean.
Miko Mini Advertiser
Where did that story come from Book Dream? Nope, it came from a conversation. Meet Miko Minnie plus the AI companion that co creates personalized story adventures with your child in real time.
Miko Mini Storyteller
What color was the hamster's cape and what did he pack for lunch?
Miko Mini Advertiser
Unlock your child's imagination. Discover Miko Mini plus and the Magic of AI exclusively at Costco 10 athletes.
Trainer Games Narrator
Will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and mental breaking points. You are the fittest of the fifth. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract for $250,000.
Buck Sexton
This is where mindset comes in.
Trainer Games Narrator
Someone will be eliminated.
Washington Post Advertiser
Pressure is coming down.
Trainer Games Narrator
This is Trainer Games.
US Ski and Snowboard Insider Announcer
Watch it on prime video starting January 8th.
Washington Post Advertiser
Ever wish you could try the Washington Post and see what all the talk is about? Right now you can with a one week pass for just $7. No commitment, no strings attached. Just $7 for one week of unlimited access to the Post. It's the perfect way to explore our award winning journalism and experience what subscribers already know. There's nothing else quite like it, so why not give us a try? Go to washingtonpost.com week and start your $7 one week pass today. That's washingtonpost.com week.
US Ski and Snowboard Insider Announcer
The world's best ski and snowboard athletes are chasing medals. Now you can follow their every move. Join Insider, the official US Ski and snowboard fan loyalty program and get premium viewing at World cup ski events, exclusive athlete meetups, discounts from brands you love and a custom welcome gift mailed direct to your doorstep this winter. Show your support as they race for the podium. Head to Insider, usski and snowboard.org and join today.
Whim Sound Announcer
Bring incredible sound into every corner of your home this holiday with the new Whimsound Smart speaker. Get high resolution Audio with a 1.8-inch touchscreen, smart control and modern design in one powerful speaker for just 299. From Quiet Mornings to lively holiday gatherings, Wind sound makes every moment sound better and feel better too. Get the gift of the season for the music enthusiast in your life or for yourself. Whim Sound Beautifully designed, effortlessly connected. Shop now at Amazon and search Whim Sound. That's W I I M S O.
Buck Sexton
U n D. Welcome back in here. We'll get into the immigration issue in a second. Want to take some of your calls? Ken in Texas wants to chat Economy and Trump. What's going on?
Caller Ken
Ken, Good morning. What's on my mind is that you know you guys are covering the economy and immigration and all the other modern day issues on your show and Donald Trump is going around doing interviews as well as some of his surrogates. But those interviews are only lasting about 30 minutes to an hour and they're being edited, on the other hand, for 24 hours a day, seven days a week. CNN, MSNBC, their Democrat cohorts are just blaming everything on Donald Trump, which is ridiculous if you actually pay attention. But the Z Gen Z and those and the ladies that actually are voting Democrat, they get all of their information from cnn, MSNBC and the View. So how do you counter that in a year when they're spreading total misinformation and there's only a few outlets like you and Fox News that are actually covering real information?
Buck Sexton
Well, I would say what you're saying is all true, Ken, but certainly don't despair. I mean, keep in mind, Trump is the president and Republicans do have the House and the Senate. So we are capable of getting the truth out and getting the messaging out beyond. And it's more so now, I think than it has been in a very long time. The media advantage is much less. But let me get, let me get back into that when we come back here in a second. Ken, I think you raise a very good point. How do we deal with the narrative or how do we have a counter narrative to where what they're saying? All right, I've got a day ahead of me because I got the show solo, no co pilot today and then I've got a Christmas party. So I'm going to be a busy man. But I got plenty of energy thanks to Chalk. That's right, Chalk spelled C A, C H O Q. Texas based supplement company with the best world class stuff. I take it every day. And their Male Vitality Stack is their single most popular product. It includes a leading ingredient that replenishes diminished testosterone levels in men. And that's your body's natural source of energy, testosterone when your levels are low. And guys you experience this as you age. Chalk's meal Vitality Stack over time can replenish those T levels by up to 20% in just three months. All manufactured right here in the USA. Top quality. Go to chalk.com, choq.com, use my name Buck. Get a discount on any subscription for life. Chalkchoq.com you'll also get a free $99 bag of chocolate powder with your first delivery almost in the middle of December. I can't believe it. Christmas gonna be here before you know it. You know my wife's birthday is Christmas, so I can do the two for one on the presents. I'm just saying I got that going for me, which is nice. And then my birthday's a few days later on December 28th, so I will not be on air that day. But I will be turning, I am not kidding. I forget right now, 44. I'll be 44 years old. As the gray in my little kind of almost, almost beard is indicating I'm getting older. But I'm very excited for the Christmas season. I've got my in laws here, actually, right now I'll be seeing more and more family and I'm sure many of you will too, and that's fantastic. So on the one hand, I am in a really good mood and I think that it has been a great year. I've had a great year. I've loved doing this show. And we'll talk more about this next week. In the last couple of days, I'm live on the air with you. It's been a great year for this program and we're so thankful for all of you, honestly, who listen and who are with us through this. I feel blessed that I get to do this show every day. I love my job. There is no other job that I would rather have than this job, which is an incredible thing to be able to say. And I say that as somebody who was asked at one point to maybe have a cabinet level position in the government, I still would rather do this job, you know, full stop. I love what we get to do here, but there's a responsibility with that as well. Of course, not just to do the best show possible, but to try to help, help save the country in what little way we can. There's so many competing voices out there. And that then brings me to the, I keep calling it the food fight. You know, there's all this stuff that's happening right now and I'm not even sure how many of you are aware of it. You know, you haven't brought it up very much. And I always tell you this, your calls, your emails, even the ones that don't make it on the air, the team reads them. Clay and I read them. So we have an ongoing conversation every day. All the VIP emails, all the talkbacks, and even if you don't get on the air, but you call in and you talk to, usually it's producer Greg to come on live on the show. He tells us what you were going to say. So we know where you are as much as we can. And we're always trying to be up, up on your thoughts on how the country is going and we haven't seen very much of, hey, where are you on the food fight? And, you know, I really appreciate that and I like it because 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. I think that you are people who come at this, this saving of the country, caring about the country with so much good faith and enough wisdom to know that you don't want your time wasted on petty nonsense, petty nonsense. So, and Clay and I talk about this, you know, because we see what's going on out there and we choose not to get into the, into the mudslugging and everything else. Some of these are people that are involved that we like. Some of them I don't even really know. Some of them I don't want to know. It doesn't really matter. I'm telling you about all this one, just so you know that we're, we're for any of you who are asking, why haven't you gotten into, we're trying to save the country here. And I don't say that to be grandiose or, you know, we're trying to get as many people as informed, as fired up, as engaged and get more people. We want more young people. We want digital audience, too. We want YouTube subscribers. We want, you know, as well as our fantastic 560something stations. Who's counting? We are. But we want to focus on what really matters here. And I just want to say I think it is to your tremendous credit that you want to as well, because we're not getting a lot of, we don't get a lot of chirping at us about, well, what about this crazy thing that this lunatic said, you know, yeah, we make fun of the left and the Democrats who say things, but we, I don't, I don't get into squabbles with people on the right. If you're on my team for 90% or 95% of stuff, you're on my team as it, as it pertains to policy, as it pertains to saving the country. And I just think that you give us the latitude and the leeway to continue to focus on what matters. Which brings me to, we are in a real fight here for the stuff that is affecting you every day. And I think we're, we're losing. And when I say we, the Republicans are losing a little bit of ground on this right now. How many even knew about this, that there are competing Obamacare plans Being voted on right now in the Senate. In fact, I think the Republican one just right, Producer Alley just got voted on and failed. Now of course that, of course it failed. That's not the surprise. But they need to be talking about what's involved here. And now we've got these, these different plans. This is the stuff that really affects your day to day life. You're talking to me about prices. Everyone needs to understand Obamacare, which was passed with a Senate super majority, right? Remember the disaster of the McCain 2008 campaign and a huge recession and you know, the Great Recession. All this stuff they had wide open, wide open pathway to slam through whatever they wanted essentially. And this is what they did. They pushed this reorganization of health care that 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. Right. But, but they know that that's what has happened. There's nothing gliding about this. It's not nice because the failures that occur along the way, your family's health care premiums, the cost that you are paying every time you go to the doctor, every time you're going to have an elective surgery or an emergency surgery, whatever it may be, all of that is worse now than it was before they passed Obamacare. And you, with your tax dollars, but also more specifically, specifically with your health care premiums that you pay, are going to subsidize illegal aliens who aren't even supposed to be the country in the first place. That's happening. They can pretend it's not happening. It absolutely is happening. Because the whole premise of this is that people are going, people with more, you know, this is from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs played out via healthcare. And it's a disaster for all of us because it's not increasing. I said how do you deal with costs? How do you make stuff cheaper? Make more of it, make it more efficiently, put more out there, do it better or you have shortages. Especially with something like healthcare. What they've really done actually is incentivize people who have care to use more of it, irrespective of the outcomes. The insurance companies get rich on this because they have guaranteed customer bases now who have no choice and no say. The whole thing is an absolute mess. And how many people right now even know about the dueling Senate bills and the Schumer bill is going to just extend the Affordable care subsidies. First of all, isn't it funny? Notice a trend here. Democrats call it the Affordable Care act, and it has without question. 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%. You want to talk about prices, that's something you're going to be paying every month. That affects, by the way, the bottom line. If you own a business or you work for a business that is affecting everything because you're expected to, you know, you got to have this stuff or you're going to go bear. And then you're just going to deal with the realities of the health care system as somebody who's not an illegal alien, but doesn't have insurance, but could have insurance. 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. Just like the Inflation Reduction Act. Remember, under Biden, they passed the Inflation Reduction act didn't reduce inflation at all. If anything, it increased inflation. And the whole bill really wasn't about inflation anyway. They lie. It is straight out of of News Speak from Orwell. It is straight out of the propaganda playbook, by the way, Great time to check one portion of Manufacturing Delusion that really the book is in, is in thirds. It's brainwashing. It's indoctrination. It's propaganda, and it's stories and hit stories from my life and history about these things. So the back third of the book is about propaganda. Go buy this book, Manufacturing Delusion. I really mean this. It is worth all of you reading. And you know, I would not say that people say, buck, you've been doing this 15 years. Why haven't you written a book before? Because I wanted to write a book that I cared about. I was gonna write it. I had the time to write it, and I had the ability to make the book matter because of this platform, because of this radio show, the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton show, which I share with my main man who's up in the sky right now on a plane. He's okay, but Clay, that gives me the ability to have the critical mass where it's. It was worth the time because I didn't want to do the like, oh, I am defeating the Libs. Buck's way to defeat the Libs. And, you know, and pay someone else to write some book that I'm going to then Hawk. And I'm sorry, you know, I Don't call out names. People do their own thing, but they're just saturating the. Saturating the conservative book market with forgettable, you know, slop written by somebody else. That's what's been going on in recent years. It's just the truth. You know, it. I researched, I wrote. I put this book together because I think it matters. I think that the manipulation of minds to political ends, the creation of mass delusion, the playbook to do it, is the scariest thing we face. Yes, Covid, of course, is a type of. Or the, you know, the pinnacle example that comes to mind for many. But there's so many examples of this that play out. There are so many aspects of this in our politics today. People believe in all kinds of insane stuff, you know, and we are increasingly in a world where, you know, if you're not saying the most inflammatory, conspiratorial people think that you're, like, a sellout. Well, what I always want to say to people is, how often are we wrong on this show? How often have I had to come to you or Clay and say, look, we make predictions, and we like to joke around about that, although a lot of our predictions, you know, end up coming true. So. But. But I'm talking about telling you something that is fact or that we know to be true. And then we go, actually, we really. We missed that one in a big way. We tell you, we speak to you on this show in the same way and with the same respect that I speak to my closest friends and my family members about these issues. Again, that is our currency with you, that authenticity, that integrity that we bring to the show. I do it, and Clay does it. And this is why, honestly, why we get along so well on the air and off the air, because we are completely united in that mission. And, yes, it's the continuation. It's the. The honoring of Rush's legacy, because Rush did that before. But that's what all this is supposed to be about. It's not supposed to be people who are just, you know, sniping at this person or that person with little things on. On Twitter and. And getting all nasty with each other. And you're. You're fake. You're a fed. You're. You know, no, guys, the communists want to ruin the country. Do you understand? They still want to do this. And I know that we've had a year where it feels like we're winning, but that can change in the blink of an eye. It can change in the blink of an eye, and Then all of a sudden you want to talk about having a rough go of things. A fractured right with an ascendant lunatic. AOC Mamdani. Left is a very scary country for us. So again, how do we get there? How can people believe this? The book. Manufacturing Delusion. Manufacturing Delusion is the book. Please go. And I know you say, oh, Buck, I'm going to wait, no, just go get it now. And then February, it'll arrive at your front door on the day of. I'm also there. You can get the audio book to. By the way, I'm going to be recording that in a couple of weeks, but that'll be out on. The Release date is February 17th. I really want all of you to get the book and I truly mean that. I don't know if I'm ever going to write a book beyond this. I don't know. This one took me two years and it's not long. You can read the whole thing. It is not a long book either. I think it matters and I want you to read it. And you can get. There's a link up atclay and buck.com. but please go get the book. Because like I said, this is this show. The things that we do are supposed to have purpose. And it's beyond ego and it's beyond self congratulation. And a lot of the stuff that I see going on with the right these days. We got to fix health care, we got to fix costs, we got to fix inflation. We have to not just secure the border, we got to ramp up these deportations way more than what we've already seen. I know they're working on that, but we have to stay focused. Now is not the time to get into intramural squabbles and lose sight of what really matters. And to that end, I will come back and discuss the Abrego Garcia and just the overall immigration enforcement picture because like I've said, economy, it's going to be number one the next 12 months. I'm telling you, this economy and how we talk about it and what happens is critical. But also, yeah, the border secure. What do we do about all the people who are here illegally and what that has done to our system? All right, two weeks from today is Christmas Day. That's enough time for you to do something really creative for your family. Hear me out on this, because I know Clay and I are saying, oh, gifts. Well, yeah, but that's. That's getting somebody a leather belt for the fourth year in a row. Not that anybody would do that. But maybe that's happened to one of us. That's like a gift that doesn't have any thought behind it. What about a gift that has tremendous thought behind it that brings you to a place where you can enjoy cherish memories with family members and also you enjoy the whole process because it makes you think about it. You sit down with your family, oh look at this VHS tape. Remember this school play? Remember this family reunion Legacy Box My friends, if you have not done a Legacy box before, this is the year you got to do it. Legacy Box has earned the trust of over a million families. Clay and I both have our families in that group. You have them ship you a special shipping box from Legacy Box where you load your videos, film and photos and then you get it all back digitized new files. It's great entertainment over the Christmas holidays. It's a really fun thing to do. And this is a worth. This is a present that has meaning. So get it for yourself or get a legacy box for somebody that you know. Get your family's videotapes converted for just $9 during this last minute offer from Legacy box go to legacybox.com buck that's legacybox.com buck sometimes all you can do is laugh. And they do a lot of it with the Sunday hang. Join Clay and Buck as they laugh it up in the Clay and Buck podcast feed on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.
Miko Mini Storyteller
Then the space hamster flew his hot air balloon all the way to the bottom of the ocean.
Miko Mini Advertiser
Where did that story come from? Book Dream? Nope. It came from a conversation. Meet Miko Mini plus, the AI companion that co creates personalized story adventures with your child in real time.
Miko Mini Storyteller
What color was the hamster's cape and what did he pack for lunch?
Miko Mini Advertiser
Unlock your child's imagination. Discover Miko Mini plus and the Magic of AI exclusively at Costco.
Trainer Games Narrator
10 athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and mental breaking points. You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contrast for $250,000.
Buck Sexton
This is where mindset comes in.
Trainer Games Narrator
Someone will be eliminated.
Washington Post Advertiser
Pressure is coming down.
Trainer Games Narrator
This is Trainer Games.
US Ski and Snowboard Insider Announcer
Watch it on prime video starting January 8th.
Washington Post Advertiser
Ever wish you could try the Washington Post and see what all the talk is about? Right now you can with a one week pass for just $7. No commitment, no strings attached. Just $7 for one week of unlimited access to the Post. It's the perfect way to explore our award winning journalism and experience what subscribers already know. There's nothing else quite like it. So why not give us a try? Go to washingtonpost.com week and start your $7 one week pass today. That's washingtonpost.com week.
US Ski and Snowboard Insider Announcer
The world's best ski and snowboard athletes are chasing medals. Now you can follow their every move. Join Insider, the official US Ski and snowboard fan loyalty program, and get premium viewing at World cup ski events, exclusive athlete meetups, discounts from brands you love, and a custom welcome gift mailed direct to your doorstep. This winter. Show your support as they race for the podium. Head to insider.usski and snowboard.org and join today.
Whim Sound Announcer
Bring incredible sound into every corner of your home this holiday with the new Wim Sound smart speaker. Get high resolution audio with a 1.8 inch touchscreen. Two smart control and modern design in one powerful speaker for just 299. From Quiet Mornings to lively holiday gatherings. Wind sound makes every moment sound better and feel better too. Get the gift of the season for the music enthusiast in your life or for yourself. Whim Sound. Beautifully designed, effortlessly connected. Shop now at Amazon and search Whim Sound. That's W I I M S O.
Buck Sexton
U N D welcome back in. Let's take some calls. Susanna in West Virginia wants to chat with me. Hey, Susanna.
Caller Susanna
Hi, Buck. How are you?
Buck Sexton
I'm very good, thank you.
Caller Susanna
Look, I have a bone to pick with you about Carrie's birthday. Two for one comment. I understand that it's on Christmas.
Buck Sexton
Yeah, ever.
Caller Susanna
However, she deserves to have, you know, birthday present and Christmas present wrapped separately.
Buck Sexton
But how can she know? Okay, it's the rapping. I was gonna say, what if I just got her something even nicer? But it was one. But she doesn't know if it was gonna be two. You know what I'm saying? Like, I don't know if you can tell the difference.
Caller Susanna
No, I totally get it. But look, you said your birthday was after Christmas. My birthday's on the 7th of December. And so it's, you know, it's. It's vital that she gets presents wrapped in birthday paper, okay? Because people in June, they get birthday paper and they get Christmas paper.
Buck Sexton
Is there a difference in wrapping paper between Christmas and birthday paper? I didn't even know this is a thing. Also, I'll let you know, Susanna, My family says that I have a special wrapping technique by which they mean that I wrap things very poorly. So they always know when it's a gift from me. And I like to think, think that it's the thought that counts with the rapping. We'll be right back.
Miko Mini Storyteller
Then the space hamster flew his hot air balloon all the way to the bottom of the ocean.
Miko Mini Advertiser
Where did that story come from? Book? Dream? Nope. It came from a conversation. Meet Meco Mini plus, the AI companion that co creates personalized story adventures with your child in real time.
Miko Mini Storyteller
What color was the hamster's cape and what did he pack for lunch?
Miko Mini Advertiser
Unlock your child's imagination. Discover Miko Mini plus and the Magic of AI exclusively at Costco 10 athletes.
Trainer Games Narrator
Will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and mental breaking points. You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract for $250,000.
Buck Sexton
This is where mindset comes in.
Trainer Games Narrator
Someone will be eliminated.
Washington Post Advertiser
Pressure is coming down.
Trainer Games Narrator
This is Trainer Games.
US Ski and Snowboard Insider Announcer
Watch it on prime video starting January 8th.
Washington Post Advertiser
Ever wish you could try the Washington Post and see what all the talk is about? Right now you can with a one week pass for just $7. No commitment, no strings attached. Just $7 for one week of unlimited access to the Post. It's the perfect way to explore our award winning journalism and experience what subscribers already know. There's nothing else quite like it, so why not give us a try? Go to washingtonpost.com week and start your $7 one week pass today. That's washingtonpost.com week.
US Ski and Snowboard Insider Announcer
The world's best ski and snowboard athletes are chasing medals. Now you can follow their every move. Join Insider, the official US Ski and Snowboard Free Fan loyalty program and get premium viewing at World cup ski events, exclusive athlete meetups, discounts from brands you love, and a custom welcome gift mailed direct to your doorstep. This winter, show your support as they race for the podium. Head to Insider, usski and snowboard.org and join today.
Whim Sound Announcer
Bring incredible sound into every corner of your home this holiday with the new Whimsound Smart speaker. Get high resolution Audio with a 1.8-inch touchscreen, smart control and modern design in one powerful speaker for just $2.99. From Quiet Mornings to lively holiday gatherings, WIM Sound makes every moment sound better and feel better too. Get the gift of the season for the music enthusiast in your life or for yourself. Whim Sound Beautifully designed, effortlessly connected. Shop now at Amazon and search Whim Sound that's W I I M S O U n D this is an I heart Podcast. Guaranteed human.
Date: December 11, 2025
Host: Buck Sexton (Clay Travis traveling)
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts
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.
[02:37 - 09:58]
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)
[04:45 - 13:00]
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)
[09:58 - 13:00]
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)
[13:00 - 19:05]
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)
[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:
Democrats' Name Game:
[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]):
Audience praise ([43:04]):
[43:04 - end]
Buck on the ongoing health care debate (on ACA):
On economic messaging:
On intra-party squabbles:
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.
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.