Hour 1 - They Are HOME

Summary

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The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Hour 1 – They Are HOME
Date: October 13, 2025
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts
Summary by Podcast Expert

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Main Theme and Episode Overview

The primary focus of this landmark episode is the historic return of the last 20 living hostages from Gaza to Israel, signaling an end to a prolonged conflict and the advent of a comprehensive Middle East peace agreement. Hosts Clay Travis and Buck Sexton analyze the significance of this development, reflect on President Trump's central role in brokering peace, and discuss its impact on U.S. and world politics with a blend of celebration and sober analysis. The tone is both exultant and contemplative, marking what both hosts consider an epochal shift in regional—and global—history.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Return of Hostages and Implications for Israel

• All 20 living hostages held in Gaza are safely back in Israel:
  • “All 20 remaining hostages alive in Gaza have been returned to Israel is the headline. A lot of celebration on the streets... the return of 20 hostages still alive." — Buck Sexton (01:05)
  • “For the first time in two years, they've been taken down. The hostages have come home.” — Clay Travis (06:13)
• Hostage reunions mark a profound national catharsis.
• Thousands of Palestinian detainees exchanged as part of the broader agreement.

2. The Trump Administration's Middle East Breakthrough

• Trump's direct involvement in peace negotiations and the new deal:
  • “Trump is in Egypt. He has been pushing for... a broader permanent Mideast peace. He says phase two of the peace deal has begun.” — Buck Sexton (01:24)
  • “For the first time in my lifetime, people are talking about peace in the Middle East as truly achievable after this massive agreement has gone into play.” — Buck Sexton (03:49)
• Trump's unprecedented popularity and public praise:
  • “Trump is the most popular politician in the history of America. In Israel, probably a pretty significant sign that that is a major, major lie that all of us knew was being told.” — Clay Travis (04:21)
• Presidential speech in the Knesset addressed gratitude, relief, and hope for lasting peace: President (voiced by Netanyahu) statement:
  • “After two harrowing years in darkness and captivity, 20 courageous hostages are returning to the glorious embrace of their families. And it is glorious… And after so many years of unceasing war and endless danger, today the skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still. And the sun rises on a holy land that is finally at peace.” (02:23)

3. Historic Nature of the Peace Achievement

• Middle East peace as a previously “unachievable” diplomatic goal:
  • “If you were to lay out...what are the great things that could be achieved that have so far been unachievable for previous administrations? Mideast peace...would be at the top of the list.” — Buck Sexton (07:33)
  • “Trump is closer to that goal now than any administration before him.” — Buck Sexton (08:05)
• End of the Era of Hamas-led Terrorism:
  • “The sense of accomplishment almost feels surreal that this is the first time that Hamas has accepted truly a battlefield defeat... This honestly evil entity that has bedeviled the region…” — Buck Sexton (09:06)

4. Trump's “Deal-Making” Approach

• Emphasis on commerce and pragmatic diplomacy over religious disputes:
  • “I think it's by focusing on deal making over religion… Trump's unique genius here was he has a great relationship with a lot of the Arab leaders, which is based on the foundation of we want to build new things, business.” — Clay Travis (10:04)
  • “Let's start with the foundation of mutual benefit through commerce. And I think that's the way Trump has approached this and had a great deal of success.” — Clay Travis (11:22)

5. Public Reaction in Israel and Global Ramifications

• Extraordinary reception for Trump among Israelis:
  • “If Israel was an American state, Israel would vote for President Trump more than Wyoming did... If Israel were our 51st state, they would vote for Trump more.” — Clay Travis (25:55)
  • “President Trump is possibly even more popular here than he is in the United States.” — CNN’s Clarissa Ward (24:35)
• Buck and Clay discuss the cognitive dissonance among Trump critics, especially those who compared him to Hitler, given his popularity among Jewish Israelis.

6. Peace through Strength and American Self-Interest

• Iran’s defeat as a catalyst:
  • “I don't think Hamas would have agreed to this deal if Trump hadn't shown them the hard fist of American power... If the United States had so desired, the Ayatollah would have been overthrown... everybody in the Middle East saw that power, saw that strength.” — Clay Travis (31:12)
• Consequences for U.S. foreign policy and energy security:
  • “For the America first people out there, it's really hard for America to be first without affordable oil and gas. And the relationship between Trump and the Saudis has ensured that oil is free flowing and that we're able to effectively run commerce here in the United States.” — Clay Travis (30:30)

7. Shifting Narratives among Trump’s Critics

• Even traditional media skeptics and historians recognize the magnitude of the achievement:
  • “This is a victory for President Trump and for those who wish that we can govern ourselves at home and around the world, not simply by brute force, but by ideas and civilized norms.” — Jon Meacham on MSNBC (34:10)
• Hosts note how the narrative is forced to change in light of Trump's outsized diplomatic victory.

8. Ongoing Challenges and Next Steps

• Future of governance and stability in Gaza:
  • Caller “Mike in West Palm Beach” raises:
    “Currently going on in Gaza, Hamas is killing people in the streets... how is that going to be dealt with? Certainly not with American troops.” (42:54)
  • Clay responds:
    “There's a peace group that has been put together... a coalition of both Arab, Christian, and Jewish people to try to protect the people of Gaza. It's a major issue going forward.” (43:13)
• Emphasis on vigilance, management of peace, and need to address lingering threats from terrorist elements.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the emotional resonance of hostages’ return:
  “Can you imagine the hell of living with your loved ones, your kids, your grandkids, being held hostage by Hamas for two straight years, and then suddenly you get to see them in the flesh back?” — Clay Travis (06:56)
• On historical significance:
  “Trump 2.0 is going to be the most transformative presidency of the 21st century by far, and maybe the most transformative presidency since Ronald Reagan.” — Clay Travis (07:13)
• Buck on longstanding challenges:
  “Middle East peace was where I started in college, looking into the Middle East issue... there has never been a day of greater hope and promise than this one.” (09:58)
• Netanyahu’s tribute to Trump:
  “Donald Trump is the greatest friend that the state of Israel has ever had in the White House.” — Benjamin Netanyahu, Knesset speech (28:22)
• On critics reconsidering:
  “One of the fun things that's happening right now is Trump's win here is so big and so obvious that even deranged Trump haters, I mean the Looney Tunes, I mean the ones that say he's Hitler, Clay, are having to say this is pretty good.” — Buck Sexton (21:37)

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Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:05] – Buck Sexton opens coverage on hostages’ release and peace deal announcement
• [02:23] – Presidential address (read by Netanyahu) in the Knesset
• [03:49] – Hosts discuss the momentous nature of the day for Israel, Trump, and world peace
• [07:33] – Discussion on the difficulty of achieving Middle East peace and Trump’s breakthrough
• [10:04] – Analysis of Trump’s negotiation style and his focus on commerce over religious division
• [12:36] – Further reflections on the end of “a long and painful nightmare” for Israelis and Palestinians
• [21:37] – Buck on critics being forced to acknowledge Trump’s diplomatic success
• [24:35] – CNN’s Clarissa Ward reports on Trump’s overwhelming popularity in Israel
• [28:22] – Netanyahu's statement: “Donald Trump is the greatest friend that the state of Israel has ever had in the White House.”
• [30:30] – Discussion of U.S.-Saudi relations, energy policy, and the regional impact of Iran’s defeat
• [34:10] – MSNBC's Jon Meacham acknowledges Trump’s achievement as a clear victory
• [42:01] – Caller Mike (Jewish American) thanks the hosts for their support and discusses ongoing issues in Gaza

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Tone and Noteworthy Dynamics

• Exultant and reflective: The hosts and callers exhibit joy and somber satisfaction at the historic nature of the peace agreement, while acknowledging the continued challenges ahead in managing Gaza and the broader region.
• Triumphal for Trump: The episode is framed as a day of vindication for Trump supporters and a direct refutation of his harshest critics, especially regarding past accusations of antisemitism or fascist tendencies.
• Respectful yet candid: The hosts thank listeners and contributors, uphold moral clarity regarding Israel and terrorism, and maintain respect for the weight of the day’s events.

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Final Reflections

• A “proudest day” for Israel and its allies:
  “Today is one of the proudest days that the country of Israel has ever had. And I'm not sure that the relationship between Israel and the United States has ever been stronger.” — Clay Travis (15:20)
• Validation for voters and clear consequences of elections:
  “This is what I voted for. I voted for Middle east peace, and I believe Trump got it done. Kamala would have never, ever been capable of getting this deal done.” — Clay Travis (41:10)
• Long-term vigilance: Recognition that while this is a landmark moment, peace and stability require continued effort and management, both regionally and domestically.

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This episode serves as a historic news moment, analysis, and celebration rolled into one, marking what Clay and Buck frame as "the dawn of a new era in the Middle East"—with President Trump at the center, defying past consensus and redefining what is possible in global diplomacy.

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Transcript

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[Clay Travis]

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[Buck Sexton]

Welcome, everybody, to the Monday edition of the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. And it's a big one. A lot of celebration, a lot of news, much to discuss with all of you. All 20 remaining hostages returned. Of the hostages who could have been returned alive, they have been returned to Israel from Gaza. All 20 remaining hostages alive in Gaza have been returned to Israel is the headline. A lot of celebration on the streets. The end of that war, the return of 20 hostages still alive. You've also got the exchange of a couple thousand Palestinian detainees as part of this process. Trump is in Egypt. He has been pushing for not just discussions about this deal now, but also a broader permanent Mideast peace. He says phase two of the peace deal has begun. We have a tremendous amount to look at now, both in celebration and also in look ahead. Here is President Trump. This is cut 10 addressing Israel's Knesset, their their legislative body. This is cut 10. Listen to what the President had to say.

[Benjamin Netanyahu]

We gather on a day of profound joy, of soaring hope, of renewed faith, and above all, a day to give our deepest thanks to the Almighty God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. After two harrowing years in darkness and captivity, 20 courageous hostages are returning to the glorious embrace of their families. And it is glorious. 28 more precious loved ones are coming home at last to rest in this sacred soil for all of time. And after so many years of unceasing war and endless danger, today the skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still. And the sun rises on a holy land that is finally at peace. A land and a region that will live, God willing, in peace for all eternity.

[Buck Sexton]

Clay. It is just a momentous. A momentous occasion, a huge day, massive win for the Trump administration, for humanity. For the first time in my lifetime, people are talking about peace in the Middle east as truly achievable after this massive agreement has gone into play.

[Clay Travis]

I think it is one of the greatest days of many great days in the Trump administrations over the past decade. I had so many thoughts as I watched the hostages come back, and I know many of you did as well. I think you can start with the American side, which is they told us for a decade that Trump was Hitler, and now Trump is the most popular politician in the history of America. In Israel, probably a pretty significant sign that that is a major, major lie that all of us knew was being told. But I think even for the people who've been lying about that for a decade, it's going to become very difficult to do it going forward. The response that President Trump got in the Knesset was actually better than the response that he got in the State of the Union in the House of Representatives chamber. I think that's significant. And for a big picture take, when we went to Israel in December, producer Ali Andrew on our team and me, we got off the planes, Buck, we were some of the only foreigners in Israel. And you saw these hostage placards everywhere in Tel Aviv airport. For the first time in two years, they've been taken down. The hostages have come home. We went to Tel Aviv Hostage Square, they called it, where they had nightly protests to bring back the hostages. I saw videos of pandemonium breaking out as all of the hostages, the 20 remaining hostages that are alive, came back to Israel and met their families. And for all of you out there that are fortunate enough to be parents or grandparents, can you imagine the hell of living with your loved ones, your kids, your grandkids, being held hostage by Hamas for two straight years, and then suddenly you get to see them in the flesh back. Now, unfortunately, many of those hostages were killed by Hamas, but for the ones who are still alive, it is a. It is a fitting cornerstone to what we hope is a foundation of peace that's being built there. And. And, Buck, on top of everything else, I just look at this, and it really does feel like Trump 2.0 is going to be the most transformative presidency of the 21st century by far, and maybe the most transformative presidency since Ronald Reagan. For those of us out there who have been alive for the past several generations, Trump is now competing, not to me, Buck, in the Annals of the American presidency and where he ranks. But in the annals of global politics, whether it's Churchill, whether it's Reagan, people who were seismic historical forces for freedom and good, and for those of us out there who have been Trump supporters, this is a day of validation that our. Our judgment was sound and we picked the right guy to be leading America out of a place of darkness into a place of light. That's kind of my big thoughts as, as I watched all this take place this morning. Buck.

[Buck Sexton]

If you were to lay out in advance of an administration, what are the great things that could be achieved that have so far been unachievable for previous administrations? Mideast peace, almost as a cliche, would be at the top of the list. You know, oh, Mideast peace, it's. So, yes, everyone tries, everyone fails. I actually knew someone who had worked in the State Department for decades, and he said the one thing you always have to remember a Middle east peace is everyone tries. Meaning every administration tries and everyone fails. And that was the cynicism that 40 plus years of trying. Some kind of a deal.

[Clay Travis]

Yes.

[Buck Sexton]

I mean, stretching back to the Reagan era and the US Intervention in Lebanon and before that, I mean, I don't even know where you want to start this, basically, the World War II era they've been trying to get peace in the Middle east has been unachievable. Trump is closer to that goal now than any administration before him. Clay, you mentioned you went and visited Israel. You went to Hostage Square. You know, people are rightly in exaltation. They are jubilant over the return of 20 of these hostages. This has been something that the entirety of the Israeli people, the Jewish people, Americans, allies of Israel, have been waiting for. But I have to say, the sense of accomplishment here, for anyone who, who has been focused on this region for a long time, the sense of accomplishment almost feels surreal that this is the first time that Hamas has accepted truly a battlefield defeat with conditions that are supposed to get rid of Hamas, period. This honestly evil entity that has bedeviled the region for as long as you and I have been alive. They're now going to be under agreement, pushed out of leadership. This is an end of an era of terrorism that I think is possible to achieve now in a way it hadn't been before. But Mid east peace was where I started in college, looking into the Middle east issue as. As a realm of study. Clay, this has been the thing. This has been the durable, unfortunately, challenge for diplomacy and for policy in the region. And there has never been a day of greater hope and promise than this one. And there has never been a president who has achieved more so far than this one.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah. And how did he do it? I think there are going to be a lot of books written about for generations to come. If hopefully we can have a lasting peace that continues to flow, flourish in the Middle East, I think it's by focusing on deal making over religion. And some people out there are going to say, okay, what do you mean by that, Clay? I think Trump's unique genius here was he has a great relationship with a lot of the Arab leaders, which is based on the foundation of we want to build new things business, we want to create new opportunities through capitalism. And Trump has those relationships. I think Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff, all of those guys are deal makers. They're primarily real estate guys that have put together big deals elsewhere. And they basically looked at Mideast peace. Not through the prism of always religion, not through the prism of what I would say all of the sort of Swarthmore faculty lounge an analyst on the Democrat Party side would have attempted, but through, okay, let's find a commonality. We like to make money. We like to build things. That's an agreement. That's a relationship that's very positive. And upon that foundation of capitalism and on building new things, let's create a durable, hopefully, and lasting piece on that. And so I think they started with that commonality and then worked towards the ultimate conclusion here, which is, Hamas has to be eradicated. Buck, I saw somebody share a tweet. I thought it was great. And there may be multiple people who've made this argument, but essentially the only hostages Hamas has left now are the people of Gaza, and they have to be allowed to have freedom inside of Gaza. And this is where now the management of this is going to be so important, because you have other Arab leaders who are saying, enough already. We don't want to fight forever with Israel. Let's just build a foundation of peace and prosperity that all can benefit from. There is a form of rationality and realism that I think has taken root partly based on the relationships of Trump, Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff, and everybody out there who said this is not an intractable problem that can never be solved. Let's start with the foundation of mutual benefit through commerce. And I think that's the way Trump has approached this and had a great deal of success. And they tell me cut 13 goes with this. If we want to play cut 13.

[Benjamin Netanyahu]

From October 7th until this week, Israel has been a nation at war, enduring burdens that only a proud and faithful people could withstand. It was a very tough period of time for so many families across the land. It has been years since you've known a single day of true peace. But now, at last, not only for Israelis, but also for Palestinians and for many others, the long and painful nightmare is finally over. And as the dust settles, the smoke fades, the debris is removed and the ashes clean from the air. The day that breaks on a region transformed and a beautiful and much brighter future appears suddenly within your reach.

[Buck Sexton]

Clay. I've had so many people come up to me recently, yes. But also stretching back over many months, particularly this year in 2025, to say thank you to you, to me, for this show, for standing with Israel and maintaining a moral clarity on what had happened here, starting on October 7th, all the way through two years of war, when some people, even on the right, some people that I personally like and have respected their work in the past, I think, began to see this through the wrong lens, perhaps began to lose faith in what is a very clear issue of right and wrong, what is really a moral, a moral war, a just war that has been fought here. And I've had many people, and even in recent days, that's why I'm thinking about it, come up and say thank you for what you have been willing to do and say on the show. Because it has been a tremendously emotionally taxing two years for a lot of American Jews, for a lot of Americans, period, who have been observing this and have been hoping that this conflict would come to an end, but also maintaining that there has never been a moral equivalency between the Israeli people, between the IDF and Hamas. And there were a lot of efforts, a lot of efforts in the media by Democrats and by leftists in this country to conflate those two, to confuse the American public. And now here we are. Donald Trump was never confused. And we see that his administration saw this with the clarity necessary to bring it to a just conclusion or the best conclusion we could hope for under the circumstances.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah, and I'll, I'll echo that and just leave you all with a question as we finish the opening segment here. Where are all the ceasefire now people celebrating now that they have a ceasefire in the Middle east over years, college campuses, all over American streets, all over global streets, people marched in the streets chanting ceasefire. Now, wouldn't you expect, Buck, if those people were honest about their motivations, that they would all be out in the streets celebrating instead? They're not because for them this is not about peace. It's about hating Israel and hating Jews, the Elon Omar's of the world. They certainly aren't saying very much about Trump bringing peace to the Middle east because they don't want peace. They want Israel eradicated from the Middle East. We'll talk about this some more, but I want to tell you all eyes on Israel and the Middle east today. The return of 20 hostages who've been kept in captivity for more than 735 days. I hope you watch some of those reunions with the family. So many moving stories. Israel's been under near constant assault for the past two years since the terror attack of October 7, 2023, and today is one of the proudest days that the country of Israel has ever had. And I'm not sure that the relationship between Israel and the United States has ever been stronger. If you watched Trump's speech today, if you saw the extreme popularity for President Trump throughout Israel, that's one of many reasons why we support Israel, support the United States, and why we also support the international fellowship of Christians and Jews. We're not just helping people in, we're honoring those who helped us establish our spiritual foundation. Discover the top reasons why Christians and Jews all over the world are supporting Israel by visiting ifcj.org that's ifcj.org what a powerful, peaceful tribute today has been for all the people in the Holy Land. Go today to ifc, IFC and make a difference with your voice and your dollars. IFCJ.org you ain't imagining it. The world has gone insane. Reclaim your sanity with clay and buck. Find them on the free iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

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[Leon Neyfak]

When I told people I was making a podcast about Benghazi, nine times out of ten they called me a masochist, rolled their eyes or just asked why Benghazi?

[Buck Sexton]

The truth became a web of lies.

[Leon Neyfak]

It's almost a dirty word, one that connotes conspiracy theories.

[Clay Travis]

Will we ever get the truth about the Benghazi massacre?

[Leon Neyfak]

Bad faith, political warfare, and frankly, bullshit.

[Buck Sexton]

We kill the ambassador just to cover something up. You put two and two together.

[Leon Neyfak]

Was it an overblown distraction or a sinister conspiracy?

[Clay Travis]

Benghazi is a Rosetta Stone for everything that's been going on for the last 20 years.

[Leon Neyfak]

I'm Leon Nayfak from Prologue Projects and Pushkin Industries. This is Fiasco Benghazi.

[Commercial Voice]

What difference at this point does it make?

[Clay Travis]

Yes, that's right. Lock her up.

[Leon Neyfak]

Listen to Fiasco Benghazi on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Clay Travis]

Welcome back in Clay Travis Buck Sexton show. Appreciate all of you hanging out with us. Buck, when we come back, I want to get your take on whether Democrats are going to abandon this idea that Donald Trump is Adolf Hitler, given the fact that he is actually the most popular American politician probably in the history of Israel existing as a country. And what does this look like for Democrats? As Trump signs the Gaza peace agreement in Egypt and as the entire world takes note and is calling him the peacemaker in chief, how small do Democrats look for shutting down the government back here in the United States? Like this is a tough spot for them not only politically but also morally.

[Buck Sexton]

Well, one of the fun things that's happening right now is Trump's win here is so big and so obvious that even deranged Trump haters, I mean the Looney Tunes, I mean the ones that say he's Hitler, Claire, having to say this is pretty good. It's pretty good job.

[Clay Travis]

We'll play some of that audio for you from Netanyahu and others when we come back. I want to tell you, much less seriously, over the weekend a lot of you watched NFL and college football. Buck, we won again. Four winning weeks on prize picks out of six. That is an unprecedented run. Five to one just shy of payout. If you took the pick, I'll give you a new one on Thursday. But if you love baseball, the NLCS and the ALCS are underway. NHL, NBA October is the best month for sports fans out there. College football, tons of huge games going on. I'm actually down in Oxford, Mississippi, going to interview Lane Kiffin here in Oxford for Fox's big noon kickoff as he gets ready to play against Georgia. Whatever the the sport you love. Prize picks available in 40 plus states. You get $50 when you use code CLAY. That's prizepix.com code clay for $50 when you play. Five dollars. Sign up. Let's see if we can make it five wins on the year. Prizepix.com Code Clay welcome back into Clay and Buck.

[Buck Sexton]

It is Columbus Day, everybody. It's a huge day of celebration for Mid East Peach. We're going to get back into that in a second, but I don't want to forget because Columbus is a hero in this house. Play Columbus. As Tony Soprano explained to us so eloquently many years ago, he's a hero in this house and he is for what he accomplished in discovering the new world and overcoming the opposition of really a very a Stone Age people was what he came upon. And things got a little rough as they tend to in conquest. I'm not saying it didn't, but here we are now in a better place as a civilization. So that's good news for everybody and the world in communication with each other as a result of Columbus. All right, so I'm just saying Columbus, pretty amazing stuff. And maybe we could have some conversation here later on in the show about what the world was like earlier on. But let's get back into Trump and the massive Mideast peace deal. Let's get into where things stand right now with all of this. Trump is speaking, by the way. We'll bring you some of that audio momentarily. But here I thought this was really interesting. CNN's Clarissa Ward saying Trump is possibly even more popular in Israel than he is in America right now. Play cut four.

[Commercial Voice]

They have been cheering like crazy from.

[Clay Travis]

The moment that Air Force One was.

[Commercial Voice]

First spotted making its descent over Tel.

[Clay Travis]

Aviv, landing at Ben Gurion Airport, to the moment where the door of Air Force One opened and President Trump then began to make his way down the steps of the aircraft. You heard the whole crowd here started to erupt into cheers of, thank you, Trump. Thank you, Trump. And I have to say, everywhere you go here, there are posters of Trump. We have seen people who have made artifacts dedicated to Trump fair to say that President Trump is possibly even more popular here than he is in the United States.

[Buck Sexton]

Clay, could you want me to just give you some of the, some of the highlights here from some of these folks because, well, as you've been saying all along, I know you want to jump in on this point because it's an important one. It's bizarre for the state of Israel, home to the Jewish people or, you know, the homeland of the Jewish people. Bizarre that he is so. That Donald Trump is so beloved, and yet there are people here who say that he is Hitlerian. That's quite strange. I agree with you.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah. And when I was over there in December, I remember having conversations with people and they said, look, if Israel was an American state, Israel would vote for President Trump more than Wyoming did, more than Mississippi did, more than West Virginia did, Tennessee, Alabama, wherever. Trump is his most popular in the United States. If Israel were our 51st state, they would vote for Trump more. And so I wonder, as I watch that Clarissa Ward report, which I actually think underplays it because she says he's proud. Probably more popular in Israel. He's definitely more popular in Israel than he is in the United States. What do all those CNN viewers who have been told that he is Hitler, what do they think when they hear Clarissa Ward saying the guy is more popular among Jews than any American has ever been?

[Buck Sexton]

Clay.

[Clay Travis]

Like, it's just the cognitive dissonance has to be off the charts.

[Buck Sexton]

The, the advantage of being delusional is you never have to be accountable. Something I discuss in my upcoming book. It's a good phrase, delusion in January. Thank you. Thank you. But you never have to go back and actually look at what you were saying, what you were thinking, what reality is. Now. They'll tell themselves, well, even Hitler can get lucky. You know, they'll tell themselves whatever crazy thing they have to, to explain why they have said that Donald Trump is Hitler, which is, it's on its own an insane statement and actually as we.

[Clay Travis]

Have been saying for a decade, but this is their talking point and I do think it is hard for a talking point to be more publicly refuted. I think we have met Benjamin Netanyahu. Let's just go ahead and put this out there saying Israel's never loved an American politician more here is Netanyahu in the Knesset just a little bit earlier today. Thank you for withdrawing from the disastrous Iran nuclear deal.

[Benjamin Netanyahu]

Thank you for supporting Operation Rising Line and for your bold decision to launch Operation Midnight Hammer.

[Buck Sexton]

Boy, is that you got to hear this.

[Benjamin Netanyahu]

This is the most fitting name ever named for a military operation because a little after midnight you really hammered them.

[Clay Travis]

My friends, this is only a partial.

[Benjamin Netanyahu]

List, but it's enough to affirm what I've said time and again. Donald Trump is the greatest friend that.

[Buck Sexton]

The state of Israel has ever had.

[Clay Travis]

In the White House.

[Buck Sexton]

I mean that, that speaks pretty, pretty full, full force on what the reality is here of Donald Trump as a president and also as an ally of the state of Israel and Jewish people. And that's something else that I want to address here, Clay, because and I understand this and all the GWAT veterans listening, veterans of Iraq, Afghanistan and the other counterterrorism, counter jihadist military operations of the last 24 years or so and beyond. But particularly in the post 911 era, a middle east like what we are seeing right now with the worst players in the worst position they have been in in living memory is the best possible future for the US because it means that there's not even going to be or there won't even be a need for, hey, we're not fighting that war. Hey, we're not putting troops on the ground in that place. It is America first to have a peaceful Middle east that we don't even have to think about or worry about. That we can just get oil and other things from in trade and we can visit countries that we want to visit safely as American citizens and that it doesn't have to be this roiling hellscape constantly. That's a good thing for this country. It's a good thing for America. Even if you are a staunch non interventionist, isn't it great to never even have to think about that possibility going forward? Now that is contingent on Hamas being removed from leadership. It's contingent on none of these terrorist groups resurging. I know you have a former Al Qaeda guy running Syria There are still problems and risks. But there's a better realistic possibility, Clay, for a durable framework of peaceful coexistence in the Middle east now than at any time in my lifetime. And I've been following this. I mean, I've been studying this since I was a teenager in high school. So we're going back 30 years.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah. And for the America first people out there, it's really hard for America to be first without affordable oil and gas. And the relationship between Trump and the Saudis has ensured that oil is free flowing and that we're able to effectively run commerce here in the United States. We can't be held hostage by petro dictators. This makes that much less likely, which makes America stronger, which Trump understands. I also think there's another little angle here worth pointing out. You and I were right about the necessity of striking Iran. That was considered to be controversial five, six months ago, whenever it happened. I don't think Hamas would have agreed to this deal if Trump hadn't shown them the hard fist of American power. And a lot of you out there who are on, who understand people on the left, they want to claim that peace needs to happen. Can't have peace without strength. You can't have peace without somebody knowing that you could beat their ass if you needed to. And Israel basically wiping out Iran in 12 days with the assistance of the United States. I think it was very eye opening for people in the Middle east because Iran's entire leadership has based its existence on, we're going to wipe Israel off the earth, we are going to go to war with America and we're going to win. That's what their leadership's been telling the people of Iran all throughout the Persian Empire. And what happened in 12 days, they were begging for mercy. And if the United States had so desired, the Ayatollah would have been overthrown. We chose not to do that. But everybody in the Middle east saw that power, saw that strength. And I think the reverberations of that power and strength is what helped to lead Hamas to the willingness to finally give the hostages back and effectively cede control of Gaza to larger Arab peace communities. Now, there's lots of details to be worked out. Unfortunately, there's always going to be terrorists who want to attack Israel in the Holy Land. That's not going to go away. But I think if you look at Hezbollah in the north, I think if you look at what's happened to Iran, I think if you look at what's happened to all of the proxies funded by Iran. In the wake of October 7, they have been largely neutered and wiped out.

[Buck Sexton]

And speaking of neutered, some of Trump's biggest critics having to come forward, I mean, how can you talk about this in a negative way? You would sound even crazier than usual on msnbc. As I said, Clay Mitty's piece has been the thing that people have been striving for in administrations for our entire lives, quite honestly and unsuccessfully.

[Clay Travis]

Correct.

[Buck Sexton]

And I understand that there's still a lot of, of clock, so to speak, left here. We're talking about an indeterminate future and things can change. But this is the first time that it has been, like I said, a realistic framework of peaceful coexistence for Israel, its neighbors. And also with Iran now defanged, the broader Middle east is looking better than it has. And the willingness of the Saudis and the Gulf states to be constructive with international relations in the Middle east here, it is massive, the implications of all of this. Meanwhile, over at msnbc, their favorite historian, Jon Meacham, who has said that Trump is a threat to democracy. This is an existential threat. I mean, he's, along with the others, said some of the craziest things you'll hear anyone say on MSNBC about Trump. Even he's, even he has had to be like, you know what? It's a pretty good day for Trump. Play seven.

[Clay Travis]

It's a terrific day for the hostage families. It's a terrific day for President Trump, for our national interests. You're right. We don't know how the story ends, but stories are made up of chapters. But we should make no mistake about this. This is a victory for President Trump and for those who wish that we can govern ourselves at home and around the world, not simply by brute force, but by ideas and civilized norms. This is a. I give credit to Meacham. I want to see who's been Biden's best buddy, who tried to tell Biden, hey, you're transformative president. You can be fdr. A lot of these guys who are historians, I believe, are start, are going to start to recognize that they've been on the wrong side of history and that historians are good at analyzing history 50 or 100 years after it happens in retrospect, not always great at analyzing history in real time. Remember that moron Michael Beschlos said that if Trump won, people would be lined up with firing squads and, you know, there wouldn't be history in the future. I wonder when he's waking up now again, if you're a rational person at some point in time, you have to acknowledge all of the evidence. And I understand there's 35% of America that's so brain dead that they wouldn't, you know, if Trump made everybody a billionaire and, and peace reigned throughout the world, they would still find something wrong with it. So there's about 35% of the population that are unpersuadable. They, they are, their brains are broken by Trump derangement syndrome. But I do think there's 15 or 20% of people out there that are still sitting around that are having a hard time reconciling what they've been told for the past decade by the legacy media and, and what they're now seeing play out on their television screens. And I think Jon Meacham is one of those people. Switch your cell phone service from AT&T, Verizon or T Mobile to Pure Talk, the cell phone company. Embracing freedom Pure Talk stands by the principle that Americans should be able to speak openly about politics, religion, family values without retribution. Not everyone's always going to agree, but you should be able to speak and listen to an opposing point of view in a civilized way. Switch your cell phone service to Pure Talk and support a business that appreciates free speech. You're going to get great 5G nationwide coverage on a reliable and secure network. Monthly plan starting at just 25 bucks a month, so you'll save a ton of money. Dial pound two five zero, say Clay and Buck to switch to our wireless company Pure Talk. My kids have this wireless company, my 17 year old, my 15 year old. I use their wireless network of Pure Talk to stay in touch with them and right now you can save an additional 50 off your first month. Dial pound 250, say Clay and Buck to switch to Pure Talk. Do it today Clay, Travis and Buck Sexton telling it like it is. Find them on the free iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

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[Leon Neyfak]

When I told people I was making a podcast about Benghazi, nine times out of ten they called me a masochist, rolled their eyes, or just asked why Benghazi?

[Buck Sexton]

The truth became a web of lies.

[Leon Neyfak]

It's almost a dirty word, one that connotes conspiracy theory.

[Clay Travis]

Will we ever get the truth about the Benghazi massacre?

[Leon Neyfak]

Bad faith, political warfare and frankly, bullshit.

[Buck Sexton]

We kill the ambassador just to cover something up. You put two and two together.

[Leon Neyfak]

Was it an overblown distraction or a sinister conspiracy?

[Clay Travis]

Benghazi is a Rosetta Stone for everything that's been going on for the last 20 years.

[Leon Neyfak]

I'm Leon Naifak from Prologue Projects and Pushkin Industries. This is Fiasco Benghazi.

[Commercial Voice]

What difference at this point does it make?

[Clay Travis]

Yes, that's right. Lock her up.

[Leon Neyfak]

Listen to Fiasco Benghazi on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Buck Sexton]

Welcome back into Clay and Buck. Got a lot of calls coming in here and want to get to your talkbacks as well. Look, it's a great day for Trump, great day for the Middle east, for Israel, for the world, for the family of the hostages who have been returned. It's just, it's a privilege to have a lot of good news to share with all of you. You know, I feel like so Much of the news business is diving into challenges, problems, occasionally disasters and tragedies. This time around, we can actually say that the main news of the day is encouraging, is joyful and promising for the future. But we still don't know who's going to win the Virginia or New Jersey governor's races. So let's not get too crazy. Let's not get too crazy over here.

[Clay Travis]

And the New York City mayor's race, I mean, there's always going to be fights for freedom to continue for the rest of our lives and beyond. But it is important, I think, what you said to recognize when great things happen and when arguments we made on this show and that all of us helped to make happen. This is what I voted for. I voted for Middle east peace, and I believe Trump got it done. Kamala would have never, ever been capable of getting this deal done. I think this is a real tangible result already of many different things in the last 10 months of the fact that Barack Obama was right. Elections do have consequences, and thankfully, so far, those consequences have mostly been phenomenal.

[Buck Sexton]

Let's take some calls here. We have. We have Mike in West Palm Beach, Florida. What's going on, Mike?

[Benjamin Netanyahu]

Hi, guys. Buck, as I mentioned to the screener, I'm a Miami beach boy, and I hope you're enjoying living down there.

[Buck Sexton]

Fabulous.

[Benjamin Netanyahu]

I grew up.

[Buck Sexton]

Thank you.

[Benjamin Netanyahu]

Jewish and liberal, and I made my journey over back at right after 9 11. I want to mention a couple things real quick for your commentary from both you guys. Number one is I want to echo what you've heard on the street, Buck, thanking both of you for what you've done here in terms of supporting Israel. And I do want to say that the moral clarity issue is one, as a Jewish American, in terms of some of what's going on on the right, is of concern to me. My hope is that through your efforts and perhaps what Trump has accomplished here in the last few months, that some of those voices will see the light, so to speak.

[Buck Sexton]

Thank you.

[Benjamin Netanyahu]

As you know, currently going on in Gaza, Hamas is killing people in the streets. I imagine that's going to continue to go on. One of the questions I'd like you guys to address is how is that going to be dealt with? Certainly not with American troops.

[Buck Sexton]

That's a.

[Clay Travis]

It's a very peace. Yeah, I was just gonna say there's a peace group that has been put together, being led by many different Arab countries of which the United States will be a part of, that is designed to be a coalition of both Arab, Christian and Jewish people to try to protect the people of Gaza. It's a major issue going forward. What he said first part Buck I think is right. There are a lot of people, people on the left who have lost their way when it comes to Israel in good and evil. But there are a lot of people on the right who did too. It's important to acknowledge that good and evil is real and that Israel has been standing on the side of good peace throughout the Middle East. What a day for President Trump, Travis and Buck Sexton on the Front Lines.

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Of Truth this is the story of the One as head of maintenance at a concert hall, he knows the show must always go on. That's why he works behind the scenes, ensuring every light is working, the H Vac is humming, and his facility shines with Grainger's supplies and solutions for every challenge he faces.

[Clay Travis]

Plus 24.

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7 customer support. His venue never misses a beat. Call quitgranger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done.

[Leon Neyfak]

What I told people I was making a podcast about Benghazi. Nine times out of ten they called me a masochist, rolled their eyes, or just asked why Benghazi?

[Buck Sexton]

The truth became a web of lies.

[Leon Neyfak]

From prologue projects and Pushkin Industries. This is Fiasco Benghazi.

[Commercial Voice]

What difference at this point does it make?

[Leon Neyfak]

Listen to Fiasco Benghazi on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[iHeartRadio Announcer]

This is an iHeart podcast.