Hour 1 - Trump’s Economy Surges Past Expectations

Summary

The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show (Hour 1)

Episode Title: Trump’s Economy Surges Past Expectations
Host: Brett Winterble (filling in for Clay & Buck)
Air Date: December 23, 2025

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Overview

This episode dives into a surprisingly strong U.S. economic performance, attributed by the host and guests to President Trump’s policies and a post-Biden recovery. Brett Winterble, filling in for Clay Travis and Buck Sexton, discusses key headlines including the latest GDP numbers, ongoing partisan battles, immigration, government fraud, and media narratives. He frames rising consumer optimism as political “kryptonite” for Trump’s opponents, and touches on recent news stories and political controversies.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

Blockbuster Economic Growth (02:39–06:00)

• U.S. GDP Surges: The Commerce Department reported a 4.3% annualized GDP growth rate for Q3 2025, smashing the 3.2% forecast. Consumer spending also outpaced expectations.

• Political Framing: Brett credits Trump’s “America First” agenda for this strong performance, contrasting it sharply with the previous Biden administration’s policies:

  “Today’s blockbuster expectation smashing GDP report is the latest proof that President Trump’s America First trade and economic agenda continues to turn the page on the Biden economic disaster.”
  — Brett Winterble (03:45)

• Consumer Spending: Noted as up 3.5% annualized, compared to 2.5% in the previous quarter (05:15), with Brett emphasizing that this confidence arises from Main Street Americans, not politicians.

Democrats’ Political Challenges & Identity Politics (06:00–10:00)

• Economic Success as Democrat Kryptonite: Brett argues that an improving economy undermines Democratic efforts to target Trump through investigations or impeachments.

• Critique of Democratic Response:

  “What you see right now is a toxic brew of ideological identity politics and higher taxes and lower expectations. That is what the Democrat party is going to do.”
  — Brett Winterble (07:29)

• Argument: The left is accused of lacking substantive economic policies, relying instead on prosecuting Trump and engaging in “identity politics.”

Judicial Controversy & Immigration Anecdotes (10:00–13:00)

• Brett brings up the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, released by a judge over the government’s objections (11:00).

• Criticism: Such judicial actions are used as examples of Democratic soft-on-crime and identity-driven policies:

  “This is the identity politics that you have got to watch for. That is going to be the absolute placeholder for the Democratic Party. They’re not going to talk about economics... because they have no plan in the world of economics.”
  — Brett Winterble (12:24)

Republican Measures Against Fraud – “Walls Act” (37:32–41:29)

• Segment on the Walls Act (named after Gov. Tim Walz, Minnesota):
  • Rep. Marianette Miller-Meeks proposes a bill to mandate fraud investigation if government programs’ payments spike 10% in six months.
  • Inspired by a $9–18 billion fraud scandal in Minnesota’s health and nutrition programs.
• Host’s POV: Points to this as a failure of Democratic governance, saying fraud is a “feature, not a bug” under soft-on-crime Democrats.

Listener Calls Highlight Distrust and Political Schemes (24:14–31:21)

• Caller John (CA): Suggests Democrats tie up DOJ resources with “nonsense,” distracting from genuine crimes. (24:14)
• Caller Kevin (Boston): Raises concerns about Democratic efforts to reshape demographics through immigration, claiming it’s aimed at “diluting” the conservative base. (30:14)
• Brett’s Response: Generally supportive, emphasizes support for legal immigration but criticizes Biden-era border policies.

Media Narratives: Epstein Files & Trump (24:53–27:06)

• Joe Scarborough Soundbite: Questions why Trump is so interested in the Epstein files if he’s not implicated. Suggests transparency would benefit survivors.

• Brett’s Take: Dismisses the controversy as a media obsession disconnected from the public interest:

  “You have a guy who wants to get the economy going, who wants to do big things... These guys all think the exact same way... Why would Donald Trump not want to have talk about this? Because it doesn’t involve him.”
  — Brett Winterble (27:06)

Holiday Season, Military, and National Mood (15:54–24:14)

• Brett reflects on the contrast between Trump and Biden on military policies (eg. Trump’s military bonuses, Biden’s vaccine mandate firings).

• Asserts that optimism and resilience are making a difference nationally:

  “The American movement is happening in a big way. You can feel it, you can see it, you can spot the steps that people are taking to defend this country...”
  — Brett Winterble (17:36)

Boston, Identity, and Integration (32:51–33:27)

• Michelle Wu (Mayor of Boston) soundbite: Praises Boston’s Somali community for its civic contributions.

• Brett supports immigrant entrepreneurship but insists on thorough vetting and legal processes.

  “It’s not just about skin color. It’s not just about your identity politics. It’s about: can you come into the country, can you build up businesses, can you do great things?”
  — Brett Winterble (33:27)

Interest Rates and the Fed (22:30–24:14)

• Fed Chair Speculation: Kevin Hassett, possible Fed Chair pick, argues for lowered rates to keep up with growth and tech advancements; aligned with Trump’s policy direction (22:45).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Economic Momentum:
  • “If you’re feeling good about this, you’re right to feel good. This is a big deal, and it’s because of the American people, not the people in Washington, D.C.”
    — Brett Winterble (05:35)
• On Democrat Strategies:
  • “The number one plan that the Democrats have is to try to impeach and destroy Donald Trump. But the thing that is the kryptonite to those Democrats is the economy continuing to surge.”
    — Brett Winterble (06:24)
• Scorn on Identity Politics:
  • “All they have is identity politics. And it sounds like some kind of a throwaway line...but that’s all they have.”
    — Brett Winterble (12:45)
• Media Hysteria:
  • “You’ve got a group of people who are nonstop 24/7/365 wanting to only talk about the Epstein files. Trump wasn’t part of that.”
    — Brett Winterble (27:00)

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Timestamps to Key Segments

• Show Start / Headlines: 02:37
• GDP/Economic Growth Discussion: 02:39–06:00
• Democrats and Identity Politics: 06:00–10:00
• Immigration/Judicial Case: 10:00–13:00
• Military, National Mood: 15:54–24:14
• Interest Rates, Fed Speculation: 22:30–24:14
• Calls about DOJ and Political Tactics: 24:14–24:53
• Joe Scarborough/Epstein Files Soundbite: 25:31–27:06
• Calls on Immigration & Boston: 30:14–33:27
• Michelle Wu/Boston Somali Community: 32:51–33:27
• Walls Act Segment: 37:32–41:29

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Tone and Style

• The episode is energetic, partisan, and blends humor with pointed criticism, staying consistent with the show’s established “tell it like it is” conservative talk style.
• Brett Winterble adopts a conversational, folksy tone, frequently addressing listeners directly and recapping major issues in everyday terms.

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Summary Takeaway

This hour is a rapid-fire tour of current events through a conservative lens, celebrating Trump-era economic numbers, warning of Democratic “identity politics” and legislative distractions, and lauding American resilience and optimism. It frames the robust economy as a pivotal political asset and airs concerns about governance, immigration, and accountability. Listeners are encouraged to call in and share concerns, reinforcing the show’s interactive community vibe.

Transcript

[Commercial Announcer]

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[Clay Travis]

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[Clay Travis]

WBT in Charlotte, North Carolina.

[Brett Winterble]

Please welcome Brett Winter filling in for Clay and Buck. No place I'd rather be than with this incredible audience. It's a pleasure to be with you in for Clay and Buck. Our telephone number if you want to get a lined up early, 800-282-2882. And it is such a pleasure to be with you today with really good news, with really good economic numbers. Lots of stuff happening. There is a brand new lawmaker that is unveiling the Walls act. And that's not the Walls down at the border. We're talking about the, the Walls act involving, that's right, the, the man who would be king in Minnesota, Tim Walls. But let's get started with really good news. Now if you decide at any point in time that you think that our economy is just not the sort of thing that you want to be involved with, well, then I don't know how to convince you because the fact of the matter is the United States economy grew this summer. So this is lagging this summer at the fastest pace in two years, far outpacing economists forecasts. The Commerce Department said U.S. gross domestic product, the government's official economic scoreboard, rose at a seasonally and inflation adjusted 4.3% annual rate in the third quarter. The report on the July through September period was delayed due to the Schumer shutdown. But we are looking at the numbers of this and this thing blew the doors off. Today's blockbuster expectation smashing GDP report is the latest proof that President Trump's America first trade and economic agenda continues to turn the page on the Biden economic disaster. And more importantly, American consumers are spending and American exports are surging. And the White House spokesperson, Kush Desai said President Trump built the greatest economic engine in the world in his first term and he's in the process of doing it all again after it was defiled and abused and pushed away because of all of the DEI and all of the socialist experiments that have been happening in that interregnum period that we know as the Biden administration. Gross domestic product is a broad measure of the goods and services produced across the economy. And economists had expected that the economy would grow at 3.2%. And we now see that that is a much higher number than they were even talking about. Now, I want to go back to the Schumer shutdown because I'm just wondering if they were sitting back and seeing what those numbers were looking like and they were looking to try to drag President Trump. They were trying to push off all of the good news, all of the good, you know, consequences of this sort of a move. And that's why they may have turned and walked away and not wanted to cut the deals that needed to be done. Now, consumer spending grew much faster than expected, expanding at a seasonally inflation adjusted annual rate of 3.5%. And that is up from the 2.5% in the second quarter and well above, well above the 2.7% expected. So if you're feeling good about this, you're right to feel good. This is a very important notion. This is a big deal. And it's because of the American people, not the people in Washington, D.C. not the people in the House, the Senate, whatever it is. This is because the American people are going long on this economy. So let's break this down here for just a couple of minutes. Okay? The, the number one plan that the Democrats have is to try to impeach and destroy Donald Trump. But the thing that is the kryptonite to those Democrats is the economy continuing to surge. As long as this economy surges. And we don't know what this is going to look like when we get past Christmas, past New Year's and then into that first quarter of that next year in 2026, we may be seeing robust numbers that are coming to life that are going to make it very, very difficult for the Democrats to try to make a case that we have got to change the direction of the country. I have got sound bite after soundbite after sound bite on this program that you're going to be able to hear these people in their own language, in their own takes. And when you think about what they're offering up to you, it is thin gruel. It is not anything that, that you want to consume. It is not anything that you want to be a part of. Because what you see right now is a toxic brew of ideological identity politics and higher taxes and lower expectations. That is what the Democrat Party is going to do. The Republican Party is saying, hey, we passed the big beautiful bill and now it's time to get this thing into focus and to get this thing in the important spots that it's got to be. Now, again, there are going to be naysayers. They're going to be people who are going to try to tell you that the economy is not good. They did that with Reagan, they did it with Trump in the, in the first term, and now they're going to try to do it in this next term. And these folks are out of their Mind, they're not ready for prime time. They are not ready to be serious about the economy such as we know it. And they're going to try to regulate and take you down in a whole lot of different ways. So here's the question for you. Knowing these numbers coming in and hearing the reporting that's coming in, not just here on the Clay and Buck show, but also around the, around the world, what are you thinking about in this regard? Because I can tell you what the leftist is thinking about. I can tell you a bunch of things that the, the left is trying to, to sell to you. Let me give you an example of this, if I may. Let me give you an example. This is what the left wants. You remember the judge called Boberg? Remember Boasberg, who was the guy that was going to spring all of the illegals back out from, from Trend Aragua and all those folks? Well, Kilmar Abrego Garcia is now free. Again, this because a judge said, no, no, you don't have to go back to El Salvador. You don't have to go back to some other place. Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the three named man is going free. I've got cut number eight. Get a load of his lawyer talking about the release that's happening. Go. So the government gave the, excuse me, the district judge gave the government until the 26th of December, that is to say Friday, to actually answer the question, what is your plan for Mr. Abrego Garcia? Are you planning to rearrest him? If so, why? We'll then have the opportunity to respond to that. And then based on that, the judge will decide whether to convert her temporary order prohibiting his rearrest into a permanent order or whether to dissolve it. So as of right now, Mr. Garcia is going to return to his home with, with his wife and his children and his family members in Maryland. And he will be at home through Christmas and New Year. Yeah. So there you go. Judge decided that he should go home despite the fact that he was trafficking. Right. We know that. We saw that in Tennessee. We saw the video of it. We understand what's going on. This is the identity politics that you have got to watch for. The, that is going to be the, the absolute placeholder for the Democratic Party. They're not going to talk about economics. They're going to talk about everything but the economics because they have no plan in the world of economics. They have no idea how they're going to make you more prosperous, how they are going to allow you to be more prosperous. These folks are not ready for prime time. These folks, in fact, are looking to bring even more people into the streets. And I and I'm willing to guarantee a dollar to to a donut that you're going to see a whole bunch of other stuff like this beginning to happen because they do not have an economic policy, they do not have any plans, they do not have any of these sorts of things that are going to be better for you. All they have is identity politics. And it sounds like some kind of a, of a throwaway line. Identity politics, identity politics. But that's all they have. Hi, are you aggrieved because Donald Trump is in office? Well, then sign up with us with the Democrat party and we will be akin with you. That's all they've got. It's amazing, it's remarkable and it is exactly what they're planning to do. Now you can choose this or you can refute this. Certainly love to take your calls on on this occasion. In For Clay and Buck, I'm Brett Wooderbol. It's a pleasure to be with you. 8002-8228-8280-0282-2882. Let's get a break in. We'll come back right after this. Clay, Travis and Buck Sexton telling it like it is. Find them on the free iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Clay Travis]

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Pressure is coming down.

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[Brett Winterble]

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[Commercial Announcer]

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[Clay Travis]

Clay and Buck show wishing you and your family a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

[Brett Winterble]

Buck Sexton here, the entire Clay and Buck Show. Wish you and your family a warm Christmas season and a joyful new year. And welcome back to the Clay and Buck Show. It's great to be with you all today as we are looking directly ahead towards Christmas Eve tomorrow and then Christmas Day coming very soon. I've got a couple of great guests are going to be joining us over the course of the next couple of hours, not the least of which Bill Raggio from Long War Journal. He's going to join us looking at some of these terror threats that are out there, specifically what we're seeing with isis. And later in the third hour, a very good friend of mine, Father Bill Nicholas, is going to join us talking about Christmas and about the miracle that is Christmas. And I'm looking forward to hearing his his thoughts in that in that regard. But as we sit here and we look at the different challenges that we're facing in this country, we are nowhere near in the peril that we were when we were coming up into 2024. The reality is people are walking around feeling better. The military has never been stronger. They are people who are representing this country to their best. And this is something that should not be overlooked because when we had the the speech by the President earlier this week and the President offered up the $1776 in bonuses to the military folks. That is something that is such an incredible contrast. Why? Because you remember when Joe Biden threw people out of the military because they would not take the Foushee shot. They were, they were not going to do that. They were concerned about this. They were, they were upset about this. And you saw so many people sent away from the United States military, from the, from the US Military academies as well. This, this is such a different time. This is such a different place. It's interesting to me, as I think back about that announcement by the president and then, of course, the contrast with, with the Biden administration disrespecting in the extreme the people who serve this country, who defend this country, who lay it on the line every day. And it's so interesting because as I was going through the prep today, one of the storylines that struck me was the conversation between Sean Ryan and, and four former important person in Hunter Biden. And Hunter Biden is. Now he's saying, oh, yeah, well, this was a botched move when we, when we got the Abbey Gate and all that sort of stuff, and it should never have happened, and my father should never have done this sort of stuff. These folks are coming out of the woodwork. Think about it, right? We got, we got Rosie coming out, we've got this guy coming out. All because they're seeing that the bus is taken off down the road and the economy is about to get really, really good. So what they're trying to do is they're trying to obfuscate, they're trying to try to make headlines, they're trying to do all of these sorts of things. But the people who are doing the hard work, the people in the military, the people who are laborers, the people who are driving with actual real cdls, not just janky pieces of paper that, that are not allowed to be on our roads. The American movement is happening in a big way. You can feel it, you can see it, you can spot the, the steps that people are taking to defend this country at every bit and every turn. Why? Because all it takes is a little bit of confidence. You have to believe, and then you have to go after what it is. That is your mission. If you go back to the bad old days of the Obama Biden administration, if you go back to the bad old days of the Biden administration, look at the people who were coming through those offices and what they were planning on doing and what they wanted you to think was important, that was not important to us as Americans. It was important to them as projects, as little projects that they wanted to do. And so when you, when you sit back and you think about how far we've come in just what, 11, 11 months, it's remarkable. People are feeling better now. AI may be a part of that, no doubt, but the reality is the American people are believing. They're believing we have so many people who have such great talent and they've idled them. They've decided they don't want to do the things that they need to do. Well, ladies and gentlemen, it's clear as a bell to me. We have nothing but upside. And what does the other side have? What does the other side have? The other side has plans, impeachments, going after ICE agents. Oh, that's right. You'll hear about that coming up by Pritzker. He wants to prosecute in the, in the next term, the ICE agents who are keeping us safe. What, what a maniac. This is unbelievable, but it's totally believable because it's brought to you by the left. All right, we're gonna get a break in. I'm Brett Wooderbol. It's a pleasure to be with you here today in for Clay and Buck. 800, 282, 282. Back after this. Welcome back. It is Clam Buck show. I'm Brett Waterble in for Clay and Buck. And it's a pleasure to be with this incredible audience. Always love talking to you guys. 800-282-2882. It's a pleasure to be able to spend time on all these different topics. I'm going to go to the phones here in just one second, but I want to, I want to go with something that I think is very interesting because it seems to me that the administration is going all full guns to, to get this economy to really supercharge. And there's a piece that's running over at cnbc, although I've seen it in other places as well. And it's a Fed chair candidate who may be replacing, obviously, Jerome Powell. Kevin Hassett says the US Is way behind the curve on lowering interest rates. The National Economic Council director, Kevin Hassett said Tuesday that the Federal Reserve is not cutting interest rates quickly enough, even as the US Economy grew at a much faster pace than expected in the third quarter. The top White House economic adviser considered a leading contender to succeed Jerome Powell after his term ends in May. Hassett said the artificial intelligence boom is boosting economic growth while simultaneously putting downward pressure on inflation. So these rates, your credit cards, your your mortgages, all the stuff that your car loans, you should be able to get it at a lower rate. And that seems to be what Kevin Hassett is pushing for. It's obviously also the policy of the president as well, who wants to get that thing done. Now, a lot of people are talking about the Epstein batches and the Epstein stuff. And I want to take this call patiently holding on here. It's going to be John in California on line three. Welcome to the show.

[Caller]

Hi. Thank you. I'm John, the canceled dad in Santee, California. I believe that what's going on, the Democrats are never about what they're saying they're about. I believe what's going on is they and the few Republicans that went along with it are tying up the Justice Department attorneys with this nonsense so that they don't have time to pursue the real crimes, the collusion, the targeting of private citizens for political purposes and various other things. And some of the business with investments that they're making ridiculous amounts of money on. Thousands of attorneys are busy now doing busy work because of this act.

[Brett Winterble]

Yep. All right. So let me, let me, so let me, let me put the, the I and the T on this as well. This is very important, what you're saying. All right. They are definitely trying to wallow in this. They're definitely trying to push this. Look, you can have a whole bunch of prosecutions if you want. That's, that's certainly one way of going about it. And thank you for the call, John. I always appreciate hearing from you. Let me have cut number six. Joe Scarborough this morning with Mika. They, they acknowledge something that all of us already kind of knew. Cut number six.

[Joe Scarborough]

One of the great mysteries to me and a lot of other people is we've had reporting for some time. Donald Trump is not on Epstein's list. There's nothing in there that's really damning about Donald Trump. And says Suzy Wild says not damning about Donald Trump according to the chief or Bill Clinton. So one of the great mysteries all along in this not been like, what's Donald Trump hiding? What did he do? Da da, da, da say why, if he's not in these files, which all the reporting says he's not, why is he so obsessed on blocking access to the files? Is he trying to protect somebody? Joe, you got to the actual heart of the question and it's actually not been reported. One of the reasons Marjorie Taylor Greene got on board with Massie and my effort is she fundamentally believed that Trump was not implicated and she would call the President and say, look, just get these out. I don't know why you're not getting it out. And she would tell Massie and me, of course she's going to come around. And every press conference we had, we never made it about Donald Trump. We made it about the survivors. The survivors pleaded with Donald Trump, you can be a hero. No previous president has done this. Release the files. And what people are asking, and frankly even I'm asking is what are they hiding? Why is it that they're not releasing the draft 60 count indictment when they only charged Epstein with two counts? Why aren't they releasing the 82 page prosecution memo of all the implications he had with rich and powerful folks? Why are they protecting this Epstein class? And why aren't they releasing the FBI interviews every time they do one of these things of concealing, they're just ready further down.

[Brett Winterble]

See, this is the problem, the problem that they don't understand is you've got a guy who wants to get the economy going, who wants to do big things, who wants to create peace in the Middle east, who wants to go and, you know, end these stupid wars that are out there with, with Ukraine and all that sort of stuff. These guys all think the exact same way, the same way that they, that they sit back and they go, oh yeah, we're going to find some stuff, we're going to do this stuff. Why does Donald Trump not want to have talk about this? Because it doesn't involve him. That this is, that's the, you see, people get this warped mania when they go to Washington D.C. and you just saw a strong economy print, you just saw big things coming. If they can, if they can cut the rates, if they can do all of these sorts of things, it's going to lift all the boats. You've got a group of people who are nonstop 24 7, 365 wanting to only talk about the Epstein files. Trump wasn't part of that. So it's like saying, Mr. President, why don't you talk about the failed coup d' etat in Burkina Faso? Well, if Donald Trump's not part of that, why would he want to talk about it? Why would he want to waste his time, waste his energy, waste all of that sort of stuff? It's, it's abundantly clear. The people who are from D.C. who stay in D.C. just like to continue to be indecent. That's the problem. They like scandal. They don't want to do hard work. It's why people get so frustrated when they go to, to that place. And they sit back and they say, wait a minute, why are we not doing anything? Why are we not building anything? Why are we not? It's, it's because, it's because they don't understand that you have a limited time to achieve great things. Why would Donald Trump go and talk to this guy, that guy, the other guy? Because it means it's going to be something better for the United States of America, whatever that is. But Scarborough is perplexed. I can't, I can't tell you anything about what I'm, what I'm seeing here doesn't seem to make any sense. Well, why would you want to talk about something that has nothing to do with you if you're the president of the United States? It's, this is, this is the challenge, this is the challenge that we have to deal with. And unfortunately, unfortunately, all the left wants to do is try to kick sand in your face. And the reason why they want to kick sand in your face is because you are somebody who is not yet being assimilated into the Democratic notion. That's the problem. Let's go to Kevin in Boston. Kevin, welcome to the Clam Buck Show. What's on your mind today?

[Caller]

Well, first of all, man, you do a great job with the show. I started listening yesterday to your great, man, you're awesome. First of all, I wanted to sing. You ready for this? I wanted to sing White Christmas at May or wu's Christmas party. The mayor of Boston and they, they wouldn't let me do it.

[Brett Winterble]

They're not going to let you do it. They weren't going to let you do it. You know why? Right? Because she's given credit to a, to a whole new group of people for making Boston great again. Have you, have you come across that headline? Have you, have you seen that story?

[Caller]

Oh, I know better than anybody. I'm up here, I'm a transplant, but I've been up here for 10 years and, but how does her husband go to the Christmas party with Groucho glasses anyway? I just want to just tell people, this is what the Democrats really, bunch of communists want to do. Now. They're looking, they feel 400 million people, they could get another 50 million into the country. They'll totally dilute the conservative movement and they'll have total power. That's the number. And then when they get that, you know, they're gonna, they're gonna fly millions of people into this country, your neighborhoods.

[Brett Winterble]

Well, no, well, they already tried that. No, no, they already, they already tried that. And The American people have rebelled against that. This is. See the thing that. That they're trying to do. And look, immigration is great, okay? As long as you are making sure that people are eligible to come into the country to be able to fill out their paperwork, to do all of that sort of stuff. Not all immigration is the same. You have people that want to kind of border rush, and then you've got people who are doing it in a legal fashion. And unfortunately, we ended up with Biden's administration just opening the doors for everybody, and now the cleanup is happening. I've been seeing Kristi Noem talking about spending money, $3,000 to repatriate these people back to their home countries. That's a fundamentally good move, I think, in that regard. But I'll tell you what, I'll make. I'll make a deal with you there, Kevin, and I appreciate the call on the Clam Buck Show. I'm gonna play a clip when we come back in just a couple of minutes, because there's. There's some really good stuff in here. In fact, you know what? I'm not even. I'm not even gonna wait. I'm not even gonna wait. We're gonna. We're gonna do this now because I think this is a very important thing. Michelle Wu is the mayor of. Of. Of Boston, and she has a very interesting take on what makes Boston great. Cut number one, please.

[Mindset Coach / Promo Voice]

You cannot talk about any achievement that the city of Boston has had in safety, jobs, and economic development, in education without talking about the Somali community that has lifted our city up. We are proud and we are grateful for our Somali community and for our Somali American neighbors. Boston and the country are clear that hate has no place in our society. We will use every attack to actually strengthen and expand the services available to empower and work alongside our community members who are already doing so much good in the world and setting an example for the rest of the country.

[Brett Winterble]

Well, that's fantastic. As long as you have vetted them, as long as you have made sure that they are here legally, all that sort of stuff. But the reality is, this is a big. This is a big ask. Because the fact of the matter is, is Boston's been great for a very long time. It was the birth of the revolution. It is the place where Americans were able to breathe free. It's not just about skin color. It's not just about your identity politics. It's about, can you come into the country, can you build up businesses, can you do great things? And we have to know we have to know what the plan is going to be down the road. So Michelle Wu is proud of the Somali community there in Boston. That's fine. But we have got to make sure that the people that are coming into Boston or New York or Chicago or LA or any other place around this country, they have got to be vetted. They have got to be checked. And we have to make sure that they're eligible to be here in this country. And when it comes to things like Tim Walls, well, let's see. Where'd the $18 billion go? We have to find out. My name is Brett Witterbolt. I'm in for Clay and Buck. It's a pleasure to be with you. 800-282-2882. Back after this, two guys walk up to a mic. Anything goes. Clay, Travis and Buck Sexton. Find them on the free iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your pipe.

[Clay Travis]

Did you know Microsoft has officially ended Support for Windows 10? Upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Gram laptop voted PCMag's Reader's Choice Top Laptop Brand for 2025. Thin and ultra lightweight, the LG Gram keeps you productive anywhere, and Windows 11 gives you access to free security updates and ongoing feature upgrades. Visit LGUSA.com iHeart for great seasonal savings on LG Gram laptop laptops with Windows 11 PC Mag Reader's Choice used with permission. All rights reserved.

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Ten 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 contract worth $250,000.

[Mindset Coach / Promo Voice]

This is where mindset comes in.

[Fitness Show Promo Announcer]

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[Mindset Coach / Promo Voice]

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[Brett Winterble]

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[Brett Winterble]

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[Joe Scarborough]

And you could score 100 or other.

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Instant prizes just for opening it. Or save even faster with mobile coupons you can use right [e-mail] Valpak there's definitely something in it for you.

[Sports Promo 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 event, 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.

[Commercial Announcer]

Bring incredible sound into every corner of your home this holiday with the new Wimsound smart speaker. Get high resolution audio with a 1.8 inch touchscreen, smart control and modern design in one powerful speaker speaker for just 2.99. 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 U N D and welcome back.

[Brett Winterble]

I am Brett Wooderball in for Clay and Buck. Pleasure to be with you. 800-282-2882 GOP lawmaker unveil unveils the Walls act after billions Lost in Minnesota Fraud Scandal A Republican lawmaker has reacted to the massive unfolding fraud scandal in Minnesota with legislation aimed at preventing more taxpayer dollars from being wasted. At the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Republican Representative Marionette Miller Meeks has introduced the Welfare Abuse and Laundering Zillions act, or the Walls act, which would require HHS off Office of Inspector General to open investigations into any program that sees a 10% or greater increase in total payments over any six month period within a fiscal year. So this is one of these things that okay, look, this looks like it's going to be fraud. This is clearly going to be fraud. What are we going to do? Well, under the bill, the HHS would no longer have discretion to ignore sudden billing increases that critics say often signal fraud schemes, particularly in large entitlement programs. Oh boy, you know what's going to happen? They're going to play the old doge card. They're going to say, you can't look at all this sort of state not allowed to see any of this kind of stuff. What's wrong with you? Why are you trying to do this? The bill comes amidst these revelations in recent months in Minnesota's federally funded health and nutrition programs that were rife with fraud to the tune of potentially up to 9 billion. But wait, I thought it was $18 billion. Are we not getting the actual number? Is that what's happening here? I think that might be the case. Miller Meeks told Fox News Digital that the situation in Minnesota is a jaw dropping failure of leadership. Is it? Or is, is it? Is it a feature or is it a mistake? This is what happens when soft on crime Democrats run the show zero accountability and zero oversight, and taxpayers are left holding the bag. So the Walls act is named for a reason to ensure that this level of negligence can never be repeated anywhere else in America. This bill puts the hard safeguards in place to protect taxpayer dollars. Shut the door. Holy cow. This is, this is something we gotta look at. We gotta look at this in a. In a very, very specific way. That's all I'm saying. And so when you think about this, maybe Mr. Walls will be there for the bills signing. Yes. Now approaching Governor Walls and the bill that he has to pay. That's all I'm saying. All right, coming up in this next hour, we're going to be joined by Bill Raggio. We'll talk about the. The threats around the world, specifically ISIS and everything else. And it is wide open, folks. It is wide open. I'm excited. You should be excited. This is the best time of the year. Stick around. Plenty more. I'm Brett Witterble in for Clay and Buck.

[Clay Travis]

Did you know Microsoft has officially ended Support for Windows 10? Upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Gram laptop. Voted PCMag's Reader's Choice top laptop brand for 2025. Thin and ultra lightweight, the LG Gram keeps you productive anywhere. And Windows 11 gives you access to free security updates and ongoing feature upgrades. Visit LGUSA.com iHeart for great seasonal savings on LG Gram laptops with Windows 11. PCMag reader's choice used with permission. All rights reserved.

[Fitness Show Promo Announcer]

Ten 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 contract for $250,000.

[Mindset Coach / Promo Voice]

This is where mindset comes in.

[Fitness Show Promo Announcer]

Someone will be eliminated.

[Mindset Coach / Promo Voice]

Pressure is coming down.

[Sports Promo Announcer]

Trainer Games on Prime Video January 8th. Watch the trailer on trainergames.com it's the.

[Mindset Coach / Promo Voice]

Most wonderful time of the year, and Valpak is here to make it even better. This month, as you sip through holiday mail, don't miss the blue Valpak envelope. From dining to holiday shopping, there's a slate full of savings in your mailbox. Plus a chance to instantly win $100. That's right. You can find $100 Christmas cash inside. Want to save even more money on what you love? Go to valpak.com for local coupons and offers. It pays to open Valpak. No purchase necessary for instant win voip where prohibited prices are randomly inserted. See specially marked Valpak envelopes for details.

[Sports Promo 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.

[Commercial 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, Winsound 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 it. 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.