Hour 1 - Welcome to the Real World, NPR

Summary

The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show – Episode: "Hour 1 - Welcome to the Real World, NPR" (Released May 2, 2025)

In this engaging episode of The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, hosts Clay Travis and Buck Sexton delve deep into the recent political developments surrounding NPR funding, the implications of President Donald Trump's executive actions, and the evolving landscape of higher education in the United States. With their characteristic blend of intelligence and humor, Clay and Buck guide listeners through these complex topics, providing insightful analysis and robust discussions.

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1. Trump's Executive Order Targeting NPR Funding

[01:00] The episode kicks off with a significant news update: President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at terminating all federal funding to NPR. Clay commends Trump for addressing a long-standing issue that Republicans have raised for decades regarding NPR's perceived left-leaning bias and the allocation of taxpayer dollars to support what they view as "left-wing propaganda."

[04:05] The conversation shifts to Catherine Mayer, NPR’s CEO, who previously spearheaded efforts at Wikipedia to combat misinformation. Clay and Buck critique Mayer's stance on the First Amendment, highlighting her 2021 statement:

"The number one challenge here that we see is the First Amendment in the United States is a fairly robust protection of rights." [05:05]

They argue that Mayer's approach not only impedes NPR's ability to address misinformation effectively but also serves as a justification for continued federal funding despite ideological differences.

[08:31] Buck Sexton adds that NPR's dependence on federal funds, though not massive, is strategically maintained through local affiliates, ensuring NPR's financial stability even as direct funding is threatened. He emphasizes the principle that media entities should compete in an open marketplace without government favoritism:

"It's a principle that's at stake here of why would any media entity that's clearly ideological start with that." [09:23]

[12:47] The hosts discuss the potential legal battles NPR might face as the administration challenges the termination of funding. Buck points out that NPR may argue for congressional authorization of their funding, complicating Trump's efforts to rescind support:

"They are suing along with corporations of public broadcasting to say that they must have all these dollars and that Trump does not have the authority to rescind them in any way." [13:32]

Clay underscores the broader impact on media competition, advocating for a free and fair marketplace where all media outlets vie equally for audience engagement without government intervention.

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2. Trump’s Commencement Address at the University of Alabama

[25:29] Transitioning to a lighter yet politically charged topic, Clay recounts President Trump's commencement address at the University of Alabama. During the event, Trump shared an anecdote involving Nick Saban, Alabama's renowned football coach, and a peculiar "Diet Coke button" on his desk:

"Whenever he pushed it, somebody would show up with the Diet Coke." [26:15]

This story serves as a humorous illustration of Trump's personable yet unconventional leadership style.

[26:43] The highlight of the address, however, was Trump's controversial statement on women's sports:

"As long as I'm president, we will always protect women's sports. Men will not play in women's sports. No way." [26:43]

Clay and Buck critique this declaration, noting that it sparked confusion among graduates and prompted challenges to Trump's assertions. Buck sarcastically labels the issue as a "97.3 issue," emphasizing the exaggerated nature of political proclamations.

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3. The Changing Landscape of Higher Education

[27:21] The conversation then shifts to the evolving perceptions of higher education. Clay shares personal experiences and observations on how the allure of Ivy League institutions has waned in favor of state schools like the University of Florida, University of Georgia, and Alabama. He argues that these state universities now offer more diverse perspectives and fewer ideological biases compared to traditionally elite Northeastern schools.

[29:46] Buck echoes this sentiment, reflecting on his own academic journey and the shift in college admissions focus. He notes that today's students prioritize specific programs and lifestyle benefits over mere prestige, challenging the long-held notion that attending top-ranked schools guarantees career success.

[34:12] The hosts discuss cultural shifts within universities, such as the introduction of apologies to Native Americans upon campus entry, which Clay finds off-putting and surreal. This change symbolizes a broader transformation in educational institutions, making them less appealing to prospective students who once saw them as elite incubators for intellectual talent.

[37:03] Clay further contemplates the value of modern education, advocating that state schools now provide superior educational experiences by offering a wider array of perspectives and mitigating the influence of "far-left wing shenanigans." He contends that these institutions better prepare students for real-world challenges without the ideological constraints of their Ivy League counterparts.

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4. Market Updates and Future Guest Lineup

[22:20] Shifting gears, Buck provides a market update, highlighting positive trends such as job additions and a low unemployment rate. Clay advises listeners to remain calm amid stock market fluctuations, suggesting that those with the capability to invest should consider long-term strategies rather than reacting to short-term volatility.

[43:00] The episode concludes with teasers for upcoming segments, including interviews with notable figures like Stephen Miller, Deputy White House Chief of Staff, Joe Concha of Fox News, and former NYPD Inspector Paul Morrow. These guests are set to discuss topics ranging from national security to media analysis and immigration enforcement.

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5. Light-Hearted Banter and Community Engagement

Throughout the episode, Clay and Buck engage in humorous exchanges about personal anecdotes, relationships, and societal norms. For instance, they discuss the controversial topic of whether one's "hot girlfriend" should assist with moving, blending humor with commentary on traditional gender roles.

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Notable Quotes:

• Catherine Mayer, NPR CEO:

  "The number one challenge here that we see is the First Amendment in the United States is a fairly robust protection of rights." [05:05]

• Buck Sexton:

  "Our show competes directly with NPR, probably in hundreds of markets across the country." [04:48]

• Buck Sexton on Media Competition:

  "They say in the same breath, most of the funding for NPR and PBS doesn't actually come from the government. Ok, well then why do you get it at all?" [09:39]

• Buck Sexton on Education:

  "Look at a lot of the most successful people in America right now… many of them went to either a school that nobody would ever be, quote, impressed by or didn't finish school or didn't go." [29:52]

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Conclusion

In this episode, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton adeptly navigate through pivotal issues affecting media funding and higher education. Their incisive critique of NPR's financial dependencies and the Trump administration's policies offers listeners a nuanced understanding of the current political and social dynamics. Additionally, their exploration of the shifting values in higher education resonates with many parents and students grappling with evolving academic landscapes. Balancing serious analysis with engaging banter, the hosts deliver a compelling narrative that informs and entertains.

Transcript

[Clay Travis]

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[Buck Sexton]

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[Clay Travis]

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[Buck Sexton]

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[Clay Travis]

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[Buck Sexton]

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[Clay Travis]

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[Buck Sexton]

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[Clay Travis]

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[Leon Nayfak]

In the fall of 1986, Ronald Reagan found himself at the center of a massive scandal that looked like it might bring down his presidency. It became known as the Iran Contra Affair.

[Buck Sexton]

The things that happened were so bizarre and insane I can't begin to tell you. Please do.

[Leon Nayfak]

To hear the whole story. Listen to Fiasco Iran Contra on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Clay Travis]

Welcome back in Clay Travis Buck Sexton show Friday edition of the program. Appreciate all of you hanging out with us 12 hours up, three more to go here on the week and we hope to send you into the weekend in a good mood. Lots to dive into. Donald Trump at Alabama commencement address. Heck of an introduction from Nick Saban. We will discuss NPR funding pulled. We're going to dive into that. And Kilmar Abreu Garcia, Democrats favorite Maryland dad. Turns out his wife is on audio begging for help because he has been beating her and he is on video engaged in human trafficking being pulled over in my home state of Tennessee. This guy is maybe as we have said for some time, but I think even Democrats are like oh man, even for Democrat stupidity, choosing an El Salvadoran gang beating, wife beating, human trafficking, illegal immigrant to be the front facing opposition to Trump's deportation policies in America is next level incompetence. We will discuss all that and more. But Buck, I wanted to start. I got to give President Trump a tremendous amount of credit because he is actually doing what has been discussed for decades as long as I can remember you. Correct me if I'm wrong. You've been in the conservative side of media for longer than I have. But as long as I've been doing media, Republicans have been teeing off at NPR and saying, why do our tax dollars go to support left wing propaganda in any way and nothing ever happens. Well, last night Trump decided to finally sign a executive order that will end all of the money that NPR gets. And I think this is pretty substantial and I want to play several different aspects of this, but I think you'll sign off off the top here on this. Buck. Everyone should have to compete in the marketplace. Our show competes directly with npr, probably in hundreds of markets across the country for sure. The federal government is not giving us millions of dollars to aid in our business in any way. We've got to go out and our company has to sell ads. We have to compete for ratings in 500. I think it's 55 different markets in all 50 states across the country and we don't get any built in advantage. And that's how it should be. Everyone in media should compete and the shows that are the most popular should have the most successful. I've never understood why the government should be giving money to NPR for any reason, regardless of what their politics were. But given how left wing their politics are, the idea that Republicans basically should be funding opposition research with taxpayer dollars is crazy. And I wanted to play several different cuts of the crazy leader of npr. We the crew did a good job pulling all of this. First, she says the number one challenge that she faces. Buck, this is. Catherine Mayer says the number one challenge she faces is the First Amendment. This is not an ideal thing for someone in media to be saying. This is the head of NPR cut 11 back in 2021.

[Catherine Mayer]

The number one challenge here that we, we see is of course the First Amendment in the United States is a fairly robust protection of rights. And, and that is a protection of rights both for platforms, which I actually think is very important that platforms have those rights to be able to regulate what kind of content they want on their sites. But it also means that it is a little bit tricky to really address some of the real challenges of where does bad information come from and sort of the influence peddlers who have made a real market economy around it.

[Clay Travis]

Okay, so the First Amendment is, quote, the number one challenge that she faces. Here is another Cut. This is from June 22, 2021 as well. At this time, she was the CEO of Basically Wikipedia, I believe, correct all of the different Wikipedia related entities. And have I told you this, Buck, I don't know if you've ever gone into your Wikipedia page. Laura, my wife, went into my Wikipedia page and tried to edit it because she was upset at there being a bunch of things that she knew to be inaccurate. Having been married to me for 21 years, she tried to make edits to my Wikipedia page and they were rejected because they said that she did not have adequate knowledge to be able to change the Wikipedia page. And I think, did they really erase that?

[Buck Sexton]

You are, you are universally considered the handsomest sports talk radio host out there. Did they really get rid of that claim?

[Clay Travis]

Let me tell you something, Buck. I'm not sure that Laura's adjustments on my Wikipedia page would have actually even been very positive, but they would have been accurate because I think she has a pretty good sense of the last 20 years or so of my career. But I did think that was very funny because somehow she ended up on the page and she was telling me this a while back. She said, I want to know. There's lots of stuff that's totally wrong on there. And I. She was like. And I went in and tried to fix it. And they told me that the edited, you know, that my edits weren't allowed to be accepted because I didn't have the requisite Wikipedia street cred or whatever to be considered an expert on this. So I did think that was very funny. But here she is saying that she took a very active informa approach to disinformation and wanted to make sure of all of her censorship moves again. Cut 10.

[Catherine Mayer]

We took a very active approach to disinformation and misinformation coming into not just the last election, but also looking at how we supported our editing community in an unprecedented moment where we were not only dealing with the global pandemic, we were dealing with a novel virus, which by definition means we knew nothing about it in real time. And we're trying to figure it out as the pandemic went along. And so we really set up in response to both the pandemic, but also in response to the upcoming US election and as a model for future elections outside of the U.S. including a number that are happening this year. The model was around how do we create sort of a clearinghouse of information that brings the institution of the Wikimedia foundation with the editing community in order to be able to identify threats early on through conversations with, with government, of course, as well as other platform operators, to understand sort of what the landscape looks like.

[Clay Travis]

Okay, so that continues. And then I want to play one more cut just to kind of let us everybody out there understand, because a lot of people may not pay attention to npr. And I do think this is significant. She says truth is a distraction from finding consensus. This is cut nine.

[Catherine Mayer]

One of the most significant differences critical for moving from polarization to productivity is that the Wikipedians who write these articles aren't actually focused on finding the truth. They're working for something that's a little bit more attainable, which is the best of what we can know right now. And after seven years there, I actually believe that they're on to something that for our most tricky disagreements, seeking the truth and seeking to convince others of the truth isn't necessarily the best place to start. In fact, I think our reverence for the truth might become. Might have become a bit of a distraction that is preventing us from finding consensus and getting important things done.

[Clay Travis]

Buck, what do you think? This NPR CEO is awful. They just sent us the links of all the stories, which are clearly biased. Trump is finally doing the right thing here. Right. And it's taken decades for it to happen.

[Buck Sexton]

Yeah, I mean, Clay, I don't think it really is going to change very much. I mean, one, this woman is no longer the CEO to the funding level that they get from the government is not huge. I don't even know what it is. But I do think it's funny that they complain about the cut to the funding level.

[Clay Travis]

Right.

[Buck Sexton]

They'll say in the same breath, well, most of the funding for NPR and PBS doesn't actually come from the government. Ok, well then why do you get it at all? So there's a principle that's at stake here of why would any media entity that is, it's clearly ideological. Start with that. But why would it get state funds or government funds? It makes no sense. There's no argument for it to continue. So why should it continue? The only argument is that people on the left like it and they want to have, they want to have a rigged game, a rigged system. But yeah, this woman, these sound bites, just to be clear, these were, these were older and she was pretty unanimously voted off the island of more senior media executive jobs because saying that the First Amendment is an impediment to, to your information operation, to the psyop that you're running, is not something that is generally going to be well received by A majority of the American public, I would hope. I would think. But yeah, Trump says that he's pulling this. I'm not sure that he'll be able to. This is the problem. We keep running into, once again, congressionally authorized funding versus executive branch administering of different pools of cash that have gone to all these different agencies. So we'll see. They're challenging this clay, obviously, right away, and they're saying that our money comes from Congress, not from the president, yada, yada. But it's the right move. It's the right thing to do. I'm glad that he's doing it. It makes the libs cry, which is always fun.

[Clay Travis]

That woman is the president, CEO of npr. At the time, she was head of Wikipedia. So, Catherine Mayer, that all that still is. Oh, yes, she's still the.

[Buck Sexton]

Oh, my gosh, I'm sorry. I thought she got. I thought she got fired.

[Clay Travis]

No, no, no, no, no. She got elevated to that job in March of 2024, which was when all this audio from Wikipedia.

[Buck Sexton]

I'm sorry, I sent in that. I sent in the clip of her this morning, the old clip of her. I thought she had been. I thought she had been like, reassigned out of the role. I didn't realize she still.

[Clay Travis]

She is. She is the president and CEO of npr. All that. Now, she was not at the time that we played that audio. She was at Wikipedia. But she got elevated after that to head of npr.

[Buck Sexton]

That is wild.

[Clay Travis]

Are raising. And I saw your tweet about this, and I think we should hammer this home. If it is truly not a significant form of revenue for them, taxpayer dollars, why do they fight so hard to keep it? To your point, I mean, if we lost 2% of the revenue on this show because somebody was affiliated with the show that shouldn't have been. And you and I came on and we were beating the drums and screaming about how we needed to keep the 2%. I think a lot of you would say this is very strange. The what's interesting buck is the way that it is crafted. Direct NPR money is not very substantial, but I think they're backdooring substantial dollars through local NPR affiliates such that their budget would be severely constrained without this money. Because otherwise why are they squeezing so much?

[Buck Sexton]

Right. And why give the right a talking point? That is correct. It's not just something we say. It's the truth, which is that they shouldn't be getting this money because if they are media entities that can compete in a fair marketplace, there's no reason for this. That's stunning that that woman. I remember we were playing those clips a while ago. I am, I'm actually in shock. I don't know why I thought that they had moved her somewhere else. So thank you.

[Clay Travis]

I mean, you would think that given that she is politically radioactive and they are now in the Trump era that maybe it would make sense to have a new president and CEO. But no, she is still there and she is still taking our taxpayer dollars and they are suing along with corporation of public broadcasting to say that they must have all these dollars and that Trump does not have the authority to rescind them in any way.

[Buck Sexton]

Well, I also think that they, there's, I think you're right that there's more money than they, there's more ways that they get money from the public than they let on. Because otherwise why have this vulnerability out there that allows us to constantly bash them? Although I think we've been bashing them for so long without consequence that maybe they don't care at some level. But I think that it's going to be interesting to see how this actually goes. They like the idea of government funding something like npr. They want to keep this, I think at some level because they want the precedent to be there that this is something the government does. The government has a role in information operations, which is what this is. NPR is an information operation, you know, and you can say you can take that in a very kind of bland way or you can take it in the more military info ops or psyops sense. I mean, they are running political programming to the American people under the guise of it being a free and far, a free and fair marketplace of ideas based entity. And it is, and it clearly is a rigged system. I mean, they don't want it to be called the rigged system anymore. Then stop rigging the system.

[Clay Travis]

And they're competing directly with us. Which is why, I mean, I think on a, you know, sort of larger, just standing on precedent, standing on principal perspective, it makes sense. But, but also if you're listening to this program, the government's not giving us tens of millions of dollars. And so if that's not occurring here, we should have an open marketplace where people compete fairly, not where you got a rig game. Look, speaking of competing fairly, there are better healthcare plan choices than Obamacare. That's not going to surprise a lot. But how affordable are they? You'd be surprised how affordable ease for everyone is. Ease for everyone Cost as low as $262 per month, you get free unlimited prescriptions with 93% of all drugs covered available at no extra cost, including insulin. Huge savings on brand names. Free unlimited virtual primary care urgent care with just a $30 copay, you get generous cash back reimbursements, doctor office visits, emergency room visits, ambulance transportation if the Obama administration hadn't permanently tarnished the term the Affordable Care act, one could make the argument this plan, Ease for Everyone actually is affordable. Replace your overpriced plan Obamacare with Ease for Everyone, the only group plan any adult in the US is eligible to join. Visit easeforveryone.com Clay that's ease spelled E A S E S4F O R everyone.com Clay you can also find the info at the clayandbuck.com sponsor page, paid for by Affordable Benefit Choices. Making America great again isn't just one man, it's many. The 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.

[Buck Sexton]

There's a growing expense eating into your company's profits. It's your cloud computing bill. You may have gotten a deal to start, but now the spend is sky high and increasing every year. What if you could cut your cloud bill in half and improve performance at the same time?

[Clay Travis]

If you act by the end of May, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, or oci can help you do just that. OCI is the next generation cloud design for every workload where you can run any application, including any AI projects, faster and more securely for less.

[Buck Sexton]

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[Clay Travis]

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[Leon Nayfak]

Fall of 1986, Ronald Reagan found himself at the center of a massive scandal that looked like it might bring down his presidency.

[Buck Sexton]

Did you make a mistake in sending arms to Tehran, sir?

[Clay Travis]

No one was let go.

[Leon Nayfak]

It became known as the Iran Contra affair and I'm not taking any more questions.

[Buck Sexton]

In just a second I'm going to ask.

[Leon Nayfak]

I'm Leon Nayfak, co creator of Slow Burn. In my podcast Iran Contra, you'll hear all the unbelievable details of a scandal that captivated the nation nearly 40 years ago, but which few of us still remember today.

[Buck Sexton]

The things that happened were so bizarre and insane I can't begin to tell you. Please do.

[Leon Nayfak]

To hear the whole story. Listen to Fiasco Iran Contra on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Buck Sexton]

Welcome back into Clay and Buck. So we got a guest lineup today that is incredible. Wanted to tell you about it so you know where we're going here on the show. Stephen Miller, Deputy White House Chief of Staff, will be with us in just a little bit. Joe Concha of Fox News will be in the New York studio, our New York studio, to talk about his latest book. And then former NYPD Inspector Paul Morrow will be with us. I believe he is launching a new program on Fox Nation. And he was, as I told you, my uniformed commanding officer when I was in the intel division. So it's been 15 years and now I get to hang out with then captain and later, after I left, inspector, Deputy Inspector Morrow. So we'll talk to him about one, his show. But also I want to ask him about these sanctuary city designations and how local law enforcement, state law enforcement, what's going on with that? I think that's a very important piece of the deportation struggle that the Trump administration is going through right now. Now, Clay, some good news as well. I can tell Clay was in a good mood when he sat down today. You know, he's checking his stocks, checking it twice. Gonna make sure that he's naughty and nice. Employers added 177,000 jobs in April. Solid hiring, 4.2% unemployment. And beyond that, Clay, our market watcher. Clay, watch. What do you see?

[Clay Travis]

Market is looking good. I hope you listened to us and bought at the dip. The entire drop of April has now been erased. Stocks surging in the s and P500, up 10, 15% just in the last month. So if you bought the dip, you're very happy. If you were out there and you're worried, everybody, suddenly you notice they've stopped covering the market chaos. It's not on the screen anymore as things have started to come back up. Basically, the stock market is the same price that it was at the time of the election. So your stocks are basically the same price they were when Trump was elected president. They're now in positive territory since April. Stock prices, if you're out there and you've been concerned, stock prices are up by a couple hundred points in the s and P500 since mid March. So we told you on this program, stay calm. If you have some dry powder, probably a good time to go buy more stocks. Invest for the long term. Don't let them get you terrified. If you don't have the ability to stay calm, avoid looking at your 401k. You want to over the weekend, you can go look at it. You're probably doing pretty well. IFCJ out there want to tell you they are making a tremendous difference when it comes to helping Israel because Israel is fighting so many different directions right now. And I was over there in December and I can tell you that I saw firsthand the IFCJ helps the elderly, the sick, the wounded and impoverished families that fall through the cracks. Israel fighting battles on all fronts, standing for western civilization, free religious beliefs. Your gift to the fellowship today will provide life saving aid, medicine, hearty meals, safety and comfort. And when we bless the people of Israel, we unlock God's blessing in our lives as well. Show your support for Israel by making a life saving gift today. You can call 888-488-IFCJ or you can go online at supportifcj.org that supportifcj.org welcome back in Clay Travis, Buck Sexton show. Appreciate all of you hanging out with us. We are rolling through the Friday edition of the program down in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where they used to be good at football. I'm old enough, Buck, to remember when Alabama was actually good at football. Feels like not that long ago Nick Saban introduced Donald Trump for the commencement address at the University of Alabama. And I don't know if you've heard this story yet, Buck. I, I've not heard this story from Nick Saban. He said in 2017 and 2018, when they won national championships, they went to visit the White House and Trump invited them into the Oval Office and he took several team captains in with him. And this is a great story about Trump 1.0 and what was on the Resolute desk. Listen to cut six.

[Buck Sexton]

He's the first president that invited us to come in the Oval Office. So I take the three captains in the Oval Office and president's really nice to everybody and he's got this very big, good looking, auspicious box on his desk that has a red button on top. And one of the players said, is that what you launch the missiles with? And he said, well, push it and find out. Players said, no, I don't want to do that. He said, oh, go ahead, go ahead, go ahead, push it. See, see what happens. Find out. So Rashawn Evans finally got the guts up, went over, pushed the red button. Some lady came in with a Coke on a tray.

[Clay Travis]

Do you remember that? You may have, I don't remember seeing it when I was in the Oval Office, but there were reports that Trump had just a Diet Coke button and he would push it and whenever he pushed it, somebody would show up with the Diet Coke, which is very, very funny. I haven't heard Nick Saban tell that story. And then listen to this reaction. Buck during the commencement address, Trump says, hey, as long as I'm president, no men are going to play women's sports. And listen to the soon to be university of Alabama graduates go crazy.

[Buck Sexton]

I love sports and I think I should have come here. I think I should have come here. Congratulations as well to the women's track and field team for winning two SEC titles this year. That's something. As long and as long as I'm president, we will always protect women's sports. Men will not play in women's sports. No way. They say that's an 8020 issue. No, it's a 97.

[Clay Travis]

3 issue.

[Buck Sexton]

I think now men will not be playing in women's sports. I already, I said that and I classified it with a very powerful executive order, as you know.

[Clay Travis]

Okay, so Buck, he also said something that I think is interesting and as a New Yorker from the Northeast who now has married into an SEC family thanks to your lovely wife Carrie, he said. And Trump, we should mention today, by the way, said that he's going to take away Harvard's nonprofit status based on some of their political activities. But he said something that I think is becoming very true. And he told the kids at Alabama this. He said it's not the case anymore that even necessarily you want to be trying to go to a quote unquote elite Northeastern school, the Ivy Leagues, that sort of universe, which used to be an incredible aspiration that you want to go to a school like Alabama because he thinks the Crimson Tide can outperform the Harvard Crimson. And I'm paraphrasing him there a bit, but that's basically what he said. I'm curious how you would analyze this now that you live in Florida. And Trump also said there, hey, I should have come to the University of Alabama. I think he went to Ivy League institutions in the Northeast. The culture shift in education, I think, is really one of the most profound that I have seen over the last generation.

[Buck Sexton]

I mean, I can just speak to what it was like when I growing up in New York City and going to, you guys know, I went to Regis, which is a very interesting place because I think it's still the only tuition free private high school in the country. So it is entirely private. It is funded by alumni and by an initial donation from an anonymous family. And the whole game was you. You try to get into the college that is essentially the highest ranked or gives you the most money. That was the consideration for a lot of my classmates because they wanted. Yep, some kids got full rides. I had a friend, and I'm going to tell you this, I had a friend who turned down the Jefferson Scholar scholarship at UVA to go and take out loans at Harvard. This was Many years ago. And I remember even at that time thinking, free UVA for 4 years. Better idea than going to Harvard and taking out loans. And that was 20, you know, 30 years ago now. So I thought that was nuts.

[Clay Travis]

But I went to GW for the scholarship. I wouldn't have gone if they hadn't given me a scholarship. I mean, to that. To that point.

[Buck Sexton]

But, you know, it used to be, I think, much more people. Again, I'm speaking from a, you know, New York City kid perspective, but I'm sure this was replicated. Look, a lot of my classmates in college were from, you know, good public schools in New Jersey and good public schools in Massachusetts. And, you know, we had. We had a lot of that going on, right? And a lot of kids from California, particularly Los Angeles, in my school. But the whole point was you tried to get into the highest ranked school you could, you know, and your college admissions conversation was okay. On the U.S. news and World Report rankings. Where do we think we have a realistic shot? Where do we think that we have a safety school? I mean, it was all this big game of trying to get into the best school, the highest ranked school. And I just think that that's changed a lot. And I know it's changed a lot because when I talk to different families who have kids, you know, we're very close to the couple of families who live our neighbors here who've got, you know, just like, same. Same age as your boys, Clay. You know, they've got like, you know, 15 year old, a 17 year old. And I talk to the parents and the kids are thinking about things like where do I want to go to school for four years? What programs do I want to be enrolled in? And I think that there's a lot of reasons for this. I'd be curious to know what some of the parents in the audience think, or, you know, recent parents, people who've had kids go through the system, college recently. Because, Clay, for one thing, these schools are not what they promised to be, which is elite incubators of the top intellectual talent that will therefore translate into you having a great. A great career. Right? That's actually not how it works anymore. I think part of it is people have realized a lot of these schools take plenty of people who really aren't cognitively that impressive for different reasons. And so that waters down the brand of, oh, you must be so smart because you went. It's just not true. I know dumbasses who went to Harvard, and I really mean that. They had either really rich parents or they were a really special profile or demographic applying. You know, they checked all the right boxes. And I think people also are just realizing that there are more places with remote work and the way the economy is trending, there are more places where you can be and have a better life, a better lifestyle and raise a family than just the most expensive metros in the country. That's. I know that's a lot, but I really thought about this stuff.

[Clay Travis]

No, I mean, I think about it now because I'm taking my junior in high school and we're going on these campus visits. And so much I think of college is not necessarily just classroom. I actually think that's a small part of it. It's what you learn from the people around you. My best friends today are people typically that I went to law school with at Vanderbilt back in the day. We're 22, 23 years old. And I. The value of that is just being around smart people. And I mentioned that I went to gw. I still have a lot of good friends from college as well. We were in the honors program at gw. They gave us scholarships, these honor programs, like you mentioned, the Jefferson Scholar thing at the, at uva. Every state school in America now has an honors program that if you are able to get into, is Ivy League elite without all of the crazy left wing shenanigans. So a lot of these schools, man, I got to tell you, you get into the University of Florida now, and it pains me to say it as a University of Tennessee fan, you get into the University of Georgia, Alabama, where we just played it from the University of Tennessee, and you are in an honors part of that university. I think that education is probably, I can't believe I'm saying this, I think that education is better now than what you would get in the Ivy League because I think you get a wider variety of perspectives at a state school. I think you're way less likely to feel like you're being incubated in some far left wing universe. And I visited some of these schools, Buck, and I don't want to call them out because my kids are in the middle of applying. The first thing they say is an apology to Native Americans. When you began campus, you texted me about that.

[Buck Sexton]

That was hilarious. They actually, they're doing Native American land. Apologies.

[Clay Travis]

On college schools, elite campuses.

[Buck Sexton]

I know.

[Clay Travis]

My, my, my teenager looked at me. I thought we were like getting SNL pranked. The way that you would start at one of these elite colleges is not by saying, hey, we're happy to have you here. Hey, let's talk about this being one of the greatest schools in the country. It's. Before we tell you anything else, we would like to apologize to the Native Americans and acknowledge that our university is now located on what used to be Native American lands. And I really, I looked around. That didn't happen. When I visited 20 years ago, I felt like I was being pranked. I thought like somebody was going to pop out with a camera. That's how you begin the process of selling me on wanting to pay $100,000 in tuition basically and room cost for my kids. I. Every parent who's around our age has to be sitting there thinking and certainly older parents. There's no way this is the real world. Surely some of these things are going to get dialed back. But for that to be the front facing idea that you're putting out there about your university makes me not want my kid to even apply at schools like those.

[Buck Sexton]

Yes. So. But I think this is a good thing because also there's people should think differently about the school they go to and this idea that it's a ticket to. As you know, Clay, also in the professional world, people tend to care a lot more about where you went to grad school in terms of its eliteness. Like you went to Vanderbilt Law School. Nobody even really cares where you went to undergrad if you went to a top 20 law school like Vanderbilt is. Right. So that's something that gets far more attention. Like I looked at, I was going to go to Columbia Business School, right. I was going to get my Columbia mba. That would be even more. But put all that stuff aside. Look at, look at a lot of the people. Look at a lot of the most successful people in America right now. And I don't just, I don't mean the richest, although that often is goes hand in hand. But the people who are doing the coolest and most amazing stuff, a lot of them went to either a school that nobody would ever be, quote, impressed by or didn't finish school or didn't go. And I'm talking about college, not you know, yes, graduate high school obviously. But you know, I think that the, for the flow of information that people have access to now as well. You can take entire classes on the classics from Yale University professors online now. I mean that's just one example. There's all over the place. So what, what really what information advantage do you have of going to one of these places that costs $80,000 a year and you're going to be cold all the time. And everybody drinks too much. Like Amherst. You know, this is. This is a. It's a change, I think, in the approach to what people think. And I even talked about how we didn't have sororities at my school. I feel to this day like something was stolen from me. No sororities.

[Clay Travis]

You had never been to a college football game. I'm telling you that a lot of these kids are seeing what it's like on an SEC football Saturday, and they're saying, why in the world would I not do this eight Saturdays a year?

[Buck Sexton]

We did have women and gender studies as a major, however. So no sororities at Amherst. But wags, which is what they called it, was something you could major in for four years.

[Clay Travis]

I like the other kind of WAGS better, which came out of Britain. Wives and girlfriends of soccer stars. You know, that's kind of the.

[Buck Sexton]

Let me tell you, nobody who Was majoring in WAGs was ever going to want to be in a sorority, I can tell you that.

[Clay Travis]

Or. Or date a successful athlete. I don't think they're going to be on that. That flowchart, either.

[Buck Sexton]

Not a lot of that going on. Nose rings, though. A lot of nose rings. So if you're interested in that, WAGS was a great place. You could find out where the best nose ring dealers were. All right, we'll take some of your calls here. Also, we got some friends who weighed in on the moving should your hot girlfriend help you move controversy. It's Friday. We're having fun, so we'll get into some of that 800-282-2882. And also send us your talk backs on the iHeart app, please. We're just a weekend away from celebrating that. Moms make so much difference with Mother's Day. And there's a group of mothers that preborn thinks about on such an occasion. In fact, they think about 300,000 of them. Them, because that's the number of moms who took the advice of the team at Preborn nationwide and chose to give the tiny baby in their womb life instead of choosing an abortion. In the past 20 years, that incredibly impressive number of 300,000 children that have been brought in this world. It is the result of preborn's work day in and day out, the gift of an ultrasound that preborn gives these moms to help them meet that tiny baby in the womb. That comes from your donations. They get no government money. They're not npr. They don't get a dollar from the government. Okay. They need you. The pro Life Community to step up and help save lives Right now. With just $28, you can sponsor an ultrasound for a mom who would be walking into a clinic somewhere in this country today. And that gift of the ultrasound so often leads to life for that tiny baby. Yes. Vote Pro Life Yes. Do what you can for your conscience in public life, but also support those who are doing everything they can day in and day out on the front lines. Saving tiny babies. That's where preborn comes in and that's where your generosity means so much. To donate securely today, dial pound250 and say the keyword baby. That's pound250, say baby or visit preborn.com buck preborn.com buck Sponsored by Preborn Geek.

[Clay Travis]

Out with the guys on the Sunday Hang with Clay and Buck podcast a new episode every Sunday. Find it on the iHeart app or wherever you get your podcasts. Grand Canyon University, a private Christian university in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona, believes we're endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. GCU believes in equal opportunity and the American Dream starts with purpose. GCU equips you to serve others in ways that promote human flourishing and create a ripple effect of transformation for generations to come. By honoring your career, calling you impact your family, your friends and your community. You can change the world for good by putting others before yourself to glorify God. Whether your pursuit involves a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree, GCU's online on campus and hybrid learning environments are designed to help you achieve your unique academic, personal and professional goals. With over 340 academic programs as of September 2024, GCU meets you where you are and provides a path to help you fulfill your dreams. The pursuit to serve others is yours. Let it flourish. Find your purpose at Grand Canyon University. Private Christian Affordable Visit GCU Edu the only balls that belong in women's sports are soccer balls, basketballs and volleyballs. But only one athletic brand gets this obvious fact. XX XY Athletics. Seriously, XX XY Athletics is the only company with the ovaries to stand up for the protection of women's sports. Buck's wife and my wife wear their sports apparel with pride. It's fabulous. But more men need to speak up on this critical issue and you can do it just by wearing the brand, the clothes of the highest quality. And when you wear them, you make a statement that you stand with women and girls and the protection of women's sports and spaces. XX XY Athletics has killer logo tees caps and premium workout clothes. Why would you give your money to the big woke brands that sell women out when you could wear xxxy athletics? Get 20% off your purchase when you use my name, Clay and the number 20 at this website, the truthfits.com that's the truthfits.com promo code. Clay 20 for 20% off.

[Leon Nayfak]

In the fall of 1986, Ronald Reagan found himself at the center of a massive scandal that looked like it might bring down his presidency.

[Buck Sexton]

Did you make a mistake in sending arms to Tehran, sir?

[Clay Travis]

No.

[Leon Nayfak]

It became known as the Iran Contra affair.

[Buck Sexton]

And I'm not taking any more questions. In just a second, I'm going to ask.

[Leon Nayfak]

I'm Leon Nayfak, co creator of Slow Burn. In my podcast, Iran Contra, you'll hear all the unbelievable details of a scandal that captivated the nation nearly 40 years ago, but which few of us still remember today.

[Buck Sexton]

The things that happened were so bizarre and insane, I can't begin to tell you. Please do.

[Leon Nayfak]

To hear the whole story, listen to Iran Contra on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Buck Sexton]

All right, welcome back into Clay and Buck. Stephen Miller, White House Deputy Chief of Staff and perhaps, perhaps an additional title going his way shortly. We'll ask him about that because there's an opening of the national security adviser, isn't there? But we will, we will talk to Stephen Miller here coming up in a few minutes. Yesterday, some controversy. We had a caller actually was a talk back and he, and he said that he broke up with his hot. Too hot for him, he said, like too hot to be dating him. But you know, sometimes we get lucky in life. All guys can hope. My wife is too hot for me, but she married me, so I'm pleased, you know, I'll take it. But too hot for him didn't help him move. He broke up with her. I got, I got Carol Markowitz and Lisa Booth. Clay fired up about this. Remember, they're on the Clay and Buck podcast network, so go subscribe. They both do. Lisa Booth, Carol Marco, do great shows. Listen to them this weekend. For all the ladies out there, by the way, two of the best hosts in the business of podcasting, Lisa and Carol. Subscribe to Clay and Buck network. Let's start with weighing in on should your hot girlfriend help you move controversy. We'll start with Carol Markowitz. Hit it. Or start with Lisa. Start with Lisa. Carol Markowitz from the Carol Markowitz Show. End normally. So my first instinct is that no girlfriend, hot or not, should help you move. It's just not our department. I'm big on heteronormative division of labor. Help you decorate when you move in?

[Catherine Mayer]

Sure.

[Buck Sexton]

Even help you unpack. Okay. But carry heavy boxes. That's what your guy friends are for. Having said that, when you're in your 20s, anything goes. I definitely helped boyfriends move at that age. But if you are looking for that more traditional setup as you get older, where men do the heavy, yucky stuff and kill bugs along the way, while women care for the home, cook, take care of the children, and generally coordinate life, then you start that kind of thing early on. And the hot girlfriend did nothing wrong. Carol weighed in. What do you think?

[Clay Travis]

I think Carol should read every book. I don't know that anybody has a better voice than Carol. I mean, I know NPR is getting unfunded, but they should actually have Carol doing their updates at the end of every hour because she has perfect voice. I will hear from others. Look, I think that if you need your girlfriend to help you carry a heavy box, your masculinity is in question.

[Buck Sexton]

You were probably a white guy for Kamala.

[Clay Travis]

Yes. You were probably a white dude for Harris. If you need help carrying boxes by your girlfriend because she may be stronger than you and have a bigger penis.

[Leon Nayfak]

In the fall of 1986, Ronald Reagan found himself at the center of a massive scandal that looked like it might bring down his presidency. It became known as the Iran Contra Affair.

[Buck Sexton]

The things that happened were so bizarre and insane, I can't begin to tell you. Please do.

[Leon Nayfak]

To hear the whole story, listen to Fiasco Iran Contra on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.