Podcast Summary: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Hour 1 - Well Done, Linda
Date: March 23, 2026
Host: iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

In this hour, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton discuss the unexpected national ripple effect caused by a listener's call-in suggestion to deploy ICE agents to ease TSA staffing shortages at airports. They detail the ensuing policy movement—President Trump’s rapid adoption of the idea, media coverage, and Democrat outrage—while also touching on current events like the Iran war situation and a notable drop in crime rates in Memphis. The tone throughout is lively, humorous, and opinionated, with a clear conservative perspective.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Chaos at Airports & The ICE-at-TSA Solution

• National Airport Delays:

  • Buck and Clay share personal stories about recent severe delays at major airports (Atlanta, Houston, New York City), with TSA lines up to four hours long.
  • Clay Travis: “Atlanta sent out a message, you need to show up... four hours early for your flight in order to clear security. And even CNN right now is covering as their lead story how far the lines have gotten.” (04:46)

• Linda’s Call and Her Game-Changing Idea:

  • On Friday, listener Linda from Green Valley, Arizona called in, suggesting that since ICE agents are still being paid, they should supplement absent TSA agents at airports and potentially apprehend illegal immigrants at security.
  • Linda: “We need to supplement where we're missing out on TSA agents... bring in ICE agents and fill in... I think it would set [Democrats’] hair on fire... senators and congressmen need to wait in line.” (09:05)

• Immediate National Impact:

  • Clay floated Linda's idea on Fox News; the next morning, President Trump announced ICE agents were being deployed at airports.
  • Clay Travis: “I was at the gym Saturday morning and my phone blew up because the president posted... ICE agents are at 13 airports today.” (10:48)

• Debate on Who Deserves Credit:

  • While Trump claims it was his idea (“That was mine. That was like the paperclip... Ice was my idea.” – Donald Trump, 13:39), Clay and Buck note the timing aligns unusually closely with Linda’s call and Clay’s Fox appearance.
  • Buck Sexton: "The timing, Clay, seems to indicate maybe Clay and Buck caller is changing the course of American history right now. And well done, Linda." (11:37)

2. Political & Media Reaction

• Democrats’ Response:

  • Hakeem Jeffries and other Democrats argue ICE agents are unqualified for airport roles and could pose a danger.
  • Hakeem Jeffries: “The last thing... are for untrained ICE agents to be deployed at airports... potentially to brutalize or, in some instances, kill them.” (33:22)

• Hosts’ Critique of Democrats:

  • Clay and Buck contend Democrats are prioritizing the interests of illegal immigrants over American travelers, accusing them of deliberately withholding TSA funding for political reasons.
  • Buck Sexton: “They want Americans to suffer so that more illegals can stay in the country... The Democrat Party is the party of illegals, just like they're the party of criminals, too, with crime.” (12:52)

3. How Would the Plan Work? (Clarified by Tom Homan)

• Auxiliary Duties for ICE Agents:

  • Tom Homan (former ICE director) calls in to specify that ICE agents would not do highly specialized TSA jobs(running x-rays), but would free up TSA officers by handling simpler security and monitoring tasks.
  • Tom Homan: “We’re simply there to help TSA do their job in areas that don't need their specialized expertise – guarding exits, for example – so they can get back to the scanning machines and move people quicker.” (28:41)

• Historical Comparison:

  • Buck compares the solution to the National Guard supporting the Border Patrol—not replacing primary officers, but allowing them to focus on high-skill tasks.
  • Buck Sexton: “It's a little bit like what National Guard has done in the past at the border... This is allowing TSA officers to focus on making sure there's not a bomb in the luggage.” (29:23)

4. Broader Implications & Public Sentiment

• Public Frustration:

  • Extended lines are causing anger that cascades through the entire airport experience.
  • Clay Travis: “If you told me there was anything that could be done to shorten the four hour line, I would 1 billion percent support it.” (36:48)
  • Hosts joke about how far they’d go to make the lines shorter (“You’d stand there shirtless, playing the flute..." – Buck Sexton to Clay Travis, 37:06)

• Potential for Ongoing Impact:

  • Hosts speculate this stopgap measure could lead to the routine presence of ICE at airports, with secondary benefits such as more effective identification and arrest of illegal immigrants with criminal records.

5. Additional Current Events Briefs

• Iran War & Market Reactions:

  • Clay briefly notes that positive signals from Trump regarding negotiations with Iran led to a significant drop in oil prices.
  • Donald Trump: “We have had very, very strong talks. We'll see where they lead... And if it goes well, we're going to end up with settling this. Otherwise, we just keep bombing our little hearts out.” (24:12)

• Crime Reduction in Memphis:

  • Trump visits Memphis to mark a 25-year crime low; serious crimes (robbery, theft, homicide, etc.) are all sharply down.
  • Clay Travis (reading Sen. Marsha Blackburn’s post): “Crime in Memphis down 43%... motor vehicle theft down 67%... homicides down 35%...” (44:09)

• ICE Criticism & Messaging:

  • Callers and hosts discuss the persistent negative branding of ICE, and the challenges agents face when activist groups obstruct law enforcement, sometimes thwarting arrests of dangerous individuals.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We can crowdsource anything that we need to and get amazing answers... Clay and Buck caller Linda now...she's in the pantheon of great call-ins.”
  – Buck Sexton (05:09)

• Linda from Green Valley, Arizona: “We need to supplement... bring in ICE agents and fill in and I think that would push the Democrats to sign the Homeland Security bill. I think it would set their hair on fire...” (09:05)

• “It seems very likely... the timing, Clay, seems to indicate maybe Clay and Buck caller is changing the course of American history right now. And well done, Linda.”
  – Buck Sexton (11:37)

• “That was mine. That was like the paperclip... Ice was my idea... I called... Tom Holman. I said, what do you think? He said, I think it’s great.”
  – Donald Trump (13:39)

• “They want Americans to suffer so that more illegals can stay in the country... The Democrat Party is the party of illegals, just like they’re the party of criminals, too, with crime.”
  – Buck Sexton (12:52)

• "This is about going to helping TSA do their mission and get the American public through that airport as quick as they can... simply helping our fellow officers at tsa."
  – Tom Homan (28:41)

• Hakeem Jeffries: “The last thing that the American people need are for untrained ICE agents to be deployed at airports all across the country, potentially to brutalize or in some instances, kill them.” (33:22)

• “If you told me there was anything that could be done to shorten the four hour line, I would 1 billion percent support it.”
  – Clay Travis (36:48)

Important Segment Timestamps

• 03:44 – Buck and Clay set the stage: airport lines and travel woes
• 09:05 – Linda from Green Valley, Arizona, with the call of the day
• 13:39 – Trump responds publicly: “That was mine... Ice was my idea.”
• 24:12 – Trump speaks on the Iran situation
• 28:41 – Tom Homan details what ICE will do alongside TSA
• 33:22 – Democrats respond: Hakeem Jeffries sounds warning
• 44:09 – Trump visits Memphis, celebrates crime decline
• 46:21 – Caller suggests rebranding ICE as “NICE agents”

Tone & Additional Insights

• The hosts display characteristic playful banter, particularly when comparing ideas for shortening TSA lines and in their pop culture asides (e.g., Ghostbusters and Die Hard references).
• The show leans heavily into the idea that responsive conservative media and engaged listenership can directly influence news, policy, and the administration.
• Recurrent jabs at Democrats, big-government inefficiency, and media hypocrisy are hallmarks of this episode’s style.

Summary Takeaway

This episode exemplifies The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show’s trademark mix of crowd-sourced ideas, real-time news analysis, and combative political commentary. The story of Linda’s call evolving into a national policy initiative—by way of both right-wing radio and Fox News—is a case study in grassroots influence and the show’s proudly declared reach. The hosts emphasize government responsiveness (or lack thereof), partisan divides on border and security issues, and everyday Americans’ frustrations with bureaucracy, all while delivering the news with irreverence and energy.