The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Hour 1 - What About Harold Harper?
Date: January 12, 2026
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts
Hosts: Clay Travis, Buck Sexton

Episode Overview

Hour 1 centers on intense cultural and political fallout after a controversial ICE shooting in Minneapolis. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton dig into the swirl of media coverage, pop culture response—from the Golden Globes to NBA press conferences—and scrutinize what they describe as misinformation about the incident. The hosts also discuss selective outrage in the media and pop culture, broader race narratives, land acknowledgments, and contrasting coverage of violent crime. The conversation is marked by sharp, opinionated commentary and a tone blending critique with humor.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Media and Pop Culture Reaction to the ICE Shooting

• Widespread outcry from Hollywood and NBA figures following the fatal ICE incident dominates the weekend media cycle.

• Memorable Quotes:

  • “The dishonesty that is coming out across the pop culture landscape... deserves to be called out.” — Clay Travis (02:51)
  • “NBA is showing us you can be a person of no virtue, wisdom or knowledge about the world around you, but you can still be good at coaching basketball.” — Buck Sexton (07:09)

• Examined Clips:

  • Wanda Sykes honors the shooting victim at the Golden Globes, calling it a “murder by ICE agent.” (03:51)
  • NBA coaches Steve Kerr and Doc Rivers publicly refer to the shooting as “murder,” questioning law enforcement's conduct and the government's narratives. (04:49, 05:46)

• Hosts' Analysis:

  • Clay and Buck claim these statements are “factually inaccurate,” particularly contending with Rivers' claim “she was just trying to go home,” citing video evidence to the contrary (06:34).
  • Both critique what they see as performative outrage and virtue signaling by celebrities.

2. Selective Outrage & Narrative Building

• Buck introduces the case of Harold Harper, a white man murdered randomly in Florida, asking why such crimes don’t receive similar attention.
  • “If I walked around... ask what they think about Harold Harper’s murder, they would have no idea what I was talking about.” (08:25)
• Argues left-leaning media and celebrities selectively highlight incidents fitting certain racial or political narratives.
• Claims that calling the Minnesota shooting “murder” is defamatory and ponders if the ICE agent could sue for defamation (10:29).

Notable Timestamps and Quotes

• “Democrats have convinced themselves that laws they do not like don’t count.” — Buck (11:59)
• “They get to be make-believe civil rights hero for the day. ... The actual facts of the case mean nothing to them.” — Buck Sexton (09:55)

3. Legal and Policy Observations

• Clay posits a legal theory: the NBA’s mandatory press conferences could open coaches and teams to liability for defamatory statements about law enforcement (10:29).
• Detailed review of the ICE incident, pointing out the protester’s obstructionist actions and legal nuances around ICE enforcement against illegal immigrants (11:59 - 12:55).

4. Protests and Organized Disruption

• Discussion of organized protests intentionally escalating confrontations with ICE, including playing audio of protesters directly interfering with agents (13:29).
  • “They want people to get shot and killed. That is their goal here.” — Clay Travis (14:36)

5. Immigration Enforcement and Political Stakes

• Trump administration’s actions in removing illegal immigrants—scope and numbers referenced.
• Clay cites Tom Holman’s estimate of 20 million illegal immigrants at Trump’s term start, with 2.5 million removed so far (15:35).
• Buck points out that even at this rate, many would remain and warns of policy reversal if Democrats return to power.
  • “Now we see what is possible. Now it is beyond a doubt that they made a choice not to secure their border before — it can be done.” — Buck Sexton (16:10)

6. Media Dynamics and Bias

• Buck shares anecdote of a protester backing down when she learns a reporter is from CNN, suggesting deep-seated trust of left-leaning media (25:15).
  • “If she had said FOX News... there would have been curses... CNN is part of this whole lunacy.” — Buck Sexton (25:25)
• The infamous “fiery but mostly peaceful” coverage gets referenced as the epitome of media spin. (25:53)

7. Land Acknowledgments and Race in Activism

• Segment on “land acknowledgments” at Minneapolis protests and even at elite universities like Georgetown.

  • “What does ‘no one is illegal on stolen land’ actually mean?” — Clay Travis (27:31)
  • Protesters’ logic, per hosts: Since land was taken from Native Americans, no one can be an illegal trespasser in the U.S.
  • Buck critiques the logic and points out historical realities of conquest and violence among Native tribes (29:36, 30:46).

• The concept of “race communism” — hosts claim leftist politics reduce everything to racial grievances and redistribution.

  • “Democrat Party’s central religious belief is race communism.” — Buck Sexton (29:36)

8. Cultural Trends in Academia

• Clay describes Georgetown University’s student tours starting with land acknowledgments, illustrating how these narratives permeate elite institutions (32:28).
  • “If the school is such that they begin... by saying this is all stolen land... I don’t think that I would really fit in very well here.” — Clay Travis, relaying his son’s reaction (33:14)

9. Historical Context and the “Noble Savage” Myth

• Both hosts reference works arguing that pre-contact native societies were not idyllic, but often violently competitive.
  • “They were fighting constant mini wars of extermination against other tribes. ... It was not bucolic life in harmony — preposterous.” — Buck Sexton and Clay Travis (37:28)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On media narratives:
  “Mostly peaceful while everything’s burning down... Like it was mostly peaceful that day in Japan when Nagasaki was made to glow.” — Buck Sexton (26:01)
• On performative celebrity outrage:
  “They get to be make-believe civil rights hero for the day.” — Buck Sexton (09:55)
• On political polarization:
  “Democrats have convinced themselves that laws they do not like don’t count.” — Buck Sexton (11:59)
• On land acknowledgments:
  “We are on stolen land right now. Georgetown in Washington, D.C. — they begin their tour... by saying this is all stolen land.” — Clay Travis (32:28)
• On historical realities:
  “There’s no special religious claim to the land that they can actually call upon that is not rooted in the ability to inflict violence... We came along with guns and steel and said, actually, we’re better at this than you.” — Buck Sexton (31:46)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:12 — Clay sets stage on the ICE case dominating the headlines.
• 03:51 — Wanda Sykes at Golden Globes clip.
• 04:49 / 05:46 — Steve Kerr and Doc Rivers NBA press conference reactions.
• 07:09–08:25 — Buck criticizes celebrities/coaches; pivots to “Harold Harper” story.
• 10:29 — Clay raises defamation lawsuit possibility.
• 13:29 — Protesters intentionally provoking ICE agents.
• 15:35 — Immigration numbers under Trump, critique of policy future.
• 25:15 — Protesters’ attitude shift when speaking to a CNN reporter.
• 27:31 — Land acknowledgments and logic of “no one is illegal on stolen land”.
• 32:28 — Clay’s Georgetown campus tour experience.

Tone

• Unapologetically direct, often sarcastic and combative.
• Interspersed with humor and pop culture banter.
• Frequent use of analogies and rhetorical questions to emphasize points.

For Listeners: Why This Episode Matters

• Illuminates how political narratives and activism intersect with sports, entertainment, and news media.
• Challenges the underlying premises of “mainstream” reactions to controversial law enforcement actions.
• Dives into broader debates over immigration, law, and the cultural meaning behind seemingly symbolic gestures like land acknowledgments.

Those unfamiliar with the episode receive not only a recap of topical events, but an understanding of the hosts’ ideological framework and analytic style.