Hour 1 - Why Buck Joined the CIA

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Hour 1 - Why Buck Joined the CIA
Date: March 13, 2026
Host: Clay Travis & Buck Sexton
Producer: iHeartPodcasts

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Overview

In this engaging and timely episode, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton dissect the recent string of Islamic fundamentalist terrorist attacks across the United States, discuss America’s evolving response to the Iranian conflict, and examine the security state post-9/11. Buck leverages his CIA analyst experience to reflect on current threats, while both hosts delve into issues surrounding law enforcement, gun rights, and public safety. They also touch on shifting political landscapes, particularly within California, and honor the bravery and sacrifice of recent terror victims and U.S. servicemembers. The tone is a mix of urgency, patriotism, dark humor, and robust debate.

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Key Topics and Discussion Points

1. Recent Wave of Terror Attacks in the U.S.

(00:03-04:03; 17:07-21:10)

• The hosts detail four coordinated terror attacks over two weeks:
  • Austin, TX: Pro-Iran, Islamic attacker killed two, wounded several (00:57)
  • NYC: Attempted ISIS-inspired IED attack at Gracie Mansion (01:23)
  • Old Dominion University, VA: Muslim fundamentalist shooter targeting ROTC members; attackers stopped by ROTC students (02:03)
  • West Bloomfield, MI: An attempted attack near a synagogue, foiled by armed security (02:37)
• Both hosts criticize mainstream media's narrative on terrorism, especially the focus on "white supremacy" as the greatest threat.

  "We're one Islamic jihadist away from some guy, instead of yelling 'Allahu Akbar,' before he hits the plunger... maybe he'll scream out 'the real terrorist threat is white supremacy'—kaboom." – Buck Sexton (04:03)

• Clay and Buck stress that terrorism must be regarded as an ideological, not racial, threat.

2. Buck’s CIA Perspective & Motivation

(03:32-04:03; 11:19-12:20)

• Buck reflects on his motivations for joining the CIA post-9/11, his desire “to help catch the bad guys," and how today’s incidents echo that era's threats.
• He emphasizes the distinction between Islamic ideology and race, pushing back on attempts to racialize discussions around terrorism.

3. Iran Conflict & U.S. Intervention

(06:17-15:06; 34:14-36:15)

• Audio clip from Secretary of War Pete Hegseth discusses Iran's leadership being in hiding and loss of legitimacy after strikes (06:17).

  "They've gone underground, cowering. That's what rats do...Who's in charge? Iran may not even know." – Secretary Pete Hegseth (06:17)

• Buck doubts regime change is coming, noting "the regime is not changing...we just have a defanged, temporarily Iranian regime."
• Clay brings up speculation that U.S. and Israeli special forces might seize Iran's oil processing infrastructure (Carg Island) to halt exports (12:20-14:36). The two discuss the logistical and geopolitical realities of this approach.
• A somber update: Six U.S. servicemembers died in a KC-135 air collision in Iraq, illustrating the human cost of ongoing operations (34:14).

  "There are losses. We are losing people in this fight, too. We always have to be mindful of that." – Buck Sexton (34:35)

4. Honoring Bravery: ROTC Students & Security Forces

(17:29-23:41)

• Caller Charlie from Greenwich Village applauds ROTC students who stopped the Old Dominion shooter (17:29).
• Clay and Buck pay tribute to Lt. Col. Brandon Shaw, the ROTC program leader killed in the attack:

  "His awards included two Bronze Stars, Senior Army Aviator Badge... He died on campus. His students disarmed and killed the attacker." – Clay Travis (20:18)

• Praise for the armed security at the Michigan synagogue for thwarting a mass casualty event.

5. Second Amendment and Gun Policy Debate

(23:41-31:56)

• Buck credits the "good guy with a gun" phenomenon for preventing greater tragedy, condemns gun-free zone policies as ineffective:

  "You're just disarming the good guys." – Buck Sexton (24:03)

• Clay shares personal anecdotes about his children’s schools having armed security and the positive influence of school resource officers.
• They critique proposed gun restrictions in Virginia, highlighting data showing concealed carry permit holders have even fewer infractions than police.

  "If you have a legal permit to own a gun, your rate of criminal violation is infinitely lower than the average American...Gun owners are the most law-abiding community on the planet." – Clay Travis (31:05)

• Buck humorously notes how calls for gun regulation always drive firearms sales, referencing Obama as "national firearms salesman of the decade." (30:37)

6. Reflections on Post-9/11 U.S. Security State

(37:04-38:02)

• Caller Dave reminisces about pre-9/11 freedoms and laments the expensive and intrusive security apparatus instituted in response to radical Islamic terrorism.

  "Radical Islam is the reason why you're getting patted down by the TSA, why you have to arrive two hours early for your flight." – Buck Sexton (38:02)

7. Political Shifts & California Governor’s Race Preview

(01:41-02:32; 15:07-16:04; 36:15-36:59)

• Teaser for upcoming segment with California GOP gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton, previewing the top-two primary system and potential for controversy (01:41, 36:15).
• Clay warns about Eric Swalwell’s possible advancement in the election, deriding him as "a moron...incapable of basic coherent thought" (36:15).

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Terrorism, Ideology, and Media Narratives:

  “Islam is an ideology. It's not a skin color. It's not a race…they always try to conflate those things, because they know if they can make it about racism—well then, oh my gosh—it's not racism.” – Buck (04:03, 05:10)

• On Bravery and First Responses:

  “It speaks to the bravery of these young men and women, I presume, who barehanded apprehended this guy and killed him.” – Clay (18:32) “To have five different terrorists attempt to take as many lives as possible, and for them to only get three, and for the bravery of responders to immediately take them out—I think it’s a testament to security officials…” – Clay (22:45)

• On Gun Rights:

  “When you say gun-free zones, you're just telling them—‘Hey, this is an opportunity to go after people who are predominantly not going to be able to defend themselves.’” – Clay (26:32)

• On U.S. Military Costs and Sacrifice:

  “There are losses. We are losing people in this fight too. We always have to be mindful of that, that every day that this conflict continues... there are costs, and we should be always keeping that in our mind.” – Buck (34:20)

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Timestamps of Key Segments

• Opening: Terror Attacks Recap & Media Framing – 00:03-04:03
  • Critique of media’s focus on white supremacy; Buck’s CIA insight.
• Iran Leadership Crisis, Hegseth Statement – 06:17-07:47
• Iran Oil Infrastructure and Boots on the Ground Debate – 12:20-15:06
• Caller on Old Dominion ROTC bravery – 17:29-18:32
• Tribute to Lt. Col. Brandon Shaw – 19:46-21:10
• Debate on Gun Policy / Good Guys with Guns – 23:41-31:56
• Tragedy Update: U.S. Servicemembers Lost in Iraq – 34:14-36:15
• Political Teaser: California Governor Race, Swipe at Eric Swalwell – 36:15-36:59
• Reflection on Security State Post-9/11 – 37:04-38:02

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Conclusion

This hour of The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show serves as both a sobering update on escalating domestic terrorism and an impassioned defense of American resilience, gun rights, and the need to maintain a vigilant security posture. The hosts blend news, analysis, and personal perspective—offering a forceful critique of both domestic policy debates and the ongoing war in Iran, all while keeping a reverent focus on those who have sacrificed for the country’s safety.

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For listeners:
Even if you missed the broadcast, this episode offers rich insights into terrorism, national security, and civil liberties—mixed with signature Clay and Buck wit and a deep respect for those who serve and protect.

Transcript

[A]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[B]

Guaranteed Human welcome in Clay. Travis Buck Sexton Show. Both from Florida, although opposite ends of the state. I am on the panhandle. Buck is down in South Florida as spring break 2026 arrives in the Travis household. Pray for me gonna have a bunch of 18 year olds, my son and several of his friends down for spring breakfast with dad as chaperone. So we will see how that goes. But that is officially underway and we've got a lot to update you on. Yet another early morning press conference from Secretary of War Pete Hegseth laying out all the particulars that is dominating discussion as we begin the day here on the Friday edition of the program. We're going to go out to California at the top of the next hour just to give you a heads up. The primary in California is getting closer and closer. Closer Steve Hilton, Republican candidate there. The top two advance regardless of party. We will discuss all of that. And what is a free for all absolute donnybrook that has broken out in California? What is the latest there on who might be the next governor to replace Gavin Newsom? But Buck, I think we began where we basically ended yesterday's show with the news coming of it officially, as we told you, it was likely to be having been yet another terror attack. Two different terror attacks happening yesterday. One in Virginia at Old Dominion. We'll get into some of the details there. Brave ROTC students were able to disarm and kill the would be terrorist with their bare hands and that is pretty remarkable. We will talk about it. One loss of life there. We will certainly honor that loss of life as well. In West Bloomfield, Michigan just outside of Detroit, a clear attempted terror attack. A good guy with a gun ended it and took and killed the life of the would be terrorist. But, but coming on the heels of Austin, Texas where a guy in an Iran shirt and a a pro Islam sweatshirt on top of that killed two innocent people and wounded several others. You then have the situation in New York City where two would be ISIS sympathizers tried to throw IEDs outside of Gracie Mansion in New York City, which fortunately did not go off. And now we are sitting here with Austin, Texas, New York City or Old Dominion University in Virginia and just outside of Detroit in Michigan, four different Muslim fundamentalist motivated terror attacks in the space of about two weeks. It feels unlikely to me that this is the end of it, Buck. And you joined the CIA some time ago specifically to help catch the bad guys after 9 11. So you are particularly well versed in this. What is Your reaction now that we have what we suggested was likely to be the case, but now have complete confirmation that all four of these attacks have the same motive in place as the war in Iran continues. What would CIA analyst Buck Sexton be doing this morning if he was in Langley?

[A]

Well, I think we can count on the New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN and others to remind us that while all the terrorist attacks that are actually happening are Islamic radicals, the real threat of terrorism in this country remains white supremacy. That's the real.

[B]

Which is is was the focal point of Biden's presidency was arguing the biggest danger that we all face, for those of you who have forgotten, constantly gave us multi years of that argument.

[A]

And I just think that we're one Islamic jihadist. Or I guess that's kind of repetitive because all jihadists are Islamic. But, but one jihadist terror attack away from some guy, instead of yelling Allahu Akbar before he hits the plunger on the suicide vest, maybe he'll scream out the real terrorist threat is white supremacy. Kaboom. I just wonder at what point the Democrats will have to reassess, reassess the big white supremacist threat. By the way, per capita is also something that tends to challenge the left and Democrats tremendously. They have no understanding of this whatsoever. They compare the overall threat of Islamic terrorism and the overall threat of white supremacist terrorism in this country. They also always leave out there are 5 million, 6 million Muslims in the country, maybe 7 million, something like that. I don't even know how many white people there are. 150 million, 180 million. I don't even know. So the fact that you're even having a conversation about where is the real threat of. And I just want to be very clear, there are jihadists who are white. It's actually not about race at all. But the Democrats don't understand that. They have no, you know, remember the guy who was captured was fighting for the Taliban. Like that can happen too. Islam is an ideology. It's not a skin color. It's not a race. They always try to conflate those things because they know that if they can make it about racism, well then everyone's oh my gosh, it's not racism. It's about an ideology, ok? No one's sitting here saying, you know what the real threat of terrorism is? Right now all the Buddhists in America, oh my gosh, I'm so scared of them. Has nothing to do with skin color. Has to do with ideology. And this is exactly what you would expect after. Remember, it's not just American strikes on Iran. It is American, Israeli strikes, American slash and Israeli strikes on Iran. And so the fact that Israel is just blowing up Iranian stuff left and right too, that really sets off the jihadi community. And looking at the Iran situation quite today, I know Hexa talked about it. We have some more. Well, you know what? Here, let's, let's have, here's Secretary War. This cut one, the not so supreme leader, he says of Modstaba Lil Mo, as Clay calls him. This is cut one. Play it.

[C]

Iran's leadership is in no better shape. Desperate and hiding. They've gone underground, cowering. That's what rats do. We know the new so called not so supreme leader is wounded and likely disfigured. He put out a statement yesterday, a weak one actually, but there was no voice and there was no video. It was a written statement. He called for unity. Apparently killing tens of thousands of protesters is his kind of unity. Iran has plenty of cameras and plenty of voice recorders. Why a written statement? I think you know why. His father dead, he's scared, he's injured, he's on the run and he lacks legitimacy. It's a mess for them. Who's in charge. Iran may not even know.

[A]

Now this is on the good side of things, Clay, that we're just, there's no military counterpunch from Iran whatsoever. The concerning side of this or the side of this, I think everybody needs to understand as well. The Iranians, he said this. The Iranian leadership now they're fully hiding under in bunkers and they're not meeting in any kind of consolidated place and they're just going to ride this thing out. And there's no opposition taking to the streets. So the regime is not changing everyone, the regime is not changing. We just have a defanged, temporarily Iranian regime. Maybe they'll have a different approach to the next round of negotiations. But I do not see regime change happening here. Now, some of you will be, I think, happy with that because it also means no US Boots on the ground and a limited mission.

[B]

Clay, I read this morning, getting ready for the show, a couple of different angles that I thought were super interesting that we could dive into a little bit later in the program. One, David Boies, who is probably the foremost trial attorney, who is a Democrat in terms of intellectual heft and success in the country, whatever you think about his politics, wrote a great editorial in the Wall Street Journal saying Democrats need to stop reflexively being opposed to President Trump, that it's Actually, a really good thing that we went into Iran, and he lays out a very strong argument, I thought. And. And I was impressed that he did it. Did you. Did you see this? Because I do think it's a little bit of an interesting. Interesting shift. You don't.

[A]

I think you have more respect for Boys because of his lawyer success than I tend to, given that he served as a board member and counsel for Theranos, the fraudulent blood testing company, and basically threatened to go after Wall Street Journal reporters who were trying to unearth that Theranos was a giant fraud. So he. He got taken in by that whole thing, I guess.

[B]

But every. Everybody did, it seems if you go read that book, Bad Blood, it's one of the best books that's been written in a long time.

[A]

But remember, Boys is like the bad guy who shows up in the Wall Street Journal's offices and is like, everything we've done, everything Theranos did, is on the up and up. We're going to go after you. So I'm just saying, to be fair, you're being very nice about this guy. That's a pretty sketchy.

[B]

I would want the most zealous advocate possible, and I think that's what he sees his role as lawyer.

[A]

Clay, look, you could represent the head of the mob. And Clay's like, hey, everybody needs counsel.

[B]

Hey, everybody needs. In fact, there's news that's just gone out. I put my money where my mouth is. Laura and I have made a big donation to Vanderbilt Law School that is predicated on the idea that every different perspective, because a lot of conservative perspectives are ridiculed in the law right now, should be taught in law school, and that lots of people who are military should have the ability, when they finish their service, to go get a law degree. So we're putting our money where our mouth is on this so that we have zealous advocacy. So putting aside that argument, here's something I think that is interesting that is starting to be floated as well. The idea that Little Mo. That is the son of obviously the ayatollah who was killed, that actually we are negotiating with different elements of Iran that are more moderate. I'm curious if you would buy this. And inside of Iran, they are using this guy who may not even be able to speak based on the significant injuries that have occurred to him. And Hegseth laid out, they didn't put a video, they didn't even have audio of his statement that they released yesterday that they are using him as a figurehead to make it seem like the revolutionary elements of Iran are still in a position of strength, but that in reality there are back channel negotiations going on and we might be setting up some form of relationship there. Do you buy it? Does CIA analyst Buck buy this guy's son being the figurehead who's incapable of communication and very few people know it and there are other individuals who now have risen to power that are interacting with the US that is one theory that is out there.

[A]

I hope that's true. I would bet a large sum of money that that ends up not being the case. I think unfortunately we've done everything that can be done from the sky and there's a hard red line on boots on the ground. And I think it's the right red line to be clear. I agree with that red line. And there's a limit to what you can do from the air. And the Iranians have no. Now they got sucker punched a bit on this. They were not obviously putting all their leadership together. They didn't expect that we would hit them when we did. They didn't expect to get hit in daylight. They didn't expect all of this. So that was pretty incredible. And they didn't know that we knew so much about where they would be. That all said, though, this is the, these are the limitations of what you can do when you don't control the ground and we don't control the ground and the IRGC is still the security apparatus in that country and nobody wants to be the first one to poke their head out their door, be like, you know, maybe we could do something different here because your head's not going to stay on your shoulders. That's the concern.

[B]

The other suggestion that I have seen is that we should take the island with boots on the ground, Delta Force style, where they actually produce all the oil and, and just take control of their ability to produce oil. Because this is kind of crazy. Iran is continuing to produce oil and

[A]

you're talking about grabbing Carg Island. I mean that's, that's some pretty next level stuff. If we were.

[B]

That is. I was doing all my reading, Buck. I was trying to prepare myself. Like, what are the different angles?

[A]

You're going deep under this one.

[B]

I will. I'm fascinated by it. I don't have the background of knowledge that you do. So I'm trying to read as much as I can. And there's an idea out there that Israeli and U.S. special forces could seize the island of oil production and basically end any ability of Iran to have control over the Ingress or egress of oil, not dissimilar in some ways to what we did with Venezuela, but just take control of this island and say, hey, we now are the captain of the Iranian oil ship and we determine everything. Because it's kind of crazy to me, Buck. I didn't realize Iran has continued to refine and be shipping oil even as we have been attacking them. I think that would surprise a lot of people.

[A]

I mean Carg island is essentially where all of the processing of oil. Remember there's, you'll hear these things and I know that some of you are listening to this are like, I've been an oil man for 40 years, Buck. Like you know a lot more than me. And sorry, I'm just assuming the oil men are in Texas. Pardon me, but I know there's other places, but you know, there's some of you that know this stuff backwards and forwards. But when you hear things like heavy crude and sweet crude and all this different stuff, this, it has to be refined for it to be usable in the marketplace, right? It's not just like it pumps out of the ground and it goes right into a car. And 90% of of car of Iranian oil is processed at Carg Island. And you're talking about almost a billion barrels of oil a year there, right? So if you are, you don't have to stop the oil from being pumped out of the ground, nor do you have to touch the oil infrastructure that does that. Which would be a very, very bad idea to have essentially a total choke point for Iranian oil exports because they can't refine it, they ain't selling it.

[B]

This is why the same way 100%. And this is why I think in addition to not wanting to give away strategic operational goals, this is why boots on the ground doesn't necessarily mean tens of thousands of troops. It could mean not only on this Carge island, but also on some of the nuclear mountainous terrain that you might have to go into. It could mean elite commando style raids with boots on the ground. That is very different than what we saw, for instance in Iraq.

[A]

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[B]

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[D]

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[A]

Welcome back into Clay and Buck. I want to hit this talk back fast because it ties into our next news story we're going to be discussing here. And it's from Charlie in Greenwich Village. Really fun. I love Greenwich Village. W O R N Y C. Yeah, I know communists everywhere. Greenwich Village is still really cool. Great restaurants, fun bars. Play F on the talkbacks. So I want to give a shout

[C]

out to the ROTC students and their instructor. They do it.

[A]

They did a great job. God bless you guys and Clay and Buck. Great job, too. God bless you guys too. Take care. Hey, Charlie. Charlie, God bless. Thanks for listening to us behind liberal lines there at nyc. Let me say this, Clay. So he's referring to this mass shooter at Old Dominion, also a jihadist, a convicted terror supporter who got let out early. Good Lord. He walked into a classroom at Old Dominion said, is this rotc? And when someone said yes, he just pulled out a gun and started shooting. One of the ROTC students had a blade and ended, this guy right there just took him out. Now, I mean, first of all, Clay pointed this out. Obviously, he was targeting ROTC because he thinks that he's going after, like, our military in a way which, you know, this is a terrorist attack in a classroom. But beyond that, this is a guy who underestimated who he was dealing with.

[B]

He picked the wrong dudes to f around with. I think in. In basic parlance, and we should, when we come back, honor, because one loss of life. I believe he was a major in charge of ROTC in Old Dominion, lost his life, and we should make sure that we honor him. But I think it speaks to the bravery of these young men and women, I presume, who barehanded apprehended this guy and killed him.

[A]

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[B]

Welcome back in Clay Travis Buck Sexton show, Friday edition of the program. We were just talking about the terror attack at Old Dominion University in Virginia, and we. We mentioned that the ROTC students apprehended, killed, and disarmed this individual with their bare hands during the attack. Unfortunately, one life was lost. And I want to make sure that I read this correctly. The victim of the terror attack at Old Dominion. This is according to Greg Price, who does good work on social media, has been identified as Lt. Col. Brandon Shaw, who was a professor of military science and the leader of the university's ROTC program. He was a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Atlantic Resolve. His awards included two bronze Stars. Senior Army Aviator Badge, Combat Action Badge, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with Valor, Joint Service Commendation Medal Army Commendation Medal and the Joint Service Achievement Medal. He died on the campus in this attack. His students disarmed and killed the attacker. But we want to make sure that we honor the individuals who are victims of these different terror attacks. Again, Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Shaw. And if there are people out there listening to us right now that know anything about him or served with him, be great to hear some of your talkbacks. But Buck, this is, we were as we went to break, just talking about this. I think one of the stories here is there is so much innate goodness in America. The attack would be attack on the synagogue in northern Michigan or just north of Detroit and Oakland county, still southeastern Michigan, but just north of Detroit. These guys were ready for it and they killed the attacker. This was, I think the number was over 100 kids in a Jewish preschool that were there that could have been victims. But for the security being there, the only person who died on that day yesterday was the would be attacker in basically his vehicle that he drove in intending to blow up and kill as many people as possible. Again, everybody needs to say stay hyper vigilant given what's going on right now. But I think it's a testament to the bravery of so many people across America that we have now had four would be terror attacks, four actual terror attacks. And I believe there have only been three victims. Every loss of life is awful. I believe two people lost their lives in Austin. Innocent people at a bar when a guy started shooting. And now this ROTC leader on Old Dominion's campus. But no deaths. And these guys were apprehended in New York City. The brave police officer who we talked about who jumped over the barricade and went and tackled them immediately and got them arrested. The brave security officials at the synagogue who killed this would be terrorist. I mean, to have. I think it's five different terrorists, if I'm not mistaken, who have attempted to take as many lives as possible. And for them to only get three lives and for the bravery of responders to immediately take them out, I think is a testament to security officials and also just the bravery of first responders and everybody out there in America right now. But unfortunately, I know you're looking and thinking about this quite a lot, based on your background, it seems unlikely this is going to be the end. And so more are coming.

[A]

No, it's not the end. And they tend to hold grudges in the jihadist world. So it's not like even if the air campaign stops tomorrow, which I don't think it will, they would say okay, we're going to leave things alone now and move on with our lives. I would just second what you said, Clay, about the security at that synagogue in Michigan. Think about this. Probably saved, I don't know, dozens of lives by being armed, present and ready to go. I understand the bomb didn't go off that this guy had in his car, but he was prepared for that possibility. And he also had, I believe, a rifle and was ready to start shooting people. And if you're in a synagogue and you don't have armed security, even if you rush a shooter like this, a lot of lives are going to be lost in that process. And instead, no innocent life was lost in the process. It's just a reminder. The good guy with a gun thing that Democrats still sneer at. They don't really ever want to look at what actually works, what actually keeps people safe. You know, I mean, I got to tell you, even here in Miami, I'll see sometimes like a venue or a place and they'll say, you know, no weapons allowed. And I just want to be like, you know, you're just disarming the good guys. Yeah, you're just saying in a state where we have very pro 2A laws, thankfully, Florida's great on this. New York is, is. New York City is preposterous. New York City is just one big violation of the second amendment. But you look at Florida, Florida's great. But you go private venues, you know, for concerts, things like that, and they're, you know, they'll have no weapon signs. And you know, now you got to think, ok, I'm going to be in, I'm going to be in violation of law if I care. What is the point of that? If someone, whether they're a gang, gang member or a terrorist, wants to hurt people, they're carrying the gun no matter what. You know, I just, I don't know how many times we have to go through this. You know, Virginia is currently looking at a legislation to create some kind of a ban. You know, they're going to have some specifics in it, but essentially an assault rifle ban in Virginia. Yeah, after, after moderate Spam burger fooled enough Virginia soccer moms that she was able to, and you know, dads, she was able to win the election. And you sit here and you just go, when will the lesson be learned? When do they figure out that their little rules and their little, you know, they're, they're pro clutching over people who like to go shooting on the weekends, who are law abiding second amendment people they're wrong. They're just wrong on this issue. If we had listened to them and not had not had armed security at the synagogue, you know, God knows what would have happened there.

[B]

Yeah, and again, you're really just notifying the bad guys where they should go. When you say gun free zones, you're just telling them, hey, this is an opportunity to go after people who are predominantly not going to be able to defend themselves. And this is why, look, I hope what happened at the synagogue, I hope it's a lesson to every school and every religious institution in America. I would prefer that there be armed security everywhere. My kids go to schools with a lot of armed security. I want everybody's kids going to schools with a lot of armed security. Public school and private school. By the way, in Tennessee, where I am, I feel very fortunate when I drop my kids off and I see the security guard strapped. And I think most of you out there listening right now feel the same way. Here's the other thing. It also is important. For instance, one of my kids in elementary school right now, when you have an officer in the school, young kids learn that they can trust police and that police are there to help them, which they might not hear at home. And so having a school resource officer who is there, who is armed, who is there to make sure that the kids are all safe. It's an important lesson. I hope that they never have to use their weapon ever. But it's an important lesson for young kids to begin to understand that police are not bad guys. And unfortunately, there's lots of people out there who will try to teach them that police are bad guys.

[A]

You know, the estimates are that it would be maybe $10 billion to have armed security at least available in every school in America. $10 billion, I mean, that's like around 80. How many fake. Yes, how many fake Somali daycares is that? Not that many. You know what I'm saying? I mean, how many fake autism centers in California, which we're going to talk about that later, by the way. Just people ripping off the system with fraud.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

$10 billion to keep, to keep schools safe. And people say, oh, but sometimes they'll shoot the security guard. Okay, nothing is perfect. Everyone. But you know, you rarely of them

[B]

have to shoot the security guard first, then immediately go to kids and teachers.

[A]

You know what's really imperfect? Making me wait five days. Well, if you have your concealed carry, you can actually. But you know, making people wait five days and I'm still waiting for my concealed carry permit to arrive. Actually, I've already applied for it before I can go get my, like, ninth gun or whatever. Oh, that's keeping. People make me wait five days before I can get my latest range, my latest range gun. You know, like, this is idiot rules. These are idiotic rules, and people still push them. Like, guns are scary. They go bang. Bang is loud. Loud is scary. They know nothing.

[B]

You know what? I've also been seeing, and I want to encourage this. Carol Markowitz is a friend of the program. She's part of the Clay and Buck podcast network. She's learned how to use a gun. My wife now goes to the range once a week.

[A]

I bet Laura is kind of nasty with a pistol.

[B]

She is. She is. She is very talented with a weapon. But I've been amazed at how many women I now meet who you wouldn't expect to be very adept at weaponry that are aware that danger is out there and they want to be able to take care of their families. And I think the number of guns has skyrocketed. Right. This is the real impact of trying to regulate guns is every time Democrats try to regulate guns, it's the greatest advertisement for guns that has ever existed. Everybody out there understands what I'm talking about. As soon as there is the hint of gun regulation, millions more guns get sold almost overnight. And the amount of guns on the in good hands has skyrocketed. I would say, since you've seen it buck, since. Since 2020, where people just thought that they were never going to be in danger and they've seen crime and they say, I'm not risking or relying on somebody getting, I'm going to take care of my family.

[A]

The same way that Mayor Mamdani is currently Florida real estate salesman of the year. Barack Obama was actually national firearms salesman of, like, the decade, because every time they would try to, you know, browbeat us and shout at us and say, give up all your AR15s and give up all, you know, people would just go out and get more.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

No, I mean, I'm going to get grandfathered in now.

[B]

That's totally right. And by the way, if you want to go to data, we've got more guns in America than we ever have. Crime is overall going down substantially, the lowest in 125 years. When it comes to murder, based on the data from 2025, and you know this, I think it should be screamed from the heavens more loudly. If you have a legal permit to own a gun, your rate of criminal violation is infinitely lower than the average American is Gun owners are the most law abiding community on the planet. And again, that's a data set that isn't very well known, but I think is consequential and significant.

[A]

What you're referring to is CCW holders have fewer infractions of law per capita than law enforcement, which is really, that's

[B]

even, that's even, even crazier, right? I mean, because you're talking about

[A]

it

[B]

is evidence that should be within the public discourse on a level that it is not. We'll take some of your calls, we'll take some of your talk backs and we'll play a couple more cuts about everything that's going on here on the Friday edition of the program. But we want to tell you I'm down in Florida, Buck, for my kids spring break. And you know what we got down here? Cozy Earth everywhere. Last night I was watching some college basketball, may have gotten a little chilly in Florida, and I reached over for my spectacular Cozy Earth blanket and I thought to myself, this is absolute comfort. College basketball. Nice and warm. And then I got into my bed on my Cozy Earth sheets. And right now you can join me and get 20% off everything at Cozy Earth. You're going to love it. Wife's going to love it. Kids are going to love it. Check it out. Cozyearth.com c o z y earth.com use promo code Clay to get a discount on the purchase of 20%. That's cozyearth.com my name, Clay. For a 20% discount on the purchase, 20% off everything. Check out the website. Trust me, you're going to be impressed. Cozyearth.com c o z y earth.com my name Clay. For a 20% discount on your purchase. Get hooked up today. Geek out with the guys on the Sunday. Hang with Clay and Buck.

[A]

Podcast a new episode every Sunday.

[B]

Find it on the iHeart app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[D]

This episode is brought to you by Spreaker, the platform responsible for a rapidly spreading condition known as podcast brain. Symptoms include buying microphones you don't need, explaining RSS feeds to confused relatives, and saying things like, sorry, I can't talk right now, I'm editing audio. If this sounds familiar, you're probably already a podcaster. The good news is Spreaker makes the whole process simple. You record your show, upload it once, and Spreaker distributes it everywhere. People listen. Apple podcasts, Spotify, and about a dozen apps your cousin swears are the next big thing. Even better, Spreaker helps you monetize your show with ads, meaning your podcast might someday pay for, well, more microphones. Start your show [e-mail] spreaker because if you're going to talk to yourself for an hour, you might as well publish

[A]

it back in team to clay and have to update you on something as we're talking about the Iran situation. Confirmed now a tragedy in Iraq. Six service members are dead after a U.S. air Force refueler KC135 tanker was involved in an accident with another KC 135. So this is look, anytime you're talking about military aviation, especially military aviation doing mid air refuels, there is danger. And we had six, six brave service members who gave their lives, gave their lives for their country, gave their lives for the fight. And we honor them, we honor their families and we pray for them and their souls. I just wanted to note this is yes, the Trump administration is showing incredible ability militarily to attack our enemy Iran and its military. But there are losses. We are losing people in this fight too. We always have to be mindful of that, that every day that this conflict continues, there are Iranians, civilians who are losing their lives or in the line of fire, and also our own service members. So this is even at the level this war is being fought, there are costs. It's not to say that the costs aren't something that the American people are willing to bear based upon the threat of Iran, but there are costs and we should be always keeping that in our mind and of course, keep the families of those lost in our prayers. All right, we have a few guests coming up here. Steve Hilton will be up next. Talk to him about California. He's running for governor there. And Clay keeps pointing out to me that the Democrats may well end up electing Swalwell Swalwell of Fang Fang fame.

[B]

I there are Democrats I disagree with and there are Democrats that I'm like, I don't disagree with this guy, but I can see why he has appeal. Eric Swalwell is a moron who is incapable of basic coherent thought. To your point, Buck, and not even attractive Chinese spy honey potted him. He lives in Washington, D.C. evidence is he has an apartment that he claims in some donor's house. He doesn't even have a California residence right now. So we've got a huge audience in California. I am fired up about this. The idea of Eric Swalwell even making the final two is an insect to Californians everywhere.

[A]

That's where we are. Dave in Wilmington, North Carolina, let's get you in, Dave. What's up, Rush?

[E]

You're making Rush proud old Rush listener. So I thank you. Pre 9 11, I was an adult. All four of my kids were born pre 9 11. But they weren't old enough to remember this country, the freedoms we had pre 9 11. So seeing what happened 911 and seeing the trillions of dollars this country has had to spend to defend ourselves from the radical Islam culture, and then to see the Democrats continually inviting these people in and defending them now, they're defrauding our country. We're still spending trillions of dollars to protect ourselves from these people. It's just a very discouraging situation for those of us who grew up in a country that was so free that we could walk up to the door and say bye to Grandma when she was getting on the plane. And now we go through all this crap and we got to go even more because we just keep letting them fester in the Middle east till they can come up with some scheme to kill America.

[A]

Dave, thank you for calling in. As I always say, radical Islam is the reason why you're getting killed, patted down by the tsa, why you have to arrive two hours early for your flight. Radical Islam has cost the United States in just our security state, our security apparatus, trillions of dollars post 9 11. And that's not even including all the attacks they actually pull off successfully.