The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Hour 2 – Calculated Bias
Date: September 30, 2025
Host: Clay Travis (Buck Sexton broadcasting from Taiwan)

Episode Overview

In this hour, Clay Travis tackles the theme of "calculated bias"—particularly in how media and cultural institutions set and enforce narratives in sports and politics. Travis explores issues of meritocracy, political double standards, identity politics, and violent crime narratives, weaving in notable interviews and recent commentary. The conversation features a significant discussion with sports broadcaster Paul Finebaum on political bias within ESPN and a deep dive into Don Lemon’s recent comments on white men and violence.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Update on Buck Sexton and Upcoming Guests (02:35)

• Buck Sexton is in Taiwan; will return Monday.
• Later guests: Senator Markwayne Mullin (at 2:00 pm) and Steve Scalise to discuss the potential government shutdown and political polling.

2. Government Shutdown Poll Insights (02:35–04:00)

• Review of New York Times poll data regarding voter attitudes on a government shutdown:
  • 65% against shutdown overall; 92% of Republicans and 59% of independents oppose; only 47% of Democrats believe it should happen.
• Travis argues the Democratic Party is driven by a fringe activist minority:
  "They take their cue from the activist 20% that is completely out of touch with everything going on in the world..." (03:40)

3. Meritocracy, the Military, and Trump 2.0 (04:00–07:00)

• Citing Pete Hegseth, Travis advocates for restoring "meritocracy" in the military and across American society.
• Emphasizes Trump’s media presence compared to Biden, suggesting Trump is transparent and accessible.

4. The Left, Culture, and J.K. Rowling (07:00–10:40)

• Travis praises J.K. Rowling for "speaking truth" in the face of cultural norms, particularly on issues of sex and gender.
• Expresses frustration with terminology like "birthing person," celebrating his assistant Katie as a "woman having a baby."
• Quotes:
  "When you tell me men can become women or you start referring to women as birthing people... she is a woman having a baby, not a birthing person." (09:25)
  "You get attacked when you make other people uncomfortable because you draw attention to their untruth." (11:22)

5. How the Left Targeted Sports and ESPN’s Double Standard (10:40–18:00)

• Travis claims left-leaning activists systematically targeted sports to drive cultural change, citing selectivity at ESPN.
• Argues ESPN/Disney humanized Obama but denied equal access to Trump.
• Shares personal connection to sports, stating:
  "If you told me, Clay, you have one day left to live, I would probably say, I want to take my family and I want to go to an awesome college football game..." (11:57)

Paul Finebaum Interview Segment

• Finebaum reveals (13:50–15:31):

  • He's a lifelong Republican.
  • Never revealed his politics publicly because "it is frowned upon" for sports broadcasters.
  • ESPN managers killed his planned interview with President Trump ahead of the 2019 LSU-Alabama game, whereas Obama frequently featured on ESPN:

    “I reached out to a friend of mine in D.C.... said, you want to get Trump? I said, yeah... I called my boss and they killed it.” — Paul Finebaum (15:02–15:31)

• Travis:
  “They didn't want to treat Trump the exact same as they treated Obama, because culturally, they were using sports to try to divide us all, to take us away from the meritocracy and to interject identity politics into sport.” (16:08)

6. The Consequences of Cultural Disparity in Sports Media (18:00–19:29)

• Travis criticizes ESPN and broader sports media for pushing narratives that undermine meritocracy and promote divisiveness:
  • Asserts control of sports culture leads to control of greater American cultural values.

7. Identity Politics and Don Lemon’s Message to White Men (22:36–29:33)

• Travis previews and plays a clip of Don Lemon addressing white men:

  “Men who look like you... white men. Something is broken, something is cracked deep inside when so many of you believe the answer to fear, to loss, to change, is violence.” — Don Lemon (25:13–25:41)

• Travis critiques Lemon, arguing that this reflects the "root cancer" of identity politics.
  • Claims Lemon leverages his own identity (as a gay Black man) to make sweeping generalizations about other groups.
  • Flips the script rhetorically, suggesting Lemon would never address Black men about violence—even though the data, Travis asserts, would point there.

On Crime Statistics and Narratives

• Dissects Lemon’s statements by referencing crime statistics:
  • Argues that violent crime disproportionately occurs in Black communities (28:00–29:33).
  • Criticizes the reluctance to address crime frankly out of fear of being labeled racist.

8. Broader Reflections on Public Safety and Political Correctness (29:33–35:00)

• Shares Buck Sexton's observation from Taiwan about public safety and contrasts this with US cities.
  • “[In Taipei] Playgrounds were full. Children wandered...Young women crossed through wooded pathways alone. Nobody concerned...Because tolerance of a crime is a choice society makes.” — Buck Sexton (Paraphrased, 31:48)
• Argues America "accepted violent crime as a reality" because of fear of confronting racial data.

9. Key Rhetorical Question—What’s Really Racist? (34:00–35:00)

• Travis asks: Is it racist to ignore high rates of community violence, thus harming Black neighborhoods, out of fear of being called racist for making arrests?
  • Advocates treating all neighborhoods equally, making public safety universal:
    “What if we just decided that we're not going to let any neighborhood be unsafe?” (34:49)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “They take their cue from the activist 20% that is completely out of touch with everything going on in the world and allow them to dictate all of the choices that they make in the process.” — Clay Travis (03:40)
• “Once they can get you to admit to something you know is untrue, then they own you.” — Clay Travis (12:54)
• “I called my boss and they killed it... [Disney/ESPN] wouldn't let Trump come on and just talk about going to the LSU, Alabama game.” — Paul Finebaum (15:31)
• “Because culturally, they were using sports to try to divide us all, to take us away from the meritocracy and to interject identity politics into sport.” — Clay Travis (16:08)
• “Identity politics is the root cancer of America today, and we have to grab it and root it out, destroy it in all facets of our society.” — Clay Travis (25:45)
• “If Don Lemon is concerned about rates of violence in America, truly concerned, and wants to break it down by race and gender, the group he should be talking to is black men.” — Clay Travis (29:33)
• “Tolerance of a crime is a choice society makes. Taiwan has made the right one and benefits from that every day.” — Buck Sexton (as quoted, 31:48)
• “What if we just decided that we're not going to let any neighborhood be unsafe? ...Without the bad guys on the streets, we'd all be a lot safer.” — Clay Travis (34:49)

Important Timestamps

• 02:35 – Show intro; update on Buck Sexton and upcoming guests
• 03:40 – Discussion of Democratic Party polling and activist influence
• 04:00 – On meritocracy in the Trump 2.0 era and the military
• 07:00 – Reflection on J.K. Rowling and speaking uncomfortable truths
• 11:57 – Personal significance of sports for Clay Travis
• 13:50–15:31 – Paul Finebaum interview revelation on politics and ESPN
• 16:08 – ESPN’s use of sports as a vehicle for cultural control
• 22:36 – Teeing up Don Lemon’s message on white male violence
• 25:13 – Don Lemon’s viral clip: "Men who look like you...white men..."
• 29:05 – Travis critiques Lemon’s approach and compares to crime stats
• 31:48 – Buck Sexton’s tweet from Taiwan about public safety
• 34:49 – Proposing universal neighborhood safety
• 35:00 – Segment close; preview of listener reactions and more

Episode Tone

The tone is direct, familiar, and combative, blending newsy summary with personal asides and strong opinions. Clay Travis employs sarcasm and rhetorical questions, especially when critiquing political or media figures. The vibe is conversational, aiming to both inform and provoke thought (and at times, outrage) among listeners aligned with his perspective.

For listeners who missed this hour:
This episode delivers a stark critique of perceived political and cultural double standards, especially within sports media and public discourse. Travis’s dialogue with Paul Finebaum provides a rare inside look at sports media bias, while the segment on Don Lemon exposes how identity politics and societal fears around crime and race can warp open discussion. The recurring appeal: restore meritocracy, insist on honesty—and push back against “calculated bias” wherever it emerges.