The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Hour 2 - Call in the Guard!
Date: September 2, 2025
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts

Overview

In this episode, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton dive into the surging crime rates in major U.S. cities, particularly focusing on Chicago and Washington D.C. They analyze political responses to the crisis, including debates over federal intervention, the effectiveness of Democratic vs. Republican leadership on law and order, and the public's hunger for safer communities. The hosts also explore the political implications of these issues, touching on voter shifts and intra-party conflicts. Listener interactions and local anecdotes further enrich the discussion.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump’s Strategy and the Politics of Crime

• Buck Sexton opens by crediting former President Trump for making crime in D.C. a “big political winner” by both taking action and “forcing Democrats to defend the indefensible” (01:04).

  • “He is putting wins up on the board while also encouraging…Democrats to defend the indefensible.” – Buck Sexton [01:14]

• Chicago crime as an emblem:

  • 50 people shot, 8 fatally, over Labor Day weekend, described as “out of control” but not abnormal for the city (02:21).
  • “These numbers are out of control…there are a lot of weekends where you have 30 shot, 40 shot.” – Buck Sexton [03:21]

2. Media and Political Responses

• Joe Scarborough’s comments on MSNBC:

  • Advocates for bipartisan partnership to address crime, suggesting Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker should work with Trump to save lives while respecting federalism.
  • “Let’s work together to save lives.” – Joe Scarborough (clip) [04:17]

• Hosts discuss the significance of Democratic voices echoing Trump’s line:

  • Clay notes losing MSNBC personalities to Trump-aligned talking points signals a weakening of the anti-Trump media narrative.
  • “If you are losing Joe Scarborough on msnbc…that to me is a sign that the virulent Trump is Hitler agenda … doesn’t rate anymore.” – Clay Travis [05:14]

• Contrast with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s opposition to federal involvement:

  • “No federal troops...No militarization force in the city of Chicago. We’re going to defend our democracy…” – Mayor Johnson, quoted [07:14]

  • Buck calls this “meaningless community organizer slogans,” adding, “It will do nothing to bring down the murder rate, nothing to address the crime rate.” [07:32]

3. The Realities and Logic of Safety

• Clay & Buck discuss what real safety means for Americans:

  • The ultimate test: “Are you comfortable with your wife, your girlfriend, your daughter, your granddaughter going for a jog at dusk in a neighborhood?” – Clay Travis [09:39]
  • Many listeners, even in cities like St. Louis and Memphis, would not feel safe (multiple anecdotes, 11:44–12:12).

• Calls for State or National Guard deployment

  • Clay expresses support for drastic measures: “If I were the governor…I’d be considering calling in the National Guard to deploy…in Memphis and say we’re not going to allow Memphis to have a murder rate that is basically 20x what’s happening in New York City.” [12:20]

4. Political Consequences and Shifting Voters

• Buck predicts Democrats will be forced to “co-opt” crime and border security issues due to mounting public dissatisfaction.
• Growing support for Trump among Black voters:
  • “Over 20% of them [black men] voted Trump in 2024...That’s a real conversation that’s taking place now in the black community.” – Clay Travis [14:17]

5. Listener Responses & Community Anecdotes

• Listners share personal stories:

  • One describes being warned about the dangers of 79th Street in Chicago, challenging public officials to ride those routes without security (36:51–37:54).
  • Another shares experience on city council, noting that black community members are often the most concerned about local crime (38:13–38:49).

• Hosts urge politicians to “walk the streets” without a security detail to gauge genuine safety.

6. New York City, Mayoral Politics, and Leftist Policy Debates

• Debate over NYC’s political future:

  • The hosts discuss Andrew Cuomo, Eric Adams, and the danger/capabilities of a potential leftist mayor, Zohran Mamdani (22:58+).
  • They scrutinize whether Mamdani would actually implement radical policies if elected—Clay doubts Mamdani has the management skill to do so, Buck suggests even incompetence could be “helpful” in preventing bad policies [29:06–33:30].

• Historical context:

  • New York's turnaround with Giuliani/Bloomberg, the decline under De Blasio, and the current state under Adams.
  • “[Bloomberg] was a fantastic mayor and people can say what they want…they would not say a bad word about Bloomberg full stop.” – Buck Sexton [32:36]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On crime statistics and city size:
  • “Chicago’s not that big. It’s 2 million people…New York is 8.5 million by comparison…50 is a lot in a weekend.” – Buck Sexton [02:40]
• On the core public safety test:
  • “The test of whether a neighborhood is safe is…are you okay with your wife…going for a jog at dusk…” – Clay Travis [09:39]
• Calling out hollow leadership:
  • “Just slogans, meaningless community organizer slogans that will do nothing to bring down the murder rate.” – Buck Sexton [07:32]
• On the difference in perspectives:
  • “Are you speaking from the perspective of someone who spends most of the year at their house in the Hamptons… or [from] a member of the community in a high-crime area?” – Buck Sexton [38:49]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:04 – Buck credits Trump’s approach to crime
• 03:21 – Outrage at Chicago’s crime statistics
• 04:17 – MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough suggests bipartisan efforts
• 05:14 – Clay assesses media narrative shifts
• 07:14–07:32 – Chicago Mayor Johnson’s stance, Buck’s critique
• 09:39 – Clay’s “jog at dusk” safety litmus test
• 11:44–12:20 – Host anecdotes about urban danger
• 14:17 – Clay on Black voters moving toward Trump
• 22:58+ – Analysis of NYC mayoral candidates and leftist threats
• 36:51–37:54 – Caller: challenge to politicians to ride dangerous Chicago bus routes

Listener Interaction Highlights

• 18:13 – A caller stresses black residents’ desire for security aligns with common sense measures.
• 38:13 – “It was the blacks around here saying, we want to stop the crime.” – Wade, Fayetteville, NC

Tone & Style

Clay and Buck utilize a conversational, often humorous style, blending anecdotal evidence, direct listener feedback, and pointed political commentary. They operate from a perspective critical of progressive policies and highlight the disconnect between left-leaning elites and urban communities facing crime.

Key Takeaways

• Violent crime in American cities remains a crisis that resonates across racial and political lines.
• Trump and Republicans are successfully leveraging crime as an electoral issue; Democrats may be forced to moderate their public stances.
• There is broad, bipartisan public desire for tangible action to restore basic public safety—sometimes even support for deploying State or National Guard.
• Political elites and media figures may be out of touch with the lived reality in high-crime neighborhoods.
• In cities like New York, voters face a potential shift to more left-wing leadership, but questions remain about the efficacy and practical impact of such candidates.