The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Hour 2 – Cha Cha Change?

Date: November 12, 2025
Podcast: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show (iHeartPodcasts)
Episode Theme: The fading era of coins, societal shifts to a cashless economy, the uses (and surprising value) of pennies, and incisive commentary on Democratic messaging—with listener stories, lively banter, and memorable tangents.

Overview

In this hour, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton dive into the debate over eliminating coins—especially the penny—as the U.S. reportedly ends its production. They reflect on America’s rapid move toward cashless transactions, the privacy implications of digital currency, and the nostalgia of retail jobs involving cash handling. The episode features a compelling call-in with a listener who used jarred pennies to escape a troubled marriage, as well as lighthearted banter about coins in everyday life. Later, the hosts dissect Democratic messaging, considering whether figures like Jasmine Crockett represent the party’s future. The episode closes with book recommendations and a preview of upcoming policy discussions.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Should We Get Rid of Coins? The End of the Penny

[01:34 – 04:21]

• Clay Travis introduces the hot topic: the apparent last day of U.S. penny production, and a poll on whether all coins should be eliminated, citing cost concerns.
  • "It definitely costs more to produce the penny than the penny is worth... We're moving towards a cashless society already." (03:00)
• He shares a statistic that only about 10% of the world’s money physically exists; the rest are digital numbers.
  • "That will blow a lot of your minds... it's just numbers on a computer screen." (03:02)
• Buck Sexton voices concerns about loss of privacy and government tracking in a cashless society.
  • "There are concerns about not having the privacy... currency that the government is not tracking..." (04:21)
• Both recall their retail experiences—Clay at Abercrombie and American Eagle, Buck with unpaid internships—highlighting generational shifts in money handling and employment.

2. Changing Workplaces: From Retail to Unpaid Internships

[04:41 – 08:16]

• Clay reminisces about retail work involving daily cash and coin management. Buck laments the “scam” of unpaid internships.
• They discuss how modern workplaces—especially restaurants and shops—are now almost entirely cashless.
  • "I don't even remember the last time I saw someone pay in a restaurant with cash." (08:45)
• Clay remembers physically depositing large, unsecured bags of cash, which today would mystify younger generations.

3. Crime, Cash, and the Physical Challenge of Money

[10:26 – 12:00]

• The hosts discuss how large sums of physical money were once commonplace for criminal enterprises.
• Pablo Escobar’s “spoilage”—losing millions annually to rats eating buried cash—is cited as an extreme, real example.
  • "There were some crazy figure, tens of millions of dollars a year they thought they were losing to rats eating their cash." (11:00)
• The move away from cash complicates tax evasion, unreported income, and under-the-table tips—a reality check for those in service industries.
  • "It's way easier to track your tips now in a credit card era..." (11:42)

4. Democratic Messaging & Jasmine Crockett as 'Trojan Horse'

[12:02 – 16:36]

• The episode transitions to Democratic Party strategy. Guest commentator calls Jasmine Crockett a "phenomenal messenger," suggesting Dems should leverage her communication style.
  • Quote: "Jasmine Crockett is actually what the Democrats should be leaning into, because she is a phenomenal messenger... She is the most effective messenger that the Democratic Party has right now, and they need to be using her as a Trojan horse." (13:04–13:56)
• Clay and Buck debate the merit—Clay is skeptical, calling this notion "one of the worst takes," while Buck acknowledges how social media fame now drives political capital.
  • Buck: "We're in a new era now... You have to be social media savvy. You have to understand how to go viral." (14:28)
• Both agree that wild, hyperbolic statements—once risky—now often lead to notoriety and success in political media.
  • Clay: "There's almost no consequence for crazy anymore. We aren't crazy enough... you're actually incentivized now to be totally bonkers..." (15:20)

5. Listener Story: Escaping with Pennies

[22:23 – 25:45]

• Powerful caller segment: Jen, from the southeastern U.S., recounts escaping an abusive marriage by secretly collecting pennies for years—ultimately amassing 35 jars and over $1,000 to pay for her legal retainer.
  • Jen: "I bought a lawyer for a thousand dollars as a retainer using 35 jar, 35 quart size glass jars...all filled with pennies." (23:25)
  • Clay: "So what would have happened if change didn't exist?"
    Jen: "I wouldn't have been able to get out. I would've still be married, probably." (25:38)
• Buck analogizes Jen’s patience to the gradual escape in "The Shawshank Redemption."

6. Physical Cash vs. Digital Life—Practical Realities

[27:04 – 33:08]

• Revisiting Escobar: His cartel reportedly lost $2 billion annually to spoilage.
• The hosts discuss why the U.S. restricts high-denomination bills—to thwart illicit cash storage and transactions.
• Everyday memories and uses for coins: "family fun jars," coin-operated tolls, or tipping.
• Both admit they rarely use cash in daily life; Buck tips at church and barbers, Clay provides the household supply.
  • "I don't remember the last time I Got coins...I don't have any coins." (32:46)

7. Cultural & Generational Shifts

[33:08 – 34:50]

• Playful banter about being stuck in a nostalgic 1998-style household.
  • Buck: "You're like a time warp man... This is like 1998 over in the Travis household." (32:46)
  • Clay: "Why would you want to leave behind the greatest year that has ever existed in the history of the world?" (33:00)
• Preview of coming discussions with guests Steve Yates and Robby Starbuck: geopolitics, AI misinformation, online reputation, and media manipulation.

8. Book Recommendations and Reading Habits

[39:32 – 41:44]

• Buck and Clay share historical novel recommendations:
  • Buck: Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield (about Thermopylae)
  • Clay: Killer Angels by Michael Shaara (about Gettysburg)
• Discussion of reading habits: more nonfiction in adulthood.

Notable Quotes by Time

• Clay Travis [03:02]:
  “That will blow a lot of your minds... it's just numbers on a computer screen. Only about 10% of the dollars in America... physically exist.”

• Buck Sexton [04:21]:
  "There are concerns about not having the privacy and the ability to just have currency that the government is not tracking..."

• Clay Travis [11:42]:
  "It's way easier to track your tips now in a credit card era than it ever was when you just got cash handed to you."

• Guest Commentator [13:04]:
  "Jasmine Crockett is actually what the Democrats should be leaning into... She is the most effective messenger that the Democratic Party has right now, and they need to be using her as a Trojan horse."

• Clay Travis [15:20]:
  "There's almost no consequence for crazy anymore. We aren't crazy enough... you're actually incentivized now to be totally bonkers..."

• Caller Jen [23:25]:
  "I bought a lawyer for a thousand dollars as a retainer using 35 jar, 35 quart size glass jars...all filled with pennies."

• Jen [25:38]:
  “I wouldn't have been able to get out. I would've still be married, probably.”

• Buck Sexton [27:04]:
  "...their spoilage, which was rats eating the cash and just physical loss to the elements of...the cash that they were storing, was $2 billion a year."

• Clay Travis [33:00]:
  "Why would you want to leave behind the greatest year that has ever existed in the history of the world? I'd like to go back to 1998."

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Penny Discussion & Poll: [01:34–04:21]
• Digital Money & Cashless Society: [02:54–04:21]
• Cashless Commerce & Generational Change: [08:45–12:00]
• Escobar & Cash Spoilage: [10:26–12:00], [27:04]
• Jasmine Crockett/Political Messaging: [12:02–16:36]
• Caller Jen—Pennies for Freedom: [22:23–25:45]
• Coins in Everyday Life/Family Fun: [29:36–31:17]
• Book Recommendations: [39:32–41:44]

Memorable Moments

• Listener Story: Jen’s creative and persistent use of pennies to achieve independence (23:13–25:45)
• Comic Banter: Clay’s “1998 household,” Buck’s wisecracks about Big Penny and “flute playing quarters” (22:23–23:00, 32:46)
• Historical Anecdotes: Escobar’s spoiled cash and drug trade logistics (27:04)
• Family Coin Jars: Listeners and hosts reflecting on the lost ritual of saving coins for special occasions (29:36–31:17)

Tone & Style

• Smart, funny, sometimes irreverent
• Candid personal stories and real-world examples
• Engaged caller interaction
• Mix of political analysis, nostalgia, humor, and serious reflection

Summary Takeaways

• The end of coins, especially the penny, is symbolic of much larger technological and societal changes, with both practical upsides (convenience, safety) and philosophical downsides (privacy, tradition).
• Real-life stories, like Jen’s, highlight that even “worthless” pennies can have immense value in the right context.
• In politics, the incentives now favor viral messaging—sometimes to the detriment of substance.
• Cash may be disappearing from daily use, but cash memories persist—and some logistical realities (like criminal economies or family rituals) are still shaped by coins and bills.

Suggested for listeners who enjoy:

• Lively, relatable talk radio with a blend of current events, policy, nostalgia, and wit
• Political conversation that's engaging but never dull
• Personal stories illuminating larger truths about American life