The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Hour 2 – Cost of Illegal Immigration

Date: February 23, 2026
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts
Hosts: Buck Sexton and Clay Travis

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the social, cultural, and economic impacts of illegal immigration in the United States, with a focus on the political handling of the issue—particularly under Democratic administrations—and related public safety concerns. The hosts dissect the rhetoric around immigration, spotlight the experiences of so-called "angel families" (those who have lost family members to crimes committed by undocumented immigrants), and examine the interplay between U.S. drug policy and Mexican cartels.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Political Language and Framing of Immigration

• Buck Sexton begins by highlighting how terminology around immigration has shifted over time, from "illegal alien" to "undocumented" and even "non-citizen," arguing this is an intentional effort to pre-emptively reshape debate and policy perception.

  • “They change the words that are used so that you have essentially ceded ground in the debate before you've even had it.” —Buck Sexton (03:26)

• The hosts argue that both Democratic and some Republican officials have misled Americans about the realities of illegal immigration, claiming a sustained campaign of misinformation.

  • “The American people have been put through one of the most sustained campaigns of lies around immigration on any major policy issue in this country.” —Buck Sexton (04:15)

The Angel Families Event and Trump’s Messaging

• Buck recaps a White House event with President Trump and angel families, where Trump honored those affected by crimes committed by undocumented immigrants. Trump’s remarks emphasize the pain experienced by these families and criticize politicians for prioritizing the “comfort of foreign criminals.”

  • “We want to stop murderers and criminals from coming into our country.” —Donald Trump (10:58)
  • “Everyone in this room not only suffered an infinite loss, they were the victims of politicians who put the comfort of foreign criminals before the safety of American citizens...” —Donald Trump (13:21)

• Sexton points out that media coverage disproportionately favors "dreamers" or positive stories of immigrants, rarely reporting on crimes committed by undocumented immigrants or the resulting loss for families.

  • “You would always hear these stories about the valedictorian. You would never hear the story about the illegal who had been arrested 10 times... and then finally killed a family of three on the highway. Media won't tell that story.” —Buck Sexton (11:51)

The Broader Societal Impacts

• The hosts challenge the idea that there is no downside to illegal immigration, arguing that mass, unmanaged migration places stress on infrastructure, social cohesion, and public safety.

  • “Is there any downside to illegal immigration? Because if you ask somebody... they never have an answer for you. If there's no downside... why don't we just go open borders?” —Buck Sexton (08:24)

• They further dispute the notion that modern immigration matches the assimilation stories of the past, instead asserting that constant, large-scale illegal migration undermines the fabric of American society.

  • “You could say, well, that's always been the story of America. That's actually not true... It's not supposed to be just open door policy forever.” —Buck Sexton (15:08)

The Costs of Illegal Immigration

• Reiterating Trump’s message, Buck underscores the tangible costs: “the loss of life... huge costs to illegal immigration, including the loss of life and something that should be taken into account whenever we discuss this.” (17:10)

Governing Blue Cities & Urban Decline

• Buck features a CNN clip of Fareed Zakaria critiquing Democratic mismanagement in major cities, highlighting deficits, out-of-control homelessness spending, and governance failures.

  • “Blue cities are out of control, promising more, spending more, delivering less and pushing off the fiscal problems to some future day.” —Fareed Zakaria (22:29)

• Sexton asserts that Democratic policy failures are basic and persistent:

  • “These are all bad ideas. You cannot encourage homelessness and wonder why people are unhappy with disorder on the streets.” —Buck Sexton (23:16)

Mexican Cartels: Violence and U.S. Drug Policy

• Buck provides an update on the killing of El Mencho, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, connecting cartel violence—and specifically fentanyl smuggling—to the U.S. overdose crisis.

  • “These people and these cartels... they're vermin, they are a disgrace to humanity and they should be met with the full force of the state. And that means come out with your hands up or get carried out. And that's it.” —Buck Sexton (26:13)

• He suggests the U.S. may become more militarily involved in targeting cartels, arguing that current Mexican leadership is ineffective and possibly compromised.

  • “I don't think Trump is bluffing when he says that we're going to go after the cartels.” —Buck Sexton (34:29)
  • “The problem they have in Mexico is going to be the cartels... they'll do anything and they will start to attack the very infrastructure and the underlying foundational elements of Mexican society if they're pressed hard enough.” —Buck Sexton (36:36)

Listener Engagement

• Calls from listeners in Houston and Fresno show support for Buck’s book “Manufacturing Delusion,” and spark discussion about retail politics and media bias.
  • “I pulled it off the shelf and set it out in front of Clay's book, which was still on display and I just wanted to give him a big shout out for the assistance.” —C. Lynn from Houston (42:16)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• Buck Sexton on Policy & Propaganda:
  “If you’re undocumented, how do you fix it? Get them documents. That shouldn’t be too hard. You see the way that this works, and that’s always been the plan.” (02:50)

• Donald Trump at Angel Family Event:
  “What's not to hear? We want to stop murderers and criminals from coming into our country. I watched the mayor of Minneapolis, I watch these people saying, we want to protect murderers. I don't get something sick, they're sick. Can't have a country like that.” (10:58)

• Fareed Zakaria on City Governance:
  “Take Los Angeles, another one party metropolis wrestling with affordability and disorder... The city's homelessness budget for fiscal year 2025–26 totals about $950 million.” (22:29)

• On Cartels:
  “Jalisco New Generation Cartel is interesting. It doesn't just do the extreme violence... It really is a... All of the above criminal enterprise. Human trafficking gets... Gets into the avocado game, believe it or not. Smuggles migrants... Oil theft, by the way.” —Buck Sexton (27:01)

Important Timestamps

• 01:36: Transition from ads to show: Buck introduces the Trump-angel families event.
• 03:26–04:15: Buck on the evolution and politics of immigration language.
• 08:24: Discussion on the lack of acknowledgment of downsides to illegal immigration.
• 10:58–11:27: Trump’s speech at Angel Families remembrance.
• 13:21–13:49: Trump on suffering and the choices of politicians.
• 15:08: Buck challenges the “nation of immigrants” narrative.
• 22:29: Fareed Zakaria CNN clip on blue city mismanagement.
• 26:13–27:01: Buck describes Mexican cartels and their activities.
• 34:29: Prediction about U.S. policy shift on cartels under Trump.
• 42:16: Listener C. Lynn from Houston and retail politics of Buck’s book.

Tone and Style

• The episode is passionate, blunt, and at times confrontational, blending humor with criticism.
• Buck Sexton’s style is direct and polemical, with a focus on exposing what he and the show argue are media distortions and government failures.

Summary for Non-Listeners

This episode offers a critical, pointed analysis of illegal immigration in America, blending personal stories and political critique. The hosts argue that the language and framing around immigration in both politics and media are intentionally misleading, and that serious negative societal impacts—especially crime—are downplayed or ignored. Featuring Trump’s remarks from a White House event, the show asserts that current Democratic policies and rhetoric on immigration, crime, and city management are harmful and unsustainable. The episode concludes by looking at the fight against Mexican cartels, predicting an increasingly assertive U.S. response under Trump and highlighting the deep interconnection between drug violence, public safety, and border control.