The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Hour 2 – Critical Race in NC

Date: November 19, 2025
Host: Buck Sexton (Clay Travis out)

Episode Overview

This hour of the show dives into three primary topics:

• The push for transparency around the Jeffrey Epstein files and parallels to other unsolved historical sagas.
• Donald Trump's burgeoning diplomatic and investment relationship with Saudi Arabia, along with debate over foreign influence, global energy, and the realpolitik of international alliances.
• A detailed discussion about illegal immigration enforcement, politics, and public safety in North Carolina, featuring Senate candidate Michael Watley.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Epstein Files Transparency

[02:58] – [05:40] Buck Sexton

• The House and Senate have passed measures for the release of additional Epstein files.

• Buck is skeptical that true satisfaction will be found, given decades of government opacity and public distrust, comparing it to JFK's assassination files:

  "There’s going to be a lot of, is it all of the files? Did they redact the files? ... Is there such a thing as enough transparency that people will feel satisfied across the board? I don’t think so." – Buck Sexton [04:12]

• Predicts the files' release will bring partial answers but not closure.

2. Trump, Saudi Arabia, and Realpolitik

[05:40] – [16:58] Buck Sexton, Clip from Donald Trump

• Trump hosts the Saudi Crown Prince, continuing his administration's investment and diplomatic strategy.
• The U.S.-Saudi relationship is framed as essential for counterbalancing Iran and supporting American strategic interests in the Middle East.
• Trump touts Saudi commitments to investment and new agreements in civil nuclear energy, critical minerals, and AI.

  "This week, our countries also signed groundbreaking agreements...all of that is in addition to the $600 billion investment ... I said, could you try and get that up to a trillion dollars? ... [N]ow...the number...is $1 trillion." – Donald Trump [07:59]

Discussion of Saudi Influence & Realism in Foreign Policy

• Buck contextualizes how global dependence on oil and mutual economic interests necessitate dealing with regimes like Saudi Arabia, regardless of moral discomfort:

  "Does their talent outweigh their baggage, so to speak, does the upside outweigh the negatives of dealing with them?" – Buck Sexton [09:06]

• U.S. oversight exists for security-sensitive investments (e.g., ports, farmland).
• Trump claims tariffs have yielded “trillions of dollars,” promising a “dividend” to lower and middle income citizens — a rare direct redistribution:

  "Tariffs have been frankly the best thing that’s ever happened to our country...we have taken in trillions of dollars. And it’s been absolutely amazing. We’re going to be doing a dividend to the people...at least $2,000." – Donald Trump [13:32]

• Buck criticizes media hostility to the Trump-Saudi approach, arguing Democrats would face far less scrutiny for equivalent dealings.

3. North Carolina Politics: Immigration, Senate Race & “Critical Race”

[26:26] – [37:30] Buck Sexton interviews Michael Watley

Illegal Immigration Enforcement and Local Politics

• Michael Watley assails Roy Cooper (Democratic opponent, former NC governor) for vetoing legislation forcing sheriffs to honor ICE detainers.
• Watley claims this resulted in a “revolving door” for violent criminal illegal aliens:

  "We have a system where we have a revolving door that's putting these criminals back on the street. They are not being deported." – Michael Watley [26:26]

• Mass student absences in Charlotte schools (over 21,000 students, 15%) illustrate the ripple effect of illegal immigration [27:01].

Fiscal and Social Costs

• Watley asserts social service costs for illegal immigrants strain state and federal programs (Medicaid, food stamps, WIC):

  "[S]ocietal costs for services for illegal aliens is absolutely stupefying." – Michael Watley [29:19]

• Legislation was needed to exclude illegal immigrants from Medicaid; Democrats opposed.

2026 Senate Race Dynamics

• Watley forecasts record spending ($600-800 million) for this Senate seat.
• Democrats seen as focused on two pickup opportunities: North Carolina and Maine.
• Watley expresses confidence, referencing Trump’s past win despite massive spending discrepancies:

  "Good policy is good politics. So we're going to win this race even if we're outspent..." – Michael Watley [30:47]

Critique of Opponent Roy Cooper

• Cooper’s “soft on crime” approach cited: cashless bail, protests during BLM/Antifa unrest, release of repeat offenders (calls out a specific murder, Aryna Zyrotska).
• Watley emphasizes support for tax cuts, balanced budgets, higher pay for police and teachers, and protecting women's sports in contrast to Cooper's record.

On Federal Immigration Enforcement

• Responding to criticism that Trump enforcement is overreaching, militarized, or racially profiling (per Governor Josh Stein’s comments):

  "Nobody can dispute that the hundreds of arrests...are people who have criminal records and should not be walking the streets..." – Michael Watley [33:17]

• Watley claims root issues stem from Cooper’s refusal to cooperate with ICE.

Closing the Segment

• Watley’s message: North Carolina values demand candidates who put citizens and safety first, not the interests of criminals or non-citizens.

  "...North Carolina is going to side with North Carolina values. They do not want a candidate who's going to fight...harder for criminals and illegal aliens than he is his own constituents." – Michael Watley [36:42]

4. Listener Engagement & Comic Relief

[43:47] – [47:34] Buck Sexton & Listener Calls

• Buck fields light-hearted calls about Clay’s fashion when meeting the Pope and a listener’s curiosity about repercussions from the Epstein list release.
• Skeptical that any major prosecutions will come from the Epstein documents—compares media hype to past tax return “scandals.”
• Light banter about Clay’s wardrobe choices adds a bit of comic relief.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On government transparency:

  “There’s going to be a lot of, is it all of the files? Did they redact the files?”
  – Buck Sexton [04:12]

• On the magnitude of Saudi investment:

  "Yesterday the crown prince announced...they’ll be investing in the United States...$1 trillion. So that’s really a darling."
  – Donald Trump [07:59]

• On foreign policy realism:

  "Does their talent outweigh their baggage, so to speak, does the upside outweigh the negatives of dealing with them?"
  – Buck Sexton [09:06]

• On “dividend” from tariffs:

  "We have taken in trillions of dollars. And it’s been absolutely amazing. We’re going to be doing a dividend to the people...at least $2,000."
  – Donald Trump [13:32]

• On local immigration enforcement failures:

  "We have a revolving door that’s putting these criminals back on the street. They are not being deported."
  – Michael Watley [26:26]

• On North Carolina Senate race:

  “Good policy is good politics. So we’re going to win this race even if we’re outspent...”
  – Michael Watley [30:47]

• Comparing immigration politics:

  "Democrats are expected to pretend this is like the East German Stasi picking up innocent people off the streets..."
  – Buck Sexton [34:09]

• On “North Carolina values":

  "...They do not want a candidate who's going to fight every day harder for criminals and illegal aliens than he is his own constituents."
  – Michael Watley [36:42]

Important Segment Timestamps

• Epstein Files & Transparency: [02:58] – [05:40]
• Trump & Saudi Relations: [05:40] – [16:58]
• Investment, Technology, Foreign Influence: [16:58] – [22:34]
• NC Senate Race / Immigration: [26:26] – [37:30]
• Listener Calls & Epstein Discussion: [43:47] – [47:34]

Tone & Language

• Buck Sexton’s tone is direct, sometimes sarcastic, with a focus on pragmatic foreign policy and clear partisan lines on domestic issues.
• Guest Michael Watley is assertive, critical of Democrat policies, and focused on North Carolina-specific issues.
• The language is conversational, occasionally forceful, and designed to energize the show’s conservative base.
• Frequent use of rhetorical questions, analogies (“Stasi picking up people off the streets”), and strong contrasts between Republican and Democratic priorities.

Summary Takeaway

This episode’s second hour blends major world news—Epstein transparency, U.S.-Saudi ties, investment with national interest, and tariffs—with local North Carolina politics, showcasing how national security, economics, and immigration policy intersect with electoral politics. The Senate race preview with Michael Watley frames the stakes as a battle for NC’s values and safety. Buck Sexton maintains a skeptical but engaging voice, alternately punctuating the seriousness with humor and listener interaction.