Hour 2 - Democrat Hysteria and Hypocrisy

Summary

Podcast Summary

The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Hour 2 - Democrat Hysteria and Hypocrisy
Date: July 8, 2026
Hosts: Clay Travis & Buck Sexton
Producer: iHeartPodcasts

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Overview

In this episode, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton dive into current political controversies highlighting what they see as Democratic "hysteria and hypocrisy." The main focus is the unfolding scandal around Maine's Democratic Senate nominee, Graham Platner. Clay and Buck discuss Democratic responses to Platner's past behavior and the prospect of him remaining in the race, drawing comparisons with past Republican scandals. The conversation features frequent banter about standards for political scandals, media bias, and the broader implications for parties and voters, with an added humorous debate about who’s “dumber,” Kamala Harris or Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC).

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Graham Platner Scandal (01:06–17:03, 18:39–28:32)

• Background: Graham Platner, Democratic Senate nominee in Maine, faces multiple scandals—Nazi tattoo, alleged sexting on teen-populated platforms, abuse accusations, and inflammatory racist, sexist, and anti-veteran comments online. Nonetheless, he recently won 90% in the Democrat primary (01:39).
• Democratic Double Standards:
  • Clay frames Democrats as willing to “overlook a Nazi chest tattoo,” online misconduct, and even “physical abuse” allegations for political gain (02:23).
  • “They have nothing that they stand for other than power at this point.” — Buck Sexton (08:16)
• Media Reaction:
  • The hosts reflect on the media protecting the Biden family, drawing analogies with how the press has responded to Democratic scandals versus Republican ones (09:18).
  • “The media were in full-blown praetorian guard… They would do anything to say not only did Joe not have dementia, but that all the allegations about Hunter Biden were overblown, the laptop was fake.” — Clay Travis (09:18)
• Political Strategy:
  • Both hosts agree Platner should stay in the race as he has nothing to lose and could negotiate for financial or political concessions (07:50).
  • “If he runs and he loses, I don’t know, 53 to 47, he can come back and run for governor another day…” — Buck Sexton (08:05)
• Comparisons with Other Scandals:
  • Parallels are drawn with Brett Kavanaugh, Donald Trump, Pete Hegseth, and Joe Biden, discussing standards for responding to sexual assault allegations across party lines (13:15–14:50).
  • Clay: “By the way, he should just say, Donald Trump was accused of rape. And you guys all say that’s not true. So… I was accused, too. I’m also innocent. Just like Trump.” (13:18)

2. Standards for Allegations & Hypocrisy (24:00–33:51)

• Allegations Shouldn’t Mean Immediate Expulsion:
  • Buck: “The general standard of if someone accuses you… of sexual assault, the idea there's no criminal charges being brought... Why should you immediately… step down?” (24:53)
  • Both stress that the nature and evidence behind accusations should matter and urge caution against “believe all women” ideology, recalling the Brett Kavanaugh and Al Franken situations (30:05–30:32).
• Media and Party Manipulation:
  • Hosts criticize party leaders who try to swap out unpopular candidates post-primary, suggesting it undermines voter intent (31:47–33:51).

3. Callers’ Reactions (19:19–27:23)

• Listener Feedback:
  • Some callers echo the hosts’ skepticism about Democratic consistency, while others (notably, Irene from Florida) passionately challenge the framing, arguing that providing Platner with a PR strategy is tacitly condoning unacceptable behavior.
  • “It’s not like you’re… You're almost giving him the way to beat this charge… What the hell? Trump had somebody against him one day. Stay in. It’s okay.” — Irene, (23:32)
  • The hosts clarify they are analyzing Platner’s perspective, not supporting him (25:48).

4. Banter: Kamala vs. AOC Intelligence Debate (19:26–21:34, 36:22–38:29)

• Recurring Segment:
  • Clay and Buck engage in running gags about which Democrat is “dumber” — Kamala Harris or AOC — and which might handle public scrutiny better.
  • “The question shouldn’t be who’s smarter, AOC or Kamala Harris? The question should be who’s dumber?” — Jay from Arizona, (37:22)
  • Clay reflects humorously: “I’d pay like super bowl ticket money to see that [debate]. It would be incredible.” (37:07)

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Timestamps of Important Segments

• Graham Platner scandal outlined: 01:39–03:42
• Discussion on Democratic party hypocrisy: 05:46–08:16
• Analogy with Biden/Hunter and media bias: 09:18–09:54
• Parallels drawn to Kavanaugh/Trump/Hegseth cases: 13:15–14:50
• On why Platner should stay in: 07:50–08:05, 12:10–13:01
• Callers' reactions and fiery debate with Irene: 19:19–27:23
• In-depth on standards for accusations: 24:53–31:22
• Kamala vs. AOC intelligence banter: 19:26–21:34, 36:22–38:29

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• “They were willing to overlook a Nazi chest tattoo…willing to overlook the fact that he was sexting…on this adult site…also really popular with teenagers.” — Clay Travis (02:23)
• “I would rape anybody who tried to rob me, but not in a gay way.”— Buck Sexton quoting Platner (03:49)
• “All Democrats care about is power. …They have nothing that they stand for other than power at this point.” — Buck Sexton (08:16)
• “The media were in full-blown praetorian guard…for the Biden family, man.” — Clay Travis (09:18)
• “Why should you be expected to immediately step down? …The standard should be allegations regardless of the political party should not mean that you have to step down.” — Buck Sexton (24:53)
• “I don’t like the idea that someone from five years ago can just come out… and say he sexually assaulted me and then it’s just over.” — Buck Sexton (15:29)
• “If it does not fit, you must acquit.” — Clay Travis referencing O.J. Simpson trial style (28:05)
• “A man who is a real man will accept no amount of money that means that he is thought of as a rapist when he truly believes that he is not true. No amount of — No amount of money.” — Clay Travis (34:37)
• “The question shouldn’t be who’s smarter, AOC or Kamala Harris? The question should be who’s dumber?” — Jay from Arizona (37:22)

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Tone & Style

The hosts blend pointed political analysis with irreverent humor and lively banter. They frequently employ analogies and references to pop culture (e.g., “Dumb and Dumber,” the O.J. Simpson trial), adopting a conversational yet combative tone, especially when engaging with callers who disagree.

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Conclusion

This episode uses the Graham Platner saga as a jumping-off point for broader discussion about Democratic party strategy, political double standards, and media manipulation. Clay and Buck focus on what they perceive as inconsistencies in how scandals are handled, advising Republican listeners not to let parties rewrite the rules post-primary. The episode is peppered with audience engagement, sharp asides, and humorous debates, making complex political arguments accessible and entertaining to listeners.

Transcript

[Clay Travis]

This is an iHeart podcast.

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[Joel Osteen]

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[Joel Osteen]

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[Buck Sexton]

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[Joel Osteen]

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[Buck Sexton]

Welcome back in our number two, Clay and Buck. We are rolling through the Wednesday edition of the program. All right, several different things that we are monitoring. What is the latest going to be on Iran? President Trump has spoken in Turkey. We are breaking down that Graham Platner is still the main Senate nominee. Um, and I want to dive into that situation a bit here coming up. And the hearing on the alleged assassin of Charlie Kirk also is entering its third day. Um, I texted with Donald Trump Jr. Just a little bit ago. He is going to come on the program and talk about what he has seen as the evidence is being presented in this preliminary hearing which would allow the murder trial to follow. And so that is coming later this week. But Buck, let's talk Graham Platner here for a moment. You tell me what I'm missing. And I do think this is intriguing. And also we can come back in on Iran during the course of this hour as well. And 800-282-2882, a bunch of you can weigh in. I've been think I've been spending a lot of time on this Grant Platner story because I think it really kind of demonstrates Democrat complete hysteria on one hand and also hypocrisy. It's just to me a perfect story that distills how dishonest they are. They were willing to overlook a Nazi chest tattoo. They were willing to overlook the fact that he was sexting half a dozen people while he was married that he supposedly met on this adult site. But it's actually also really popular with teenagers. This kick site. I, I've never really been on any dating site because this all Predated me. But I'm told that even for people that are online dating, this Kick site is particularly hook up a bull, if that's a way to describe it. And also very popular with teenagers. So all of that they're willing to handle. The New York Times comes out with a story that suggests that he's been physically abusive with at least one ex girlfriend, shoved her in a room, locked her in there, that he would regularly say he would rape anybody who tried to rob him. We've got all these different.

[Clay Travis]

Not in a gay way.

[Buck Sexton]

Not in a gay way. It's important.

[Clay Travis]

That was his quote, which is one

[Buck Sexton]

of the craziest quotes of all time. I would rape anybody who tried to rob me, but not in a gay way. Um, which I would encourage even the gay men out there to explain to me how that's physically possible. I, I, I don't know. Um, and he's got all these posts on Reddit, right, where he basically goes after black people, people who have been, uh, in armed forces, women, like, whatever, Right. In a very serious way on this Reddit forum. Reddit, for those of you who don't know, is probably, is it fair to say, Buck? Probably the, along with Blue sky, probably the most left wing site on the Internet. Reddit forums are crazy left wing. I think in general. I think they banned a lot. They did have like pro Donald Trump forums and they basically banned them. I've never posted on Reddit. Really, I haven't spent much time there. But that's my, that's my read on it. Okay. All of this contextually, all that's true. Graham Platner got 90% of the vote in the Democrat primary last month. Okay, so, Buck, let's pretend that we are, we're going into a dark place here. Let's pretend that we are. Graham Platner or Graham Platner Advisors. If he doesn't drop out by July 13, he's on the ballot. He's the nominee. Other than being given millions of dollars, which it may come to, and he may just say, I'm willing to take all this money. Graham Platner is an unsuccessful in all facets of his life so far. His dad bought his house. He's an oyster farmer who has only one client, his mom's restaurant. The best thing he has ever done in his life, Buck, is become the Democrat nominee for Senate in Maine. Yeah, why should he give this up? Like, doesn't he have all the leverage here? What am I missing?

[Clay Travis]

No, I, you and I, I prefer it when I can tell you you're crazy, but unfortunately, you and I see this the same way. You're crazy that Kamala Harris is smarter than aoc. By the way, none other than our good friend, extremely astute commentator, our good friend Tommy Lahren has come to my side of this issue, and I think Tommy is. She is a. An expert on both mocking Kamala and aoc. To be fair, I think she goes after them pretty equally. But she says that AOC is smarter than Kamala. So I'm just saying the evidence is piling up on my side of that one. But back to this one where we. Where we actually agree. Sadly, for the purposes of radio banter.

[iHeart Podcast Announcer]

Yeah.

[Clay Travis]

If I'm Graham Platner, there's. They would have to. I don't think there's an inducement, because remember, if you drop now and you're Platner, everything up to this point is kind of nullified and actually worse than your reputation before. And, you know.

[Buck Sexton]

Yeah.

[Clay Travis]

This whole thing becomes a negative for you. Why not take it to the end? Say that, you know, you fought for the people of Maine, and even if you lose to Susan Collins, and even if Democrats say they're turning on you, you say, well, I'm sorry that they believed lies about me, and I just wanted to do my best for Maine. I don't know what kind of inducement, I don't know what threat that they could come up with. Maybe that's even more appropriate to his reputation and his future. That would be sufficient. If I am him, I stay in and I see again, if I am him, which is kind of a scary place to be, I see it through because, you know, the only vindication that he can claim is either winning or taking it to the end and saying, I fought hard for the people of Maine and I didn't let the untrue allegations derail my mission.

[Buck Sexton]

I'm surprised there. You And I agree 100% on this. We're the only people in media saying this. No one else is saying this. And so my point on this is, if I'm Graham Platner, first of all, I don't even buy that Democrats are not going to support his campaign, meaning national Democrats, if he stays in the race and he keeps it somewhat competitive with Susan Collins, All Democrats care about is power. Are you telling me that in October, if this race is close and if the base hasn't abandoned him, which I don't think they would, that Democrats wouldn't, through shell companies or through special interests, that they can disclaim responsibility for that. They wouldn't buy a bunch of ads on his behalf and suddenly jump right back on his bandwagon if they thought he was a path to potential power. They have nothing that they stand for other than power at this point. As long as he provides a pathway to power for them, he's useful. If he does drop out, his basic life is over, Right? And I hate to be as crystal about that, but this is the greatest life accomplishment he's ever had. He's never going to be able to run for office again, Buck. If he runs and he loses, I don't know, 53 to 47, he can come back and run for governor another day and say, look, that a lot of people still supported me and they didn't believe these allegations.

[Clay Travis]

Look, look, Clay, at the way that this played out. While Joe Biden was president with his son Hunter, the media were in full blown praetorian guard. They were like the. They were the janissaries of the Biden family, man. They would do anything to say not only did Joe not have dementia, but that all the allegations about Hunter Biden were overblown, the laptop was fake. And when finally that didn't work, it was, oh, be sympathetic. He's an addict. This is about a father's love for his child.

[Irene (Caller)]

Anything.

[Clay Travis]

They would say, anything.

[Buck Sexton]

Yes.

[Clay Travis]

And then when Joe was no longer going to be the guy, it was like, yeah, maybe Hunter's got to go to prison. He's a scumbag and he's corrupt. I mean, it's just, you know, they don't care, man. Yes, they don't care at all. So the New York Times, all these things, they do not care about what's good, what's true, what's ethical.

[Buck Sexton]

This is why you and I see this the same way, I think, because a lot of people just kind of follow the herd on this story. Here's a fun question. Name someone in politics who. And Joe Biden, they got him, right? They had him. They forced him out. Like they were able to fit himself to be fair.

[Clay Travis]

The whole debating early thing, that was hubris. That was hubris from Joe and, And his. And his Lady Macbeth, Dr. Jill. That's what happened.

[Buck Sexton]

It's so true because we said this. If he had just waited till September, he would have been on the ballot right when they usually have these debates. Now, I still think there's a question out there. Did they not shoot him up with. Joe Biden has basically let it be known. We know that they were juicing him and he would come out sometimes and he'd have all this vim and vigor and vitality. You'd be like, that's not Joe. Did they give him a placebo and he thought he was going to get shot up. And really, we just saw the. What Biden was really like.

[Clay Travis]

I mean, maybe Donald Trump's onto something with his 24 Diet Cokes a day, maybe. You know what I mean?

[Buck Sexton]

People, you know, leaving aside Joe Biden, because obviously that was a different kind of situation. I think Graham Platner, using the Biden example, can say, like, if he just came out forcefully and said, I'm the nominee, Maine people knew all these lies that are being told against me. I'm going to fight against Democrats and Republicans, Evidently, I'm going to fight for the people of Maine, not for Democrats, not for Republicans. I'm just saying, if I were his advisor, he's going to get 45% of the vote no matter what. Like this idea that suddenly he's going to lose, like 80 to 20. I mean, they would vote for an actual Nazi in Maine if it were the guy who's running against Trump. 45% of Maine people, at least.

[Clay Travis]

And I do think the code red on Joe Biden was actually pushed more by the panic over down ballot damage than anything. There's no down ballot damage here that anybody cares about. Maine Senate race. And so it turned into, Joe, this isn't just about you and the presidency, which is a much bigger deal than a Senate seat. It's about all these other Senate seats, all these House seats, all these governors, mansions. And that then became too much for the system to bear.

[Buck Sexton]

So if he just comes out, Buck, think about this now. Maybe they're debating this, maybe they're not. I just. If he just comes out and says these allegations are all false, if I step down, it would be acknowledging that they are. His career's over as a politician. He's 42 years old and he's just going to vanish in Maine and never have any. Like, he's going to be a unsuccessful oyster farmer for the rest of his life.

[Clay Travis]

Like, he's one good social media speech away from having just enough stupid Democrats believing him or wanting to really more wanting to believe him from being right back where he was correct.

[Buck Sexton]

So my point on this is I just.

[Clay Travis]

By the way, he should just say, Donald Trump was accused of rape. And you guys all say that that's not true. So we're. I was accused, too. I'm also innocent. Just like Trump. I'm moving forward End of story.

[Joel Osteen]

Yes.

[Buck Sexton]

Like, what am I missing here? This is 100 billion percent what he should do.

[Clay Travis]

I mean, you know, he's our friend, and I, you know, I think the guy's doing a great job. But Pete Hegseth has accusations against him that I truly believe. I truly believe are false. And there's a lot of reason why I could describe that. But my point is, if I'm Graham Platner, I say secretary of Defense, President, United States. Look at all. Joe Biden was accused of sexual assault. Look at all these people accused of sexual assault.

[Buck Sexton]

Yeah, we.

[Clay Travis]

Brett, I would. If I were Platner, I would be like Brett Kavanaugh. They turned on Brett Kavanaugh. There wasn't evidence, and he stayed in. I'm not going to bow to, you know, scurrilous and false accusations. Again, speaking from the Platner perspective, because if you bow out, you are saying, I can't beat these. They must be too. They must be too legit. They must be too true.

[Joel Osteen]

Yes.

[Buck Sexton]

I mean, I don't know why no one else is saying this to me. It's a no brainer play. And by the way, once July 13th is here, it's over. He's the nominee. He only has to make it and deal with all of this pressure. Because guess what? As soon as July 14, you wake up, Democrats are not going to be demanding that he drop out because they have no other options. So all he's got to do is handle four or five days more of negative attention. He doesn't have to say anything if he doesn't want to. He's the dominant.

[Clay Travis]

I do a video. I put on my most frayed trucker hat. I wax out my mustache. I get me shucking some oysters, and I just say, hey, you know, I don't let the machine tell me what to do. I'm an innocent man and I'm moving forward for Maine and, you know, end of story. And that's what I would if I were him. That's what I would do.

[Buck Sexton]

You could also say, look at what happened with Kamala. We lost every state that mattered when they tried to do this nationwide. I'm not going to let him do it to Maine. Like, I could write this speech. I could give it in three minutes.

[Clay Travis]

We're going to start getting yelled at for being too helpful to the Platinum campaign, by the way. You know that, right? We're about to. The talkbacks are about to start flying.

[Buck Sexton]

But I think, shut off YouTube. You got to be honest. And also, by the way. I don't like the idea that someone from five years ago can just come out or 10 years ago or 15 years ago or 20 years ago and say he sexually assaulted me and then it's just over. Like you're just supposed to say, hey, I mean, whether you're a Democrat or a Republican, I don't like that standard being applied.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah, I, you know, I think that there is this again. This is why I think that platinum probably stays, but we'll see. You got us here, Clay.

[Joel Osteen]

Yeah.

[Buck Sexton]

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[Clay Travis]

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[Buck Sexton]

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[Joel Osteen]

The Joel Osteen Daily Podcast.

[Joel Osteen's Voice]

God's plans for you are for good.

[Joel Osteen]

Be inspired.

[Joel Osteen's Voice]

Get ready. God is about to inspire. Exceed your expectations.

[Joel Osteen]

Joel Osteen Daily Podcast.

[Joel Osteen's Voice]

You are coming out of that dry place into more than enough daily encouragement

[Buck Sexton]

right when you need it.

[Joel Osteen's Voice]

There are opportunities in your future bigger than you can imagine.

[Joel Osteen]

Listen to the Joel Osteen Daily podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your favorite podcasts.

[Clay Travis]

Welcome back to Clay and Buck. We got some Mainers who want to weigh in on the Platner thing. Love to hear from you. Anybody, actually, even in the New England area who's following this pretty closely. Love to hear about it. Also, Clay, are you an oysters guy? I can't remember. I'm an oysters guy, too. Even though you're playing with fire with oysters, everybody, one day you're gonna get a bad one and you're gonna remember it. I'm just telling you, everyone I know, it's happened to me. Everybody I know, eventually, so. But I love them anyway. You gotta, you know, you only live once. Yolo. You got a yolo. If you're an oyster eater, though, because when they go bad, they go bad.

[Buck Sexton]

The danger. The danger on oysters is different than the danger on potato chips. Oh, yeah.

[Caller]

Yeah.

[Clay Travis]

Big time. Big time. All right, Brett from Colorado Springs A on the talkbacks. Let's hear from him.

[Caller]

I have to side with Buck on this. AOC is smarter. She doesn't know her left from her right or up from down, but she is smarter because at least she doesn't. You don't have the we do the things we do when we do what we do to do the things we do type moments.

[Irene (Caller)]

I'm.

[Buck Sexton]

I just don't think AOC has done that many interviews. Remember when she got asked about strategic ambiguity in Taiwan and she was completely unable, despite being in Congress for eight years, to functionally answer that question? I think she's avoided all negative media. And so she never really has had her feet held to the fire like Kamala has.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah, I know. And she gets very angry when people talk about carpet bombing some of these Iranian installations because she's like, we should not destroy their carpets. It's not nice.

[Buck Sexton]

It is kind of mean to take people's carpets in a way when you really.

[Clay Travis]

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[Buck Sexton]

Welcome back in, Clay. We got a lot of you who want to weigh in. We've been talking about Graham Platner, we've been talking about Iran and the latest on both. We will see what is going to end up happening with Graham Platner, whether he is going to drop out or if he's going to say I'm staying in and use the fact that he is the nominee to not do what Joe Biden did, which is step down and let Democrats pick a replacement who had not been selected, voted for to be the nominee. Paul in Winter Springs, Florida. You've got to take on the Platner situation. Fire away.

[Paul from Winter Springs]

Hey, claim Buck. Hey, thanks for taking my call. I lived in Maine for a few years. Definitely backwards up there. Definitely different people. But I hope he still stays in the race. Just better for. What's her name, Susan Collins.

[Buck Sexton]

Yeah. You think that he is a poor candidate so you would rather him stay in than Democrats replace him with someone who might be a better candidate?

[Paul from Winter Springs]

Well, it's just going to be the same thing with Kamala or Camelot, whatever name is. It's going to be the same thing with her what they did with, with, with Joe Biden. Oh, we got to replace him. We're going to put her in. It's gonna be the same thing like that they. They're gonna do up in Maine.

[Buck Sexton]

Yeah, thank you for the call. Look, I think you can make a strong case if you are a Republican, that Democrats selected Graham Platner. As their nominee. And Graham Platner had a lot of skeletons in his closet. May have more. And Democrats made their choice. They wanted him to be the nominee. 90%. Around 150,000 people voted for him in that primary just last month. And Democrats should have to run the person that their political party selected. Irene is fired up. Irene. What? You're listening also in Florida. What you got for us?

[Irene (Caller)]

Yes, I am. Wow, am I fired up. I listen to you guys every day. It's not like you're, You're. You're almost giving him the way to beat this charge against him. Two women, not one woman. First of all, it's two women. And it's almost like you're giving him the okay to stay in. What the hell? Trump had somebody against him one day. Stay in. It's okay. We don't care about your.

[Buck Sexton]

Well, let me just. Let me just ask you this. I like Irene. I like the fiery nature here, don't you think? Hold on, hold on, Arena. I'll let you tell me why I'm wrong. Don't you think that a general standard, whether it's a Democrat or Republican. Maybe I think differently because I'm male. Maybe you think differently because you're female. But the general standard of if someone accuses you, meaning a candidate, Democrat or Republican, of sexual assault, the idea there's no criminal charges being brought. Now, criminal charges could change things in such a significant way, but they're none. And there's no suggestion so far that I've heard that there are going to be criminal charges. Why should you immediately, whether you're Brett Kavanaugh, whether you're Donald Trump, whether you're Pete Hegseth, or, to be fair, whether you're Graham Platner, why Joe Biden expected

[Clay Travis]

Joe Biden, by the way.

[Buck Sexton]

Why should you be expected to immediately step down? Because I think it's fair to say there's lots of incentives for people who are very strongly committed politically, women to say, this guy sexually assaulted me, if only because you disagree with their politics. I think it's fair to say the standard should be allegations regardless of the political party. Should not mean that you have to step down.

[Paul from Winter Springs]

What about.

[Clay Travis]

I want to hear Irene yell at you. It's all Clay's fault. Irene, light him up.

[Irene (Caller)]

Well, well, you're. You're coming up with a reason. This guy came into this party and they put him in with, With. With the Nazi tattoo on his chest. Yeah, put him in. And that alone. All of that alone. Let's set aside the Women, the sightsee was on. The proof they have of that. Where do you draw the line?

[Buck Sexton]

I wouldn't vote for it.

[Clay Travis]

Okay, hold on, hold on. Now, now, now it's my turn. Hold on, Irene. I think we're getting a little bit. Hold on a second, Irene. Just give me one second and I'll let you respond. We're getting a little bit wires crossed here. I mean, you know what war gaming is, right? It's when people will look at things from different perspectives. Somebody plays the enemy in a war game. Doesn't actually mean they're the enemy. We're talking about from the Platner perspective. Why would he stay in? We think he's a disaster, a mess, not a good person. All of the above. But we're assessing at this stage because there's only days left for the decision to be made whether or not he. From his perspective, playing from his place on the card table, if you will, whether he's going to fold or he's going to stay in it. Does that make sense, Irene? So we're not.

[Irene (Caller)]

We're not telling what you're saying? Yes, that makes sense of what you're. How you're playing it. Yes. Let's find. Okay, let them look like a bunch of asses like they are, and let the whole thing fall apart and let them scramble for the next 1312 days and see what we like.

[Clay Travis]

Your fire, Irene. And we like that you listen every day and we appreciate you. Thank you for calling in Clay. See, I was able to. I was able to help that. There she was. She's a little fired up at you, buddy. You got to explain to her that we weren't. We're not sitting here saying, I would not what Graham Platner's positions would be good. But we're just saying if you are Graham Platner, if you are this guy, what are you. You know, if I'm sitting here saying, here's what I think the Iranian mullahs are going to do, I'm not saying I am an Iranian mullah and they're good guys. I'm just saying here's what I think they're going to do.

[Buck Sexton]

And maybe I don't even think about needing to explain this. This is all lawyers do. We are hired guns. Right? Like, you come to me and you say, hey, I might have an issue. My. On any stretch, right? I need a divorce. I may be bankrupt. There's a body in my trunk. Like, there's a lot of reasons you could need to talk to a lawyer.

[Joel Osteen]

All Right.

[Buck Sexton]

You have to. Then game plan. Okay. What is the best way to handle this situation? And you try to put yourself, even if you disagree with someone in the position to advocate and think as they are. I would not vote for Graham Platner if I lived in Maine.

[Clay Travis]

But Clay is just saying that when it comes to Platner, if it does not fit, you must acquit. I mean, Clay is just taking a very mercenary position on all things platter right now.

[Buck Sexton]

I, that, yes. I also think that it would be a good position for Republicans to adopt because in the future, we're going to have other candidates that we like.

[Clay Travis]

But can I give you counterpoint here a little bit?

[Buck Sexton]

Yes.

[Clay Travis]

A little bit on this, because I think now, now, now is where I think we would be subject to fair criticism from the, from the right and from Republicans even who understand the, the exercise here that we're doing is what do we think Platner is going to do? That's, that's what we're trying to. This is understanding the enemy's moves, if you will in advance. But there is a difference between the allegations against Platner. If we are going to weigh the evidence. You and I know this, but just saying this on the record, you have named women in circumstances where there was sexual contact. Everyone agrees there was, you know, he was having sex with, with these women. The, the issue is whether or not it was consensual and whether he used force and, and, or violence. That is an entirely different universe from, hey, this guy that I can't even prove that I knew or met or Talked to almost 40 years ago kind of grabbed me at a party, at a house. I can't remember in a year that I can't remember. And, oh, by the way, I'm now a hero to all Democrats for making up all this nonsense. That is what happened to Brett Kavanaugh. So, yes, it's not just an allegation. Is an allegation. There are differences in allegations. I think the Trump, the allegation against Trump, she didn't remember what year it was. I think that alone, I think if something really traumatic happens to you, I think you remember the year. I think if someone actually assaults you in public, I don't think you forget what year she forgot what year it was.

[Jay from Arizona]

Yeah.

[Buck Sexton]

Believe all women is wrong. And I would even say, like, yes, that that's important. You have to analyze every situation. But when you incentivize, when you're saying hashtag, believe all women, you end up with. I bet you would agree with this, I think most people would agree with it. Al Franken is wrong on a ton of things politically. The fact that he lost the Senate seat, that they made him resign because he was doing a silly thing on

[Clay Travis]

an airplane while they threw him to the mob. Because that was peak. Me too. They threw him to the mob on their own side. They ate their own, if you will, in that instance. But, you know, this case with Graham Platner, if we're going to come, it is nothing like the Trump allegation. And I think that's probably what was a little bit getting Irene fired up there, which is fair. It's nothing like what you do when you get. Hold on, hold on, counselor, hold on. Yeah, it's nothing like the Trump allegation. It's nothing like the Kavanaugh allegation in terms of what is presented, the seriousness of the evidence or the corroboration or any of that. It is very similar to the Pete Hegseth allegation, to be. To be clear. It's similar. Similar. I didn't say it's the same. But a woman. There was contact, there was sex. That's agreed upon. It's a. Was it consensual? Trump. Trump isn't saying, oh, it was consensual.

[Buck Sexton]

With each.

[Clay Travis]

He said, I don't even know this crazy person. Right. That's what he has said. Kavanaugh wasn't saying, oh, it was consensual, by the way, no one even said he had sex. He's just saying, I don't even know who this lunatic is. That's different from we had sex. But she's claiming that it was forcible or there was no consent involved. So, you know, I do think that you can treat those as very separate things.

[Buck Sexton]

Yeah. And I would also point out with Pete, the woman never put her name out there. Right.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah.

[Buck Sexton]

I think when you put your name out there, it makes it more credible. And I get that people say, hey, I don't want my name out there. All these things. Right. And in fact, I've said this before, I'll just say it again. I don't think rape shield law should still exist. I don't think you should be able to try to put someone in prison for the rest of. As soon as a guy gets accused of rape, everybody knows his name. Right. The minute somebody comes out publicly and says, oh, he raped me, your name is out there. I don't think you should be able to put. You can't put somebody in prison for the rest of your life. If you're robbed, if you're. Somebody shoots you, your name is associated with it. I think people are going to get fired up about this. Some people, I think that is a relic of a different era when being raped was something that was so stigmatized that you couldn't even live a normal life if your name was associated with it. If you did nothing wrong and you're a victim, whether you're robbed, whether you're shot, whether you're beaten, whether you're raped, like, somebody should pay that punishment. Somebody should go to prison for it. But I think we have created an incentive structure. This is me getting on the soapbox a little bit where the allegation is treated as truth against the male and the woman doesn't even have to put her name behind it. That's different than this current situation. So I just don't like. And this is the lawyer in me too. I just don't like the idea of I accuse j accused back in the day, and suddenly it is, oh, you got to get out. I also think election should matter. Like, he's the nominee. They picked him overwhelmingly. 90% of people showed up and voted for him. Same thing with Biden. I don't think Democrats should get to be in this position where they can just eradicate the will of their voter and go pluck somebody new that they think is more likely to win. You made your choice. Wear it for good or bad. That's the whole purpose of primaries.

[Clay Travis]

There we go. We'll see.

[Buck Sexton]

I don't even know what part of that's going to get plucked. I said plucked and. And turned into a headline, but it's all true. We'll see.

[Clay Travis]

We'll see if Platner is still in it tomorrow. If he's not, we'll have to just redo all this analysis and say, wow, we were.

[Irene (Caller)]

We.

[Clay Travis]

We were wrong on this one. So.

[Buck Sexton]

Well, he's more of a coward or he was more willing to take money than maybe we anticipated. Because I do think they will give a job to his wife. That's what they're offering now. They're saying, hey, we'll give you $400,000. You can be in this think tank. Hey, Graham, don't you want to make $500,000 next year and work for Think Tank Inc. That believes that capitalism is wrong? It's amazing how often these guys opposed to capitalism turn into big capitalists themselves, isn't it?

[Clay Travis]

I'll tell you this, though. A man who is a real man will accept no amount of money that means that he is thought of as a rapist when he truly believes that he is not true. No amount of. No amount of money. You can. If some. If it's. I can fight this through. If you truly believe you are innocent of this charge, you would not accept the public believing you are guilty for any amount of money. I truly believe that too. So we'll see.

[Buck Sexton]

I agree. And I also believe that protecting your family's memories forever is something that matters and makes a big difference. That's what Legacy Box does. They digitally transfer old media, videotapes, film reels, audio cassettes, print photos, 19 different kinds of media they can put onto the cloud or also on files that you could carry around. But they will make it digital so you can share it on your smart TVs, on your phones, on your tablets, so that you can take your family's history and preserve it on the cloud forever. They've done it for more than 2 million Americans. Their work right here in my home state of Tennessee, Chattanooga. I went and toured their facility. It is amazing. They're full of dedicated people, all the gear necessary to make digital transfers. I've been there. I've seen it. They do great work. Remember your family's story, part of the American story. Don't let your family's memories slip away. Preserve them forever digitally today. And you've got a great deal going on right [e-mail] Clay that's legacybox.com Clay Last learn.

[Clay Travis]

Hang with the guys right there when

[Buck Sexton]

you need them most, Clay and Buck

[Clay Travis]

just preset them on the iHeart app. Welcome back in here to Clay and Buck. By the way, I think all of our talk facts here, Clay almost are weighing in on the important issue facing the Republic. Who is dumber, Kamala or AOC? This is a version of the 90s classic Dumb and Dumber, which because neither of them are geniuses as we know.

[Buck Sexton]

How much would you pay for a legitimate some sort of test that you could watch between AOC and Kamala live on television where they didn't have like help and you just got more money

[Clay Travis]

than I've ever paid to go to any live sporting event, speaking event, you name it ever before it would be my number one. I'd pay like super bowl ticket money to see that. It would be incredible.

[Buck Sexton]

I would be riveting, I think.

[Clay Travis]

Jay from Arizona, this is Talk Back B. He wants to weigh in.

[Jay from Arizona]

The question shouldn't be who's smarter, AOC or Kamala Harris? The question should be who's dumber? And as much as I think AOC is probably dumber, I think she would actually perform better in a debate because she would answer the questions with confidence and authority, even though the answers are ridiculous.

[Clay Travis]

Can I weigh in on this one too? By the way, Clay. Clay was like the captain of the Kamala Harris is good looking club, by the way. The way all the time. I mean, she was bad looking.

[Buck Sexton]

I mean, she's okay, she's 62 or whatever.

[Clay Travis]

Like, she looks good. She's aged well. I be, to be fair, she's aged well. You know, ladies, don't get drawn, drawn into all this, like, do all this stuff. I'm telling, I'm begging you, please don't do all this stuff to your faces that people are doing now with all the, the Botox and the injections. It doesn't, it's not good. Okay, we all can just age gracefully. Comma, looks good for her age. To be fair, AOC would do better in the perception of the audience on stage. And this is going to sound superficial, but people are superficial. She would do better because she's prettier.

[Buck Sexton]

Well, I like her more. I mean, look, I mean, jfk, I'm going to protect you because inevitably the headline is going to be sexist. Buck Sexton says sexy JFK was better looking than, than Nixon. And I mean, that's the great example of radio versus tv. You listened, you thought Nixon won, you watched, you thought Kennedy won. I think people are giving AOC a better benefit than she deserves. Kamala wasn't awful at all in the Trump debate that she had. I'm not saying you liked her. I don't think AOC what's. When has she ever really been pushed on a public setting where she didn't know questions in advance? I think she would do worse than Kamala. I really do. This is a fun debate. When we come back, we'll go back. I'm betting into Iran. More on Graham Platner. The Charlie Kirk, third day of the assassination trial. Preliminary evidence is all being put out there. All of that going on next.