Hour 2 - Exceptional America

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
Episode: Hour 2 - Exceptional America
Release Date: June 19, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, Clay and Buck delve into pressing issues surrounding American society, politics, and current events. Steering clear of the usual advertisements and non-content segments, the hosts engage in a robust discussion on national identity, governance, youth mental health, and international relations. Below is a detailed summary capturing the key points, discussions, insights, and conclusions from the episode.

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1. Proposing a New National Holiday: June 6th

Clay Travis opens the discussion by proposing June 6th (D-Day) as a national holiday to honor the Greatest Generation's fight for human rights during World War II.

• Timestamp [02:38]:
  “Maybe June 6th D-Day should be a national holiday… celebrating the Greatest Generation’s fight for human rights.”

Key Points:

• Symbolism: June 6th represents bravery and sacrifice, embodying values that could unify the nation.
• Current Holiday Landscape: Existing holidays like Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and the Fourth of July already honor service and independence but do not specifically commemorate D-Day’s significance.
• Political Commentary: Clay contrasts this proposal with Juneteenth, suggesting that a holiday of such historical magnitude could counteract divisive narratives being promoted in society.

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2. Gender Transition Treatments for Minors

The hosts critically examine recent legal decisions and societal debates surrounding gender transition surgeries for minors.

Clay Travis discusses the Tennessee court ruling that restricts minors from undergoing gender transition surgeries, highlighting his disagreement with Supreme Court Justices Kagan and Sotomayor on this issue.

• Timestamp [06:45]:
  “How can Justice Kagan support minors altering their bodies irreversibly when we don’t hold them accountable for crimes they commit?”

Key Points:

• Legal Ruling: Tennessee’s 6-3 decision prohibits gender transition surgeries for minors, sparking nationwide debate.
• Supreme Court Critique: Clay questions how Justices Kagan and Sotomayor reconcile their views on juvenile accountability in criminal cases with their stance on gender surgeries.
• Parental Perspective: Emphasizes the role of parents in protecting children from making irreversible decisions, drawing parallels with age restrictions on activities like getting tattoos.
• Social Implications: Argues that allowing such procedures can have long-term detrimental effects on minors’ well-being and autonomy.

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3. Mental Health Crisis Among Youth

Clay and Buck address the alarming rise in mental health issues among young Americans, exacerbated by social media and societal pressures.

Clay Travis shares insights from a crisis counselor, highlighting the prevalence of suicidal ideation among teenagers.

• Timestamp [22:38]:
  “Almost every client between 11 and 17 talks about committing suicide… influenced by social media and toxic parental relationships.”

Key Points:

• Suicide Rates: A significant percentage of teenagers contemplate suicide, driven by arguments with parents, social media influence, and pervasive negativity about the country's state.
• Social Media Impact: Platforms foster unrealistic expectations and highlight societal divisions, contributing to youth anxiety and depression.
• Generational Fear: Observations of young people exhibiting persistent fear and lack of optimism, such as wearing masks long after the pandemic and expressing fatalistic views about their futures.
• Call to Action: Emphasizes the need for resilience-building, positive reinforcement, and mental health support to counteract these detrimental trends.

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4. Critique of Urban Governance: Focus on Chicago and New York City

Clay launches a critical analysis of Democratic leadership in major U.S. cities, specifically targeting Chicago and New York City.

Clay Travis deconstructs the ineffective governance of Chicago’s Mayor Lori Lightfoot and her successor, as well as New York City’s Mayor Eric Adams.

• Timestamp [29:42]:
  “Brandon Johnson's 6% approval rating is like voting for cancer—it's that bad.”

Key Points:

• Chicago’s Leadership:
  • Lori Lightfoot: Criticized as one of the worst mayors during COVID-19, leading to her defeat in the primary.
  • Brandon Johnson: Portrayed as ineffective with an extremely low approval rating, likening his governance to a terminal illness.
• New York City’s Governance:
  • Eric Adams: Viewed as marginally better than his predecessor Bill de Blasio but still inadequate.
  • Andrew Cuomo: Mentioned as a Democratic candidate with a flawed record, including mishandling COVID-19 and sexual harassment allegations.
• Wider Democratic Failures:
  • Los Angeles’s Karen Bass: Accused of negligent leadership during wildfires and riots.
  • Democratic Strategy: Hosts argue that Democrats prioritize political narratives over effective governance, leading to urban decay and public dissatisfaction.
• Impact on Youth and Ambition:
  • Poor leadership undermines American exceptionalism, fostering a generation that lacks hope and motivation to achieve.

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5. International Relations and Potential US Military Action Against Iran

The conversation shifts to the escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, discussing the potential for US military intervention.

Clay Travis speculates on the human cost of America's strategic decisions in the Middle East, particularly regarding Iran’s nuclear facilities.

• Timestamp [44:10]:
  “Imagine living at the Iranian nuclear facility where every day could be your last, depending on US decisions.”

Key Points:

• Current Conflict: Iran's attacks on Israeli infrastructure have heightened tensions, with the US contemplating military responses.
• Presidential Decision-Making:
  • President Trump’s Statement: Indicates a decision on potential military action within two weeks based on the likelihood of negotiations.
  • Uncertainty and Stress: Highlights the precarious situation faced by individuals working at Iranian nuclear sites, living under constant threat.
• Human Impact: Emphasizes the psychological toll on both American youth facing socio-economic challenges and Iranian workers under military threat.

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6. American Exceptionalism vs. Pessimistic Narratives

Clay and Buck juxtapose historical narratives of American greatness with current negative portrayals propagated by some Democratic leaders and media personalities.

Clay Travis references past presidents like Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama to illustrate how American exceptionalism has been a unifying and motivating force.

• Timestamp [30:15]:
  “Ronald Reagan said America was a shining city on a hill… Now, Ilhan Omar declares America is among the worst countries.”

Key Points:

• Historical Context:
  • Ronald Reagan: Promoted a positive national identity as a beacon of hope and opportunity.
  • Bill Clinton: Emphasized the American Dream, illustrating how anyone could rise to prominence regardless of background.
  • Barack Obama: Continued the narrative of opportunity and upward mobility, inspiring a generation.
• Current Narratives:
  • Ilhan Omar: Represents a shift towards narratives that portray America as a failing nation riddled with systemic issues.
  • Impact on Youth: Such pessimistic views contribute to a sense of hopelessness among young Americans, undermining ambition and self-worth.
• Societal Consequences:
  • Internalization of Negativity: When youth believe in a fundamentally broken system, it stifles their potential and drives societal decline.
  • Contrast with American Exceptionalism: The hosts argue that maintaining a positive national narrative is crucial for fostering resilience and ambition.

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7. Call to Action and Community Support

Towards the end of the episode, Clay emphasizes the importance of community support and proactive measures to address societal issues.

Clay Travis encourages listeners to contribute to Tunnel to Towers, a charity supporting 9/11 victims and their families.

• Timestamp [30:00]:
  “You can make a difference by donating $11 a month to Tunnel to Towers at t2t.org.”

Key Points:

• Tunnel to Towers Mission:
  • Supports 9/11 victims, first responders, and their families by providing financial assistance and housing.
  • Emphasizes the importance of remembering past sacrifices to inspire current and future resilience.
• Personal Anecdotes:
  • Clay shares personal involvement in fundraisers, underscoring the tangible impact of community support.
• Encouragement to Act:
  • Advocates for small, consistent donations as a means of expressing gratitude and ensuring long-term support for those in need.

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Notable Quotes

1. Clay Travis on National Holidays

   • “Making June 6 a national holiday would make a great deal of sense to me, way more than Juneteenth.”
     [02:38]

2. Clay Travis on Supreme Court Justices

   • “How can someone like Elena Kagan believe that a 14-year-old should make irreversible changes to their body when we don’t hold minors accountable for crimes they commit?”
     [08:15]

3. Clay Travis on Youth Mental Health

   • “Almost every client between 11 and 17 talks about committing suicide… influenced by social media and toxic parental relationships.”
     [22:38]

4. Clay Travis on Chicago’s Governance

   • “Brandon Johnson's 6% approval rating is like voting for cancer—it's that bad.”
     [29:42]

5. Clay Travis on American Exceptionalism

   • “Ronald Reagan said America was a shining city on a hill… Now, Ilhan Omar declares America is among the worst countries.”
     [30:15]

6. Clay Travis on Community Support

   • “You can make a difference by donating $11 a month to Tunnel to Towers at t2t.org.”
     [30:00]

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Conclusion

In this episode, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton deliver a compelling critique of current societal and political trends in America. They advocate for a return to positive national narratives, effective local governance, and robust support systems for vulnerable populations, especially the youth. The hosts underscore the importance of community involvement and proactive measures to foster resilience and optimism amidst growing societal challenges.

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Additional Information

• Find the Show: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show is available on the free iHeartRadio app and other major podcast platforms.
• Support the Cause: Listeners are encouraged to support Tunnel to Towers and other community initiatives to make a tangible impact.

Transcript

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[Clay Travis]

In Clay Travis Buck Sexton Show a couple of news stories that are out there as we are rolling through the Thursday edition of the program, the Juneteenth edition of the program. By the way, am I the only person that thinks maybe June 6th D day should be a national holiday? If you had to think about what day would better represent the Greatest Generation and their fight for human rights around the world? June 6, 1944. Making June 6 a national holiday would make a great deal of sense to me, way more than Juneteenth. Candidly, I don't think our federal government in general needs a lot more holidays, but I do think holidays that bring everybody together. The greatest Generation being celebrated nationwide on June 6th. I know we have Memorial Day. I know we have Veterans Day. I know we have July 4th. There are a lot of different days of celebration. But June 6 is such, I think, an iconic day in American history. And while there are still some members of that battle, some veterans that fought on that day, I think it would be a really incredibly gratifying and worthwhile day to make a holiday where everybody can sit around and think about what those men did on that day, and so we could see actual bravery. And maybe it would push back against the idea that unfortunately has taken root in America where everybody who disagrees with me is a Nazi, everybody who disagrees with me is Adolf Hitler. I think it would actually be incredibly profoundly symbolic and important statement that we could make. But we are dealing instead. Juneteenth. We've been talking about national service, its impacts, just having perspective, gratitude, understanding how fortunate we all are, regardless of our backgrounds to be Americans. And a lot of you weighing in with that were reacting to the viral clip of Whoopi Goldberg saying, black people in America don't have it better than they do in. Than women do in Iran, which is such a crazy, outlandish, outrageous, indefensible argument to be making that it's staggering to me that that show the view which basically exists just to have all those crazy things happen. But a couple of news stories that are out there, for those of you who have kids, grandkids, maybe it's you as well, maybe it's Buck when he's learning his newest dance. Donald Trump has extended for 90 days a order that he has put in place that would allow TikTok to be sold. It has not yet been sold. That has moved off, obviously, of the front pages, the story surrounding that. But that is. That is going on also. There is continued talk about some form of peace agreement that could be entered into. Earlier this morning, Iran hit a hospital in Israel. Damage was significant. And the debate over whether the United States should get involved in bombing the Iran nuclear site that is built into the side of a mountain with our big bunker buster bomb. That is a tough phrase to hit. Continues with a variety of different stories surrounding that. But I don't know how many of you saw this last night, but it struck me. We talked yesterday with the Attorney General of Tennessee about the 63 ruling that came down allowing the state of Tennessee to not requ. To not permit minors to be receiving these gender transition treatments. Right. In my opinion, they're barbaric, particularly for young children. If you're an adult and you want to have a cosmetic procedure that makes you happier, you think will make you happier, I think that is at least a choice you can make. But as I said in that argument yesterday, we don't even let kids get tattoos because we recognize a lot of times kids make choices that they wish they wouldn't have made. And probably the tattoo that your average kid would get when he was 14 or, or she would get when she was 14 would be very different in terms of what they might want. Even if you'd want to tattoo at all at 24, 34, 44. And so we say, hey, you can't get tattoos until you're at least over 18. And so it seems to me that the logic of, hey, you shouldn't be able to chop your penis off or you shouldn't be able to chop your boobs off, that that would actually maintain and have some cogency. In fact, I was thinking about this even more with Judge Elena Supreme Court Justice Kagan. I was thinking about it in the context of minor crimes, meaning minors who commit crimes. We are so of the opinion that kids under 18 shouldn't be responsible for all the choices that they make. That you can commit a crime as a juvenile and we wipe it clean because we basically have decided as a society, hey, sometimes you shouldn't be held accountable for the choice you made when you were 16 for the rest of your life. And so we will clear juvenile crime records. Now, sometimes the juvenile crimes can be so significant that juveniles are tried as adults. Yes, there are varying degrees of that which occur. But if, as a society we have decided 15 and 16 year olds shouldn't even be held accountable sometimes, oftentimes most times, for the crimes that they commit, and we will wipe them clean. And Judge Kagan is a strong advocate of that perspective, how can she simultaneously argue that 15 year olds should be able to irreversibly change their body and potentially sterilize themselves? I would love for Judge Kagan, who I think is actually intelligent to try and explain that to me and to all of you. And I was thinking about that yesterday. I had like a four hour delay on my flight back from D.C. so I was doing a lot of reading, I was doing a lot of thinking. And some of you may have seen the tweet that I put out. It was a 6:3 decision yesterday that the state of Tennessee had the ability to restrict minors from having these gender surgeries, which could be so destructive for them as adults that we're not going to allow it in my home state, where I am right now, of Tennessee. And it was 6:3. And a lot of people were saying, how is this not 9 0? And it's not coincidental that the three liberals were in dissent on this case. But I did think it was interesting that two of the three liberals, Kagan and Sotomayor, don't have kids and that if for people who raised kids, it was 6:1, these decisions shouldn't be made. And I was thinking about, you remember when Judge Sotomayor said, maybe we need a wise Latina on the Supreme Court? Do you remember that? When she was arguing that her identity in some way was gonna make her a better judge? Which in general I think is. Is mostly not true. But I did think, isn't that kind of interesting that the only parent that voted in favor of kids being able to have these surgeries was Ketanji Brown Jackson? That otherwise the parents on the Supreme Court said, yeah, we're not going to allow this to happen. It was 2o from women who don't have children saying that kids should have the right to. To alter their bodies in a way that could leave them sterile. At 14 or 15 years old, and it was 6:1, Katanji Brown Jackson was the only parent who said, hey, I disagree and kids shouldn't be able to do this. And yesterday I was kind of having it, making a joke about how my middle son believed he was a Jedi and dressed up like he was a Jedi and he had a braid, but we didn't actually think he was a Jedi. And probably at some point in time, by the way my middle son dressed up, he wanted to be somebody different every day. Some days he wanted to be a ninja. He basically was great, super fun kid when he was young, but every day for him was like Halloween. Some days he wanted to be a pirate. He would wake up every day and be like, today I'm a ninja. Like, okay, you're gonna go throw some throwing stars. And he'd say, today I'M a Jedi. And so, okay, well, you're gonna be dressed up like Luke Skywalker. He liked Anakin. He even had the fake Anakin scar for Star wars people out there. Every day he dressed up and he wanted to be a different kind of person. My youngest kid actually had tons of imaginary friends. And sometimes we want mom and dad to have conversations with the imaginary friends. And maybe out there you've got kids who wanted to be dinosaurs or superheroes or whatever they were. Hey, Mom, I'm Batman. Hey, Mom, I'm Superman. Hey, man. Hey, Mom, I'm Tyrannosaurus Rex. Or maybe you got daughters. And they dressed up and they said, hey, I'm a princess today. Or today I want to be Princess Jasmine. And tomorrow, for those of you Aladdin, tomorrow I want to be Mona or whatever the different princesses princesses are. It's not real. And probably you had kids who woke up the morning after their birthday party and you said, hey, what do you want to have for breakfast? And they were like, birthday cake. You're like, I don't think you're going to get birthday cake for breakfast. Kids make choices all the time that are not rooted in rationality. And I think most parents, including those on the Supreme Court, understand that a huge part of being a parent is sometimes protecting kids from the choices that they would make when they were young because they aren't well developed enough mentally to understand the consequences of some of the choices that they're making. Now. In my own parenting, which I'm far from perfect, but we've tried to keep our kids off social media, and that's partly because of what I do until they're at least in their teenage years and they just want to chase girls on there, which is its own problem. But because so many kids, they go back and they look and see what they posted when they were 14 or 15 years old, and they're like, oh, my God, you quoted rap lyrics with the N word in it when you were 14. Oh, my, you're 24 now and you're a pro athlete, but you've got to apologize. And we've got. We don't hold kids, by and large accountable for all the choices that they make when they're young, even if they're criminal, because we don't think their brains are well developed enough to be entirely accountable for the choices that they made. How can someone like Elena Kagan, how can someone like Justice Sotomayor believe in that when it comes to the criminal justice system, but simultaneously believe, oh, that 14 year old. Well, he should chop his penis off and the state should allow it. I think it is in this particular case somewhat consequential that almost every parent said, yeah, we can't allow that because they've lived through what I just described. The kid who believes he's a Jedi, the girl who believes that she is a princess, the imaginary friends that are treated as real life but we all know are not actually there. What does it say about Ketanji Brown Jackson that she doubtless has been through this because she is a parent? I'm sure that her children have had all sorts of imaginative experiences that she's so committed to the crazy gender cult that she would vote against a basic parental experience that all of us would acknowledge, which is young kids make bad choices. And our goal as a parent should be to protect them from it. Because she cares more about being in good standing politically with the crazy people in her party than she does with her responsibilities as a parent. I do think that's not coincidental and I think it's significant. And I was thinking about it as I was sitting at the airport with my three hour plus delay. We'll talk about it. You guys can weigh in. 800-282-2882. I want to tell you though, today is a holiday, but one of the days that is continuing to echo throughout history is 911 tunnel towers. The work that Frank Siller is doing, I try to help him out as much as I can. Last year they had a huge multimillion dollar fundraiser. I was the emcee. I was happy to be involved in it. You may remember I was down in West Palm beach at his most recent fundraiser. I tried to get to as many of these events as I can because I don't want to forget what happened on 911 back in 2001. It's been 25 years. People are still continuing to deal with the ravages of 911 and Frank Siller and his company and everybody that he's brought together, they're trying to take care of not just 911 victims and their families, but also everybody out there. First responders, military, police, people who put their lives on the line every single day for all of us. You can give $11 a month. You can join both Buck and myself. All you have to do is go to t2t.org it's super easy. Everybody can do it. It is a small donation and just a moment of gratitude that all of you can give for all the people out there that are putting their lives on the line. Mortgage free home can make a tremendous difference for somebody who's injured or God forbid has lost their life. Like our sergeant Jesse Clark. He died after a chemical exposure caught a caused a large tumor to form in his brain, paralyzed the left side of his body and sorry his military service came to an end and he wasn't able to take care of himself. Thanks to Tunnel the Towers they built he and his family a new smart home. They do this for so many people out there. They can do it for so many more. If you guys join me and donate $11 a month to Tunnel the Towers at t2t.org that's t the number two t.org stories of freedom, stories of America. Inspirational stories that unite us all each day. Spend time with Clay and Buck. Find them on the free iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. Grand Canyon University, a private Christian university in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona, believes we're endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. GCU believes in equal opportunity and the American Dream starts with purpose. GCU equips you to serve others in ways that promote human flourishing and create a ripple effect of transformation for generations to come. By honoring your career calling you impact your family, your friends and your community. You can change the world for good by putting others before yourself to glorify God. 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[Buck Sexton]

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[Clay Travis]

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[Colby Ekowitz]

There'S an efficient way to get caught up on a lot of news. It's called the seven from the Washington Post. It's a newsletter and podcast. Whether you're reading or hit play, you get seven stories you need to know and you can consume it all in just a few minutes. The 7 is out every weekday morning by 7:00am Eastern. I'm Hannah Jewell. I'm one of the writers and I host the show. Find the seven podcast wherever you're listening. The newsletter link is waiting for you in the show Notes.

[Clay Travis]

Welcome back in Clay Travis Buck Sexton Show Tons of you weighing in on a variety of different perspectives. Thomas, send a VIP email. I'm a crisis counselor, mental health counselor. I receive calls every day for clients between the ages of 11 and 17. Almost every one of them has talked about committing suicide. Reasons are various, but usually it's a lot of times, argument with my parents. My mom was yelling at me. Not one of them have any resiliency whatsoever. They're on social media with all these influencers. They use words such as, my parents are narcissistic, toxic. They don't validate my feelings every time I talk to them. And I'm worried about the country because Trump is going to kill us all. This is a normal day for me. It's sad, Honestly, it's sad. How many people have had their fears preyed on? I was stunned as I went all over Washington, D.C. by how many young people I saw still wearing masks. I mean, I was in a coffee shop next to our radio station. The girl was trying to talk to me. She's probably 23. She had a mask on. What in the world is going on that we have created an entire generation of kids that is so fearful that they're still wearing masks? It's crazy. And I just feel so sorry for these people because I can't imagine what it's like to go through life that scared. But particularly when you're young and you should be taking chances and you should be insanely optimistic to sit around and hear the argument of, oh, this is an awful country. Oh, there's no way that I could ever succeed. There is a huge cadre, unfortunately, of young Americans that is falling victim to the awfulness that they are being fed, and they don't know better because they're so young, they're particularly susceptible to these arguments. Look, only a third of Americans out there have a will. If you are taking care of your family, your kids, your grandkids, and you are trying to make sure that they have the best possible future, one of the things you can do is make sure that they're not fighting after you're gone. I've got a will. I've got a trust. I've taken care of everything. My three boys, if something happens to me or my wife, they are taken care of. I wanted to make sure that I had the peace of mind to know that everything was okay when I'm gone, that they're not going to have to struggle with what to do. Only 30% of people have actually done this. You can take the time. It's not complicated. It's not super expensive. All you have to do is check it out for yourself. Trust and willcom. You do everything for your family. Why not eliminate the fight after you're gone to the best of your ability? Trust and willcom. Go today. Welcome back in Clay Travis Buck Sexton show. Appreciate all of you hanging out with us as we are rolling through the program. I did want to play a couple of cuts. It is Juneteenth and I played earlier to start the program. Whoopi Goldberg saying, hey, you know, people in Iran, women in particular, black people in America, have it basically as bad, that's Whoopi Goldberg's argument as the women of Iran, which is a outrageous, indefensibly bad argument. But she's not alone in making arguments like that. There are a lot of bad mayors in America right now. Chicago is a fabulous city. Chicago is the capital of the Midwest. There is a good chance that if you grow up in the Midwest and you go away to college at a Big Ten school at some point in time, Chicago is the city that acts as kind of a magnet that either you or your friends are going to end up in that city and you are going to spend decent amount of time. Good chance again, if you grow up in the Midwest. Fabulous city. It has made some of the worst governance decisions of any city in America. Right up there with Los Angeles and everything that they have been doing. They had Lori Lightfoot as the mayor. Lori Lightfoot was one of the worst mayors in America during COVID Lori Lightfoot was so bad that Chicagoans across the board finally got fed up with her and they defeated her in the primary and they replaced her with somebody worse. This is my concern, by the way, about what New York City is gonna do. A lot of our W O R listeners know exactly what I'm talking about. New York City is in such a bad spot that the best Democrat option in the city right now is Andrew Cuomo, the guy who sent everybody's grandma to go die in nursing homes and lied about the tally of death there. The guy who had to resign because of sexual harassment allegations. Now, to be fair to Andrew Cuomo, I think the sexual harassment allegations were mostly garbage. But he is going to be in a fight for his political life to beat a guy who said we should replace police with social workers. This is how crazy things are in New York City right now, that whatever you think about Eric Adams, and I do think Eric Adams has been a better mayor than de Blasio was, but that's only because a brick might be a better mayor than de Blasio. If you just don't make any decisions, it's better than always making the worst decision, which is what Bill de Blasio managed to do. But I do think this is significant. Brandon Johnson, I believe he had Most recently a 6% approval rating in Chicago. So, like, Brandon Johnson's approval rating is narrowly above syphilis, gonorrhea, and hiv. It's like, hey, here is like, cancer probably has a 0% approval rating, I would imagine. I don't think there's anybody out there like, hey, you know what? We need to talk more positive about? Cancer. Cancer. 0% approval rating. Brandon Johnson, 6% approval rating. That means if Brandon Johnson right now ran against cancer, it would be a tight race, people. I don't know, should we vote for cancer or should we vote for Brandon Johnson? Well, he is a cancer on the Chicago body politician, and he was not saying anything that different than what Whoopi Goldberg said. He was asked, hey, why are you spending so much money on illegal immigrants in Chicago when the citizens of Chicago could use a lot of these funds? And his response is, well, let's talk about how Donald Trump wants to eliminate black people from the country. This is real cut 16.

[Buck Sexton]

Instead of working with Congress to actually.

[Clay Travis]

Pass substantive immigration reform policy, they wanted to create division. But we're not going to allow that to happen in the city of Chicago. Much like we fought for civil rights 60 years ago, we're going to continue to make sure that whether you are black, brown, Asian, white, young, old, working.

[Buck Sexton]

People deserve to be prioritized.

[Clay Travis]

And this misnomer that there's division, you know, and consternation within communities solely based on this issue is just wrong. And he's working to eliminate black history. He is trying to eliminate black existence from this country.

[Buck Sexton]

But he's also attacking the lgbtq.

[Clay Travis]

I wouldn't say he's trying to eliminate. What we're going to do is we're going to bring people together in this country to make sure we build the safest, most affordable big city in America. He's trying to eliminate black existence from the United States. What is Chicago doing? There's a scene, and I like to go back to it every now and then, and I'm outing myself here as a watcher of this program. Some 20 years ago, sex and the City. There is a scene where the Charlotte character gets upset because she's making all of her choices and they have led her to a bad place. And she just keeps saying over and over again, it's a part of women's empowerment. I Choose my choice. I choose my choice. I choose my choice. I think I've got that right. The scene has stuck with me because I think it's a perfect analogy in many ways for Democrat voting. They're so anti Trump that they can't make rational choices for the politicians that actually dictate day to day decisions in their city. Lori Lightfoot was the worst mayor in the history of Chicago. They replaced her with a mayor who is worse than the worst mayor that has ever existed in the history of Chicago. A guy who, if he were running against cancer or syphilis or hiv, it would be a down to the wire last second. Hey, I don't know who's going to win this race. And as a result, these cities are losing many of the best and brightest that used to aspire to go there. Look, I said Chicago is a magnet for the Midwest. You graduate from the University of Michigan, good chance you're going to end up at some point in Chicago or your friends are. You graduate from Purdue, you graduate from Indiana, you graduate from Ohio State, all these great places. There's other cities that are very nice in the Midwest, I know, but Chicago is the magnet. It is the place that draws your friends from college. Highly educated, young, successful, dynamic, entrepreneurial spirit. That's the place people want to go and they're making the worst possible decisions. It's not just Chicago. As I just mentioned, New York City is in such dire straits now from a mayoral perspective that Andrew Cuomo, who, other than Gavin Newsom, may have handled in Gretchen Whitmer and JB Pritzker right up there with the worst possible governorships during COVID that anybody could create. He's actually the best option New York City may have on the Democrat side. And in Los Angeles, Karen Bass let the city burn legitimately during the wildfires when she wasn't there. And then she came back and she let the city burn during the riots. And all they can do is just point at Donald Trump when they are choosing the method of their own destruction. Buck likes to talk about that. You know, in Ghostbusters, Ray stands up on top of the building and they say, you know, choose the method of your own destruction. And he can't avoid thinking about the marshmallow man, gigantic, walking through the streets of New York City. Democrats are choosing the method of their own destruction because their brains are broken and they aren't making rational choices that lead to better outcomes for their families. And what does it mean when you are stacking one bad mayor after another? Things get so bad that finally many of these cities are going to need a Rudy Giuliani like figure in order to just return basic sanity to them. And I don't see this as being political. Having a well run city is something that should be aspired to. It shouldn't be the case that New York City and Chicago and LA are epic political dumpster fires because there's lots of great people who live in those cities, but they keep choosing the choice that is leading them astray. And then instead of acknowledging that they pick someone who is a poor representative of the city and cannot make rational decisions, these guys just come out and say things like, Donald Trump's trying to eliminate black people. What does that even mean? And Whoopi Goldberg says, well, I don't know if black people have it better in America than women in Iran do. I mean, this is crazy talk, but it's also destructive to aspiration and ambition and all the young kids out there that you should be lifting up by saying, this is the greatest country in the history of the world. The only thing that is going to keep you from having massive achievement is your own inability to embrace the opportunity. They're trying to sell the idea that America is a fundamentally broken place and you can't succeed there. And yet these people keep getting elected. What does it say about us? I mean, Ronald Reagan said America was a city on top of a shining city on top of a hill. It grew up on the sunny side of the mountain. Even back in the day, if you go back and watch the ads and the story that they attempt to tell, I'm not saying that it is one that is accurate, but you go back and watch Bill Clinton, boy from Hope, Arkansas. It's very similar to Ronald Reagan's argument. Even Barack Obama 2008, the big message that he tried to sell in his win in 2008 was if I can rise to become the President of the United States, truly anyone can. I'm a single parent, raised mixed race kid from Hawaii. People bought that argument. It was American exceptionalism makes it possible for me to be in this situation. And now if you contrast say Barack Obama's message, whatever you think about, I'm just talking about the message, not the practical application of the message. Barack Obama's tag that he attempt to sell was that America is such a land of opportunity that his rise is possible. Same on Reagan sold, Same one Clinton sold is a uniquely American story. And now a lot of Democrat politicians are saying, oh, you have no hope, you live in a worst country. Ilhan Omar says America legitimately is one of the worst countries in the world. This is the message that they're selling. I don't know that we have ever had that level of nihilistic worldview in the United States. And I do think it has a consequence because when people hear there is no hope, there is nothing you can do because of the color of your skin, you are forever going to fail. I think it does get internalized. And instead of moving towards ambitious goals, you begin to marinate, as that emailer said. I think it happens for white, black, Asian and Hispanic kids. You begin to marinate in the idea that you live in such an awful land that you could never succeed. And those thoughts become reality. Whatever you can convince yourself of, to a large extent is possible, both good and bad. And if you convince yourself that you live in an awful country where you could never have success, that's the reality in which you are going to exist. And so it doesn't surprise me that kids who have grown up in that culture and in that worldview would be profoundly sad. Then you layer on social media, I mean, heck, fact that 30% of teenage girls have thought about killing themselves in the last year, that's pretty scary. And that's a sign that our mental health as a country is not very high. Uh, look much less negative. We got a basketball game going on in Indianapolis tonight which could herald the rise of the Oklahoma City Thunder as the next champion. We also have the College World Series set. I'm sorry to Arkansas fans out there. I don't know how in the world. I'm sorry, Arkansas fans. I don't know how in the world you guys lost that game. Your baseball program really may be cursed. LSU improbable win you got LSU against Coastal Carolina in the College World Series. 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[Buck Sexton]

We have a specimen from the early 2000s a legacy investing platform. Please don't touch the exhibit folks. It could crash. Ready to step out of the Financial history [e-mail] you can invest in almost everything stocks, bonds, options. You could even put your cash to work at an industry leading 4.1% APY. Leave your clunky, outdated platform behind. Go to public.com and fund your account in five minutes or less. Paid for by Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC. Full [e-mail] disclosures we are days away.

[Unknown Speaker]

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[Colby Ekowitz]

We'Ve all done it. You see a headline but don't have time to read the whole story or there's so much news you're not sure what is worth your time. I'm Colby Ekowitz, co host of Post Reports, the weekday afternoon podcast from the Washington Post. Post Reports brings you what's relevant and revealing breaking stories, politics, wellness, culture. Each episode goes beyond a headline for the context you need. Find Post Reports now wherever you're listening.

[Unknown Speaker]

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[Clay Travis]

Welcome back in Clay Travis Buck Sexton Show Appreciate Everybody rolling with U.S. news that has just come down. White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt at the rostrum. This is cut 32 I believe reading a statement from President Trump saying that he is going to decide in the next two weeks, which is obviously a very long time given that we're what one week basically into attacks from Israel on Iran about being involved at all from a United States perspective.

[Colby Ekowitz]

Listen, regarding the ongoing situation in Iran, I know there has been a lot of speculation amongst all of you in the media regarding the President's decision making and whether or not the United States will be directly involved. In light of that news, I have a message directly from the President And I quote, based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two. Two weeks. That's a quote directly from the president for all of you today.

[Clay Travis]

Okay, so President Trump basically letting it be known, hey, in the next two weeks, I'll decide what I want to do. Can you imagine living and working? I don't know if they live there full time, but I think it's probably hard to get in and out of the side of the mountain in that Iranian nuclear facility in the side of the mountain. And I don't. Are they still sending people in there to work? Do we know? Can you imagine just going in every day and you're like, well, it's possible the whole mountain's gonna get blown up today. You have no control over it at all. US Might drop the big bunker busting bomb. Now, that's somebody who should be a little depressed. You got Americans walking around. Oh, it's so sad. I'm black. I have no hope of ever succeeding in America. Crying myself to sleep at night. I make $90,000 a year, six weeks vacation. Best medical care in the world. Oh, it's so sad. Meanwhile, some Iranian schleps gotta go into the side of a mountain and wait to see whether the whole thing's gonna get blown up or not. That's stress. I'm sorry. Like, yeah, that's probably not a very good way to get out of bed in the morning. Hey, we don't know, Hamid. You might get blown up today. No. No control over it at all. There's literally nothing you can do. Go turn the beaker on, Muhammad. Let's get to work. At any moment, Trump may drop the big bomb, blow the whole mountain up. You gotta go in. I would probably be pretty depressed. Those are guys where, if they were like, they called in right now and they're like, hey, I feel oppressed. I feel. I would get that. Yeah. That doesn't sound like a very good way to speak in the day. On the one hand, the Bunsen burner's not working. Well, that stinks. Positive. We haven't gotten blown up yet today, Hamid. That's basically their life right now. Assuming they have anybody in the. In the nuclear facility. Can you ever remember a conversation like this where everybody just talks about whether we're gonna blow up the place where these guys work and they have to go in there and work every day? That's stress. That sounds like something you could legitimately be depressed about. All right, we come back. We'll take some of your calls. By the way, Joey Jones, who served in the military got a brand new book out bottom of the hour. He's going to join us at 2:30. He's our only guest for the program. We'll take some of your calls, play some of your talkbacks, roll into our number three Juneteenth Thursday edition.

[Buck Sexton]

And here we have a specimen from the early 2000s, a legacy investing platform. Please don't touch the exhibit folks. It could crash. Ready to step out of the Financial history [e-mail] you can invest in almost everything, stocks, bonds, options and more. You could even put your cash to work at an industry leading 4.1% APY. Leave your clunky, outdated platform behind. Go to public.com and fund your account in five minutes or less. Paid for by Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC. Full [e-mail] disclosures we've all done it.

[Colby Ekowitz]

You see a headline but don't have time to read the whole story. Or there's so much news you're not sure what is worth your time. Colby I'm Colby Ekowitz, co host of Post Reports, the weekday afternoon podcast from the Washington Post. Post Reports brings you what's relevant and revealing breaking stories, politics, wellness, culture. Each episode goes beyond a headline for the context you need. Find Post Reports now wherever you're listening.

[Clay Travis]

Stuck in the same day to day routine. Wake up, go to work, eat, sleep, repeat. Break through the boredom this summer and download Call of Duty Mobile for free. Enjoy fan favorite maps, modes and operators from classic Call of Duty titles plus new mobile exclusive content. Today doesn't have to suck. Cure your boredom for free with Call of Duty almost anywhere, anytime. Call of Duty Mobile is available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store for free today. Rated M for Mature.

[Buck Sexton]

I'm Rodney Williams.

[Clay Travis]

And I'm Travis Holloway.

[Buck Sexton]

Welcome to the wealthbreak Podcast, a real conversation about finance. Let's be honest, building wealth doesn't look the same for everyone. I feel like sometimes being broke is a cycle and that we might have to revisit that. And we're not stopping at success stories.

[Clay Travis]

What happens when it doesn't go right? How do you cope with it?

[Buck Sexton]

Because wealth isn't just about money. It's about creating a life where you thrive and help others do the same. Listen to the Wealth Break podcast on the iHeartRadio app.

[Unknown Speaker]

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[Colby Ekowitz]

This is an iHeart podcast.