The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Hour 2 - Menticide IS a Thing
Date: February 18, 2026
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts
Hosts: (B) Buck Sexton (C) Clay Travis rarely heard in this hour

Episode Overview

This hour centers on the manipulation of public perception by media and culture—a theme exemplified by the recent controversy between a Texas Democrat, CBS, and Stephen Colbert regarding supposed government censorship. FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr joins Buck Sexton to clarify what actually happened and offer insights into the realities of FCC regulation, media narratives, and equal time rules. Later, Buck pivots to “menticide”—the murder of the mind through propaganda—and discusses parallels to historical and contemporary mind control operations, tying it into his latest book and to current debates, especially around transgender issues and societal mass delusions.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. FCC, Media Hysteria, & the Equal Time Rule (01:00–14:00)

• Brendan Carr (FCC Commissioner) Guest Segment:

  • Carr unpacks the recent uproar involving Texas state Rep. James Talarico and Stephen Colbert, who claimed the government censored their program, supposedly at the behest of the Trump administration.
  • In reality: CBS never prohibited Colbert from broadcasting any interview; the network simply encouraged compliance with longstanding equal time rules.
  • Media personalities and politicians created a victim narrative for attention, clickbait, and fundraising.

  "Colbert and Talarico concocted a scheme ... by claiming falsely that the government has somehow censored their program."
  — Brendan Carr (02:00)

  • Mainstream media reportedly fell for the story, rapidly spreading misinformation and then justifying their gullibility once facts emerged.
  • The equal time rule is neither censorship nor a new Trump initiative but a standard, decades-old regulation intended to ensure fairness when broadcasting candidates for public office.

  "There's a rule that's been on the books... since the 1950s... If you're going to put a legally qualified candidate for office on broadcast radio or TV... you have to offer comparable time and placement to other legally qualified candidates."
  — Brendan Carr (04:08)

  • The rule exclusively applies to broadcast TV and radio due to their use of the public airwaves, not to cable, streaming, or podcasts.
  • FCC currently has an open enforcement action against Disney’s The View, which claims “bonafide news” exemption from equal time rules.

Segment Highlights

• [03:21] Buck plays a CNN clip where a media analyst inaccurately portrays the situation as presidential censorship, which Carr swiftly debunks.
• [06:18] Analysis of how certain media figures leverage victimhood claims to boost ratings and gain left-leaning celebrity support.
• [09:07] Carr explains the difference between broadcast and cable/streaming regulation, emphasizing government licensure and the public trust model for broadcasters.

2. Modern Propaganda, Menticide, & Societal Delusions (15:40–37:59)

• Transition to Mind Control & Propaganda:

  • Buck teases forthcoming content with Congressman Chip Roy but dedicates time to listener calls and the concept of "menticide."
  • “Menticide” introduced as the deliberate destruction of critical, independent thought via psychological manipulation—a concept originating with Joost Meerloo, who studied Nazi propaganda and mass delusion.

  “Menticide is obviously killing of the brain, coined by Joost Meerloo... mental annihilation, the murder of the mind. And the ways that you achieve this. And confusion and degradation again are the twin pillars."
  — Buck Sexton (24:19)

  • Draws parallels between classical brainwashing techniques (Pavlov, Soviet/Maoist/North Korean/terrorist cults) and modern cultural trends—especially those he sees as delusional, e.g., medicalized transgender interventions on minors.
  • Claims current American society is more susceptible to information overload and manipulation due to social media, rapid-fire news cycles, and willful confusion sown by ideologically driven actors or institutions.

• The "Transgender Craze" as Modern Menticide:

  • Buck frames gender transition treatments for minors as a mass hysteria or social contagion akin to previous episodes of menticide; draws on breaking news about NYU Langone ending pediatric gender medicine in response to mounting regulatory/legal pressure.
  • Expresses that proponents of youth gender medicine avoid honest scientific debate and instead suppress dissenting viewpoints.

  "You are not a woman because you think you're a woman. That is not reality... And that medicine entered the... And you know I'm right, you know, as I say those words, what I am saying is true. And the other side cannot defeat that truth. Everything they say is an obfuscation or an evasion or an emotional manipulation."
  — Buck Sexton (33:30)

3. Listener Reactions & Reflections (16:46; 35:41)

• [16:46] Listener David from Tennessee thanks the hosts for continuing after Rush Limbaugh’s passing, underscoring the show’s legacy and tribute to conservative talk radio.

• [35:41] Caller Vicki from Michigan expresses gratitude for Buck's stance against “the transgender craze,” sharing personal stories about friends with children who underwent surgeries and the resulting family trauma.

  "I just wanted to thank you for standing up against the transgender craze, the surgeries. I have two close friends whose kids both had surgeries... It breaks up a family."
  — Vicki, Michigan (35:46)

• [36:40] Mark from Tennessee comments how Buck’s book resonated with him, specifically regarding shifting the definitions of words (e.g., “vaccine”) and how language shapes thought—a key theme in both propaganda and mind control.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On media victimhood cycles:
  "This seems to be the exact playbook. It's the same thing we saw with Kimmel, which is just nothing but projection and distortion."
  — Brendan Carr (06:18)

• On propaganda and delusion manufacturing:
  "We are more bombarded with information than any other era of the human species. But by far, it is not even close."
  — Buck Sexton (27:02)

• On the power of language to manipulate:
  "That's part of the propaganda portion of the book... manipulating your perception and controlling your mind. Propaganda. All the military guys listening are like, yeah, you know, information operations. We know all about this... controlling language is a big part of this. Even Orwell noted this..."
  — Buck Sexton (36:58)

Important Timestamps

• 01:00 — FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr joins to explain the CBS–Colbert incident
• 03:21 — CNN clip accusing Trump administration of “siccing” FCC on late-night hosts; Carr refutes
• 07:50 — FCC enforcement actions, The View, distinctions between broadcast and cable/streaming
• 11:47 — Robocalls/spam texts: What the FCC is doing, impact on elder fraud
• 16:46 — Listener tribute to Rush Limbaugh
• 24:19 — Buck introduces “menticide” (mental murder) and origins/historical context
• 33:30 — Breaking news: NYU Langone ends pediatric gender medicine; Buck’s commentary on societal delusion and medicine
• 35:41 — Caller reactions re: transgender youth surgeries
• 36:40 — Listener feedback on propaganda and shifting word definitions

Tone & Style Notes

• Language: Direct, polemical, sometimes sardonic but focused on policy, regulatory clarity, and sociocultural critique.
• Notable Themes: Media manipulation, regulatory misunderstandings, propaganda/menticide, contemporary culture wars, importance of linguistic precision, heritage of conservative talk radio.
• Listener engagement: Personal stories and tributes reinforce emotional resonance and community among the show’s audience.

Conclusion

This episode navigates the intersection of political regulation, media narratives, and cultural psychology, using current events as a springboard for broader commentary on how societies are shaped (or distorted) by what they see, hear, and believe. Through the lens of the “menticide” concept, Buck Sexton connects regulatory debates, personal testimonies, and historical propaganda with today’s challenges around medical ethics and freedom of thought. The show maintains a blend of skepticism, conservative advocacy, and appeals to legacy, concluding with a clear call to critical thinking amidst a landscape of manufactured delusion.