Hour 2 - Overwhelm the System

Summary

The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show: Hour 2 - Overwhelm the System
Release Date: June 3, 2025
Host: Clay Travis and Buck Sexton
Platform: iHeartPodcasts

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1. Introduction: Colorado Terrorist Attack and Immigration Overview

The second hour of The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show commences with a poignant discussion led by Buck Sexton regarding a recent terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado. The perpetrator was identified as an illegal visa overstay, highlighting a critical issue in the United States' immigration system.

Notable Quote:

Buck Sexton [00:00]: "In the pre-Trump era, there were an estimated half a million visa overstays a year... Now, under Biden, we're seeing around 10 million individuals entering the country illegally."

Buck emphasizes the severity of illegal immigration beyond mere border crossings, pointing out the extensive number of visa overstayers that undermine national security and resource management.

2. Ideological Concerns: Anti-Semitism and Middle East Policies

Clay and Buck transition the conversation to the rising instances of anti-Semitism and the ideological underpinnings fueling such sentiments. They delve into the complexities surrounding pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel viewpoints, particularly among American college students.

Notable Quote:

Buck Sexton [00:02:30]: "There are adults in Gaza who could take action against Hamas, but instead, they are allowing madmen to run the country."

Buck draws parallels between Middle Eastern conflicts and U.S. immigration policies, advocating for a realistic approach to international relations and homeland security.

3. Border Security: Comparing Trump and Biden Administrations

A substantial portion of the discussion centers on the contrasting border security policies of the Trump and Biden administrations. Buck praises Trump's efforts in reducing illegal border crossings by 99%, surpassing his own expectations.

Notable Quote:

Buck Sexton [00:04:15]: "Trump has brought the numbers down 99%. I thought he’d manage a 90% reduction, but it’s almost zero now."

They critique the Biden administration for what they perceive as deliberate policy choices that overwhelmed the immigration system, leading to increased illegal entries and security vulnerabilities.

4. Interview with Tom Homan: Immigration Crisis Analysis

Tom Homan joins the conversation to provide an expert analysis on the ongoing immigration crisis. He articulates the logistical nightmares of deporting millions of illegal immigrants amassed over previous administrations.

Notable Quotes:

Tom Homan [00:08:49]: "We are going to be dealing with this for the next 10 years because of the chaos they created."

Tom Homan [00:12:08]: "Two million people paid more to get away. They didn’t want to be vetted. Why? This scares the hell out of me."

Homan emphasizes the challenges faced by Border Patrol in handling the influx and the potential national security risks posed by inadequate immigration controls.

5. Political Polling with Ryan Gradusky: Republican Resilience

The show transitions to a discussion with Ryan Gradusky, host of Numbers Game on the Clay and Buck Podcast Network. They critique CNN's Harry Enton, referring to him as a "poor man's Hagan Enton," to contrast with Gradusky's own data-driven analysis.

Notable Quote:

Ryan Gradusky [00:19:40]: "Democrats have traditionally been the party of the middle class. No more. Donald Trump and the Republican Party have taken that mantle away."

Gradusky provides insights into why Republican support, particularly for Trump, remains robust despite economic concerns and how Democratic messaging struggles to resonate with the electorate.

6. Democrats' Messaging and Leadership Challenges

Gradusky further explores the Democrats' lack of a coherent economic message and leadership void, attributing it to their poor performance in recent polls and internal conflicts.

Notable Quote:

Ryan Gradusky [00:24:05]: "They have no party that is the party of the middle class. Republicans have completely closed the gap."

He discusses the internal struggles within the Democratic Party, including leadership disputes and ineffective policy proposals, which hinder their ability to reclaim their traditional voter base.

7. Discussion on Biden's Administration and Family Dynamics

The conversation shifts to an analysis of Jill Biden's role and the Biden family's financial struggles, as discussed in Alex Thompson's book Original Sin. Gradusky speculates on the Biden family's motivations and the potential long-term implications for Joe Biden's presidency.

Notable Quote:

Ryan Gradusky [00:28:07]: "Reporting suggests the Bidens are basically broke, pushing Joe out to find ways to make money. It’s a political connection issue."

This segment highlights the intersection of personal finances and political stability within the Biden administration, questioning the sustainability of their governance model.

8. Fetterman's Loyalty to Biden Amidst Party Disarray

Gradusky recounts a pivotal moment where Senator John Fetterman stood alone in supporting Joe Biden during a crucial internal Democratic meeting, underscoring the fragmented state of the party.

Notable Quote:

Ryan Gradusky [00:30:33]: "Fetterman was the only one in the room still defending Joe Biden, even with his poor poll numbers."

This anecdote serves to illustrate the deep divisions and lack of unified leadership within the Democratic Party.

9. Future Political Strategies and Emerging Issues

Looking ahead, Gradusky anticipates that artificial intelligence (AI) and job loss will become significant political issues, potentially rivaling immigration in terms of populist backlash.

Notable Quote:

Ryan Gradusky [00:33:11]: "The genuine fears of AI and job loss will drive a populist backlash as severe, if not more, than immigration itself."

This prediction signals a shift in the political landscape, suggesting that Republicans should prepare to address new technological challenges.

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Conclusion: Ongoing Border Security and Future Challenges

As the hour progresses, Clay and Buck reiterate the urgency of addressing border security to prevent further terrorist activities and illegal immigration. They underscore the complexities of dismantling the Biden-era policies and the monumental task ahead for the current administration.

Notable Quote:

Buck Sexton [00:35:44]: "We are trying to fix the damage done by Biden. It was intentional sabotage, and we are just playing catch up."

The hosts express concern over national security and the continuous strain on immigration enforcement resources, signaling a critical period for U.S. border policy.

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Note: This summary focuses solely on the substantive content of the podcast, omitting advertisements, intros, outros, and non-content segments as per the provided instructions.

Transcript

[Buck Sexton]

This is an iHeart podcast. Second hour of clay and Buck kicks off right now. We've been talking about this terrorist attack in Colorado in Boulder. The guy was a, an illegal, a visa overstay illegal. And I can tell you that in the pre Trump era, I'm pretty familiar with these stats, they would estimate something like a half a million visa overstays a year. That's not even a number that you think of when you're generally considering illegals in the country. Right. You think of the people that come across the border, which was about 10 million under Biden. We'll call it 10 million. I think that's right. Eight million officially. Plus you add up all the gotaways, nine or 10 million is, is where it is. And we have more people in more ways that they are gaming our immigration system and staying in this country illegally. This is a massive problem. Last hour, we're talking about the anti Semitism and the components of the ideology of anti Semitism against, well, against the Jewish. Against the Jewish people. And why so many Americans. I mean, think about this for a second. A lot of these college kids who take this very anti Israel and very pro, pro Palestine or pro Palestinian point of view, and I know there's something deeply unfair about the same way I said this with Iran, I extend the same thing to There are people in Gaza who, you know, there are children there. There are people who have no choice. There are people who have no political agency, and they're stuck there, and it's unfair. But there are also a lot of adults who are there and aren't doing anything. And then there are a lot of adults who are doing terrible things, right? Or rather, there are adults who could do more to try to bring about something else somehow. There's always, there's always somebody who will fire a rocket at the Israelis in Gaza. There's not somebody who will, let's just say, try to change up the Hamas leadership situation. You know what I mean? Somehow there are plenty of people willing to be, you know, brave martyrs, so to speak, against the Israelis, but they won't do anything to stop the mad men in their midst who are running the country. So. But the same, same thing's true in Iran, right? If we had to do strikes in Iran for some reason, it wouldn't be the fault of every Iranian. But this war is hell and war is unfair, and this is reality, and we have to operate within that reality. And, you know, you do the best that you can. We didn't want to be bombing villages in Afghanistan until 9, 11, quite honestly, we didn't really care very much about Afghanistan, but then they made us care. Well, the Israelis have been made to care more than ever about their own safety and security after October 7th. So there's the immigration part of this. So that's the ideological Mideast foreign policy part of it. Now let's look at the. The truth of what's going on here with our border. It's wide open, and I'm sorry, has been wide open. Of course, it's not wide open anymore. Trump has brought the numbers down 99%. Something. Something unfathomable. I thought Trump would do a good job. And if I'm just being honest with you, I thought we would see a 90%, something like that. A 90%. I didn't think it would be almost zero. And the numbers now, I think they can count in the hundreds on a monthly basis. How many are entering the country illegal? I mean, it is. And this frees up. This is what I have said all along. This is so important. This frees up the resources at Border Patrol. And I've done. I've spent time with our Border Patrol guys. You got. It's, you know, the more people know about Border Patrol, I think the more respect for those men and women they have. They do a tough job. Something like a third of Border Patrol are United States military veterans. Maybe 25% are Latino as well. Latino Americans. So this notion that, you know, that, that Border Patrol is in some way a, a racist enterprise or that these aren't people that are, you know, they're demonized by the left as though they're doing something terrible. You know, they're rounding people up and putting them into these camps. They're protecting us. And as we see with, with this, this terrorist, I know that he's a visa overstay, but, okay, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement is supposed to and should have gotten this guy out of the country. Now I know he's. He has claimed asylum. I think that we just need to have a shutdown of the asylum process in this country for a while until we figure things out. That's really where we are. And all pending asylum claims just need to be, you know, maybe. Maybe they come up with some very high threshold for it. But there are. And see, and I know that's unfair, too, right? Because there are people who need a place to go, but we're not the only place they can go. The more you dig into this, almost all of the asylum claims that are making their way through our courts are Invalidated by one thing alone, and that is that these people came via Mexico. They are not supposed to pick which country they want to get to for asylum. It's which country they get to first, where they can be considered safe. So if we were serious, and I think the Trump administration will be, but if the Biden administration had any intention of enforcing actual asylum. All right, think about it. If you're fleeing, you know, I don't know, you're fleeing oppression in Indonesia as a. As an ethnic minority, and you make your way to Mexico, you're supposed to say, hey, Mexico, I need asylum. You're not supposed to go, hey, you know what would be really cool? If I can make it to America. Because they're rich and they have a big fat welfare state. That's not how it is supposed to go. And so all of these people that are saying they claim asylum, they. Right on its face, we should be able to just say to them, okay, well, did you show me your asylum paperwork from Mexico? Wait, you didn't. You didn't try to get asylum? Mexico? Why? Oh, because you want to just jump the line and go to America and you're. And then that's not even looking at whether they have a legitimate claim of asylum, which they don't, because there's not a hundred. And if 180 countries around the world all have asylum seekers, all coming to America, it just means that every country, you know, pretty much, you know, we don't have a lot of asylum seekers from Liechtenstein or, you know, Denmark, but we've got a lot of asylum seekers from everywhere else. Tom Homan is pointing out that this has created the Biden administration problem is something that is going to plague this country for years to come. No matter how fast, no matter how efficient the Trump administration border policies are and the enforcement mechanisms are, it is just mathematically impossible to fully handle and turn around just what Biden did. Think about that. If I said to you the Trump administration's mandate is to return everybody who came under Biden in those four years illegally, never mind everyone who came before Biden illegally. That's a. We'll just, we'll put that to the side for a second. That number is probably too much, just logistically too much. I. I'd like to think that I'm wrong, but I don't think I'm wrong. Because if we ramped it up and you got to a million deportations a year under Trump, which would be a lot, let's say you get to a million, and these are Real deportation. People are gonna say, but, Buck, what about in the, in the, in the 2000s or what about in the 90s and we were deporting. No, a lot of that was people who were turned away. The immigration, illegal immigration, particularly into California in the 90s was single adult males crossing the border, working and then going often, going back and then coming back again seasonally. So, yeah, they were breaking our laws, but there were multiple crossings and they were single adult males. Now it's turned into a lot of family units, women, women showing up with children, and they plan to stay forever, and they're from all over the world. What the Obama administration did to make the numbers seem much more robust than they were was, oh, Border Patrol stopped you and just sent you back to Mexico. That's a deportation. Like, that was how we got to the deporter in chief. They changed the way that they. So if we got to a million real deportations a year, meaning people picked up from the interior, put on a plane and sent to their country of origin, that would be pretty impressive. Okay, well, that's 4 million. You got 6 million to go. Here's Tom Homan. This is cut 10. Just laying this out so everybody understands the scale of this problem. Play it.

[Tom Homan]

We are going to be dealing with this for the next 10 years because of the chaos they created. In four years. We're out there kicking butt. We're arresting a lot of criminal aliens. We're out there looking for the bad guy. And when we're out there doing that, we're. We got protesters assaulting ICE officers. You got members of Congress all over the country going to ICE facilities raising hell, saying this is their oversight responsibility. Where was their oversight responsibility when 10.5 million illegal aliens came across the border? Where is the oversight responsibility? I'm releasing over 8 million illegal aliens in this country. Where's the oversight responsibility then? This is an attack on ice. This is an attack on the Trump administration. We're trying to fix the damage done by Biden.

[Buck Sexton]

An attack on the Trump administration and fixing the damage done by Biden. So true. And I just think that we all need to understand it was a choice made by Biden and his team. It was not a failure of policy. It was the enacting of policy. They wanted the illegals in this country, they wanted millions and millions of illegals to pile into the country. You overwhelm the system. Rules for radical Sol Alinsky overwhelm the system. And then once you break it through, overwhelming it, you can remake it. That's what they were trying to do here, and they got very far in that process. And we are playing catch up. And then some, even this administration, as dialed in as they are. But now we look at the. What about the fact that we were wide open for terrorist infiltration? We just had an illegal alien terror attack lighting Jewish people on fire in Colorado. We just had one. We're going to have more. There will be more. If you were a foreign terrorist organization and you just had access to the Internet, you would have seen what was going on under Biden and known it is open season for infiltration of the United States. And this is why the gotaway issue is so problematic or so concerning for us. Because remember, under Biden, and I saw this with my own eyes at the border many times. They were surrendering at the border. It's not, oh, I think the coast is clear. I'm going to make a run for it. And then border patrol is, you know, coming after you in the pickup truck and they're running after you on foot, you know, no, no, no. That's only for the gotaways, which were a small percentage overall of those who crossed. Most people, it was. They would show up. They would find a hole in the fence or a gap in the fence, or they'd show up at a port of entry or whatever. They'd say, here I am, I'm claiming asylum. Oh, okay. Now we have to put you through the whole process. Now. You get to get released into America. We'll give you a bus ticket, we'll give you food, that whole thing. So if you know that's the process, why would you make a run for it? You make a run for it. If you happen to be in that category of you can't claim asylum because you're going to come up on that database and. And they know you're a risk, you're a problem. You're either a convicted murderer, and by the way, there were convicted murderers who got in the country anyway. But, you know, you're somebody that could get flagged or somebody that didn't want to have any scrutiny on them whatsoever. This is cut 11. Tom Homan, the guy who I think knows the border better than anybody else on the scene right now. Here's what he says. Play it.

[Tom Homan]

Why did 2 million illegal aliens pay more to get away? They could have paid half of what they paid. Cross the border, turn yourself into a border patrol agent, get released that same day, get a free airline ticket to the city of their choice, get a free hotel room, get three meals, a Day, plus free medical care and work authorization. Two million people paid more to get away. They didn't want to be vetted. They didn't want to be fingerprinted. Why? This scares the hell out of me. I've been doing this for 40 years. It should have scared the hell out of every American. What? The Biden administration did this. Two men no got aways scares the hell out of me. So I'm convinced something's coming unless we can find him.

[Buck Sexton]

He's right. And they're tracking them down as fast as they can. But we had it was open season on America for four years of Biden, and now we're trying to play catch up and the Trump team is doing everything they can, but you could have never imagined that the Democrats would so grotesquely sell out their country and sell out our sovereignty the way they did for all of Biden's time in office. It's intentional. They did this on purpose. You know, it's just sabotage. It's sabotage. And that's one of the reasons I think so many people have seen that the Democrats are a malignant force. They sabotage this country's border and our security and we do not know the full consequences yet. And I, I pray that we never find out. But we have a big problem on our hands. This terrorist, this guy lighting people on fire, he's just. That's just the beginning. We're going to get hit again unless the people in charge now are able to figure out who's where and stop them. And that's a maybe they can, but it is a big ask. And I know this business. I was in that business, the whack a mole jihadist business. I know how this goes. Sometimes you get them just in time and sometimes you don't. If you consider yourself pro life like I am, there's a wake up call for us. Despite the overturning of Roe v. Wade a few years ago, the number of abortions increased again this past year. It's so tragic. The lives of more than a million babies were lost last year despite so many efforts to welcome those unborn children into this world. One of the best ones out there is Preborn's network of clinics. Preborn is located all across the country in areas where there are high abortion rates because they want to be there offering pregnant women who are having a crisis of conscience. What do I do? Should I give this baby life or should I choose abortion? Preborn is there to say, well, how about this? Let's just let mom meet the baby via a Free ultrasound. And let's let mom know that for the next two years after that baby is born, if she chooses life, preborn will be there for her. Food, clothing, job, finding assistance, whatever they can do, they will help that mom. All she has to do is give life to the baby inside of her womb. This is funded entirely by donations from you, the pro life community. They don't get any government money at preborn, but what better cause could there be out there than saving the lives of tiny babies Once mom hears that heartbeat in a preborn clinic during that ultrasound, that is so often the game changer moment. I've been to one of the preborn clinics myself. I've seen it. Please, they need your help. Give preborn a gift of $28 today, which will be a free ultrasound for a mom who's going to walk into that clinic tomorrow. And you could be saving a tiny baby's life. To donate, dial pound250. Say the keyword baby. That's pound250. Say baby. Or go online to preborn.combuck. that's preborn.combuck sponsored by Preborn. Let's take some calls. Want to hear from all of you. 800-282-2882. I'm actually here in West Palm today, and thanks to our wonderful affiliate WJNO for letting me come through here. It was fun before I got to join my friend Glenn Beck on his show for a moment, which was, which was great. And it was a reminder because Glenn. So I'm driving up and I'm listening on the radio as one does when one is driving, right. Can't read while driving, so gotta, gotta. And I'm also. I can't read in cars. I'm a little jealous. That's one of Clay's superpowers. Clay can read in cars like it's nothing. I. And I wish I could because it's so efficient, time wise. I mean, Clay can sit there with a book and he's like, curled up and he's happy and, you know, going 90 miles an hour. You know, Clay only drives 90 miles an hour. So just so you know, he may make fun of how I drive, but that man thinks he is an F1 driver in A, in a, you know, in like a Chevy Suburban or whatever he drives. So. But he can read a car. I can't. And yeah, producer Ally's like, he, he, he gets. Oh, she gets nauseous in a car, too. I thought producer Ali was going to start slamming Clay for driving. Your life flashes before your eyes when Clay, because he's super chill about it, too. Like, he's just foot on the accelerator. You're like, how. How fast are we going? He's like looking back and talking to you and, you know, sec sports and stuff. And. Yeah, Allie agrees with me. He drives like, you know. Yes. Do I drive a little. A little more on the cautious side? Sure. But yeah. I'm here today and I saw. I got to chat with Glenn a little bit and it was fun because Glenn said that they launched GBTV. Glenn launched Glenn Beck Television 14 years ago today. I joined 14 years ago next week. So I've been saying 15 years in this business. It's actually 14 years that I've been in this business. So, yeah, it's crazy how the time flies. If you're watching sports this week, the NHL, Stanley cup series, NBA Finals, make sure you've downloaded the Prize Picks app. Prize Picks, all about the players, not about the teams. Makes the game so much more fun. Millions of members Prize Picks has made daily fantasy sports accessible to all. The app is so simple to use. Pick two or more players across any sport. Then you pick more or less on their projection. You can win up to 2,2000 times your money. Join Prize Picks, America's number one daily fantasy sports app, available to play in more than 40 states, including California and Texas. Download the Prize Picks app today. Use my name Buck as your promo code. Get $50 instantly when you play $5. That's code buck on the Prize Picks app. To get 50 instantly when you play five. Win or lose, you'll get 50 bucks just for playing, guaranteed. I'm gonna be putting my picks with this Oklahoma City Thunder and the Pacers because my beloved Knicks are gone. So now I can just hone in on it. Download the Prize Picks app. Use code Buck. Hey, Buck. One of my kids called me an unk the other day. An unk? Yep. Slaying, evidently. For not being hip, being an old dude. So how do we un Unk you? Get more people to subscribe to our YouTube channel. At least that's what my kids tell me. That's simple enough. Just search the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton show and hit the subscribe button. Takes less than five seconds to help un me. Do it for Clay. Do it for freedom. And get great content while you're there. The Clay Travis and buck Sexton Show YouTube channel. Ryan Grusky joins us now. He is of the Clay and Buck Podcast Network. It's a numbers game, a great podcast. Some people are saying it's a, a big, beautiful podcast. Certainly worth all of you checking out. Breaks down a lot of the data, the numbers. Mr. Graduski, great to have you with me, sir.

[Ryan Gradusky]

Thanks for having me on. I'm so excited.

[Buck Sexton]

I wanted to look, there's, I like to just get this out of the way first, first and foremost, you know, there are some, there are some bootleg Garduskis out there, including CNN's Harry Enton. Right. I mean, it's like he's a, he's a fine guy. I think he does okay data analysis, but he's a poor man's gardusky. But he did say some. Yes, sir.

[Ryan Gradusky]

Yeah, no, yes, that's 100% true.

[Buck Sexton]

Yes, yes, he's a poor man's gardusky. We have, we have the, we have the original deal, right? We've got the real deal here with Ryan Gardusky. But he's been saying some stuff about the numbers as it pertains to Trump. Let's start this one with, with, with cut 21. Here's CNN's Data Guy. And then Ryan, I want you to explain what's going on here and what you see.

[Harry Enton]

Play it the party that is closest to your economic views. And In November of 2023, it was the Republicans by 11 points. Now it's still within that range, still within that margin of error plus 8 point advantage for the Republican Party. How is that possible? Democrats, how is that possible? After all the recession fears, after the stock market's been doing all of this, after all the terrorists that Americans are against and Republicans still hold an eight point lead on the economy? Are you kidding me?

[Buck Sexton]

I don't think it's that surprising. I just think it's interesting the Democrats have to reckon with this. What do you make of the numbers on Trump support with the economy right now being just as strong as when he got elected?

[Ryan Gradusky]

Well, I mean, Harry lets it out. The recession fears the fear.

[Buck Sexton]

Did we just lose Ryan? He just dropped. He was about to get to all the nuggets of wisdom and I don't know where he was going with that. We'll take him back here in a second. I don't know, maybe my comments about Harry Anton somehow have backfired and we are now dealing with the ghost in the machine here that has kicked Ryan off the air. Let me know when we get him back, guys. I teed him up so well for this. He's about to tell us all about the data. I'm not surprised that Trump is in a better Spot in as strong a spot because he was in a great spot at the time. What is the Democrat message on the economy other than professing or prophesying that there will be. Is it prophesizing or prophesying? Help me out with that one, team. You know, if I get this wrong pronunciation police, or maybe they're the lexicon, the, you know, the, the word usage police on this show. Man, pronunciation police is rough. They're waiting for you everywhere. They got pronunciation police on the Clam Buck show have speed traps like every two miles. You guys got those mirrored aviators on. I know, I know your type. I know what's going. You, you, you pull us over the second you can. But I think that the Democrats claims for how things are going to go poorly and then not go, and then they don't go poorly are the primary reason that the numbers are where they are, because they don't even really have a counter message here. They don't even have something to say to point out. Okay, Ryan, you were about to share your brilliance with us. Hopefully you have a cell phone that works. Now let's hear what you've got.

[Ryan Gradusky]

So, yes, there is. What is the, what is the Democrats economic message? I know hating Trump has been their political message, but what is their economic message? What are they focused on, aside from keeping Medicare spending and Social Security? I don't ever hear of it. And also the voters are against the, against the retaliatory efforts of tariffs. They don't want to pay higher prices. That's understandable. But they are for, or the message of reassuring manufacturing. They were for their efforts of trying to bring back economic patriotism. So they're not against the overall idea of it. They just don't wanna pay higher prices. But higher prices didn't come. So of course Trump's numbers are not that bad. And also, and I think this is a very big point of why Trump's poll numbers are so high right now. No one is talking about Trump in the media. What are they talking about? They're talking about Biden still. They're talking about his mental health. They're talking about what Democrats lied about. So the Republicans are still getting dividends from the bad governance and the lies of the Democratic Party over Biden's administration. That does matter. And they don't have an alternative. They don't have a leader. They have nothing. I mean, it's AOC running around with our. And Gavin Newsom with his podcast and you know, what else is there? So I think that they have A lot of problems as far as just what is their message. I don't know what the alternative is.

[Buck Sexton]

Now we'll, we'll get into. Because you, you sat down with or did an interview right. With Alex Thompson and Tapper or just Alex Thompson?

[Ryan Gradusky]

Just Alex Thompson. Just Thompson, yeah.

[Buck Sexton]

Oh, okay. I actually that actually I would have been more amenable to myself than having to, you know, listen to Tapper's nonsense. But we'll get to that in a second. First, that is more of, of poor man's gardusky Harry Enton talking about who looks out. I mean because this is if you're a Democrat and you've bought into the Democrat messaging for a long time or maybe you've been a purveyor of the Democrat messaging. Their whole thing is this make believe that they're the ones that care about the middle class. Here's the latest on the numbers when it comes to middle class and looking out for them. This is cut 20 play it.

[Harry Enton]

Which is the party of the middle class has been a huge advantage for Democrats. I have polling from NBC going all the way back since 1989 when Democrats had a 23 point advantage. 2016 a 17 point event. But by this decade we already started seeing declines. Back in 20, 20, 22 where you saw that Democrats led but only by 4 points, well within the margin of error. And now in our latest CNN poll among registered voters, which is the party of the middle class, it is tied. This I think speaks to Democratic ills more than anything else. They have traditionally been the party of the middle class. No more. Donald Trump and the Republican Party have taken that mantle away. And now a key advantage for Democrats historically has gone adios amigos and now there is no party that is the party of the middle class. Republicans have completely closed the gap.

[Buck Sexton]

Ryan, what do you make of that? Cuz that's gotta be, you know, given the election they just had the fact that they've also got to contend with this in a broader messaging sense. Rough days for the Democrats.

[Ryan Gradusky]

Yeah, they're having this and they're going through it and they, but they're very publicly admitting that they're going through it right now they can't admit to the fact that they lied that Biden's health was so bad they can't find a leader. And their only messages, I hate Donald Trump and maybe that'll get be enough to win them back the House. But overall that long term vision there is none.

[Buck Sexton]

It's, it's remarkable that this is the situation they find themselves in and that they've had so little introspection. I mean, they still have things like Gavin Newsom's California pretending that having a guy beat all the girls in the state champion track meet, that this is not like this makes their party look crazy. They can keep pretending Otherwise, but to 80% of the country, even people that vote Democrat, 80% of the country look at some guy who now wants to be called AB who's beating all these girls in a track meet and says there's something wrong with these Democrats. And to that end, though, also on the Biden stuff and the like. So you, you talk to Alex Thompson has got this book out now. And, you know, we've talked about, you know, Tapper particularly with it, by the way. I think that it should have been Thompson solo. I would have been far more open.

[Ryan Gradusky]

This is what I think. And he didn't say this, but this is what I think. When you write a book and you don't have a big name, when I wrote my. Wrote my book, I had, like, no social media following. And they said to me, if you can get someone with the name will publish your book. That's what they buzz. The publishers told me when I wrote my book. I think the same thing probably happened to Alex Thompson. I think that he was told, if you can get a name, we'll publish your book. And, and I mean, he should have.

[Buck Sexton]

He should have gone with Wolf Blitzer or somebody who's considered a little bit more of a neutral. He will. Nobody, nobody would think that Wolf Blitzer wrote a word of it. I don't know if they think Jake Tapper wrote a word of it either, but definitely not Blitzer. You know, that guy, he looks about as confused as Biden sometimes, just being.

[Ryan Gradusky]

Honest, but he's been going for 40 years on air, so, I mean, he's. He's done his time.

[Buck Sexton]

Yeah, he's done his time for sure. But. Okay, so you sat down with Thompson. This book, Original Sin, that's out there. What. What did you gather from it that was interesting? Like, we already know. Yes. They all, like, you know, they missed all the stuff about Biden. What was insightful. And anyone wants to hear the interview, it's on the. It's a numbers game Clay and Buck podcast network. Go subscribe to Clay and Buck show and it'll be right in your feed. But, Ryan, what. What did you. What did you learn from it that was interesting, or where'd you get into that was worth talking about?

[Ryan Gradusky]

Well, one, the fact that Mrs. Biden, Jill Biden was, was. I did not know that. She was a school teacher, a professor, the entire time she was second lady of the United States. She taught at a community college. And apparently she hated being a politician spouse, which is not unoriginal because a lot of people hate being politician spouses. But the fact that she went from doing that to being one of the most powerful first ladies in American history and essentially running large portions and being the one who said, no, Joe, you can't drop out. Her transformation, I think, is fascinating. I asked him specifically about how much it went into, why how much it was considered the fact that the Biden family needed Joe. And I put the idea up there was Bo supposed, had Beau lived, which is always the essential question of the Biden legacy and the Biden family, have Beau lived? Was he supposed to be the politician to grant them access so that they continue to. To live with a lot of economic, you know, flourishment and millions of dollars coming in because that's how that entire family makes money. It's political connection. Did Joe have to do this because he needed to bring money in? And apparently now there's reporting that the Bidens are basically broke, that they, that they want Joe out there more because they need a way to make money. They can't do it, you know, I don't think other. Other ways. So was that the entire premise of why Joe had to run, from the family's perspective, is they needed millions to come in every year. They didn't want a Clinton foundation situation where all of a sudden all the money is just gone and dried up and they have to pay for everyone's. Because they pay for the grandkids, they pay for the cousins, the brothers. Everyone lives off the Biden teeth. So that was a big, big part of it. Also with the book, the people who even after the debate had come out and said, no, Biden's our ticket. John Fetterman screamed at every Democratic Senate. They had a big meeting with Democratic senators and they said, who is still with Biden? Everyone but three said no. And Fetterman got up and started screaming and saying, how effing dare you betray our great president like this? And he was the only one in the room still defending Joe Biden, even with the poll numbers bad, even with everything Trump. So I thought that was fascinating. Which alliances remain close to Joe long afterwards now, I mean, I have to.

[Buck Sexton]

First of all, Ryan, that is really interesting. And I hadn't heard that. And that's. That's something that should certainly be better Known Fetterman has been getting a lot of credit because of the stuff he says on Israel from people on the right. And, I mean, I don't know how else to say this. Do you think Fetterman just took it personally that people were saying the guy's brain didn't work because of his own stuff? Or why would Fetterman. And so it was just. He just took that personally.

[Ryan Gradusky]

Yes, I think that that's. I think that's exactly what it was. I think Fetterman said, you know, if you were to judge everybody by how their brain operates, allegedly, then I wouldn't be here. But to be the most vocal and curse out your. I mean, he cursed out Chuck Schumer. He cursed out everybody, that you betrayed him, that you betrayed Joe Biden. And he was the only one in the room. He stood by himself. So I give him credit for that. But it was an explosive scene. So he talked to Alex Thompson about that, which I thought was fascinating, how he was the sole voice to stand with Biden. When they said, hey, you're going to lose New Jersey. Fetterman said, we ride with him till the very end. And everyone else at that point was trying to get him to drop out. So that was really interesting. I think it's fascinating that right now Joe Biden's team is still leaking information. Before this came out yesterday, before the debate, Biden had a 1.5% lead in Minnesota and Virginia. That was before the debate. Had Biden been on the ticket, it would have been, you know, not 1984 landslide, but 1988 landslide. It would have been a serious contention where New York and Illinois would have been in close single digits and New Jersey would have just been gone. So I don't. I don't. I think that right now they're. Rather than looking for a leader, looking for a mess, looking for something. They're still kind of sitting there blaming each other, and who gets to inherit the throne of a. Of a. Of a dead party. That's fascinating. But I will say one thing. I think they did a poll, they did a study. Democrats. What is the message going forward? Ezra Klein has this stupid book out about abundance and all this. Russia didn't respond at all. Voters didn't care. They still want a populist message. I think if I was advising a Democrat, what they would be doing. The big, beautiful bill that's coming out, there is a provision in it that forbids states to sit there and enforce AI technology. Any. Any enforcement, AI reforms, any AI development, anything. I prevent States from even doing, enacting any of that or any protections from AI. That's what they should be jumping on right now because that's where the fears are. That's my next episode of the podcast comes on Thursday on A Numbers Game is about the genuine fears of AI and job loss and the populist backlash from that will be as severe, if not more severe, as than immigration itself.

[Buck Sexton]

That's really interesting. Go check out It's a Numbers Game on the Claim Buck podcast network. Ryan Graduski is the host. Ryan, before we let you go, quick one kind of a lightning round question here. Who's the most powerful Democrat in America right now?

[Ryan Gradusky]

AOC and Bernie Sanders. Bernie Sanders number one and then AOC number two.

[Buck Sexton]

Wow. Bernie Sanders for sure. All right. Ryan Graduski, always insightful. Good to have you on, my friend. Thank you. Thank you for if your family was like mine and you had a dad who enjoyed videotaping family events, he always be like, hey, bucko, you like your present? I'd be like, I'm two, I don't know. Sure. But you had these VHS tapes of it, right? You know, I look kind of confused. I had the same haircut then, though, when I was 2 years old. So there's that. But if you want to enjoy that stuff. How do you watch those old VHS tapes today? Well, this is where Legacy Box comes in. Legacy Box helps you preserve and relive those precious family memories. Companies based in Tennessee, Clay and I know the founders, they're great people. They take great care of their people who work all American company here in Tennessee, and they do all this stuff by, by hand when it comes to taking everything out of the box and sending it back to you. Legacy Box has helped a million and a half families to date. You got Father's Day coming up. This is simply a perfect Father's Day gift. And just get it now. Get it now. You're done. Get it now because they send the box and you get to present the box. Then you can talk about, oh, maybe we'll do something fun together here with the box, right? And we'll fill it up. Just get it done now. And you have to worry about Father's Day, you know, you don't want to get your dad like grocery store flowers at the last minute because you forgot Father's Day. Legacy Box, go for it. Don't let those childhood memories fade away on old tapes. Digitize them. And future proof those priceless moments. Go to legacybox.com buck today unlock 50% off your order. That's legacybox.com. buck, we got some updates from the White House here. Caroline Levitt just did a press conference. We'll bring you some of those highlights. And do we still have these two callers up? Guys, let's go to Chuck in since. Oh, we don't. Oh, they left. Chuck, where'd you go, buddy? We're about to talk. It was gonna be Chuck and Buck. Oh, fair enough. Fair enough. So, yeah, there is plenty of time to chat in the next hour. We gotta talk back here. Dave from Twin Cities in E. Play it. Hey, Clay and Buck. Okay, if that terrorist in Colorado was.

[Tom Homan]

Here now illegally, does that not make.

[Buck Sexton]

His wife and kids here illegally?

[Tom Homan]

How quick can we get them on.

[Buck Sexton]

A plane that out of here? That's good. I don't know what their status is. That's a good question. I'm not sure I'd have to. We'll have to see. You know, so far they keep on reporting it as, like, Colorado man. I'm like, well, he's illegal and he's from Egypt. But sure, Colorado man works, I guess. I mean, can you imagine? This is what they do all the time. It's like Maryland man. Maryland man deported. Well, he's from El Salvador and he's an MS.13 member. But let's put this one on the state of Maryland, right? This is what they do. We'll have those updates for you from the White House here shortly, and we'll. We'll dive into that. And also, I want to take a bunch of your calls and chat about everything. We have been hitting on today's show. So that's where we're at. I'm gonna go. Go load up on some Crockett coffee. Go to crocketcoffee.com please subscribe. It is the best coffee you'll get anywhere. It actually is truly delicious coffee, and I really mean that. I'm a big coffee drinker and it's for a good cause. We donate to Tunnel Tower. So go to crocketcoffee.com we'll come back here in just a minute. A few minutes, and we will be diving into. What does the White House say in the aftermath of that Colorado terrorist attack? We'll discuss. Stay with us. This is an Iheart podcast.