Hour 2 - Rep. Byron Donalds and Tom Homan

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show – Hour 2: Rep. Byron Donalds and Tom Holman

Release Date: February 26, 2025
Host/Author: Premiere Networks

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1. Introduction and Guest Presentation (01:30 - 02:35)

Hosts Clay Travis and Buck Sexton kick off the episode by introducing their guest, Congressman Byron Donalds from Florida. They welcome him to the show and congratulate him on his recent announcement to run for the governorship of Florida.

Notable Quote:

• Clay Travis (02:35): “We are joined by Congressman Byron Donald now from the fantastic state of Florida. Which Congressman, appreciate you being with us.”

2. Congressman Byron Donalds' Background and Motivation (02:35 - 03:23)

Byron Donalds shares his personal journey, highlighting his move to Florida at 17 and his career in finance before entering politics. He emphasizes his commitment to maintaining Florida’s status as “the best state in the country, bar none,” building on the foundation laid by Governor Ron DeSantis.

Notable Quotes:

• Byron Donalds (02:35): “I came to the state at 17... I was able to build a family, a career in finance... I want to make sure that it continues to be the best state in the country, bar none.”
• Byron Donalds (03:00): “We've moved Florida from a purple state to a red state. My mission is just to keep it going and make it better than it ever has been.”

3. Florida State Seminoles Discussion (03:23 - 05:16)

The conversation shifts to a lighter topic as Ryan Seacrest probes Byron about his support for the Florida State Seminoles' football program. Byron defends his support despite a challenging season and vows a strong comeback.

Notable Quotes:

• Ryan Seacrest (03:23): “What in the world happened to your Florida State Seminoles?”
• Byron Donalds (03:47): “Florida State, it was a tough year last year, but we'll be back. We're unconquered. We're going to make sure we return better.”

4. Relationship with President Trump and Endorsements (05:16 - 07:53)

Clay Travis brings up Byron’s relationship with President Trump, noting Trump’s endorsement of Byron’s gubernatorial run. Byron discusses the accelerated pace of Trump’s influence in politics and the collaborative efforts to push the president’s agenda through Congress.

Notable Quotes:

• Clay Travis (06:01): “You and President Trump have a great relationship and obviously he has already come forward with a full-throated endorsement of you for governor of Florida.”
• Byron Donalds (06:40): “The team has been committed to having this be done and it's different... we’re going to start rocking and rolling in Congress to meet the moment.”

5. Republican Primary Outlook and Competition (07:53 - 10:15)

When asked about the competitive landscape of the Republican primary, Byron focuses on running a strong campaign, engaging with Floridians, and leveraging his presidential endorsement to secure broad support.

Notable Quotes:

• Byron Donalds (07:53): “My focus is just run the best race I can, work hard, get to every part of our state, talk to the people and earn their support.”
• Byron Donalds (08:49): “I'm honored to have the president's support. We're building support all over the state.”

6. Property Taxes and Fiscal Policies in Florida (10:15 - 12:50)

Clay raises the topic of property taxes, referencing Byron’s proposal to eliminate them in Florida. Byron explains the feasibility and benefits of removing property taxes, addressing common misconceptions and emphasizing equitable impacts on all residents, including renters.

Notable Quotes:

• Clay Travis (10:15): “What do you think about the recent move from the governor's office to get rid of property taxes here in Florida?”
• Byron Donalds (10:57): “I would be in support of getting rid of property taxes in our state... It affects everybody, whether you're a renter, whether you're an owner, rich or poor.”

7. Success Story and Opportunity in Florida (13:02 - 14:59)

Byron highlights Florida as a meritocracy where hard work and determination lead to success, citing the backgrounds of current Florida leaders who also started with humble beginnings.

Notable Quotes:

• Byron Donalds (13:38): “We're a meritocracy. If you work hard enough, grind, and look forward, things can really happen for you in our state.”
• Byron Donalds (14:59): “Florida being the land of freedom and opportunity for everybody in the Sunshine.”

8. Transition to Border Security and Introduction of Tom Holman (15:13 - 26:17)

Hosts segue into the critical topic of immigration and border security, preparing to introduce Tom Holman, the Border Czar. They discuss the significant reduction in illegal border crossings and increased deportations under the Trump administration compared to the Biden era.

Notable Quotes:

• Clay Travis (16:47): “We'll be joined by border czar Tom Holman. He's busy again, just like when we had the secretary of state on.”
• Buck Sexton (25:07): “We're going to be selling a gold card... giving wealthy people a route to citizenship.”

9. Border Security Achievements and Future Plans (26:17 - 38:36)

Tom Holman details the administration’s success in reducing illegal border crossings by 97% and increasing daily arrests from 200 under his tenure to 17,000 during Biden’s administration. He outlines future strategies, including deploying more resources, engaging with Mexico to secure the border, and enhancing interior enforcement.

Notable Quotes:

• Tom Holman (26:48): “Our crossings compared to Biden administration, we're down 97%. We're looking at about 200 apprehensions a day compared to 17,000 under Biden.”
• Tom Holman (30:14): “The majority of agents out there are doing a great job. One is too many, but we've identified individuals responsible and are addressing them.”

10. Addressing Internal Opposition and Media Relations (29:26 - 35:52)

The hosts inquire about potential internal opposition within government agencies, such as ICE leaks tipping off raids. Tom responds by assuring that such incidents are minimal and actively investigated, emphasizing the integrity and dedication of most agents.

Notable Quotes:

• Buck Sexton (30:14): “We've identified individuals responsible for leaks and are prosecuting them. The vast majority of agents are doing a great job.”
• Tom Holman (35:52): “We'll make media rides work. We're committed to transparency and showing exactly what we're doing.”

11. Future Deportation Strategies and Private Sector Involvement (33:21 - 38:36)

Discussion turns to long-term deportation strategies, including potential collaboration with the private sector to enhance efficiency. Tom outlines the need for increased funding, legislative support, and interagency cooperation to amplify deportation efforts and secure the border comprehensively.

Notable Quotes:

• Buck Sexton (33:21): “We need contracts to take non-law enforcement duties off officers so they can focus on apprehensions.”
• Tom Holman (34:14): “We need more funding to put more agents on the street and increase deportation flights significantly.”

12. Closing Remarks and Acknowledgments (38:26 - 46:22)

As the episode winds down, hosts Clay and Buck express their gratitude to both Congressman Donalds and Tom Holman for their contributions. They reiterate the importance of border security and Florida’s political landscape, while also highlighting the show's commitment to addressing critical national issues.

Notable Quotes:

• Clay Travis (38:04): “Tom Holman, you are the definition of the right man for the job... we are thankful for your many years of service.”
• Buck Sexton (38:26): “God bless the men and women of the United States Border Patrol and Immigration Customs Enforcement. They are making this happen.”

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Key Takeaways

• Byron Donalds is officially running for Governor of Florida, leveraging his strong relationship with President Trump to bolster his campaign.
• Significant focus on border security, with detailed achievements under the Trump administration, including a 97% reduction in illegal crossings and a substantial increase in deportations.
• Future strategies involve increased funding, legislative support, and potential private sector partnerships to further secure the border and streamline deportation processes.
• Strong emphasis on Florida’s status as a meritocracy and commitment to fiscal policies like eliminating property taxes to benefit all residents.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Byron Donalds (03:47): “Florida State, it was a tough year last year, but we'll be back... We're unconquered.”
• Byron Donalds (06:40): “We’re going to start rocking and rolling in Congress to meet the moment.”
• Byron Donalds (10:57): “I would be in support of getting rid of property taxes in our state... It affects everybody.”
• Tom Holman (26:48): “We’re down 97%. We’re looking at about 200 apprehensions a day compared to 17,000 under Biden.”
• Tom Holman (30:14): “We’ve identified individuals responsible for leaks and are prosecuting them.”
• Clay Travis (38:04): “Tom Holman, you are the definition of the right man for the job...”

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This episode provides an in-depth look into Congressman Byron Donalds’ gubernatorial aspirations and the Trump administration’s robust efforts to secure the U.S. border. Listeners gain valuable insights into Florida’s political dynamics and national immigration policies, underscored by concrete data and strategic plans presented by seasoned policymakers.

Transcript

[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Byron Donalds]

Well, first of all it's great to be with you guys. Yep. I'm running for governor of Florida. I announced last night. And you know, look, for me, I came to the state at 17. I got it. I, you know, I got off a Greyhound bus in Tallahassee, Florida to go to college. I had a trunk full of clothes and that was about it. And I was able to build a family, a career in finance. Not me, not even dealing with politics before politics, and build a career in this state. And it's been wonderful to me and I want to make sure that it continues to be the best state in the country, bar none. You know, we've had great leadership by Ron DeSantis and there's been so much work that's been done to move Florida from a purple from a blue state to a purple state to now a red state. And my mission is just to keep it going and make it better than it's ever been.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Byron, we're going to get into the governor race and all those things. But I said in the first hour that I had to ask you the most important question in the mind of many people in Florida. What in the world happened to your Florida State Seminoles? One of the last times you were on with us, you were arguing that you should have been in the playoff. Now, I mean, are you guys even going to be able to beat anybody in the ACC this coming year?

[Byron Donalds]

You know what? That's a low blow. You weren't even supposed to do that. But that's all right. Listen, Florida State, it was a tough year last year, but we'll be back. But I still stand by what I said the year before. We should have been in the playoffs because we had a fantastic season. But last year just things didn't work out. So, you know, we're going to retool and we're going to rebuild and we'll be back. Don't even worry about it. One thing you got to know about the Florida State Seminoles, we're unconquered. We're going to make sure we return. We're going to be back better.

[Ryan Seacrest]

You know, I don't know if you know this, Byron, but Buck's wife is a Florida Gator grad. What should. Buck has never been to an FSU UF game and it's one of the great rivalries in all of college football. What should he know about that in state? Florida rivalry and how bitter and frankly, fantastic it has been for football fans over the years?

[Byron Donalds]

Listen, it's one of the best rivalries in football. It's intense. Make sure you go and then when you go, make sure you go. It doesn't even matter if you're in Doak Campbell or you're in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. It's always a great time. The teams come out and play hard. The records don't even matter in these games. It's smash mouth football. It is a great time. And it's the same type of rivalry like Michigan and Ohio State, like Alabama and Auburn. It's just a great time, great feeling, great event. You know, somebody wins, somebody loses. You know, Florida State's won a lot of them, but so has the University of Florida. But look, make sure you get out there and watch that game. It's phenomenal. I try not to miss it.

[Clay Travis]

Speaking of Congressman Byron Donalds, he is running for the next opening in the Governor's mansion here in Florida. But Congressman, I want to broaden and out nationally here for a second if I could. You and President Trump have a great relationship and obviously he has already come forward with a full throated endorsement of you for governor of Florida. What are you thinking right now about how it's all going? I mean, as you're seeing Trump and Doge, with Elon acting on behalf of the president, shaking up the system, the media in retreat. Just I wanted to get your take on is this all moving even faster than you anticipated and how do you want to get in on the action and help?

[Byron Donalds]

It's actually moving faster than even I thought. But I will tell you that the team has been committed to having this be done and it's different. It's one thing when you just have a chief executive who's mission minded, but when you have a team around him that's also about the same mission. These are the results that you get. They've been moving at warp speed and it's a great thing to see. And I think in terms of getting in on the action, that's just Congress doing its job. Last night we were able to pass through a budget resolution to start moving the president's agenda through Congress. We've passed one, the bigger one, the Senate passed a smaller one. But we're going to start rocking and rolling in Congress to meet the moment and meet the urgency that the Trump administration has come back to Washington with. And it's been a great thing. Listen, I was listening to the Breakfast Club. There was a clip of the Breakfast Club the other day from somebody who's a federal employee. And she was saying like she doesn't even understand why people are complaining about how you have to, like, send out an email talking about what you did. And if you can, if you could have put that email out, then, you know, what are you doing? You might need to go find another job. And that's on the Breakfast Club. I mean, they're not known to be a bastion of conservatism in America first policy, but that's what the American people are looking for. It's time to be efficient. It's time to just get the job done. And if you're just going to be an impediment to that, you got to get out the way. It's about the American people, first, second, and third. It's not about special interests. It's not about a bloated federal bureaucracy that just gets to continue operating regardless of elections, regardless of what are the needs of the American people.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I know, Byron, you have a huge amount of support already in Florida. And as you mentioned, Florida is a red state now. The Republican nominee is going to be the governor. I think that's going to be you. Do you expect very many other people to get in the race? What do you think this Republican primary is going to look like going forward?

[Byron Donalds]

Honestly, I really don't know. I will see. I mean, look, my focus is just run the best race I can, work hard, get to every part of our state, talk to the people and earn their support. And, you know, whether it's 2 people, 3 people, 10 people, I think we'll be successful. Really. I'm. I'm honored to have the president's support. We're building support all over the state from people that I served with, with my time in Tallahassee, people that I've worked with in my time in Congress. And it's really a humbling feeling to know that so many people support you and have your back, but we're just going to take this campaign to the people. It's about seeing people in their communities, addressing their concerns and earning their support. And look, I have the. You know, I have the biggest endorsement in politics with President Trump, but I want to go earn the endorsement from every Floridian because, you know, for our state to continue on the trajectory we're going, everybody's gotta be a part of it. It's gonna be a total team effort.

[Ryan Seacrest]

You got the endorsement of Trump again. In my opinion, you're gonna be the nominee. And I don't wanna spike the football before. We appreciate you announcing. Do you think that Governor Ron DeSantis will endorse? How do you think that he will play it out? He's term limited out for people out there who may not know. So he cannot run again. 2026, there's going to be a new governor regardless. Are you going to ask for seek his endorsement? What do you think he'll do with the race?

[Byron Donalds]

I mean I would love to earn it. And I think the reason and I think honestly, you know, back in 2018, you know, when Governor DeSantis, then candidate DeSantis had won the primary and the radical try to go at him because you know of a phrase he used about referring to his opponent. You know, I went and did media and stood in the gap for him because I believed he was going to be a great governor and I was proven right. He has been a great governor. You know, I was there to help him win in 2018, campaign for him, have always supported him. And I think at the end of the day I just want to be able to pick his brain, you know, learn from him. You know, being the chief executive is not easy. And so there's a lot of, I know there's a lot of advice he has. I want to be able to lean on that. And so I would love to be able to earn his support. And I think there'll be a time for that. We'll see how that goes, you know, but in terms of how the rest of the rest of the race unfolds, too soon to tell. I'm just going to focus on my business and really go see the people of Florida and earn their support.

[Clay Travis]

What do you think about the recent move from the governor's office, Congressman Donalds, to get rid of property taxes here in the state of Florida? I mean, that's something that it sounds, it sounds too good to be true, but he seems serious about it. If he's not able to get that done before the end of his term, is that something you would look at? We already think of Florida as a low tax state, but which is great. But I think other states also look at this and say, well, hold on a second. Are there other efficiencies, other things that we can do to make this an even more not just attractive climate for businesses, but for individuals who don't want to feel like they have to rent their house from the state every year, which is really what property taxes end up being?

[Byron Donalds]

No, that's 100% correct. I think, you know, even when Governor DeSantis was in Congress, this is something I believe he was advocating for. And so I think he's serious about it. If they're successful in Tallahassee I would love for them to be able to do that. And it's something I definitely want to look at. I think it's important for people to understand there are a lot of nuances when you get rid of property taxes. So I'm not trying to hedge. I'm trying to make sure people understand all the ramifications associated with it. But I would be in support of getting rid of property taxes in our state. There are other ways to raise revenue for local government so they can provide for police, for fire, for roadways and for capital improvements and building schools. There's ways to do that. I think this is a golden opportunity, not just in Florida's history, but in the country's history, to really examine new ways of doing business that are far more efficient, far more responsive to the needs and to the will of the people. And just as a quick pushback for people who would say, oh well, getting rid of property taxes only favors people who have means or who are wealthy. Let's be perfectly honest. Let's be intellectually honest. If you rent property in Florida, you are paying property taxes because if you rent property from somebody else, you're paying in part the property taxes through your rent. So it affects everybody, whether you're a renter, whether you're an owner, rich or poor, everybody's affected. So let's, if we're going to do this, let's look at it intellectually, honestly, and let's make sure we're doing the best thing for everybody in our state. So especially people who are or they have more access to be able to own a home or buy a home or whatever the case might be. But then from a government perspective, we are efficient in how we are levying taxes on our citizens and that we have to be responsive with the dollars that we're taking from citizens to run government.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Byron Donalds, he's announced, Congressman from South Florida that he is going to be running for governor of the state of Florida. Last question for you here. I own property in Florida. I love it. 30. A beautiful place, Buck.

[Clay Travis]

The Gulf of America. In fact. Congressman Donald he owns property on the Gulf of America.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I do. I own property on the Gulf of America. Buck is is going to be voting in your race. He is a citizen of the state of Florida. What does it say? I want to go back to how you started it off because I think it's super compelling. You came to Florida with nothing at 17 years old. Now you are. It's a great American success story running to be the governor of the state of Florida? What does it say about the opportunity that the Sunshine State offers, your career path and the life trajectory that you have had?

[Byron Donalds]

We're a meritocracy. That's what Florida is. Florida is a meritocracy. If you work hard enough, if you grind and look, nothing's perfect. There's pitfalls everywhere. That's just life. But if you work hard and you and you grind and you constantly are looking forward to the next successes, things can really happen for you. In our state. You know, and I look at, look, our current governor, he grew up poor. I think it was Dunedin is where he grew up. He grew up poor, and look what he's done for himself and his life. It has been a phenomenal life for him. Governor Scott, Governor Scott, single parent household, like me, grew up poor. And look at what he's been able to do in his life. And so I think that when you take, when you peel back the layers of the, you know, the last two men, the current men to lead our state, Governor Scott before him, potentially me, I think what it demonstrates is in our state, anything and everything is possible. It's hard work, it's determination. It's having your family and people, good people around you. And as long as you could try to put those things together and just walk through the pitfalls that come in everybody's life, success is really around the corner. So, you know, if that's what it means as being the state's next governor, that that's really a symbol of what's possible, so be it. But it's really about everybody in our state just chasing that dream. And Florida being the land of freedom and opportunity for everybody in the Sunshine.

[Clay Travis]

State, Congressman Byron Donalds, and hopefully the next governor of my beautiful state of Florida, Congressman, appreciate you, sir. We'll talk to you more as the race continues on there. And we really thank you for making the time.

[Byron Donalds]

Listen, thanks, guys. I really appreciate it. You guys take it easy.

[Clay Travis]

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[Ryan Seacrest]

Welcome back in Clay Travis. Buck Sexton Show. Appreciate all of you hanging out with us. A little bit of a break here between guests. Actually, uh, we're going to be joined by Tom Holman here in a moment. We gave you out all the data of just how shut down the border has become, which is pretty extraordinary. And, and by the way, Byron, Donald's just talking with us. We were saying this off air. If he is elected governor of Florida, and I think that he will be, and if he is, then in does a good job, I think he will be in the mix. Assuming that J We're looking years ahead, but assuming J.D. vance is very likely to be the nominee in 28, which I think he is, based on how things are going right now, I think he would be near the top of a list for potential vice presidential candidates because I think he's going to do a really good job in Florida. And I think a lot of the Great work Ron DeSantis has done setting the table Florida, where you live and where I like to spend a lot of time, is just going to keep getting better and better.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah. I mean, you're basically a partial resident of Florida, so I am. You do own property here, so. And it's fine to say that on the radio, by the way, because unlike some other places, the state of Florida welcomes people to come here and doesn't try to tax them by the day.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I have to do in New York and California in two states with no state income tax, so I don't have to Tennessee, obviously, I'm never leaving here, but I do like to spend a lot of time in Florida and I can go between the two places without worrying that they're going to be trying to tax the hell out of me because neither has a state income tax.

[Clay Travis]

I do think there's a similar dynamic playing out right now in Florida and also nationwide under the Trump administration, which is the expectations of, of rational people have. We have higher expectations now for governance, which is a good thing. There's no reason for Florida be a poorly run, you know, purple to blue state with all kinds of dysfunction and mess and. No, no, no. You know, we've come a long way and I haven't been here long, but the state has come a long way since the 2000 election and all that stuff. And the same thing I think is true now because of what Trump is doing on a national level. You can just do things. This is what's so amazing. Republicans have been led to believe for a long time and the controlled opposition criticism I think is very valid. When you see a lot of the old Republican ways Republicans have been led to believe once we win, then it's time to figure out what the other side will let us do, which is horrible. Horrible way to try to govern. No Trump comes in, he's like, we won. We're going to do stuff. Elections have consequences. Very important, very important insight from Obama. Credit where it's due. They do. And Trump is showing everybody the consequences right now.

[Ryan Seacrest]

We'll come back, we'll talk with Tom Homan about the consequences at the border in particular and what a good job he has been doing in that job, shutting it down. But in the meantime, want to tell you all about the work that our friends at the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews are doing. They are making a transformative difference for so many people across the entire Holy Land. I was over there in December and what they were able to do, frankly, is flat out incredible. Whether it's protecting people who are trying to protect many Israelis, whether meaning security and giving them vehicles that are protected, whether it is brand new bomb shelters. How about giving food to people who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford it. It is a transformative difference. The work that is taking place in the Holy Land. And we are asking you to join us. Monthly gift of $45 provides critically needed aid to communities in the north and south devastated by the war there since October 7th. Bless Israel and her people by visiting supportifcj.org that's one word, supportifcj.org you can also call 888-488-IFCJ.

[Clay Travis]

All right, welcome back into Clay and buck immigration, perhaps the biggest, certainly top two in the mission set for the Trump administration coming in here to this term. And we may be joined here momentarily by border czar Tom Homan. He's busy again, just like when we had the secretary of state on. They got a call the next day. They got to call the next day. This is we're going to have a lot of administration people joining us over the next four years and particularly the next 18 months. So, you know, we are at their disposal, right. Like they know open invite to get these cabinet secretaries to join us when they can. But Trump said this about immigration and this was not an idea I had heard before. It is getting some conversation going. That's one way of putting it. Cut three, play it.

[Buck Sexton]

We're going to be doing something else. It's going to be very, very good. We're going to be selling a gold card. You have a green card. This is a gold card. We're going to be putting a price on that card of about $5 million and that's going to give you green.

[Clay Travis]

Card privileges plus us.

[Buck Sexton]

It's going to be a route to citizenship. And wealthy people will be coming into our country by buying this car, they'll be wealthy and they'll be successful and they'll be spending a lot of money.

[Clay Travis]

And paying a lot of taxes and.

[Buck Sexton]

Employing a lot of people. And we think it's going to be extremely successful.

[Clay Travis]

I have a few thoughts on this. First of all, I think 10 million sounds like a better number if we're going to be selling green cards and calling it a gold card. That's the first thing that I thought about. I'm also not sure this is going to get through, but we'll see.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I kind of think it's genius. I'm not going to lie. And let me tell you why. There are a lot of countries. So I'm going to put my wife on blast here. Pre Trump reelection my well, hold on. I'll tell you this story. We got Tom Holman, we got the czar who is joining us now, my wife. I will tell you this story still unless she blows up my phone. But Tom Holman is with us.

[Clay Travis]

TOM holman, BORDER CZAR sir, thank you for taking a moment in the break from among the most important, if not the most important mission of the Trump administration so far. Sir, can you just tell us, we've been covering and this audience is very familiar with the details of what has been going on, the total shutdown of illegal crossings by over 90%. All that. Can you tell us what comes now? What are the escalations? What are the things that we should expect in the weeks and months ahead from the perspective of border security?

[Buck Sexton]

Well, as far as border security, I'm looking at the numbers this morning. Our crossings compared to Biden administration, we're down 97%. We're looking at about 200 apprehensions a day and that's down from 17,000 under Biden. So it's a 97% decrease. The most impressive number I saw was the number of gotaways and 2023 under Biden gotaways. And these are known got aways. These are people who capture on video drone traffic or sensor traffic that got away. They weren't apprehended because border patrol was too busy dealing with the humanitarian crisis families and all that other stuff. So they're dealing about 1800 on average a day out of the gotaways. Yesterday, 41, 41 across 2000 miles of border. So, you know, I've been doing this since 1984. I've never seen that number ever. So the southern border, it's at the best place I remember it being. And President Trump was able to do that in one month. Right? So we got some more work to do because 41 got aways are 41 too many got aways. I want zero got aways. Once we get zero got away so we can say we have total operational control of the southern border and we're going to get there. And I really, truly believe that. So we got some more things to do. Where the Galloways are, we're flexing resources, reinforcement personnel, DoD and Border Patrol to those areas and just simply squeeze them out. We're asking Mexico now that President Trump forced Mexico put military on the border, ask them to appease and deny entry, which means they shouldn't be touching your soil. So we're working on that. We'll get to that endgame very soon. As far as interior enforcement, you know, I looked at numbers more and we're just shy of 25,000 arrests in the interior United States by ICE. Vast majority of them being criminals. We need to do better. Like the numbers are more than twice as much as Biden a year ago today we doubled the amount of criminal arrests, we double the amounts of gang arrests. We've doubled amounts of aliens arrested. But I'm happy, but I'm not satisfied. The number needs to be more. Twice of a president that did virtually nothing is not impressive to me. We can do more. So we're putting more teams out there. We just brought in some contractors to increase the targeting, put more targets out there to field teams to go look for. We got the whole again, we've got the FBI, US Marshals, dea, atf, all these agencies are bringing any criminal investigation they have to deal with foreign nationals. So we're working on that. I got Pam Binding at the table now soon. Sanctuary cities are constantly putting roadblocks up and causing us to be less efficient. So we got a lot of things working. So I expect those arrests on the interior to rise in the very near future, and then I'll be happier.

[Ryan Seacrest]

How much? Thanks for coming on and thank you for all the work you're doing. We're talking to Tom Holman. 97% down on border crossings, 25,000 arrests, 2 times what Biden was doing on arrest violent criminals. And again, the work you've done in a month speaks for itself. You mentioned a little bit there at the end, Pam Bondi being in now is Department of Justice. You got cash and you've got Dan Bongino now running the FBI. How much opposition? There have been reports that sometimes ICE is getting the raids are being tipped off in advance from deep staters who may well oppose what you're trying to do. How much do you think that is actually going on? And to what extent does there need to be an investigation into opposition from inside of our own government?

[Buck Sexton]

Well, to what extent? Like I. One is too many. But we, we have identified how the leak occurred for Aurora, Colorado. That's being investigated now. We've identified that person, so we'll see how that investigate turns out. But more likely going to end up in a removal and prosecution. The secretary has information that maybe a leak came out of the FBI. I'm not privy to that. If there is, they'll be dealt with too. But I want to say this because the vast majority of agents saw that 99.9% of these agents out there, including FBI agents, are doing a great job. And, you know, they're out there taking bad guys off the street. So, look, one's too many. We've identified one and maybe another one. But I just came back from Houston, Texas. I ran operation at Colony ridge. We arrested 119 people. That operation went seamless, flawless. We took a lot of bad guys out there. That's a cartel presence there. But they got cartel presence, no more. So we're going to keep doing it and we're not going to stop. The biggest problem is, is the sanctuary cities who are constantly, for instance, in la. They're putting pictures up of our officers, their names or phone numbers or address, doxing them. And I actually, I met with Pam Bondi this morning. I want the DOJ opinion. When you put an agent's picture, name, address, phone number in a public view, said huge, other people doing this stuff, I think that's impediment. I think that crosses the line. So I want her opinion on if we can go identify who's doing this, to arrest them, put handcuffs on them. So I'm waiting that opinion. I should get it any day now.

[Clay Travis]

Speaking of border czar, Tom Holman, who spent decades as a guy on the front lines of our border and the national security implications of our border and understands all the ins and outs of this. And Tom, on the issue of the ramp up, I mean, you've talked about the numbers, first of all, the shutting down the border, illegal crossings the way that you've already done, it's been phenomenal. It has shown the Democrats wanted the wide open border. So it's a huge win already that the Trump administration has delivered for the whole country. But then there's the issue of the 10 million plus who came in under Biden and the millions and millions of others who are at various stages of illegal status here. You know, the overall number is not something that we seem to have a real definite sense of. But to get to the kind of numbers that Trump was talking about on the campaign trail would have to be a dramatic increase in deportations. And there is some talk that's already circulating of a private sector auxiliary, if you will. Erik Prince's name has been floated as somebody involved in this. Is that something the administration would consider meaning bringing in private sector to help with the deportations? And if so or if not, what is the plan to get these numbers to where there are, you know, hundreds of thousands being deported a month instead of whatever the current number is?

[Buck Sexton]

Well, I can tell you I've been told that I've been sent that plan, but I haven't seen it again. Again, I'm still with a 500 emails a day without a thousand facts. I'm slammed. I've seen that plan, but I've said from the beginning we need a contract. Allow this workout. What I mean is non law enforcement work, right? We got badges and gun with immigration authority processing. We got them writing warrants. We got them doing transportation. We got them doing intelligence work. We got them on transfer ground in air transport. I want to take every badge and gun with immigration authority and put them on the street. Things that don't like we spend thousands of hours a week processing illegal aliens. That doesn't take a badging gun, doesn't take immigration authorities. It takes somebody speaks Spanish to process these people for us. So I'm looking at now to build out a large contract contracting machine to take law enforcement officers out of those non law enforcement duties and put them on the street. Of course that takes money. Takes a lot of money. So I've been up on the Hill several times in the last couple weeks telling Congress, you need to pass this border bill. Get us money to do that. And the more money we have, the more successful we will be. It puts more agents on the street, it puts more bad guys in jail and our deportation flights will go a lot higher. But I can tell you this, you know, I was contacted by media first. You know, push this false narrative that removal numbers are behind Biden. Let's remember Biden was counting border patrol removals with ICE removals. So of course his numbers high. Millions of people crossing the border. We got the border locked down. But if you look at interior arrest, just those arrested in the interior by ice, we more than double them. But again, I'm not halfway there. We tend 10 times more than Biden because Biden wasn't doing very much. So that's. That is a plan right now. Do a contract and a lot of this work. I haven't seen the plan you talked about. Looking forward to reading it. But right now we got to get law enforcement officers, every one of them on the street, take them away from these non enforcement duties and get them doing they should be doing, putting handcuffs on a bad guy. So certainly looking forward to reading it. We'll see where we go from there. But the whole concept of contracting that workout makes sense to me. It's what we need to do.

[Ryan Seacrest]

We're talking to Tom Holman. Borders are doing incredible work so far. Two part question here. One, how has Eric Adam Adams, New York City's mayor cooperation been with you so far? I saw the Roosevelt Hotel was getting shut down. Second part. Can Buck and I come with you on an ice raid at some point to see for ourselves what your crew's doing?

[Buck Sexton]

Answer the second question. We'll make that work. We've had a lot of media out there and we pulled back the media just because we want to verify the leaks. But I'm certainly, I don't think you guys will make anything.

[Ryan Seacrest]

You don't have to worry about us.

[Buck Sexton]

Yeah, well, certainly, we're certainly looking at right now. Media ride loans are, are just on.

[Clay Travis]

Hold while we can I, can I say something, Tom? Clay hasn't really even been to the border. So we would love to get with border patrol, get up in a Hilo, see what's going on. I mean I've been down many times, but we, I want to get down with Clay. So we want to talk to your team about that.

[Buck Sexton]

We'll make that happen. Look, I've been from day one, I said I want to be transparent with the American people. Show me exactly what we're doing, exactly who we're arresting, exactly why we're doing it. We put a hold on it just while we're dealing with these leads. But we're getting close, getting beyond that now. So we'll fire them back up. As far as Mayor Adams, well, I'll find out next week. I'll be with him next week. And he's supposed to be right in the executive order to get back in Rikers. If he does that, getting us in the Rikers, that's a game changer. But I know he wants to do the right thing. What irritates me is that he wants to be a law and order mayor and because he wants to be a Law Order mayor because he's talking to Tom Holman. You know, Governor Hochul wants to fire. And this is the same lady who stood on national TV a month ago when illegal aliens were beating up on NYPD when they were, you know, setting a woman on fire on the subway. She says she fully supports the arrest and deportation of criminal aliens, yet she wants to fire the mayor that's going to let us into Rikers Island. Are you kidding me? And plus, she still has a green light law, which means if you're a nice agent or if you're a border patrol agent, you can't have access to New York State DMV data, which means if you're in a patrol car, you're getting ready to pull somebody over like law enforcement does every day. You run a license plate numbers, try to find out who's in that car, who owns the car, see if there's wants and warrants in that car. The men and women of ICE and Borbatrol do not have access to that data. So so much for her worries. Saying she supports the deportation of criminals, she continues to put roadblocks instead of her foreign. Mayor Adams, the voters in New York need to fire her because she talks out of one side of her mouth and acts differently on the other side. So she should be removed. That's my opinion.

[Clay Travis]

Tom Homan, I think you are the definition of the right man for the job, and it is an absolutely critical job for the nation right now. So we are thankful for your many years of service and we are very thankful that you are in this position now as borders are. And we'll be in touch with you and you know, let us know we can get the truth out about what's happening there. So, so thank you so much, sir, and please keep up the great work.

[Buck Sexton]

And God bless the men and women of the United States Border Patrol. God bless the women, women of Immigration Customs Enforcement. They're boots on the ground. They are making this happen. So God bless them.

[Clay Travis]

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[Ryan Seacrest]

Just one man, it's many. The Team 47 podcast Sundays at noon Eastern in the Clay and Buck Podcast feed. Find it all, the iHeartRadio app, or wherever you get your podcasts what does the future hold for business? Ask nine experts, you'll get 10 answers. A bull market, A bear market? Inflation's going up, coming down. Can someone please invent a crystal ball?

[Clay Travis]

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[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Clay Travis]

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[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Clay Travis]

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[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Clay Travis]

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[Ryan Seacrest]

Welcome back in Clay Travis Buck Sexton show what a badass Tom Holman is. I just want to hit some of those numbers Buck that he gave us because sometimes I think you can get lost in numbers and I'm a data nerd. I actually like using the numbers to tell a story. 97% down on illegal border crossings to 200 a day, down from 17,000 average every day under Biden and the known gotaways and he explained that what that was Buck. You know, basically they see him on camera but they don't get to them down to 41 in the most recent day from 1800 a day under Biden.

[Clay Travis]

And, you know, those numbers are. The got away number and the illegal crossing number are absolutely linked because to the point about being out of the border, I was there at night. The cartels. Because the cartels control all of it. The human smuggling and the drug smuggling. And if you don't pay them, you die. Right. So it's. So the cartels, Clay, would send boats of women and children that send like a raft or a sort of a little motorboat across the Rio Grande. And. And then when border patrol would gather with them to, you know, bring them water and take care of them and make sure, you know, the humanitarian mission is being a mile down, guess what happens? Just, you know, go fasts and. And drug mules as fast as they can because they know that they have limited resources. Right. So the gotaways and the illegal crossings are always. Those numbers are kind of synergistic. They build on each other. So you bring down one a lot, meaning people that are saying, oh, I'm here. Give me asylum. Now you have the resources to prevent the gotaways from bringing the fentanyl in to kill Americans when we come back.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Well, actually, I think we can play this really quick. I will play it. We come back, we got a lot of you weighing in with a variety of different talkbacks. But. But Buck, you started to set the table for the question about the golden ticket. Basically, as Trump is calling it, $5 million that would allow you from a foreign country to buy citizenship. Can we get the audio during the break of Trump saying that it could actually cure the entire federal budget deficit? Because that is actually super interesting to me with how many people would actually be interested in this worldwide.

[Clay Travis]

We can lay out this plan too. That's being discussed. Former Blackwater founder Erik Prince. Private sector. Tom Holman says private sector is needed to get the deportations to the level they should be. I'll lay out what's being said about that plan and more coming up. The Philadelphia Eagles are Super bowl champions.

[Buck Sexton]

It's over.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Fly, Eagles, fly.

[Clay Travis]

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