The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Hour 2 - Thank You, Clay & Buck Audience
Date: December 17, 2025
Host: Clay Travis & Buck Sexton
Guest: Senator Rand Paul

Overview

In this episode, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton reflect with gratitude on the past year, celebrating their audience and the show's growth while addressing key current events. The discussion covers topics including New York City politics and public transit policies, urban migration trends, and broader issues such as affordability and federal debt. The second half features an in-depth interview with Senator Rand Paul, touching on U.S. intervention in Venezuela, border security, healthcare reform, and the economic challenges facing Americans. The hosts blend humor, sincerity, and pointed political critique in their signature style.

Highlights and Key Discussion Points

1. Gratitude to the Audience & Reflections on Growth

[02:22 - 05:14]

• Clay and Buck open with heartfelt thanks to their listeners for a successful year.
• Buck highlights the show's expansion:

  "We added 86 stations this year. We have added, thanks to you guys, over 200 affiliate stations since we launched this show in 2021... now I know we are over 550." [03:41]

• Plans for 2026 include increased video content and a push for audience engagement across all platforms, especially YouTube.

Notable Moment:
Clay shares a personal interaction:

"Someone was jogging Clay yesterday who listens to the show and stopped his jog for a minute to come alongside me to chat a little bit." [05:14]

2. Praise for the Audience's Character & Mission

[05:14 - 07:29]

• The hosts express a sense of kinship with their listeners, suggesting shared values of intelligence and discernment.
• Clay:

  "I truly immediately, this little thing in my brain goes, oh, you're one of the good, smart conservatives who doesn't waste his time with nonsense." [05:45]

• Both hosts emphasize gratitude for those who stick with them amid the “noise” of online discourse.

3. New York City Politics & Free Buses Debate

[07:29 - 14:34]

• Discussion shifts to the incoming NYC mayor (Mamdani) and his push for free public buses.
• Buck explains why he’s skeptical of a mass exodus from New York post-election, noting such moves are challenging during the holidays and predicting more migration in the spring/summer.
• Clay critiques the logic behind free buses, comparing it sarcastically to allowing shoplifting to prevent security altercations:

  “Just make it legal for people to steal stuff. There we go. That’s another approach to this, right?” [09:27]

• Both share personal anecdotes about riding city buses, with concerns about safety and unintended consequences—like buses becoming de facto homeless shelters.
• Discussion of urban safety, the economics of public transit, and real-life versus policy theory.

4. Migration Trends and Urban Resident Choices

[14:34 - 16:50]

• Speculation about whether the new mayor’s policies could trigger more people to leave New York.
• Clay points out most major stated intentions to relocate for political reasons aren’t acted upon, referencing public figures like Rosie O’Donnell.

5. A Personal Tribute: Vietnam Veterans

[19:14 - 22:34]

• Clay pays tribute to his late uncle, a Vietnam veteran, and uses the moment to honor Vietnam vets more broadly:

  “I actually think we should be doing a better job of saying thank you to everyone who fought in that war.” [19:54]

• He encourages listeners to cherish family connections and to recognize the service of veterans, especially during the holiday season.

Interview Segment: Senator Rand Paul

[24:06 - 37:16]

U.S. Policy on Venezuela

[24:06 - 25:13]

• Rand Paul criticizes interventionist U.S. policy:

  “War should be in self defense. And this, to me, is an offensive war. ... I just don’t think it’s the job of the American soldier to, you know, go around and spread freedom at the point of a bayonet.” [24:17]

Grades for Trump 2.0 & Border Security

[25:13 - 26:51]

• Paul gives Trump's second term high marks for border control and tax cuts, but poor marks (consistent for both parties) on spending and debt:

  "A triple plus on controlling the border... On spending and deficit...the same grade that all parties get...terrible." [25:43]

U.S. Military Strikes on Narco Boats

[26:51 - 28:58]

• Paul raises due process and proportionality concerns:

  “We don’t shoot unarmed people. ... The ratio of boats that have drugs to those who don’t is about one in four ... That’s a pretty high error rate to expect that we’re going to kill unarmed people.” [27:21]

Healthcare Reform Proposals

[28:58 - 31:54]

• Discusses failed efforts to enable insurance across state lines and the broader fight over healthcare.
• Advocates for association health plans and expanding health savings accounts:

  “Why not join a private collective that negotiates better prices? ... I would let everybody in America have a [health] savings account.” [29:39, 31:17]

Affordability, Inflation, and Housing

[31:54 - 35:01]

• Paul links affordability crisis to inflation from government overspending:

  “The price of things goes up because the value of your dollar shrinks. ... [Under Biden] about 20% inflation in four years and wages rose less rapidly.” [32:50]
  “Rent control in New York is a disaster. That’s why you have no apartments and none of them get fixed up.” [34:08]

Federal Debt & Entitlements

[35:04 - 37:12]

• Paul urges Trump and Congress to prioritize a balanced budget while highlighting the political difficulty of tackling entitlements:

  “Most of the money are entitlements... So we are really behind the eight ball. This gets worse over time. ... If we gradually start fixing the entitlements. But ... it's the third rail.” [35:17]

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• Clay on audience connection:

  "You always should feel like you can come up and talk to us, and we feel like we know you because you spend so much time with us over the course of the year." [05:30]

• Buck on show legacy:

  “And we all hope that we're doing a great job and that Rush is smiling down on us from heaven, thinking that we're carrying on the legacy and holding the torch as best as we can.” [03:17]

• Sen. Rand Paul on U.S. intervention:

  “I just don’t think it’s the job of the American soldier to...spread freedom at the point of a bayonet.” [24:36]

• Sen. Rand Paul on border policy:

  “A triple plus on controlling the border. ... Within three months [Trump] controlled that.” [25:43]

• Sen. Rand Paul on entitlements:

  “We are really behind the eight ball. ... It’s fixable now. If you do something...if we gradually start fixing the entitlements.” [35:32]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Thanking the audience & show growth: [02:22 - 05:14]
• NYC politics & public transit debate: [07:29 - 14:34]
• Personal tribute to Vietnam veterans: [19:14 - 22:34]
• Senator Rand Paul interview begins: [24:06]
  • Venezuela & military intervention: [24:06 - 25:13]
  • Border/tax policy grades for Trump: [25:13 - 26:51]
  • Narco boat military action concerns: [26:51 - 28:58]
  • Healthcare reform proposals: [28:58 - 31:54]
  • Affordability and inflation: [31:54 - 35:01]
  • Federal budget/entitlements discussion: [35:04 - 37:12]

Tone and Style

The episode mixes sincerity with humor and candid political critique, in the trademark conversational style of both hosts. Emotional moments—such as Clay's tribute to his uncle and the Vietnam vet community—are balanced with policy analysis and lighter audience interactions.

Conclusion

This episode stands out for its blend of audience appreciation, policy analysis, and personal storytelling, capped by a substantive interview with Senator Rand Paul. Listeners gain both a behind-the-scenes look at the show's growth and clear perspectives on hot-button national and local issues, delivered with the directness, wit, and warmth characteristic of Clay and Buck.