The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
Episode: Hour 2 – Thanks, BLM
Date: August 19, 2025
Podcast: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, iHeartPodcasts
Episode Overview
In this hour, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton take aim at crime and policing—especially in Washington, D.C.—amid a crackdown led by President Trump. They discuss the aftermath of the "Defund the Police" movement, new federal intervention in D.C., the dramatic drop in crime statistics, and the shifting narrative in liberal media. The hosts also touch on the challenges of restoring urban safety, the practical effects of tough-on-crime policies, and whether federal successes could be replicated in other cities. Their tone blends humor, incredulity, and pointed criticism of progressive policy failures, particularly around Black Lives Matter (BLM) and urban governance.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. D.C. Crime Crackdown & Federal Intervention
- President Trump initiates a "massive rehabilitation" of Washington, D.C., targeting rising violence and visible homeless encampments.
- Citing personal experiences living in D.C., both Clay and Buck emphasize how much the city has changed regarding public tent cities and lawlessness.
- After the Supreme Court's ruling, Trump acts quickly to clear homeless encampments, drawing national attention.
- D.C. Crime Stat Drop (per D.C. Police for the week following Trump’s intervention):
- Robbery: down 46%
- Carjackings: down 83%
- Car theft: down 21%
- Violent crime: down 22%
- Hosts express astonishment at the rapid improvement:
"In the one week that we have seen a surge of police on the streets, overwhelmingly, the numbers have been moving in a very positive direction."
— Clay Travis [03:51]
2. Shifting Liberal Media on Crime & Policing
- Clay highlights recent columns (Maureen Dowd in NYT) and the New York Times' (NYT) lead editorial acknowledging failures of the "Defund the Police" movement.
- NYT excerpts admit lawless conditions in cities and that the "defund" experiment was a failure.
- "Real world results were miserable. Parts of San Francisco, Seattle, Portland and other cities came to feel lawless, with people defecating and shooting up in public and store owners locking up items to reduce theft or simply closing their shops.” — Clay Travis reading NYT [07:39]
- Buck points out the disconnect between reported crime numbers and lived experiences:
“There was some of this Clay with D.C. Is really safe. I’ve lived here for five years. I’ve only been mugged once, only had one car stolen, only had, you know, three incidents where people threatened to like stab me in the street. But other than that ... it’s really good.”
— Buck Sexton [06:15]
3. Data Manipulation & Public Distrust
- DOJ investigation: Questions arise about the accuracy of reported crime drops, with Trump’s DOJ probing if D.C. police manipulated data.
“Does anyone really think that crime rates just suddenly drop 30% in D.C. for no apparent reason?”
— Buck Sexton [10:18]
4. The Legacy and Consequences of “Defund the Police” & BLM
- Buck and Clay call out BLM’s impact:
“You look at places that had the BLM murder spike, which is what happened.”
— Buck Sexton [11:31] “Nice work, BLM. A lot of murders going up all over the country. That’s what that movement ... was all about.”
— Buck Sexton [11:38] - Hosts emphasize that violent crime is highly localized: nearly half of all D.C. arrests occurred in Wards 7 and 8.
5. Quality of Life and Urban Decline
- The hosts tie the conversation to the everyday experience of city residents.
- Locking up everyday items like toothpaste and shaving cream is cited as a symbol of urban breakdown.
- Clay shares stories about crime warnings in Memphis and contrasts the divergent fortunes of Memphis and Nashville.
6. Is Crime a “Will” Issue, not a Technical One?
- The idea that crime in cities like D.C. and Memphis can be solved if there is political will, not just technical solutions.
“My question for everybody is, what if Trump’s right? ... What if Trump makes D.C. crime drop by 50%? Suddenly you have to start having conversations about why can’t we solve some of these problems that we claim are unsolvable.”
— Clay Travis [32:43]
7. Justice System Challenges & Repeat Offenders
- Call-in from Kevin in NYC asks what happens if those arrested are released by a lenient justice system.
- Clay and Buck argue that with Judge Jeanine Pirro as head attorney in D.C., new rules will apply.
- Discussion of the effectiveness of three-strikes laws and the pattern that most “low-level” offenders have longer criminal records.
“The notion that someone is, let’s say, carjacking a person, and you think that’s the first crime that person’s committed...”
— Buck Sexton [25:22]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On changing liberal narratives:
“Now, suddenly, with Trump in office, Democrats, some of them, at least their allies in the New York Times are willing to acknowledge that they blew it and that they created these awful scenarios.”
— Clay Travis [09:05] -
On the BLM "murder spike":
“Nice work, BLM. A lot of murders going up all over the country. That’s what that movement ... was all about.”
— Buck Sexton [11:38] -
On quality-of-life policing:
“You walk in and you think, where am I living? That every single product in the entire CVS or Walgreens or whatever it is, is under lock and key. And let me say this ... It’s a sign that we have had society collapse. I’m sorry. It just is.”
— Clay Travis [26:17] -
On federal intervention’s replicability:
“If Trump is able to lower the rate of violent crime in D.C. I would be very supportive of ... putting them to work in Memphis to lower the crime rate there. And we’re going to use as ... a road map what Trump did in D.C. Why would we not do this everywhere?”
— Clay Travis [26:48]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- [00:35] – Show begins: Background on Trump’s crackdown in D.C.
- [03:51] – D.C. police stats: Crime drops after federal action
- [07:24] – NYT editorial excerpts: Liberal acknowledgment of policing failures
- [10:18] – DOJ investigation into crime data accuracy
- [11:31] – “BLM murder spike” and national urban crime surge
- [13:37] – Arrests concentrated in high-crime D.C. wards
- [22:30] – (Caroline Levitt, Trump’s press secretary): Update on D.C. arrests and removals
- [24:09] – On illegal immigrants and crime
- [26:06] – Personal anecdotes on urban decline (Nashville, Memphis, NYC)
- [38:44] – Caller Kevin: The cycle of arrest and release in blue city justice systems
- [40:21] – Three-strikes laws and the real stories behind plea deals
Tone & Style
- The show is marked by a mix of incredulity (“I felt like I was taking crazy pills”), humor, and combative takes on political opponents.
- Hosts are unsparing in blaming Democrats for urban disorder, the BLM movement for increased violence, and the liberal media for a delayed acknowledgment of policy failure.
- Listeners are encouraged to adopt a skeptical, results-oriented perspective on policing and public safety.
Concluding Thoughts
Clay and Buck argue that D.C.'s early progress under federal intervention could serve as a model for other struggling cities—provided political will replaces progressive inertia. They challenge listeners, politicians, and skeptics alike to confront the legacy of "defund the police" and push for practical, tough-minded solutions to public safety. The hour closes with a call for replicating successes elsewhere and a promise to monitor these rapidly evolving stories.