Hour 2 - Why America is Worth Saving

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Hour 2 – Why America is Worth Saving

Date: May 12, 2026
Hosts: Clay Travis, Buck Sexton
Podcast: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show (iHeartPodcasts)

---

Episode Overview

In this hour, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton dive into why America is worth preserving, taking listeners through a spirited conversation about American exceptionalism, current political fears on the left, big-city crime crises, failures of progressive leadership, and the state of culture war issues such as gender ideology. Using a combination of humor, passionate opinion, and direct engagement with callers, they argue for a sense of gratitude and patriotism, even as they dissect present challenges.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. American Exceptionalism and the Nation's 250th Anniversary

• Opening Theme:
  Buck Sexton sets a patriotic tone, urging Americans to reflect on the greatness of their country as the 250th anniversary approaches.

  • “This is the best country. We are the best country in the world.” (Buck, 02:46)
  • Critiques the common talking point (referencing Jeff Daniels in “The Newsroom”) that America isn’t “the greatest”:

    “You could smash that stupid take in about two seconds if you actually paid attention to what's going on in the world.” (Buck, 03:54)

• Historical Perspective:
  Buck reminds listeners that despite present challenges, America’s global contribution—especially relative to potential rivals like China—is immense and worth defending.

  • “China could be the global hegemon. ...Where would freedom be globally?” (Buck, 06:01)

• A Call for Context:
  While acknowledging current problems (e.g., inflation), Buck and Clay urge pausing to appreciate the larger picture of American prosperity, freedom, and opportunity.

  • “This is the greatest country in the world. And we are coming up on the 250th, and I do think...some reflection on that for all of us is necessary context for the challenges that we talk about.” (Buck, 06:48)

---

2. Political Shifts and Democrat Fears Ahead of 2030 (07:17–09:08)

• Demographic Concerns:
  Clay lays out the Democrats’ existential anxiety as population shifts disadvantage them:
  • “The maps that are going to get redrawn in 2030... is potentially the existential threat to the Democrat Party...where everybody is moving to red states and you have Illinois and New York and California overwhelmingly losing residents.” (Clay, 07:42)
  • Argues that unless major headwinds change, Democrats’ grip on the House, Senate, and presidency may become “almost impossible” post-2030.

---

3. Crime, Urban Decay, and Leadership Failures (09:08–18:00)

Spotlight: Los Angeles Mayoral Race

• Debate Dodge:
  Buck highlights the suspicious withdrawal of LA’s current leaders from debates, implying recognition of their failing record:

  • “Nithya Rahman and Karen Bass have, at the last minute, pulled out of their next debate...there's no way they do this without knowing that to a lot of people, it looks like they are ducking for cover.” (Buck, 09:24)

• Progressive Tactics:
  Buck plays an audio cut (10:21) of Nithya Rahman equating challenger Spencer Pratt to “fascism” and “mini-Trump,” criticizing the left for demonizing moderates as extremists:

  “They're calling him a fascist because he thinks that he can do a better job than the horrible job that they have done. I feel like this is Democrats encapsulated.” (Buck, 10:40)

• Parallels to Giuliani’s NYC Turnaround:
  Clay wonders if LA is ready for its “Rudy Giuliani moment,” recalling the transformation of New York with common-sense leadership.

  • “They got a 90% reduction effectively in the overall murder rate...You had Rudy Giuliani for eight years and then you had Bloomberg, I think for 12 years...an entire generation of sane leadership.” (Clay, 13:09)

• Personal Safety as Litmus Test:
  Clay introduces a simple, relatable litmus test for urban safety:

  “Is your neighborhood safe enough for. If your wife or your girlfriend goes for a jog, do you feel like she's going to be okay? And there are way too many parts of America where the answer is no.” (Clay, 13:48)

• Escalating Crime—Concrete Examples:
  Buck notes high-profile crimes (Venice Beach stabbings, New York subway violence) as evidence of leadership failure and soft-on-crime philosophies.

  • “Three stabbings in Venice Beach, California in about three days. One of them was inside a Whole Foods...” (Buck, 14:18)

• Critique of Empathy for Criminals:
  Clay drives home the consequences of misplaced empathy:

  “Refusing to put violent people behind bars is not kind because ultimately it leads to directly what happened with that 76 year old in New York City.” (Clay, 16:38)

---

4. Culture Wars: Gender Ideology and Party Orthodoxy (24:45–36:00)

Democrat Orthodoxy and the “Insanity” of the Gender Debate

• Democrats' “Purity Tests”:
  Buck asserts that Democrats remain steadfast in radical positions: open borders, crime leniency, gender ideology.

  • “A recurring theme here on the show, the left is nuts. They are not less nuts now than they were in 2024. In fact, they are doubling down...” (Buck, 24:45)

• Wes Moore Example:
  Buck and Clay react to a viral interview with Maryland Governor Wes Moore on transgender minors, criticizing his refusal to give a clear, traditional parental response.

  “He can't just say no. I would tell my 14 year old boy, you're not a girl. I'm your dad. I love you, I'm here for you. But we're not going to do this.” (Buck, 29:11) “If my 15 year old came to me and said, hey, I think I'm a girl and I want to get treatments, I would say yeah, there's a zero percent chance of that.” (Clay, 29:48)

• Analogies to Tattoos and Marriage:
  Clay and Buck use comparisons to parental limits on tattoos and teen marriage to highlight what they see as the absurdity of current gender-affirming policies for minors:

  • “Would you let your 14 year old get a big tattoo... I think almost every parent would say, no, I wouldn't let my 14 year old get a tattoo... tattoos are reversible, to my knowledge.” (Clay, 31:45)

• Broader Critique:

  • “The Democrat party believes if you're trying to change your race, that's unacceptable... but if you want to change your gender, then that's something that should be encouraged and supported.” (Clay, 34:08)

• Democrat Playbook:

  “Pretend to be normal and reasonable and moderate just long enough to fool just enough people that then you get to do what the purple-haired spit-in-the-face-of-ICE officers men should have... that's what you get with the Democrat Party.” (Buck, 35:57)

---

5. Listener Engagement & Legal Analysis (41:06–45:49)

Gerrymandering Questions

• Listener Paul from Virginia Beach:
  Asks about racial gerrymandering decisions and the implications for redistricting in Virginia.

  • “Are there any racially gerrymandered districts as it currently sits in Virginia?” (Paul, 41:16)
  • Clay responds with nuanced legal insight, referencing recent Supreme Court decisions, and notes the complexity of racial versus political gerrymandering:
    • “Virginia could argue that the reason they redrew the 65 map was because there were improperly racially gerrymandered districts and they were trying to fix them.” (Clay, 42:17)

• Listener Nick from Ohio:
  Shares a positive anecdote about school kids in DC feeling emboldened to wear MAGA hats during class trips:

  • “By day two...the boys in our group had been felt emboldened enough that they went out and bought the red caps themselves.” (Nick, 44:52)
  • Clay and Buck both note that DC is safer now, crediting Trump for the improvement.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On American Exceptionalism:

  • “America's a champion. We're pretty amazing. So don't forget that while we're getting into all this stuff.”
    —Buck Sexton (04:57)

• On the Failure of Progressive Urban Leadership:

  • “They're calling him a fascist because he thinks that he can do a better job than the horrible job that they have done. I feel like this is Democrats encapsulated.”
    —Buck Sexton (10:40)

• On the Culture War:

  • “He won't say that because he can't say that. He can't say that and be a Democrat in good standing.”
    —Buck Sexton (29:11)
  • “Pretend to be normal and reasonable and moderate just long enough to fool just enough people...”
    —Buck Sexton (35:57)

• On Crime and Empathy:

  • “I would rather have empathy for innocent crime victims than criminals.”
    —Clay Travis (16:38)

• On Parental Limits and Gender:

  • “Would you let your 14 year old get a big tattoo... I think almost every parent would say no.”
    —Clay Travis (31:45)

---

Timestamps of Important Segments

• Why America is Still the Best (Opening Reflections): 02:46–06:48
• Democratic Party’s 2030 Census Fears & Political Realignment: 07:17–09:08
• Los Angeles Mayoral Race / Urban Policy Debate: 09:08–15:40
• Crime, Empathy, and Criminal Justice Philosophy: 15:41–18:00
• Culture War on Gender Ideology (Wes Moore Interview): 28:05–35:57
• Listener Questions on Gerrymandering: 41:06–44:35
• Callers Share Classroom MAGA Hat Story: 44:52–45:39

---

Conclusion

This energetic episode combines patriotic optimism with fierce critique of progressive politics, spotlighting urban chaos, crime policy failures, internal Democrat anxieties, and the divisive culture war over gender and parental rights. Clay and Buck energize listeners with their humor, conviction, and willingness to take calls—painting a picture of an America worth fighting for amid turbulence heading into the 250th anniversary.

Transcript

[Buck Sexton]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Public Sponsor Voice]

Guaranteed Human support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI it all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public

[Public Sponsor Legal Disclaimer]

Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc. SEC Registered Advisor. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice.

[Public Sponsor Voice]

Complete Disclosures available at public.com Ever wonder

[Reynolds Kitchens Sponsor Voice]

how to make hosting look effortless? Here's a secret when prepping for cooking and baking, get ahead of the mess with new Reynolds Kitchens countertop prep paper. Just lightly wet the counter so the paper grips. Lay it down and drips and spills stay on the paper, not on your counter. Cleanup is as simple as lifting it away to reveal clean counters. Effortless it is thanks to Reynolds Kitchen's countertop prep paper. Wet it, set it, prep it, done. Available in the Reynolds Wrap aisle at Walmart, Target, Amazon and Costco.

[Okta Sponsor Voice]

These days it seems like AI agents are just about everywhere you turn, every field and every function. But without identity, you can't trust they'll serve your business instead of jeopardizing it. Fortunately, Okta helps you get identity right by securing your AI agents identities, giving you a single layer of control, a single standard of trust. So whether an AI agent supports a single user or your entire enterprise, with Okta you'll turn risk into opportunity. Secure every agent. Secure any agent. Okta secures AI the wait is almost over.

[NFL Sponsor Voice]

Get ready for the NFL season with the highly anticipated 2026 NFL schedule release. Every rivalry, every rematch and every rookie debut with matchups locked and kickoffs confirmed. Be there for every can't miss moment. The full NFL Schedule release coming in May. Get all the [e-mail] schedule release.

[Buck Sexton]

Second hour of Clay and Buck kicks off now. Thanks for being here, everybody. All across the US of A clay, you know, the 250th is coming up soon.

[Clay Travis]

Oh, yeah.

[Buck Sexton]

Gonna be very exciting. Some people are saying the most exciting. Gonna be huge. It's gonna be beautiful. We're gonna have a fantastic 250th anniversary of this amazing country of ours. And look, there's a ton to celebrate. And you should always take a moment, even while we're here doing politics and current events and talking about challenges and different ideologies and things that should be done differently and failures. We're about to get into failure of the LA mayor and how people in LA should make a different choice here. And go with Spencer Pratt. We're about to get into all that. But first, just note, if you're listening to this and you are an American and you are alive, which I guess would be a precondition for you to be listening to this. You're very lucky, actually. This is the best country. We are the best country in the world. I always laugh when they show that. You know that clip, it's. What's his name? The guy from Dumb and Dumber, who. Who's in it from the newsroom, where the girl. First of all, they have a very attractive, like, blonde would be sorority girl. The girl's probably, like, 30. But you know what I'm talking about in the newsroom show, where she goes, why is America the best country in the world? And I forget the name of the. He's the guy. Not. Not Jim Carrey. Jeff Daniels. I always want to say Jeff Bridges. Jeff Daniels. Thank you, Jeff Daniels. Jeff Daniels is like, we're not the greatest country. And it's just this smug lib idiocy of like, we're behind in literacy. We're, you know, we have the highest incarceration. All this stuff. It's like, first of all, you could smash that stupid take in about two seconds if you actually paid attention to what's going on in the world. But. But more to the point, it's absurd when you think about the greatness of America, when you think about what this country has done not only for Americans, but for the human race, for the entire world. And then we always said, do this thing. Yeah, we're imperfect. Well, of course we're imperfect, but we're still awesome. We're still number one.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah.

[Buck Sexton]

When Michael Jordan was at his peak in the NBA, was he always going like, I know I'm imperfect, but no, he's like, I'm a champion. I'm pretty amazing. America's a champion. We're pretty amazing. So don't forget that while we're getting into all this stuff. You see that, Clay? You see all that? Can you just feel all that optimism wafting?

[Clay Travis]

Yeah, that's a lot. That's a lot of positivity from you for the top of the second hour. You got a, maybe a little bit of a fever. You're playing hurt.

[Buck Sexton]

Yeah. And maybe it's the cold meds talking there, the Sudafed coming through, but this is the best country in the world by far. Not even close. Nothing else even scratches in our direction. And we should just take a moment of that and, you know, the world should be thankful that China is not. We're going to talk a lot about China coming up. Obviously, this, the Xi Jinping Trump summit is happening. I think he arrives Clay Wednesday night and then Thursday. And there'll be a lot of back and forth with Trump and Xi Jinping. Xi Jinping wants to put Taiwan at the very top of the agenda. So we will get into all those details. China could be the global hegemon. You know, you could have the Chinese Communist Party in a position to basically destroy any country's economy, kill every, everybody in the country if they wanted to. I mean, China could be as powerful as America, theoretically. And then what would it, what would it be like for humanity? Where would freedom be globally? So, you know, we. I don't think we spend enough time talking about. And I don't mean we on this show. I just mean Americans in general. There should be. Yeah, the price of eggs, the price of gas may be a little high right now. It's still a. It's still the greatest country in the world. So that's your backdrop now. I understand day to day problems are real and they exist. This is like, you know, telling people, Clay, that things could be worse. You could be living in the middle of the thirty Years War and everyone around you is being raped, pillaged, murdered, or dying of cholera. Yeah, that doesn't really help us right now, though. Right? I mean, there's historical perspective and then there's just losing yourself in narratives that have nothing to do with the moment. This is the greatest country in the world. And we are coming up on the 250th, and I do think it's. I think some reflection on that for all of us is. And we'll do more as we get closer, but it's necessary context for the challenges that we talk about and also to remind ourselves why it's so important that we not let this place fall apart.

[Clay Travis]

CLAY I think all of that is true. And I also yesterday Buck was talking about this midterm in terms of looking years ahead, and I understand everything is immediate and we have very sort of goldfish attention spans in the United States, which likely have been. Has been exacerbated by TikTok and reels on Instagram and everything else. The amount of deep thought that is typically corresponding with policy is. Is quite rare. But I think one reason that what all you just laid out, one reason why Democrats are so desperate here in 2026, is not only because Trump's in power, but they know Trump's going to leave power in 28. This is so significant. The maps that are going to get redrawn in 2030, and who is in power when that census happens is potentially the existential threat to the Democrat Party. Because if the numbers look and continue to move in the direction that they are now, where everybody is moving to red states and you have Illinois and New York and California overwhelmingly losing residents, the math for Democrats to win as the party currently exists almost becomes impossible starting in 2030. I mean, across the board for the House, for Senate and certainly for the presidency when you look at the Electoral College. So I think there is a desperate fear that is palpable right now in the Democrat Party because they're not just staring down the potential of losing an election. They have a generational shift that is occurring that is moving against them in a profound way, and they have to put up substantial roadblocks or else they could basically be censused to a large extent, out of power.

[Buck Sexton]

So now on the la, and remember, there's a Los Angeles race, there's also the California governor's race, Los Angeles mayor debate news here, which I thought was really interesting. Nithya Rahman and Karen Bass have, at the last minute, pulled out of their next debate. Clay they're going to say that this is scheduling, we're busy, whatever. There's no way they do this without knowing that to a lot of people, it looks like they are ducking for cover. They are trying to get away from the attention on this race because the more people, I understand it's just people in Los Angeles who are voting, but the more national attention there is, the more local attention there will be as well, because people can everywhere they turn now, this LA mayor's race is getting real, real coverage in the media. And they're also showing you, I think, the kind of arguments that they're making are in such bad faith. They're really looking for the deranged and delusional left to come to their rescue on this one. Mayor mayoral candidate Nithya Rahman. This cut 37. This is what, how she refers to Spencer Pratt play it.

[Guest or Contributor]

But I also think it's a very real thing that we should take seriously and we need to grapple with and we need to offer it an honest response, a response that's rooted in actually solving these problems. Otherwise people will turn to fascism, to mini Trump, which is who I think Spencer Pratt really represents.

[Buck Sexton]

Fascism Clay. So now they're trying to, they're trying to tie a guy, they, they let his house burn down with their incompetence, along with all of his neighbors, his entire neighbor. It's gone, by the way. It's never coming back either with everyone in the Palisades knows this. It's never going to be what it was. It's gone forever. They let his neighborhood burn down, they let his hummingbird nests get scorched, go up in flames. And they're calling him a fascist because he thinks that he can do a better job than the horrible job that they have done. I feel like this is Democrats encapsulated.

[Clay Travis]

Yes. And look, the runoff is going to be down to two because it's highly unlikely anybody's going to get 50% plus one vote to be able to ensure that a runoff doesn't happen. Now when either, either Spencer loses and you end up with two crazy left wing people, or Spencer is one of the two that advances and it's going to be self evident what they're going to do to him. They're going to do the same thing to him that they did to Rick Caruso. And the question is, I was actually at dinner last night with Andrew Giuliani and we were talking about his dad and the fact that he came into power and we were discussing this LA mayor race and a bunch of the guys at the table were LA residents and the conversation was, have people gotten frustrated enough with the filth, with the homelessness, with the drug use in la? That and maybe also writ large, when you look at the governor's race, the same sort of issues are applying in San Francisco and other big metropolitan areas that they're willing to do something different? And you've talked about this quite a lot, Buck, but the numbers on murder in New York City when Rudy Giuliani came into office, what, over 2,000 murders were happening every year, if I'm not mistaken, in New York City alone. And now the number's down around 250, 300. I mean, I think it went all the way to basically 200. They got a 90% reduction effectively in the overall murder rate. And you had Rudy Giuliani for eight years and then you had Bloomberg, I think, for 12 years. So you had an entire generation of sane leadership. The question that LA is going to face is are they going to pull a Chicago and are they going to go from Lori Lightfoot to Brandon Johnson like Chicago did, where you arguably, I think, got even worse? Could you end up with somebody worse than Karen Bass? I think you could. Or are they going to recognize that it's time for a modern era? Rudy Giuliani in la. Spencer represents that. And I think what I don't remember, you may remember the campaign that Giuliani ran when he won the mayor's race for the first time. I think the thing that Spencer Pratt has done a really, really good job of is buck. His ads and his social media is brilliant. It is just. And he's got people doing videos for him using AI. It feels like a next generation campaign where you're taking advantage of the modern technology and modern AI to tell a compelling story about something that is honestly universal for most people, which is, let's just have a safe city for women and children. When we talk about on this program, the best way to judge a neighborhood, in my opinion, is would you let your wife or girlfriend go for a jog around dark? If the answer is no, you don't live in a safe neighborhood. If the answer is yes, you live in a safe neighborhood. And every. To me, it cuts through the noise. Is your neighborhood safe? Is your city safe enough for. If your wife or your girlfriend goes for a jog, do you feel like she's going to be okay? And there are way too many parts of America where the answer is no.

[Buck Sexton]

I mean, I said this yesterday, Clay, when you were en route to the studio. Three stabbings in Venice Beach, California in about three days. One of them was inside a Whole Foods and the Venice Beach Whole Foods. Yeah, this is a fancy, you know, Venice Beach, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills. This is the Manhattan of la, if you will, right? This is the, the highest rent district, the highest cost areas in Bel Air. I mean, I know there's a few. And there's dangerous stuff that's happening and it doesn't even get a lot of outrage. It's just treated like it's part of the cityscape now. This is just the way that it works, the way that it Happens. It actually does not have to be this way. This guy who went out into, what was it, Cambridge, Shooting a rifle at people and then he got shot, but he's been arrested.

[Clay Travis]

Like we talked about this yesterday, Buck, with the guy who shoved the 76 year old on this down the subway steps in New York City.

[Buck Sexton]

They act like all these guys who have a dozen serious crimes in their background, including crimes of violence are worthy of a slap on the wrist because, you know, everybody makes mistakes. Not these mistakes. And the people that are putting these individuals back on the street until they throw, you know, see this guy who threw a senior citizen down the stairs and killed him. No reason. Just ran up behind an old person.

[Clay Travis]

That's what I'm saying.

[Buck Sexton]

New York subway.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah.

[Buck Sexton]

Shoved him off. Yeah, shoved him off the top of the. You know, we wouldn't really know about this stuff if all the video and surveillance stuff didn't exist and if X didn't allow us to share it so freely. We know who's doing the crime. We know the Democrats don't want to talk about it. We know that the people that are in charge of keeping us safe have screwed up and are actively making decisions. See, Clay, I think it's worse than they're not good at their jobs. And so these things happen. I think that whether it's Mamdani or Karen Bass or name your Democrat in any city in America, they make choices that result in old people being thrown down the stairs to their deaths in a violent and completely senseless end. Because that's the cost of social justice to them. That's the cost of not doing mass incarceration. That's the cost of the police not appearing racist. That's the cost they are willing to have other people pay.

[Clay Travis]

That's 100% right. And what I said yesterday, and this is, I think one of the messages that Spencer is hammering, and we've been hammering it on this for a long time, refusing to put violent people behind bars is not kind because ultimately it leads to directly what happened with that 76 year old in New York City, Buck. There was a woman who that guy previously shoved in a subway and the quote yesterday that was out was that she didn't want to prosecute him because she didn't want to see another black guy in jail. So as a result, she didn't prosecute him to the full extent of the law and he ended up killing somebody. And the numbers do reflect, and this is important, that if a violent person is allowed to stay on the streets, they're going to continue to engage in violent behavior. And so the actual, if you, if you want to be concerned about empathy, I would rather have empathy for innocent crime victims than criminals. And that is a huge part of how all of this is playing out in so many different cities. Almost everyone who engages in violent behavior, almost everyone who commits to a, to a crime like this, you knew what was going to happen. And you see it in la, you see it in New York, you see it in Chicago all the time.

[Buck Sexton]

So it's not, to me, it's not clay that it was avoidable. It should have been avoided. People in charge had a duty to avoid it. You know, it's a, that's a different thing.

[Clay Travis]

Well, I also think if you want to be empathetic, the empathetic thing to do is to protect innocent people who have done nothing wrong, not to protect criminals. And people are being taken advantage of by using their empathy against them. And I actually think if you just use that empathy and redirect it to the people that actually deserve it, it is the innocent people who are becoming victims of crime that from people who should have never been on the streets. Born on America's Darkest day of 91125 years ago Tunnel the Towers foundation has been helping America's heroes ever since. Heroes like New York city Fire Department Lt. Edward McDonough Jr. He was a Marine Corps veteran, lifelong public servant. He was on the front lines at ground zero. In the days following 911 he cleared debris while serving his city with courage and dedication. He, he rose through the ranks of the New York City Fire Department ultimately becoming a lieutenant and inspiring those around him with his leadership and humor. Edward battled 911 related cancer for more than three years before passing away. He leaves behind his wife Kimberly and their five kids. In this 25th anniversary year of 911 we continue to see the toll that day still is taking on heroes and their families. Tunnel Towers honored Edward by paying the McDonough family mortgage. For help, more families like the McDonoughs. Your donation today can provide hope and stability to those who gave everything in service to our communities. Donate $11 a month and amplify your impact with a car or land donation. Go to t2t.org that's t the number two t.org pre set your pals playing buck on the Iheart app.

[Public Sponsor Voice]

Support for the show comes from public the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On public you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index, and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public

[Public Sponsor Legal Disclaimer]

Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc. SEC Registered Advisor. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice.

[Public Sponsor Voice]

Complete Disclosures available at public.comdisclosures Ever wonder

[Reynolds Kitchens Sponsor Voice]

how to make hosting look effortless? Here's a secret Getting ahead of the mess with new Reynolds Kitchens countertop prep Paper Just lightly wet the counter beforehand so the paper grips and stays in place. Then lay down the Reynolds Kitchen's countertop prep paper so drips and spills stay on the paper, not all over your kitchen counter. You can roll out dough, prep a party spread, or cook alongside family. When you're done, cleanup is as simple as as lifting the paper and revealing that clean counter underneath. Effortless. You can use it for cooking and baking, prep and even crafting, especially when you need extra working space. Because when the mess is already handled, you can focus on what matters the food, the people, and the moment. It may look effortless, but now you know it's Reynolds Kitchens countertop prep paper. Take a tip from me. Wet it, set it, prep it. Done. Make it easy. Make it with Reynolds Kitchens countertop prep paper, available now in the Reynolds Wrap aisle in Walmart, Target, Amazon, and Costco.

[Okta Sponsor Voice]

These days it seems like AI agents are just about everywhere you turn every field and every function. But without identity, you can't trust they'll serve your business instead of jeopardizing it. Fortunately, Okta helps you get identity right by securing your AI agent's identity, giving you a single layer of control, a single standard of trust. So whether an AI agent supports a single user or your entire enterprise, with Okta you'll turn risk into opportunity. Secure every agent. Secure any agent. Okta secures AI.

[NFL Sponsor Voice]

The wait is almost over. Get ready for the NFL season with a highly anticipated 2026 NFL schedule release every rival, every rematch and every rookie debut with matchups locked and kickoffs confirmed. Be there for every can't miss moment. The full NFL schedule release coming in May. Get all the [e-mail] ScheduleRelease

[Clay Travis]

welcome back in Clay Travis Buck Sexton show We appreciate all of you hanging out with us as we are rolling through here. Buck, the president's about to leave for China. We can talk a little bit about that. There's also crazy lunatic takes from CNN that are even bonkers for cnn. Bakari Sellers, one of their news commentators said if a black person woke up friend in 1896 they would basically have no, there would be no difference between life in 1896 and today if you are black in America. And I mean, yeah, yeah, so we got that cut. We will play it for you. I do think that it is, it is bonkers how Democrats are losing their mind. And again, I think the big story here is they recognize where problems are coming if they are, if they are going forward. So we'll talk about that. We'll play some of those cuts for you when get back. We'll play some of your talk backs as well. But I want to tell you, if you want to stay in touch with as many people as possible out there, Rapid radios can make a tremendous difference for you and all of your family. These radios are advanced walkie talkies, the kind that keep you connected coast to coast. They operate on an LTE network which means they can instantly connect with other Rapid Radio holders no matter where you are. Across the country, we each own sets of rapid radios. Don't wait. We're approaching the time of year when so many of you know tornadoes are coming through. It's not too far, believe it or not, till we'll be in hurricane season again. Make sure that you are taken care of and your family is protected. Every order includes a 30 day money back guarantee. Website rapidradios.com use code radio for 5% off and free shipping from Michigan when you need to be heard no matter where or when you can rely on Rapid Radios again. That's Rapid Radios.com right now. $300 in free gear with your order.

[Buck Sexton]

Rapid Radios.com welcome back in here to Clay and Buck. So we're talking about the state of the Democrat party right now as we enter the summer before a big midterm election. And a recurring theme here on the show, the left is nuts. They are not less nuts now than they were in 2024. In fact, they are doubling down in, in Fact, they have the same purity tests and the same expectations of their various leaders and would be leaders when it comes to a whole range of issues. They still do not want a secure border. They want an open border. They want to spend us into oblivion. They want more socialism than we already have. They don't care about how much fraud there is because the fraud mostly goes to people that Democrats like. They want us to have a weaker national defense. Just go down the list. All these things on crime, they still adhere to the we don't need more cops. We don't need more law enforcement to make people safer. That's just a lie. They're just wrong.

[Caller]

They.

[Buck Sexton]

They could not. You would not get Clay right now, a single prominent Democrat. And maybe we should start putting out this challenge, although to debate the issue of crime in America today with a competent Republican who has command of the fact that you could do it. I could do it. A whole number of different people because they're on such weak ground. They would get smoked so badly. In fact, one of the only issues I think were the Democrats would get more trounced in an open and public and serious policy debate than on the issue of crime, where Democrats are just wrong top to bottom because of a whole range of things from their delusions about what the data says to their refusal to just sort of see a lot of this policy as different forms of racial solidarity one way or another. The only place where they're crazier is on the gender stuff than they are on crime right now. I think more openly, demonstrably wrong. Climate change stuff, sure. But on the climate change issue, they've taken a backseat for a while. They've lost some of their luster on that one. But somebody who's supposed to be a Democrat of the future. I'd mentioned him here before. In fact, I think Clay, I said it'll be West Moore right after the 2024 election. The great thing about those kind of predictions is they're so early that no one's really going to hold. Right. Like. Like, you know, whether it's a steak dinner or whatever, it doesn't really count because it was so early in things. You can't really know what's up. So Wes Moore is supposed to be the Democrat that will bring it all together for them. At least that was the theory around him. Now, why he's telegenic. He's a former. I think he's former Army. Right. He could be. I don't think he's a former Marine. I think he's Former army. Anyway. Served the military. He's a veteran. He's a veteran. He played football. And so you'd say, okay, here's a guy who's an American guy that other normal American guys can look at and go, yeah, I, I, I vibe with him. I, I see eye to eye. I, I can feel a lot of the same things and issues that, that he does on all this. But then you have to remember he's a Democrat and so he has to take certain positions whether he truly agrees to them or not. And this one, he was on the PBD show. And I want you to listen to this exchange play 29.

[Clay Travis]

Your son comes in saying he wants to transition. What do you do?

[Wes Moore (quoted)]

I want to make sure that I'm involved in understanding where he is, how he's feeling, the way he's feeling, why he thinks it's important. If this is a journey that he wants to go down. I want him to always be comfortable in his own skin and I want him to always know that he has a partner in me to help him along that journey. Would you advise him to wait till he's 18? If this is how he is feeling and I feel like I'm closely tied to him, I'm not going to advise him on something that he feels is at 14 years old, Wes. No, I understand it, but what I'm saying is the most important thing for me is I want him to feel safe in his own skin, safe in his own decision making. But also know that at 14 years old, I want to be involved inside of that process as well. I'm not going to condemn him, nor castigate him. I'm not going to kick him out of the house. I'm not going to do anything that's going to hurt him.

[Reynolds Kitchens Sponsor Voice]

Yeah.

[Wes Moore (quoted)]

But I just want to make sure that I'm involved.

[Buck Sexton]

Okay. Clay. That roundabout of just pure blather, I actually don't even put it really. It's not Wes Moore coming up with all this. That is what is required. Yeah, he has to do that. He has to speak in these weird circles about touchy feely language. He can't just say no. I would tell my 14 year old boy, you're not a girl. I'm your dad. I love you, I'm here for you. But we're not going to do this. If we need to get you help, we're going to get you help, but we're not going to start treating you like you're a girl at 14 because you say so. He won't Say that Because he can't say that. He can't say that and be a Democrat in good standing.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah, this is a crazy answer. And this was the guy, to your point, Buck, that they have been holding up as someone who could talk to normal male voters and connect with them. And Democrats have a real issue on this. They failed with Tim Walls. People are saying, oh, we got to get a red state governor, we'll do it with Andy Bashir. That's going to fail because they're wrong on these issues. And I think every parent of a 14 year old who has, I've got an 18 year old, I've got a 15 year old and I've got an 11 year old. If my 15 year old came to me and said, hey, I think I'm a girl and I want to get treatments, I would say yeah, there's a zero percent chance of that. And I think an easy answer to give is I think that's an awful decision for any minor to make and I would not support it. And I don't think it should happen anywhere in America for someone under 18. And then you could say, hey, when you get over 18 you make decisions. I think that's a poor decision to make. But he won't even say that. I would say that's a very middle of the road perspective. He can't say it and remain a Democrat because they've lost their minds on this trans related issue.

[Buck Sexton]

I think it's similarly if your 14 year old came to you and said I want to get married.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah.

[Buck Sexton]

Assuming it's somebody else who's 14. Right. There's a whole other issue if it's somebody who's an adult but I want to get married to another 14 year old. This is what my heart tells me I need to do now. I really truly believe this in my heart. I'm a 14 year old who needs to marry my 14 year old sweetheart. As a parent you get to say, sorry guys, 18, if you're still there, God bless, you're not getting married at 14. You can't, it's a. Yeah, the state won't allow it, I won't allow it. It's not going to fly. Right. I mean this is, yeah, this is, I, I and that's in a lot of ways actually less or rather that's more reversible. I mean you could obviously get divorced later than some of this hormone and surgery stuff that you're talking about.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah, I think it's an easy pitch to just take it away from trans related Issues. And Patrick bet David, who's doing that interview is a friend of ours. I think taking it away from trans and just saying. Would you let your 14 year old get a big tattoo on their back or on their arm that is going to be visible for. That's going to take several hours cost. Tattoos are very expensive, a couple of thousand dollars. I think almost every parent would say, no, I wouldn't let my 14 year old get a tattoo. All right. I mean, you wouldn't let. And by the way, I always think this is funny. If you're out there and you're a dad and you took your 14 year old to get a big tattoo, what do you think your wife would say or vice versa? Most people would say that's a really poor decision to make for a 14 year old. But tattoos are reversible to my knowledge. Right. You can get it taken off at some point, but you would just say a 14 year old, you're, you're, it's,

[Buck Sexton]

it's not, not, it's not, it's not like an Etch A Sketch. Your skin is.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah, it's an awful decision. But most every parent out there, to your point, you went marriage. I think almost every parent would say, yeah, 14 year olds are not getting married. 14 year old, you're not going to let them get a tattoo but you're going to allow them to have potentially gender irreversible treatments that could render them sterile. I mean, this is crazy town. And the fact that Wes.

[Buck Sexton]

I'm sorry.

[Public Sponsor Legal Disclaimer]

Yeah.

[Buck Sexton]

The fact that we're going to say it just shows you that he can't be. This is where the Democrat party is. But you know, you're a dad of three, I'm a dad of one. And you know, I think if I, if I let. And he's one year old, if I let speed eat nothing but these sweet little yogurt drops that he likes, like he might do that.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah.

[Buck Sexton]

But we're in charge of his nutrition and we want to give him more than these sweet little yogurt drop things that he loves so much. Right. When you're a parent, if your kid says to you, I want to have rocky road ice cream every night for dinner. And that's all I want to have. You actually get to say about something as usually freedom and individual individually based as food preference. No, you have to, you have to have, we have to have like a real dinner that is nutritious. You're allowed to say that. In fact, you're obligated as a parent to Say that, but you're not going to say that about you're not actually a woman. Because the Democrats decided five minutes ago that this mental illness is actually some form of the new civil rights struggle. No, you just have to step in, everyone and say no.

[Clay Travis]

What I would also point out, Buck, is Westmore is a governor. So really trans related issues I don't think are that commonplace in his world as being a governor. So if anybody were going to have independence on this issue, it should be an executive at the head of a state, right? A governor is not in Congress, he's not in Senate. He doesn't have to worry about getting a huge majority of people to agree with him. He has a great deal of power as an executive by virtue of being governor, and yet he's unwilling to say this very basic thing. And again, I just think it's a mental illness that has been allowed to spread throughout the Democrat party that gender. It's also funny, Buck, when you put it in the context of race, because if Patrick bet David had said, hey, what if your 14 year old son tells you that he's Asian, would you tell him, says he feels really Asian, wants to adopt Asian fashion, that's popular in China or Japan and he wants to identify as Asian, everybody would say that's crazy, right? So the Democrat party believes if you're trying to change your race, that's unacceptable and even indeed racist to cultural appropriation. But if you want to change your gender, then that's something that should be encouraged and supported. And he has all this crazy language surrounding it. It's just a logical insanity that has been allowed to take root and everybody's afraid to even step to it at all. Which is why I think there's an analogy here, Buck, with Abigail Spanberger. She ran as Wes Moore, is trying to run as a moderate mom of multiple kids who was just a Virginia mom and I'm not gonna do it. And then she got into office and she has enacted one of the most radical left wing agendas almost overnight as soon as she got into office.

[Buck Sexton]

Just like what Biden did, I might add. This is the center of the Democrat playbook, which is pretend to be normal and reasonable and moderate just long enough to fool just enough people that then you get to do what the purple haired spit in the face of ice officers men should have. You know, the future is female, 17 different pronouns, et cetera, et cetera. What those people want, that's what you get with the Democrat Party. It's I'm just normal, I'm I'm Tim Waltz. I'm just like you and then communist nonsense every time. At least with Republicans you get what you vote for. If they disappoint you, that's one thing, but they don't turn around and say I'm actually a left wing lunatic. Did you know you can buy trees for your yard online? Healthy trees fresh from the nursery, purchased online, delivered to your home. Fast Growing Trees.com is the website. They also sell plants and shrubs as well. So if your home's an apartment or a condo, they have more plants for indoor living than any other online nursery. This company is America's largest most trusted online nursery. They have a team of plant experts who really know what's going on. Producer Ali can't get enough of this website. She just ordered her mother in law a flowering plant called a Perfecto Mundo, which is just like the name Perfecto. Fast Growing trees have over 2 million happy customers. That number is growing by the day. You get quality trees and plants you can count on. The bamboo that I have out on my balcony already looks great and it's blocking out some of the street scenes that I don't need to see when I'm having my morning coffee. I love it. Every plant is backed by their Alive and thrive [e-mail] that's how well they've nurtured your new trees and plants. Go to fast growingtrees.com find the trees and plants you want. Use My Name Buck as your promo code for 20% off your first purchase. Fast growing trees.com use code buck for 20% off.

[Clay Travis]

Keeping it real, Keeping it right Clay and Buck find them on the iHeart app or wherever you get your podcast.

[Public Sponsor Voice]

Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index. With AI it all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public

[Public Sponsor Legal Disclaimer]

Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc. SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice.

[Public Sponsor Voice]

Complete Disclosures available at public.comdisclosures Ever wonder

[Reynolds Kitchens Sponsor Voice]

how to make hosting look effortless? Here's a secret Getting ahead of the mess with new Reynolds Kitchens Countertop Prep Paper Just lightly wet the counter beforehand so the paper grips and stays in place. Then lay down the Reynolds Kitchens countertop prep paper so drips and spills stay on the paper, not all over your kitchen counter. You can roll out dough, prep a party spread, or cook alongside family. When you're done, cleanup is as simple as lifting the paper and revealing that clean counter underneath. Effortless. You can use it for cooking and baking, prep and even crafting, especially when you need extra working space. Because when the mess is already handled, you can focus on what matters the food, the people and the moment. It may look effortless, but now you know it's Reynolds Kitchens Countertop prep paper. Take a tip from me. Wet it, set it, prep it. Done. Make it easy. Make it with Reynolds Kitchens Countertop prep paper available now in the Reynolds Wrap aisle in Walmart, Target, Amazon and Costco.

[Okta Sponsor Voice]

These days it seems like AI agents are just about everywhere you turn, every field and every function. But without identity, you can't trust they'll serve your business instead of jeopardizing it. Fortunately, Okta helps you get identity right by securing your AI agents identities, giving you a single layer of control, a single standard of trust. So whether an AI agent supports a single user or your entire enterprise, with Okta you'll turn risk into opportunity. Secure every agent. Secure any agent. Okta secures AI the wait is almost over.

[NFL Sponsor Voice]

Get ready for the NFL season with a highly anticipated 2026 NFL schedule release. Every rivalry, every rematch, and every rookie debut with matchups locked and kickoffs confirmed, Be there for every can't miss moment. The full NFL schedule release coming in May. Get all the [e-mail] ScheduleRelease.

[Clay Travis]

Welcome back in Clay Travis Bucks Sexton Show. Let's see. Paul in Virginia beach has a question for us. Paul, fire away.

[Caller]

Hey, how you doing guys? Love the show. I listen to you every day. So the question I have, yeah, the question I have is considering the U.S. supreme Court decision on the racial gerrymandered congressional districts and then the Virginia Supreme Court decision on throwing out the election. Are there any Racially gerrymandered districts as it currently sits in Virginia. And if they are, would they need to be redrawn to make them non racial gerrymandered districts?

[Clay Travis]

Yeah, it's a super smart question and it's a little bit complicated because we've been talking a lot about gerrymandering. Racially gerrymandering districts is now basically no longer legal under Calais vs. Louisiana, which came out last week, if I'm remembering correctly. Everything kind of runs together. Virginia did not, when they redrew the district, take race into account in a significant way. Now, Buck, they were doing a partisan redrawing. Here's one thing that I think the caller is getting at and I haven't heard this legal argument be made. Virginia could argue that the reason they redrew the 65 map was because there were improperly racially gerrymandered districts and they were trying to fix them. Because you can draw politically motivated maps if there are racial gerrymandering issues. This is Tennessee, what Tennessee just did, taking away the Memphis congressional district. This is what Alabama and South Carolina are potentially going to do. I have not heard that argument, but that would be one way for Virginia to try to justify the redrawn maps would be if they had waited, they could have used the Supreme Court justification. I don't know enough about the draw maps in the 65 right now to be able to say whether or not they're racially gerrymandered maps. But that is what South Carolina and Alabama are trying to do right now. And what Tennessee just did, Is that too much of a legal nerd down the, down the rabbit hole there, Buck? It would be duplicitous of Virginia to argue that because that is not their true motivation. But I'm just not sure enough what the district makes up makeups.

[Buck Sexton]

I'm ready to take my bra off and throw it on stage, buddy. That was, that was really wild stuff you're throwing up there.

[Clay Travis]

It's a great question from, from our listener in Virginia beach. Because Democrats, as we talked about yesterday, Buck, are floundering trying to come up with a way to get their new map in as law. And if they argued in retrospect. Oh, actually, the reason we did this was to deal with racial gerrymandered districts. Problem is, generally speaking, racially gerrymandered districts all benefit Democrats. So racially gerrymandered districts in a 6, 5 map to me seems unlikely to be the case. But again, that would be the sort of inverse of what Alabama and South Carolina and Tennessee are trying to do.

[Buck Sexton]

Right now we have Mark in San Antonio

[Clay Travis]

Mark and San oh he dropped.

[Buck Sexton]

Sorry. Let's do Nick from Ohio then see foreign. Nick from Ohio going once.

[Caller]

Just want to let you know I just got back from chaperoning my daughter's 8th grade DC field trip and I was a little nervous about how the kids would be but was completely blown away when we got there to the monuments, the amount of groups walking around, just mass amounts of of MAGA hats and by day two, even halfway, the boys in our group had been felt emboldened enough that they went out and bought the red caps themselves.

[Clay Travis]

I told yesterday Buck this is the second trip I've taken up to DC in the last month or so. Both of my flights have been flooded with kids coming on school class trips and parents who were chaperones on my flights up here. This is school class trip time of year and it is pretty cool to see those get those kids get to see Washington D.C. for the first time.

[Buck Sexton]

They're seeing a much safer Washington D.C. than they would have even a year ago thanks to President Trump. So they got that going for them, which is nice.

[Public Sponsor Voice]

Amen.

[Clay Travis]

More on this redistricting when we return.

[Reynolds Kitchens Sponsor Voice]

This is Martha Stewart from the Martha Stewart Podcast. Ever wonder how to make hosting look effortless? Here's a secret Getting ahead of the mess with new Reynolds Kitchens Countertop Prep Paper Just lightly wet the counter beforehand so the paper grips and stays in place. Then lay down the Reynolds Kitchen's countertop prep paper so drips and spills stay on the paper, not all over your kitchen counter. You can roll out dough, prep a party spread, or cook alongside family. When you're done, cleanup is as simple as lifting the paper and revealing that clean counter underneath. Effortless. You can use it for cooking and baking, prep and even crafting, especially when you need extra working space. Because when the mess is already handled, you can focus on what matters. The food, the people, and the moment. It may look effortless, but now you know. It's Reynolds Kitchen's countertop prep paper. Take a tip from me. Wet it, set it, prep it. Done. Make it easy. Make it with Reynolds Kitchens countertop prep paper, available now in the Reynolds wrap aisle in Walmart, Target, Amazon, and Costco.

[Okta Sponsor Voice]

These days it seems like AI agents are just about everywhere you turn, every field and every function. But without identity, you can't trust they'll serve your business instead of jeopardizing it. Fortunately, OKTA helps you get identity right by securing your AI agents identity, giving you a single layer of control a single standard of trust. So whether an AI agent supports a single user or your entire enterprise, with Okta you'll turn risk into opportunity. Secure every agent. Secure any agent. Okta secures AI.

[NFL Sponsor Voice]

The wait is almost over. Get ready for the NFL season with a highly anticipated 2026 NFL schedule release. Every rifle, every rematch, and every rookie debut with matchups locked and kickoffs confirmed. Be there for every can't miss moment. The full NFL Schedule release coming in May. Get all the [e-mail] schedulerelease.

[Firestone Sponsor Voice]

Real value shows up in reliability. You don't have to second guess. Like a set of Firestone All Season tires, They're designed to deliver confidence inspiring wet weather, traction and a quieter ride, no matter the road, season after season. Firestone All Season tires for durability you can count on, just like people count on you. Firestone always dependable since 1900.