Hour 3 - Are You Excited About 250?

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Hour 3 – Are You Excited About 250?
Date: June 2, 2026
Host: iHeartPodcasts
Theme: Examining the upcoming America 250 (250th anniversary of U.S. independence), its cultural impact, the mood of the nation, and how patriotism is (or isn’t) being celebrated amid broader discontent.

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Overview

This episode centers on the looming commemoration of America’s 250th birthday (America 250), with Clay Travis and Buck Sexton reflecting on the contrast between the 1976 bicentennial and today’s divided, digitally-fueled landscape. The discussion pivots on why the America 250 celebration feels muted, the role of social media in national unhappiness, and the broader struggle over American historical pride. The hosts are joined by Kelly Paul (wife of Senator Rand Paul) to discuss her new patriotic children’s books as a way to foster appreciation for American history in younger generations. Listener calls and messages add perspective on personal preparations and attitudes toward this national milestone.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Setting the Scene: A (Lack of) Festive Atmosphere in D.C.

• Buck Sexton’s Observations from D.C. (01:35-04:24)
  • Buck describes walking past the FBI headquarters in DC, noting preparations and a “festive atmosphere” starting for the 250th, albeit with quirks like Justin Timberlake music blaring from the Hoover Building.
  • Mentions recording an episode with the Ruthless Podcast team and notes early sound tests for the 250th.

2. America 250 – Anticipated Event or Non-Event?

• Musical Guests and Critique of Politicization (04:24-06:44)
  • Announcement that Vanilla Ice will perform at America 250. Buck and Clay joke about his real name (Robert Van Winkle) and reminisce about one-hit wonders.
  • Buck expresses concern about Trump giving a speech as a main highlight:

    “I feel like it’s either a festival of America or it’s a political event…I don’t know how much you want to have crossover between those two.” (05:49)

  • Debate over whether a president’s address should be central to July 4th festivities or if it should be more about “patriotic stuff” and community.

3. Comparing 1976 and 2026: Has Patriotism Waned?

• Clay’s Reflection on Bicentennial vs. 2026 (08:04-10:14)

  • Clay laments that America 250 doesn’t have the nationwide excitement of 1976’s bicentennial, despite more prosperous circumstances.
  • Contrasts current division with the unity seen during the 1970s, a period with major social and economic turmoil.

  “I was hoping that America 250 would feel like a real event to me. It doesn’t…in 1976…everybody could come together even when things weren’t great and say, ‘America’s awesome, let’s all celebrate.’ I don’t feel like we’re going to have an ‘America’s awesome, let’s all celebrate’ feel in 250.” — Clay Travis (08:22)

4. Why the Disunity? Social Media and Cultural Critique

• Social Media’s Role in National Mood (10:14-15:17)

  • Clay emphatically attributes “cratered” national happiness and low consumer sentiment to social media.
  • Argues that social media, since ~2013, has “destroyed net happiness in America,” more so than economics or politics.
  • Clay likens social media’s impact on well-being to cigarettes on health:

    “We’re going to look at social media in the decades ahead as modern-day cigarettes…It’s just unfortunately collapsed overall net happiness in a very negative way.” — Clay Travis (13:05)

  • Buck is skeptical, comparing concern to prior TV “zombie” panics but acknowledges Clay’s point about tech-in-your-pocket being different.

• Politicization of American History and Identity (10:56-15:47)

  • Clay claims that the Democratic Party’s stance that “American history is not one to celebrate” saps enthusiasm about the 250th.
  • The politicization, combined with social media negativity, creates an environment inhospitable to national celebrations.
  • Buck notes antipathy toward Trump intensifies the division, though Clay argues dislike would persist regardless of GOP leader.

  “They’re connecting America being awful with, in their mind, its history with whatever Republican figure.” — Clay Travis (11:54)

5. Economics or Culture?

• Debating Root Issues: Costs vs. Sentiment (15:47-17:45)
  • Buck cites high prices, housing costs, and inflation as drivers of low confidence:

    “Consumer confidence is low, Clay, because costs are high.” — Buck Sexton (15:47)

  • Clay counters, pointing out previous eras of worse objective economics had higher optimism, so deeper cultural issues must be at play.

6. Statistical Context: Richer, Safer, Less Happy

• Axios Citation and Paradox of Progress (20:38-22:10)
  • Clay references an Axios article:

    “Americans are richer than they have ever been before. Safer and longer lived…yet consumer sentiment just hit its lowest reading in 50 years.”

  • The paradox: Despite material gains and safety, Americans are less happy — again, Clay ties this to a lack of unity and positive culture.

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Interview: Kelly Paul on Instilling Patriotism in the Next Generation

(22:10–33:08)

1. Inspiration for Patriotic Children’s Books

• Kelly Paul discusses her new books, “Goodnight Young American” and “Goodnight Little American,” inspired by her grandson and her daughter-in-law’s wish for more patriotic children’s literature:

  “…My books really take a journey of a little boy who has a dream. On July 4, he’s out celebrating with his parents and he goes to bed that night, he dreams all of American revolutionary history…My hope is that it will spark conversation with parents and children just about the heroism and bravery, courage that our founders really showed.” — Kelly Paul (23:49)

• Emphasizes the importance of teaching young children about American values, the founding, and appreciating independence.

2. Reflecting on America’s Bicentennial (1976)

• Kelly shares fond memories of America 200:

  “…I do very much remember America 200. I was a little girl growing up in a small town…we all participated in this big festival…for the bicentennial. …It just consumed the whole summer. And I wish I did see that kind of spirit for the 250.” — Kelly Paul (25:40)

• Echoes hosts’ lament that the 250th isn’t (yet) inspiring similar widespread celebration.

3. Patriotism and Cultural Pushback in Children’s Content

• Kelly and the hosts discuss a perceived lack of mainstream children’s content that’s openly patriotic, especially in contrast to content promoting leftist or critical approaches:

  “I think we need to remember that the American Revolution was really a convergence of vision and resolve that has never been equaled in all of human history. …The Declaration of Independence was considered an act of treason.” — Kelly Paul (27:15)

• Her books aim to make Revolutionary history accessible and inspiring, with invitations for families to visit historic landmarks.

4. Raising Family in Public Life Amid Hostility and Risk

• Kelly addresses challenges as the spouse of a political figure (Sen. Rand Paul), referencing threats, attacks, and public vitriol:

  “…There are moments when I’m just sort of like, Rand, just let’s check this and you can go back to being a nice doctor…but then I remember…we’ve been given such an incredible honor and platform and voice, and I am so proud of Rand…” (29:20)

• Stresses using their platform for good and fostering positivity.

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Listener Perspectives: Calls and Comments

(36:47–43:12)

• Celebrations and Nostalgia

  • Callers share how they’re personally preparing to celebrate the 250th (e.g., decoration, fireworks, family traditions).
  • Many recall the red, white, and blue themes that dominated the bicentennial and compare that unity to today’s divided feelings.

• Political Skepticism

  • Callers and hosts express cynicism about how elections are managed and political figures benefit from their positions.
  • Debate over California’s lengthy vote counting as a symptom of systemic flaws.

• Optimism in Small Celebrations

  • Hosts urge listeners to mark the 250th in their own communities, regardless of national or official events:

    “Honestly, who cares what the celebration is here in the swamp in D.C. — have your own 250 celebration wherever you are across the country, you celebrate America.” — Buck Sexton (42:46)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On National Mood and the 250th:

  “You don’t know who is going to step up when things start to look a little tough as they have for the 250 planning recently…one of the great one hit wonders of all time, putting on his cape…Vanilla Ice is in fact going to be performing at the 250th…” — Buck Sexton (03:05)

• On Social Media’s Impact:

  “I think people are going to look at [social media] and say…the fact that we just got on handed phones to kids and we let them run with this like crazy was the modern day equivalent of cigarettes.” — Clay Travis (13:05)

• On Patriotism and Division:

  “If you believe that American history is a bad thing, it’s hard to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the country.” — Clay Travis (15:13)

• On the Founders:

  “Our founders were really the original civil rights heroes…their courage was really intellectual and moral, but it was also physical…they were all basically committing acts of treason.” — Kelly Paul (27:15)

• Listener’s Fireworks Readiness:

  “We have 600 in fireworks. Me and my boys have matching mullet wigs, pit viper sunglasses, and American flag overall shorts, and we are going to rock out. That is the spirit of 250…” — Listener Brian (42:40)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |---------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:35–04:24 | Buck’s D.C. walk, Ruthless podcast mention, Vanilla Ice at America 250 | | 04:24–06:44 | Musical acts, Vanilla Ice audio, Trump’s speech, politicization of the event | | 08:04–10:14 | Clay’s bicentennial nostalgia vs. 2026 malaise | | 10:14–15:17 | Social media and national unhappiness, political/cultural division | | 15:47–17:45 | Economics vs. mood debate between Buck and Clay | | 20:38–22:10 | U.S. progress paradox (Axios stats) | | 22:10–33:08 | Interview: Kelly Paul on children’s books, bicentennial memories, values | | 36:47–43:12 | Listener calls: 250th prep, nostalgia, political skepticism, optimism in action | | 42:40 | Listener Brian’s fireworks, mullet wigs, and “Spirit of 250” quote |

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Conclusion

Episode Takeaway:
Clay and Buck use the upcoming America 250 as a lens to explore the nation’s current psyche — less cohesive, more critical, and disconnected from traditional unity, despite living in an era of unprecedented safety and prosperity. They argue this owes much to the pervasive dissatisfaction stoked by social media and the politicization of American history. However, the hosts champion local patriotism, family celebration, and passing on foundational stories to the next generation, featuring Kelly Paul’s work as a direct response to cultural drift. Listener interactions reinforce nostalgia for past unity but also show that the “spirit of 250” is alive in individual communities, even if national consensus is hard to find.

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For listeners who missed the episode:
You’ll gain a clear sense of why America 250 may not be the unifying celebration many hoped for, how digital culture and political division impact patriotism, and the importance of individual and family-driven approaches to honoring America’s history. The blend of humor, nostalgia, frustration, and calls for grassroots patriotism give this episode both weight and warmth in grappling with what it means to celebrate a milestone birthday as a nation.

Transcript

[Buck Sexton]

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[America 250 Announcer]

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[Clay Travis]

Oh yeah, back in the day was

[Buck Sexton]

playing and then I was walking to go visit with our friends from the Ruthless podcast, which that I went on that one. And they are demanding a Clay Travis appearance there soon as well. So I went on the Ruthless podcast to hang with all those boys, Mr. Comfortably Smug and Josh Holmes and, and Mike and John, the whole crew. And they were great guys. So that'll be coming out later. But on the way over there, I heard it sounded like sound tests going on. I just think there's a lot of early Prep for the 250th that is underway here. You can tell there's a little bit of a festive atmosphere out on the streets. Things look like they're starting to get lively. And with that in mind, I just want to say, you know, you don't always know who's going to be a hero. You don't know who is going to step up when things start to look a little tough as they have for the 250 planning recently. Let's be honest, things got a little bit of a pushback on that one. But sure enough, Clay, one of the great one hit wonders of all time, putting on his cape. Not all heroes wear capes. Putting on his cape, so to speak. Vanilla Ice is in fact going to be performing at the 250th. This is cut 26. Listen to the man himself.

[Clay Travis]

I'm proud to be an American. I was born here and raised here. And this, this is my country. And I don't like anybody telling me I really can't be proud of it. And this is a huge honor to play the birthday. It's one. It's in a lifetime, you know, 250. So I'm honored. I respect everybody else. I know there's a lot of tension everywhere. This whole world is like a snow globe. But it shouldn't be that. And music is here to bring people together, man.

[Buck Sexton]

And you know, it shouldn't be that this music is dragged into polit politics. It's not. We can stop that. Why was his. His audio Vanilla Ice just blasted out my ear. Hopefully he didn't do that to everybody on the radio. But nonetheless, Vanilla Ice. I do know his real name. Offhand. I don't. I will. He will always be Vanilla Ice to me, but I used to know his

[Clay Travis]

real name because it's kind of a funny name, like Rupert or something like that. You would not. That you would not anticipate someone named Henry or, uh, you know, I will

[Buck Sexton]

say, also a little sad to see. There was a part of me that thought that Milli Vanilli's Fab Morvon. We don't have to buy that play. I don't want to hear. I don't want to hear Robert.

[Clay Travis]

Van. Robert Van Winkle. I remember that there was a.

[Buck Sexton]

His name is Robert Van Winkle.

[Clay Travis]

Yes.

[Buck Sexton]

Wow. Okay.

[Clay Travis]

All right.

[Buck Sexton]

I did not know that. I didn't. I.

[Clay Travis]

That was. Yeah, I knew it was like, the ultimate, like, kind of, like country club name. Yeah.

[Buck Sexton]

Definitely sounds like he likes croquet. And you would not think that he, at one point was a rap superstar or I guess hip hop or. I'm not sure what. I think it's rap, right? Ice. Ice babies rap. But Milli Vanilli's Fab Morvan is sadly not a right winger, nor is he going to be performing at the 250th. I saw that Trump said he's going to give a speech at the 250th. I don't think that's really what people had in mind for the 250th celebration of a speech. I'm not sure I'll leave that. You know, Trump fans are gonna love whatever he does, no matter what he does, every time he does it, so that's fine. But I feel like it's either a festival of America or it's a political celebration, or rather, it's a political event. I don't know how much you want to have crossover between those two. That all said, there is still the UFC fight going to happen, right? There's a UFC fight that will.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah. But that's, I believe, June 14th. So that's a couple. I mean, that's a week from Sunday, so that's soon.

[Buck Sexton]

Are you going to that?

[Clay Travis]

Maybe. I'm not 100% sure. I'm going to be. Anyway. I'm running around on the road. I'm testifying in front of Congress next week. I don't even know if that's public, but I'm testifying in front of Congress. And then we have the. We have the big event for advertisers that we do down in South Florida that I have to be to. And I was thinking about trying to go to the US World cup opener, which is all the way out in la. So that is to say, I don't know where the heck I'm going to be. And. And meanwhile, I got to manage the kids.

[Buck Sexton]

Okay. All right. We're getting a little deep into clay schedule here. Point being, Clay, do you think that the Trump speech for the 250th is the move here? I don't know why. We just can't have a whole lot of people who play great, you know, music and have just like, patriotic stuff. A lot of American flags, love America and everything else. I don't know that it has to be. I don't know that a particular speech from a particular president should be the main event.

[Clay Travis]

I was just talking about this off air with producer Ali. I don't get the sense that America 250 feels like a very big event to me in the way that, you know, when you get close to Christmas, everywhere you go, even if you're not die hard for celebrating Christmas, it feels like you are aware of it. July 4th, obviously, is a patriotic event every year, and there are certain parts of the American capitalistic ecosystem that celebrate it more than others. I. I was hoping that America 250 would feel like a real event to me. It doesn't. And that's the history nerd in me, because I didn't get to experience America 200. And I've seen a lot of the footage from America 200 and it feels like the nation came together in 1976 and celebrated. And things were actually kind of awful in 1976. For those of you who have forgotten, mortgage rates were double digits, uh, unemployment was not good. We were coming out of the awfulness of the Vietnam war. You had RFK and MLK assassinated in 68. You had JFK in 63. Yet everybody could come together even when things weren't great in 1976 and say, America's awesome, let's all celebrate. I don't feel like we're going to have an America's awesome, let's all celebrate feel in 2050, even though objectively things are much better in America for 250 in terms of where we are in 2026, I think compared to where we were in 1976. But I think one of the problems with this buck is, and there's actually a good piece I was reading in Axios about this. Americans have never been less happy. And I don't. I Think, yeah, really, the consumer sentiment has never been lower than it is right now. And I think I'm gonna be honest with everybody. I think this is all social media.

[Buck Sexton]

Yeah.

[Clay Travis]

I think that social media has been destructive to mental health across the board. Not for every single person the same way. But I think in general, social media has destroyed net happiness in America. If you go back and you look, it started about 2013, that overall happiness in America has cratered and the consumer sentiment is at all time lows. I don't even think it really matters who the president or the party is in power in terms of the way people feel, because one half is angry and then the other half is angry. I don't get the sense that people want to celebrate. And I was optimistic, Buck coming out of the U.S. men's hockey team, because I think that tapped into an innate depth of reservoir for American exceptionalism. I hope that America 2:50 was going to be a great unifying event. It doesn't feel like it's going to be one. And I think ultimately Travis is being captain. I'm being pessimistic. I think there's two reasons. One is, I think social media. I think that social media makes everybody unhappy as a group. Two, I think the Democrat Party has made as its foundational belief system that America's history is not one to celebrate. And I think when half the country is not willing to celebrate American history, it makes it hard to believe that America250 is a good thing. And I think you combine it with social media and there's just a great deal of angst and unhappiness.

[Buck Sexton]

Yeah. I think they also hate Trump, man. I think that the fact that Trump is the guy in charge of the celebrations.

[Clay Travis]

Okay.

[Buck Sexton]

They can't put that aside.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah. Let's go back. If Ron DeSantis had been elected president instead of Trump, I think that they would still hate American history. I think what you're going to see, unfortunately, is the Trump hate. They're going to try to pivot it to JD Vance or Marco Rubio. Now, the extent to which it sticks, I think is a fair question. But the idea that they're going to be like, oh, Trump was a unique threat to democracy, and now the new Republican. Oh, he's fine. I just. I don't think that's going to be the reality. I think they're. They're. They're connecting America being awful with, in their mind, his history with whatever Republican figure.

[Buck Sexton]

This is like the most depressing segment you've ever. You've Ever really leaned into heavily here, buddy. This is like this. Usually I was looking at you to be like, it's going to be awesome. Because I think it's going to be a total non event, unfortunately.

[Clay Travis]

Well, I mean I think, look, July 4th in D.C. i'm sure you've been before, right? Because you lived in dc. Have you ever gone or is the

[Buck Sexton]

crowd such, you know me, I don't, you know, I don't even like fireworks, okay? I'm that guy. I'm always like, they're too loud. What's with all these boom in the sky? I'm not fun.

[Clay Travis]

If you have never been and taken a blanket and put it on the National Mall and just laid back and watched the fireworks over the National Mall, it is an awesome event to go to. So my suggestion at this point in time would just be put on the biggest, baddest ass fireworks display that has ever existed in the history of mankind. If you can interact it as well with some sort of drone show which has become popular now, I think that would be great. But I think unfortunately the national fever that social media has unleashed, I mean, do you buy into that? I think we're gonna look at social media in the decades ahead as modern day cigarettes. I think people are gonna look at them and say for health, psychological, not as much physical. Although maybe there's a physical component to it too. I think people are gonna look at social media and say the fact that we just got on handed phones to kids and we let them run with this like crazy was the modern day equivalent of cigarettes. And I think it's just unfortunately collapsed overall net happiness in a very negative way. So I'm a downer.

[Buck Sexton]

I don't subscribe. I don't subscribe. You, you are vociferous in this. I don't subscribe to the cigarettes give you lung cancer and ruin your health.

[Clay Travis]

So I don't think that there's physical versus mental. I think that social media has done mentally what cigarettes did, did physically. In terms of people's overall.

[Buck Sexton]

People used to say this, that television was going to make everybody into zombies. And yeah, some people watch TV way too much. They watch for six or eight hours a day and they come home and they're couch potatoes. But it's all, it's, it's a tool.

[Clay Travis]

Look, social media has any other tool. Social media has been great for people like you and me who make careers. But I think there's a very big difference between something that you look at externally and something that is largely in people's pockets. And. And so you think people are too

[Buck Sexton]

bummed out because of Facebook to enjoy the 250th anniversary? I think, I think this is a lot. You're putting a lot on Zuckerberg and company.

[Clay Travis]

I think that social media since 2013 has driven down. We're at. This is true. We're at the absolute lowest consumer confidence ratings that we've ever had. I think it's largely connected to social media, irrespective of the fact that life has tended to be getting better. I think the other part of this, though, is Democrats have decided that American history is evil and that it's rooted in slavery. And if you believe that American history is a bad thing, it's hard to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the country. I think that's the combo.

[Buck Sexton]

Consumer confidence is low, Clay, because costs are high. Costs are high because of a number of things.

[Clay Travis]

But gas is very high.

[Buck Sexton]

I mean, you go. I think, I think we're focusing more on Facebook and TikTok than the Iran war, which unfortunately has not come to a conclusion and is still driving gas prices.

[Clay Travis]

If you go back and look at the overall consumer confidence, it drove off a cliff in 2013. And we have had a lot of very good economic cycles. We've had far worse economic cycles. I'm talking about buck consumer confidence. You can go back and look at it since 1960. It's lower now than it was when things were awful in the 1970s, when things were awful in 2008 and nine, when objectively the overall economy stunk. Employment's low, stock market setting record highs. Unemployment, I should say is low. Overall wage growth has been relatively good in Trump so far.

[Buck Sexton]

Yeah, I mean, I think consumer confidence is particularly troubled right now because housing prices are up 60% in less than five years and the price of gas has gone up dramatically. And groceries are expensive and inflation has actually been priced because we shouldn't have spent $7 trillion during COVID that we didn't have out of thin air. And now we're still dealing with the hangover of those prices.

[Clay Travis]

All of those things are true. But oh, 809 was worse than 1970s, which you and I weren't alive for, were awful. 1976 people came together and celebrated. We just had the Vietnam War. 50,000 people died in a war that we had no business fighting. Nixon had just been impeached. RFK Senior are the first RFK and MLK had just been assassinated a few years before. There was a lot of tumult and everybody said America's awesome. Let's celebrate the 200th anniversary. I think there's something deeper than the current reality of economic situations that unfortunately is afoot right now. And I'm not sure any one.

[Buck Sexton]

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[Clay Travis]

And as a veteran led company, who cares about giving back to those who serve? If you're active or former military or first responder, you'll save an additional 20% every single month. Reduce your monthly recurring bills starting with your cell phone bill. Go to PureTalk.com Clay and make the switch today in as little as 10 minutes. Again, talk, text and data for just $20 a month. That's PureTalk.com Clay and you'll save an additional 50% off your first month. PureTalk America's wireless company. What I was just referencing. And by the way, we're going to be joined by Kelly Paul, wife of Rand Paul. She's got a couple of kids books. This is from Axios yesterday. Americans are richer than they have ever been before. Safer and longer lived. I'm reading from Axios US total wealth all time high. Violent crime 120 year low. Life expectancy just hit 79 years, the highest in American history. And yet University of Michigan consumer sentiment just hit its lowest reading in 50 years. So we're richer, we're living longer and we're safer than we have ever been in the history of the United States. Yet people are at 50 year lows for contentment. What's going on? That's I'm kind of hitting at. I'm thinking about it a lot. We'll maybe talk about that a little bit with Kelly Paul when we come back.

[Buck Sexton]

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[Kelly Paul]

Absolutely. Well, thanks so much for having me. Yes, they do. They were inspired by my grandson. This is my first time to ever write a children's book. He's about a year and a half old and my daughter in law late last summer was saying she thought we needed more patriotic books for children and board books for young children. And so I got the idea, especially with America's 250 coming up. My books really take a journey of a little boy who has a dream. On July 4, he's out celebrating with his parents and he goes to bed that night he dreams all of American revolutionary history. So he's on the Mayflower and he's a pilgrim. Then he's a colonist. He makes friends with great American revolutionary heroes like Sam Adams and takes part in the Boston Tea Party and he makes friends with Paul Revere and rides with him. My hope is that it will spark conversation with parents and children just about the heroism and bravery, courage that our founders really showed.

[Clay Travis]

Kelly, I appreciate you coming on and encourage people to check out the Book. Buck and I were just having a conversation about America 250. I don't know if you remember America 200, but based on the things that we see, it seems like the nation came together for America 200. Even though a lot of things were objectively tough for the country at that point in time. You just had RFK and MLK assassinated. Richard Nixon had just been impeached and removed from office. The Vietnam War had been going on. Yet people seem to come together and really have a good time at 200. I don't get the sense that that's happening for 2:50, do you? How do we change that?

[Kelly Paul]

You know, I agree and I do very much remember America 200. I was a little girl growing up in a small town in Russellville and that bicentennial summer was so exciting. And I think of just our little town. My mother and I had 1776 style dresses made and so did all my friends and their moms. And we all participated in this big festival in our downtown square for the bicentennial. And I just, I remember it just consumed the whole summer. And I wish I did see that kind of spirit for the 250. And you're right, I'm really not.

[Buck Sexton]

How much of your efforts to write this book comes out of a recognition, Kelly, that there's a lack of content that I think young people are exposed to that celebrates traditional Americana and our history. I mean, I'll give you just a, just an example. I have, I have a one year old and I won't name names here, but there's a communist on YouTube that he seems to want to watch all the time that does children's content that is very left wing. And I can't get him, he's, he's old enough now where he will, he will take the controller out of my hand. He can't really find things yet, but he'll take it out of my hand and kind of bang it until I give him the, the left wing song and dance from YouTube that he wants. So is this in part because you want kids to have content that aligns with your values? And you know, I'm just wondering what spurred you to do this.

[Kelly Paul]

I agree with you 100% because our grandson is about 17 months old and our son and daughter in law, they say kind of the same thing as I said. My daughter in law really gave me the idea for this because she's like, you know, we want to really instill these values and we want to have, you know, our son grow up with an Appreciation for America and a love for America. And, you know, that's really my purpose in the book. I mean, I think we need to remember that the American Revolution was really a convergence of vision and resolve that has never been equaled in all of human history. I mean, our founders were really the original civil rights heroes. They took, you know, ideals from the Enlightenment and used them to challenge the divine right of kings and hereditary rule and challenge the most powerful empire in the world in order to say, look, we believe in natural law. We believe that our rights come from God and not from any king or any government. So their courage was really intellectual and moral, but it was also physical courage as they were all basically committing acts of treason. Right. That the Declaration of Independence was considered an act of treason.

[Clay Travis]

We're talking to Kelly Paul. We'd encourage all of you to go check out her brand new book. It's for kids. It is out today. Kelly, you're talking about courage in this age in which we live. We've had your husband, Rand Paul, on a lot. What is it like to raise kids and also now have grandkids? As you just said, in a world where violence feels omnipresent for people that are in public life, people like your husband who had to deal with being attacked and having people celebrate his attacker. And certainly it hasn't even been a year since what happened to Charlie Kirk. The shooting of President Trump. What's that like for you as both a mom, a grandma and a wife?

[Kelly Paul]

You know, it's very challenging at times. It really is. And there are moments when I'm just sort of like Rand. Gosh, just let's check this and you can go back to being a nice doctor in bowling Marine. But then I remember that, you know, we've been given such an incredible honor and platform and voice, and I am so proud of Rand for the things that he stands for. And so I just try to, you know, feel. I feel brave. I mean, I try to feel like, okay, very few people have the kind of, you know, platform that we do, and so I want to use it for good. And that's what I try to focus on.

[Buck Sexton]

So the book is out today, or the two books, rather out today. Are you planning on doing more after this one, Kelly? The books, by the way. Good night, young American. Good night, little American. What age is this mostly geared for?

[Kelly Paul]

So goodnight. Little American is a board book, so it's for babies and toddlers and it's lullabies and really beautiful illustrations, but they are. They're patriotic. I mean, they sort of distill down the idea that, you know, equality and joy are something for us all to pursue. And it came from, you know, Jefferson's writing of the Declaration. And it's a simple, sweet, little bedtime board book. And then Good Night, Young American is for children probably ages 4 to 8. So it could be read to your child or older. Children can read it themselves. And. And in that one, my little character, the little boy, as I said, he. He basically in his dream, is part of. He's just part of all revolutionary history. He's there in Philadelphia when the signers of the Declaration are signing, and he climbs up and he rings the Liberty Bell. He makes friends with Ben Franklin and learns about electricity, and he is crossing the Delaware with George Washington. He's just present for all of it. And it's written through the eyes of a child. And at the end of the book, when the little boy wakes up from his dream, there's a nice map in the back of the book, a simple map for children. But my hope is that more families will try to maybe see some of these great landmarks, make some Southern trips and summer trips, and go to Boston or go to Massachusetts or see where the Declaration was signed in Philadelphia. I think that those are the kind of things that we did back in the bicentennial. Right. I mean, I know my dad took us on a trip, and it was very special.

[Clay Travis]

Kelly, if people want these books, thank you for making the time with us again. Good night, Young American, and good night, little American. Amazon, where would you suggest they can find these? And I believe your name is K E L L E Y. If people are typing in Kelly Paul just to search for that, right?

[Kelly Paul]

Yes, they are on Amazon. They're on Barnes and Noble, they're on online, they're in stores, they're just about everywhere. So I hope that families will enjoy them and I hope that it will inspire more children to really understand what we're celebrating when we celebrate Independence Day this year.

[Clay Travis]

Awesome. We appreciate the time. Thank your husband for all the work he does. Thank you for all the work that you're doing as well.

[Kelly Paul]

Thank you both so much for having me.

[Clay Travis]

And by the way, Kelly, I think you are a listener, so you have great taste in radio as well, if I remember, based on past. So thank you for being part of the Clay and Buck family.

[Kelly Paul]

Yes. Love your show.

[Clay Travis]

Thank you so much. That is Kelly Paul encourage all of you to go check out her new kids books that are out right now. And we were talking about America 250 we're talking about America 200. It's also coming up on the 25th anniversary of tunnel the Towers and in fact during one of the commercial breaks, Buck and I were talking with producer Ali to make sure that we're going to be able to go to help raise money and honor all of the work that Tunnel the Towers has been doing in this 25th anniversary year. And right now I want to tell you all about Mario Nelson. He is an Army Sergeant. He served in the National Guard, volunteered at Ground zero after the 911 attacks and then enlisted full time in the army deployed to Iraq where he made the ultimate sacrifice when he was killed by a rocket propelled grenade. Mario left behind his wife Mecca, their daughter Mia. The Tunnel the Towers foundation recognized the sacrifice of this family by providing Mecca and Mia with a mortgage free home help even more families like the Nelsons. Your donation today can make a world of difference in honoring their service and keeping their memory alive. Donate $11 a month and amplify your impact with a car or land donation. Go to t2t.org that's t2t.org level up your brain and balance out your day with the right amount of information and entertainment.

[Bruise Cruise Announcer]

Clay Travis and Buck Sexton on the iHearts radio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[America 250 Announcer]

This July 4th, come celebrate at America's Block Party hosted by America 250. America's Block Party is a can't miss 4th of July concert happening at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Experience music, performances from major artists, patriotic tributes and the kickoff to giving 4th, helping to make July 4th the largest day of giving in American history. It's more than just fireworks. Learn more about this landmark celebration at america250.org

[Bruise Cruise Announcer]

combat sports fans this January, it's the Bruise Cruise Party with fighters Watch a bare knuckle fighting event live in the Caribbean. Plus DJs, bands and chaos at sea. Prices increase soon. Hop aboard now go to bkfsea.com these

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[Buck Sexton]

balance is higher than you'd like to see. After all, the Holiday spending. Here's one way to cut expenses without sacrificing quality. Cut your cell phone bill in half by switching to PureTalk Saver plan. It's just $20 a month for unlimited talk, text and 3 gigs of high speed data on PureTalk super fast nationwide 5G network.

[Clay Travis]

And as a veteran led company, who cares about giving back to those who serve? If you're active or former military or a first responder, you'll save an additional 20% every single month. Reduce your monthly recurring bills starting with your cell phone bill.

[Buck Sexton]

Go to PureTalk.com buck and make the switch today in as little as 10 minutes. Again, talk, text and data for just $20 a month. That's PureTalk.com buck and you'll save an additional 50% off your first month. Pure Talk, America's wireless company.

[Clay Travis]

Welcome back in. Clay and Buck. Appreciate all of you hanging out with us a bunch. You've been waiting a while. We'll hit to some of your calls. Also try to get to your talkbacks move rapidly here. Patty, in Virginia, you say your house is all designed and you're ready for 250?

[Kelly Paul]

Absolutely. Stop bumming me out on this because I am decorated for the 250th birthday and cannot wait. All my neighbors know it and everything.

[Clay Travis]

There we go.

[Buck Sexton]

Yeah, Clay. Mr. Bummer.

[Clay Travis]

Thank you for the call. David in Montana, 1976 versus 2026. Your thoughts?

[Kelly Paul]

Well, I graduated high school in 1976 and it seemed like everybody that I ever talked to that graduated, they all picked their colors, cap and gowns and stuff like that.

[Buck Sexton]

And everybody was red, white and blue.

[Clay Travis]

That's a great point. Thank you for the call. I again, Buck and I did not experience America 200, but I feel like you didn't experience. Come on now, 79. I'm the last great Gen Xer and the generation that continues to save America. And I just remember even in pop culture there was a huge embrace of American exceptionalism. All different sorts of popular books and movies that were coming out and everything else. Is there anything 2:50 focused that feels like, oh, this was made for America 2:50. I just, I, I don't get the sense that there is, um. And let me get some of these talkbacks, Buck. Cause there's a bunch of them. Patriot K E I B Joe in Huntington Beach, California. Go vote California. He's reacting to that. Cut it. It's amazing to me that people who

[America 250 Announcer]

try to criticize Spencer Pratt by saying

[Buck Sexton]

that he was a reality TV star in his 20s. Do you know What Karen Bass was

[Clay Travis]

doing in her 20s, she was going to Cuba supporting the Castro regime and

[Buck Sexton]

she was a part of communist groups. I mean you can't make this stuff up. Yeah.

[Clay Travis]

Cut B. That's very true. Cut B. Scott, in California, are you saying you'd be happy if you came in on Wednesday and found out that

[Kelly Paul]

there were two Republicans in the race or LA Mayor, what are you thinking? This is California.

[Clay Travis]

We won't have a result by Wednesday.

[Kelly Paul]

It's going to take much longer than Wednesday to figure it out and put the proper Democrat in. That's the way it's always going to happen.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah, California's got to fix this. My hope is Buck, that we will have enough of the vote in that you can tell we remember we don't have to know exactly who won. Just like who were the top two going to be. My hope is that we've got at

[Buck Sexton]

least it's a projection pending Democrat after the fact shenanigans and finding giant bags of ballots in cars trunks somehow that happen to all be for Democrats like that. You know, we're going to assume what we assume until all of a sudden the late the post postmarked ballots come in.

[Clay Travis]

You know, you're with me. I bet on this. I believe in federalism. I also believe that you shouldn't be able to count votes for three weeks. There should be some basic national standards for elections in the United States. This California we're counting for three weeks. Business is shouldn't be allowed I don't think think by the federal government even from someone who believes in states.

[Buck Sexton]

Well, Clay, how can the Democrats know how many votes they have to make up if they don't have time to count and change them afterwards? Let's be fair to how they like things to go. Pete from Minnesota listens on News Talk. 11:30 this is D. Hit it. If Spencer Pratt wins mayor of la, it's going to be interesting to compare

[Clay Travis]

how well A LA does to New

[Buck Sexton]

York City with Mondami. It will be a little bit of a. Of an AB test if you will. They're in different places as a city with. As cities with different problems but. Well, there's some similar problems but obviously the situations are a bit unique and, and we will, we will see how that all goes. I think there's a lot of room to make enormous progress very quickly in Los Angeles, particularly on. On things like, like cutting red tape and cutting excess spending. I'm sure that's true in New York as well.

[Clay Travis]

Dave in Cincinnati. Cut C. Wrong, Clay.

[Buck Sexton]

On Warren Buffett. He's not the best investor of all time. He's only the second best behind Nancy Pelosi. Nancy's got game. You know, for somebody who doesn't seem like she could add and subtract on her own, she certainly knows how to pick stocks really well.

[Clay Travis]

I don't understand. This is something that I think should be crazily bipartisan. How do we let these guys get away with insider trading and buying and selling individual stocks?

[Buck Sexton]

Because the people that have to write the laws are the people that don't want to be governed by these laws. They want to. They don't want to be subject to the same rules as the rest of us. It's just like when they exempted themselves from Obamacare. The Democrats did. It was disgusting. Well, Clay, this is a. This is a good one. We got to get to this one. This is podcast listener Brian on G on the list here. Hit it, Clay and Buck Bryant and Savannah. I've been listening since Rush started, so I don't know about y', all, but my family, we feel it's gonna be 250. We're celebrating. We have 600 in fireworks. Me and my boys have matching mullet wigs, pit viper sunglasses, and American flag overall shorts and we are going to rock out. That is the spirit of 250 clay that Brian is establishing. And I'll say this for all of you, honestly, who cares what the celebration is here in the swamp in D.C. have your own 250 celebration. Wherever you are across the country, you celebrate America. It doesn't have to be based all here in our nation's capital. So what if you don't have Milli Vanilla in your backyard?

[Clay Travis]

I can't wait. We will have a great July 4th on the Florida Gulf coast. But I do wish America could come together. It does not sound unfortunately Buck, like we will. I don't want to end on a bad note. So everybody go vote and make America better.

[Kelly Paul]

Thanks.

[America 250 Announcer]

This July 4th, come celebrate at America's Block Party hosted by America 250. America's Block Party is a can't miss 4th of July concert happening at the Los Angeles Memorial Memorial Coliseum. Experience music, performances from major artists, patriotic tributes and the kickoff to giving 4th, helping to make July 4th the largest day of giving in American history. It's more than just fireworks. Learn more about this landmark celebration at america250.org

[Bruise Cruise Announcer]

combat sports fans. This January, it's the Bruise Cruise party with fighters. Watch a bare knuckle fighting event live in the Caribbean plus DJs, bands and chaos at sea. Prices increase soon. Hop aboard. Now go to bkfsea.com these days it

[Okta AI Security Announcer]

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 Okta you'll turn risk into opportunity. Secure every agent. Secure any agent. Okta secures AI As a consumer, you

[Buck Sexton]

decide which companies succeed with your purchasing power. PureTalk wants to say a heartfelt thank you for choosing them. Because of you, PureTalk had a record breaking year. You've helped them donate over half a million dollars to America's Warrior Partnership to help prevent veteran suicide. You also helped provide 1000 hand sewn made in America flags to veterans. And you're supporting US jobs by choosing a proudly American company from the PureTalk family. Thank you for your trust and God Bless America.