The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Hour 3 - Bell-to-Bell "No Cell"
Date: February 25, 2026
Podcast Host: iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

This hour of The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show centers around the aftermath of President Trump's State of the Union address, the comparative failures of Democratic policies, the transformation of political issues (especially abortion), and the urgent need for reform in both healthcare and social media. Senator Marsha Blackburn joins to discuss school phone policies and the fight for children's online safety. The episode combines political commentary, data-driven analysis, cultural diagnosis, and a few lighter moments.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Reaction to President Trump’s State of the Union Address

• Clay and Buck open with excerpts and reactions to President Trump’s latest State of the Union, praising dramatic improvements in the economy, border security, law enforcement, and America’s international standing under his leadership.

• The hosts argue that Trump’s results are objectively superior to Biden’s tenure, challenging listeners to name a single issue where Biden outperformed.

• Buck deconstructs the narrative of political apathy or “unit party” equivalence, emphasizing that “who’s in charge does matter” and the results are “not all the same.”

  “Trump is delivering. The decision of who is in charge, who has power to shape this country's future and its destiny, does matter. It is not all the same.” — Buck Sexton (05:30)

• The hosts observe that key Democratic talking points, like Obamacare, are no longer political advantages.

2. Democrats’ Waning Issues: Health Care, Crime, and Abortion

• Clay identifies how Democrats have lost the narrative on healthcare and crime, attributing improved crime stats directly to Trump’s policies.

• The disastrous impact of Obamacare, with “tripled health care premiums,” is cited as evidence Democrats can no longer claim success on this issue.

• Abortion, once a Democratic rallying point, has “vanished as a political issue” because Dobbs returned it to the states — a move predicted by Clay.

  “Remember when they told us Dobbs gets passed, Democrats tried to say they’re going to be showing up at the door dragging your daughter out by her hair... It’s gone. It has vanished as a political issue. Every state make its decision and whatever state you’re in, you can advocate for it.” — Clay Travis (09:18-10:10)

• The hosts affirm that most health insurance in America is not real “insurance,” but a web of government-mandated cross-subsidies that force healthy families to pay for the sick and undocumented.

3. The Realities of Health Care Costs and Market Forces

• Clay and Buck contrast competitive markets (like for TVs and Lasik eye surgery) with the opaque, subsidized, non-competitive nature of healthcare (e.g., MRIs), arguing that lack of price accountability leads to rising costs.

• Citing a front-page WSJ story, Buck notes Ozempic’s price drop due to competition, exemplifying what happens when market forces are allowed to operate.

  “There’s no accountability and there’s no honesty and there’s no transparency in the pricing in the healthcare system.” — Buck Sexton (15:01)

4. Political Realignment and Democratic Weakness

• The hosts highlight how mainstream media underplayed Trump’s State of the Union, suggesting that avoiding coverage signals success for Trump.

• Democrats’ main attack line—now “Epstein on Trump”—is called “pure Trump slander,” showing a lack of substantive opposition.

• Notable polling data: Senator John Fetterman, despite being a Democrat, now enjoys overwhelming Republican support and deep unpopularity with Democrats.

  “Fetterman is overwhelmingly popular with Republicans, overwhelmingly negative now with Democrats. I just thought that was super interesting.” — Clay Travis (22:25)

5. Listener Call: The House, Election Dynamics, and Trump Derangement

• Callers ask about the apparent contradiction between Democrats “losing everywhere” and the hosts’ worry about the House flipping.

• Clay clarifies: Democrats are “losing the argument everywhere,” but emotional opposition to Trump can mobilize voters better than support.

  “We are in a post-fact world where results may not matter. I also think Trump derangement, when Trump is not on the ballot, is a more powerful motivator than Trump’s support is.” — Clay Travis (23:25)

6. Interview with Senator Marsha Blackburn (Tennessee)

[25:20–38:49]

a. State of the Union and Democratic Behavior

• Senator Blackburn echoes the hosts’ praise for the State of the Union’s clarity and energy, contrasting current progress against previous chaos.

• She expresses “astonishment” at Democrats refusing to stand and clap for victims’ families or Olympians during the speech.

  “Their behavior was appalling... They would rather take care of illegal immigrants than they would take care of the people who voted for them.” — Sen. Marsha Blackburn (27:47)

b. Social Media, Children’s Mental Health, and the Kids Online Safety Act

• Blackburn discusses Meta CEO Zuckerberg’s recent court appearance, accusing tech companies of knowingly designing platforms to maximize youth engagement and cause harm.
• She calls out “big tech lobbying” as the main obstacle to child online safety, urging passage of the Kids Online Safety Act, which has “75 co-sponsors in the Senate.”

  “Mark Zuckerberg…continued to say that social media had nothing to do with the accelerated levels of anxiety and depression, eating disorders, teen suicide…when the research...was presented in court and you know that they know what they are doing to kids.” — Sen. Blackburn (29:43-30:30)

c. "Bell to Bell, No Cell": School Phone Policy

• Blackburn strongly endorses strict school phone bans, arguing it increases focus, academic performance, and reduces bullying.

  “Bell to bell, no cell. That is a very good policy for, for kids. And...research shows that children who do not have a cell phone on their desk...their test scores go up, their achievement goes up, their participation in class increases.” — Sen. Blackburn (32:17)

d. The Need for Regulating Tech and Election Integrity

• Tech companies can’t “police themselves.” Blackburn notes big tech’s massive investments in lobbying to avoid regulations.
• She shifts to election integrity, pushing for mandatory photo ID, highlighting that it’s “an 80% issue with the American people across all demographic groups.”
• She laments federal unwillingness to adopt balanced budgets or common-sense electoral reform.

7. Lighter Moments and Sign-Off

• Clay and Buck discuss a playful jab made by Jesse Waters at Clay’s age, leading to a tongue-in-cheek conversation about age, makeup, and TV appearances.

  “I look old and ugly now, but 10 years from now I’m going to be gorgeous. I’m just telling you it’s coming.” — Clay Travis (46:21)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I’m a results guy. Show me the results.” — Clay Travis (07:23)
• “Abortion…has vanished as a political issue.” — Clay Travis (10:10)
• “No accountability…no transparency in the pricing in the healthcare system.” — Buck Sexton (15:01)
• “Their behavior was appalling…they would rather take care of illegal immigrants than…their own citizens.” — Sen. Marsha Blackburn (27:47)
• “Bell to bell, no cell. That is a very good policy for kids.” — Sen. Marsha Blackburn (32:17)
• “We are in a post-fact world where results may not matter.” — Clay Travis (23:25)
• “You look good though, Clay.” — Jesse Waters, via clip, joking about Clay’s age (45:08)

Important Timestamps

• 03:06 – Trump State of the Union recap begins
• 07:23 – Results-based critique of Democrat policy; failure of Obamacare
• 10:10 – Abortion as a vanishing political issue post-Dobbs
• 13:20 – Healthcare market commentary (Lasik vs. MRIs)
• 15:22 – Ozempic prices fall; positive market impact
• 22:19 – John Fetterman’s surprising popularity with Republicans
• 23:02-23:25 – Listener call on House control and Trump derangement
• 25:20 – Senator Marsha Blackburn joins
• 27:47 – Blackburn on Democrats refusing to stand at State of the Union
• 29:43-31:37 – Discussion of Zuckerberg testimony, Kids Online Safety Act
• 32:17 – Endorsing ‘Bell to bell, no cell’ school policy
• 37:01 – Voter ID and election integrity discussion
• 45:08–46:21 – Lighthearted banter on age and TV appearance

Summary & Takeaways

This hour exemplifies The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show in top form: fast-paced, deeply partisan analysis, heavy on conservative talking points and data, skeptical of Democratic messaging, and not shy about leading the cultural conversation on schools, tech policy, and electoral reform. The show closes with a light touch, underscoring the importance (and occasional absurdity) of political media culture.

Listeners get a clear sense of where the 2026 conservative movement sees the current political dynamics: strong momentum under Trump, Democrats struggling for a core issue, and cultural battle lines being redrawn—from the classroom to the smartphone.