Podcast Summary: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: "Hour 3 – Don Lemon’s Lemons"

Date: January 19, 2026
Hosts: Clay Travis and Buck Sexton
Notable Guest: Rep. Byron Donalds
Main Theme: Media responsibility and public reaction to activist protests, Don Lemon's controversial coverage, the political fallout, and updates on the Florida gubernatorial race.

Episode Overview

This episode uses the Martin Luther King Day holiday as a backdrop to unpack a highly charged, current event: Black Lives Matter activists interrupting a church service in Minneapolis, with CNN’s Don Lemon providing coverage that equates the protest to the civil rights movement. Clay and Buck analyze the ethics and public backlash around this event, the responses from politicians and legal authorities, and the role of media figures like Lemon in framing and participating in activism. The episode then features a sports-centric interview with Florida gubernatorial candidate Rep. Byron Donalds and wraps up with analysis of Democratic Party dynamics and further commentary on Lemon’s media persona.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. BLM Protest in Minneapolis Church: Context, Reaction, and Don Lemon's Coverage

• The Incident: Activists interrupted a church service to protest against ICE, drawing significant backlash due to the setting and methods.
• Political Reaction: Even Minnesota Governor Tim Walz publicly condemned the protest, emphasizing the sanctity of places of worship and the inappropriateness of such disruption—even on MLK Day.
  (Clay Travis, 02:30)
• Media Framing: Don Lemon, covering the protest, initially likened it to classic civil rights movement disruption, arguing protest is meant to make people uncomfortable and can happen "at any time."
  • Quote: “That’s the whole point of it, is to disrupt, to make uncomfortable. And that’s what they’re doing…”
    (Don Lemon, 04:33)

Hosts' Analysis

• Buck Sexton derides Lemon’s constitutional argument, pointing out the clear legal boundaries for protests, specifically around time, place, and manner (First Amendment jurisprudence).
  • Quote: “Time and place restrictions are very much a part of First Amendment jurisprudence… The First Amendment doesn’t actually... Time and place restrictions are very much a part of First Amendment jurisprudence. You’re not allowed to break into someone’s home and say, ‘I have a First Amendment right to shout at you in your sleep.’”
    (Buck Sexton, 05:49)
• Clay notes politicians’ and activists' tendency to backtrack once backlash becomes clear, particularly Lemon’s attempts to distance himself after initial support.
  • Quote: “Don Lemon is now backtracking significantly and saying, ‘Oh, I had no idea what was going on.’”
    (Clay Travis, 04:45)

2. Legal & Media Accountability: Don Lemon’s Role and Responsibility

• Potential Charges: There’s speculation Don Lemon might face charges alongside activists, with the debate hinging on whether he was merely observing as a journalist or facilitating illegal activity.
  • Quote: “Don Lemon is going to argue, ‘I was a journalist here just covering this protest.’…but…I think there’s a lot of evidence to support that he did know what was going to happen.”
    (Clay Travis, 08:17)
• Media’s Ethical Line: Clay and Buck discuss the gray area for journalists—at what point does coverage become complicity if the reporter knows laws will be broken? Lemon’s actions may affect his career either way, possibly making him a "cause celebre" for the left.

3. Law Enforcement, Media, and Public Narrative

• Escalation & Doxxing Concerns: The hosts discuss the naming and targeting of a federal officer, inflamed by activist coverage and mainstream media, emphasizing the risks to officers and their families.
  • Interview with Kristi Noem highlights media’s activism and the dangers of doxxing—Noem expresses concern over naming harmed officers on air.
  • Quote: “We shouldn’t have people continue to dox law enforcement when they have an 80% increase in death threats against them.”
    (Margaret Brennan, 11:46)
• Optics of the Left’s Position: Buck asserts that if roles were reversed, or the victim was not demographically aligned with left-wing activism, the emotional response would be different.
  • Quote: “It was a white woman killed, not a black woman or black man. Therefore, the left does not get as agitated about it…”
    (Buck Sexton, 05:49)

4. ICE Agents, Protesters, and Public Safety

• Viral Clip: A notable moment features an ICE agent confronting protesters, revealing the person targeted for arrest was a “convicted pedophile.”
  • Quote (ICE agent): “We’re here to arrest a child sex offender and you guys are out here honking… That’s who you guys are protecting. Insane.”
    (14:39)
• Clay and Buck point out the disconnect between activist motivations and on-the-ground realities, relating the situation to previous BLM protests and their effect on public safety.

5. Florida Politics: Interview With Rep. Byron Donalds (24:33–31:50)

Context: Donalds, leading candidate for next Florida governor, joins for sports banter and policy discussion.

• On Miami vs. Indiana Football Game: Donalds, a Florida State graduate, playfully admits to rooting for state pride.
  • Quote: “Number one, Florida first, gotta root for the Canes. They’re our rivals. They beat us this year… I’m going to be over at the game tonight and let the best team win.”
    (Byron Donalds, 26:12)
• On Florida’s Future: Donalds outlines priorities: continue DeSantis’ law-and-order agenda, improve housing affordability, and expand jobs in sectors like aerospace and tech.
  • Quote: “All the great work that Governor DeSantis has done over his eight years, you keep that in. You know, that stuff you don’t really touch. You’re really responsible for keeping it going.”
    (Byron Donalds, 28:30)
• Maintaining Conservative Policy Amid In-Migration: Asserts that newcomers should expect and uphold Florida’s “common sense, sound economics, law and order… We don’t do the crazy stuff that they do in Illinois and New York. Our common sense state.”
  (Byron Donalds, 30:14)

6. Democratic Party Dynamics & VP Choice Post-Game (36:20+)

• Clay and Buck riff on Kamala Harris’s vice-presidential pick, criticizing the Democratic “bench” and speculating on potential candidates’ hesitancy or lack of suitability.
  • Quote: “Every Democrat presidential candidate picked someone dumber than them to be the VP.”
    (Clay Travis, 37:41)
  • Buttigieg is cited as the highest-profile openly gay Democrat, though hosts contend his prominence is largely identity-driven.

7. Don Lemon Responds to Backlash: Identity Politics Rhetoric

• Lemon frames criticism of his church protest coverage as a sign of “white supremacy” and “entitlement,” further inflaming public discourse.
  • Quote: “There’s a certain degree of entitlement. I think people who are… in religious groups like that… that entitlement comes from a supremacy, a white supremacy…”
    (Don Lemon, 41:11)
  • Buck’s sharp retort: “Don Lemon is a gay black man in America? Oh my gosh, it’s not like his entire career has been built upon that basic premise.”
    (Buck Sexton, 41:56)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (With Timestamps)

• Don Lemon linking protest to civil rights:
  “The civil rights movement was about these very kind [of] protest. There’s nothing in the Constitution that tells you what time you can protest.”
  (Don Lemon, 04:02–04:33)

• Buck Sexton on Lemon’s constitutional ignorance:
  “Don Lemon may want to do that over this issue, but he does not actually have a constitutional, lawful, or ethical right…”
  (Buck Sexton, 05:49)

• ICE agent on protesters defending a child sex offender:
  “We’re here to arrest a child sex offender and you guys are out here honking… That’s who you guys are protecting. Insane.”
  (14:39)

• Byron Donalds on keeping Florida red:
  “We are a red state. We’re a very conservative political state and we’re going to stay that way.”
  (Byron Donalds, 30:14)

• Don Lemon’s identity politics defense:
  “That entitlement comes from a supremacy, a white supremacy. And they think that this country was built for them, that it is a Christian country...”
  (Don Lemon, 41:11)

Important Timestamps

• BLM Church Protest & Don Lemon’s Defense: 02:30–04:45
• Analysis of Protest Ethics & Lemon’s Legal Exposure: 04:45–08:17
• Law Enforcement Doxxing & ICE Agent Discussion: 11:31–15:34
• ICE Agent/Protester Confrontation: 14:39
• Florida Politics with Byron Donalds: 24:33–31:50
• Democratic Party Bench & VP Discussion: 36:20–40:26
• Don Lemon’s Response to Criticism: 41:11–41:56

Tone & Takeaways

Clay and Buck maintain an irreverent, high-energy style, blending news analysis with pointed mockery of political and media figures—especially Don Lemon. They frame the BLM church protest as a harmful overreach, criticize Lemon’s attempts to paint himself as a victim, and juxtapose that with broader concerns about law enforcement vilification. The Byron Donalds interview shifts to optimistic local policy and sports, providing contrast to the heavy culture war themes.

Bottom Line:
The episode offers sharp, skeptical takes on left-wing activism, media complicity, and the perils of identity politics while providing inside perspectives on Florida conservatism and its political future. Listeners come away with a nuanced, often critical appraisal of the intersection between activism, journalism, and law enforcement—as well as a preview of Florida’s evolving political landscape.