The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Hour 3 – Experience Matters
Date: October 24, 2025
Hosts: Clay Travis & Buck Sexton

Episode Overview

This final hour of the week dives into current events and hot topics in national news, especially politics and the economy, with trademark intelligence, wit, and energetic audience interaction. The hosts react to breaking legal and political news (including Letitia James’ indictment and the latest endorsements in the NYC mayoral race), riff on economic headlines, discuss the impact of AI on the job market, and field listener calls on everything from the 1980s music to unemployment struggles. The show balances information with humor, pop culture tangents, motivational advice, and playful music takes, making dense issues both accessible and engaging.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Positive Economic Indicators

[02:13]

• Clay opens with optimism about the stock market reaching record highs, inflation being lower than expected, lower mortgage rates, and gas prices at a four-year low.
• Emphasizes there are “many different, very positive stories out there.”

2. Letitia James Indictment & Reactions

[03:32 – 06:14]

• Clay reports on New York AG Letitia James being indicted in Northern Virginia on mortgage fraud charges and plays clips of her public statement.
• Quotes:
  • “This is not about me, about all of us, and about a justice system which has been weaponized. A justice system which has been used as a tool of revenge.” – Letitia James [03:32]
  • “No fear today… Because I believe that justice will rain down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.” – Letitia James [04:18]
• Buck questions her rhetoric, saying she didn’t directly deny the charges:
  • “Did you do the thing the prosecutor says you did?...As a person who is prosecuting other people for that same act, you should be held accountable for doing that thing.” [05:06]
  • Suggests the case exposes “weaponized” justice and the perception of partisanship in prosecutions tied to Trump.

3. New York City Politics: Mamdani’s Rise and Democratic Tensions

[06:14 – 11:48]

• Clay breaks news that Hakeem Jeffries (House Minority Leader) finally endorsed candidate Mamdani for NYC mayor, signaling a shift in Democratic Party dynamics.
  • Mamdani, a far-left figure, upset Andrew Cuomo in the primary, making establishment Dems nervous.
• Buck critiques Mamdani's policies, arguing that his ideas for affordability would worsen the city's problems:
  • “His baseline idea that he’s going to make the city more affordable involves doing things that make the city less affordable... The more market-based it is, the more efficient it will become, and the lower the prices are.” [08:02]
  • Cites past resistance to federal zoning reform as evidence that affluent liberals balk at the implications of low-income housing in their neighborhoods.
  • Highlights tax base flight: “1% of NYC residents pay 50% of the taxes... you don't have to lose a lot of people to blow a big hole in the NYC budget.” [11:48]
• Clay nods to migration: "Then that money moves to states like Florida, Tennessee, Texas. It's a virtuous circle..." [11:48]

4. Listener Calls: Politics and Grit

[12:24 – 15:37]

• Listeners push back on Clay's suggestion that Curtis Sliwa should drop out of the mayoral race in favor of a stronger challenger to Mamdani.
  • “You play to win the game. And if it gives Cuomo a 2% extra chance of winning, Cuomo you play to win the game.” – Joe in LA [12:53]
  • “If you don’t fight because you think you're gonna lose, then everybody is going to take advantage of you. You fight. Win or lose, you fight.” – Richard in Spokane [13:21]
• Clay and Buck draw inspiration from sports, notably the "Miracle on Ice" (1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team).
  • Lighthearted jab about mistakenly calling it a soccer team, leading to playful host banter. [15:21]
• Odds update: Mamdani at a 93% chance to win, Cuomo 5%, Curtis Sliwa 0.5% (with the possibility of a huge upset bet). [14:53]

5. Pop Culture & Playful Segments

[15:37 – 16:40]

• Tangent about the World Cup and Donald Trump possibly attending or commentating the games.
  • “Trump doing play by play for soccer, I think would be a great boon for the World Cup.” – Buck [16:13]
• Brief self-promotion: Buck discusses his investment and politics newsletter, Money and Power, and its focus on AI, Trump policy, and actionable insights. [16:40]

6. The Job Market, AI Disruption, and Career Advice

[21:22 – 36:57]

• Caller Christy from Utah, an HR professional, highlights intense job competition and long-term unemployment even for highly qualified candidates.
  • “The job market is insane. There are people who’ve been out of work for like a year, two years…One job post gets like 200 responses in a day.” – Christy [21:40]
• Clay and Buck’s analysis:
  • AI is having a major impact on white-collar (upper-middle-class) jobs, not manual or blue-collar work.
    • “There are certain jobs…plumber, roofer…AI isn’t taking away those jobs. I think there are a lot of thought-related, so-called white-collar jobs that companies just aren’t filling right now because they don’t know how fast AI is going to advance.” – Clay [24:30]
  • Predictions that professions like law, consulting, and investment banking are at risk. Routine analysis is already being automated. [25:50]
  • Buck: “It’s an enormous efficiency tool for bureaucratic and paper-shuffling kind of work…You can upload 100,000 pages…and it will give you every citation you’re looking for in a couple of minutes.” [28:24]
  • Both hosts reminisce and joke about “Clueless” (the movie), pop culture, and famous unaging actors like Paul Rudd. [27:10]
  • Work advice: Don’t just submit resumes online; build relationships and network directly with people to find opportunities.
    • “People get jobs from other people. You actually don’t get a job from an email inbox. Always remember that.” – Buck [35:58]
  • Big-picture reflection: AI may soon render many traditional jobs obsolete, potentially even leading to a future where jobs are optional.
    • “Elon has come out and said we’re rapidly advancing to a world where having a job will be like growing your own produce…It’s not going to be the standard.” – Clay [31:35]
    • Naval Ravikant’s “wealth vs. status” distinction: As AI brings material abundance, fulfillment may rely on faith, purpose, and community, not just wealth. [32:24]
    • “Material things may get really boring soon because everyone’s going to have their material needs met.” – Buck [34:27]
    • Motivational closer: “Keep your head up. I’ve been fired multiple times…I know how stressful the process is. We hope you find employment sooner rather than later.” – Clay [35:12]

7. Listener Engagement: Music of the 1980s

[41:23 – 44:39]

• Music debate: Listeners critique Clay’s lack of 1980s music knowledge and offer their picks for best songs of the era.
  • Toto’s “Africa,” “Eye of the Tiger,” “Danger Zone” from Top Gun, and Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” are highlighted.
  • “Africa by Toto…every time I hear it on the radio station, I just smile. It’s a great song.” – Gigi from Tampa [42:08]
  • “How could you not pick Eye of the Tiger for one of the greatest songs of the 80s?” – JJ James from Nashville [43:46]
• Buck and Clay react in good humor, with Clay confessing music is not his strong suit.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Did you do the thing that the prosecutor says you did?” – Buck Sexton, calling out Letitia James’ evasive response [05:06]
• “It’s not that it won’t work. It will work to make the city less affordable.” – Buck Sexton, on Mamdani’s affordable housing plans [08:02]
• “If you don’t fight because you think you're gonna lose, then everybody is going to take advantage of you.” – Listener Richard, the ex-con, on political grit [13:21]
• “People get jobs from other people. You actually don’t get a job from an email inbox. Always remember that.” – Buck Sexton [35:58]
• “Material things may get really boring soon because everyone's going to have their material needs met.” – Buck Sexton [34:27]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Opening optimism on economy: [02:13]
• Letitia James indictment & response: [03:32 – 06:14]
• NYC politics, Mamdani’s endorsement, and party tensions: [06:14 – 11:48]
• Listener calls on Sliwa and political fighting spirit: [12:24 – 15:37]
• Sports/political odds/World Cup banter: [15:37 – 16:40]
• Job market & impact of AI, practical advice: [21:22 – 36:57]
• Listener debate on 1980s music: [41:23 – 44:39]

Tone & Style

• Witty, conversational, and opinionated, balancing sharp political commentary with playful banter and pop-culture detours.
• Encouraging and empathetic, especially towards those facing employment challenges.
• Open to audience participation and ready to engage with criticism and feedback.

For listeners who missed this episode: Expect insightful analysis of the week’s biggest political and economic issues, thoughtful commentary on the future of work, and plenty of laughs from both the hosts and engaged callers. The episode stands out for its frankness about the personal impact of economic trends and its blend of hard news, personal stories, pop culture, and interactive audience moments.