The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Hour 3 - FL Lieutenant Gov. Jay Collins

Date: October 22, 2025
Hosts: Clay Travis & Buck Sexton
Guest: Florida Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins

Episode Overview

In this episode, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton host Florida Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins for an in-depth conversation about Florida politics, conservative governance, and the state’s future leadership. Other main topics include political scandals in Maine, Democrat Party challenges, and trends in national politics, with the usual dose of irreverent humor and candid opinions.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Political “Scandal of the Year” – Maine Democrat Candidate’s Nazi Tattoo

• [01:50 - 11:23]

  • Clay introduces a breaking story from Maine’s upcoming Senate race involving Democratic candidate Graham Platner, who’s publicly apologized for a “Nazi skull” Totenkopf tattoo he got while drunk in 2007.
  • Hosts express incredulity at Platner’s explanation and note that if a Republican were involved, the fallout would be far worse.
  • The conversation expands to broader themes of cancel culture, left-wing hypocrisy, and the shifting meaning of accusations of fascism and Nazism.

  Memorable Quotes:

  • Clay Travis [04:43]:
    “He has gone and gotten a new tattoo to cover up the Nazi skull tattoo. … Can you imagine if there were a Republican running who had a Nazi chest tattoo since 2007?”
  • Buck Sexton [11:23]:
    “Democrats... have made the American people far less sensitive or maybe they've desensitized us to claims that people are Nazis or fascists, because they say it so often about people who are not.”

2. Florida Governance and the Future with Jay Collins

• [24:28 - 33:09]
  • Clay and Buck welcome Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, highlighting his military and political credentials. Topics covered:
    • Ensuring Good Governance:
      • Collins emphasizes the importance of action over rhetoric and credits Governor DeSantis for his consistent follow-through.
      • Collins [25:04]:
        “You’ve got to look at track record. It’s not just about saying that we’re going to get things done... The thing that’s made Governor DeSantis who he is—he says it, he means it, he does it, then follows up and holds people accountable.”
    • Property Taxes and Home Ownership:
      • Buck raises the philosophical concern that homeowners “never really own” their homes due to ongoing property taxes; Collins outlines a possible ballot initiative to exempt homesteaded properties from property taxes.
      • Collins [26:55]:
        “The American dream is to own your home and you never really own it if the government can take it from you. So what we want to do is exempt homesteaded properties from property tax.”
    • Competition Among Red States:
      • Hosts joke about Florida vs. Tennessee as top destinations for conservatives fleeing blue states.
    • Migration from Blue States & NYC's Left Turn:
      • Collins calls Florida the “conservative proving grounds of America” and predicts more New Yorkers will move in if NYC elects a candidate like Mamdani.
      • Collins [29:46]:
        “We’re the conservative proving grounds of America... Florida is a light, right? We are shining on that because we're leading the way.”
    • Collins’ Potential Gubernatorial Run:
      • Collins confirms he is seriously considering a run for governor after DeSantis, emphasizing a “we thing, not a me thing” approach.
      • Collins [31:19]:
        “We’ve taken a very methodic approach... It’s a family decision... Will my approach, my type of leadership be what’s best for Florida? It’s a we thing, not a me thing.”

3. Trends in National Politics

• [13:20 - 15:04 & elsewhere]
  • Discussion on politicians (like Jasmine Crockett) leveraging internet notoriety and “saying crazy things” for fame and fundraising.
  • The influence of social media and podcasting in shaping political careers.
  • Buck Sexton [14:41]:
    “These days, if somebody was telling me, ‘Hey, I want to start a podcast from scratch,’ I'd be like, just say the craziest stuff imaginable that will get people interested and don’t worry about any of it being true or verifiable until later..."

4. Government Shutdown and Healthcare Subsidies

• [20:07 - 22:26]
  • Ongoing government shutdown discussed, including Trump’s refusal to negotiate until Democrats “open up the country.”
  • Critique of the Democrat-backed health care subsidies and Obamacare exchanges, drawing on a recent Jon Stewart segment.
  • Clay Travis [20:21]:
    “Trump is not allowing Democrats to take the Treasury hostage here. And I think he's in the right..."

5. Listener Feedback and Closing Banter

• [38:52 - end]
  • Responding to listener emails and voicemails, playful banter about political style, politicians’ appearances, and bantering about The View and New York politics.
  • Discusses lack of response from Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa to appear on the show.

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• Clay Travis [04:43]:
  “He has gone and gotten a new tattoo to cover up the Nazi skull tattoo... Can you imagine if there were a Republican running who had a Nazi chest tattoo since 2007?”

• Buck Sexton [11:23]:
  “Democrats have desensitized us to claims that people are Nazis or fascists because they say it so often about people who are not.”

• Jay Collins [25:04]:
  “The thing that has made Governor DeSantis who he is, he is a man of action. He says it, he means it, he does it, and then he follows up and holds people accountable.”

• Jay Collins [26:55]:
  “The American dream is to own your home and you never really own it if the government can take it from you.”

• Jay Collins [29:46]:
  “We’re the conservative proving grounds of America... Florida is a light, right? We are shining on that because we're leading the way.”

• Jay Collins [31:19]:
  “We’ve taken a very methodic approach ... Will my approach, my type of leadership be what’s best for Florida? It’s a we thing, not a me thing.”

• Buck Sexton [14:41]:
  “These days... just say the craziest stuff imaginable that will get people interested and don’t worry about any of it being true or verifiable until later on.”

Important Segments & Timestamps

• Maine Senate Race Nazi Tattoo Scandal: [01:50 - 11:23]
• Politics and Media Outlandishness/Fame: [13:20 - 15:04]
• Gov. Shutdown & Healthcare Subsidies: [20:07 - 22:26]
• Lt. Gov. Jay Collins Interview: [24:28 - 33:09]
• Florida's Property Tax Ballot Initiative: [26:55 - 28:49]
• Collins on Florida as Conservative Beacon: [29:46 - 30:45]
• Listener Voicemails & Politician Bants: [38:52 - End]

Overall Tone & Style

• Conversational, irreverent, and direct.
• Faithful to the hosts’ snarky, right-leaning, satirical tone.
• Guest Jay Collins brings a calm, confident, and patriotic energy.

For listeners who missed the show:

• The episode is a lively tour through current political controversies, the culture-war lens on recent scandals, and thoughtful discussion about Florida’s policy future under DeSantis and possibly Jay Collins. The interview with Collins is a must-listen for insight into how Florida Republicans see the state’s leadership succession—and confirms Florida’s place at the center of GOP policy innovation.