Hour 3 - FL Stole the Cash Cows

Summary

The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Hour 3 – FL Stole the Cash Cows

Date: March 18, 2026
Podcast Host: iHeartPodcasts

Overview

In this episode, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle current political controversies, hot-button national security topics, and the ongoing state-level battle over taxes and fiscal governance. They dig into the resignation of Joe Kent over U.S. policy toward Iran, Tulsi Gabbard's warnings about the spread of Islamist ideology, and the exodus of wealthy residents from New York to Florida (and its impact on tax bases and social programs). The hosts bring their characteristic blend of sharp political insight, relatable anecdotes, and pointed humor.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Joe Kent’s Resignation Over Iran Policy

• Context: Joe Kent, a military veteran, resigned from his position as NCTC Director, criticizing President Trump’s approach to the Iran conflict and raising allegations about foreign influence.
• Discussion Highlights:
  • Buck emphasizes respect for Kent’s service but rejects accusations that Trump is controlled by any foreign power.

    “No one tells Trump what to do. I said that yesterday. It’s like, no one puts baby in a corner. No one tells Trump what to do.” — Buck Sexton (07:14)

  • Caroline Levitt’s White House response asserts Trump isn’t influenced or bullied and dismisses the content of Kent’s letter as “insulting and laughable.”
• Insider Dynamics:
  • Buck and Clay support open disagreements but criticize public grandstanding after internal disputes.
  • Clay prefers internal resolution:

    “If I… disagreed with [IHeart’s management], I wouldn’t come on the radio and be like, I can no longer work here. I would make my pitch. Other people make decisions.” — Clay Travis (08:17)

• Resignation vs. ‘Resistance’:
  • Buck praises resigning vs. undermining from within:

    “I actually think people resigning and saying this is why I’m resigning is a good thing instead… [of] staying in the machine to thwart Trump. But no, that’s wrong.” (10:43)

• Controversy on Israel Lobby:
  • Both hosts call out online conspiracies accusing Trump and his team of being "bought and paid for," labelling such claims as “insulting” and “crazy.”

---

2. Fallout from the October 7 Attacks and Middle East Realpolitik

• Israel’s Strategic Position:
  • Clay argues that, contrary to some narratives, Israel emerged stronger post-October 7, having neutralized key terror threats.

    “Every one of Israel’s terroristic foes has been decapitated almost on a literal level as a result of the October 7 attacks. Israel is in a stronger position than it’s ever been before, I think.” — Clay Travis (13:10)

  • Buck agrees, noting greater regional support for Israel and potential for increased stability.

    “Major Sunni Arab countries, most notably Saudi Arabia… are more friendly toward Israeli security and a better future for the region than they ever have been before.” — Buck Sexton (13:42)

• US and Israeli Differences:
  • The hosts explore the tension between US and Israeli tactics, especially regarding regime change in Iran.
  • Clay: President Trump wants to end conflict sooner than Israel (23:40).

---

3. Islamist Threats and Tulsi Gabbard’s Testimony

• Testimony Excerpt (Cut 6):
  • Gabbard warns about the spread of Islamist ideology, highlighting groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and their aims to establish a caliphate.

    “The spread of Islamist ideology… poses a fundamental threat to freedom and the foundational principles that underpin Western civilization.” — Tulsi Gabbard (20:33)

  • She praises President Trump’s designation of certain Muslim Brotherhood chapters as terrorist organizations.

---

4. State Governance: New York vs. Florida

• The Flight of the ‘Cash Cows’:
  • Buck and Clay analyze the exodus of high-net-worth individuals from New York to Florida, Texas, and Tennessee, emphasizing how tax and fiscal policy drive decisions.
  • Buck satirically summarizes NY Governor Kathy Hochul’s appeal to the wealthy:

    “New York or former New Yorkers, please move back to New York so you can be milked like the cows you are for the welfare state. That is her pitch.” — Buck Sexton (27:42)

• Budget Comparisons:
  • Florida now has more residents, but its budget is half the size of New York’s, yet offers more efficient, effective governance.

    “Everything that involves the state of Florida is more efficient, more reasonable, more sane compared to New York state level governance. Everything.” — Buck Sexton (29:19)

---

5. The “Homeless Industrial Complex” & Government Waste

• Staggering Spending Figures:
  • New York City spends ~$81,000 per homeless person annually, more than many working residents earn.

    “This is… 100% true. A lot of you out there are aspiring to life at 80k, right? That’s a lot of money. That is what New York is spending on homeless people.” — Clay Travis (30:08)

  • Buck and Clay mock the trend of redefining homelessness (e.g., “unhoused,” “unsheltered”) as an attempt to obscure failures.
• Systemic Fraud and Bureaucratic Bloat:
  • The hosts highlight examples of fraudulent billing in “autism therapy” and “daycare” programs—millions in taxpayer dollars funneled through shell companies and padded with administrators.
  • Clay:

    “It would actually cut half of the expenditures… if you just walked up and gave $78,000 in cash to every homeless person.” (33:28)

• Political Incentives:
  • Buck:

    “There is a homeless industrial complex now, essentially, of all these NGOs and bureaucrats getting paid to not actually fix the problem.” (35:26)

  • The waste is linked to Democratic vote-harvesting and power maintenance, especially in large blue cities.

---

6. Audience Interaction & Notable Calls

• Tying in Classic Wisdom:
  • Joe from Minneapolis references Margaret Thatcher:

    “Socialism seems like a great idea until you run out of somebody else’s money.” (45:28)

• Listeners Weigh In:
  • Callers discuss whether resignation was fitting, the need (or lack thereof) for wealthy taxpayers, and the farcical scale of government programs.

---

Memorable Quotes with Timestamps

• “No one puts baby in a corner. No one tells Trump what to do.” — Buck Sexton (07:14)
• “If I… disagreed with [IHeart’s management], I wouldn’t come on the radio and be like, I can no longer work here. I would make my pitch. Other people make decisions.” — Clay Travis (08:17)
• “Every one of Israel’s terroristic foes has been decapitated almost on a literal level as a result of the October 7 attacks.” — Clay Travis (13:10)
• “The spread of Islamist ideology… poses a fundamental threat to freedom and the foundational principles that underpin Western civilization.” — Tulsi Gabbard, via Caroline Levitt (20:33)
• “New York or former New Yorkers, please move back to New York so you can be milked like the cows you are for the welfare state.” — Buck Sexton (27:42)
• “Everything that involves the state of Florida is more efficient, more reasonable, more sane compared to New York state level governance. Everything.” — Buck Sexton (29:19)
• “There is a homeless industrial complex now, essentially, of all these NGOs and bureaucrats getting paid to not actually fix the problem.” — Buck Sexton (35:26)
• “Socialism seems like a great idea until you run out of somebody else’s money.” — Joe, Minneapolis caller (45:28)

---

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Joe Kent resignation, Israel/Iran policy: 03:20 – 15:24
• Tulsi Gabbard testimony on Islamist threats: 20:22 – 21:35
• NY vs. Florida, tax base discussion: 25:39 – 29:36
• NYC homeless spending and government waste: 29:36 – 39:37
• Caller feedback and closing commentary: 45:16 – 46:50

---

Tone & Style

The tone is contentious but good-natured, driven by Buck’s dry wit and Clay’s everyman relatability. They blend humor with exasperation at government dysfunction, skepticism toward conspiracy theories, and a focus on practical consequences for everyday Americans.

---

This summary captures the essential arguments, major axes of discussion, and the memorable moments from this hour of “The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show,” making it accessible and informative for listeners or readers alike.

Transcript

[Commercial Announcer]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.

[Buck Sexton]

You and I hear about people and families who bought a timeshare years ago. They enjoyed it at first, but now feel completely stuck. And that's the part that hits home. People don't regret the vacations, they regret the obligation. If your life has changed but that contract hasn't, you should know this. There is a legal way out.

[Clay Travis]

That's why we want to tell you about ACA timeshare.com they've helped thousands of families illegally cancel their timeshares for good. If this sounds like you, call aca Timeshare at 888-364-0222. That's 888-3640 ACA. Or visit acatimeshare.com at least have the conversation. That's ACA timeshare.com no one knows what

[Commercial Announcer]

the future holds, but you deserve a weather app that can help. Weather Bug is easy to use and provides forecasts for your every need, from storm warnings to pollen levels right at your fingertips. Get the fastest local Alerts and comprehensive 10 day forecasts wherever you are. It's hyperlocal, real time customizable alerts. Make sure the weather never takes you by surprise so you can plan every day with confidence. Download the free Weather Bug app from the App Store today and start Getting accurate weather forecasts 24. 7

[Public Investing Ad Voice]

Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On public you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index. With AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors llc SEC Registered Advisor. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosure is [e-mail] Disclosures Flag football

[IFLAG Flag Football Ad Voice]

is exploding and IFLAG is leading the way as the Guinness World Record holder. IFLAG hosts premier flag football tournaments nationwide for boys, girls, high school girls and adults. From first, first time players to elite competitors, IFLAG delivers top level competition, unforgettable experiences, and a community built around the game. Ready to be part of it? Join the movement, find your tournament and learn [e-mail] that's iflag.org these days it

[Okta Ad Voice]

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 identity 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 you'll turn risk into opportunity. Secure every agent, secure any agent. Okta secures AI.

[Buck Sexton]

Third hour of Clay and Buck kicks off right now. Thanks everybody for being here with us doing our show. Informing, entertaining, breaking it all down for you. And also want to take your thoughts, comments and everything else. See, we look at those VIP emails and we put questions to the people making the big decisions up on Capitol Hill and in the White House when we can. So we're seeing them all. Send those in. Send the talkbacks in. Something I wanted to get into, Clay. The two hearings are going on right now, or I should say today. Not right this moment necessarily, but two hearings that were going on today on Capitol Hill. One was the Mark Wayne Mullen confirmation hearing. I do believe he will be confirmed. Senator Rand Paul will be a no vote, as he just told us in the last hour. And these two guys just don't like each other. That's just where this is. There are people who, you know, Clay, I leave some, some people don't like me, which I find unfathomable. But there are people who don't even know me and don't like me. And there's some very few people know me, don't like me. But, you know, even Clay Travis, as, as affable a fellow as he is, I'm sure there are, I don't know, some woke sports writers out there who,

[Clay Travis]

lots of them actually hate me.

[Buck Sexton]

Yeah, yeah, just, just don't like you. And they say mean things about my friend Clay and then I want to fight them, but you know, it's okay. People, people have their disputes and of course the senators will weigh in on what they think about all this with their votes, with their confirmation votes. So we Put it out there. We will have Senator Mullen on after he. Assuming he's confirmed or either way, actually, just if he wants to. He may not come on, by the way. He may say, look, everything that's needed had to be said, was said. But we're not. We're not taking some position on this other than letting these two important voices in the Republican Party have that discussion. So, yeah, we've already reached out to his team, and so, you know, he's welcome to come on. Okay, couple things here. First one is the. So Tulsi Gabbard is. Is testifying on the Hill. I want to get to her, some of her testimony, the dni. I don't even think I agree with Tulsi Gabbard necessarily on, on a whole range of foreign policy issues. But I do like her as a person. I think she's an ethical, good person, and I think she's a patriot. So that informs my judgments of her. I feel the same way about Joe Kent. I think he's a patriot. Uh, I think that he has given a lot to this country. And I don't really like people throwing that to the wayside over a policy dispute on the right so quickly. I'm seeing a little bit of that. You can say Joe Kent is wrong. You can say Joe Kent is crazy for what he's putting forward on this Iran war. That's up to you. But the guy served, and the guy lost his wife who was serving in a. In a forward deployed, you know, combat. You know, combat enabling role. So let's all just maintain that level of, I think, earned respect that the guy has. Again, you want to trash his resignation or you think it's a bad idea, that's fine. But people are saying things like, you know, I'm not even gonna say what they're saying, but they're saying crazy stuff. Oh, he's a traitor. The guy's not a traitor. Caroline Levitt spoke about this. This is Cut nine. Let's hear what she had to say about the Joe Kent resignation from nctc. Director.

[Caroline Levitt]

He said he always thought Joe Kent was a good guy. Obviously has a commendable military record. However, he was not someone who was involved in the Presidential Daily Brief, part of the President's intelligence briefings over the last several months. Have not seen him here at the White House for quite some time. And the President feels it's deeply disappointing that after the President gave him an opportunity in this administration to serve the American people, that he would resign with a letter filled with falsehoods. Accusing the President of the United States by being controlled by a foreign country, that's both insulting and laughable all at the same time. President is the leader of the most powerful country and military in the world. Nobody tells him what to do.

[Buck Sexton]

Now, this is basically Clay, what we were saying. I mean, I even said this. I'm like, no one tells Trump what to do. I said that yesterday. It's like, no one puts baby in a corner. No one tells Trump what to do. But the way that this was handled by Caroline Levitt here from the White House, I think this is totally, totally within bounds, totally on point, which is, he's a good guy. I think he loves America. He's over his skis on this one. It's a shame he didn't do more with the role. And, you know, people are allowed to disagree. This is America, you know, nothing nasty or personal, but saying he's, he's off on this one and, you know, that's that.

[Clay Travis]

This is, this is why we played the audio from the 1980s yesterday, because I think there are a lot of things you can say about President Trump if you disagree with him. He's at the behest of anyone, or they can bully him into doing anything, I think is completely and utterly untrue.

[Buck Sexton]

The idea that there is anyone who could bully President Trump, I don't think there's anyone on the planet who could bully President Trump into anything that he

[Clay Travis]

didn't otherwise want to do.

[Caroline Levitt]

Right.

[Clay Travis]

Can you. Which is the job of the president. Can you sit down in front of President Trump and say, hey, this is why we believe we need to strike Iran or why the Venezuela decision makes sense. Buck, you've been in these rooms. You've briefed the president. We really want the president to get a wide variety of perspectives so that he can hear, marinate, think about different arguments, and then he's the ultimate decider. And you, I'm sure, have seen a lot of times when people in positions of power have been pitched on two divergent perspectives. I, I'm not a big fan personally. This is just me of, hey, I disagree with something someone did. So I'm going to go public and everybody needs to know that I disagree. That's my personal opinion. Like, if I. We work for iheart, if I heart made a decision one day that I disagreed with, I wouldn't come on the radio and be like, I can no longer work here. I would make my pitch. Other people make decisions. I don't run the company.

[Buck Sexton]

If all of our radio stations Invaded Greenland simultaneous. And we thought there was like a human rights issue. It might be a little different, but yes.

[Clay Travis]

And also, by the way, some people out there are like, oh, you know, I don't really buy that anybody inside of the Trump team can be bought and paid for. Anyone. I'm 100% certain that Trump is not bought and paid for by Israel, which is actually insulting to Trump, to me, to argue that a foreign country could bully or buy and pay him into doing anything.

[Buck Sexton]

But, but I think that this, that's, I appreciated. You know, Caroline Levitt's obviously excellent at her job and she's speaking on behalf of the White House, but I think she's really summarizing very well what Trump's feelings about this are, which is Joe Kent, good guy, thought he'd be a good member of the team. He loves his country and he's a brave dude and I respect that on this. He's gone a little wackadoo and it's good that he's leaving. I'm sorry that he didn't find a way to operate better within the team. I think he's wrong. But it's not, this is a person that everybody should like malign and think ill of going forward. It's, this is a departure. You know, to your point, Clay, look, he believed, he didn't. He was opposed to the Iran war. He was somebody who didn't want intervention in Iran. He's a non interventionist and he's a guy who has been out there getting shot at during the intervention. So, you know, I think he's allowed to, very much allowed to have his opinion and have his opinion heard on this. He didn't change his mind or something on this last minute. He's not a fit for where the administration is in this. I actually think people resigning and saying this is why I'm resigning is, is a good thing instead of if the alternative is, remember Trump term one. There are these people, like the guy who wrote that like resistance editorial, I'm staying in the machine to thwart Trump. But no, that's wrong. You should not be doing that. I just, I think the part of this that has rubbed some people very much the wrong way is the, some of the insinuations about the reasons for Trump doing this as it pertains to Israel and the Israeli lobby in this country. And people are, people are very sensitive about that.

[Clay Travis]

That's just the truth.

[Buck Sexton]

People get very sensitive about that because there's some really crazy stuff that people say around those lines too. But I think that the way the White House has handled this is, you know, at least from this statement from Caroline Levitt, totally respectful and within bounds. It's a slap down on the issue, but it's not a slap down of the man. Joe Kent's not a bad guy. He's wrong on this.

[Clay Travis]

Do you see the posts that. I mean, first of all, there's a very anti Israel element that is active online that isn't actually very representative of the nation as a whole. But there are a lot of people who will say, oh, you're. I mean, because they'll say President Trump is corrupted. Do you see in the comments, anytime anybody says anything positive about Israel, they're like, you got paid $7,000 for this tweet. Have you seen this? Like, that's like echoing everywhere.

[Buck Sexton]

Yeah, they definitely don't know how much you sold out kick for. Seven grand isn't getting Papa Clay out of bed. I'm telling you.

[Clay Travis]

I was going to say I wouldn't do anything for seven grand, much less sell an opinion for seven grand. I mean, some of this stuff is just the conspiracy theories out there are crazy. And again, it's really wild. I think historically when we write about this, the fact that a lot of people decided after October 7th that somehow Israel was the instigator and the bad guy of everything that has happened since, I think is just a total bastardization of what has truly occurred and, and also a function that is misreading what actually has occurred, which is Hamas thought that they were going to be able to severely disable Israel in many ways. Instead, Buck, think about this. Hamas, the Houthis, Hezbollah, now the Iranian, the, the Ayatollah himself, every one of Israel's terroristic foes has been decapitated almost on a literal level as a result of the October 7 attacks. Israel is in a stronger position than it's ever been before, I think.

[Buck Sexton]

And Saudi Gulf states are more friendly toward Israeli security and a better future for the region than they ever have been before. Major Sunni Arab countries, most notably Saudi Arabia, but other Sunni Arab allies in the region are the.

[Clay Travis]

You.

[Buck Sexton]

The craziest part of this is. Or maybe you know, the most ironic part of it is that Hamas's horrific 911 style terror attack could end up resulting in the most pacified Middle East. Yes, we have seen in our lifetime. Now that's a could. That's not is yet. We're obviously still bombing Iran. But you look at what's going on with the enemies of. Yes, the enemies of Israel. But notice the enemies of Israel. It's not like Israel has beef with Hezbollah and America's like, you know who we really like?

[Clay Travis]

Hezbollah.

[Buck Sexton]

Because we remember the Marine Beirut bombings. You know, the Marine barracks bombings in Beirut. We remember what Hezbollah has been doing in the region, in Syria and around the world. Like, it's not like Israel's enemies are groups that we go, man, they're doing a lot of nice charity work. And why is Israel so harsh on them? They're our enemies, too.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah.

[Buck Sexton]

And they would kill us just as quickly as they would kill Israelis. I mean, that is just an observation of reality. So I wanted to get into some of the Islamist threats. Can we get it? Let's hold it because I want to come back. Cut six. You see there, Clay? Yeah, she's Tulsi Gabbard again. I like, you know, and I tell you, I like Tulsi. I like Joe Kennis, people. So take that for what it is. Tulsi Gabbard going after the spread of Islamism. Let's play when we come back in a second because I think people should hear that this is still a real concern, a real problem, and something that we should think of as a top national security issue to be tackled.

[Clay Travis]

No doubt. We'll play that for you when we come back. Cut six. Get it ready, boys and girls. But in the meantime, Buck may not know it tomorrow, March Madness starts officially. A lot of fevers, maybe a little sore throat starting to set in with

[Buck Sexton]

a lot of my bracket beat your bracket? No, actually that didn't happen.

[Clay Travis]

But we did both correctly pick the champion, which was the Florida Gators last year. You did pick the correct.

[Buck Sexton]

We got to go bracket head to head. Bracket challenge. I'm filling it out.

[Clay Travis]

We'll do the brackets, we'll get you ready. And if you like the brackets, as most of you do, my 11 year old told me yesterday, this is cute. He said, dad, I've already finished, filled out 12 different brackets. I said, are you sure? I said, how many different champions have you got? He said, oh, I've got eight different champs, dad. I went through and he's super excited. In fact, I just told Rusty, who's here working with me from. From iheart. Hey, can you get some brackets printed out? We don't have a. A printer. I'm trying to figure out how to get them out so the kids can all fill them out. But if you love March Madness, price picks going to be a lot of fun for you. You can play along at price picks. We just had the World Baseball Classic last night. NHL NBA March Madness soon to be the Major League Baseball season. I believe it starts next week. We are going to be able to have a lot of fun with those and you get $50 deposited in your account in all 50 states when you play. $5 at pricepix.com if you use code CLAY that's pricepix.com code CLAY $5 deposited turns into 50. That's pricepix.com code clay pricepix.com code C L A Y Get hooked up today.

[Buck Sexton]

You know them as conservative radio hosts.

[Public Investing Ad Voice]

Now just get to know them as

[Clay Travis]

guys on the Sunday Hang podcast with Clay and Buck. Find it in their podcast feed on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Commercial Announcer]

No one knows what the future holds, but you deserve a weather app that can help. Weatherbug is easy to use and provides forecasts for your every need from storm warnings to pollen levels right at your fingertips. Get the fastest local Alerts and comprehensive 10 day forecasts wherever you are. Its hyperlocal real time customizable alerts. Make sure the weather never takes you by surprise so you can plan every day with confidence. Download the free Weatherbug app from the App Store today and start Getting accurate weather forecasts 247

[Public Investing Ad Voice]

support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors llc. SEC Registered Advisor. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete Disclosures available at public.comDisclosures Flag Football

[IFLAG Flag Football Ad Voice]

is exploding and IFLAG is leading the way as the Guinness World Record Holder. Iflag hosts premier flag football tournaments nationwide for boys, girls, high school girls and adults. From first time players to elite competitors, IFLAG delivers top level competition, unforgettable experiences and a community built around the game. Ready to be part of it. Join the movement, find your tournament and learn [e-mail] that's iflag.org these days it

[Okta Ad Voice]

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 you'll turn risk into opportunity. Secure every agent. Secure any agent. Okta secures AI Hi, I'm Cindy Crawford

[Commercial Announcer]

and I'm the founder of Meaningful Beauty. Well, I don't know about you, but like, I never liked being told, oh wow, you look so good for your age. Like why even bother saying that? Why don't you just say you look great at any age, every age. That's what Meaningful Beauty is all about. We create products that make you feel confident in your skin at the age you are now. Meaningful Beauty. Beautiful skin at every age. Learn more@meaningful beauty.com

[Clay Travis]

welcome back in Clay Travis Buck Sexton SHOW we appreciate all of you hanging out with us. We were just talking about playing this cut from for you I believe. Cut 6 Tulsi Gabbard if I'm not mistaken.

[Caroline Levitt]

Listen, the spread of Islamist ideology in some cases led by individuals and organizations associated with the Muslim Brotherhood, poses a fundamental threat to freedom and the foundational principles that under underpin Western civilization. Islamist groups and individuals use this ideology for recruiting and financial support for terrorist groups and individuals around the world and to advance their political objectives of establishing an Islamist caliphate which governs based on Sharia. There are increasing examples of this in various European countries and President Trump's designation of certain Muslim Brotherhood chapters as foreign terrorist organizations is a mechanism to secure Americans against this threat. In response to setbacks to their capabilities of conducting large scale complex attacks, Islamist terrorist groups have shifted toward focusing on executing information operations to spread propaganda and inspire ornate, able individuals located in or with access to the West.

[Buck Sexton]

So still a problem.

[Clay Travis]

Yes. And again, what I would say if you want to be optimistic about things. We were just talking about the continued fallout of October 7, 2023 as we come up on what, two and a half years basically since that terror attack. I'm not sure that we have ever had a potential for a more secure and more stable Middle east in any of our lives than where we are right now. Now that doesn't mean that there may not be a great deal of tumult for the rest of March, for the rest of April and May. But I do think if you get the Abraham Accord signed on to by Saudi Arabia and they normalize relations with Israel, the call the, the, the guest we had on yesterday I think is so important psychologically. Iran has been left behind. Iran has been completely and totally left behind by its peer groups. In fact, a lot of countries that were beneath Iran in terms of economics. And that's embarrassing and somewhat humiliating to many people who live in Iran. And so it's one thing if the United States is wealthier or even if Israel is wealthier, but when Saudi Arabia is wealthier, when Qatar is wealthier, when the UAE is wealthier, that's a form of failure and falling behind your peer countries. And I do think that that is going to in many ways motivate a long term positive response. Now what we just talked about is how long does President Trump want to be bombing Iran? How many of these guys are going to be taken out? Israel seems to have buck a stronger predisposition towards changing regime than the President does and the United States does. Which is why most of the strikes that you're seeing from the United States have to do with military infrastructure from Iran. And at this point, most of the strikes from Israel have to do with checking leadership off the, off the board, taking people out. And I do think that is a reconciliation that is going to have to be determined at some point in time. President Trump wants this to be over, I think earlier than Israel would prefer.

[Buck Sexton]

I also think that even if it isn't a different regime in place when this is all over, at least this phase is over. There will be going forward in any negotiation. Don't play games with us, guys. Yeah, don't play games. Don't, don't think you're going to do anything and get away with it. At least under this president, you are not going to get away with it and you will pay a terrible price for any nonsense. There is advantage in that. There is value in that concept and Trump knows that. All right, very reliable cell phone for a cell phone service at the most reasonable price. That's how I would describe pure talk. They're certainly less expensive and more value oriented than some of the big names like AT&T Verizon or T Mobile, but they're also a company that relies on all US based customer service teams. Team, that's a team that easily understands you. And they're so straightforward and they're great. I've worked with them before whenever I have a question or anything comes up with my phone. But by the way, my phone's great because it's on America's biggest 5G network. So PureTalk is on the same towers and network as one of those big name companies, but you're just getting it at a much better price point. For 25amonth, PureTalk gives you unlimited talk, text and plenty of Data. And with PureTalk, there's no contract, no cancellation fee. Grab your cell phone, dial pound 250, say the keywords clay and buck. Let PureTalk's US customer service team help you make the switch in 15 minutes or less. Dial pound 250, say clay and buck and you'll save 50% off your first month. Again. To make the switch to Pure Talk, just dial pound 250, say Clay and Buck, switch to PureTalk today. Welcome back in here to Clay and Buck. Let's talk about New York for a second, shall we? Hello to everybody on the W R N Y C fantastic heritage radio station that really covers much of the Triborough area. Or sorry, the Tri State area. Triborough.

[Clay Travis]

Good Lord.

[Buck Sexton]

Tri, Tri state. I haven't been gone that long.

[Clay Travis]

Guy moves to Florida, suddenly doesn't know anything about New York anymore.

[Buck Sexton]

The tribe boroughs, the three boroughs in New York. Like I gotta, I gotta remember things here. I gotta keep, keep things straight. But wr, great station listening many of you and the truth is, sorry, we're going to have a little fun at the expense of New York State governance right now. That's just where this is going because a lot of very wealthy people have become quite annoyed with what's going on in New York. Not just New York, Washington state now has this millionaires tax situation. Same thing California. Well California just got so many taxes, all kinds of problems. Kathy Hochul, who is honestly somebody that you wouldn't want in charge of the bake sale for the pta. Not even the pta. You wouldn't want her running the bake sale to raise money. Like you would not want this woman in charge of anything of any consequence whatsoever. She'd be burning the zucchini bread, there's no question about it. And here she is telling people that they need to move back to New York. Wealthy people need to move back to New York so they can fund welfare programs in New York.

[Caroline Levitt]

Play 8 There is this anxiety, which is real. And we're continuing to address the affordability crisis, which I believe should be the number one priority of this legislative session. What can we do to take off some of that pain that New Yorkers are feeling that I hear about literally every day? What I want to make sure we are smart about is having a system in place where it's not just taxing for the sake of taxing and being conscious of the fact that I need people who are high net worth to support the generous social programs that we want to have in our state right now. There are some patriotic millionaires who stepped up, okay, cut me the checks if you want to be supportive, but maybe the first step should be go down to Palm beach and see who you can bring back home.

[Buck Sexton]

I mean, she's saying Florida, Florida has stolen her cash cows. And a lot of them are in Palm Beach. A lot of them are here in Miami Beach. Let me tell you. I got neighbors and, and they're in Delray and they're in Boca. Hey, a lot of places around here. And Clay, this is really, I appreciate this. She is so unsophisticated in so many ways that she's just saying the truth here, which is New York or former New Yorkers, please move back to New York so you can be milked like the cows you are for the welfare state. That is her pick.

[Clay Travis]

And so we've told you this and it is going to long range mean that states like Tennessee, Florida, Texas, 0 state income tax states are going to be far more effective and well run than super high income tax states that are losing, as you just heard Kathy Hochul say, a lot of the base that has paid for all of the government to exist. What was the, the data point you gave us, Buck? That New York, I think has a little bit fewer people now than Florida. Right. But Florida's government is half the size of New York's.

[Buck Sexton]

Well, Florida's budget is half the size of New York's budget. And Florida has 2 to 3 million more residents as a state? 2 to 3 million. By the way, there are a lot of states that barely have 2 or 3 million residents.

[Clay Travis]

And, and as a general rule, how would you say as a Florida resident that the Florida budget and the governance is at running the money that they get at basically managing the taxpayer dollars.

[Buck Sexton]

Everything that involves the state of Florida is more efficient, more reasonable, more sane compared to New York state level governance. Everything, everything is easier, everything is smoother, everything makes more sense. Miami, things get a little third world down Here, but state of Florida. Fantastic.

[Clay Travis]

Okay, so building on that, you mentioned this stat earlier, and I saw it, my jaw dropped. It's rare that I see a stat. And I'm like, oh, my, I can't believe this is real New York. Is it? New York City is spending more money than the average New Yorker makes on homeless people. What is this math, Buck? $81,000 a year, I believe, was the. So all of you out there, I. You worked a long time with not making $81,000 a year? Buck, I worked a long time not making $81,000 a year.

[Buck Sexton]

I aspired to 81,000. I was like, oh, my gosh, think about life at 80K.

[Clay Travis]

Yes.

[Buck Sexton]

This is, by the way, 100% true.

[Clay Travis]

A lot of you out there are aspiring to life at 80k, right? That's a lot of money. That is what New York is spending on homeless people. And you made this analogy earlier. How many of you out there listening to us right now in New York are busting your asses all day long and you're not making 81k and you're looking around and you're saying, wait a minute, what is the state doing that they're providing 81k a year in support for homeless people? This is just so flagrantly flawed. I mean, it's. It would be better off, and this would be an awful idea, but if the entire government just got out of the way and they just gave 80, $78,000 in cash, you would save money if you just walked up and gave $78,000 in cash to every homeless person.

[Buck Sexton]

I also, by the way, there's nothing, there's nothing inherently derogatory about the term homeless. These people clearly don't have homes. This whole thing about unsheltered now, unhoused is. Now the phrase unsheltered. Is the other the same. The same thing? No, I'm sorry, we're not doing this, ok? The reason they're doing this is because homeless, homelessness and homeless realities. Across this country, people have learned more about this. They've started to understand that almost all of the homeless, the truly homeless population, almost all have either extreme substance abuse or extreme mental health or a combination of both issues and disorders. The stories that you hear about a family of four kicked out of their home, down on their luck, that can happen. It does happen. I get it. It is rare. And they don't stay homeless because there are programs and there are, you know, thankfully this notion. Thankfully. I mean, but there are things to help people get back on their Feet and they tend to do so. The real homelessness issue is people with severe mental health and severe addiction issues, overwhelmingly. So this, the stories about someone lost their job, they're down on their luck. 1% of the, of the unhoused or homeless population at any point in time, 5% maybe. I think that might be too much. It's people with those problems now. Those are human beings who deserve help too. I'm not, I'm not saying otherwise. My point though is they're changing the definition, truly. Or they're changing the terms we use of homeless because they don't want people to think about the discussions about, like Gavin Newsom said he's going to lower homelessness. That was the term he was using in California over a 10 year period. It's like doubled.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah.

[Buck Sexton]

So they're changing the word. So it's like a new problem now.

[Clay Travis]

Right.

[Buck Sexton]

It's like, oh, well, we're not dealing with the homelessness thing, Clay, because we completely failed. Now we're dealing with the unhoused population. And, and here's the other thing. 81,000. This is from the comptroller of New York. This is. Yes, you know, right wing, angry blogger.net or something. This is from the Comptroller of New York. $81,000 a year per homeless person in New York. Well, why are we spending? I mean, think about, should we just give a check?

[Clay Travis]

Should we give a check for half

[Buck Sexton]

of that 40 grand in cash to every homeless person, One time payment. There you go. Lump sum.

[Clay Travis]

It would actually cut half of the expenditures to your point. And you know what's a big part of this? There are a lot of people who are doing nothing to actually help homelessness that are being paid a lot of money inside of that $81,000.

[Buck Sexton]

This is the ugly. True. This is the ugliness of it. Okay, we're seeing this, my friends. Some people are going to really start to pull these dots together. I also think this is part of why Elon just with the whole Doge thing had kind of a, like a thermonuclear meltdown of there's just so much fraud and so much waste and so much crap that it was.

[Clay Travis]

And nobody, unlike in a business where you would have somebody look at it, say, we can't run a business like that. We need that for our country and for our government.

[Buck Sexton]

I think Elon was truly just overwhelmed by the scale of this. And in his, you know, his brain is able to tackle these things at scale. And he's just like, this is Completely. This monster is 100 times larger than I even realized. Anyway, a big part of this notice, Clay, the autistic, like autistic kids programs, the child daycare, Somali. I'm talking look at the autistic kids thing and that's in California. I think they've started looking. The spending on these programs has gone absolutely stratospheric in recent years. This is fraud, my friends. People are being paid a lot of money to do nothing of public benefit and they're getting taxpayer dollars to do this. And you know why the Democrats keep this going? It's a giant cash cow for their constituents. Who. What do you think if you walk into some city funded homelessness program in New York, what do you think the voting record of the people that are getting checks from the city to run the program? What do you think of voting? I bet it's 95, 99% Democrat. It's just like the public school systems have become now, Clay, this is about vote harvesting. This is about donations. This is power for the Democrat Party. There is a homeless industrial complex now essentially of all these NGOs and bureaucrats getting paid to not actually fix the problem.

[Clay Travis]

And this is also ties in with the health care system being broken. There was a Wall street journal editorial saying 99% of one state. I think it was Ohio, of the fraud analysis. It was all fraud. 99. I also think again, this goes to health care. Nobody knows what it costs. The government funds a ton of it. Doesn't look at spending. There are people being paid $600 an hour to do autistic rehab that didn't actually have any kids with autism. I also think this ties in with an interesting question. We keep talking about how the number of kids with autism has skyrocketed. That's certainly true. How much of the autism diagnosis that we are seeing are completely made up and a function of being able to make money at 4, 5 and $600 to do autism therapy. I mean, some of these companies, you saw what happened in Minnesota, but I think the same thing is happening in California. These companies don't even have a physical location. They have a P.O. box and they're getting paid millions of dollars a year. They're not even pretending. Just like you saw with the Somali day daycares thing. Remember, Buck, it is interesting. No one has come out that I've seen and said, hey, my family lost daycare. Leave aside whether you think the government should be involved in Somali daycares at all. If they were actually doing Somali daycare, wouldn't tons of people have come out and said, oh, my goodness, the kids daycare. I can't go. I can't go to. I haven't seen anything about this. This was all a sham. And it's a function of government not being well run enough for people to notice where all the money is going. It's just, it's infuriating for anybody out there that pays taxes. It really is.

[Buck Sexton]

It's, it's astonishing. And, and what you realize is that, and this is a, this is a pretty stark realization, but it's true. We think about fixing this. Not only are Democrats unwilling to fix it, they don't want it to be fixed. Yes, they believe that this is a redistribution of wealth to people who should get the money. They want homeless administrators on the, on the city, you know, getting, getting their budget paid for by the city, by the taxpayers. They want them making 3, 4, 600 grand.

[Clay Travis]

Think about how crazy it is that New York is spending more money, more than $81,000 a year for every homeless person. I mean, it should be infuriating to

[Buck Sexton]

every average household in New York City. People who are working, people who are showing up. And we've all been there. I have showed up to jobs on mornings where I hated so much I thought I was going to throw up. I mean, I just like, I'm not making any money. This sucks. I've, we've, we've all been. But you show up and you suck it up and you do it. You do it for your family. You do it for, you know, the people around you who are counting on you. 80 grand going to every, you know, spent for every individual homeless person. What are they doing?

[Clay Travis]

Yeah.

[Buck Sexton]

Where is all the money? Think about this. How can that be possible? Where's all the money going? We know what it is in the public school system. The public school system in New York pays more than most private schools cost across the country per pupil. You know where the money goes? Bloated administrators making 150 grand to show up, sit at a desk, do nothing all day. There are tens of thousands of them.

[Clay Travis]

It's crazy how many people don't teach, don't do any, don't do anything, and are just administrators.

[Buck Sexton]

It goes to vice principals of a district as a vice principal. What? Like, you know, in case someone needs to step in for the principal, like vice principals and vice chancellors and all this stuff. We're making 2, 300 grand to be working for the public school system of New York or New Jersey or any of these states.

[Caroline Levitt]

Hmm.

[Buck Sexton]

Oh, and you can retire after 20 years and you get all your benefits and everything paid for. I mean, friends, by the way, this is also where all your city taxes and state taxes are going as well. And you know what the game is at the end of all this, Clay? Federal bailout. It's coming. You get a Gavin Newsom administration. What, you think he's going to leave California high and dry with its budget deficit? Oh, no more. They'll just find ways to more.

[Clay Travis]

That's a good point because thankfully most states have to have balanced budgets. But a lot of cities have ended up going bankrupt and again, the federal government doesn't. So the buck, to buck's point, the bailout goes on the books of the federal government. I saw today we hit 39 trillion national debt. The the number today now is 39 trillion. And what percentage of that money do you think has been well spent again? Much. We could strip 75% of all government and be better off. I mean, I think that there's zero doubt about that. Unfortunately, we're not going to do it. You want the full springtime experience, the budding trees, the blooming plants and shrubs, the whole deal. Spring is starting to spring. Spring has sprung some places, although other places it's still cold. But if you're excited for spring, and I am, and you're excited for warmer weather, and I am, and part of that is nutrients, trees and new shrubs and new plants, you need to go check out one of our newest sponsors, Fast Growing Trees. They have more than 1200 different varieties of trees, shrubs and plants. They ship directly to your home. You do the planting the plants and the trees do the rest. Fast Growing Trees catching on already shipped to 2 million American households. So far, everything you order backed by their alive and thrive guarantee. That's how well they've nurtured your new trees and plants. Surprise someone you love this spring at fast, fast growing trees.com use my name Clay Clay as your promo code to get 20% off fast growing trees.com my name Clay Clay for 20% off, keep up with the biggest political comeback in world history on the Team 47 podcast Clay and Buck highlight Trump replays from the week, Sundays at noon Eastern. Find it on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Commercial Announcer]

No one knows what the future holds, but you deserve a weather app that can help. Weatherbug is easy to use and provides forecasts for your every need, from storm warnings to pollen levels right at your fingertips. Get the fastest local Alerts and comprehensive 10 day forecasts wherever you are. Its hyperlocal real time customizable alerts. Make sure the weather never takes you by surprise so you can plan every day with confidence. Download the free weather bug app from the App Store today and start Getting accurate weather forecasts 24. 7

[Public Investing Ad Voice]

Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your bonus portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc. SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete Disclosures available at public.comDisclosures Flag Football

[IFLAG Flag Football Ad Voice]

is exploding and IFLAG is leading the way as the Guinness World Record Holder. Iflag hosts premier flag football tournament nationwide for boys, girls, high school girls and adults. From first time players to elite competitors, iflag delivers top level competition, unforgettable experiences and a community built around the game. Ready to be part of it? Join the movement, find your tournament and learn [e-mail] that's iflag.org these days it

[Okta Ad Voice]

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 you'll turn risk into opportunity. Secure every agent, Secure any agent. Okta secures AI Now I'd like to

[Commercial Announcer]

introduce you to Meaningful Beauty, the famed skincare brand created by iconic supermodel Cindy Crawford. It's her secret to absolutely gorgeous skin. Meaningful Beauty makes powerful and effective skin care simple and it's loved by millions of women. It's formulated for all ages and all skin tones and types and it's designed to work as a complete skin care system, leaving your skin feeling soft, smooth and nourished. I recommend starting with Cindy's full regimen which contains all five of her best selling products including the amazing youth Activating Melon Serum. This next generation serum has has the power of melon leaf stem cell technology. It's melon leaf stem cells encapsulated for freshness and released onto the skin to support a visible reduction in the appearance of wrinkles. With thousands of glowing five star reviews, why not give it a try? Subscribe today and you can get the amazing Meaningful Beauty system for just $49.95. That includes our introductory five piece system, free gifts, free shipping and a 60 day money back guarantee. All that available@meaningful beauty.com.

[Clay Travis]

welcome back. In Closing up shop, let me hit you guys who've been waiting a little while and try to hit as many of these as we can in rapid short order. Joe in Minneapolis, what you got for us?

[Buck Sexton]

Hey guys, this is a perfect teachable moment. The things that you describe going on in New York, wanting people to come back from Florida, let's accentuate and make this an educational moment. Margaret Thatcher who once said socialism seems like a great idea until you run out of somebody else's money.

[Clay Travis]

It's well said and there's never been a time when the government hasn't wanted more. I'll just point out the billionaires. Oh, we're only going to tax the billionaires. Remember initially the income tax was just going to go after the super wealthy. How'd that work out? Terrence in West Florida, what you got for us?

[Buck Sexton]

That's the free state of West Florida. So this Kent guy, it's a need to know. He was not in the wiring diagram to know anything. He was in counterterrorism. He did not have a need to know the war planning, the war planning that was going on to enter into the conflict that we have right now in Iran. So I'm just sorry. And then also this guy, he was all three parties. He was a libertarian, he was a Democrat and he's a Republican. He's not a principled man. I'm sorry, he's just not a nice man.

[Clay Travis]

Thank you for the call. Quickly, Scott in New York state, you got an idea? You got 10 seconds.

[Buck Sexton]

I would like to see the $500

[Clay Travis]

bill come back and Trump be on

[Buck Sexton]

it because let's face it, 100 bucks does nothing. You and I hear about people and families who bought a timeshare years ago. They enjoyed it at first, but now feel completely stuck. And that's the part that hits home. People don't regret the vacations. They regret the obligation. If your life has changed but that contract hasn't, you should know this. There is a legal way out.

[Clay Travis]

That's why we want to tell you about acatimeshare.com they've helped thousands of families illegally cancel their timeshares for good. If this sounds like you, call aca Timeshare at 888-364-0222. That's 888-3640, ACA. Or visit acatimeshare.com at least have the conversation. That's ACA timeshare.com no one knows what

[Commercial Announcer]

the future holds, but you deserve a weather app that can help. Weatherbug is easy to use and provides forecasts for your every need, from storm warnings to pollen levels right at your fingertips. Get the fastest local Alerts and comprehensive 10 day forecasts wherever you are. Its hyperlocal, real time, customizable alerts make sure the weather never takes you by surprise so you can plan every day with confidence. Download the free Weatherbug app from the App Store today and start getting accurate weather forecasts. 24. 7

[IFLAG Flag Football Ad Voice]

Flag football is exploding and IFLAG is leading the way as the Guinness World Record Holder, iflag hosts premier flag football tournaments nationwide for boys, girls, high school girls and adults. From first time players to elite competitors, iflag delivers top level competition, unforgettable experiences, and a community built around the game ready to be part of it. Join the movement, find your tournament and learn [e-mail] that's iflag.org these days it

[Okta Ad Voice]

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

[Clay Travis]

Come on. No, it's just a golf lesson, champ.

[Buck Sexton]

Loosen up.

[Clay Travis]

I can't see that. Hyundai Santa Fe yeah, I only paid.

[Buck Sexton]

Finish up on your own. I gotta run. Deal's so right it almost feels wrong.

[Clay Travis]

The Hyundai Getaway sales event get 0% APR for 60 months plus 0 payments for 90 days on the Hyundai Tucson, Tucson Hybrid, Santa Fe or Santa Fe Hybrid. Now during the Hyundai Getaway sales event. Hurry offer ends March 31. Call 562-314-4603 for details.