Hour 3 - Greatest Military Maneuver in U.S. History?

Summary

The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Hour 3 – Greatest Military Maneuver in U.S. History?

Date: May 4, 2026

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EPISODE OVERVIEW

In this episode, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the evolving crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, the economic chokehold on Iran, President Trump’s hardline strategies, and broader military, economic, and domestic implications. They also pivot into a lighter but insightful discussion of post-graduation job opportunities in the U.S., blending timely news with lighthearted banter and historical references.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Strait of Hormuz Crisis and U.S. Response

[02:33–16:21]

• Clay recaps the ongoing blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, emphasizing the uncertainty for ship owners and businesses:

  “It's not only getting those ships out, it's what’s the response going to be once they are out that we need to be contemplating.” (Clay Travis, 05:04)

• Focus on President Trump’s bold approach—keeping the strait open, warning Iran, and whether commercial traffic will resume normally.
• Considerations about the “egress” (getting ships out) versus “ingress” (convincing ships to return), with potential long-term effects on global shipping patterns.
• Buck notes Trump’s confidence but acknowledges the unpredictable dynamics at play.

Notable Quote

• “Trump has got them pretty much where he wants them... Trump is certainly ebullient on his prospects.” (Buck Sexton, 06:29)

2. Trump’s Stance and Military Posture

[06:29–08:04]

• Includes snippets from President Trump interviews, highlighting his intention to avoid dragging the U.S. into a long negotiation with Iran:

  “If they misbehave, if they do something bad... But it's a possibility that could happen.” (Donald Trump, 07:51)

• Trump floats the possibility of military escalation (“we might have to light ’em up”) but frames it as a last-resort or retaliatory option.

Notable Quote

• “Certainly it’s possible. We could start blowing up stuff again, Clay. So where does this go?” (Buck Sexton, 08:04)

3. Economic Warfare Against Iran

[11:41–15:33]

• Analysis of the U.S. “economic fury” campaign, as articulated by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent:

  “We are suffocating the regime... It is the blockade that our great Navy is doing. No ships are getting through...” (Scott Bessent, 11:55)

• Clay explains Iran’s economic vulnerability: their reliance on oil/gas exports and the impossibility of sustaining their economy if export routes remain blocked.
• Iran’s desperate measures—reports of mine-carrying dolphins—are cited as evidence of their weakened military posture.

Notable Quote

• “If they can’t sell oil and gas, the entire economy collapses on a degree that even so far it has not already.” (Clay Travis, 11:18)

4. Media Narratives and Political Impact

[12:54–16:21]

• Clay criticizes media framing, arguing much of the press overstates Iranian leverage while underselling U.S. strategic position.
• Both hosts predict that oil and gas prices will stabilize before the fall, reducing the potential negative effect on U.S. consumers and on the upcoming election cycle.

5. Optimism Scale

[15:33–16:21]

• Clay and Buck rate their optimism about U.S. strategy working:
  • Clay: “I'm an 8 on this is going to work out fine.”
  • Buck: “I'm like a six or a seven. I'm certainly more optimistic... Trust in Trump has been a very effective policy.” (15:33–16:21)

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6. Trump’s Blockade Named ‘Greatest Military Maneuver’

[21:25–22:31]

• Clay reads Trump’s latest boast:

  “Trump now says that the blockade of Iran is the greatest military maneuver of all time.” (21:58)

• The claim is met with sarcasm and lighthearted debate:

  “MacArthur’s Landing at Inchon ain’t no thang, no big deal. D-Day kind of.” (Buck Sexton, 22:07–22:13)

• Clay and Buck riff on U.S. military history, comparing Trump’s move to Civil War tactics like Lee at Chancellorsville.

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7. Best U.S. Cities for New Graduates

[24:52–38:12]

• Wall Street Journal report: Birmingham, Alabama ranked as the top city for young job seekers, followed by Tampa, San Jose, and other mostly red-state cities.
• Discussion of cost of living, job openings, and safety as key factors, plus why “bachelorettes” and women’s sense of security are city growth drivers.
• Miami and Nashville seen as formerly affordable but now pricey; spillover benefits to cities like Chattanooga and Tulsa.
• Both hosts advise new grads to consider Texas, Tennessee, or Florida for career launches, due to no state income tax and strong job growth.

Notable Quote

• “You should go where the fish are biting... if you're in a lake and there aren’t any fish there, it doesn’t matter how talented you are.” (Clay Travis, 36:21)

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8. Listener Feedback and Military History Debate

[44:17–46:12]

• Playful banter about geographic slip-ups (Savannah is Georgia, not SC).
• Listeners weigh in on great U.S. military maneuvers; debate on Washington crossing the Delaware, D-Day, and Civil War strategies.
• Call for more “talkbacks” (voice message responses) from military history buffs.

Notable Quote

• “What is the greatest military maneuver in United States history? I went with Chancellorsville... I think you could argue D-Day.” (Clay Travis, 45:46)

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MEMORABLE MOMENTS & QUOTES (with timestamps)

• “It's not only getting those ships out, it's what’s the response going to be once they are out that we need to be contemplating.” — Clay Travis (05:04)
• “Trump has got them pretty much where he wants them... Trump is certainly ebullient on his prospects.” — Buck Sexton (06:29)
• “We are suffocating the regime... It is the blockade that our great Navy is doing. No ships are getting through...” — Scott Bessent, Treasury Secretary (11:55)
• “Trump now says that the blockade of Iran is the greatest military maneuver of all time.” — Clay Travis (21:58)
• “You should go where the fish are biting... if you're in a lake and there aren’t any fish there, it doesn’t matter how talented you are.” — Clay Travis (36:21)
• “What is the greatest military maneuver in United States history? I went with Chancellorsville... I think you could argue D-Day.” — Clay Travis (45:46)

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IMPORTANT SEGMENTS & TIMESTAMPS

• Strait of Hormuz: U.S. & Iran Economic Crisis – [02:33–16:21]
• Trump Military Maneuver Comparisons – [21:25–23:34]
• Best Cities for New Grads / Economic Opportunity – [24:52–38:12]
• Greatest Military Maneuver Debate – [44:17–46:12]

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TONE & STYLE

True to Clay and Buck’s style, the episode blends sharp political analysis, a healthy dose of humor, and audience engagement. Both hosts maintain an optimistic yet pragmatic tone, frequently referencing history and inviting listener participation with banter and debate. The spirit is conversational and accessible for news consumers and casual listeners alike.

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Summary prepared for listeners seeking a comprehensive, engaging recap of the episode's major themes, spirited debates, and key insights.

Transcript

[Buck Sexton]

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[Clay Travis]

number three, Clay Travis. BUCK SEXTON SHOW okay, stories that are underway right now. We have talked a lot about the collapse of Spirit Airlines. Some of you found yourself stranded this weekend as a result. Good discussion of that. A bit earlier in the program, we are going to have Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on at some point this week to discuss. That is a major story that is not going to fade. Ron DeSantis has officially signed the map in Florida, which would give Republicans a 24 to 4 lead going from I believe, 20 to 8 to 24 to 4. A net Republican pickup there in the House expected of plus four, although I'm sure, Buck, that there will be lawsuits filed over this as well. The straight of Hormuz, I would say is the biggest story that we are following right now as it has been a big story that we have been following for some time. I read you that post from President Trump about how traffic is going. As the United States has said it is open and they are going to allow everyone to come through. I think intriguingly, Buck, the question here is twofold. One, will it work? And the answer might well be yes, we will see. In other words, will ship owners put their ships en route? President Trump says so far a South Korean ship is the only one that has been challenged at all and they maintain that ships should be able to exit. One, will it work? Two, and, and, and maybe this is partly a little bit of a trap that President Trump might, might have set if it does not work. Meaning if Iran is firing on this ships, what is the United States going to do? How aggressive is our response going to be? And maybe I should add a third one here, Buck, which I think is interesting to think about too. It's one thing to get the ships out, what ships are going to go back. So I don't hear very many people discussing that aspect. There are a lot of ships that have been choosing not to leave the Strait of Hormuz. They've been basically held hostage by the threats of Iran. If you get your ship out, who's going to go back? So I do think we talk about the, I guess that would be the egress, right, the departure from the straight of Hormuz, but the ingress, that is who's got a ship outside of the Strait of Hormuz that's saying, hey, you know what I want to do? I want to put my ship and send it through that, that, that straight because if you're just a business owner, you have to be concerned that your ship will get held up on the other side just like all these ships are. So I guess my point is cleaning out all of the backup in traffic would be great, but we're still in kind of a difficult situation for Iran in particular because I don't know who's sending their ships in at this point. Once they get out, you might decide, hey, you know what, maybe there's other routes that I want to, to send my super expensive tanker ship on that don't have the possibility of getting them held up where I can't make money for them for a couple of months. And I would think cruise once they come through as well. I know we're not talking that much about the people that are on those boats. That's got to be kind of awful to just be kind of spending idle time sitting there in the straight. And so I do think the, it's not only getting those ships out, it's what's the response going to be once they are out that we need to be contemplating.

[Buck Sexton]

So you're feeling good about things right now? I think that Trump has got them pretty much where, where he wants them. I mean, Trump is certainly ebullient on his prospects. I think that's the correct usage of that word. We already got mendacity in today. I think ebullient. We got two big time words into the show. One of the fun benefits of Clay and Buck, we throw those fun words around Trump on his latest Iran proposal. This is cut eight. Here's what he says about where things stand now.

[Donald Trump (quoted)]

No, I haven't, I haven't. I'm looking at it up here. Yeah, I'll let you know about it later.

[Clay Travis]

But last night you said we might be better off not making a deal with.

[Donald Trump (quoted)]

Well, I wouldn't have to. I didn't say that. I said that if we left right now, it would take them 20 years to rebuild. But we're not leaving right now. We're going to do it so nobody has to go back in two years or five years.

[Clay Travis]

You also said last night they told

[Donald Trump (quoted)]

me about the concept of the deal. They're going to give me the exact

[Buck Sexton]

wording now, the concept of the deal. Unfortunately, Clay, the devil is very much in the details when dealing with the Iranian regime on where this is all going. But Trump has also laid out this is the cut nine. He says we might have to light him up. Light him up, Linda style. Play nine.

[Scott Bessent (Treasury Secretary)]

What circumstances did you restart military strikes on targets?

[Donald Trump (quoted)]

Well, I don't want to say that. I mean, I can't tell that to a reporter if they misbehave, if they do something bad. But right now we'll see. But it's a possibility that could happen.

[Buck Sexton]

Certainly it's possible. We could start blowing up stuff again. Clay. So where does this go?

[Clay Travis]

Well, I think the question is, what is Iran actually going to do? Like we said, I mean, so far there does not seem to have been much that they've been able to do to these ships. But how long does the uncertainty factor in? Let me hit you right now, Buck. The price of oil and gas, right at $105, okay, it was, to kind of put it in perspective, it spiked in early April. So about a month ago, it spiked all the way up to $112. This is crude oil futures. Then it plummeted all the way to, let's see, like 75. And now it has slowly worked its way back up to around $105. So it's still below by about seven bucks where it was in early April. But it is, it is up today. So I think what everybody is kind of sitting around and waiting for is, okay, how does this go? And again, to me, the question is not so much the ships that are still in the straight that haven't been willing to come out. It's to what extent would you commit your ship? Like pretend that you're in the. You're in the international shipping business. There are all sorts of routes, all sorts of different cargo that you could take on from all different starts of parts of the world. Would you send your ship back into the Strait of Hormuz? It's one thing to get it out, it's another thing to send it back in. And this is why ultimately, I think Iran is in dire straits. I think Iran is in significant economic upheaval danger zone right now. And the way that I would analyze it is we don't know exactly how much more oil and gas they can store, but we know it's not very much. And again, a lot of you guys out there listening to us right now are oil and gas experts. But if Iran is going to shut down its production of oil and gas because they have nowhere to be able to store it, then I think they find themselves in an intractable position where their entire economy is going to collapse. We have effectively destroyed their military. Did you see they're talking about using dolphins? Did you see this story from the Wall Street Journal, Buck, that they are going to use mine Carrying dolphins. This is what Iran has threatened the United States with. In the straight up Hormuz. We talked about the little speedboats. I don't know how suicide dolphins would be another way to put it. I don't. It doesn't seem to me like it would be very reliable to have suicide dolphins. But that is basically where Iran is when it's threatening some of these ships coming in and out of the Strait of Hormuz. Now, again, with drones, you can do damage without having to have that much, that much actual military capacity. But I do think the story of mine carrying dolphins is a sign maybe that Iran's military is not in great shape. So I think in the next 24 hours, we will find out what percentage of ships are able to leave and what that will do to the overall oil and gas industry. But I think the challenge that they're in, Buck, is if they can't sell oil and gas, the entire economy collapses on a degree that even so far it has not already. And I think that's going to be really difficult for them to overcome.

[Buck Sexton]

Treasury Secretary Scott Besant here said straight up that this is now an economic fury campaign and this is cut 16. He just says we're going to financially suffocate them. Play it.

[Scott Bessent (Treasury Secretary)]

Three weeks ago, the President gave the order to treasury myself to begin economic fury. And the way to think about that, we were running a marathon over the past 12 months and now we are sprinting towards the finish line. And I can tell you that we are suffocating the regime and they are not able to pay their soldiers. This is a real economic blockade and it is in all parts of government, all hands on deck. It is the blockade that our great navy is doing. No ships are getting through and we have upped the pressure on anyone trying to remit money into Iran to help the irgc.

[Buck Sexton]

I don't see how the Iranians get around this, because their only real play

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[Buck Sexton]

to try to get us ensnared in ongoing negotiations while they get relief. And it just sounds like Trump's position is no relief until you agree to what we want.

[Clay Travis]

Yes. And again, I just don't see the hand that the Iranian government has that's very good to play because just again, presume some form of rationality. And I understand some of you are going to say, well, they're thoroughly irrational actors, I understand. But the only way they really get money is by selling oil and gas. If you blow up a ship in the Strait of Strait of Hormuz, you create the situation That I just asked, which is why would any new ships commit themselves to any sort of Iranian commerce? If at any point in time Iran can get angry and blow up the ship, I think the answer is rational. Business people would not do that. So Iran is going to be in a such a weak position that I think economically they're even going to be in a worse shape than they are militarily. And this is why I think a lot of the media that's covered this has done such a poor job because they've tried to make it seem like Iran has got some incredible situation that they, that they control. Their economy, I believe has collapsed. They've lost 40% of their economy since this war started. The United States economy is setting all time record highs in the stock market. The price of oil and gas has gone up. And that's frustrating, but I would analogize it to the way that the price of eggs went up. Remember when early in Trump people were like, oh my God, eggs. And then the price gonna come down and everyone who's been telling you to panic is just going to stop covering it. I think by the fall the price of gas will have come back down precipitously to somewhat similar to what it was before this all started on February 28th. People disagree with me. Okay, we'll see. By the time we get to the fall and people start voting, we will see whether the price of oil and gas has come back down. I think it will have come back down a great deal. And so I think you pay attention to it and see how this is gonna shake out. And I just don't see Iran having very many good options because they have to sell their oil and gas buck. The only way it gets out is through the str of Hormuz. And if they start blowing up ships, no one is going to go and, and decide that they're going to put ships into the, into the situation. So again, I think all of that is, is significant. I think we're in a tough spot for Iran. I think that you, you sign off how on a scale of 1 to 10, if I'm an 8 on the this is going to work out fine. Where would you put yourself on the one to ten scale right now? And how would you compare it to two weeks ago or three weeks ago?

[Buck Sexton]

I'm like a six or a seven. I'm more, I'm certainly more optimistic. Okay, I was a solid five. I was like, I don't know, could go, could not go. But I think now the Trump strategy as it stands here makes sense to me to get to the outcome that they want and they're not falling for. I was worried they were going to

[Clay Travis]

fall for the rope.

[Buck Sexton]

A dope of, oh, yeah, sure, let's talk, let's talk. Just open up the straight for our shipping. Yeah, no, they're not doing that because then, because then we would know exactly how it just completely, it would turn into a delay game and they would play all the games they've been playing the whole time. So, yeah, I'm like, I'm like a six or a seven. I'm, I'm not quite as optimistic as you because it's the Middle east and I've been burned too many times. But trust in Trump has been a very effective policy on this for a lot of people so far. Very effective position, I should say.

[Clay Travis]

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[Clay Travis]

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[Clay Travis]

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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 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 one point bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public

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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.

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[Buck Sexton]

to Clay and Buck. Got a lot of VIP emails, a lot of calls, a lot of things coming in to address all of you. Let's start with this one. I actually want to. I'm going to tee this up. Actually, Clay, before I tee up a VIP email from you, would you please read Trump's latest? You know, there's Hannibal Barca, there's Clausewitz, Napoleon Bonaparte, the great military minds and practitioners of the past. None of them have got a thing, it seems. On Donald J. Trump, tell everybody what he just wrote.

[Clay Travis]

Trump now says that the blockade of Iran is the greatest military maneuver of all time.

[Buck Sexton]

MacArthur's Landing at Inchon ain't no thang, no big deal.

[Clay Travis]

D Day kind of.

[Buck Sexton]

You know what I mean?

[Clay Travis]

Most people would say yes, the landings in. Yes. So greatest military maneuver of all time. I'm trying to think of what in the Civil War was the greatest military maneuver of the year. And I know I'm going to get a lot of Civil War history.

[Buck Sexton]

Well, I was hoping you were going to step on this one because you're not going to make everybody happy. No matter what you say, you're going

[Clay Travis]

to upset some Civil War probably. Okay, the Civil War history nerds. Let me know if I'm right. I would probably say Lee at Chancellorsville is the greatest strategic from again, I'm not talking about like a small regiment regimental battle. I'm talking about big armies. Lee dividing his army at Chancellorsville and crushing Hooker's right flank with Stonewall Jackson's brilliant flanking maneuver I think most people would probably say is the most brilliant tactical Stroke of the Civil War in either direction. Again, big armies. I'm not talking about something Nathan Bedford Forrest did or something, you know, any of the smaller level generals. Patrick Claiborne, back in the day. Sherman obviously had quite a few pretty brilliant moves, but I think probably Chancellorsville. The march to the sea by Sherman, pretty significant, but it wasn't necessarily opposed. So yeah, I think Chancellorsville. There you go.

[Buck Sexton]

There you go.

[Clay Travis]

People probably wouldn't tell me if I'm wrong, you can jump in dimensions. Let me know if that's the most brilliant strategic maneuver of the Civil War.

[Buck Sexton]

But we'll get back into this. Clay, you can, you can let, we can dive into this idea from one of our VIPs talking Iran, talking, ending this conflict, winning this conflict. All right, look, we've got a sponsor here making these incredibly helpful products that are modern day technology aligned with something that you know really well, which are handheld walkie talkies. But rapid radios take them to the next level. These are like super advanced walkie talkies. They keep you connected coast to coast with a simple one touch button technology. They've got. Rapid radios are small enough to fit the palm of your hand, but durable in case you or your kids drop them. Clay and I each have a set here at home.

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[Clay Travis]

Welcome back in Clay Travis, Buck Sexton show. Appreciate all of you hanging out with me as we are and Buck as we are rolling through the program right now, a couple of other things that are out there. Buck, I don't know if you saw this, but I do know that graduation season is upon us and I bet a lot of you out there have kids and grandkids who may be graduating, for instance, in a couple of weeks. My oldest son is graduating from high school and he'll be off to college. We're excited about that. But Wall Street Journal this morning I was Reading. And if you've got kids that are out there looking for jobs, get your pen. Maybe you got grandkids that are out there looking for jobs. The Wall Street Journal ranked cities, Buck, for the best to find jobs. Right now. If you are young, 20 something, right. If you. And then they also factored in, which is pretty cool. Cost of living, available housing, all of those things that if you were 23, 24 years old and you're thinking to yourself, okay, where should I start my career? Where would be a good place to go? Number one city is going to stun a lot of people. So I just want all of you prepared for the number one city that for cost of living hiring is best for 20 somethings in America. According to the Wall Street Journal. Birmingham, Alabama. I think there's a record scratch out there for a lot of you saying Birmingham, Alabama, you wouldn't have expected now if you went to Auburn or you went to Alabama or you are listening to us in Birmingham. I've got a lot of family in Birmingham. I've spent a lot of time there. But here are some of the others, Buck and I just thought it was interesting. You talk about red state versus blue state. Just listen to this list. This is the top. I jotted down the basically the top 10. Birmingham, Alabama, number one overall, Tampa, Florida, number two overall, San Jose, California. Surprised me a little bit, but that's kind of the tech area. Columbus, Ohio. Buckeye fans will be happy about that. Raleigh, North Carolina. Tulsa, Oklahoma, San Francisco. And some of you are going to say it's kind of a record scratch. San Francisco has actually started to get more affordable because so many people have left, candidly that there's actually four young people starting to be more affordable housing. I think that's also the story with San Jose, Nashville, Tennessee, where I live, Charlotte, North Carolina. So of the top 10, the vast majority of those are in red states. Many of them are in the southeastern part of the United States here. Then New York city. Denver, Fresno, California. Austin, Texas. Baltimore, Providence, Rhode Island. That is the top 15 markets. Buck, how many guesses would I have had to give you to get Birmingham as Birmingham, Alabama as the number one for affordability and job availability and also just the ability to find a job. Number one according to the Wall Street Journal right now in the entire country.

[Buck Sexton]

I would have honestly and truly guessed Nashville if you had asked me this just because I know so many young people, younger people are moving there. I assume the housing market has just gotten a bit hot, a little, a little pricey.

[Clay Travis]

Yep, it's gotten a little bit more expensive.

[Buck Sexton]

Yeah. New. New units and things like that downtown are pricey. Birmingham, I've been in the. And the downtown there. Producer Ali and I did a little exploration of Birmingham and has some beautiful areas. I know it has a really high crime problem, unfortunately. So if it gets that under control when. It'll be fascinating to see if Memphis starts to creep up on some of these lists. Because Memphis should be a great city that people want to live in. But if you deal with the crime issue, which it seems like it is being dealt with, there's, I think, a lot of. A lot of reason to believe that it would do very well. But, yeah, I. I'm. I'm trying to think of those. Of any really surprises. Baltimore also has some beautiful parts. And the crime problem, though, man, I. I don't know. It's. It's your copy. I've spent a lot of time in Baltimore, and Baltimore is rough. Rough in a way that like other cities that have rough neighborhoods don't even come close to.

[Clay Travis]

I think what you've seen in some of these places, and Baltimore is an example of that, is places that are white hot, like Nashville is number eight on this list and has been very hot. I think what you're starting to see is people are looking at other areas. For instance, Chattanooga, which is in Tennessee. Knoxville, obviously in Tennessee, has started to get a lot of the spillover from Nashville because people say, hey, it's too expensive here. I think what you're starting to see with a city like Birmingham is Atlanta, for a long time has been white hot. Charlotte, Nashville, I think you're starting to see other Southern towns, if they can make decent strategic decisions, be pro business, pro growth, safety matters a great deal. If you're in your 20s, it matters tremendously. And I will tell you, Buck, Nashville started to take off when all the bachelorettes showed up in town. And you might say, okay, what is bat? What do bachelorettes have to do with a city getting hot and becoming a place where people want to go, women want to go where it's safe. I saw a video from Spencer Pratt, who's running. We're trying to get him on for mayor of Los Angeles. He had a great video. He's standing by a playground, and he just said, I want to be the mayor for women and children in Los Angeles. He said, we used to say women and children first. If you look in cities where women, young women in particular, feel like they and their girlfriends can safely go, is a city that is going to skyrocket in popularity because what's the. If you owned a bar, what's the most important thing to make a bar successful? Buck?

[Buck Sexton]

Chicks.

[Clay Travis]

Pretty girls. You get pretty girls to go to your bar, you are going to be minting money. So I used to have a ladies night back in the day. You go downtown in Nashville. Every bachelorette in America is coming into my city now. It didn't exist for a long time because it's so safe in the downtown corridor. You can walk from one bar to another. You know that you're not going to get assaulted. It is the number one thing. And so a lot of these places, like the Birmingham, Alabama's Tampa is number two on this list. Buck Miami, where you are so popular, so expensive that some people are starting to say, hey, I still want warm weather, but maybe I could afford to live in Tampa at 25 in a way that I can in Miami.

[Buck Sexton]

Frankly, my Miami got too popular too fast. And I guess I'm, I'm a part of that problem. But the housing, housing here and cost of living here and also the infrastructure's ability, the roads, there's really no mass transit here. The roads ability to handle the popularity of Miami. It's just we have some of the worst traffic in the entire nation now and some of the highest housing prices and, and also with insurance prices and things, it's not an affordable place to live. Which is a shame because there was a time if you, if you really had foresight, you could have picked up waterfront condos for a hundred grand a piece back after the financial crisis in 2009. I mean, I, I mean nice, nice inventory stuff. We would have had to hold on to it for a while. And now those are all go, you

[Scott Bessent (Treasury Secretary)]

know, I don't know.

[Buck Sexton]

They're worth a million bucks. A million five. So there was a time to get involved. Everybody that I know that's a longtime landholder in Miami has just absolutely done phenomenally well. But the new, the new people showing up are paying very, very high prices. So this is the thing. I mean you have to look at cost of living, job opportunities, all the safety, all of these things together. Baltimore, to me, I'm telling you, if Baltimore cleaned up the crime problem and also just the blight, there's a lot of urban blight, you know.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah.

[Buck Sexton]

Boarded up houses and stuff. It's an Amazing. It's 30 minutes. It's basically a suburb of D.C. it's 30 minutes from D.C. on the train. It's a quick, quick drive on the highway. There are beautiful parts of downtown Baltimore. The waterfront's really nice. Honestly, you just need like a Republican mayor and a serious city council to come in and be like, we're not going to deal with this crime thing anymore. You could make that city so much better and so much nicer. But I don't think they're going to do it anytime soon.

[Clay Travis]

I'll give you another one on this list that I think may surprise some people. Tulsa, Oklahoma. I think a lot of people, this goes to Dallas and, and Houston and other parts of Texas, Austin that have been so incredibly popular. People are finding Tulsa and saying, okay, it's a little bit more affordable and has a flavor that is not dissimilar to those places. So anyway, I just think it's graduation season. I know that a lot of you have kids and grandkids out there. Timing on the Wall Street Journal putting this out I thought was intriguing.

[Buck Sexton]

Where would you tell your kids, your boy, if you were graduating college now, not going to college, what would be your top three places? Forget about you, wanting you and Laura, of course, wanting to be close and everything. Let's say Nashville's off the list because he wants to experience something else that's new. So that takes that off the table.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah. So I'll tell you the answer on Nashville. My wife's already thinking about this. Where are the boys going to go? I said, oh, they're coming back here. She said, how do you know? I said, it's, there's more pretty girls in Nashville per capita than anywhere. 23, 24 year old boys. They're going to go where pretty girls are. I feel good about them ending up back here. So let me take Nashville off the table. If I were giving advice, I mean again, the career matters because advice, for instance, if your kid is going into tech or venture capital, I mean you may not love the city, but I would say you should be in San Francisco because that's where that environment is. That's where there still is a tech, the tech focused industry. And you know, in the same way, if your kid was going into finance and wanted to work in an investment bank, I would say New York City. So stipping stepping out of that, I would, I think it's going to be really hard. I would go Texas, Tennessee, Florida. I would say you find a city in either Texas, Tennessee or Florida. Zero income tax money flowing in like crazy from so many people that are super wealthy. I think there's going to be dynamic businesses created and opportunity for growth. If I were bullish on three states right Now, I think lack of state income tax in Texas, Texas, Tennessee and Florida. I would tell them to pick a city in one of those three markets, one of those three states, and say, start your career there. What about you? You're. You're. You've got almost 20 years. You're going to be thinking about this. But I would go with one of those three states. I think the next generation, Texas, Tennessee and Florida are going to be creating substantial gaps between themselves and other places. And look, part of being successful is you, right? We believe in individual autonomy and everything else, but you also should go where the fish are biting, and you can be the greatest fisherman in the world. And if you're in a lake and there aren't any fish there, it doesn't matter how talented you are. So I think going to a place that's going to grow is going to help you be more successful. I would pick one of those three states.

[Buck Sexton]

I would say if the.

[Scott Bessent (Treasury Secretary)]

If.

[Buck Sexton]

If job. If we control. If job is removed from it, as in, you know, we're not taking that specifically into account because that matters a whole lot. Right?

[Clay Travis]

Yeah.

[Buck Sexton]

I mean, if you're really going to do finance, for the most part, you still want to be in New York. I mean, the big boys are mostly in New York.

[Clay Travis]

Or if you're going to do government, you should be in the Washington, D.C. area, right? Like, yeah.

[Buck Sexton]

And D.C. as much as you. Some of you are going to grow. And Clay and I have both been D residents for years in the past, in your 20s. DC is a great city because it's rel. For. For the access you have. It's relatively inexpensive. You can get some row house, get six of your buddies, have some big old Victorian row house. And, you know, this is what people would do. And you're not paying that much in rent, so DC Is cool for that. I would say, though, just three cities to pick. For anyone who's listening and their kids, their grandkids, if they were starting out, they want San Diego, I think is amazing. I'm just going to tell you, I

[Clay Travis]

think California off the list for taxes. It is an amazing place. I don't disagree on San Diego being extraordinary, but I would tell my kid to go to California right now because of the finances.

[Buck Sexton]

I would say San Diego, Charleston, South Carolina. And I love. And you know what? West Palm I would do.

[Clay Travis]

West Palm is really starting to boom.

[Buck Sexton]

I would. I would go for the Florida city I would do is West Palm, because there's a lot of good things happening there. It's not as congested. Miami's insane. Miami's like more expensive than Manhattan now in a lot of places. Miami prices have just, it's priced. Truly has priced people out of the market. So that's a little bit. That's, that's a shame.

[Clay Travis]

That's why I honestly, I think that's why Tampa has spot has sprouted up, is people like South Florida. But Miami's gotten so expensive. Tampa feels like an accessible entree point.

[Buck Sexton]

I also, I've always loved Savannah. I've had people tell me that they've moved to Savannah and they feel like Savannah is not that welcoming to outsiders, which I.

[Clay Travis]

That's true. That's the whole state of South Carolina.

[Buck Sexton]

They're, they're like, not. Savannah is not psyched when you come in. You're like, I just bought a beautiful old row house. They're like, who are you?

[Clay Travis]

I'll give you, I'll give you a South Carolina example, Buck. And this is 20 years old. So granted, it may have changed somewhat when we were, we did on campus interviews at Vanderbilt Law School. You know, different firms come in from all over the country. They told us, don't even bother interviewing with the South Carolina law firms unless your family has been in South Carolina for a long time. I've heard.

[Buck Sexton]

That's kind of what I've heard. I, it's funny, we, you, you and I did not coordinate this beforehand. I have picked that up from multiple people, especially Yankees, who want to move somewhere south.

[Clay Travis]

I just thought it was super interesting because I'm a born and raised Nashville kid and a lot of you out there, Atlanta, Charlotte, you know, decent sized southern cities that have grown a lot. The only state, and it was Charleston, it was Columbia. It was not exclusive to any one area. They said if you want to go to a Charleston law firm, your family needs to have been in South Carolina for a while. Only city, only state where they said anything like that. Florida, Texas, you know, Tennessee, all the other places, you know, New York, California, wherever you might have been interviewing. It's a good law school, right? You would think South Carolina law firms would want a lot of young Vanderbilt lawyers. They're like, not unless you've been there a while, apparently.

[Buck Sexton]

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[Buck Sexton]

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[Clay Travis]

miss the show while you're on the Go wind down your day with the Daily Review podcast. Find it on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Dr. Charles Stanley (InTouch.org ads)]

Life can be tough. Every one of us faces seasons of uncertainty, doubt and challenges that can feel overwhelming. And in those moments, we all need real encouragement, something solid to hold on to. That's why you want to know about InTouch.org it's the online home of Dr. Charles Stanley's ministry and it's filled with resources created to strengthen your faith and help you grow spiritually. When you visit, you'll find powerful sermons that speak directly to the heart, daily devotionals that offer practical wisdom, and tools designed to help you walk more closely with God in your everyday life. Whether you're searching for guidance, peace, clarity, or simply a reminder that you're not walking through life alone, InTouch.org is there to support you. So don't wait. Take a moment to explore everything it offers and discover biblical truth that speaks to your life, encourages your spirit and helps you move forward with renewed hope.

[Clay Travis]

The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton show podcast is proud to be supported by Grand Canyon University, an affordable private, non profit Christian university based in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona. They say higher education is outdated and irrelevant. GCU doesn't settle for the status quo, they shatter it.

[Buck Sexton]

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[Clay Travis]

Grounded in Christian truth, GCU works to empower the next generation to lead with integrity, serve with purpose and help transform their communities and building a future that matters. GCU is purpose driven education. Take action. Find your purpose at GCU. Private Christian affordable non profit. Visit gcu.edu to learn more.

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[Buck Sexton]

Welcome back to Clay and Buck. Let's take some of these talk facts. Yeah, let's see. We got here Bill from Union City, New Jersey. Hit it, Clay.

[Clay Travis]

Knucklehead, you do know Savannah is Georgia.

[Buck Sexton]

Yeah.

[Clay Travis]

Charleston is South Carolina. How did he already fire back on that? I was just talking about the fact that you were talking about South Carolina. Charleston you mentioned as well.

[Dr. Charles Stanley (InTouch.org ads)]

Yeah.

[Clay Travis]

Yes, Savannah is in Georgia. I appreciate the, the, the. The geography lesson, but I do think Savannah and Charleston likely have similar cultures in that there aren't that many outsiders who have come into those cities. Whereas Atlanta. Nobody cares where you're from in Atlanta. Like, it's a big metropolitan city on those coastal cities. Charleston, Columbia, places like that all over South Carolina. It's very different.

[Buck Sexton]

VIP email from fellow history nerd John. He writes, Washington crossing the Delaware led directly to the founding of greatest nation ever. I mean, we probably could have gotten there without. I'm not gonna put you. I'm sorry. We. We basically jumped a bunch of red coats. Red coats and Hessians who were hungover while they were still waking up in the morning. Kind of a minor skirmish. It's a cool painting.

[Dr. Charles Stanley (InTouch.org ads)]

More important.

[Buck Sexton]

Oh, I'm gonna get something George Washington fired up here. But George Washington's real skill was just enduring. Wasn't really a great general on the battlefield.

[Clay Travis]

Perseverance.

[Okta Sponsor]

Actually.

[Clay Travis]

I'm going to ask for talkbacks on this. What is the greatest military maneuver in United States history? I went with Chancellorsville. I went specifically to the Civil War. I think you could argue D Day. Some of you are big military history nerds. Give us talkbacks on these. We'll have some fun with it. Obviously reacting to the Trump claim on the blockade. Thanks for hanging with us. See you tomorrow.

[Dr. Charles Stanley (InTouch.org ads)]

Life is full of challenges, but you don't have to face them alone. At InTouch.org you'll find powerful sermons from Dr. Charles Stanley, Daily devotionals, and resources designed to strengthen your faith and bring hope into your everyday life. Whether you're searching for encouragement, biblical wisdom or practical guidance, InTouch.org is here to help you grow closer to God. Discover truth that speaks to your heart. Visit intouch.org today.

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[Clay Travis]

Get ready for the NFL season with

[Buck Sexton]

a highly anticipated 2026 NFL schedule release.

[Clay Travis]

Every rivalry, every rematch and every rookie

[Buck Sexton]

debut with matchups locked and kickoffs confirmed,

[Clay Travis]

be there for every can't miss moment.

[Buck Sexton]

The full NFL Schedule Schedule release coming in May.

[Clay Travis]

Get all the [e-mail] schedulerelease.

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