The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Hour 3 - Israel's 9/11
Date: October 7, 2025

Overview

This hour of The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show marks two years since the October 7th, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, which the hosts and guest Carol Markowitz frame as "Israel's 9/11." The discussion focuses on how the attack and its aftermath have shaped global attitudes towards Israel, antisemitism in the West, media narratives about the conflict, and evolving political alliances. A significant segment features an interview with Carol Markowitz about the anniversary, perceptions of antisemitism, and ideological divides concerning Israel. Later, Buck Sexton interviews Leland Vittert about his new book, Born Lucky, discussing autism, parenting, and overcoming challenges. The hour also includes commentary on mainstream media and listener call-ins about Donald Trump and working-class politics.

Main Guest: Carol Markowitz on the Legacy of October 7th

Timestamps: [00:04] – [12:34]

Reflecting on the Two-Year Anniversary

• Carol Markowitz joins to discuss the emotional and societal impact of the Hamas attacks:
  • She highlights that the anniversary coincides with Sukkot, a major Jewish holiday, noting, “Many observant Jews, like our friend Josh Hammer, are offline today, so they can't commemorate October 7th. I’m just so grateful that people are noting this in their absence.” ([00:58])
  • Markowitz expresses gratitude for non-Jewish allies’ support of Israel and Jews globally.

    “To have non Jews care about what's going on in Israel or with Jews in the world is so meaningful to me.” ([01:08])

American and Western Reaction

• The hosts and Markowitz discuss the resilience of Israeli society and the challenges facing Jews in the West:
  • Buck Sexton:

    “So much of what we saw afterwards… the calls for a ceasefire while the Israelis were still counting their dead… was just an astonishing show of bad faith and the worst kinds of antisemitism.” ([01:43])

  • Markowitz:

    “It has been a tough time to be a Jew in America, a Jew in the West… Commemorations of October 7th are taking place in our biggest cities. They seem like celebrations.” ([02:27])

    • She expresses concern about the normalization of anti-Zionism and antisemitism, saying, “Zionists... are being pushed out of various spaces. It’s been going on on the left for years… I just hope the right doesn’t follow them down that path.” ([02:34])

Genocide Claims and Media Narratives

• Buck Sexton and Markowitz dissect claims of "genocide" in Gaza and criticize media representations:
  • Buck flags “genocide” as a highly charged, misused term with historical sensitivity, especially when invoked by Israel’s opponents.
  • Carol calls out a New York Times photo she claims was misleading:

    “They cropped out his healthy looking brother out of the photo because they wanted to project that the starvation thing was happening.” ([07:18])

  • She notes:

    “The idea that there’s a genocide going on while that population of Palestinians in Gaza has actually grown in the last two years makes no sense.” ([05:33])

    • Markowitz further critiques world leaders who, she argues, avoid the real civilizational issues due to fear of their Muslim populations or left-leaning bases ([06:10])

Shifts on the Political Right

• The discussion examines a perceived, though limited, uptick in skepticism toward Israel among some voices on the political right.
  • Markowitz defends legitimate criticism of Israel but distinguishes it from existential denial:

    “The idea is that Israel is allowed to exist and should exist, and that is Zionism. So it's really not that crazy to say Israel is a country, it exists, it's going to continue exist, and we should support that.” ([08:20])

  • She adds:

    “Antisemitism is not a bigotry… it's a mind virus. Once it grabs people, it's all they can think about.” ([10:54])

On American Solidarity and Closing Thoughts

• Polls show strong support for Israel on the right, despite louder fringe voices.
  • Markowitz:

    “Abortion is a more contentious issue on the right than Israel is. It's an overwhelming, positive, supportive point of reference for the right on Israel.” ([10:54])

Notable Quotes

• Markowitz on perseverance:

  “I have such faith in America and Americans, and I know that it's just a tough time right now, but it is hard to watch.” ([02:27])

• Markowitz on conspiracy thinking:

  “I hope the right doesn’t get wound up in conspiracy theories, which is largely what a lot of this comes down to.” ([08:20])

Key Guest Segment: Leland Vittert on Born Lucky and Autism

Timestamps: [20:40] – [33:53]

The Story Behind Born Lucky

• Leland Vittert, NewsNation host and author, discusses his memoir, focusing on parenting a child with autism.
  • Buck Sexton summarizes: The book is about Vittert’s father’s approach—adapting his son to the world rather than adapting the world to him.
  • Vittert shares:

    “This book is for every parent of a kid having a hard time… It is proof to parents of how much agency they have and how much hope there is for a loving parent.” ([20:56])

Against the "Meet Them Where They Are" Mentality

• Vittert criticizes the prevalent expert advice to simply “meet kids where they are.”
  • He recounts:

    “If I meet him where he’s at and I adapt the world to him… he’s not going to know how to operate in the real world. So this was my dad’s quest—adapt me to the real world.” ([22:31])

Personal Struggles and Overcoming Them

• Vittert lists his childhood challenges (behavioral, sensory, learning disabilities) and how his father instilled discipline, work ethic, and social skills:
  • “At six years old, he started me doing 200 pushups a day as a way to start earning self-esteem… to teach me effort in equals real results and real achievement.” ([24:12])
  • His dad focused on teaching social skills minute-by-minute in real-life situations.

Lasting Lessons and Parental Influence

• Vittert emphasizes:

  “The two things you can control are your character and your work ethic.” ([24:12])

  • He and Buck Sexton share stories of how their parents supported their growth despite experts’ skepticism.
    • Buck: “Here I was a kid who could not pronounce his name… And here I sit on a microphone… Something 2 to 3 million, depends on the… Radio, which is obviously about the ability to verbalize and communicate, is how I make a living.” ([31:23])

On Autism Diagnosis Trends and Public Debate

• Vittert highlights the need for science-driven answers as diagnoses soar:

  “One in 1500 kids when I was diagnosed, now one in 31, three times higher for boys and higher still in poor and minority communities. This should be the scientific question of our time.” ([28:18])

  • He critiques the politicization of autism research:

    “If all you're gonna do is demonize RFK and Trump on the search for this answer, that's the only explanation.” ([28:57])

Hope and Parental Agency

• Concludes:

  “It proves to parents how much hope there is and how much agency they have. And no one is telling parents that.” ([29:33])

Commentary & Listener Engagement

Timestamps: [14:33] – [20:40]; [35:09] – [38:58]

The View and Mainstream Media Satire

• Buck Sexton humorously deconstructs clips from The View:
  • “Unintentional comedy is where the View excels. That is its value proposition.” ([16:27])
  • He dismisses the show's claims about Trump and National Guard deployments as “crazy town.”
  • Critiques the alarmism and groupthink on mainstream liberal shows:

    “It creates a vision of America that does not exist except in the fever dreams of the Libs. And that’s not good.” ([16:53])

Listener Calls and Trump’s Working-Class Support

• Calls/Talkbacks highlight Trump’s connection to working-class Americans:
  • “He doesn’t try to pretend to be the working class like so many other politicians… Trump genuinely likes working class people and we can see that.” – Mike from Fort Worth, TX ([36:37])
  • Jacqueline from Brooklyn:

    “He did work. He worked every single day. He went around to all of his father’s buildings in Brooklyn collecting the rents… he was on those job sites.” ([37:43])

Notable Quotes

• Buck Sexton: “It is a negative because it creates a vision of America that does not exist except in the fever dreams of the Libs.” ([16:53])
• Carol Markowitz: “Antisemitism is not a bigotry… it’s a mind virus. Once it grabs people, it’s all they can think about.” ([10:54])
• Leland Vittert: “At six years old, he started me doing 200 pushups a day… to teach me effort in equals real results and real achievement.” ([24:12])
• Listener (Mike, Fort Worth, TX): “Trump genuinely likes working class people and we can see that.” ([36:37])

Segment Guide (Timestamps)

• [00:04] – [12:34]: Interview with Carol Markowitz — Reflections on October 7, antisemitism, media narratives, support for Israel.
• [12:34] – [16:53]: Commentary on The View and mainstream media’s approach to Trump and the national conversation.
• [20:40] – [33:53]: Interview with Leland Vittert — Personal story of overcoming autism, agency in parenting, book discussion.
• [35:09] – [38:58]: Listener calls and talkbacks on Trump’s working-class appeal and authenticity.

Summary

This episode of The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show offers a poignant and pointed look at the second anniversary of the October 7th Hamas terror attack, the ongoing debate over support for Israel in the West, the pervasiveness and dangers of antisemitism, and the power of media narratives. The hour is enriched by Leland Vittert’s deeply personal story about autism and the pivotal role of parental involvement in overcoming adversity. The hosts balance news critique, political humor, and listener perspectives, capturing both the intensity of political debate and the resilience of those affected by ideological and personal challenges.