Hour 3 - Kristi Noem is Fired

Summary

The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show: "Hour 3 - Kristi Noem is Fired"

Date: March 5, 2026
Podcast: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
Guest: Ryan Girdusky, political data analyst and host of "It's a Numbers Game" podcast

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Episode Overview

This high-energy, news-driven episode centers on the major breaking development of Kristi Noem’s firing as Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) by President Trump and her replacement by Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin. Hosts Clay Travis and Buck Sexton, joined by data expert Ryan Girdusky, dissect the political fallout, inside baseball, and broader Senate ramifications. The episode seamlessly pivots from this bombshell to an analysis of the tricky 2026 Senate landscape, especially the contentious Texas race, while engaging listeners and featuring comic relief and audience interaction.

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Main Topics & Key Discussion Points

1. Kristi Noem Fired from DHS: Breaking Down the Fallout

• [03:06] The segment opens with Clay Travis announcing the stunning news: "Kristi Noem, fired from DHS…Do you want to read what the job is that she's now being moved to? Because it's a doozy."
• [03:46] Buck Sexton reads President Trump’s Truth Social post on-air, revealing Markwayne Mullin as the new DHS Secretary, effective March 31, and Kristi Noem’s new role as “Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas.”
  • “The current Secretary, Kristi Noem…will be moving to be special envoy for the Shield of the Americas, our new security initiative in the Western Hemisphere.” — Buck Sexton quoting Trump ([03:52])
• [04:57] The hosts and guest question the nature and optics of Noem’s reassignment.
  • _"Has she been sent to the archives? Because special envoy to something I’ve never heard of before, it doesn’t sound that good." — Clay Travis ([04:57])
  • “She might as well be ambassador to Greece. That’s how much she’s on the outs.” — Ryan Girdusky ([05:02])

Why Noem Was Ousted

• [05:02] Ryan offers insight: Long-standing lack of trust and “press conferences and…association…with former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski” soured Noem’s standing.
• [06:07] Clay and Buck describe the immediate cause as Noem’s allegedly unauthorized use of $200M for personal promotion, followed by her attempt to shift blame to Trump.
  • “She tried to throw Trump under the bus is actually what happened here…She got caught with her hand in the till...she says, well, Trump said it was okay. And Trump is saying, I did not say that was okay.” — Clay Travis ([06:07])
• [08:03] Buck details how rare it is for a Cabinet Secretary to be fired and the bipartisan nature of the criticism Noem received at recent Senate hearings, notably from Sen. Kennedy (R-LA):
  • “Kennedy said he was upset by that contract. He called the White House, told them in advance he was going to press her on that at the hearing, and the White House was not opposed to it.” — Buck Sexton ([08:03])

Political Fallout and Senate Ramifications

• [07:15] Discussion on how Mullin’s elevation impacts Senate balance, as Oklahoma will need a new appointee during a tightly divided chamber.

2. Senate Dynamics: Oklahoma, Texas, and the 2026 Map

• [07:15] Ryan analyzes Oklahoma’s “moderate” Republican Governor and the tricky process of filling Senate vacancies. He notes Oklahoma’s Republican delegation isn't as uniformly conservative as reputation suggests.
• [12:38] Buck and Ryan discuss other key Senate races:
  • Texas and Iowa are critical to GOP control.
  • Democrats will try to challenge GOP candidates in several states (Maine, North Carolina, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota) but must keep Texas/Iowa/Alaska/Ohio in the GOP column.
  • “If you take Texas off, the math starts to get more difficult.” — Buck Sexton ([12:31])

Texas GOP Primary Dissection

• [12:38-14:34] Focus shifts to the Texas Senate GOP primary: Cornyn (establishment) vs. Paxton (challenger).
  • Paxton underperformed despite initial polling; Cornyn maneuvered a strong comeback.
  • Ryan, critical of Paxton’s lazy campaign, says: “Paxton was completely MIA…and he is a very lazy campaigner and he’s overly exaggerated constantly.” ([13:26])

Democratic Nominee James Talarico: "Woke White Nonsense"

• [20:16-21:59] Ryan eviscerates Talarico as the Democratic nominee as radically left and a liability for Dems in Texas.
  • Memorable invective: “He is what white progressive liberals think a Christian should sound like…Jesus Christ has let him rectify his whiteness instead of his sin…” ([20:37])
  • “This man is crazy. He is the Keebler Elf of bad ideas. He is absolutely, certifiably nuts.” — Ryan Girdusky ([21:59])
  • Predicts Talarico stands little chance in general election, noting past Dem spending sprees in similar races have failed.

Senate "Firewall" Explained

• [23:02-23:48] Quick breakdown by Ryan on the states Democrats would need to flip to win the Senate (“Maine, North Carolina, Alaska…maybe Ohio”).

3. Behind the Scenes and Listener Interaction

• [26:39] Real-time updates: Markwayne Mullin finds out about his nomination moments before the media; Noem publicly speaks at a Nashville event without addressing her firing.
• Buck and Clay bring humor — (“You want to play in the big boy game, you got to deal with big boy consequences or big girl game, big girl consequences.” — Clay ([27:00]))
• The hosts share stories, respond to audience “talkbacks,” and field politics-adjacent observations, e.g., airline headphone etiquette ([32:13]).

4. Comic Relief and Notable Moments

• [26:07] Listener jokes and hosts’ banter lighten the mood throughout:
  • “Beer does not make you fat. It makes you lean against tables and walls…” — Listener ([26:07])
• [33:09] Buck’s “Pete Rose” anecdote injects personal flair into a segment on airplane etiquette.

5. Final Perspectives & Takeaways

• The episode closes with a reiteration of the day’s major shakeup, reassurance that party infighting typically resolves itself before general elections, and a nudge for conservatives to be optimistic about the broader 2026 landscape.

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “She might as well be ambassador to Greece. That’s how much she’s on the outs.” — Ryan Girdusky ([05:02])
• “She tried to throw Trump under the bus… she got caught with her hand in the till… and she says, well, Trump said it was okay. And Trump is saying, I did not say that was okay.” — Clay Travis ([06:07])
• “Kennedy said he was upset by that contract…he called the White House, told them in advance… and the White House was not opposed to it.” — Buck Sexton ([08:03])
• “Trump is loyal to people who are loyal to him. And Kristi Noem’s main asset had been an unflinching loyalty to Donald Trump…then when she got grilled and the heat was on, she turned on Trump and Trump said, see you later.” — Clay Travis ([10:32])
• “He is the Keebler Elf of bad ideas…Rachel Dolezal…had a better relationship with being white than he does. It’s literally nuts.” — Ryan Girdusky on Talarico ([21:59])
• “If you take Texas off, the math starts to get more difficult.” — Buck Sexton ([12:31])

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Segment Highlights & Timestamps

• Announcement & Reading of Trump’s Statement: [03:06] – [04:57]
• Analysis of Noem’s Ouster / DHS Dynamics: [05:02] – [10:54]
• Senate Ramifications (OK/TX & National Map): [07:15] – [14:34]
• Dissecting Texas Democratic Nominee Talarico: [20:16] – [21:59]
• Senate Firewall & General Strategy: [23:02] – [23:48]
• Comic Relief & Listener Engagement: [26:07] – [26:21], [32:13] – [33:09]
• Markwayne Mullin’s Real-Time Response: [34:18] – [34:38]
• Closing Thoughts: Primary Healing & Election Outlook: [43:28] – [45:53]

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Overall Tone & Style

The show combines high-stakes political analysis, behind-the-curtain insider tidbits, and brash, unfiltered commentary. Clay and Buck’s rapport is fast, funny, and unafraid of controversy, while Ryan Girdusky adds sharp insider context and biting humor. Listeners are openly engaged through light-hearted audience segments and joke exchanges.

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For the Uninitiated …

This episode is essential listening for anyone wanting to understand:

• The gravity and politics of a high-profile Cabinet firing
• The inside party dynamics shaping the 2026 Senate map, especially in pivotal red states
• Why certain candidates are liabilities for their parties
• How GOP strategy is unfolding behind the headlines
• The immersive, sometimes irreverent culture of the Clay and Buck community

Listeners are left with a vivid sense of the chaos and intrigue animating American politics — and a few laughs along the way.

Transcript

[Clay Travis]

This is an iHeart podcast.

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[Clay Travis]

Third hour of Clay and Buck kicks off now. Our friend Ryan Graduski joins us. He is the host of It's a Numbers Game, a fantastic podcast breaking down all the data in politics. You can be smarter than all your friends about what's happening in these elections and the polls and all the things going on. Check out It's a Numbers Game on the Clay and Buck Podcast network. Ryan, thank you for being back with us. I want to get to Texas. I want to get to all that stuff. But first, I have to ask you, you might have heard the big breaking news. Kristi Noem, fired from DHS and has some actually Clay. Do you want to read what the job is that she's now being moved to? Because it's. It's a doozy. Go ahead.

[Buck Sexton]

Yes, President Trump has posted on Truth Social. And by the way, we should mention she's speaking right now here in Nashville. So they demoted her and then she's going directly in front of the media right now to speak. So here in Nashville. So that seems like a difficult spot. Where I am. Here is what President Trump posted. I am pleased to announce the highly respected United States senator from the great state of Oklahoma, Mark Wayne Mullen, will become the United States Secretary of Homeland Security effective March 31, 2026. The current Secretary, Kristi Noem, who have served us well and has had numerous and spectacular results, especially on the border, will be moving to be special envoy for the Shield of the Americas, our new security initiative in the Western Hemisphere. We are announcing on Saturday in Doral, Florida. I thank Christy for her service at Homeland and then a very strong endorsement of Mark Wayne Mullen as her replacement. Again, she is speaking right now, Ryan.

[Clay Travis]

Has she been sent to the archives? Because special envoy to something I've never heard of before. It doesn't sound that good.

[Ryan Garduski]

Yes, she might as well be ambassador to Greece. That's how much she's on the outs. This has been the rumors about Kristi Noem and the Dislike on Christine has been going on basically since she became DHS secretary. The very expensive 4 foot long weaves and wigs and the press conferences and it's been a lot, a lot of people haven't liked her association, quote unquote with former Trump campaign manager Coryn Lewandowski has not done favors from anyone in the interior of the Trump administration. The close people associated with him who do not like Corey Lewandowski. So there was a lot going. And basically what Trump said is he accused her of lying to Congress, which is a federal crime. He said that he knew nothing about the $200 million ad featuring Kristi Noem. I don't know. I imagine there'll be another congressional investigation if Democrats take the House.

[Buck Sexton]

Yeah, this is a, this is interesting. Again, she's speaking right now and I would just suggest to you

[Clay Travis]

she tried to throw, she tried to throw Trump under the bus is actually what happened here. She got caught with her hand in the till $200 million of Kristi Noem's face everywhere. You're a government employee, like you're not running for office right now. And she says, well, Trump said it was okay. And Trump is saying, I did not say that was okay.

[Buck Sexton]

So it is, it is a mess. This is the first cabinet secretary to, to lose his or her job. And again, if you're looking on the Senate side, Ryan confirmation for senators who rise to or ascend or I guess it could theoretically be a demotion depending on your perspective. But usually it's seen as a promotion to become Cabinet secretaries. Usually they get confirmed fairly rapidly as sort of a Senate nod in their direction. And so I would think this will not be something that gets bogged down in a significant way. But what it does mean is Oklahoma is going to need a new senator in what is a fairly even United States Senate right now.

[Ryan Garduski]

Yeah. And I haven't had a chance to look at the process of how they either appoint or nominate a senator. Remember, the Senate. The current governor of Oklahoma is very moderate, especially on immigration. He's said that he doesn't believe that illegals are going to vote or the Democrats want illegals to vote. And he has been very complimentary towards illegal aliens. There is another candidate running for governor who has called for basically on vetted immigration. So Oklahoma and James Lankford worked with Biden on a bill that would have given them, you know, 5,000 illegals crossing a day. Oklahoma, for a conservative state, has not always elected the best people. Mark Wayne Mullen is definitely the most conservative member of the delegation. So it'll be sad to see him go, but it will be very interesting. Who, who is his replacement?

[Buck Sexton]

More details coming out here. Bill Malusian reports. Senator Kennedy of Louisiana had that contentious back and forth, said that when he told Trump about it, Trump was, quote, mad as a murder hornet that Kristi Noem claimed he approved the $200 million ad contract. Kennedy said he was upset by that contract. He called the White House, told them in advance he was going to press her on that at the hearing, and the White House was not opposed to it. So this feels a little bit like a political hit where Senator Kennedy, who is a Republican, usually you guys all watch these hearings, usually Republican witnesses, cabinet members, are treated pretty kindly by the party that is the same as theirs and grilled on the opposite side. When this hearing, as Buck mentioned last hour, kind of went off the rails a little bit and Republicans came after her, it was a sign that there was this disapproval on both sides. And now, again, Mark Wayne Mullen is in and Kristi Noem is out.

[Clay Travis]

I would just add to this, Ryan, that it's not over Minneapolis. From what we can tell, Minneapolis seems to have played very little. Now, I'm sure that that's, you know, you could say that that was compounded into all of this. But it's not that she messed up the, the messaging in Minneapolis, which I think she certainly did. It's that when push came to shove, she tried to shove Trump under the bus because there's no way to justify a $220 million ad budget starring you as a government employee about a government program.

[Ryan Garduski]

Yeah, it was, as I said before, there have been a number of people who really question why she ever got the job. They never liked her in that position. They didn't like her with her. I mean, south park humorized it very well. But the fact that she has this expensive makeup ads and these makeup jobs and these giant weeds and is on television every 32nd kind of promoting herself, that it doesn't come as a shock that they did not oppose Senator Kennedy wanting to ask her about this. And it's. Yeah, it sounds like this is there. There's been a lot of blood, no love lost between the two for a very, very long.

[Clay Travis]

Well, I just, I bring this up, Clay, just because to me, it's. Trump is loyal to people who are loyal to him. And Kristi Noem's main asset had been an unflinching loyalty to Donald Trump. I will say that for her, she was unflinchingly loyal to Donald Trump because she thought it benefited her. And then when she got grilled and the heat was on, she turned on Trump and Trump said, see you later. That's what I see happening here.

[Buck Sexton]

So I don't disagree either. Ryan, I'm going to ask you about the larger Senate issues at play because now Mark Wayne Mullen factors in a bit here. But Senator Federman has already said, as a member of the Homeland Security Committee, ranking member of the subcommittee, I'm not sure how many of my fellow Democrats will vote to support Mullen as the next DHS secretary, but I am I. So he is saying a Y e. He is saying that he is, yes. Which would get us theoretically to 54. I don't think you can overlook sometimes these Cabinet battles can get really contentious. It sounds like Trump is making a choice here for somebody that he thinks will get confirmed quite easily coming out of the Senate. But let's talk about the Senate here for a minute. Ryan, Texas, this is what we initially had you on to talk about. We know that Maine and North Carolina, where there are Republican senators currently in position, there are going to be tough battles. Right. Susan Collins and the open seat in North Carolina, Georgia and Michigan and maybe to an extent, Minnesota, there has been some optimism that Republicans could put Democrat seats in play, but really, so long as Republicans keep Texas, Iowa, Montana, states like that, Ohio and Alaska. Good one. To bring up how much of what's going on right now in Texas is really just about the Trump White House saying we need to make sure that Texas is not a seat on the board. Because if you take Texas off, the math starts to get more difficult.

[Ryan Garduski]

Yeah. I mean, listen, part of it is, is that Paxton underperformed. He did very poorly in this primary. Cornyn spent a fortune, but to his credit, he was polling in the low 30s and ended up coming out number one. Had Cornyn come out with 30% and some of the polls said, I'm sure this call would not be being made right. Paxton underperformed polling. He was up by 5 and 6 points in most polls. He ended up being down by a point and a half. Paxton had the fight of his life and I'm sorry, Cornyn did the fight of his life. And I give credit to the old man. He came out slugging and he won. So there is no, had he come in a second or a distant second, he would not be getting this treatment right now. But you can't. I said this in my podcast episode that comes out tomorrow for a numbers game. Do you remember a single moment during this campaign where Paxton actually had a viral moment, had a reason for running for office, sat there and really nailed down why Cornyn was an insufficient Republican senator. I don't remember it. I don't. And I pay attention all the time. Paxton was completely mia and I talked to people in Texas who said he is a very lazy campaigner and he's overly exaggerated constantly. And there was a case to be made against Cornyn. But Paxton doesn't look like he was ever going to be the one to really work for it the way that it was needed to be.

[Clay Travis]

Can we, can we, Clay, let's, let's keep Ryan through to talk Talarico and the general here in a second because I want to talk to you about those numbers, Talarico, how that all plays out. These clips, Ryan, I mean, you've heard some of them. We might even play one or two when we come back. They're wild. The stuff that this Talarico guy says, I mean, it's pretty astonishing. So stay through with us if you can. It's a Numbers Game is Ryan's podcast. We'll talk about the Texas general matchup as well as how this primary continues to play out and the gen and the overall Senate picture. We'll return to that here with Ryan Garduski in a second.

[Buck Sexton]

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[Buck Sexton]

In clay Travis Buck Sexton show we are talking with Ryan G. Our data analyst. He's part of the Clay and Buck Network podcast network. You should definitely sign up for him. Ryan, I don't know if you're watching, but we are monitoring it. Not only did they fire Christy Noem, they did it just a couple of minutes before she was scheduled to speak. And she now is taking questions in Nashville from media right as this firing is taking place. But we, as we went to break, we were talking about the situation in Texas and there has been an assumption that somehow James Talarico was going to be a guy that could have appeal and put that Texas Senate seat in play. But there has just been a bevy of crazy video comments from James Talarico that have come out that have made it quite clear he is not a moderate at all. And it feels almost like Republicans were playing possum. I even said earlier, Ryan, maybe Jasmine Crockett's not as crazy as him, which is saying something. How do you assess this Texas Senate race now that the primaries are over?

[Ryan Garduski]

Yeah, I'm not worried for, I mean, listen, he did very well with Latinos. There was a surge of voter turnout. It is not the first time that that Democrats have voted Republicans. It's happened several times the last few cycles, mostly in presidential years, but sometimes in midterms. So everyone and Republicans still have won all the generals. So I'm not worried about that. But a lot of the search came from Latino voters and he is, he is what white progressive liberals think a Christian should sound like in the sense that he has said that Jesus Christ has let him rectify his whiteness instead of his sin. But I guess being white and sin are the same thing to him. He said that prisons are violent and we should work towards a world without prisons. He's referred to Latinos as Latin X ers, I mean, you name it. It's every woke white nonsense thing you could possibly imagine and it's gonna go down like a rock. And you could tell it's bad because the bulk work people like as these comments were coming to light said if you're thinking about running for office, but please delete your old tweets. They wasn't like, don't believe in this. It was hide the evidence. And the evidence is overwhelming. And I, you know, and the crazy thing is that Jasmine Crockett not been afraid of the online left wing mob for his things about, you know, wanting to support transgender men in girls bathrooms for saying prisons are violence. She would have won the Democratic primary, but she could not run to his actual right because she was too afraid of that.

[Clay Travis]

It's amazing. It does seem Clay brought this up before. I think there's a real grounds to make this claim. Ryan Talarico seems crazier than Jasmine Crockett.

[Ryan Garduski]

He's nuts. He's crazier than a freaking pistachio farm in California. He called for allowing abortions in federal buildings after Roe was overturned. Could you imagine grandma going to the post office to mail Christmas gifts? And next to the PO Box is a woman getting an abortion. This man is crazy. He is the Keebler Elf of bad ideas. He is absolutely, certifiably nuts. The hardest left winger you could possibly imagine. And he's constantly reflecting on trans people getting abortions and how sad he is about being white. I mean, Rachel Dolezal, the woman who faked being black, had a better relationship with being white than he does. It's literally nuts. And this constant referencing of how the women he could get. I mean, if anyone heard him speak or see him and think that that's actually true. This is like we're in bizarro world right now. And no, I think I'm not worried about the Texas race at all. Democrats want to dump 50 million like they did against Lindsey Graham, be my guest. I'm not.

[Buck Sexton]

Okay, so if you were going to make. And we're coming up on a break here, so this probably, if you can be one minute. Who. How do Democrats take back the Senate? What would they have to win? What is the firewall? Break it down quickly for us, if you could.

[Ryan Garduski]

Maine, North Carolina, Alaska, maybe. Maybe Ohio, maybe.

[Buck Sexton]

So if you can firewall Ohio and Texas, which in Iowa, a couple of others, that. Which has to be the way the Trump team is thinking. That way you preserve the Senate at minimum.

[Ryan Garduski]

Yeah, you, Iowa, Ohio, Alaska, those are the three that you need to protect, they're much more close than Texas. Texas is 8. Also media markets. It's very expensive to campaign in Texas. Television is not going to have the money. You need like a billion dollars.

[Clay Travis]

Ryan Garduski, my friend, always great to have you here and thank you for showing up. Everyone should go check out It's a Numbers Game, his excellent podcast. Topic to topic tomorrow, Ryan, what's it going to be?

[Ryan Garduski]

James Talarico and the Texas primary. I go live. This is a generational election. Why the people in charge of Texas GOP will not be there in the next five years and why it's so important. For anyone upset about the way this election went, listen to my podcast. I will break down why it's a ray of sunshine for conservatives.

[Clay Travis]

Excellent stuff. Ryan Graduski, everybody. Ryan, thanks.

[Ryan Garduski]

Thank you.

[Clay Travis]

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[Ryan Garduski]

Buck, Beer does not make you fat. It makes you lean against tables and

[Clay Travis]

walls and anything else. Dad joke. I like. You caught the dad joke there, right? It's nice.

[Buck Sexton]

Yes. The dad jokes get a lot of respect here on the program. I, by the way, I know we're going to get to a bunch of these talkbacks. Mark. Wade Mullen appears to be in a vehicle on the way to the White House right now, which suggests this was this decision was made very quickly.

[Clay Travis]

Right.

[Buck Sexton]

That the decision was made. And the fact that right now Kristi Noem is on Fox News and cnn. They are showing her speaking and she is taking questions from some of the law enforcement that are in the crowd. But I can't remember a time when someone has been fired and then immediately walked out to a public event like this.

[Clay Travis]

And any of you who are going to do the like, no one should ever, you know, you should never celebrate when everyone fired is fired or anything else. The Wall Street Journal reported that she fired a Coast Guard pilot. Okay. For not bringing her blanket from one private plane to another. The stories that were being told about DHS secretary in friendly media outlets. I'm not talking about CNN trash. I'm talking about Fox News reporters getting wind of this. I'm talking about Wall Street Journal reporters getting wind of this. Were of an imperious and incompetent top of dhs. You cannot have that. This is one of this is certainly a top three agency for the Trump agenda. It is one of the most important posts in the administration. She had a shot. Now she can move on and be the special envoy deputy assistant secretary to the Shield of Western Security or whatever the whatever that thing is. So that's, that's where all this is. You want to play in the big boy game, you got to deal with big boy consequences or big girl game. Big girl consequences. This is C. Chris from Morgantown wants to talk movies for a second from West Virginia. Play it. Hey, Buck, you made a movie faux pas.

[Public Ad Announcer]

Indiana Jones, Temple of Doom did not

[Ryan Garduski]

take place during the 1950s.

[Public Ad Announcer]

At the latest, it took place in the early 1930s.

[Ryan Garduski]

Considering that it was a prequel to

[Public Ad Announcer]

Raiders of the Lost Ark, which took

[Clay Travis]

place in the late mid to late 1930s. I stand corrected. I think that caller is correct. I got I just was confused or forgot for a second. Isn't it the the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull maybe is in the 50s or something? Isn't there one that's like Soviet era? It does. It doesn't matter. He's right. 1930s I think is the Temple of Doom timeframe.

[Buck Sexton]

So yeah, look, the the big surprise there, and this is one you can win a lot of trivia with, is that on the chronology scale, Raiders of the Lost Ark actually occurs after Temple of Doom and that blows people's minds. But even though they didn't we're not made that way. That is the reality. By the way, we're getting a couple of questions. I think this also factors in we're going to get to a ton of your talk back will continue to hammer through when a US people asking now that Mark Wayne Mullen is out presumably will be confirmed as the next DHS secretary Senator from Oklahoma. What happens? Different states have different rules about how these Senate seats are filled. When a U. S. Senate vacancy occurs in Oklahoma, governor is then able to appoint must be a registered member of the same party as the predecessor to fill the seat temporarily. A special election is subsequently held to fill the remainder of the term. I don't know enough about Oklahoma election law. Maybe somebody out there is an expert on this. It seems to be a quick turn to have the Senate seat in Oklahoma available in 2026 now. So I don't know that you could do it in 2026. So the term might be filled until 2028. Different rules apply differently. Oklahoma Governor Republican Kevin Stitt. So there would be a Republican who would follow. I don't think Trump would be for instance, he wouldn't have appointed Susan Collins to his cabinet because then the Democrat gets to put a Democrat in her place. So all of that is the the particulars in a closely divided Senate as we go forward. This is funny by the way Chris in Phoenix, Arizona M this is Chris from Phoenix.

[Clay Travis]

Now that Jasmine Crockett has not been reelected, do you have to change the

[Buck Sexton]

name of Crockett Coffee to AOC Coffee now? It's a shot. It's a shot. We've been saying for some time Crockett Coffee not connected to Jasmine Crockett named after the legendary Texan Davy Crockett, but podcast listener Bill. He's also hammering on also from Texas here. Cut D Great news.

[Ryan Garduski]

Jasmine Crockett didn't make it any further in her political career, which now Frees

[Clay Travis]

her up from any conflicts of interest

[Ryan Garduski]

to be the spokesmodel influencer of Crockett Coffee. I think that'd be just a. An amazing transformation.

[Clay Travis]

That's. You guys are thinking. Coming up with some of the same jokes here. VIP email from a Southwest pilot. And this is referencing. Okay, actually, let me tee this up properly. It came out today that United Airlines now has an official policy and you sign as part of the contract of carriage that you will use headphones on any device that creates sound. They can be Bluetooth, they can be wired. It doesn't matter. The point is, you don't get to be a savage. You don't get to be a barbarian who sits there and watches loud videos on their phone, on their iPad, on their laptop or whatever. This has been a scourge of the skies for too long. I. This is a true story. When I went to France last year, Clay, I had to turn around the guy behind me, I gave him an extra set of my earbuds.

[Buck Sexton]

I remember because this is a perfect buck story. You were angry about hearing his, and so you provided him with.

[Clay Travis]

I gave him earbuds, yes. Which he then proceeded to use. But I was like, here you go, sir. I carry an extra pair of. So that people like you can't ruin the flight for everybody else. Because remember, if it's loud enough to be heard in the cabin, it's loud enough that you're going to hear it with your ear. So now everyone has to hear this cacophony. United now says not only can you be removed from the flight, you can be banned from flying United for multiple violations of this policy. I absolutely love it. It's been some great news today. I absolutely love this policy. VIP email from a Southwest pilot.

[Buck Sexton]

He says, I'm a captain.

[Clay Travis]

This has been Southwest policy for some years now. No sound is allowed from any personal electronic devices. Headphones must be used or sound muted. No exceptions. Captain, please enforce that with. With rigorous efficiency.

[Buck Sexton]

I have. I can vouch for this. And this is an all time Southwest Airlines flight. I take Southwest Airlines everybody everywhere. On a flight to Las Vegas from Nashville, legendary now deceased major league baseball player Pete Rose was in the row behind me listening to Fox News loudly on his personal device. And the Southwest Flight Airlines attendant came around and said, sir, I'm sorry, you cannot listen to that. The hit king himself. Southwest Airlines said, you need to have earbuds for that. By the way, one thing before we go to break here. We were just saying this happened in a hurry because Mark Wayne mullen was on Capitol Hill and all of the press grabbed him and he was here. He is saying he found out just a couple of minutes before everybody else did. Cut 38. This just happening. Was Markway Mullen on the show this week? I think he was on the show this week. Wasn't he Monday or Tuesday hanging out with us. Here he is saying he just found out a little bit before all of us. Cut 38. No, I, you know, the president, I

[Public Ad Announcer]

still got to communicate.

[Buck Sexton]

So we'll talk about it moving forward. But I appreciate it, guys. Yeah, the president, I've already talked. Obviously the statement went up.

[Ryan Garduski]

We need to, we need to talk

[Buck Sexton]

with the President and we're going to get on the same page and do what things. When did you make changes at dhs?

[Clay Travis]

When did, when did you find out, sir?

[Buck Sexton]

A little bit before you guys did. So Mark Wayne Mullen, you come on the show Tuesday, next thing you know you're in the, in the Cabinet. He was on earlier this week and he is en route, I believe right now to the White House to meet with the President to talk about his new job. And again, Senator John Fetterman has already come out and said, hey, I'll vote for him. You got 53 yeses, you would think from his colleagues on the Republican side. That's at least one Democrat. That confirmation will be pretty easy, I think, which is one reason why I believe President Trump likely picked Mark Wayne Mullen. Now that seat needs to get filled soon by Oklahoma because again, there is a, a close contest here in terms of being able to get anything through the Senate. Just, just FYI, homeowners, you know how

[Clay Travis]

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[Buck Sexton]

Want to be in the know when you're on the go? The Team 47 podcast Trump highlights from the week, Sundays at noon Eastern in the Clay and Buck podcast feed. Find it on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

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[Buck Sexton]

Clay Travis Buck Sexton Show. Very news centric show. As for those of you who just got in your car, Christy Noem out. She's been replaced by Mark Wayne Mullen as the head of dhs. And you just heard from Mark Wayne Mullen as he is on his way to talk with the President. Secretary Noem spoke for 40 minutes at a Nashville law enforcement event, did not address the fact that she had been fired, has not publicly commented that we have seen, but is the first cabinet member to lose a job in Trump 2.0. And again the Senator from Oklahoma, Mark Wayne Mullen being elevated. So that is major breaking news and certainly there will continue to be fallout from that. Let's see. Podcast listener Jerome this is Cut P. A lot of reactions. We're trying to get as many of them in as we can. Appreciate all of you who use the iHeart app to give us your talkbacks. You guys are fantastic. Here is Jerome. We talked about the success right before the Kristi Gnome News came out. We talked about the success that Ron DeSantis has had in Florida and all the new residents that are moving there. Podcast Listener this is P. Hey Clay

[Clay Travis]

and Buck Jerome from Utah.

[Ryan Garduski]

I totally agree with your take on

[Buck Sexton]

Ron DeSantis and how he's transformed that

[Ryan Garduski]

state from purple to red. And I just don't know why we can't get more Republican governors to follow in his footsteps. I kind of think of it in the terms of the NFL.

[Buck Sexton]

It's a copycat league. Why can't we get more governors to copy Ron DeSantis? Well, my argument would be most governors are not as good as Ron DeSantis. If you want to make a sports analogy like, everybody's not Michael Jordan. Yeah, Michael Jordan's really good. We should have more people copy Michael Jordan. The better your talent is at a particular job, the harder you are to replace would be my take. And I think DeSantis really, again, is being rewarded for making hard decisions at a time of great complexity, when it was Covid and being found right by the vast majority of the American public. Jay and yeah, Tempe, Arizona. Cut. Oh,

[Clay Travis]

guys, this is Jay and Tempe. I gotta say, I like the ad campaign. I thought Kristi Noem looked super hot and great in that cowboy hat. Badass carrying a rifle.

[Buck Sexton]

Don't know her personally, but I was

[Clay Travis]

like, yeah, let's get these illegal immigrants out of here. She rocks. So I was kind of sold by it. I'm glad that you think she looked hot in the campaign. Jay from Arizona. $200 million is a lot of taxpayer money to light on fire. And also, I think Trump at some level, realized she was running a stealth 2028 campaign using taxpayer dollars. That's effectively what that is. This is why when I walked in the airport, I would see Kristi Noem videos everywhere. Every airport I go into, you know, and she's all made up and the whole thing. It's like, do I need to. Why am I watching videos of you in every airport I go into? She was promoting her brand, and she was promoting her brand using taxpayer dollars while in all while a public servant. And then when she got called out on it, what did she do? Oh, it was Trump. For any of you who are like, oh, but it's fine. It's fine, really. She tried to throw the big guy who gave her this shot under the bus. Not on Trump's watch.

[Buck Sexton]

And now Mark Wayne Mullen is head of dhs. We were talking before all this news broke about the situation in Texas as well. Amanda's asking a question that a lot of people are reacting to, and she says, I have a Paxton Cornyn question. Those are the two finalists in the runoff for the Republican Senate race. People are saying they will write in Paxton or not. Vote in November, if he drops out before the runoff, wouldn't that be disastrous if, if that happens? My general position on this, Buck. And everybody always gets mad at us when we say this is. Ultimately, people come around even when primary battles are nasty, because we heard from a lot of people who were big Fans of Ron DeSantis. Ron DeSantis and President Trump had a really kind of nasty primary campaign against each other. And remember, we would open up phone lines and people would call in and they would say, hey, I'm a big Ron DeSantis fan. I'm not going to vote for President Trump. And you and I would say, hey, we think this thing's going to end up being healed. And guess what? I think for the most part, people ended up voting for President Trump.

[Clay Travis]

Trump and Ron are golf buddies now. They're golf buddies.

[Buck Sexton]

They're golf buddies. And I'm going to be on a panel with them tomorrow. President Trump is hosting a college sports panel with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as one of the chairs along of Marco Rubio to try to fix college sports. I'm going to be doing the show from DC tomorrow and I'll be on the panel with him. My point on this is they get along well now. And so I don't know what the long range future of Paxton and Cornyn is, but I think whomever the Republican nominee ends up being will win. And some people will be upset, but they'll get over it because they'll look at Tal Rico, we need to play more of his audio. And they'll say, okay, this is not my ideal Republican Senate candidate, but this guy's crazy. If I have a choice between voting for a crazy Democrat or a Republican, that might not be my first choice. I think most people in Texas will come around on that. Now, that's always controversial and everybody always says, oh, I'll never vote for so and so. Most of the time it ends up being the case that they do. Big breaking news day, Buck. You never know what you're gonna get when you start off the day. We thought Iran, we thought the Senate. Instead. Kristi Noem is gone and is out and Mark Wayne Mullen is in. And the first of the cabinet moves of the president has been made.

[Clay Travis]

A lot of cool stuff going on in the world, a lot of things to talk about here, and we're going to continue to do just that. So make sure you go check out Clay and Buck YouTube and subscribe to the podcast network and make sure you use headphones when you're on flight very important.

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