Podcast Summary: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Hour 3 - Let Him Cook
Date: February 23, 2026
Host: Buck Sexton (solo, Clay Travis out)
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

In this third hour, Buck Sexton helms the show solo, tackling the week’s dominant news: Trump’s Supreme Court loss and subsequent global tariffs, major developments in the war on drugs, scrutiny of the Supreme Court’s approach to presidential powers, Gavin Newsom’s likely run for the Democratic nomination, and the persistent culture debates around gender and sports. Buck is witty and candid, even while recovering from a stomach bug.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Major News Stories of the Weekend

[02:24 - 04:30]

• U.S. Men’s Hockey Team wins Gold: Celebrates Olympic victory and the toughness of players (“The player who had his tooth broken by the stick and stayed in the game... Guy’s a tough dude.”).
• Cartel Leader “El Mencho” Killed: Reports on Mexican military’s operation against the Jalisco cartel. A $15 million bounty, “they really wanted him.”
• Security Incident at Mar-a-Lago: Gunman shot and killed on Trump’s property, labeled “another threat against President Trump.”

2. Trump, Tariffs, and Supreme Court Showdown

[04:30 - 13:26]

• Supreme Court Ruling Against Trump: Review of the Court’s 6:3 decision that blocked Trump from using the International Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose tariffs.
  • Quote [06:05]: “Trump, in a press conference shortly afterward, said that this was deeply disappointing... he was ashamed of certain members of the court ... disloyal and unpatriotic fools and lap dogs.”
• Trump’s Swift Policy Shift: Instead of backing down, Trump enacted a new 10%, then 15% global tariff under a different statute (Trade Act of 1974, Section 122).
• Impact of Tariffs on U.S. Economy:
  • Citing Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant (audio clips at [08:18; 12:58]):
    • Bessant [08:18]: “The ultimate goal of tariffs is rebalancing trade and bringing our trade deficits into balance... We are seeing trillions of investments and factories coming back to the US because of the tariffs.”
• Buck’s Analysis:
  • Despite predictions of economic calamity, the tariffs resulted in strong economic growth and investment.
  • Quote [09:02]: “Unemployment, inflation, growth, all these things, wages, things are going well... the parade of horribles that we were told would result did not happen.”

3. Supreme Court Dynamics and Judicial Politics

[10:50 - 13:26]

• Buck’s Take: Sees the Court’s ruling as driven by both legal and political considerations.
  • Quote [10:58]: “Some of the other ones coming down the pipeline are going to go Trump’s way... but on this tariff issue, they are saying, yes, he can embargo, he can shut down all trade, but he cannot... take a dollar.”
• Shift to Alternate Legal Authority: Trump’s administration undeterred; using a new statutory basis for tariffs, with projected revenues “unchanged for 2026.”

4. U.S. Military Escalation against Narco-Traffickers

[20:39 - 22:00]

• New Pentagon Action: Reports on U.S. Southern Command’s kinetic strike on a narco-trafficking vessel in the Caribbean, killing three narco-terrorists.
  • Buck [20:39]: “We just blew up another narco boat. We’re going to keep doing this, it seems.”
• Discussion of Pentagon Norms: Notes the switch from “Secretary of Defense” to “Secretary of War” and predicts potential reversals under a future Democratic administration.
  • Quote [21:10]: “They don’t like that there’s been a change in the nomenclature of our military.”

5. Judicial News: Judge Cannon and Trump’s Legal Battles

[23:00 - 25:40]

• Judge Eileen Cannon’s Ruling: Halted the public release of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s report on Trump’s classified documents case.
  • Buck [24:00]: “A resounding victory for Trump’s efforts to block public viewing of what probably would be damaging details.”
• Reflection on Legal Onslaught: Argues the legal attacks have backfired, propelling Trump.
  • Quote [25:30]: “The craziest part... is that it helped propel Trump to be president again. The whole thing backfired.”

6. Gavin Newsom’s Positioning and the Culture War

[29:51 - 35:06]

• Gavin Newsom on Democrats & Culture:
  • Newsom on CNN [29:51]: “The Democratic Party needs to be... more culturally normal... less prone to spending disproportionate amount of time on pronouns, identity politics, more focused on tabletop issues.”
• Buck’s Reaction: Sees Newsom’s nuanced language as avoidance; critiques Democrats for “mandating madness” (re: trans issues in sports).
  • Quote [30:32]: “Dudes have an advantage over chicks in sports, ok? That’s what we’re talking about here. That’s obvious. We all know this.”
  • Extended Discussion: Explores the left’s fixation on gender, the evolution of the culture war, and why Democrats can’t let go of the trans athlete agenda.
• Newsom as Dem Frontrunner: Predicts Newsom will be Democratic nominee, critiques his calculated pandering, and suggests it fits Democratic culture.
  • Quote [35:00]: “Gavin Newsom is willing to say whatever he needs to say to any audience in the moment. And that’s what Democrats expect.”

7. Broader Reflections on Biology, Gender, and Totalitarianism

[35:06 - 38:30]

• Deeper Cultural Analysis:
  • Gender debates seen as tools for greater social control, drawing analogies to Soviet and Maoist eras.
  • Quote [37:00]: “There is something about being able to break down the gender differences... that is really also a form of ultimate control.”
• Skepticism Toward “Trans Agenda”:
  • Argues that enforcing language and beliefs around gender identity is about demanding conformity from the public.

8. Personal Notes, Show Wrap-Up

[44:03 - 46:30]

• Buck reflects on doing the show while ill (“Proud of myself for getting through a full three hour radio show today thanks to Imodium... and Pedialyte”).
• Ends on a lighthearted note about his dog’s support while he was sick: “Dogs, brah. Especially when you’re sick and your dog curls up to you, it’s like, oh, dogs are the best.”
• Brief promo for Buck’s book “Manufacturing Delusion.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [06:05] Buck Sexton on Trump’s Supreme Court reaction:
  “He was ashamed of certain members of the court, ashamed for not having the courage to do what’s right for our country… personally attacked some of the justices, said that they were disloyal and unpatriotic fools and lap dogs.”
• [08:18] Scott Bessant on tariff policy:
  “We’ve seen our bilateral deficit with China drop substantially. And we are seeing trillions of investment and factories coming back to the US because of the tariffs.”
• [09:02] Buck Sexton on economic impact:
  “The parade of horribles that we were told would result from this did not happen.”
• [20:39] Buck Sexton reacting to narco-boat strike:
  “We just blew up another narco boat. We’re going to keep doing this, it seems.”
• [30:32] Buck Sexton highlighting gender in sports controversy:
  “Dudes have an advantage over chicks in sports, ok? That’s what we’re talking about here. That’s obvious. We all know this.”
• [35:00] Buck Sexton on Newsom’s approach:
  “Gavin Newsom is willing to say whatever he needs to say to any audience in the moment. And that’s what Democrats expect.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:24] – Weekend roundup: U.S. men’s hockey gold, cartel leader killed, Mar-a-Lago incident
• [04:30] – Review of Supreme Court’s anti-tariff ruling against Trump, Trump’s reaction and workaround
• [08:18] – Scott Bessant clip: Supreme Court’s embargo/tariff paradox
• [12:58] – Bessant: Administration undeterred after court loss
• [20:39] – U.S. destroys narco-trafficking boat; Pentagon nomenclature & war on drugs discussion
• [23:00] – Judge Cannon’s ruling blocks release of Special Counsel report
• [29:51] – Gavin Newsom on Democrats, culture, and sports (CNN clip); Buck’s rebuttal
• [35:00] – Democrats' culture of pandering and Newsom’s style
• [35:06-38:30] – Gender roles, societal control, analogies to Soviet history
• [44:03] – Show wrap, personal notes, Buck’s dog “Nurse Ginger Spice”

Tone & Language

• Direct, humorous, sometimes sarcastic: Buck mixes candid political critique with humor—especially about cultural issues and political personalities.
• Pop-culture references: Phrases like “let him cook” and references to memes, internet lingo, and mainstream stories help lighten dense political content.

Overall Summary

Buck Sexton, flying solo, delivers pointed commentary on the latest headlines—Trump’s persistent economic maneuvering despite Supreme Court pushback, U.S. military escalation against drug cartels, judicial wins for Trump, and the cultural conflict around gender politics that will shape 2026’s election debates. Featuring clips from key figures (Scott Bessant, Gavin Newsom), Buck offers both economic analysis and culture-war critiques, all delivered with his trademark mix of irreverence and insight—and closes with an appreciation for the world’s best nurses: dogs.