Hour 3 - Salena Zito on America First

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show – Hour 3 Featuring Selena Zito on America First

Podcast Information:

• Title: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
• Host/Author: Premiere Networks
• Episode: Hour 3 - Salena Zito on America First
• Release Date: April 8, 2025

---

Introduction

In the third hour of "The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show," hosts Clay Travis and Buck Sexton engage in a comprehensive discussion with journalist Selena Zito. Selena, renowned for her in-depth coverage of Donald Trump's influence in the Midwest, delves into the transformative impact of America First policies, particularly focusing on the resurgence of manufacturing in the region amidst escalating trade tensions with China.

US-China Trade Tensions and Tariffs

Clay and Buck initiate the conversation by addressing the intensifying trade war between the United States and China. The hosts highlight President Trump's strategic imposition of tariffs exceeding 100% on Chinese goods, framing it as a pivotal battle aimed solely at China, despite acknowledging minor tensions with other nations like the European Union and Canada.

Key Points:

• Trade War Dynamics: The escalating tariffs are part of Trump's retaliation against China's previous measures, signaling a protracted conflict with potential global economic repercussions.
• Economic Strategies: Discussion revolves around whether Trump's aggressive tariff stance will compel China to enter negotiations or provoke further retaliation.

Notable Quote:

• Clay Travis [02:30]: "This trade battle is really about the United States versus China. This is the big battle to be fought."

Midwest Manufacturing Revival

Transitioning to the heart of the discussion, Selena Zito elaborates on the tangible effects of America First policies in the Midwest. She underscores the optimism among Midwestern workers who see tariffs as a means to rejuvenate American manufacturing, restore jobs, and rebuild communities devastated by deindustrialization.

Key Points:

• Community Impact: Zito emphasizes the happiness among Midwestern workers, who view tariffs as a path to bring back manufacturing jobs and stabilize their local economies.
• Case Study – Steel Mill: Selena recounts her visit to an 86-year-old steel mill in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, observing firsthand the dedication of workers committed to revitalizing the industry for future generations.

Notable Quote:

• Selena Zito [23:25]: "These union workers are willing to take a bite out of their 401ks if it means that this will be better for the future generations."

Political Shifts and Voter Sentiments

The conversation delves into the shifting political landscape, highlighting how traditional Democratic strongholds in the Midwest are realigning with the Republican Party. This shift is attributed to the Republican embrace of working-class values and policies that resonate with voters seeking economic rejuvenation.

Key Points:

• Changing Coalitions: Collective movement of historically Democratic voters in the Midwest towards supporting Republican candidates due to shared economic interests.
• Working-Class Alignment: The Republican Party's focus on manufacturing and trade policies has solidified its appeal among blue-collar voters.

Notable Quote:

• Selena Zito [25:49]: "Union workers are towards the end of their career; they're willing to pay it forward to ensure their replacements can retire comfortably."

Economic Prospects and Job Creation

Selena outlines the promising economic initiatives underway, including substantial investments in energy and artificial intelligence (AI). She highlights a significant project converting a coal-fired power plant into a natural gas facility coupled with an AI data center, which is expected to generate 10,000 new jobs and represent a $10 billion investment.

Key Points:

• Energy Sector Growth: Transition from coal to natural gas and AI is driving new job creation and technological advancement in the Midwest.
• Diverse Skill Sets: The new economy demands a blend of traditional manufacturing skills and modern technological expertise, fostering a broad-based economic renaissance.

Notable Quote:

• Selena Zito [26:31]: "This is like the arms race; AI is the arms race, and we have to win in this country."

Future Trajectory and Long-term Optimism

Closing the discussion, Selena expresses a strong sense of optimism regarding America's economic future. She contrasts the positive sentiments in the Midwest with the often pessimistic outlook portrayed in mainstream media, emphasizing that local communities are experiencing real, substantive improvements.

Key Points:

• Optimism vs. Media Narrative: While national media may portray a struggling economy, on-ground reporting reveals a resurgence fueled by strategic investments and policy support.
• Sustainable Growth: The focus is on creating lasting economic structures that allow Americans to thrive in their hometowns through meaningful employment and community investment.

Notable Quote:

• Selena Zito [31:23]: "American politics is all about addition. If you go to any of these rallies, try to find someone that's changed their mind; you likely can't."

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

1. Clay Travis [02:30]: "This trade battle is really about the United States versus China. This is the big battle to be fought."
2. Selena Zito [23:25]: "These union workers are willing to take a bite out of their 401ks if it means that this will be better for the future generations."
3. Selena Zito [25:49]: "Union workers are towards the end of their career; they're willing to pay it forward to ensure their replacements can retire comfortably."
4. Selena Zito [26:31]: "This is like the arms race; AI is the arms race, and we have to win in this country."
5. Selena Zito [31:23]: "American politics is all about addition. If you go to any of these rallies, try to find someone that's changed their mind; you likely can't."

Conclusion

In this episode, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton, with the insightful contributions of Selena Zito, paint an optimistic picture of America's economic resurgence, particularly in the Midwest. The discussion underscores the significance of strategic trade policies, community resilience, and the evolving political alliances that are reshaping the American economic landscape. For listeners seeking to understand the nuanced impact of America First policies, this episode offers a compelling narrative of hope and reconstruction grounded in real-world developments.

---

For those interested in exploring Selena Zito's work further, her Washington Post op-ed provides an in-depth analysis of the manufacturing renaissance in the Midwest. The discussion also touches upon future economic prospects, emphasizing the integral role of energy and artificial intelligence in driving sustainable growth.

Transcript

[Jeremy Scott]

Something unexpected happened after Jeremy Scott confessed to killing Michelle Schofield in Bone Valley Season one.

[Gilbert King]

Every time I hear about my dad is, oh, he's a killer. He's just straight evil.

[Jeremy Scott]

I was becoming the bridge between Jeremy Scott and the son he'd never known.

[Gilbert King]

At the end of the day, I'm literally a son of a killer.

[Jeremy Scott]

Listen to new episodes of bone Valley Season 2 starting April 9th on the iHeartRadio app app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Clay Travis]

Welcome back in Clay Travis BUCK SEXTON show final hour of the two of the Tuesday edition of the program going on right now. We're going to go talk with journalist Selena Zito, who did a great job covering Trump in the Midwest. We'll talk to her at the bottom half of this hour. We've been giving you the absolute latest on everything that's taking place in the markets. Markets have come back down, but they are still in the green. That is, they are still POS for the day. Trump versus China has accelerated with the tariff on Chinese goods going to over a hundred percent. I think it's important for many of you out there to realize that we're really not talking about one policy fits all. It's going to be very different. But ultimately, this trade battle is really about the United States versus China. Yes, there's going to be some tension with the European Union, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Japan, whoever else you want to toss out there. But really this is about the United States versus China. This is the big battle to be fought. It's going to resolve itself in the weeks and months ahead. But right now, Trump is retaliating for China's retaliation to us. And I guess the next question, Buck is will China retaliate again or is this move by Trump to put 100% tariff on all Chinese goods going to actually provoke China to say, okay, let's sit down, let's talk about a way to figure this out. So we will see exactly how that pans out. Bridge Colby committed, confirmed, not committed. We probably need to commit some Democrats, but not Bridge Colby. And so he has confirmed and we have been talking about the liberal judges and what they have been doing. Supreme Court in back to back rulings has given Trump the ability to continue to maintain his overall executive authority. Florida Gators get the win over the Houston Cougars. Both Buck and I had the right champions in our brackets. I managed to get a very narrow victory over Buck based on being better in the sweet 16. We both had three fourths of the final four and also one half of the championship game. By the way, we're going to be joined by Dr. Art Laffer. We're trying to get you a wide variety of perspectives on the trade dispute. Dr. Laffer had a really interesting Wall Street Journal piece that was up in yesterday's. Was up yesterday online, I believe it's in today's newspaper about how to resolve the trade disputes. One of the most brilliant economists in the entire world. Uh, and so we will talk with him about this tomorrow. Okay. Something fun, Buck. There's lots of chaos going on, lots of craziness on a day to day basis. I bet there are strong opinions on this. There are reports this was the Time magazine cover that we have brought back a company has. I read all about this yesterday. I was fascinated by it yesterday afternoon. The dire wolf, which is a bigger wolf than the traditional wolf, has been thanks to using DNA code. A company is saying they have brought the dire wolf back from extinction after 10,000 years. Now, many of you are going to be familiar with the idea of the direwolf because you watched Game of Thrones and the wolves in. In that Game of Thrones multi year saga grew into gigantic killing machines from small puppies. So I wanted to dive into this book back in the day when you and I were young. The book before they made the movie Jurassic park by Michael Crichton. The entire concept is that they're able to take the DNA of the dinosaurs from these, if I remember correctly, mosquitoes frozen in amber and that they are then able to extract that DNA to create new dinosaurs. And obviously the Jurassic park franchise in terms of movies has remained incredibly durable and powerful for 30 some odd years because lots of people remain fascinated by dinosaurs in general. Lots of little boys, although not lots of little girls too. I remember, I think you said your nephew knows everything about dinosaurs. When I was a little kid I knew everything about dinosaurs. There is a great deal of interest still obviously in the Jurassic universe.

[Buck Sexton]

Yes. And there are other species that could already be brought back, I think. Aren't they working on mastodons or the woolly mammoth?

[Clay Travis]

For sure. Maybe the mastodon. The woolly mammoth I think is basically going to happen in the article that, that I read. They are going to bring back the saber tooth T. They are going to be. They're going to bring back. So. So my question, I'm fascinated by what the reaction of this audience to good or bad. And let me give you a question to think about this, Buck. I was just out in Colorado over spring break and I bet we have a lot of people listening in Colorado right now. And I know this has turned into a major issue all over the West. They have reintroduced wolves in lots of states and communities where the wolf had basically been eradicated. And if you have a ranch, ranchers are furious about this because suddenly what I was told I was in Colorado, they're like, yeah, everybody in Boulder and Denver decided they wanted to vote to bring back wolves. And all the people who live in rural Colorado were like, thanks, jerks. Like, we have no interest in bringing back wolves. And suddenly our livestock are getting killed and we're having to worry about something that we had eradicated. My thought is, now these dire wolves, there are three of them that they say they have brought back two boys and a that they named Romulus and Remus and one girl pup. Will they, like in Jurassic park eventually find their way out? And then they're suddenly circulating in the community. They say that the dire wolf basically covered all of North America back in the day. 10,000 years ago, if you were out, this thing was from Canada all the way down into South America. They basically roamed free. They were wiped out about 10,000 years ago. What is your take on the idea not only of the dire wolf, saber toothed tiger, woolly mammoth being bringing back extinct animals, good or bad move? What's your take?

[Buck Sexton]

Well, I love the book Jurassic park, as all of you know. And so I find this a fascinating entry into the scientific annals that is going on right now. I think that, man, the truth is this the same way that, you know, I've never been to. I've never been to Africa, but I love knowing that there's all these incredible. I'm sorry, I have been to Africa. That's not true. But I've never been on safari in Africa. But that I've been to places where there are no safaris. I've been to some rough parts of Africa, but I've never. I've never done safari, but I love knowing that there are lions and hippopotami and all that stuff. So I think that it's tough for us to separate out the concept of it. This is why when you brought up the ranchers, I think that's very apropos the concept of it versus the reality of it. You know, a saber toothed tiger is fine until a saber toothed tiger eats your grandma and then you're pretty. This actually came up if you. Do you remember when this. I think it was Cecil the lion was the big story and Jimmy Kimmel, they killed him.

[Clay Travis]

Yes. And it was Like, Kimmel was, like, crying on tv.

[Buck Sexton]

TV about Cecil the Lion in Africa, who, on a lawful hunt, was shot.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah, I remember this.

[Buck Sexton]

Yeah. It's like Cecil the Lion is crying. And look, I love animals, so I get that. And there's something that's, you know, like, I love my little dog Ginger so much, and yet I'm gonna eat lamb chops tonight for dinner. Like, I understand some of this stuff we get a little. It's about sentimentality over pure logic. Okay. But that all said, there was a really interesting Wall Street Journal article that I remember from that time, written by. I think he was a student at Harvard or Princeton who was like, you know what lions mean in my village.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah. I read people get eaten. Yeah.

[Buck Sexton]

Like, this isn't a game to us. Like, we actually have to control the population because they'll eat your dad, they'll eat your sister. Like, you know, this is a real thing that happens to real people. Which reminds me of that movie Ghost in the Darkness, based on a true story. And I know you all know this, and you can go see the stuffed carcasses of those lions. And a zoo in a museum in Chicago.

[Clay Travis]

Was it Val Kilmer in that mov that just died?

[Buck Sexton]

Yeah, yeah, it was Val Kilmer movie with. With Michael Douglas. Kind of a weird casting of Michael Douglas. But anyway, Val Kilmer was good in it. And that's based on a true story. I mean, these lions became habituated to eating people, and they're like, wow, people are slow and kind of weak. Like, let's just eat them instead. So this is all a way to say, I think for, you know, should we bring back dodo birds? Yeah, totally. Like, should we bring back species that. But, you know, this is where you also get into clay. I'm here in South Florida, and you have the boa constrictors. And. And also, what do you call them? The big. They look like little dragons.

[Clay Travis]

Anacondas.

[Buck Sexton]

Iguanas. Yeah. Yeah. And. And they are invasive. Well, boas are definitely an invasive species. I think iguanas are, too. I don't think they're native to here. They're basically pets that have escaped and now they're killing all the native, you know, ecosystem animals off. So you have to go hunt them and deal with them. True thing. Also, you know that little brown bird that you guys all think of, the European house sparrow, probably the most common bird in the entire United States, everywhere. Little kind of Brown squad. They're an invasive species from Europe and they've killed. They have killed off A lot of native bird species because they will break into another bird's nest and break their eggs. They're mean. They're mean little birds.

[Clay Travis]

The honeybee is an invasive species.

[Buck Sexton]

Well, but we like honeybees. This is the point, right? We like the honeybees.

[Clay Travis]

People don't realize this North America until colonization had no honeybees anywhere. And then they slowly spread across the entirety of the North American continent. But they were a invasive species that otherwise didn't exist here.

[Buck Sexton]

Some of you will remember this too. There was a fear about fire ants and how they're going to keep spreading up and spreading up and you know, they're, they're, you know, dangerous to people if you step on one of their anthills. And there was a briefly discussed proposal that I remember reading about. The only real, real natural predators for the fire ants. They were thinking maybe we should introduce. It's a South American anteater which has like 6 inch long claws and weighs like 200 pounds. And then they're like, well, if we introduce that, what's its natural predator?

[Clay Travis]

Yeah, right.

[Buck Sexton]

Jaguars. So you create all these problems, the.

[Clay Travis]

Food chain gets dangerous. Ok, so I am in favor of this. Here's my thing.

[Buck Sexton]

Can you have a direwolf as a pet, yes or no? Once they reintroduce these.

[Clay Travis]

No, no, no, no. I'm in favor of it only for keeping them in captivity. And I understand some of you are going to say yeah, that's the whole point of Jurassic park. But I like it also for endangered species now because in theory it would mean there should be no animal that actually vanishes. Right? You should be able to get the existing DNA of all animals that are alive on Earth today. And we should be able to create a genetic Noah's Ark of all living animals here today and be able to create them now. I don't want, if I'm, I think about this in terms of the farmers out there and the ranchers. The idea that you would reintroduce grizzly bears or wolves that are going to attack my livestock is I think different than this. I would not introduce these animals.

[Buck Sexton]

Something else that, that would be on the, on the docket here. Go. I believe it's, I believe it's called a short faced bear. Go look up the short faced bear. And it's like a grizzly bear times three. It's a massive land predator that they could also, along with the saber, it's from the same era as a saber toothed tiger. They could also bring that one back. And I think that, you know, you're starting to see we definitely don't want that. Right. I mean that's, that's going to be the same way that polar, polar bears hunt people. It's really the only North American land animal. Yeah, I know grizzlies can. Wolf has never actually attacked. Healthy wolves have never attacked a human being in the history of North America. Is at least what you. That's what they. Now some of you're going to say no, but that's what they say. Okay. That's what the official statistics are, that wolves won't attack people if they're healthy, if they're rabid. That's different. Polar bears see you and they're like food, food. They don't. They. There's no if, ands or buts. And the same thing would be true of a short faced bear. So you know, let me something to think.

[Clay Travis]

Let me hit you with this one, Buck. My boys are obsessed with the Megalodon, which is just a giant shark in theory. The dire wolf can be kept in inside of a fenced enclosure and everything else. My concern on this would be that we would start to create big massive animals that are in the water and those are a lot harder to control. Have you ever been to say for instance the Atlanta Aquarium where they have the whale sharks? You know, they've never been able to for instance keep. I believe this is still true. A great white shark in captivity.

[Buck Sexton]

Yes.

[Clay Travis]

They just, they're impossible to keep inside of museums or aquariums, anything like that. My concern is that some of these that we will create will get out. And can you imagine a world where suddenly you have instead of a great white shark, you've got the Megalodon. Suddenly like rolling around in the ocean deep. That starts to get a little bit scarier to me. But I think it's the reality of where we are going. I think you're gonna see all of these extinct animals genetically us able to bring them back. Now one more thing as we go to break, some people are saying this is not the real animal because of the way they're doing the DNA coding. And that gets way more complicated and above my pay grade. But I have read some of those critiques as well.

[Buck Sexton]

There's an organization we want to tell you about. Clay and I are both members of it, the United States Concealed Carry Association. I concealed carry down here in Florida. And let me tell you friends, if you're going to do that, you know this, you have a big responsibility. And even if you are exercising that responsibility with the utmost care and lawful authority as a citizen. Heaven forbid you could find yourself facing huge court fees. Okay, that's just reality. So you want to have someone to have your back. That's where USCCA comes in handy. They're the newest sponsor on this program and they do something that is critical for any of you who own a firearm. Honestly, download uscca's free guide. You can do that even before you become a member if you'd like. This isn't a gimmick. It's tangible, practical information about protecting yourself, your rights to defend yourself and how to look after yourself legally if that becomes an issue. And that's where USCCA can really step in to help you. Because otherwise people who defend themselves in a firearms related incident, they can go bankrupt. You need to have uscca go to uscca.com buck to get your free guide today from United States Concealed carry Association. That's uscca.com Buck Buck Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Mic drops that never sounded so good.

[Clay Travis]

Find them on the free iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast.

[Jeremy Scott]

Something unexpected happened after Jeremy Scott confessed to killing Michelle Schofield in Bone Valley Season one.

[Buck Sexton]

I just knew him as a kid.

[Jeremy Scott]

Long, silent voices from his past came.

[Gilbert King]

Forward and he was just staring at me.

[Jeremy Scott]

And they had secrets of their own to share.

[Gilbert King]

Gilbert King I'm the son of Jeremy Lynn Scott.

[Jeremy Scott]

I was no longer just telling the story. I was part of it.

[Gilbert King]

Every time I hear about my dad, it's oh, he's a killer. He's just straight evil.

[Jeremy Scott]

I was becoming the bridge between a killer and the son he'd never known.

[Gilbert King]

If the cops and everything would have done their job properly, my dad would have been in jail. I would have never existed.

[Jeremy Scott]

I never expected to find myself in this place. Now I need to tell you how I got here.

[Gilbert King]

At the end of the day, I'm literally a son of a killer.

[Jeremy Scott]

Bone Valley Season 2 Jeremy Jeremy, I.

[Buck Sexton]

Want to tell you something.

[Jeremy Scott]

Listen to new episodes of bone Valley Season 2 starting April 9 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear the entire new season ad free with exclusive content starting April 9th. Subscribe to Lava for Good plus on Apple Podcasts.

[Buck Sexton]

Welcome back into Clay Ann Buck. We cover it all here, man. We talk about Supreme Court cases in detail. Clay puts on the tweed jacket and becomes a law professor. We talk about tariffs, the global economy, and yes, short faced bears. They're very scary. They're very large.

[Clay Travis]

I never heard of These before?

[Buck Sexton]

Oh, yeah, no, I just, I just gave Clay nightmare fuel here. I sent him a photo of what the short faced bear would look like. Think of a grizzly, but three times larger and scarier. Let's take listener. Everyone's writing in on this one. New Jersey listener Bill H.H. talkback hit it or not. How, how about South Florida listener Giuseppe. Okay. Hey guys, bringing back extinct predators.

[Clay Travis]

Probably.

[Buck Sexton]

Not a good idea. Some of them are extinct because the animals that they eat don't exist anymore as well. So they're gonna have to eat something. And my guess is if they're not going to eat the livestock, then they're gonna eat the humans. Clay, channeling Ian Malcolm from Jurassic park here with these dinosaurs went stinked for a reason. They had their chance.

[Clay Travis]

It would be unfortunate if the saber tooth tiger came back and ate your grandma. That would be a tough one to be like, hey, this is awesome. And then grandma goes out for a hike and next thing you know the saber tooth tiger eats her a little bit.

[Buck Sexton]

All this talk about saber tooth tigers making me hungry for some steak, my friends. That's where Good Ranchers comes in. We had the Good Ranchers steak feast here at Casa Buck just about a week ago. We were tearing into rib eyes, tearing into T bones. Clay knows we had a high end platter. Absolutely delicious. And look, you're gonna love the taste of Good Ranchers, but also for your sense of patriotism. Good Rancher sources everything from American Ranchers, many of them third and fourth generation. When you buy from Good Ranchers, you're supporting family farms and you help keep them thriving. Good Ranchers is free of antibiotics, seed oil and the chicken nuggets are gluten free. Everybody go online to good ranchers.com get a box for yourself. The boxes are fantastic. Use my name Buck as you're making your purchase and receive free bacon, ground beef and seed oil, free chicken nuggets for a year and $40 off. That's a great deal. Go to good ranchers.com enter code buck to shop, subscribe and and stand with American ranchers. Good ranchers.com promo code Buck welcome back.

[Clay Travis]

In Clay Travis Buck Sexton show. Appreciate everybody hanging out with us. We got a lot of you weighing in with a variety of questions and let's hit some of these. Selena Zito is scheduled to join us. It's got a Washington Post op ed about the manufacturing universe right now in the Midwest. She's done a great job covering that era area for some time. And the era of the Trump Midwest surge. So we'll talk about that when she reaches out to us. And she is now with us now. So we bring in Selena Zito. She has got a op ed in the Washington Post where she has been spending time with Midwestern workers. Selena, I'm curious what you're hearing from people in the Midwest, an area that used to be the manufacturing hub of America, that has certainly dried up in many different ways. J.D. vance has been a huge part of his political career is talking about the jobs that no longer exist in the Midwest. What are you hearing from voters in the Midwest? How do you think this tariff war plays for them? And how would you assess the politics of what's going on right now?

[Selena Zito]

Well, first of all, thanks for having me on. You know, I cover a different world, very different than, you know, sort of the very online world and where I'm at, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, you know, the heart of the Great Lakes Midwest in Appalachia. These people here are very happy with the tariffs. They have spent the past 40 years, whether it was themselves or their parents or their grandparents, watching these communities, these churches, the tax base in their communities being decimated. And nobody even wrote a story. I mean, I'm obviously being a little exaggerating here, but there wasn't this big overt worry about their lives, right, when all their jobs were lost, when everything was taken away from them. And so they look at it two ways. They look at it as being patriotic, bringing back American manufacturing, sacrificing in their 401k for the betterment of the country. But they also look at it as leveling the playing field. And it's not just manufacturing. Talk to a rancher, they're happy, right? Talk to a manufacturer, small businessman like Tyler Merritt down in Savannah, Georgia, the guy who owns Nine Line, he's thrilled. You know, these guys are thrilled. And these are the people that place Donald Trump into office. It was the working class that was at the heart of this election.

[Buck Sexton]

What'd you learn, Selena, specifically from. And thanks for being here with us. When you went to a, in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, a steel mill, and you talked to the folks at the mill, I mean, just what were your biggest takeaways, both from seeing that operation? I think very few people who don't work in a steel mill have ever really been inside one. And also their, their sense of what would they say to people who claim, well, but we can never make steel the way they do as cheaply as they do in China, so why even try, right?

[Selena Zito]

So if people go and Check my Twitter feed. Out Zito Salina. I put the story up for free. It's a Washington Post story. It is a very detailed, long read and it really puts you into the heart of why people feel the way they do. This isn't just a steel mill. This is the first steel mill. This is the granddaddy of them all. That was an 86 year old hot rolling mill that I spent the day watching work and watching the men and women work around it. And these workers who would traditionally be born Democrats, right? In western pa, you're usually born Catholic and Democrat. It just goes together. They are the perfect example of how the coalitions in American politics have dramatically changed. And now that the Republican Party or the conservative populist party is now the party that embraces the working man and woman. And so they're very happy and they're willing to take a, a bite out of their, out of their 401ks if it means that this will be better for the future generations. And that's the way these union guys talk. Like a lot of those union workers that you'll meet in the story. They're towards the end of their career, right? They're in their 50s. They said this isn't about me. This is about the guy that just started at the plant two weeks ago. Guys before me did this and took sacrifices and I'm to pay it forward and make sure that they are able to retire when they turn 60.

[Clay Travis]

Selena, one of the real challenges, and we played a cut from Trump talking about this is investment and business management, building a factory. Those sorts of things take years. In other words, as you just laid out, it's taken a couple of generations for all of these jobs to dry up. This is not something where a light switch got flipped and things changed. What is the trajectory of changing this culture that we created where the jobs don't exist? How long does it take? And to be fair, is anything, is this anything that one president can do or do? We have to string together a lot of presidents that see this as an issue in order to reverse what's happened.

[Selena Zito]

So I'm so glad you asked that. Last week I reported out a story. There was a lot. The tallest coal stack smokestack in the country was blasted and fell. It was very traumatic, it was very sad for a coal fired power plant. Ten days later, because this site is shovel ready, they announced they've already started to turn this plant into a natural gas plant to facilitate not just the electricity in Pennsylvania, Maryland and parts of New York. It's going to be the largest electric power plant in the country. It is also going to power a Data center, an AI data center. There are going to be 10,000 new jobs. And it is a $10 billion investment. That's not even before the AI data center. You know, Bergman was there. He was, I was at a fracking site, a fracking well. And he said, look, our job right now is to build, build, build. It's more than drill, drill, drill, because we, this is like the arms race, AI is like the arms race and we have to win in this country. And he pointed to the fact that there are places like that coal fired power plant in Homer City, all over the industrial Midwest that are ready and, and capable to be built. So I think that is where the new construction, the new jobs, and these aren't just working class jobs. These aren't just welders, these aren't just artisans that work with their hands. There are geologists there, chemists, engineers, men and women with degrees in AI and technology. So it is a broad reconstruction of how the American economy and how the American worker approaches the next next generation.

[Buck Sexton]

It's fascinating, Selena. You know, you're giving us this other perspective than what you'd get if you were to flip on cnbc. It's the sky is falling. And yet if you go into some of these places like you have, where people have seen what happens with the offshoring of American jobs and deindustrialization of certain industries, they're, they're excited about the future. I just wonder, you know, what, what you think they're the, the hopes are and the plans are in these areas, if Trump is able to continue on this path, what does that start to look like? What towns are affected? What industries do you think can boom?

[Selena Zito]

Well, energy is at the top of the list, but also artificial intelligence, right? Those are the two big booms. If energy is going well, then that means farming is going well. Because energy and farming go really hand in hand together. And I think one of the big things as part of these tariffs is to give a boost to our American farm farmer and rancher. So those are industries you see right then and there. And then we can talk about our universities, right? Our universities will have a bit of a turnaround and what they focus on, you know, maybe it's not your kid, you send your kid off for French literature, you know, maybe they go to school for things that are going to recreate these communities. The footprint is already there in places like Indiana, Pennsylvania or West Mifflin, Pennsylvania or Claysville, Pennsylvania, and all across. And not just in Pennsylvania, it's in Ohio, it's in Michigan, it's in Wisconsin. These places are already there. And these universities already have sort of the grain to begin these kinds of new degrees that young people degree can go for. But also the trades, like you guys, I'm sure you've talked or listened to Mike Rowe, you know, the trades are also where we're going to see a growth and jobs that create real prosperity, where people can live in the same hometown that their parents grew up in if they want to. Right. And that, that generational investment in a community that's, that's worth more than money in a lot of ways.

[Clay Travis]

Selena, how optimistic are you? You know, we hear a lot of, hey, everything is burning down, the world's on fire. Based on what you have seen in the reporting that you have done, how would you assess your overall optimism?

[Selena Zito]

I think the optimism is great. It, you know, I straddle two different, very different worlds. When I step on social media, I see a very different attitude in the world than what I see and feel and hear out here in the middle of the country. And it's always remarkable to me. And it's sort of like when I said to President Trump In 2016, when I was covering him, I said, you know, voters take you seriously, but they don't take you literally. And my profession takes everything you say literally and not so seriously. And it's that same sort of dichotomy. Right. It's very different in the middle of the country and in particular among young people. You know, you see all these protests out there, and they got a lot of play on social media and the national news. However, I would argue American politics is all about addition. If you go to any of these rallies, try to find someone that's changed their mind, you likely can't because they're the same people that voted for who lost last November. So they're not adding anything new. And I think that's the challenge right now for anything that is against what President Trump and the Republicans are trying to accomplish. I was four feet away from President Trump in Butler in July 13th of last year. In fact, I have a book coming out about it. But one thing I can tell you, in the day after I talked to him, in the days after I talked to him, he had this fundamental understanding that there was a reason that he did not die that day. Because so many, there's so many reasons why he, he, he shouldn't have survived what happened. But because of that he will be forever changed and feels this urgency to do something because he was given that moment to be saved.

[Buck Sexton]

Selena Selena Zito yeah, great, great work as always. Thanks for your your piece, the Washington Post and everything you do to cover this. And [e-mail] Guys, we've got her op ed link there. If you just want to go and grab it quickly, give it a read. You abso Selena, thank you so much. We'll talk to you again soon.

[Selena Zito]

Oh, sounds great. Thanks so much guys.

[Clay Travis]

Does great work and we'll have some fun. A lot of great talkbacks. We'll play them for you when we come back to close out the Tuesday edition of the program. But a lot of you out there, NHL fans, NBA fans, Major League Baseball fans, Florida Gators, NCAA champions as we have talked about during the course of the show a couple of times. But what sport do you love? The Masters coming up this weekend. I know a lot of you are golfers out there. Prize picks give you an opportunity to play along with whatever your sport is. You just pick more or less on all your favorite athletes and see whether or not you can have some fun and cash in. You get 50 bucks when you play. $5. You can play in Florida, you can play in California. You can play in Texas, Georgia if you're feeling left out. 40 states, 13 million people playing. You can get your money out in as quick as 15 minutes. That's a big difference compared to a lot of places out there. And you can deposit with MasterCard, Visa, Discover. Quick and easy. Download the app today. My name Clay is the code. $50 instantly after you play. $5. All you have to do is get hooked up with prize picks. Download the app PricePix.com Use my name Clay for 50 bucks. Have some fun. The Masters, the NHL, the NBA, Major League Baseball. Whatever your sport is, whatever your team is. You can find the athletes available on the app. Pricepix.com code clay keep up with the biggest political comeback in world history on the Team 47 podcast Clay and Buck highlight Trump replays from the week, Sundays at noon Eastern. Find it on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Jeremy Scott]

Something unexpected happened after Jeremy Scott confessed to killing Michelle Schofield in Bone Valley Season one.

[Buck Sexton]

I just knew him as a kid.

[Jeremy Scott]

Long silent voices from his past came.

[Gilbert King]

Forward and he was just staring at me.

[Jeremy Scott]

And they had secrets of their own to share.

[Gilbert King]

Gilbert King I'm the son of Jeremy Lynn Scott.

[Jeremy Scott]

I was no longer just telling the story. I was part of it.

[Gilbert King]

Every time I hear about my dad, it's, oh, he's a killer. He's just straight evil.

[Jeremy Scott]

I was becoming the bridge between a killer and the son he'd never known.

[Gilbert King]

If the cops and everything would have done their job properly, my dad would have been in jail. I would have never existed.

[Jeremy Scott]

I never expected to find myself in this place. Now I need to tell you how I got here.

[Gilbert King]

At the end of the day, I'm literally a son of a killer.

[Jeremy Scott]

Bone Valley Season 2 Jeremy.

[Buck Sexton]

Jeremy, I want to tell you something.

[Jeremy Scott]

Listen to new episodes of bone Valley Season 2, starting April 9 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear the entire new season ad free with exclusive content starting April 9th. Subscribe to Lava for Good plus on Apple Podcasts.

[Buck Sexton]

Welcome back into Clay and Buck. We're closing up shop for the day today, and tomorrow's gonna be my last day before baby day is planned. At least it could happen tonight, guys. So Clay may be, you know, let's. I mean, that'd be fine. We're close to the hospital, so we've. And we've got our go bags ready to go. By the way, I will add clay that Carrie thinks she did not know that I was planning to bring a camping sleeping pad.

[Clay Travis]

That is an aggressive move.

[Buck Sexton]

And she's. But. But she says maybe not insane, so I'll take that. You know, she says, weird. You're definitely weird, but maybe that will actually work out for you. We shall. We shall see. I'm very particular about. About sleeping now. I remember when I was, you know, 20 something. I could fall asleep wherever. I didn't even really need a pillow. I'd wake up feeling like a million bucks. Like it was all so easy, right? And now I'm like, oh, my gosh, is the temperature not 68 degrees in here?

[Clay Travis]

I've never heard of anybody bringing an air mattress to a hospital. I mean, I'm not saying big air mattress.

[Buck Sexton]

This is just like a little folding thing you take camping, right? Like it's. It collapses down so that it's like the size.

[Clay Travis]

You have to plug it in to inflate it.

[Buck Sexton]

No, I blow in it with my mouth like a flute. Yeah.

[Clay Travis]

Oh, yeah. That's even weirder. You're just gonna be sitting over in the corner. Just gonna be sitting over in the corner of the room while your wife's going into labor. Just blow it into an air mattress.

[Buck Sexton]

Let's go with JJ on the talk back here. Punta Gorda, Florida podcast listener Nick. Let's. Let's. Let's hear it. Hey, Clay, Travis, Buck Hudson, this is.

[Clay Travis]

Nick down in Punta Gorda, Florida. I just wanted to give Buck some advice. I just had the birth of my newborn baby boy about a month ago. Best advice I can give you after delivery is. And during delivery is document everything. Write down every medication, sleep times, wake.

[Buck Sexton]

Ups, diaper changes, everything, and the amount of food, and track it.

[Clay Travis]

It'll help the nurses out tremendously. And the doctors. I've never heard this. I'm not saying that JJ's wrong, by the way. Roll a lot of these talk backs over. I'm just picturing Carrie working as hard as she can to deliver the baby, breathing heavily, and she looks over at you, and you're. You're just. They're laboring to blow up a mattress beside her.

[Selena Zito]

This.

[Clay Travis]

This has unbelievable, unbelievably ridiculous opportunity here, by the way. Well, I said roll these over, but let's listen to Jessica. She's got a great take.

[Selena Zito]

Hey, Clay and Buck, this is Jessica. I just wanted to tell you that.

[Buck Sexton]

Clay is exactly right.

[Selena Zito]

If you have a white beard and you're an old dude, much more trustworthy than an old dude with a dyed.

[Buck Sexton]

Beard or a dark beard, maybe it.

[Selena Zito]

Hasn'T turned gray or white yet.

[Clay Travis]

Those guys remind me of a bunch of creepers.

[Selena Zito]

And like, Neil diamond in the 70s with his chest hair all hanging out and everything. One of those guys.

[Buck Sexton]

Jessica's right visual. Yeah.

[Jeremy Scott]

Something unexpected happened after Jeremy Scott confessed to killing Michelle Schofield in Bone Valley season one.

[Gilbert King]

Every time I hear about my dad, it's, oh, he's a killer. He's just straight evil.

[Jeremy Scott]

I was becoming the bridge between Jeremy Scott and the son he'd never known.

[Gilbert King]

At the end of the day, I'm literally a son of a killer.

[Jeremy Scott]

Listen to new episodes of bone Valley Season 2, starting April 9 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.