The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
Episode: Hour 3 – Saving CA from Itself
Date: February 10, 2026
Podcast Host: iHeartPodcasts
Guests: Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Steve Hilton (Republican candidate for Governor of California)
Episode Overview
This hour centers on concerns about government overreach into personal privacy, consolidation and partisanship in media corporations, and the ongoing crisis in California’s governance. Clay and Buck dive deep into the controversial legal and political maneuvers targeting conservatives, the power struggle for the U.S. Senate, and the exodus of wealth from California, with expert insights from Senator Bill Hagerty and gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton. The tone is urgent yet optimistic, blending political critique with calls to action.
Key Segments & Discussion Points
1. Government Overreach: Verizon, the FCC, and the Arctic Frost Probe
Guest: Senator Bill Hagerty
Timestamps: [02:43] – [07:07]
- FCC and Verizon Allegations: Senator Bill Hagerty details how Verizon handed over his phone records (and those of other Republican Senators) to the DOJ following President Trump’s 2024 candidacy announcement, as part of “Arctic Frost,” the Jack Smith-led investigation initially tied to the Mar-a-Lago search.
- Concerns Over Precedent: Hagerty warns that if such overreach is happening to sitting Senators, no American’s privacy is safe.
- Partisan Motivation Alleged: He points out that Verizon’s Chief Legal Officer is a former staffer for prominent Democratic Congressman Henry Waxman:
"You've got this activist operating there...more than willing to cooperate and collaborate with the Biden administration to try to harm Republicans and...to take down President Trump." — Senator Hagerty [04:54]
- FCC Action: Hagerty calls for the FCC to take the matter seriously, after his own outreach to Verizon’s leadership was largely ignored.
Notable Quotes
"If Verizon would hand over our phone records without telling us, violate our due process, violate the Constitution...what would they do to the rest of their customers?"
— Senator Hagerty [06:08]
2. Media Mergers and Corporate Power
Timestamps: [07:07] – [08:52]
- Netflix–Warner Brothers Merger: Hagerty expresses concern about corporate consolidation creating one-sided narratives and potential censorship, urging scrutiny without prejudging outcomes.
"America ought to be quite concerned...how the mainstream media has abused its position...I think that concerns are very well, very warranted."
— Senator Hagerty [08:22]
3. Senate Outlook and Key Battlegrounds
Timestamps: [08:52] – [12:38]
- Republican Senate Prospects: Hagerty highlights key races—Michigan, Maine, New Hampshire, Georgia, North Carolina, Iowa—and strategies for Republican retention/pickup.
- Concerns Over Campus Voter Registration: Discusses same-day registration loopholes (e.g., students from Massachusetts voting in New Hampshire), and ongoing rule changes meant to tighten eligibility.
- Battleground Energy: “They say if you're not running unopposed, you should be running scared...we're going to be doing is running hard at every step.” — Hagerty [12:29]
4. Voter ID Laws and Election Integrity
Timestamps: [12:38] – [14:45]
- Overwhelming Support for Voter ID: Hagerty notes more than 80% of Americans—including a majority of Democrats—support voter ID requirements.
- Democrat Opposition Framed as Power Play:
"Sadly, the Democrats are not even listening to their own base. This is all about power for them." [13:30]
He criticizes past attempts to loosen registration, lower the voting age, and use taxpayer funds for campaigns.
5. Apportionment and Representation: Counting Illegal Immigrants
Timestamps: [14:45] – [16:47]
- Flawed Apportionment Rules: Clay and Hagerty lament that illegal immigrants are being counted for House districts and electoral votes, diluting the influence of states like Tennessee.
"They are backfilling with illegal aliens in order to maintain their congressional power and to retain the electoral votes that they have."
— Senator Hagerty [16:29] - California’s Role Highlighted: Massive influx of illegal immigrants artificially boosts California's representation at the expense of growing states.
6. The Crisis in California: Steve Hilton’s Campaign & Policy Diagnosis
Guest: Steve Hilton (Republican gubernatorial candidate, CA)
Timestamps: [24:12] – [39:38]
Flight of Wealth and Billionaires Tax
- Zuckerberg’s Exodus: Mark Zuckerberg becomes the latest multi-billionaire to flee California’s punitive tax laws for Florida.
- Asset Seizure Plan: Hilton blasts a union-backed “billionaires tax,” arguing that the threat alone has already driven $1 trillion out of California.
"They call it the billionaires tax. It's basically insane, unconstitutional, totally un-American. But the threat...has already caused $1 trillion of wealth to leave the state."
— Steve Hilton [24:38]
Election Structure: The Primary Trap
- Top Two System: Hilton explains California’s non-partisan top-two primary, warning of the risk that two Democrats—buoyed by tech money and labor unions—could advance, shutting out Republicans.
- Call for Unity:
"We've got to get behind one Republican candidate, otherwise we'll get locked out." [27:41]
Economic Woes: Energy, Taxes, and Fraud
- Skyrocketing Utility Bills: California’s electricity rates have spiked 39% in six years (over 100% in the last decade), blamed on forced reliance on wind and solar—while gas and nuclear stay idle.
"They want 10,000 floating Eiffel Towers off the coast. It's just insane."
— Hilton, on offshore wind plans [31:36] - Athlete/Jock Tax: The “jock tax” on pro athletes is so high, winning the Super Bowl can mean losing money for a player in California. Hilton promises to end it if elected.
- Budget Gimmicks and Fraud:
- California nearly doubled its state budget in the last five years to $350 billion, with little to show but worsening metrics (homelessness, schools, infrastructure).
- Hilton details extensive accounting tricks and claims up to $250 billion lost to fraud in just 5 years.
"Mexican citizens living in Mexico [are] claiming health benefits in California posing as illegal immigrants...It's just off the charts lunacy."
— Hilton [38:13]
The Stakes and Timeline
- Early Voting: Ballots for California’s June 2 primary will be sent out from mid-April, so campaigning is in high gear.
- Final Rallying Cry:
"This year is going to be the California Revolution because we just can't go on like this."
— Hilton [32:32] "We can really do this...It's just going to be a fantastic revolution for the whole country, as I say, not just all of us in California." [39:13]
Notable Moments & Quotes
- Hagerty on Government Surveillance: "If they're willing to do that to me, what would they do to the rest of their customers?" [06:08]
- Hilton on CA Wealth Exodus: "They've already lost billions of dollars in tax revenue even before they enact this insanity as people are leaving the state." [24:47]
- Hilton on Energy Prices: "Electric bills, they've actually more than doubled in the last 10 years. We have the highest electric bills in the country everywhere except Hawaii." [30:36]
Important Timestamps
- [02:43] Introduction, Senator Hagerty on phone records and surveillance.
- [08:11] Hagerty on media mergers and consolidation concerns.
- [09:16] Senate battlegrounds and GOP strategy.
- [13:17] Voter ID nationwide, apportionment flaws.
- [24:12] Steve Hilton: California's billionaires tax and economic crisis.
- [26:40] California’s top-two primary system and Republican strategy.
- [30:26] CA energy crisis explained.
- [33:45] Athlete tax and broader tax reform.
- [36:15] California’s budget, deficit, and fraud.
- [38:58] Early voting and final campaign pitch.
Summary for Non-Listeners
This episode critically examines the weaponization of government agencies and the chilling effect of surveillance on political opposition, as detailed by Senator Hagerty’s personal experiences. It also traces the downstream effects of these trends—media concentration, electoral loopholes, partisan power grabs—as they play out on national and state stages, especially focusing on California’s spiraling fiscal and governance crisis.
Steve Hilton’s appearance encapsulates the episode’s rallying spirit: a call for political change, streamlined energy and tax policy, and a focus on restoring sanity and prosperity in California as a model for the national conservative movement. The show is candid, energetic, and unapologetically combative—reflecting both hosts’ and guests’ sense of urgency for the 2026 elections.