The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode Title: Hour 3 - Shady Lady
Date: September 23, 2025
Podcast Host: iHeartPodcasts
Summary prepared by PodcastGPT

Overview of Episode

In this hour, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton delve into congressional stock trading scandals—focusing on Democrat New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill—debate ethical standards in Congress, discuss the verdict in a high-profile assassination attempt on Donald Trump, and touch on the rise of left-wing political violence. The hosts also critique media personalities, discuss streaming costs, and take calls on wealth, salaries, and political races, with characteristic humor and skepticism toward political elites.

1. Main Theme

• Congressional Stock Trading Scandal: The primary focus is on the controversy surrounding Rep. Mikie Sherrill's financial growth and questions about the ethics and legality of congressional stock trading, with a broader indictment of perceived corruption in Congress.

2. Key Discussion Points & Insights

Congressional Stock Trading & Mikie Sherrill Scandal

[02:18–18:18]

• Sherrill's Interview on The Breakfast Club

  • Hosts play a clip of Mikie Sherrill dodging questions about alleged $7 million in stock trading profits.
  • Clay and Buck express skepticism about Sherrill's inability to recall significant financial gains.
    • Clay Travis: “99.99% of people in America would know if they made $7 million or not in the stock market...to say nothing of 7 million.” [06:43]
    • Buck Sexton: “If you made $7 million trading the stock market...you should know, unless you’re a billionaire.” [06:24]

• Disclosures and Asset Growth

  • In 2019, Sherrill’s assets ranged from $730,000–$4.3 million; now they are reported at ~$12 million—much of this while earning a congressional salary of $174,000.
  • The hosts question if her husband’s investment banking income explains this, but raise suspicions due to her seat on the Armed Services Committee and trading habits.
    • Buck Sexton: “Jack Cittarelli has come out and hammered her on this...she has gone from being worth...a couple million dollars...to about $12 million.” [09:01]

• Congress, Insider Info, and Ethical Blind Spots

  • Discuss how members of Congress can trade on non-public government information, even after reforms like the STOCK Act.
  • Recall the rush of congressional stock sales after early COVID briefings.

• Systemic Problem

  • Clay Travis: Suggests “put their holdings in a trust” or restrict members to index funds to avoid even the appearance of impropriety.
    • “Why would we not make that standard for anybody who's in elective office?” [11:39]
  • Buck notes the difficulty of prosecuting insider trading when “knowledge comes from the course of your job, which is the whole point.”
    • “No one in Congress has ever been prosecuted for insider...congressional information.” [18:09]

Breaking News: Trump Assassination Attempt Verdict

[27:02–30:25, Update at 46:58]

• Conviction of Attempted Assassin

  • Live reaction to verdict: The would-be assassin of Donald Trump at a West Palm Beach golf course is found guilty on all counts.
    • Clay Travis: “Guilty on all counts...The guy was there for hours all day waiting for Trump to come by, playing golf...” [27:02]
  • Discuss the astonishing security breach and 'left-wing violence' motivations of the assailant.

• Broader Point: Political Violence

  • Reference to The Atlantic article on rise of left-wing political violence; critique of media double standards.
    • Clay Travis: “No one is out there saying... we may disagree with Trump, but he's not actually Hitler.”
  • Air Kamala Harris clip comparing Trump to communist dictators and discuss the shifts in anti-Trump rhetoric. [29:43]
    • Clay Travis (sarcastic): "Next thing you know he may try to bankrupt, imprison, and kill his political adversaries...Oh, wait, that's what they did." [30:25]

Critique of Media and Streaming Hikes

[24:24, 32:00–36:39]

• Disney+ Price Hike

  • Clay criticizes Disney+ for raising prices during PR blunders, warning streaming is now more expensive than cable.
    • "The whole idea of... saving money in streaming...it's gone out the window. We all pay a lot more and get a lot less."

• Keith Olbermann's "Meltdown"

  • Hosts reminisce about Olbermann’s media legacy and lampoon his recent social media apology after a tweet interpreted as a threat.
    • Clay Travis: “I think this guy is on a fast track to crazy town. He may already be there...he’s having to apologize because people are reading his tweets and thinking he’s threatening to kill someone.” [36:08]

Listener Calls & Political Races

[43:39–46:58]

• Calls on Congressional Wealth & Salaries

  • Caller “Phil” criticizes wealthy politicians cashing taxpayer salaries.
    • Clay notes Trump and Bloomberg both refused public salaries as a gesture of public interest.

• New Jersey Governor Race

  • Caller “Ben” reports that Republican Cittarelli is polling narrowly ahead; hosts urge New Jersey listeners to vote.
    • Clay Travis: “Anyone listening to us in New Jersey, it’s going to be a close race. Get out and vote and support sanity." [46:30]
    • On candidate's name: “Chit-terelli...I’m sorry FCC, I’m trying to pronounce the guy’s name.” [46:56]

3. Memorable Quotes

• On Congressional Self-Dealing:
  • Clay Travis: "We focus on the appearance of corruption because it’s so toxic to public trust." [12:43]
• On Congress and Insider Trading:
  • Buck Sexton: “Have you seen anybody get in trouble for insider trading from the United States Congress? No, I’m not aware of it.” [14:23]
• On Streaming Costs:
  • Clay Travis: "Everybody’s going to end up paying way more in streaming cost than we ever paid in cable cost." [24:24]
• On Media Personalities:
  • Clay Travis: “I think this is the sign of kind of where Olbermann is falling apart.” [36:08]
• On Political Double Standards:
  • Clay Travis (re: Trump): “Next thing you know, he may try to bankrupt, imprison, and kill his political adversaries...Oh, wait, that's what they did.” [30:25]

4. Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:18] Start discussion on Mikie Sherrill’s stock trades, Breakfast Club clip
• [06:00] Sherrill grilled about $7 million in trades
• [09:01] Buck: Assets balloon from a few million to $12 million
• [11:39] Clay: Calls for blind trust or index fund requirement for Congress
• [14:23] Buck: Difficulty in prosecuting congressional insider trading
• [18:09] Clarification: no prosecutions based on official congressional info
• [27:02] Breaking news: Trump golf course assassin verdict announced
• [29:43] Kamala Harris clip on Trump as a "tyrant"
• [32:00] Keith Olbermann’s controversial tweet and media career decline
• [43:39] Phil (caller): Should wealthy politicians take salaries?
• [46:30] Ben (caller): NJ governor race update, Chitterelli leading
• [46:58] Second Trump assassin tries to stab himself after conviction

5. Additional Notable Points

• Comparison of Party Reactions to Political Violence: The hosts sharply contrast right- and left-wing responses, blaming Democrats for heated rhetoric while dismissing "both sides" framing of political violence.
• Humor & Tone: Clay and Buck maintain a sarcastic, incredulous, and partisan tone throughout, with running jokes about pronunciations, FCC censors, and former media legends.

6. Conclusion

This episode combines sharp criticism of congressional ethics, live reactions to breaking news, crackdowns on left-wing violence, and humorous commentary on media, streaming, and American political culture. Clay and Buck repeatedly return to demands for transparency, challenge political hypocrisy, and urge civic engagement—especially in New Jersey’s close gubernatorial race.

For listeners: If you missed the live broadcast, this summary covers the core arguments, most provocative exchanges, and the hosts’ signature mix of news analysis and satirical banter.