The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Hour 3 – Steve Hilton: Hold My Beer (December 5, 2025)
Host: Buck Sexton
Special Guests: Isabel Brown, Steve Hilton

Episode Overview

The third hour of The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show dives into major stories in politics and culture, blending wit, skepticism, and passionate debate. This episode features lively discussions with Isabel Brown (commentator and Gen Z voice) about her fiery CNN panel appearance and the cultural revival of the American family. The spotlight then turns to Steve Hilton, California gubernatorial candidate, who compares high-profile government fraud scandals between Minnesota and California, lambasts one-party rule, and critiques Democratic leadership, especially Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris.

Key Discussion Segments & Insights

1. Isabel Brown Recaps Her CNN Panel Appearance

(Begins at 02:36)

Main Points:

• Isabel discusses her experience on Abby Phillips’ CNN panel, describing it as “spicy” and combative.
• She was pressed on the January 6 controversy, specifically the differences between various forms of protest and violence.
• Isabel notes a pattern of left-leaning panels ignoring her answers and conflating actual violence with ideas or symbols.
  • “Everything is violence except actual violence. To the left, words are violence, ideas are violence. The American flag is violence. But planting pipe bombs actually isn’t violent, I guess, according to CNN.” (Isabel Brown, 05:46)
• The segment spotlights double standards in media responses to political violence and recent events (e.g., the alleged pipe bomber, January 6 prosecutions).

Notable Quote:
“They literally had the audacity to say, well…this guy’s black, so he’ll never get a presidential pardon for planting pipe bombs. The obsession that these people have…with excusing any sort of political violence as long as it fits their agenda…” (Isabel Brown, 06:29)

2. Parenthood, Faith, and Gen Z’s Cultural Shift

(08:02 – 12:18)

Main Points:

• Buck and Isabel, both new parents, discuss generational attitudes toward family.
• Isabel sees a “revival of faith and family” among Gen Z, pushing back against years of anti-family messaging.
• They criticize media and government attempts to portray parenting and family life as negative or even dangerous (e.g., Surgeon General’s statement).
• Young people are increasingly eager to build families, finding renewed meaning and purpose in this pursuit.

Notable Quote:
“There is a very clear agenda to make you lonely, depressed, and miserable…That means nothing if we don’t have our children to share it with and a legacy to build upon…” (Isabel Brown, 10:23, 13:03)

“My daughter means so much more to me than any paycheck ever will…even young women on the very radical left…are quitting their birth control. They are desperate to find a God-fearing husband and wanting to build a family…” (Isabel Brown, 13:03)

3. Lighthearted Culture: Fashion and Mom Jeans

(14:26 – 15:29)

Main Points:

• Playful debate about fashion trends, specifically the resurgence of baggy “mom jeans.”
• Isabel embraces the trend, citing comfort, while Buck jokes about oversized clothing.
• Brief humorous riff on seeing burkas as a possible “next fashion statement.”

Notable Exchange:
Buck: “Am I telling her to shut down the mom jeans and she’s wearing them in the studio?” (14:51)
Isabel: “The mom jean has made a return and my postpartum mom body is grateful for it.” (14:40)

4. Fraud Scandals: Minnesota vs. California (with Steve Hilton)

(19:50 – 37:01)

a. Minnesota’s $300 Million Child Meals Fraud

• Buck summarizes the massive fraud in Minneapolis’ Somali-American community, where funds for children’s meals were siphoned off illegally.
• Political leadership, particularly Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, evades responsibility or accountability.
  • “That’s a non-answer and I know that he’s going to give a non-answer. What’s he going to say? I don’t really care that the Somali Americans stole all this stuff…” (Buck Sexton, 22:35)

b. California’s “Hold My Beer” Response (Steve Hilton)

(Begins at 24:26)

• Steve Hilton argues California’s fraud and mismanagement dwarf Minnesota’s.
  • One-party Democratic rule (15 years) has bred corruption and unchecked spending.
  • Examples:
    • Pandemic unemployment fraud: $20B lost to criminal gangs and improper payments.
    • Homelessness spending: $24B with little to show for it; funds enrich crony nonprofits and developers.
    • Healthcare for illegal immigrants: $13B in the budget for 2024.
  • Total: $57B known misused or wasted in California.
• Hilton’s solutions:
  • Established "califraud.com" whistleblower hotline.
  • Urging for federal-level investigations akin to those in Minnesota.

Notable Quote:
“It is disgusting and shocking. But in California, everything is a thousand times worse...This one-party rule breeds this kind of corruption and an abuse of taxpayer trust.” (Steve Hilton, 24:26)

• On Homelessness:
  • The “homeless industrial complex” keeps the crisis going via overpriced, no-strings-attached housing and political favors.
  • Build cost comparisons: $800K–$1M for “affordable” units vs. $250K–$300K in private sector constructions.
  • Permanent solutions are avoided; cycle of addiction and street homelessness persists.

Notable Quote:
“Permanent supportive housing”—that is a euphemism for a home with no strings attached, that costs a fortune…Meanwhile, the problem gets worse because none of these units have any strings attached…It’s just a total disaster, all of it totally corrupt…” (Steve Hilton, 27:43)

c. Newsom’s Failed Promises and Kamala Harris’s Prospects

• Multiple failed promises from Gavin Newsom (homelessness, disaster relief, infrastructure, communications upgrades).
• Hilton mocks Newsom's "Marshall Plan" for post-fire rebuilds—only one (show) house built years later.
• Kamala Harris has no base even in her home state for a gubernatorial or presidential race.
• Newsom, by contrast, has strong donor class support for higher office bids.

Notable Quote:
“They’re these machine politicians…They have no principles, no beliefs, no convictions, nothing. And that’s why they end up saying totally different things, contradictory things all the time. They lie for a living. They are pathological liars.” (Steve Hilton, 32:35)

• Upcoming governor’s race: Hilton details opposition, including Katie Porter and Eric Swalwell.

Noteworthy Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On CNN panel behavior:

  • “I was asked two words in, the host just immediately spoke over me and completely ignored everything that I was saying.” (Isabel Brown, 05:46)

• On the family culture shift:

  • “Young people are also having this massive revival of faith. We have to fight for what is good and true and beautiful in culture way more than we ever fight for politics.” (Isabel Brown, 10:23)

• On California’s government waste:

  • “Half a billion dollars can’t even produce a working phone line. He wants to be president. I mean, it’s just such a joke.” (Steve Hilton, 34:51)

• On Kamala Harris’s lack of support:

  • “There’s no appetite for Kamala Harris here in California, just as there isn’t across the country if she decides to run for president.” (Steve Hilton, 33:36)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Opening/Panel Recap – Isabel Brown: 02:36–07:50
• Parenthood and Gen Z Family Values: 08:02–13:03
• Cultural Fashion Lightheartedness: 14:26–15:29
• Minnesota Fraud & Political Leadership: 19:50–24:26
• Steve Hilton on California Corruption: 24:26–37:01
• Closing & Podcast Network Promo: 40:53–end

Summary

This hour of Clay & Buck navigates complex issues ranging from media bias and cancel culture to generational change and government corruption. Isabel Brown brings a firsthand account of ideological clashes in mainstream media and reflects on a generational revival of family and faith. Steve Hilton’s “Hold My Beer” segment starkly contrasts Minnesota’s fraud scandal with California’s daunting legacy of waste, mismanagement, and crony politics. The episode is charged, humorous, and unflinchingly critical, offering both alarm and optimism about America’s direction.