Hour 3 - The Art of the Possible

Summary

Summary of "The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show"
Episode: Hour 3 - The Art of the Possible
Release Date: July 1, 2025

Hosted by Clay Travis and Buck Sexton, this episode delves into the latest developments in U.S. politics, focusing on legislative updates, immigration policies, economic concerns, and cultural discussions. The hosts engage in insightful conversations, enriched with humor and listener interactions.

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1. Top Legislative News: Senate Bill Passage

The episode kicks off with Buck Sexton providing a recap of a significant legislative development:

• Senate Passage: A pivotal bill passed the Senate with a 51-50 vote, where JD Vance acted as the tiebreaker. Notably, senators Thom Tillis and Rand Paul voted in favor, while Senator Collins abstained.

  Buck Sexton at [02:04]: "Within moments the Senate had passed on a 51-50 vote, the big beautiful bill. JD Vance had to be the tiebreaker on that one."

• House Proceedings: The bill now moves to the House, where the Freedom Caucus is expected to voice concerns, though they are unlikely to derail the bill's progress toward the president's desk before the holiday.

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2. Trump's Immigration Stance and Alligator Alcatraz Visit

A highlight of the discussion centers on former President Donald Trump's visit to Alligator Alcatraz in Ochoppee, Florida:

• Purpose of Visit: The site serves as a detention area for illegal migrants awaiting deportation. Trump emphasized the severity of escaping detention, humorously warning against attempts to "run from the gators".

  Clay Travis at [02:04]: "Trump is saying, if you try to run from the gators or swim from the gators, it's going to be a bad day for you."

• Alligator Alcatraz's Role: Located in a sparsely populated area, it symbolizes Trump's tough stance on immigration and border control.

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3. Trump-DeSantis Alliance and Future Political Strategies

The hosts explore the dynamic between Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, projecting their potential political trajectories:

• Strong Partnership: Clay Travis remarks on the strength of the Trump-DeSantis relationship, suggesting that DeSantis could play a crucial role in a future Trump administration.

  Clay Travis at [04:37]: "Trump and DeSantis are a whale of a team."

• Cabinet Predictions: There's speculation that DeSantis might join Trump 2.0's cabinet, with the partnership exhibiting stability despite upcoming political shifts post-midterms.

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4. National Debt Concerns and Economic Growth Strategies

A significant portion of the conversation addresses the growing national debt and strategies to mitigate it:

• Debt Escalation: The hosts highlight the alarming increase in national debt, projecting it to reach $40 trillion, deeming it untenable.

  Clay Travis at [05:40]: "National debt is soon going to be $40 trillion. That's untenable."

• Economic Growth as a Solution: Instead of relying on tax hikes, Travis and Sexton advocate for accelerated economic growth to achieve a surplus through expansion rather than cuts.

  Clay Travis at [07:49]: "Hey, this bill's gonna pass. And now it's time to try to figure out how do we grow the economy as rapidly as we possibly can to help to lead to a surplus through growth as opposed to a surplus through cuts."

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5. Concerns Over Socialism and Democratic Party's Direction

The hosts express stark concerns about the rise of socialism within the United States:

• Anti-Socialism Stance: Buck Sexton vehemently opposes the notion of socialism infiltrating the U.S., labeling certain political figures and policies as "communist" and detrimental to the nation's fabric.

  Buck Sexton at [09:08]: "There's a communist in the for the first time."

• Democratic Party's Struggles: They critique the Democratic Party's tendency to close elections narrowly despite controversial candidates and policies, attributing it to the electorate's vulnerability to emotional manipulation.

  Buck Sexton at [10:22]: "We have a communist in the for the first time. He wants to operate the grocery stores, the department stores."

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6. Immigration Laws and Sanctuary Cities Debate

A heated discussion unfolds around sanctuary cities and federal immigration policies:

• Federal vs. Local Laws: The hosts question how sanctuary cities can defy federal immigration laws, anticipating judicial interventions to resolve these conflicts.

  Clay Travis at [12:15]: "How can we allow all of these individual cities... to directly defy federal law?"

• Potential Legal Clashes: They foresee a court battle determining the legitimacy of local jurisdictions' autonomy over immigration enforcement.

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7. Listener Interactions and Cultural Discussions

In a lighter segment, the hosts engage with listener comments and discuss favorite movies:

• Movie Preferences: Listeners share their top picks from the New York Times' 'Best Movies of the 21st Century' list, sparking a debate over classics like "The Dark Knight", "Parasite", and "Die Hard".

  Buck Sexton at [28:05]: "They put 'Parasite' at number one. A foreign film as the best movie of the 21st century. Which I think is mad."

• Pop Culture References: A listener from Texas humorously corrects the hosts on "Minas Tirith", showcasing the show's blend of political discourse and pop culture banter.

  Zeb from Texas at [37:02]: "Minas Tirith is the capital city of Gondor after Osgiliath was destroyed by the orcs in the Battle of Sauron. Trust your man."

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8. Closing Remarks and Upcoming Shows

As the episode wraps up, Clay and Buck announce upcoming guest hosts and share their personal plans for the Fourth of July:

• Guest Hosts: Tudor Dixon will host the following day, followed by Brian Mudd, ensuring continued engaging content for listeners.

• Holiday Plans: The hosts humorously discuss their limited beach time and alternative activities like watching Harry Potter movies and enjoying family time.

  Buck Sexton at [43:54]: "I'm probably going to take naps, read books, walk my dog, and hang out with my wife and baby. I'm a wild man."

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Buck Sexton on Senate Bill: "[02:04] Within moments the Senate had passed on a 51-50 vote, the big beautiful bill. JD Vance had to be the tiebreaker on that one."

• Clay Travis on Economic Growth: "[07:49] This is the new hope. And to me, if we can get it to 3, 4% growth, everything changes."

• Buck Sexton on Communism: "[09:08] There's a communist in the for the first time. He wants to operate the grocery stores, the department stores."

• Zeb from Texas on Minas Tirith: "[37:02] Minas Tirith is the capital city of Gondor after Osgiliath was destroyed by the orcs in the Battle of Sauron. Trust your man."

---

Conclusion

In "Hour 3 - The Art of the Possible," Clay Travis and Buck Sexton provide a comprehensive analysis of current political landscapes, intertwining serious discussions on legislation and national issues with light-hearted cultural exchanges. Their insights on economic strategies, immigration policies, and political alliances offer listeners a balanced perspective on the complexities of governance and societal challenges.

Transcript

[Buck Sexton]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Clay Travis]

Step into the world of power, loyalty, and luck.

[Buck Sexton]

I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse.

[Clay Travis]

With family. Cannolis and spins mean everything.

[Producer Greg]

Now you want to get mixed up.

[Buck Sexton]

In the family business.

[Clay Travis]

Introducing the [e-mail] test your luck in.

[Buck Sexton]

The shadowy world of the Godfather slots. Someday I will call upon you to do a service for me.

[Clay Travis]

Play the Godfather [e-mail] Welcome to the family. No purchase necessary.

[Producer Greg]

VGW Group voidware prohibited by Law 21.

[Clay Travis]

Terms and conditions apply. Let's talk photos. Not just storing them, showcasing them. You've got images that matter. Whether you're a photographer, a business updating your followers, or just someone who wants to share life's moments the right way. So why hand them over to Big Tech's one size fits all cloud? Big tech companies are the fast food of photo sharing. Quick, easy, but not exactly gourmet. And what about your data integrity? Jalbum.net is the photo sharing solution that puts you in control. 1 want to host images on your own server? You can want a layout that actually reflects your brand or style. J Album's customizability is unmatched. And if you're a business sharing regular photo updates with your audience, this tool was built with you in mind. But don't just take our word for it. Over 230 million web pages have been created with Jalbum, and it's got stellar reviews on Trustpilot to prove it. So head to jalbum.net to download your free software and try it out. When you're ready to upgrade, use the code podcast for 20% off.

[Buck Sexton]

You can.

[Clay Travis]

Your photos, your layout, your rules. Jalbum.net the Medal of Honor is the.

[J.R. Martinez]

Highest military decoration in the United States. Recipients have done the improbable, the unexpected, showing immense bravery and sacrifice in the name of something much bigger than themselves.

[Buck Sexton]

This medal is for the men who went down that day on Medal of.

[J.R. Martinez]

Honor Stories of Courage. You'll hear about these heroes and what their stories tell us about the nature of bravery. Listen to Medal of Honor on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Buck Sexton]

Third hour clay and Buck kicks off now, the big news of the day at the top of the show. Just to recap right as we came on air, I mean, within moments the Senate had passed on a 5150 vote, the big beautiful bill. JD Vance had to be the tiebreak on that one. Thom Tillis, Rand Paul, who's the third somebody else didn't get. Oh, Collins didn't vote for it. So, yep, that was what happened there. Now, thank you, Clay, for the catch. It goes back to the House side before it goes to the president's desk for signature. The House is going to. There's going to be some squawking from the Freedom Caucus about it. I don't think they're going to sabotage the Trump agenda at this late moment on the big, beautiful bill, but they're gonna. They're gonna, you know, look, they're allowed to have their say on it, and they will. So that will be a thing that occurs in the next few days, and we're probably gonna get to a signature before the holiday. Hopefully, that is how this will go. So that's the big news. And then we had the most interesting visit of the day. Was Donald Trump going down to Alligator Alcatraz, which is in Ochopi. Ochoppee, Florida, which is near Everglades City, which I can tell you is not really much of a city. It is really middle of nowhere ville. I think Ochopi is. It has a hundred people, something like that lives in. Lives in the. In the. It is unincorporated territory. So it's not even, I think, a township per se. It's quite small. But that was the one. If you were wondering, it wasn't Lake Okeechobee. I know Lake Okeechobee. Ochopi was the. The new place. So that's where they have this airstrip that is a place to put illegal migrants, illegal aliens before they are deported. And Trump is saying, if you try to run from the gators or swim from the gators, it's going to be a bad day for you. So there's all that going on. And then he got into Kami Mumdani. Do you have anything in the Alligator Alcatraz? The team is saying that all you have to do is be able to not zigzag, but outrun the nearest person to you, which is.

[Producer Greg]

That is always true.

[Buck Sexton]

And that is mean. That's very mean. Clay would. Clay would not leave me behind to get eaten by gators. Right, Clay?

[Producer Greg]

Probably correct.

[Buck Sexton]

Yeah. Thank you.

[Producer Greg]

I would be. Again, I've said on this program before, I am prepared to save anyone from an alligator attack. If you see me near a swamp, I've got your back. So just don't go in the water. But if they come out of the water, like in Crocodile Dundee, I know that's crocodile versus an alligator, then I'll be like Mick Dundee. Right there to, to protect you. By the way, that movie also still a lot of fun if you've got kids and you want to watch some movies during the July 4th holiday. Weather's not great. Maybe you're sitting around. We've been watching all the Harry Potter movies in the Travis household, and they're still really good. So props J.K. rowling. I think she may have a future in this creative industry space, but that alligator Alcatraz thing, and I think, I know we said it last hour, but I do think it's so important. Trump and DeSantis are a whale of a team. And I know Ron DeSantis only has whatever it is, a year and a half left basically as the governor of Florida, but I would not be surprised if DeSantis ends up in some form or fashion as a part of Trump 2.0 cabinet. And what I mean by that is there's constant doing these jobs takes a lot of. So so far, we have had pretty great stability in Trump 2.0 cabinet universe. But at some point, some of these guys, probably after N gals after the midterms, are going to start to say, hey, I want to do something different. I'm burned out. Two years of going full speed doing X, Y or Z. There's something else that I want to do. It wouldn't shock me if Trump comes back to DeSantis. Remember there was some talk about, about DeSantis potentially being the secretary of defense when it was uncertain about whether Hegseth was going to be confirmed. And that's another example of J.D. vance breaking a tie. 50, 50 in the Senate, J.D. vance gets the vote to get Hegseth in. And Pete has done a very, very good job since this is also an example in the big, beautiful Bill, you've got J.D. vance breaking the tie. This is why having a little bit of a buffer in the Senate, 53, 47, man, it would be great to be up to 54 or 55 or 56 as it pertains to where we're headed on next. But the Trump DeSantis relationship, very strong. And I think it's important to point out that by and large, most of you out there who voted Trump, I really can't hardly point to anything in the first six months and say, hey, I think Trump could have done a better job on this politics, the art of the possible. So I understand that people are saying, oh, this is my number one issue. And this hasn't been addressed completely to the, to the ability that I would like. You can't make people do what there is not the political will for them to do. So you and Ibach, we talked about this some earlier. We're very troubled by the national debt. When the Tea Party got its start, national debt was $10 trillion. National debt is soon going to be $40 trillion. That's untenable. But until there is a political will to address it, and you can't solve it by increasing tax rates, that doesn't work. Ultimately, I think you're going to have to dial back spending. This is inevitable, but that political will is not there yet. So in the meantime, you have two options. You can either whine and complain. And some people are choosing that because it's not kick your legs, scream like a child, have a temper tantrum, or you can do what you and I are talking about now. Hey, this bill's gonna pass. And now it's time to try to figure out how do we grow the economy as rapidly as we possibly can to help to lead to a surplus through growth as opposed to a surplus through cuts. That is the new hope. And to me, if we can get it to 3, 4% growth, everything changes.

[Buck Sexton]

Yes. So that's the, that's the case for optimism, and I agree with you on that. The case for optimism is not that everyone's going to see the wisdom of Ron, of Ron, sorry, Rand Paul's math, and, and make massive changes to the biggest spending programs and priorities of the United States government now and for the last, well, all of our lifetimes. So, yeah, that's not going to happen. So hopefully Trump just has the economy so juiced and so en fuego that some very good things can happen. What will make things a lot worse is if the commie mom, Donnie, is able to take control. Trump spoke about this. There's some Marine One noise in the background, but we wanted you to hear this. This is cut seven. This is. Look, even President Trump's win. And we all see this. This is concerning. When somebody gets the wind at his back in some place as important as New York City, play it. I think he's terrible. He's a communist. The last thing we need is a communist. I said there will never be socialism in the United States. So we have a communist. I think he's bad news and I think I'm going to have a lot of fun with him, watching him, because he has to come right to this building to get his money. And don't worry, he's not going to run away with anything. I think he's going, frankly, I've heard he's a total nut job. I think the people of New York are crazy. If they go this route, I think they're crazy. We will have a communist in the for the first time.

[Clay Travis]

Really?

[Buck Sexton]

A pure, true communist. He wants to operate the grocery stores, the department stores. What about the people that. I think it's crazy. Yeah, Clay, it is crazy. And I understand that there's this sense that it's limited to New York, but AOC and Bernie Sanders, they co sign really all of this stuff. And they're the Democrats that have the most currency with the base. And it is a Democrat Party that came within a few hundred thousand votes of Trump even after lying about Biden's dementia and putting forward the worst candidate in our lifetime in Kamala Harris. So, I mean, I would argue even worse than dementia guy, which tells you a lot. So we have to take this seriously. People ask, how does the Democratic Party come back? It's not hard. They were close. Even in this election in aggregate numbers, when you really look at it, there are a lot of people who are voting Democrat, no matter who they put forward, no matter how crazy the idea is. And Mamdani, I think, is just a symptom of that larger malady.

[Producer Greg]

And again, I'm going to keep hammering it. If there is not a coalition that arises to all come together to oppose Mom Donnie, if you have Eric Adams running as an independent, Andrew Cuomo running as an independent, and you have a situation where Curtis Sliwa is the Republican, that trio is going to assure that Mamdani wins. So the only way New York City rejects Mom Donnie and has some form of sanity in terms of who it's selecting as its next mayor is if there's a understanding that they cannot all run and there is a coalition of opposition that comes together to try and defeat Mamdani, my concern is everybody's going to look out for their best interest, meaning we're going to get more attention. If you stay in the race and everybody else loses and there isn't a coalition brought together to come against him. And I think what Trump is talking about in general is the opposition that he sees from all these sanctuary cities as the process is underway to deport so many different people is a direct opposition to the federal government and should not be acceptable. And at some point, I think there's going to have to be a test case of someone, probably a mayor, that is one of the sanctuary cities that is directly defying federal law and we're going to have to have the court's rule about whether or not that is permissible or appropriate because I don't understand. We made this argument and the Supreme Court has said it quite clearly. The president of the United States is in charge of border related policies, immigration, all of those things. How can we allow all of these individual cities and certainly governors of states, but it's really being driven more by mayors of cities that have decided that they are sanctuaries. How can we allow them to directly defy federal law? At some point that conflict is going to have to be resolved in some way by the larger court system. It feels inevitable to me.

[Buck Sexton]

We'll get some calls and some talkbacks coming up here in a second. Want to hear from all of you before Clay and I sign off for the holiday. Like I said, Tudor Dixon and tomorrow, Brian Mudd in the next day. Got great guest hosts. We got live shows coming up for you with fantastic content. But Clay is going to be on the beach. I might even get to the beach. And it's funny, I live.

[Producer Greg]

You don't do the beach.

[Buck Sexton]

I don't really get to the beach very often, which is weird considering I live next to one of the nicest beaches in America. Some would argue for an urban beach. For an urban beach. Okay, don't be like, well, what about Tahiti? Or what about, you know, the Seychelles, one of the nicest urban beaches anywhere in the world. So yeah, I should get to the beach too. We'll talk about it. Take some calls. 800-282-2882. Dedicated first responders and service members like U.S. army Major Scott Smiley have paid a high price serving our nation and communities. Friends like you have shown your gratitude for Scott's service and sacrifice not only through words but through actions. This Brace brave service member was in Iraq leading his platoon when a car bomb detonated in front of him. The blast left him blind and temporarily paralyzed, but he refused to let his injuries stop his military career. Scott became the first blind active duty officer in military history before medically retiring years later. Thanks to friends like you, the Tunnel to Towers foundation gave Scott and his family a mortgage free specially adapted smart home to help him live more independently. Please show that you appreciate the profound sacrifices that made by America's heroes, the men and women who have served our country or our local communities so unselfishly. Donate $11 a month to tunnel the towers at t2t.org that's tthenumber2t.org.

[Tudor Dixon]

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[Clay Travis]

Let's talk photos. Not just storing them, showcasing them. You've got images that matter, whether you're a photographer, a updating your followers or just someone who wants to share life's moments the right way. So why hand them over to Big Tech's one size fits all cloud? Big tech companies are the fast food of photo sharing. Quick, easy, but not exactly gourmet. And what about your data integrity? Jalbum.net is the photo sharing solution that puts you in control. Want to host images on your own server? You can want a layout that actually reflects your brand or style. Jalbum's customizability is unmatched. And if you're a business sharing regular photo updates with your audience. This tool was built with you in mind, but don't just take our word for it. Over 230 million web pages have been created with J Album and it's got stellar reviews on Trustpilot to prove it. So head to jalbum.net to download your free software and try it out. When you're ready to upgrade, use the code podcast for 20% off your photos, your layout, your rules. Jalbum.net the Medal of Honor is the.

[J.R. Martinez]

Highest military decoration in the United States. Recipients have done the improbable, showing immense bravery and sacrifice in the name of something much bigger than themselves.

[Buck Sexton]

This medal is for the men who went down that day. It's for the families of those who didn't make it.

[J.R. Martinez]

I'm J.R. martinez. I'm a U.S. army veteran myself, and I'm honored to tell you the stories of these heroes on the new season of Medal of Stories of Courage from Pushkin Industries and I Heart podcast from Robert Blake, the first black sailor to be awarded the medal. To Daniel Daly, one of only 19 people to have received the Medal of Honor twice. These are stories about people who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor going above and beyond the call of duty. You'll hear about what they did, what it meant, and what their stories tell us about the nature of courage and sacrifice. Listen to Medal of Honor on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Producer Greg]

A lot of you weighing in on a variety of different topics. Roger down in Texas, he wants to know if we saw something happened over the weekend. Listen.

[Buck Sexton]

Hey, did y' all see the General Lee jump? I just wondered.

[Producer Greg]

I think that broke up a little bit, or at least it broke up a little bit with me. He wanted to know if we saw the General Lee from Dukes of Hazzard jump the fountain in Kentucky. Yes. And it was awesome. Super cool. Did you watch Dukes of Hazzard when you were a kid growing up?

[Buck Sexton]

It's a little. I was a little young for it. My older brother, I think, used to watch that show, who's your age? So I was a little young for the Dukes of.

[Producer Greg]

I loved the Dukes of Hazzard back in the day. My favorite show, Dukes of Hazzard led into on CBS Dallas. And I would say the first real massive disappointment of my young life was when they tried to replace Bo and Luke. D. I just remember being a kid and so disappointed that those guys, they were in a contract dispute and they replaced them for part of season five, I think. And it was, it was earth shattering for young.

[Buck Sexton]

I remember I was. I was a big Knight Rider guy.

[Producer Greg]

Oh, I liked that too. Did you have the Knight Rider? Did you have the car? Oh, yeah, Kit that could talk back. That was pretty awesome.

[Buck Sexton]

And now here we are at a place where the car actually can just drive up and pick you up. I. I have friends who have had their. Their Tesla just come in and. And, you know, get them. They can actually do that.

[Producer Greg]

They can summon it.

[Buck Sexton]

Yeah.

[Producer Greg]

And look, I talked about being in the Waymo and if you want a prediction for 20 years from now, I think driving cars gonna end up like riding horses. Something that people do for fun, but that the average person no longer does. I would bet that in 20 years. Jordan in Oklahoma. What you got.

[Buck Sexton]

Travis? I just got two quick questions here. One is Syria. Why is Trump lifting the sanctions off of Syria? And taking them off the terror sponsor group. And also Water Cash, Patel and Dan Bongino doing about 2020. Covid Epstein, January 6th and the Biden Auto pin. And a friend of mine, John, wanted me to give you this quote. I believe in two things. Absolutely. The First Amendment and boobs.

[Producer Greg]

Well, I like the last one.

[Buck Sexton]

There's a lot of the FBI. The answer, all that FBI stuff is we don't know because they're not talking about everything going on there. And, and at some level it's just give, I would just say give cash and Dan, the director and deputy director of the FBI, give them the time necessary to do more of what needs to be done there. It has only been five months. It is early in the game. And what was the first thing that he said?

[Producer Greg]

Yeah, the Syria answer is he's trying to give that new government an opportunity to prove that they can be allies. And I think if you look at it in the bigger picture of the Middle east, given how tough he has been on Iran, he is currying favor again politically with Saudi Arabia, with the uae, with Qatar, with Bahrain, by both carrot and stick. Obviously, the stick for Iran, the carrot for Syria. If that new government can somehow be better than Assad, he's giving them an opportunity to try to prove that they're worthy of trust. And so far it does appear that that has, that's been going better, but it's still very early in that new government.

[Buck Sexton]

This is very important. This is a DD Talk back. Jill from Oregon. Let's hear it.

[Producer Greg]

Hi, this is Jill and I'm in.

[Buck Sexton]

Oregon and I have to go with.

[Producer Greg]

Buck on the pistachio ice cream. I come from an area where we had a local dairy and so it was not hard to get pistachio ice cream. And it was fantastic. So even as a kid, I loved it.

[Buck Sexton]

Put that one in your, in your cone there. Mr. Clay Travis, I still believe that.

[Producer Greg]

Pistachio is not a top 20 ice cream flavor.

[Buck Sexton]

You have to say pistachio. If you call it pistachio, it makes it sound even worse.

[Producer Greg]

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[Buck Sexton]

Having a great time. We appreciate you being with us. Want to remind you to please subscribe to the Clay and Buck Podcast network because you're going to want to have stuff to listen to as you are cleaning the grill in preparation for cooking on the grill, which is the thing you should all do. You don't want to get too much, too much of that kind of carbon gristle buildup on the metal grate of your grill. But if you want something to listen to or if you're going to be out there, I don't know, on the boat, in the yard, whatever it is, listen to Clay and Buck Podcast network. Fantastic people there. David Rutherford, Tutor Dixon, Carol Markowitz, lots and lots of great people to listen to. And like we said, Tutor Dixon will be in for us tomorrow and our friend Brian Mud will be in for us the next day after that. So you got great shows coming up your way. We have, wow. A lot of talk backs and a lot of calls. A lot of good things going on here. Joe from let's take hh. Joe from Mesa, Arizona. Hey, Joe and Mesa. I was trying to explain to my friend just like why most of America doesn't even care about the deportations that are happening. And he flipped out on me and was saying that I needed to admit that I hate every other race other than my own. Anyways, so in the end they're just totally brainwashed and there's nothing you can do. The law either matters or it doesn't. Has nothing to do with race. Has to do with being a rule of law society. Clay.

[Producer Greg]

Yeah, and look, I think that a lot of people are dialed out and just randomly buy into all of the histrionics. I mean, I think a perfect example of this is, you know, we're going to hit right now. The stock market is up again today for another high. It was only two months ago that they were telling you that everything was going to collapse and that you needed to make sure that you sold all your stocks and that we were headed for basically a nuclear winter. And from an economic perspective, and it just hasn't happened. And so I think the total fear there is. It works on a lot of people. And they are aware that emotionally they can play on people's failings as it pertains to that.

[Buck Sexton]

Basically, we have next up here, a lot of Lord of the Rings nerds in this audience. Oh, we didn't get. We said we were gonna do the movie thing. Yeah, that's why I thought I was.

[Producer Greg]

Doing my research here.

[Buck Sexton]

New York Times best. Now, this is a little bit of a frustration because people don't pay. It's like when you had a teacher that said, make sure you read the instructions for the exam before you take the exam. It's the best movies of the 21st century. So anybody who's jumping in with Braveheart or, you know, which I love and would be my overall choice, overall, favorite movie all time. That's 1998, I think, or 6 or I forget when the 9. I don't know. But it was. It was definitely in the 20th. 22. 0. 20th century. 21st century. Best movies of the 21st century. This is. This is the New York Times list that came out. We got a. Wait, producer. I got all of you to tell me your. Your picks, and I thought they were pretty solid. And I say all of you. I mean, our team in New York. New York team. Let's start with you, Ali. Producer Ali, what was your best movie of the 21st century? You had time to think about this. So you're on the hot seat now. If you forgot. What is it?

[Producer Greg]

Oh, no, I'm totally on the hot seat.

[Buck Sexton]

I. I had gone with Gladiator, but.

[Producer Greg]

I had the years all wrong. Yeah, hold on. Get laughter 2000. Yeah, it counts in the New York Times list.

[Buck Sexton]

It does, because that's. That's technically the 20th century.

[Producer Greg]

They have it down at 92. So they are counting anything that's 2000 and beyond.

[Buck Sexton]

Well, that's an outrage. First of all, the fact that they're counting it and they're Putting it at 92 is an outrage because, Ali, I'd be. It would be a top fiver for me. Top fiver for sure. They put parasite at number one. A foreign film as the best movie of the 21st century. Which. Which I think is mad. Producer Mike, what was yours? You had a good one. Dark Knight. Were you Dark Knight or was that Greg? What is producer Mike? Dark Knight. Dark Knight, Yeah. He Was Dark Knight solid? I can't, I can't quibble with that. I have watched that movie probably a hundred times. I enjoy the Dark Knight. He really brought back. People think now all the Batman franchise, huge franchise that was. It was on the ropes after a couple of really bad Batman movies that bombed big time, including one with I think the girl from Clueless was in it. Alicia Silverstone. There was a George Clooney. No one even remembers George Clooney played Batman. And it was such a bad movie that people don't even remember that he was Batman. So there were. So the. The Dark Knight was. Came back from the Batman Begins and the Dark Knight, both great, great options. Remember 21st century, we're looking at clay. What was yours?

[Producer Greg]

I broke it down. Trio meaning. Because to me there is. There's a difference between a kid movie, there's a difference between a comedy and there's a difference between a dramedy drama. So I went with. I agree. The whole Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy, the Dark Knight, that, that is really phenomenal well done. Up, I think was the best of the Pixar movies up. If you up is so well done. And then I think the funniest movie of the 21st century, I think is Old School. I just think it is absolutely hysterical funny.

[Buck Sexton]

Well, that's not even a category now you're making up categories.

[Producer Greg]

Funniest.

[Buck Sexton]

I think Old School is the funniest movie of the 21st century.

[Producer Greg]

What's bet? What's funnier than old school?

[Buck Sexton]

I mean, I think 40 year old virgin's funnier than old school.

[Producer Greg]

40 year old virgin is very funny. Superbad is very funny. Like there's a series of four or five movies, I think that you could argue. I think the combination of Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn is tough to beat. Wedding Crashers also really, really funny and well done. But I think you have to consider what, again, best doesn't mean Citizen Kane is a phenomenal movie. We talked about yesterday. Schindler's List is a phenomenal movie. It's hard to sit down and just be like, hey, let's have some popcorn and watch Schindler's List.

[Buck Sexton]

Well, this is, this is like how I feel about the Pianist. P I A N I S T. To be clear, the Pianist is a. Or the Pianist, maybe some people say it that way, is I think a perfect movie. Meaning it is incredibly well done. And every aspect of it, from the acting to the writing to the. To the sound, you know, to the soundtrack to the. I think it's A perfect movie, but it's intense. It's World War II.

[Producer Greg]

Yeah.

[Buck Sexton]

It's, you know, it's a Jewish guy who's trying to flee the. You know, the. Well, at one point, it's his neighbors and the Nazis. The Pianist is an incredible movie, but I can't say it's my favorite movie because if the Dark Knight trilogy or the Lord of the Rings movies are on, I'm watching those instead of the Pianist. I'm just. I'm not gonna lie and be that guy. Which brings me to, I think, their private producer. Greg, what was your pick? You didn't give us. You didn't give us your. We're trying to help you, by the way, for the holiday weekend, everybody. If you haven't seen any of these, we're giving you great recommendations for. I would argue the Lives of Other is a pretty perfect movie. Although it is German language and that is 21st century. But again, it's not a. You still haven't even watched it, have you? You, Laura, haven't watched the Lives of Others, and you have. Okay, maybe that one because it's foreign language. I could see Lara being like Clay. Don't. Don't, you know, don't torture us. You guys haven't watched Hacksaw Ridge, which is insane, because that was. I gave you that assignment a long time ago, that movie, to be fair.

[Producer Greg]

To be fair to me, I barely see anything. I watch stuff with my kids, which is why I've been watching Harry Potter.

[Buck Sexton]

Watch hundreds of hours of college football.

[Producer Greg]

Hundreds, I was going to say. And I watch a lot of sports. Let me give you an underrated movie that I think seems even more contemporary than it was when it came out. Minority Report. So, no, I'm telling you, go back and watch it now. In an age of AI, it seems eerily prescient in terms of its foreshadowing of where we are.

[Buck Sexton]

Producer Greg is going to weigh in. He was a He. He wanted to get on this. Producer Greg, best movie of the 21st century. If you were making this New York Times list, what's number one? Dark Knight. I'm with.

[Clay Travis]

I'm with.

[Buck Sexton]

Oh, you're Dark Knight. Got you. I thought. I thought we had double Dark Knight. That's a. Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker is the best bad guy performance. That. That. I think you. It's. That. It's the no country for Old Men with. What's his name, you know, Javier Bardem.

[Producer Greg]

Javier Bardem.

[Buck Sexton]

Javier Bardem. And Hans Gruber in Die Hard, which was the first time that guy was ever in a movie, which is still amazing.

[Producer Greg]

Does watching the Dark Knight, knowing that Heath Ledger was going to in some way kill himself. Like, I watch it now, and you're right, the performance is incredible. But when I watch it in the back of my mind, I'm thinking, in order to become this good, he had to go to such a dark place that it felt to me like a lot of people who are actors and actresses, it's not actually that talented. You know what I mean? Like, there are lots of people who are. Whatever. Heath Ledger, that was actually an artistic performance as the Joker. But I think it led him into a world where his brain, like, almost broke.

[Buck Sexton]

You know, he went into the darkness. Went to the darkness too much that. That. That has happened with. With people that get too into a role. A lot of people very high. And look, because I saw a lot of comments about this, because I. I was on. I was on with Will Kane and Carol Markowitz on Will show on Fox Clay, and that's where this got some attention. A lot of people have as their top movies, I would say, the ones that I saw the most for all of you, all of you out there. I say the one that, that I saw the most as a number one choice was either There Will Be Blood or no country for Old Men for best movie the 21st century. I view those as both excellent movies, but it also goes in that category. There Will Be Blood for me is like watching a masterclass of acting. Like, obviously, Daniel Day Lewis is phenomenal and. And the performances are. But do I care about anybody in this story, really? No. Do I like anybody, really? No. And then I think that unfortunately, no country for Old Men, again, very well made. And I'm not saying it's not a good movie. I'm just saying, you know, if it's on, am I going to watch it? I don't know. It's so bleak and kind of nihilistic for me. So I can't get too excited about either one of those as a top 10 of the 21st century. They're both excellent movies, to be clear, but they're not movies. I've only watched each of those maybe twice, which for me is not very many.

[Producer Greg]

I also, to me, it. When it's a book being made into a movie, I think the excellence of the movie in many ways reflects the book. And Cormac McCarthy is probably the greatest author. Now I'm really going to get people fired up. Probably the greatest author of the last 30 years. And I know he died a couple of years ago, but if you look at his production in terms of his talent and you go all the way back, he moved eventually his fiction to basically the border with Texas and Mexico. But he started off as a Tennessee based writer, and I think he's probably the most talented writer in America in the last 30 years. And so no country for Old Men is a novel by him. And I think it just reflects the world that he created on the screen and is actually an illustration of his excellence as a writer more than it is as a film. Does that make sense? Like if you said, hey, the Great Gatsby, which it isn't. It's been made multiple times, most recently with Leonardo DiCaprio. If you said the Great Gatsby is the best movie that's ever been made, I would be like, well, it's a phenomenal novel. And so to me, I strip out anything that isn't an original movie as a great movie. Does that make sense? Podcast a reflection of, of the, of the book.

[Buck Sexton]

More than one talk back here before we get into more talkbacks and calls. Close this out. A podcast listener Zeb from Texas. Play it. Clay and Buck, this is Zeb from Texas. Love your show. Listen to you every day since y' all took over for Rush. Ditto, maybe. Hey, listen, I'm so disappointed that y' all would question producer Greg after he's led you right so many times. Minas Tirith is the capital city of Gondor after Osgiliath was destroyed by the orcs in the Battle of Sauron. Trust your man.

[Producer Greg]

I just. This is the nerdiest thing that has ever been said on the show, which.

[Buck Sexton]

Is, I just love, I love that we have listeners who clearly, clearly have a 12 gauge across the backseat of the car, have a Stetson on and cowboy boots, and they're lecturing us about Minas Tirith as the city of Gondor, as the capital of Gondor after Osilius, of course, was destroyed by the Oryx in the Battle of Sauron. That is, that is our, that is our Texas audience rolling around in a pickup, ready for any javelinas they have to take out. But you get Lord of the Rings wrong and they're dropping knowledge on you.

[Producer Greg]

The correction yesterday that I read is the nerdiest thing that's ever been said on the show. That talk back and Buck's analysis of it is the second nerdiest thing that's ever been said on the show. In the meantime, I want to tell you about what you want to make sure you do it's take care of your family. With our friends at Sabre we have every single product. I think this is true that Sabre produces. Whether it's pepper spray, whether it's the projectile pepper launcher, whether it is door protections. Everything that Sabre offers we have in the Travis household. Trust me on this. They are phenomenal. Just go look at the website saberradio.coms a b r e radio.com they are phenomenal. They've been doing this for 50 years. Family owned products are reliable and trusted. The Pepper Gel projectile launcher shaped like a pistol or rifle depending on the model you choose, fires off a pepper Pepper gel projectile targeted, goes a longer distance. Non lethal but it'll protect you. Decide what you need and what you want for your family. Again we have everything. Right now you'll get 15% [e-mail] that's S A B R E radio.com if you don't want to go online you can also call them 844-824-SAFE. These are non lethal but they'll help protect your family. 844-824 SAF.

[Tudor Dixon]

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[Clay Travis]

Let's talk photos. Not just storing them, showcasing them. You've got images that matter whether you're a photographer, a business updating your followers, or just someone who wants to share life's moments the right way. So why hand them over to Big Tech's one size fits all cloud. Big Tech companies are the fast food of photo sharing. Quick, easy, but not exactly gourmet. And what about your data integrity? Jalbum.net is the photo sharing solution that puts you in control. Want to host images on your own server? You can want a layout that actually reflects your brand or style. Jalbum's customizability is unmatched. And if you're a business sharing regular photo updates with your audience, this tool was built with you in mind. But don't just take our word for it. Over 230 million webpages have been created with Jalbum, and it's got stellar reviews on Trustpilot to prove it. So head to jalbum.net to download your free software and try it out. When you're ready to upgrade, use the code podcast for 20% off your photos, your layout, your rules. Jalbum.net the Medal of Honor is the.

[J.R. Martinez]

Highest military decoration in the United States. Recipients have done the improbable, showing immense bravery and sacrifice in the name of something more much bigger than themselves.

[Buck Sexton]

This medal is for the men who went down that day. It's for the families of those who didn't make it.

[J.R. Martinez]

I'm J.R. martinez. I'm a U.S. army veteran myself and I'm honored to tell you the stories of these heroes on the new season of Medal of Stories of Courage from Pushkin Industries and I Heart podcast from Robert Blake, the first black sailor to be awarded the medal to Daniel Daly, one of only 19 people to have received the Medal of Honor twice. These are stories about people who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor going above and beyond the call of duty. You'll hear about what they did, what it meant, and what their stories tell us about the nature of courage and sacrifice. Listen to Medal of honor on the iHeartRadio radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[Producer Greg]

Tudor Dixon will be in tomorrow and then Brian Mudd on Thursday. And then it is July 4th. Buck and I will be out with our families for the 4th. We hope all of you are going to be safe if you're on the roads traveling all over the country. Supposed to be a record breaking amount of travel going on this week, so please stay safe. Yesterday Buck, I was driving home with my kids directly in front of me and I tweeted it out right along the Gulf of America in Panama City beach where I was y a guy driving a Jeep with a huge Trump 2028 flag. So I posted that picture but I thought it kind of spoke. As we get ready for the 249th anniversary of the country want all of you to have a fabulous time, download the podcast, go subscribe to Crockett Coffee, and we're going to be back with you on Monday. But we'll have shows live Thursday or Wednesday and Thursday and then a best of on Friday for the fourth. Do you have any spectacular Fourth of July plans? What are you going to do? You mentioned you might go to the beach, which is delicate for your easily sunburned skin. Be careful.

[Buck Sexton]

True. I'm probably going to take naps, read books, walk my dog, and hang out with my wife and baby. I'm a wild man. I'm a wild man.

[Producer Greg]

That is going to be fun. It's going to be.

[Buck Sexton]

I'll be on with Glad. Like that is going to be fun. Okay, I'm going to be.

[Producer Greg]

I'm going to be on the beach Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, weather permitting here, and I'm going to be watching the rest of the Harry Potter movies with my boys. Are you a zinc.

[Buck Sexton]

Are you a zinc oxide guy? Under the eyes, I could see you throwing the zinc oxide on for the sun.

[Producer Greg]

This is probably one of many not very healthy things that I don't wear any sunscreen ever. Like, I just. What? I just. I mean, I think you got to have a tan and if you sunburn, like, that's life, put it on the kids. But for myself, like, I don't like all the sunscreen. Everything else, just stay out of the sun if you're worried about getting sunburned.

[Buck Sexton]

Otherwise, well, happy birthday, America, from Clay and Buck, and we'll talk to you all on Monday.

[J.R. Martinez]

The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration in the United States. Recipients have done the improbable, the unexpected, showing immense bravery and sacrifice in the name of something much bigger than themselves.

[Buck Sexton]

This medal is for the men who went down that day.

[J.R. Martinez]

On Medal of Honor Stories of Courage, you'll hear about these heroes and what their stories tell us about the nature of bravery. Listen to Medal of Honor on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Buck Sexton]

This is an iHeart podcast.