Buck Sexton (2:31)

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Clay Travis (2:44)

Go to puretalk.com buck and switch to Pure Talk today, third hour of play and Buck kicks off. Right now we're joined by our friend Steve Yates. He is a senior fellow at the Heritage foundation, the former senior national security official in White House. And Steve, you are in Seoul, South Korea right now. You're joining us. I think it's like 3am there. So you are a dedicated member of the Clay and Buck family to show up for us. Thank you so much for that. And feel free to if you want to tell us anything about what you're doing in South Korea, by all means. But I wanted to first, if I could put you in the situation of you are with let's just say for a conversation, Vance Kushner Witkoff, in this Islamabad negotiation, what are you expecting from the Iranians? How are you going to leverage this situation? How do you think this thing can and should be handled from our side?

Congressman Brandon Gill (3:51)

Yeah, Buck?

Steve Yates (3:51)

Well, I don't envy the task. This is a very, very big challenge. The remnants of the Iranian regime, I think our level of trust and implementation has to be very, very low. So it's not just trust but verify. But how about let's just verify and I would say the highest priority right now has to be free flow of goods out of the Gulf and through the Strait of Hormuz. My first question if I was there with them, I'd say why are we in Islamabad and is reason why. Pakistan is a particularly helpful angle in this this conversation. But I try to quickly get to that. We have to get some verifiable benchmarks. There's really no negotiation about that freedom of navigation point. And I quickly try to bring in the equities of the United Arab Emirates and some other key allies who can and will bring some capabilities to the table. And the minding of the nuclear facilities and the remnants of the regime, the political stuff that's going to take time and so would put highest priority on what our ultimate national interest has to be in the near term.

Buck Sexton (4:59)

How optimistic are you that the overall situation let's say that right now we're sitting, you know, it's April 8th, April 9th. By the time we get into May and by the time we get into June and people start to pay a little bit more attention to the midterms, how optimistic are you that we're going to be able to shift the overall story to what's going on back here in the country as opposed to externally, Iran continuing to pop up and kind of take over the narrative? In other words, can we get a solution that turns foreign policy into a significant but not primary focus of the midterms? Because I think to a large extent most people voting come November are going to be focused on what is going on directly here in the United States.

Steve Yates (5:51)

I think we have to get there and every indication is the President is determined to do so. But to get there, odds are pretty high that we're going to have to take some significant action somewhere along the way. My strongest suspicion is that we're going to have to use the resources that are moving in that direction to absolutely demonstrate control over the waterways. And I think that the other thing that we may end up having to do is we're going to have to demonstrate a willingness to strike again as more of a maintenance mode than a high tempo major military operation. I think if the President and his team can navigate that de escalation to maintenance with some burden sharing among allies that are really reliable, then I think that pivot to a necessary focus on home comes around that May timeframe in maybe June at the latest.

Clay Travis (6:44)

How do you think the Israeli allies are looking at this situation, Steve? What would you think Israel an acceptable outcome from their perspective? How do they play into all this? Because we obviously still have the Hezbollah Lebanon issue and they're bringing that as part of the U.S. essentially part of the U.S. iran negotiation is, hey America, you got to get Israel to play ball on the following thing. So it's, it's a multi party card game here.

Steve Yates (7:16)

Yeah, Well, I think that part of these negotiations have to be very clear that this is not 2co equal negotiating part. We're big and we won and you lost and we are negotiating the terms of your continued survival. We are generous and humane people in America and so we don't envy the idea of going after you to total obliteration. But make no mistake about it, we are negotiating the terms of a surrender and if we do anything less than that, then there are going to be some unacceptable outcomes here. I think the Gulf is one of those. This whole Lebanon thing is a really odd tell by Iran that it's actually them that is Hezbollah. Why in the world would they care about Hezbollah if it wasn't really an arm of their own odious regime?

Buck Sexton (8:06)

Who's making decisions from Iran? And I know the. The Gayetola. My words not yours. Little Mo, also my words not yours has supposedly put out a statement. There has been attribution to him, as in people saying, hey, this is the guy that is actually making decisions. Do we buy that, or do you think he is a convenient proxy to attach decisions to while other people are making choices? And are we even sure who's able to make choices on behalf of Iran at this point?

Steve Yates (8:41)

Well, first, Clay, I support the idea of coming up with names. I think we do that too little in August foreign policy. And it's useful political rhetoric. Number two, this is actually one of the hardest parts of this. We have decapitated the regime a couple or three layers down across a wide range of different elements of this terror network. And so we have the problem of when a ceasefire is announced. There's still other people popping off, probably because they don't have absolute centralized decision making at this point. Until there's a real verifiable proof of life. I'm not even convinced the latest iteration of the Ayatollah is calling any shots. More of that convenience you're mentioning. But there's a separation between the theocratic forces, the military forces, the secret police forces, and that I hopefully will, in the early parts of this negotiation, get some clarity about what's happening across the board. And there's the small issue of 90 million people who are not really represented by any of those institutions. And we have to make sure we have some visibility and maybe connectivity with that element of power in Iran, too.

Clay Travis (9:48)

Speaking of Steve Yates, he is a senior fellow from the Heritage Foundation, a former senior White House national security official. And Steve, you are in South Korea. You can tell us if you want. I don't know if it's super Secret Squirrel. You don't have to. You can tell us what you're up to there, because we're curious. But also in terms of the. I was going to say the Asian view of this, really what I mean is the Chinese view of this situation in Iran, what are their major take, by the way, I'm sure South Korea has some thoughts on all this, too, so you can weigh in on that. What is the Asian point of view, East Asian point of view on this whole Iran mess as it stands?

Steve Yates (10:26)

Yeah, Well, I did meet with the National Security Advisor here in South Korea, and I try to keep in touch with similar Level people in Japan, these are very important economies to us, involved in very critical industries for us and they are reasonably reliable allies when all things considered in what we are doing in the world. They have obvious concerns about energy flows. All of these economies are overly dependent on imports from the Middle East. We have options in the not too distant future if they say buy American, Alaska is an awesome opportunity with some investment on their part. And so there are some things there, but in the near term, energy, energy, energy. And the other part they are sensitive to is the strategic flexibility of our forces. When we move things to surge in one part of the world where they came from, those allies become concerned. North Korea popped off two short RA ballistic missiles while I was here. There's a nice welcome they gave me, but nothing super strategic. But they're still on alert about what could be done here while we are preoccupied in the Middle East. China, I think it's a mixed bag. The summit supposedly is still on. I give it, you know, at least 50, 50 chances of going as scheduled. But for China, there's been a pretty profound deterrent message of America is not on decline and America will act if, if provoked in our are engaged. They are concerned that Japan has made very, very clear that if China were to move on Taiwan that it would be an impact on Japan's national interests they would have to respond to. So there's a mixed bag there. They hope that we're blowing up all of our ordinance in the Middle east so it's not available in the Indo Pacific. We have to focus on that. But for now, I think that they have to take a step back and say maybe we should negotiate a little more with Donald Trump.

Buck Sexton (12:20)

Steve, I know you're talking about and we've been talking a lot about Iran. There's actually really positive news coming out of Venezuela as things seem to have calmed down substantially there and the implications for Cuba have moved to a back burner too. But what do you see happening in Venezuela? What do you see happening in Cuba? And how overall could that impact not only what might happen in the Middle east, but also China and the larger geopolitical climate?

Steve Yates (12:50)

Well, the Venezuela situation I think is a real positive so far as with everything in the world, we can always take the trajectory we're on and there's no guarantees about things continuing to work. We're still actually dealing with the remnants of a regime that has been quite problematic for a long time. But I think Donald Trump got their attention and so far they are behaving the right way and the Resource equation is getting much, much better. So we have much better options in our hemisphere. And I think the administration is determined to put the pedal to the metal in that regard. That gives us much safer, more resilient supply chains. That makes America and our neighbors more safe, secure and powerful. That gives us more safe options when trying to deal with change agents like China and other parts of the world. So I see that as conducive to what we're trying to do to get to the great game, which is to contain the malign influences of China and beat them in every, every way, shape or form on economy to space and technology.

Clay Travis (13:49)

What should we do with Cuba? You know, Trump talks about it as something thrown into the mix here. It's not. Obviously it's a much smaller country than what we're dealing with in the case of Iran or even Venezuela, but it's very close. I mean, I feel like I could swim there from here. Probably not, but maybe Clay could. It's not far. So what do you think? What should we do?

Steve Yates (14:13)

Well, I hear there's sharks in those waters, so I'd advise against making the swim, but it is near. I think that the President is relatively on track on just keeping the pressure and inducements in place to see if there's something less than the Venezuela model available to push that towards transition. The demonstration effect of Venezuela has to have some impact. The demonstration effect of going after the cartels in Mexico has to have some effect to do those two things well. And maybe we get a change in Cuba more by evolution than our having to go in and do it in a kinetic way. I think that's far preferable, although I would love to see the day when all those Cubans in your near abroad are singing and dancing in the streets of Havana again.

Clay Travis (15:00)

Sounds good to me. Steve Yates, good to see you, my friend. Get some sleep. Go save. Go save the world over there in South Korea. Thank you.

Steve Yates (15:09)

Thank you, Bob. Thank you, Clay.

Buck Sexton (15:11)

It's going to be. It was great. We'll see what happens. But I do think Cuba on the back burner here is maybe one that we get a resolution in some way sooner rather than later. Will update you, by the way. Press conference going on right now in California, associated with fraud and hospice in California. We'll bring back and talk about everything that's going on there. But in the meantime, I want to tell you all about Pure Talk. Are you trying to save some money? We all are. Would it make a difference for you at the end of the year to have up to an additional thousand dollars in your bank account. Could that help with Christmas? Could that help with New Year's? Could that help with with Thanksgiving? All the travel, all the expenses that roll up at the end of the year. Pure Talk can give you unlimited high speed data for just 34.99amonth. Not long ago they upgraded their plans because they want you to have all the data you need at a price that won't break the bank. So today Talk Text unlimited high speed data 34.99amonth. And if you're wondering is Pure Talks network really as good as the overpriced big guys, try it. I rely on it. I got teenage boys on it. They use a lot of data as you can well imagine, and they absolutely love it. My 15 year old, my 18 year old, both on the Pure Talk network. Plus they have a hundred percent US customer service team that will help you switch in as little as 10 minutes. Make the switch to Pure Talk today. Just dial pound two five zero, say Clay and Buck to claim unlimited high speed data for just 34.99. Again, £250, say clay and Clay and Buck to switch to Pure Talk, America's wireless company. That's £250. Just 34.99amonth. £250, say clay and Buck. Level up your brain and balance out your day with the right amount of information and entertainment. Clay, Travis and Buck Sexton on the I Hearts radio app or wherever you get your podcast.

Clay Travis (17:11)

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Clay Travis (19:02)

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Buck Sexton (19:18)

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Buck Sexton (20:59)

Welcome back in Clay Travis BUCK Sexton Show We've got a bunch of talkbacks. We'll get to some of those. We also have Brandon Gill. He'll update us on what's going on on Capitol Hill. And let's see G. Wendell from Palm beach, he wants to talk back to Gracie. He, he wants to hear more. We're gonna have a love connection here. But he's very impressed with her work. Wendell. Palm Beach, Florida News Radio 1290 WJNO says as follows, you just had a woman call in commenting on the no Man Left behind by Pete Hegseth. You guys missed a gem. She said she was in special ops combat. I'd like to know more about that. That's a very big rarity. And low percentage of women in special ops. Have her call back and tell us the story. That's interesting. There you go. Wendell wants more. Gracie, you can call back and let us know. Florida Cut E News Radio, wfla. This is what Talk Back listener E had to say.

Clay Travis (22:03)

So J.D. vance wasn't happy with Trump starting a conference confrontation with Iran. So if he don't have the stomach for that, why would he even have the stomach to be our president? That's a bad look.

Buck Sexton (22:24)

Well, look, I mean, a lot of people wish that we had never done anything at all with Iran. And I think JD had that perspective. He advocated for it. The president chose not to make that choice. And I think JD Would make the argument probably Buck if he runs by saying, I don't want to have anything to do in terms of serious entanglements with other, other countries.

Clay Travis (22:45)

I don't think it's that JD Lacks the stomach for the conflict with Iran. It's that he thought it was unwise and unnecessary at some level. That's a different thing, right? It's not, I think this is a necessary thing, but I'm unwilling to handle the, the challenges of it or to handle the, the burden of it. He's just like JD Saying, I don't think this is a good idea. But, but he's the vice president, not the president. So it's not his call. So he's now supporting Trump in this and trying to get some kind of a negotiated end to it. But yeah, so I wouldn't say it's that JD doesn't have the stomach. If I said that that's kind of I would change my verbiage there. It's that he preferred that we not do this because he didn't think it was in America's interest to do it under all the circumstances. I mean, that seems pretty clear.

Buck Sexton (23:34)

I also think again, we mentioned it, but that New York Times article, which I would actually encourage you guys to read, was very detailed about the meetings that led to the attack on Iran. I actually think it's a strength that the President is getting a wide variety of perspectives. If everybody agrees, sometimes it means it's a slam dunk and there is no other position. But it sounds like Rubio. J.D. vance had nuanced positions on whether or not this was smart to do. Hegseth in the reports was more gung ho. Trump wanted to do a it and going around the table and asking people's opinions and asking them to make their arguments and then ultimately letting yourself as the leader weigh in. Isn't that what we want people to do? Hear all the arguments and then make what you think is the best. That's what the whole purpose of an election is. That's why we put Trump in that seat.

Clay Travis (24:27)

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Congressman Brandon Gill (26:29)

Wilson.

Clay Travis (26:30)

But anyway, the Dignidad act got brought up here. Congressman Gill out of Texas does not like the Dignidad act and has had some public statements about how it looks a whole lot like amnesty. Congressman Gill, great to have you on the show. Thanks for calling in. You're well, actually, can I. I just want to play for you first. What? This was from July of 25, so it's a little bit. A little ways back, but this is what Representative Salazar was saying then on local news here in Miami about the Dignidad act play. This is cut 15.

Buck Sexton (27:06)

We give them dignity. At some point in the future, another legislator will write another law to give them path to citizenship. Right now what we need to do

Congressman Brandon Gill (27:16)

is to buy peace for these people,

Buck Sexton (27:18)

allow them to stay, to continue working because they are needed.

Clay Travis (27:23)

Congressman Gill, I don't. I don't know. It sounds to me like, how about we just deport the illegals and enforce the law? What's going on here?

Congressman Brandon Gill (27:31)

Well, thanks for having me on. Yeah. The last people that I want to buy peace for are the people who broke our laws and shouldn't be here to begin with. I want to buy peace for the Americans whose jobs have been taken by illegal aliens, whose wages have been suppressed by peace, for the mothers whose children who have been slaughtered by fentanyl because we've had open borders for many years. Those are the people we ought to be focused on. And we ran an election last cycle on a platform of mass deportations. And remember, there was nothing subtle about it. We were holding up mass deportation signs at the rnc, as we all remember, that's how we want. That's how we got a trifecta. And the President won the popular vote. So to turn around and start pushing an amnesty bill. And that's what this is. This is amnesty, plain and simple. The Dignidad act is a bill that would allow 12 million illegal aliens who are currently in the United States and subject to deportation to be given legal status and stay here. It would hamstring the president's ability to deport more illegal aliens on top of that. And it would allow illegal aliens who were previously deported under Trump's first administration to come back into the United States if they meet certain criteria. So this is a grotesque betrayal of everything we ran on. I'm kind of shocked we're even talking about it, but here we are. And that's why I've been fighting so hard to kill this bill.

Buck Sexton (28:58)

You're a young guy. I'm guessing that you want to work a lot. Are you frustrated with the schedule in the House and the Senate that it feels like you guys are never in session and not passing very many bills? It has to be infuriating.

Congressman Brandon Gill (29:14)

It's extremely infuriating. I mean, I ran for office so that I could fight for my district and the people of Texas and actually get real legislation done. But in order to do that, you got to be in session. I mean, we should have been in session this week. Whenever DHS isn't funded, we should be working on a reconciliation bill to fund it, to fund other. To do other conservative priorities, and we're not. And it has been extremely frustrating. So, yes, of course we should be there. We shouldn't be in Washington pushing amnesty bills, but we should be in Washington funding mass deportations.

Clay Travis (29:51)

So, I mean, this is a. They call it a path to citizenship. It's amnesty. Because we've gone through this before, back to the Dignidad act here. We've gone back to this before with the Reagan amnesty, unfortunately, which had all these enforcement mechanisms and, oh, you have to prove this and prove that. And no, just everybody who was here illegally was made. Was made permanent. And there were people. Court cases going on 15 years later with people saying, oh, no, I was covered under this, too. Right. So it just creates a huge message, which people should know about, by the way, that whenever, whenever you try to create one class of amnesty, there's going to be all these people that then sue and they want to be in that class, and there's going to be legislation to make the class bigger. The whole thing becomes A total mess. But Brandon, you're in Congress. Why are Republicans, any Republicans, in the midst of, I might add, a lot of focus on what's going on in Iran right now or has been going on recently? Why would they put something like this in this? It feels kind of sneaky, like we have Republicans voting on this right now. What's going on?

Congressman Brandon Gill (30:56)

You know, it's amazing that this has even come up. And I can't speak to the motives of, you know, Maria is a friend, Mike Lawler, who's defended this bill as a friend, their colleagues, I can't speak to their motives. But what I can say is there still is an element in our party who is just handicapped by big business interests who want mass migration, who want more cheap labor flowing across our border constantly and would love to see illegal aliens being, being given amnesty because that just means cheaper labor and bigger profit margins for them, whether it's big agribusiness or big, big whatever else. And those are the interests that I think we should be very aware of and know that they're not the ones who are voting for us. They're not the ones that we represent. We represent the people in our district whose, whose lives transformed, whose neighborhoods are unrecognizable now because of open borders and mass migration. Those are the people who elected President Trump back in 2015 and again in 2020 and again in 2024. Those are the ones that we ought to be looking out for. So the idea that we should again, even be discussing amnesty, and amnesty is the program that gives the left political power. I mean, the left feeds on illegal immigration as their path to power. The idea that in any way go along with that is nuts. And by the way, it is a massive and unforgivable betrayal of our voters who elected us to do the opposite. You know, if we went down this path, it would tear the Republican Party in two. And it would be, we would be dealing with this 10 years, 15 years down the road.

Buck Sexton (32:41)

How do you think James Talarico is going to do in November?

Congressman Brandon Gill (32:46)

You know, I have supported Ken Paxton, but I think regardless of who gets the Republican nomination, they're going to beat Talarico. I mean, you got a guy who has talked about God being non binary, about how transgenders need abortion care, about how the Bible gives, you know, has biblical justification for abortion. I mean, you have a guy who just regurgitated every weird woke aphorism that the left came up with over the past several years. And now, now it's great to see that all of that is being exposed. I mean, the people of Texas don't want some kind of weird, you know, weirdo fake pastor who wants transgenders in their little kids schools as their senator. I mean, we just want like a normal conservative to represent us. So I don't think Talarico has a chance. With that said, we've got to make sure that our people turn out to vote in November and that we do get to the polls to make sure that he doesn't, doesn't gain any traction.

Clay Travis (33:52)

Congressman Gill, appreciate you joining us from Texas. Thanks for calling in today.

Congressman Brandon Gill (33:57)

Hey, thanks for having me,

Clay Travis (34:01)

Clay, I think.

Buck Sexton (34:02)

Well, no, I was just looking. I'm looking at my quad box. Melania Trump is speaking relating to the Epstein situation. It is now being covered by CNN and msnbc, not by FOX News. I don't know. I'm trying to monitor it. We'll give you. She just finished. We'll give you some takes on that and maybe some clips because this is. I was not expecting a press conference from the first lady at all, much less one on the Epstein case. So we will talk about it when we come back.

Clay Travis (34:34)

I think we're partnering with Americans for Prosperity this spring on their One Small Step initiative. This is all about preserving the values our nation was founded upon. This is the right time during America's 250th anniversary year to take this first step. That's because America's story isn't finished. It's still being written by us. America's founding principles still matter, and some would say they matter now more than ever. We're talking about the six principles that built this country. Dignity, freedom, opportunity, the rule of law, limited government and civic duty. That's what's made America the greatest nation on earth and it's what will keep it that way. One small step is about turning belief into action because you not politicians, not bureaucrats in Washington, you are the one who keep this. You are the ones who keep this country strong. Go online to this new website. The letter a the number 250 the word toolkit.com buck to sign up for the monthly Toolkit. You'll get real specific ways to take action and celebrate core American values. That includes adding your voice for liberty, defending your rights and helping keep your community free. America's story isn't finished. It's being written right now. The real question is, what step will you take? That website again is the letter a the number 250 the word toolkit.com buck paid for by Americans for Prosperity.

Buck Sexton (35:52)

If you truly care pass along this common sense to family and friends, Clay

Clay Travis (35:57)

and Buck Owning the Airways Sometimes we all need to slow down and reconnect with what really matters most. Life moves quickly and between responsibilities, stress and distractions, it's easy to lose sight of the things that bring true meaning. That's where intouch.org comes in. It's a place filled with biblical teaching, devotionals and encouragement that speaks directly to your heart. Dr. Charles Stanley's sermons are timeless, offering wisdom that applies to everyday challenges as well as the deeper questions of faith. Faith. The resources there are designed to help you live with confidence, strengthen your relationship with God, and experience his presence in a practical way. On the site, you'll find daily devotionals to keep you grounded, articles that inspire reflection, and tools that guide you toward a life of peace and purpose. Whether you're searching for hope, strength, or simply a reminder that you're not alone, intouch.org is there for you. Make it part of your routine visit today and discover the peace, guidance and encouragement you've been looking Looking for Support

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Clay Travis (37:54)

PureTalk since day one of our program. We wanted to work with a wireless company that shares our values. PureTalk is veteran led and helping veterans is their North Star. They've donated over a half a million dollars to America's Warrior Partnership, an organization on the front lines of preventing veteran suicide.

Buck Sexton (38:10)

Side Pure Talk creates American jobs by building a customer service team that's 100% based in the US. They're committed to delivering the best experience possible for their customers.

Clay Travis (38:22)

And yes, we really rely on PureTalk service. They utilize the same towers, the Same network, same 5G coverage as one of the big wireless companies, but for a fraction of the price.

Buck Sexton (38:33)

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Buck Sexton (39:21)

apply we said there was a press conference going on as we were talking with Congressman Brandon Gill Melania Trump. We weren't able to hear the whole thing, but it had to do with Jeffrey Epstein. Epstein and this is, I think surprising that they had a press conference. But before we play these cuts, my reaction anytime a story that is not a story becomes a story is. Something is coming and I don't know if somebody's going to write a story. Somebody is trying to connect her to Epstein. It doesn't make any sense to me why a Thursday afternoon Melania Trump press conference on Epstein would be happening otherwise. So here are a couple of the cuts. First, cut 31 again, I don't think anybody was really talking about Melania Trump and Epstein.

Melania Trump (40:09)

But listen, cut 31 I never been friends with Epstein. Donald and I were invited to the same parties as Epstein from time to time, since overlapping in social circles is common in New York City and Palm Beach. To be clear, I never had a relationship with Epstein or his accomplice Maxwell. My email reply to Maxwell cannot be categorized as anything more than casual correspondence. My polite reply to her email doesn't amount to anything more than a tribal note. I am not an Epstein's victim. Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump.

Buck Sexton (40:56)

All right, more buck cut 32 never had any knowledge. I don't know. Has there been a Report. I'm going to be honest with you about Melania and Jelaine Maxwell ever having emailed. I haven't seen that before. Team, you can do a quick Google News search. So maybe that's the story she's trying to get ahead of because maybe there's some email dump out there that somebody is reporting on. I just, I don't remember having seen this story, to be frank with you guys that she referenced there. But here is the second part of that address that she just had. The press conference where she spoke. Cut 32.

Melania Trump (41:32)

I have never had any knowledge of Epstein abuse of his victims. I was never involved in any capacity. I was not a participant, was never on end Epstein's plane and never visited his private island.

Buck Sexton (41:51)

I don't have not noticed these things being said publicly. Now she. Because there are lots of things unfortunately said about the first lady or anyone in Trump's orbit that are a super negative nature associated with just kind of the media world we live in today, particularly the social media driven world. But Buck, am I wrong? Have you seen any of these stories like the Epstein stories basically vanished. So the fact that you would have a White House press conference means to me there must be some story that is coming up about Melania.

Clay Travis (42:28)

There's some reason they had the press conference. This is a total shot out of the dark. I have no idea that this was coming. I, this was a random. All of a sudden the White House is having a press conference about Melania talking about Epstein stuff. So, so I would assume that they're like what you said is the only assumption you can make is probably some hit piece that's trying to come out, that's trying to tie her to Epstein and she's just getting ahead of it by saying look, this is trash, it's garbage. And there you have it. But yeah, I'm a little surprised, Clay, just because unless there's really salacious or

Steve Yates (43:07)

you know,

Clay Travis (43:10)

I don't know, I mean unless the accusations in the piece are, I would have assumed, just ignore it. Why is it I don't get that? I don't know. I'm a little caught, I'm a little caught off, off guard by this little flat footed. I don't understand why they would have her do this press conference.

Buck Sexton (43:24)

I 100% agree with all that. And again we were live doing an interview so I wasn't able to hear the whole thing of it. But the way that I would put it is it's now the lead story on MSNBC and CNN and MSNBC Both took it live and now they're just going to show more photos of Melania alongside of Epstein. So again, the headline is First Lady Melania Trump denies relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. It's frustrating and I get it, but a lot of times when you say I didn't have anything to do with X or Y, then the stories come out and the headline is putting you alongside of that person. Again, does that make sense? And I, and I understand it. And it's particularly frustrating, I would imagine, because her husband is the president and he answers questions all day long every day, and he can fight fire with fire. And she may be frustrated because she may feel like she's being attacked and needs to be able to respond to. But the only way this makes sense to me, Buck, is if there is some sort of story coming out and they're trying to get ahead of it. That's the only thing that makes sense. And you say, well, how would you know? A lot of times they request comments on a story, something of that nature. And again, there was an intimation or a suggestion that maybe she had emailed at some point of time with Joanne Maxwell. And so maybe there's a story coming out about that. I asked the team to look it up. Did anybody find any Google stories about that? I don't even remember that story. And again, I'm not claiming that I'm plugged in on every nuance of this aspect of effect, but again, the only reason we're even talking about this is because of her press conference. And I would imagine there'll be a lot of people in media also talking about this. Only because of the press conference, which makes the timing of the press conference strange.

Clay Travis (45:21)

Yeah, no, the whole thing is gone, by the way.

Buck Sexton (45:23)

The whole Epstein thing is gone. It feels like every, you know that those memes where you have the guy trying to put the fire out, out, and then he like throws something on it and the fire just gets way bigger than it otherwise would have been. I haven't heard anybody talking about Epstein in a long time. And then suddenly there's a press conference

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and

Buck Sexton (45:46)

we're talking about Epstein again in the middle of Iran, and it's now the lead story on msnbc.

Clay Travis (45:52)

I wonder if MSNBC is going to say now, by the way, there was actually a Colbert joke, guys, what was the number of the Colbert joke about the Iran? Here we go. This is cut 13. Play this for a second. Play this.

Buck Sexton (46:05)

Trump explained that he agreed to the ceasefire because, quote, we have already met and exceeded all military objectives.

Clay Travis (46:12)

It's true.

Buck Sexton (46:13)

This war reached all of its objectives. It's been a week since anyone mentioned the Epstein files.

Clay Travis (46:20)

So they're saying that the Iran war clay is to stop people talking about Epstein. What do you think the chances are tonight over on Jimmy Kimmel or Colbert show, it's going to be Melania held an Epstein conference to distract from the Iran war negotiations going badly.

Buck Sexton (46:36)

That's actually very funny. I just, I can't pretend to even tell you other than there's a story coming out and they're trying to get ahead of it. Why in the world there would be a conference right now, press conference about Epstein. We'll about talk about all this tomorrow, see if we're right.

Clay Travis (46:52)

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Buck Sexton (47:10)

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Clay Travis (47:38)

slow down and reconnect with what matters most. Life can feel overwhelming, but encouragement and guidance are closer than you think. @intouch.org you'll find biblical teaching, daily devotionals, and timeless sermons from Dr. Charles Stanley. These resources are designed to strengthen your faith, renew your hope, and give you confidence for life. If you're seeking peace, strength, or simply a reminder of God's presence, visit intouch.org today. You'll be glad you did. We've been endorsing PureTalk since our show launched. We wanted to work with a wireless company that shares our values. PeerTalk is veteran led and they've donated over half a million dollars to America's Warrior Partnership to help prevent veteran suicide.

Buck Sexton (48:17)

They're also creating American jobs with a US only workforce and we love the service. PureTalk gives you the same towers and same 5G coverage as one of the big guys, just at a fraction of the price.

Clay Travis (48:29)

Go to puretalk.com buck and switch to Pure Talk today.

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