The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show – "Hour 3: The Receipts" (December 31, 2025)
Guest Host: Brian Mudd (in for Clay and Buck)
Podcast: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
Episode Theme: Taking Stock of Trump’s 20-Point Plan – Wins, Data, and “The Receipts” of 2025
Overview
In this special end-of-year episode, Brian Mudd fills in for Clay and Buck to present a comprehensive, data-driven review of President Trump’s first 11 months back in office, specifically evaluating progress on Trump’s 20-point plan to “Save America.” Using facts, figures, and notable developments, Brian focuses on concrete policy changes, societal shifts, and their tangible impacts. The hour is a detailed walk through administration "receipts," breaking down where America stands after a dramatic political and cultural turnaround, according to the host’s analysis.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Shrinking the Federal Bureaucracy
Timestamp: 04:41
- Approximately 271,000 fewer federal government employees than at the start of 2025.
- Over 9% reduction in federal bureaucracy (excluding the military).
- “Almost a tenth of the federal bureaucracy, Gonzo. In year one, we've shrunk the federal bureaucracy by almost 1% per month that Trump has been in office.” – Brian Mudd [05:07]
2. Rolling Back Political Correctness and DEI
Timestamp: 06:13
- 20% of U.S. companies eliminated DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs in 2025; another 10% reduced them.
- 432 colleges across 47 states removed DEI programs.
- NCAA ended policies allowing trans athletes in women’s sports; Trump administration ended “trannies in the military.”
- “The NCAA changed their official policy stance to end men that wake up and go, yeah, feeling like a chick today...That was big time.” – Brian Mudd [06:55]
3. Media Landscape Shake-Up
Timestamp: 08:02
- Major leadership and structural changes at CBS, NPR, NBC, MSNBC (“Ms. Now”), and the BBC, attributed to scandals and shifts.
- “Massive news organizations... what is now, Ms. Now, and even at the BBC because of their January 6th editing fake news scandal...” – Brian Mudd [08:15]
4. The Rule of Law
Timestamp: 08:56
- Trump’s first bill: The Lake and Riley Act.
- 12 executive orders to improve law and order.
- 21 out of 24 Trump administration Supreme Court cases had favorable rulings.
- “When the cases have made it to the Supreme Court, President Trump has still had favorable outcomes on 21 of the 24 cases that have gone that far. 21 of the 24.” – Brian Mudd [09:44]
5. Border Security & Deportations
Timestamp: 10:27
- “Sealing the border”: Illegal crossings down 99% from Biden-era levels.
- More illegal crossings occurred in one day under Biden than in the first 11 months of Trump’s return.
- Over 2.5 million deportations since “onset” of Trump’s return, 1.9 million are “self-deportations.”
- "The illegal immigrant population [reduced] by somewhere in the neighborhood of about one year's worth of Biden's open border policies." – Brian Mudd [12:29]
- New deal with Boeing to accelerate deportations.
6. Inflation, Income, and Affordability
Timestamp: 15:06
- Consumer Price Index averaged 2.7% during first three quarters of Trump’s new term (lower than late Biden era).
- Average incomes up 3.5% year-over-year; net 1% better off for average Americans compared to Jan 2025.
- "You can lie to people about what policy will do... but you can't lie to people about what is or isn't in their wallet because they know." – Brian Mudd [16:34]
7. U.S. Energy Independence
Timestamp: 26:03
- U.S. domestic energy production at record highs, up 4% overall.
- Renewable energy production up 11% ("solar led the way"), despite cancellation of certain wind programs.
- Oil production up 3%, natural gas up 5%.
8. Reshoring Manufacturing and Reducing Reliance on China
Timestamp: 27:15
- 59% of U.S. manufacturing companies increased on-shore operations.
- 244,000 new manufacturing jobs; 174,000 jobs saved.
- Imports from China fell from 22% to 14% of U.S. purchases.
- “Funny what happens when you have America First executive orders...” – Brian Mudd [28:10]
9. Taxes: Tipping, Overtime, and Social Security
Timestamp: 29:01
- Ended federal taxes on tips, overtime, and (for most) Social Security.
- Tax cut savings: $2,000/year for tip earners; $1,400 for overtime; $1,500/year for Social Security recipients.
- “Done, done, and done on that one.” – Brian Mudd [29:09]
10. Undoing Biden-Era Policies & Defending the Constitution
Timestamp: 30:11
- 97 Biden executive actions rescinded, 16 regulatory rules overturned.
- Actions to protect free speech, Second Amendment rights, birthright citizenship (pending SCOTUS).
- “President Trump’s win rate by the time you get to the Supreme Court: not 90%.” – Brian Mudd [31:06]
11. Foreign Policy: Peacemaking & Ending Wars
Timestamp: 31:29
- Trump negotiations credited for peace in: Azerbaijan-Armenia, Cambodia-Thailand, Israel-Iran, Gaza-Israel, Rwanda-Congo, India-Pakistan, Egypt-Ethiopia, Serbia-Kosovo, reducing U.S. support for Ukraine to NATO-backed, resource-based arrangements.
- “He’s brought a record amount of peace in a short period of time.” – Brian Mudd [32:12]
12. De-Weaponizing Federal Agencies
Timestamp: 33:16
- Cites end to government targeting of conservatives, IRS/political pressure, Big Tech censorship.
- “It’s kind of easy to forget that all that was in place not long ago – all been taken care of.” – Brian Mudd [33:58]
13. Cutting Crime, Drug Epidemic, City Safety & Military Readiness
Timestamp: 34:21
- Non-citizens 9x more likely to commit crimes under Biden; crime stats down under Trump:
- Homicides down 17%
- Robberies & thefts down 25%
- Violent crime down 11%; property crime down 12%
- DC’s crime rate fell >20%; Memphis also cited.
- Major overhaul of military readiness, rebranding of Defense Department.
14. Strengthening the Dollar, Social Security, and Medicare
Timestamp: 35:33
- 5% global increase in U.S. dollar as reserve currency.
- $9B/yr in fraudulent Social Security payments eliminated; $15B in Medicare fraud cuts.
- Drug price renegotiations led to an additional $12B saved.
15. Deregulation and Consumer Impact
Timestamp: 36:24
- Trump cut 646 regulations in 11 months; average household saves $600/year.
- “About $600 less in consumer expense annually.” – Brian Mudd [36:30]
16. Education Reform
Timestamp: 36:42
- Department of Education staff cut by over 50%.
- Many responsibilities shifted to Labor, Interior, HHS, and State.
17. Women’s Sports and Gender Policy
Timestamp: 41:09
- Feb 5th: Trump’s executive order to keep men out of women’s sports, enforcing “assigned female at birth” policies.
- NCAA responded in kind.
18. Combatting Antisemitism on Campus
Timestamp: 41:47
- Executive order and $400M in funds withheld from 60 schools due to policy violations.
19. Voting Integrity
Timestamp: 42:19
- Mandates proof of citizenship for mailed-in voter forms.
20. Attracting Investment
Timestamp: 42:30
- $9.6 trillion in new investments in the U.S. reported over 11 months.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “Two sides of stories, one side of facts.” – Brian Mudd, throughout the episode; emphasizes objective measurement.
- “Holy cow, or things that forgotten because he accomplished them so quickly.” – Brian Mudd [24:36]
- Listener Call (Andrew from Houston):
- "What about this question? When are we going to get more money in our pockets?...You guys are trying too hard to convince people.”
- Response: “If you’re just the average person, then on January 20th ... the odds are you’re doing better than you were.” – Brian Mudd [22:14–22:53]
Structure & Tone
- Tone: Assertive, upbeat, and insistent on “fact-based” analysis; Brian Mudd uses a direct conversational style and is often incredulous at the claimed speed and scale of change.
- Format: Systematic walk-through (bullet-point style) of Trump’s promises vs. “receipts”; considers both high-level policies and granular data.
- Memorable language: Frequent use of phrases like “Gonzo,” “done, done, and done,” and “two sides of stories, one side of facts”.
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Federal workforce reduction: [04:41]
- DEI/wokeness/corporate & campus culture: [06:13]
- Border crisis/deportation statistics: [10:27]
- Inflation/wages/cost of living: [15:06]
- Energy independence: [26:03]
- Manufacturing jobs & China policy: [27:15]
- Listener call (Andrew from Houston): [21:21]
- Taxes on tips, overtime, Social Security: [29:01]
- Foreign policy and “peace” deals: [31:29]
- Immigration crime stats/city safety: [34:21]
- Women’s sports executive order: [41:09]
- Investment in U.S.: [42:30]
Closing
Brian Mudd wraps up with an optimistic look toward 2026, reiterating that while more work remains, “we are set for success” so long as voters remain engaged. He encourages listeners to take stock of tangible changes, participate civically, and prepare for an even more successful coming year.
“Are we exactly where we want to be? Probably not. Is there more work to do? Yeah. Has it been an incredible 11 plus months? Heck yeah, it has.” – Brian Mudd [42:47]
This summary captures the episode’s comprehensive review of Trump’s first year post-2024, emphasizing measurable changes, a return to pre-progressive policies, and a call for continued engagement.