The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Hour 3 - Trump Derangement Syndrome
Date: December 1, 2025
Podcast: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show (iHeartPodcasts)

Episode Overview

This hour of The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show explores the concept of "Trump Derangement Syndrome" (TDS)—a term used to describe extreme and irrational opposition to or hatred of Donald Trump. Featuring guest psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert, the discussion delves into whether TDS is a legitimate mental health phenomenon, how it manifests in personal and social relationships, and its wider impact on American culture and political discourse. The show also touches on related topics including health trends, the decline of math skills in colleges, and ongoing debates about meritocracy and standardized testing.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Post-Thanksgiving Reflections and Pandemic Memories

• Hosts share Thanksgiving experiences with family and friends, reflecting on "the free state of Florida" (02:38) and past pandemic restrictions like Gavin Newsom’s outdoor mandates (03:25).
• Reminder of contradictory behaviors by public figures during COVID-19 (Deborah Birx, Gavin Newsom), highlighting public frustrations with double standards (04:08).

2. News Briefs and Ongoing Headlines

• White House press briefing update: Caroline Levitt comments on the National Guard shooting near the White House (06:41).
  • Notable quote: “Sarah and Andrew represent the very best of America, two young patriots... Both of them truly embody the profound words spoken by Jesus Christ in the gospel...” – Caroline Levitt [06:41]
• President Trump’s health:
  • The White House announces Trump underwent a full body MRI and was declared healthy (07:23).
  • Hosts discuss the growing trend and future of preventative, full-body medical screenings (09:21), and AI’s influence in self-diagnosis and healthcare tracking.

3. The GLP-1 Economy & Shifting Health/Lifestyle Norms

• Discussion of the popularity and social impact of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, influencing body image, fitness, and even trends in pregnancy (10:19).
  • Memorable analogy by Buck: “GLP ones did to body positivity what body cams did to the BLM movement.” [11:40]

4. Education Crisis: Decline in Basic Math Skills & SAT Debate

• Clay references a Wall Street Journal article revealing shocking statistics: only 39% of UC San Diego freshmen could perform basic rounding (a third-grade skill) despite high grades in advanced math courses (12:34).
  • Notable quote: “Only 39%...could correctly round that number to the nearest hundred. A third-grade skill at this elite University.” – Clay Travis [12:41]
• The hosts argue that grade inflation and elimination of standardized testing (SAT/ACT) have undermined meritocracy, with Buck emphasizing that removing objective metrics is a strategy to hide failed educational outcomes (15:25).

5. Listener Voices: Decline in Student Preparedness

• Retired chemistry professor Don from Oklahoma calls in to share his experience: "I teach the students how to do algebra. But the kicker was they can't multiply 2 times 3." [22:26]
  • Don notes preparation drastically worsened especially in the last decade, echoing the show’s concerns about inflated grades and lack of basic skills.

6. Feature Interview: Jonathan Alpert on "Trump Derangement Syndrome"

• Introduction: Jonathan Alpert, NY/DC psychotherapist and author of "Therapy Nation" and the recent Wall Street Journal piece on TDS, joins the show (24:09).
• Is TDS ‘real’?:
  • “It's not a real thing. However, it probably should be a real thing... we're seeing families split up. We've seen people obsessed with Trump...it's ruining their mental health.” – Jonathan Alpert [25:28]
• Clinical Symptomatology:
  • Hyperfixation on Trump causing disrupted sleep, inability to relax, fractured relationships, and irrational fears or beliefs (27:18).
    • “If you’re at the point where you are losing sleep over our president or...can’t enjoy a vacation because ‘how can I possibly relax knowing that Trump’s in office’— you’re sick, you’ve got issues.” – Jonathan Alpert [27:18]
• Coping with ‘crazy’ friends/family:
  • Confront gently, seek to understand the roots of demonization, but recognize some people may be “beyond repair” due to social media echo chambers (30:01).
  • Notable anecdote: Celebrations after the (fictional) murder of Charlie Kirk as evidence of moral breakdown and hyper-partisanship [28:49].
• Impact on Mental Health Field:
  • Alpert shares he’s received “unhinged, vile emails from licensed mental health professionals” after publishing his editorial, highlighting the field’s overwhelming left-wing bias (32:16).
  • “So that tells you what you need to know about my profession. And you’re right, it’s dominated by liberals.”
• Future Beyond Trump:
  • TDS likely to reemerge for other Republican figures, as some people need a constant “object to hate” (34:00).
  • Related to Culture Wars: Transference of activist energy from BLM to Ukraine, Covid, and beyond (35:29).
    • “It’s like a big group therapy session that amounts to absolutely nothing. It’s not making these people healthier.” – Jonathan Alpert [35:29]
• Right-leaning Mental Health Professionals:
  • Alpert laments the scarcity but encourages more conservatives in the field to speak up, hoping for a healthier, less divided nation (36:55).

7. Callers Weigh in on Education

• Darcy from Houston: Shares her daughter's withdrawal from public school due to “failing kids in math” and grade inflation; now thriving as a civil engineering major at Texas A&M (43:11).
  • “This partially falls to parents to do flashcards with their kids.” – Darcy, caller [43:58]

8. Closing Reflections

• Hosts reflect on the challenges facing meritocracy, education, health, and society’s increasing polarization.
• Personal asides about holiday eating habits, “dad bod,” and the importance of building real skills for a changing economy (41:51, 44:34).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On pandemic hypocrisy:
  “Dr. Birx also went home for Thanksgiving and hung out with all her people after telling everybody don’t go home and hang out with everyone at Thanksgiving. That was a tough one to explain. That was going full French Laundry on that one a la Gavin Newsom.” – Buck Sexton [04:08]

• On TDS as a (nearly) clinical diagnosis:
  “Frankly, it’s ruining their mental health... if you’re that hyper fixated on a figure, you need to check in with a therapist.” – Jonathan Alpert [25:28]

• On grade inflation and college readiness:
  “All these kids that are failing… don’t have basic math skills, they’re actually testing with A grades in calculus and pre-cal and stat...” – Clay Travis [14:36]

• Clinical signs of TDS:
  “If you are losing sleep over our president… this is when it rises to the level of pathologic.” – Jonathan Alpert [27:18]

• On the psychology field’s bias:
  “I’ve received too many to count hate emails from my colleagues… absolutely unhinged, vile emails from licensed mental health professionals. So that tells you what you need to know about my profession.” – Jonathan Alpert [32:16]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Thanksgiving reflections & pandemic memories: 02:38–05:04
• National Guard shooting/Trump health update: 06:41–09:21
• Preventive MRI and AI in medicine: 09:21–11:09
• GLP-1 weight loss drugs commentary: 10:19–11:40
• Decline in basic math skills/SAT discussion: 12:34–17:52
• Retired professor Don’s call (math crisis): 22:26–23:02
• Feature interview: Jonathan Alpert on TDS: 24:09–37:37
• Darcy (parent of engineering student) on education: 43:11–43:58

Key Takeaways

• “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” while not formally recognized, has real, damaging effects on individual and societal mental health.
• Polarization linked to Trump is part of a deeper trend of seeking causes or enemies, often exacerbated by social media echo chambers.
• The erosion of objective standards in education (with SATs and grade inflation) raises red flags for future competitiveness and meritocracy.
• The mental health profession is overwhelmingly liberal, contributing to a lack of balanced discourse about political mania.
• Listeners and experts alike call for rationality, robust debate, and readiness to confront uncomfortable truths in both politics and education.

Summary prepared for listeners seeking a concise yet comprehensive understanding of the episode’s major themes, notable discussion points, and guest insights.