The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Hour 3 – Why Redistricting Matters
Date: October 30, 2025
Host: Clay Travis and Buck Sexton
Key Guest: Lieutenant Governor of Indiana

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the growing political significance of redistricting, particularly in Republican-led states like Indiana, and the national ramifications of gerrymandering. Clay and Buck weave in sharp critiques of recent political soundbites, discuss the fragility of "legacy" media trust, touch on popular culture, and take a deep dive with the Indiana lieutenant governor on the legislative battle over redistricting. The show employs its usual mix of political analysis, cultural references, and humor.

Main Topics & Discussions

1. Halloween Banter and Setting the Stage

• Clay and Buck riff about Buck's "Latin music star" haircut and Buck's six-month-old son, introducing the show with levity.
• [03:04] Clay: "Buck has not even had to dress up. Although he does look like a Latin music star now with his new haircut...we have got a happy beaming baby boy..."

2. State of the Government Shutdown and Political Optics

• Recap of recent polling from CNN showing Republicans not harmed by the government shutdown, possibly benefiting from it. Quotes provided from Harry Enton’s analysis.
• [05:19] Buck: "Might actually hurt the Republican brand."
• [05:39] Buck: "It's actually up 5 points since pre shutdown."
• [05:56] Clay: "Republicans with the shutdown are actually rallying."
• Hosts predict Democrats will try to end the shutdown soon, noting how even CNN is recognizing the political disadvantage for Democrats.

3. Legacy Media Trust & Gavin Newsom's Shifting Narrative

• Clay and Buck dissect California Governor Gavin Newsom's contradictory statements regarding his son’s fandom of Charlie Kirk—using it as a broader critique about political trust and media consistency.
• [08:10] Buck: "It's just so petty and slimy. Clearly, Gavin Newsom is a guy who says one thing to one person and another thing to another, depending on the needs of the moment."
• Clay explains how social media clips now expose such inconsistencies instantly.

4. Cultural Commentary & ESPN Critique

• The hosts lambast ESPN commentator Ryan Clark for criticizing the Governor of Louisiana and disparaging Charlie Kirk, echoing a conservative frustration about politics in sports media.
• [11:04] Clay: "He is epically dumb and racist. That's a bad combo."
• [11:48] Buck: "It does seem like there's no IQ requirement for sports commentary. I'll just say some of the things that I hear from the sports commentariat..."

5. Kamala Harris's Australian Interview & Dodging Questions

• Extended attention is paid to Vice President Kamala Harris’s interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Sarah Ferguson, who presses her on Biden’s frailties and Harris’s reluctance to address them directly.
  • [12:53] Sarah Ferguson: "I want to interrupt you because that is a world class pivot, but it is not the question that I asked you, which is about Joe Biden's failure to recognize his own frailties..."
  • [15:10] Buck: "Can I just say it's very clear that she's been coached to say it's in the book, which she did not write, mind you, as a dodge whenever someone tries to—it's in the book. I wrote about it in the book."
  • Buck and Clay predict a likely showdown between Kamala Harris and Gavin Newsom for Democratic leadership.

6. Gavin Newsom Positioning for Presidential Run

• Discussion of Newsom’s attempts to position himself as Biden’s heir, even claiming Biden is "one of the most successful presidents in the last century":
  • [17:23] Newsom: "One of the most successful presidents in the last century, and that is Joe Biden. And I will defend that to my grave."
• Buck analyzes Newsom’s real-time strategy for winning over the Democratic base.

FEATURED SEGMENT: REDISTRICTING WITH THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR OF INDIANA

[25:50 - 34:49]

Background & Political Stakes

• The Indiana legislature faces pressure to redistrict in a way that would maximize Republican representation (potentially moving from a current 7-2 Republican majority in Congressional seats to a possible 9-0 sweep).
• The Lieutenant Governor explains internal GOP division and the urgency due to filing deadlines.

Key Quotes:

• [26:33] LG Indiana: "The governor called a special session just a couple days ago... we're trying to get the Republican Senate supermajority and the Republican super majority in the House to actually come back and actually do their duty."
• [28:22] LG Indiana: "We're getting screwed because we're trying to play fair... And these states like Illinois and the New England states and California are stealing our votes. They're still watering down our Republican voices."
• [29:33] On deadlines: "We've got probably only a window of maybe a couple more weeks here. And so that's why it's really coming down to the wire."
• [31:25] Complacency: "100% complacency is our worst enemy in Indiana because people just kind of say, okay, hey, we're red, we're good."
• [32:08] Infiltration: "You also get the typical Democrat who knows they can't win as a Democrat in Indiana, so they'll run as a Republican and they basically infiltrate the party and then they try to water down the party and move the party back further to the left."

Broader Gerrymandering Context

• Buck and Clay compare Indiana’s relatively “square” districting to the bizarrely-shaped districts in Illinois and elsewhere, highlighting the partisan arms race in district design.

Motivation Tactics & The Ground Game

• Emphasis on the need for GOP voters not to be complacent even in "safe" red states.
• Hints at supporting primaries against less "America First" incumbents if necessary.

Cultural Touchdown: Indiana as a Sports Mecca

• Lighthearted close to the interview as Clay jokes Indiana is becoming a football state and teases about college basketball.
  • [33:53] LG Indiana: "Indiana has become a sports mecca of the world right now. And then you got, you know, IMs, the speedway."

Additional Notable Moments

Lighter Fare & Pop Culture

• Halloween candy debate sparks generational ribbing and nostalgia.
  • [45:09] Buck: "No question, Reese's Pieces... Always Reese's. Reese's. Any Reese's Cups."
  • [46:50] Buck: "Tootsie Rolls are trash. Trash. Way too chewy."

Audience Engagement

• Call-ins and “talkbacks” allow listeners to contribute jokes, trivia, or friendly corrections, keeping the tone conversational and inclusive.

Notable Quotes and Timestamps

| Time | Speaker | Quote | |----------|---------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 05:39 | Buck Sexton | "It's actually up 5 points since pre shutdown." | | 08:10 | Buck Sexton | "It's just so petty and slimy. Clearly, Gavin Newsom is a guy who says one thing to one person and another thing to another, depending on the needs of the moment." | | 12:53 | Sarah Ferguson (ABC)| "I want to interrupt you because that is a world class pivot, but it is not the question that I asked you, which is about Joe Biden's failure to recognize his own frailties..." | | 17:23 | Gavin Newsom | "One of the most successful presidents in the last century, and that is Joe Biden. And I will defend that to my grave." | | 28:22 | LG Indiana | "We're getting screwed because we're trying to play fair... And these states like Illinois and the New England states and California are stealing our votes." | | 31:25 | LG Indiana | "100% complacency is our worst enemy in Indiana because, you know, people just kind of say, okay, hey, we're red, we're good." | | 46:50 | Buck Sexton | "Tootsie Rolls are trash. Trash. Way too chewy." |

Important Timestamps

• Polling on Shutdown: [05:14–06:02]
• Gavin Newsom Clip Contradiction: [07:03–08:38]
• ESPN/Charlie Kirk Segment: [09:48–11:48]
• Kamala Harris Interview: [12:12–16:28]
• Newsom Praising Biden: [16:49–18:23]
• Redistricting Interview: [25:50–34:49]
• Halloween Candy Debate: [44:49–46:50]

Episode Tone and Style

Clay and Buck sustain a conversational, unfiltered, and humorous approach, blending pointed political critique with pop culture and everyday observations. There’s plenty of good-natured teasing, especially around generational divides, and audience participation further roots the show “in the real world” of its listeners.

Conclusion

This episode uses Indiana's redistricting battle as a springboard to hammer broader themes: the national importance of state-level political maneuvers, media hypocrisy, and the necessity for GOP engagement. Interludes on pop culture, Halloween, and call-ins keep things lively and relatable for all listeners, even if they missed the show live.