Podcast Summary: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
Episode: It's a Numbers Game: Ask Me Anything—Trump Strategy, Immigration, Polling Myths & Ranked Choice Voting
Host: Ryan Girdusky
Date: February 16, 2026
Podcast Brand: iHeartPodcasts
Episode Overview
This special “Ask Me Anything” edition of A Numbers Game with Ryan Girdusky (featured on Clay Travis and Buck Sexton’s network) is fueled by audience-submitted questions. The main themes center on U.S. immigration policy, Trump-era political strategy, common polling misconceptions, and complex voting systems like ranked choice voting. Girdusky delivers frank, humor-tinged, detail-oriented answers—peppering the episode with personal anecdotes and pointed insights into politics, public perception, and the evolving American landscape.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Trump Administration Immigration Publicity
(02:23 – 04:54)
- Listener Question: Why doesn’t the Trump administration publicize the backgrounds of deported illegal aliens and their crimes?
- Ryan’s Response:
- The administration and ICE do publicize these crimes, but the mainstream media simply doesn’t broadcast them.
“…you have to look for them because the media doesn’t really pick it up. DHS will regularly tweet out the criminals that they've arrested, post them on social media…” (03:04)
- Anecdote: Liberal groups in Minnesota were protesting an ICE arrest without understanding the criminal’s background (drug trafficking).
- The administration and ICE do publicize these crimes, but the mainstream media simply doesn’t broadcast them.
2. Accents, Heritage, and Media Stereotypes
(04:54 – 07:47)
- Listener Comment: About Ryan’s New York-Italian dialect/accent.
- Ryan’s Response:
- Embraces his background while keeping speech accessible.
- Shares a humorous story about his grandmother making up Italian phrases:
“…she at times spoke Italian like the Swedish chef on the Muppets spoke Swedish…But I thought it was real growing up.” (06:34)
- Observes how TV historically ignored authentic regional accents.
3. Economic Polls: Confidence vs. Personal Gain
(07:47 – 09:06)
- Listener Question: Why are polls showing improved personal finances but decreased economic confidence?
- Ryan’s Insight:
- Polls are capturing anxiety and uncertainty, especially post-COVID and with AI/outsourcing on the horizon.
- Trump’s unpredictable tariffs have “not ruined the economy” but heightened a sense of economic instability.
“…People do not like uncertainty. The markets don’t like uncertainty. And Trump…makes people very uncertain.” (08:45)
4. Trump’s Base: Voter Motivation Contradictions
(09:06 – 10:33)
- Listener Question: Is Trump’s base more or less motivated than Democrats, and are high-frequency GOP voters being replaced by low-frequency ones?
- Ryan’s Answer:
- The Trump base is heterogeneous—some are highly motivated “three-time Trump voters,” but the overall base is broader and includes many less engaged supporters.
- Polling and analyses like Scott Rasmussen’s can be oversimplified.
5. Migration and Voting Trends in Texas & California
(10:33 – 14:44)
- Listener Question: Are blue-state migrants making Texas more red or blue?
- Ryan’s Take:
- Debunks CNN exit poll claims from 2018; says exit polls often misrepresent rural and demographic data.
- Recent New York Times research shows that post-COVID, new Texas migrants are more Republican (R+20) than native Texans (R+5 in 2020).
“…people who moved to Texas during COVID are…R+20 according to the New York Times study…” (13:53)
- Memorable moment: Ryan jokes about the issue living “rent free” in his head for eight years.
6. Gossip Segments & Podcast Style
(14:44 – 14:48)
- Ryan mentions the popularity of his “allegedly” gossip bits on The Megan McCain Show, expressing the need to vet rumors before sharing.
7. The SAVE Act: Voter ID Law and Criticisms
(17:21 – 20:43)
- Listener Question: Does the SAVE Act disenfranchise married women or those lacking certain documents?
- Ryan’s Reading (from the bill):
- The law allows for alternative documents and state/local discretion (“wiggle room”).
- Strongly denies mass disenfranchisement claim; highlights media narrative overblowing the issue.
“…States and localities have a lot of wiggle room to figure out if someone’s actually a citizen.” (19:54)
- Satirical jab: “If the only thing you have is a profile on TikTok, maybe you shouldn't be voting.”
8. Immigration Systems: U.S. vs. UAE
(20:43 – 22:36)
- Listener Question: Can the U.S. adopt a UAE-style labor immigration policy where guest workers don’t get citizenship or benefits?
- Ryan’s Opinion:
- U.S. birthright citizenship, legal culture, and moral standards make this incompatible.
- Critiques the UAE’s “subhuman” treatment of workers.
- Forecasts that automation (robots) will make further mass labor immigration “nuts.”
“We need an immigration moratorium like yesterday. This is nuts.” (22:11)
9. Oregon Trail and Millennial Education
(22:36 – 25:36)
- Listener Observation: Millennials all played Oregon Trail in school.
- Ryan’s Riff: Wonders humorously what this uniquely American, semi-grim video game taught a generation.
10. Alaska’s Ranked-Choice Voting and the Sullivan-Peltola Race
(25:36 – 28:25)
- Listener Question: How does Alaskan ranked-choice voting affect upcoming Senate races?
- Ryan’s Answer:
- Explains the “jungle primary/ranked choice” system.
- Forecasts Sullivan’s outcome depends heavily on first-round vote share.
“If…Dan Sullivan has 49.88%, he’s very likely going to win. If he is 45, it's very unlikely he's going to win.” (27:22)
- Polls have been historically unreliable in Alaska; leans toward a Republican hold.
11. AZ Gubernatorial Primary Dynamics
(31:26 – 33:19)
- Listener Question: Arizona’s three-way GOP race—forecast?
- Ryan’s Update:
- Karen Taylor Robeson dropped out; Andy Biggs now leads the field.
- Shares inside gossip about potential running mates (Erica Kirk with Biggs), noting rumors should be taken with caution.
- Despite a Democratic (Hobbs) polling lead, the state’s shift rightward means a Republican win is plausible.
12. Impact of Medical Care on Crime Stats
(33:19 – 34:44)
- Listener Question: Is the drop in murder rate a result of better medical care rather than fewer crimes?
- Ryan’s Insight:
- Both shootings and homicides are down (22%, 21% respectively); improved medical care accounts for some reduction in deaths, a decades-long phenomenon.
- Drug crimes and sexual assaults were the only growing crime types in 2025.
13. Catholic Church, Charities, and Immigration
(34:44 – 43:57)
- Listener Question: How does Catholic Charities’ government reliance affect its immigration advocacy? Is it self-interest or compassion?
- Ryan’s Take:
- Most Catholic Charities’ funding now comes from government, not parishioners.
- Describes encounters at the border with Catholic Charities “stretching the truth” about migrant backgrounds.
- Calls U.S. bishops and the Pope “spineless” regarding pressure for popularity and funding.
“The bishops are spineless. The bishops are 100% spineless. The pope, especially the last Pope, absolutely spineless…” (36:32)
- Cites Cardinal Sarah’s warnings about mass immigration and the risk of Western dissolution:
“It is a false use of the word of God to promote migration…If Europe disappears…Islam will invade the world and we will completely change our culture and moral vision.” (38:11)
- Ryan reaffirms pride in American uniqueness and nativist sentiment, quoting Cardinal Sarah as moral compass.
Notable Quotes
-
On Immigration Publicity:
“They do put them out there. It’s not that they don’t, it’s that you have to look for them because the media doesn’t really pick it up.” (03:06, Ryan Girdusky)
-
On Poll Anxiety:
“People do not like uncertainty. The markets don’t like uncertainty. And…for all the good things that he [Trump] does…he makes people very uncertain.” (08:45, Ryan Girdusky)
-
On Immigration Moratorium:
“We need an immigration moratorium like yesterday. This is nuts.” (22:11, Ryan Girdusky)
-
On Catholic Charities and Immigration:
“The bishops are spineless…the pope, especially the last Pope, absolutely spineless. They love to sit there and play footsie with the media and get nice coverage.” (36:32, Ryan Girdusky)
-
On National Identity and Mass Migration:
“If we are a nation that has no identity…we cease as a people and they are robbed of their national identity… the culture and the identity that a nation is built around is unique and is special…” (40:42, Ryan Girdusky)
Key Timestamps
- 02:23 – Trump admin and publicity of deported criminal aliens
- 04:54 – Dialects, accents, and TV stereotypes
- 07:47 – Divergence in economic polling
- 09:06 – Trump base motivation
- 10:33 – Who’s moving to Texas: impact on elections
- 17:21 – The SAVE Act and voting requirements
- 20:43 – U.S. vs. UAE immigration models
- 22:36 – Millennials and the enduring Oregon Trail
- 25:36 – Alaska, ranked choice voting, and 2026 elections
- 31:26 – Arizona’s GOP primary shakeup
- 33:19 – Interplay between murder rates and medical advancements
- 34:44 – Catholic Charities’ funding and role in migration politics
Tone & Personality
Ryan’s delivery is irreverent yet data-driven, swinging between policy analysis, pointed sarcasm, and personal storytelling. He’s unapologetically opinionated, especially regarding immigration and cultural identity, and is transparent when drawing on both quantitative data and subjective moral frameworks.
For Listeners Who Missed The Show
This episode is a lively, idea-rich forum for listeners who want deep dives into headline issues. You’ll find blunt answers on immigration reform, party realignment, election law, and the nature of national identity—freighted with firsthand observations, wry humor, and trenchant criticism of media narratives and political elites.
TL;DR
Ryan Girdusky answers audience questions about immigration, polling myths, ranked choice voting, and national identity, emphasizing the need for nuanced policy, skepticism toward media narratives, and cultural self-preservation. The episode pairs political “insider” details with everyday wit and forthright opinions—hallmark traits of The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show network.