The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show: Normally Podcast

Episode: Back-to-School Chaos, COVID Lessons & Political Trends
Date: August 21, 2025
Hosts: Mary Katharine Campbell & Carol Markowitz
Network: iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

This episode of the "Normally" podcast explores the chaos of back-to-school season, hard-hitting lessons from the COVID era, and the shifting landscape of American politics as seen in voter registration and party dynamics. Hosts Mary Katharine Campbell and Carol Markowitz mix personal anecdotes with sharp commentary on recent news stories, including the New York Times' reflections on pandemic-era policies, the current status of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Gavin Newsom's meme-tweeting, and the latest data on alcohol consumption trends in the US.

1. Back-to-School Mayhem (03:14–04:33)

• The episode opens with Mary Katharine and Carol commiserating over the exhaustion and bureaucracy of back-to-school preparations.
• Mary Katharine calls this time of year “form filling out season,” confessing, “I am not good at form filling out. And I spend about half of every day chasing down forms for the next two weeks. But eventually it will be done. I believe in myself.” (03:53)
• The hosts joke about their shared practice of forwarding school emails and forms to their husbands as a coping strategy.
  • Carol: “I feel like you and I have the forwarding forms to husbands kind of email.” (04:03)
  • Mary Katharine: “I forward stuff to him that he then follows up on and I'm like, what are you even talking about? … It no longer existed in my universe once you had it.” (04:12)
• Despite the chaos, both agree their kids are (mostly) excited to go back to school.

2. Revisiting COVID: The New York Times’ “Too-Late” Realizations (04:34–10:37)

• This week, The New York Times published an editorial crediting “normies” (like Mary Katharine and Carol) for having been right about the societal fallout of pandemic policies.
• The editorial acknowledged that actions like school closures, lockdowns, and relaxation of law enforcement during COVID led to real negative consequences—points the hosts argued were “obvious” at the time.

Key Discussion Points

• NYT Acknowledges Societal Breakdown:
  • Carol reads aloud: “During the pandemic, reckless driving deaths…increased. Alcohol and drug deaths also rose…It was as if many Americans took a so-called moral holiday.” (05:35)
  • Mary Katharine: “Did, did we, did we say that might happen?” (06:04)
  • Carol: “Did we say that societal breakdown happens when we encourage people to turn on each other?” (06:07)
• On School Closures:
  • “Officials at least should have put more weight on obvious costs of closures, including learning loss, social isolation and the possibility that closures contribute to crime. The obvious costs, do you say?” – Mary Katharine (06:29)
  • Carol recalls: “If you disagreed, you were a crazy person who wanted teachers to die.” (07:11)
• Erosion of Social Cohesion:
  • NYT quote: “America has much to lose when it undermines people’s connections to institutions like schools, churches, government agencies and community groups.” (07:24)
  • Carol mocks the belated revelation: “The trust fraying is bad, you say.” (07:43)
• Importance of Law Enforcement:
  • The NYT points out that relaxing enforcement on low-level offenses, like shoplifting and public drug use, was a “damaging mistake.”
  • Mary Katharine: “But it turns out they do [contribute to public safety].” (09:07)
  • Carol expresses disbelief that the NYT is just now highlighting this.
• Naming (and not naming) names:
  • Carol notes the Times blames now-out-of-office officials, sparing rising progressive stars from criticism, which she sees as political maneuvering. (09:18–09:59)
• Frustration with Lack of Accountability:
  • Mary Katharine: “The most infuriating thing about this editorial is that it notes at least twice that these were knowable facts in 2020.” (10:07)
  • Carol: “Those of us who did know, again, were treated like pariahs, like dangers to society. Because we were right a little earlier than they were.” (10:25)

3. American Academy of Pediatrics Under Fire (10:40–15:07)

• The hosts criticize the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) for persisting in controversial COVID-related guidance, especially around child vaccination.
• Mary Katharine says AAP has become a “zombie of public trust. It just walks around in the skin suit of this organization that people used to trust, and there's no reason to trust these people.” (10:49)

Main Arguments

• US Outlier on Child Vaccination:
  • Mary Katharine: “No other country has a blanket recommendation for healthy infants to get a COVID vaccine. Not even like, Canada.” (11:38)
  • Carol: “We had myocarditis issues in teenage boys that other countries did not have…The CDC at the time released the data, including girls, so it didn’t seem that bad. But, you know, now we know that it was.” (12:18)
• Call for Accountability:
  • Carol: “With something like COVID, where the vaccine does not stop spreading…the benefits to children never made sense. Kids had a zero chance of a negative effect from COVID... zero cannot be reduced any further through vaccines…” (12:57)
• Long-Term Trust Damage:
  • Mary Katharine: “When this inevitably leads to people having less trust for other treatments than AAP suggests. Physician, heal thyself, literally, because you have caused the problem.” (13:19)
  • Carol points out AAP reversals and self-contradictions regarding school reopening and masking.
• Media and Medical Expert Disconnect:
  • Mary Katharine criticizes medical experts quoted in the Washington Post for advocating ongoing boosters for children: “That’s actually insane…This is a fantasy world that you have created, but you’re a pediatric infectious disease specialist.” (14:48–15:07)

4. Political Trends: Gavin Newsom’s Meme Strategy & Democrat Registration Woes (19:21–28:51)

Gavin Newsom Embraces "Mean Tweets" (19:21–22:23)

• Newsom’s team is leaning into provocative, meme-driven social media tactics, hoping to mimic Trump’s online engagement.
• Carol: “Trumpian rhetoric and strategy rarely works for anyone but Trump. So the question remains for Newsom and crew...are they picking the right fights?” (19:50)
• The hosts are skeptical, referencing Meghan McCain’s quip: “Let’s do the exact same thing next. Plus mean tweets.” (20:23)

Notable Quote:
Mary Katharine: “Isn’t the argument against Newsom just a point at the state that he governs?...California’s system makes it nearly impossible for businesses to succeed.” (20:43)

• They cite Marcus Lemonis’ statement about not opening stores in California as evidence of Newsom's failed governance.

Voter Registration Shakeup (22:29–28:51)

• Alarming new data: Democrats are losing registered voters across all tracked states, Republicans are gaining.
• Carol: “Pennsylvania…the Democrats had a 517,000 advantage in 2020, only a 53,000 DEM advantage now.” (23:32)
• Mary Katharine: “Bucks County, a competitive Philadelphia suburb, tilted Republican registration for the first time since 2000. I think he’s gonna…This is a big deal.” (23:55)
• The big takeaway: Traditional Democratic coalitions (including young and minority voters) are slipping.
• New York Times quote highlighted: “You can’t register a young Latino or young black voter and assume that they’re going to know it’s Democrats that have the best policies.” (26:17)

Newsom’s Justification for His Posts (25:01–25:40)

Quote:
Newsom: "I hope it's a wake up call. The President, United States. I'm sort of following his example. If you've got issues with what I'm putting out, you sure as hell should have concerns about what he's putting out as well." (25:08)

• Carol lampoons Newsom’s logic: “It’s always like, this is so bad that we gotta do the bad thing to show you how bad it is.” (25:48)
• The hosts agree—demographic shifts are serious and social media bravado can’t address deep losses.

Final Word on Democrats’ Troubles:
Mary Katharine: “Any hope that the drift away from the Democratic Party would end organically with Mr. Trump’s election has been dashed...There are now roughly 160,000 fewer registered Democrats than on election day 2024. And 200,000 more Republicans. Quote, it’s going to get, it’s going to get worse before it gets better. Yeah, clock’s ticking.” (28:08–28:39)

5. American Drinking Trends: Headlines vs. Reality (33:01–37:39)

• Discussion centers on new Gallup poll data about drinking in America, 1939–2025.
• Carol laughs at the survey question’s antiquated phrasing: “‘Do you have occasion to use alcoholic beverages such as liquor, wine or beer, or are you a total abstainer?’ …I don't know that I do have occasion, but I do it anyway.” (33:33–33:47)
• In 1939, 58% drank; in 2025, 54%. They question headlines claiming a crisis or collapse—pointing out post-COVID rates were actually higher.

Key Insights

• Generational Differences:

  • Mary Katharine: “Maybe let them [Gen Z] have a couple of kids and see what they do after that.” (34:53)
  • Carol: “I don’t drink nearly as much as I'd like to…in my old age I can really only have maximum two drinks when I go out…can we split it?” (35:50–36:15)

• Social Benefits of Moderate Drinking:

  • Mary Katharine highlights a Reason magazine article, "What Old Time Saloons Tell Us About the Pandemic’s Damage," making the case that social drinking fosters innovation, community, and open discussion: “Loose social connections that you get in a bar, that you get over drinks lead to innovation, to ideas, to hashing things out.” (37:05)
  • The hosts advocate for the social function of bars and pubs, noting the decline in in-person gathering during COVID as an intangible loss.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On COVID Policies:
  • Carol: “Those of us who did know, again, were treated like pariahs, like dangers to society. Because we were right a little earlier than they were.” (10:25)
• On the AAP:
  • Mary Katharine: “AAP…walks around in the skin suit of this organization that people used to trust, and there's no reason to trust these people.” (10:49)
• On Gavin Newsom’s Strategy:
  • Meghan McCain via Carol: “Let’s do the exact same thing next. Plus mean tweets.” (20:23)
• On Drinking & Society:
  • Mary Katharine (quoting Reason): “Loose social connections that you get in a bar, that you get over drinks lead to innovation, to ideas, to hashing things out.” (37:05)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Back-to-School & Parenting Chaos: 03:14–04:33
• NYT COVID Policy Reflection & Social Cohesion: 04:34–10:37
• American Academy of Pediatrics Critique: 10:40–15:07
• Gavin Newsom, Memes & Democrat Registration Crisis: 19:21–28:51
• Alcohol Consumption Trends: 33:01–37:39

Conclusion

With a blend of humor and pointed critique, Mary Katharine Campbell and Carol Markowitz decode the biggest news stories impacting everyday Americans and call out political, medical, and cultural institutions for their COVID-era missteps and ongoing fallout. They cut through trending narratives—be it political memes or health headlines—urging listeners to see the deeper stories behind the noise while always striving, when things get weird, to “act normally.”