The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show | Episode Summary

Episode Title: Normally Podcast: Jay Jones’ Text Controversy, Bari Weiss at CBS, and Gen Z’s Divorce Boom
Date: October 7, 2025
Hosts: Mary Katharine Ham & Carol Markowitz
Produced by: iHeartPodcasts

Overview

This episode dives into three major current events and trends:

• The explosive controversy over Jay Jones’ violent political texts in Virginia’s AG race
• Bari Weiss’ surprising new role as CBS News editor in chief and what it means for mainstream media
• A tongue-in-cheek look at Gen Z divorce trends, as reported by the New York Times

The tone is witty, exasperated, and charged with a sense of culture war fatigue, but underpinned by a call for sanity and “normie” behavior in public life.

1. Jay Jones’ Shocking Text Message Scandal (03:33 - 23:06)

The Story

• Jay Jones, Democratic candidate for Virginia Attorney General, was recently revealed to have sent disturbing 2022 texts to a Republican legislator.
• In these messages, Jones fantasizes about the murder of his political rival and even hopes for the death of his opponent’s children as a means of shifting policy views.

Key Discussion Points

• The messages are direct, violent, and lack any sense of remorse ("Gilbert gets two bullets to the head. Spoiler put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people, you know, and he receives both bullets." – Jay Jones, 07:10).
• His reaction: First, a deflection and complaint about “Trump media.” Later, a reluctant apology—without withdrawing from the race.
• The Democratic establishment refuses to distance itself from Jones. In fact, local party units and fellow Democrats describe him as a person “of character, compassion and vision.”

Notable Quotes

• "I'm just, you know, hashing this out with you... You're telling me that you're hoping for the deaths of the children of this man to change his political views. ... Yes. ... Unless people feel personal pain, they will not change on policy." (07:44 - 08:17)
• Carol Markowitz: “It’s just such an insane thing to say and do. ... What are you really talking about here? Killing children so that they won’t grow up to be people that you disagree with politically? It makes no sense.” (08:17)
• Mary Katharine Ham: "Wishing murder on your opponents is not something we endorse, but we do endorse this person." (11:38)
• "Some Democrat hacks have tried to call them a joke. It's not a joke. He wasn't making a joke. There was no haha moment." (12:16)

Systemic Issues & Broader Context

• The hosts note a pattern of impunity for Democratic politicians, referencing the Ralph Northam blackface scandal and Justin Fairfax’s unresolved allegations: "They ran the board. It was blackface, Me Too, blackface" (18:40).
• Media double standards: No national Democrat is pressed on Jones, bipartisan “whataboutism” is used to excuse the behavior, and it's compared to instant Republican scandal fallout.

Media & Political Fallout

• Attack Ads: Republican campaigns immediately seize on the story, displaying texts onscreen for verification.
• National Attention: Joe Scarborough (MSNBC) is cited as a rare mainstream figure calling for Jones to withdraw (19:11).
• Concern that the story is so outrageous, some voters might doubt its reality.

2. Bari Weiss Joins CBS News as Editor in Chief (26:48 - 31:38)

The News

• Bari Weiss, formerly of The New York Times and founder of the popular Free Press, is named editor in chief at CBS News.
• CBS purchased Free Press; Weiss, known for her independent-minded, heterodox-left perspective, now heads the network’s news division.

Host Reactions

• Surprise in broader media that CBS would tap a “right winger.” Both hosts clarify: Bari Weiss is not a right-winger; she’s a progressive heterodox who values open debate and journalistic curiosity.
• They see this move as a rare sign of tolerance in mainstream media and express hope Weiss pushes CBS in the direction of more open inquiry.

Notable Quotes

• Carol Markowitz: "She is in no way a right winger on no planet ... they're calling more than half the country this fringe element. And we're simply not." (27:19)
• Mary Katharine Ham: "When we get involved in culture wars, what I want is to bully people into neutrality. That’s all I’m looking for." (29:44)
• Praise for Weiss's track record in providing "respectful" and curiosity-driven coverage, especially on stories about faith and social change (30:20).

CBS Staff, Media Hand-Wringing

• Amused references to tweets mocking internal CBS reactions, e.g., Iowa Hawk Blog tweet about a “Bari Weiss reign of terror” and Brian Stelter’s griping about digital strategy (28:32, 29:48).
• Hope that the partnership elevates CBS and doesn't water down the Free Press's ethos.

3. "Now It Can Be Told": Media and Policy Gaslighting (31:38 - 34:53)

Discussion Points

• The Washington Post finally admits—years after critics warned—that Obamacare was never really "affordable."
• New revelations that DC police underreported crime for political purposes—something many in the city already knew but officials denied.

Notable Quotes

• Mary Katharine Ham: "I do love it how the left and like left lean commentators just sort of alight on these conclusions six months to ten years after we have. And they're like, okay, yeah, so like, I mean we totally knew this." (34:18)

4. Gen Z Divorce Trends: NYT’s New Frontiers of Relationship Oddity (38:25 - 41:56)

The Premise

• The New York Times runs a column exploring what “Gen Z divorce” looks like.
• The “case study” is a polyamorous, non-married (but “domestic partnered”) throuple break-up, celebrated via comfort food and video games.

Host Reactions

• Widespread bemusement and exasperation at what counts as “divorce” for Gen Z, and at the Times for picking such a non-representative anecdote.
• Critique of the trend towards treating relationship breakups as “brand moments” or “content.”

Memorable Exchanges

• Carol Markowitz: “I'm too old for this shit.” (41:19)
• Mary Katharine Ham: "If Gen Z divorce looks like that, it's probably a pretty easy process. That’s called a breakup." (40:11)
• Both hosts openly say this depiction does not sound appealing or aspirational.

5. Reflections on the Political Climate & Political Violence (20:11 - 23:06)

Issues Raised

• Guy Benson's roundup: political violence being mainstreamed, leniency for left-wing political extremism, and double standards in legal/cultural treatment.

Notable Quotes

• "This is how you deal with people like that. … He looks at a right leaning mom and her husband and their children and he’s like, worse than Pol Pot." – Mary Katharine Ham (22:52)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Jay Jones Text Controversy: 03:33 – 23:06
• Political Violence & Media Double Standards: 20:11 – 23:06
• Bari Weiss at CBS: 26:48 – 31:38
• “Now It Can Be Told” Media Admits Past Lies: 31:38 – 34:53
• Gen Z Divorce Boom: 38:25 – 41:56

Final Tone and Takeaways

• Hosts’ Attitude: Outraged but sardonic, deeply “over” the justifications for political extremism, and hopeful but skeptical that media institutions can reform.
• Core Message: Reject the extremes. Support sanity, curiosity, and true tolerance—whether in politics, the media, or personal life.
• Call to Listeners: Stay vigilant, get informed, and “act normally” when the world gets weird.

For more, subscribe to "Normally" with Mary Katharine Ham and Carol Markowitz, airing Tuesdays and Thursdays.