Podcast Summary: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: "Normally Podcast: Socialism in NYC, California Fires, and Newsom’s Political Playbook"

Date: January 8, 2026

Hosts: Mary Kathryn Hanley & Carol Markowitz

Overview

In this episode, Mary Kathryn Hanley and Carol Markowitz discuss three major topics: the rise of socialism in New York City politics, the aftermath of devastating California wildfires and Governor Gavin Newsom’s handling of the crisis, and media narratives around supposed "rifts" in the Republican party. With candid conversation, a mix of personal anecdotes and policy critique, the hosts explore how ideology shapes governance—and how media spins both crisis and recovery.

1. Socialism (and Property Rights) in NYC

[02:23–11:41]

Key Points:

• Zoran Mamdani's Election:
  • Zoran Mamdani, running openly as a democratic socialist, has become the mayor of NYC.
  • The hosts emphasize that Mamdani was transparent about his beliefs during his campaign.
  • "He ran on being this guy. So I don't know why anybody's surprised by any of it." (Carol Markowitz, 03:22)
• Controversial Appointment & Property Debate:
  • Sia Weaver, an appointee to head the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants, had old tweets resurface advocating for property confiscation and challenging the very concept of private property.
  • [Clip plays]: "For centuries we've really treated property as an individualized good and not a collective good...transitioning to treating it as a collective good." (Sia Weaver, ~04:00)
• Rent Control Backlash:
  • The conversation shifts to rent control's unintended consequences:
    • Citing an example where maintenance issues plagued a rent-controlled building, Hanley and Markowitz point out that artificially low rents make upkeep unfeasible.
    • "They can only charge $965 in New York City... The people who own the building have trouble maintaining it. It is an untenable, unworkable business plan caused by the state." (Mary Kathryn Hanley, 06:04)
  • The city opposes bankruptcy proceedings for landlords under financial strain, instead suggesting non-profits take over such properties—an approach the hosts call "radical."
• Personal Perspective on Communal Housing:
  • Markowitz, who emigrated from the Soviet Union, vividly describes the downsides of state collectivism:
    • "I'm from the Soviet Union. Communal housing was totally a thing. ... It broke up families." (Carol Markowitz, 07:13)

Memorable Moment:

• Hanley parodies Sia Weaver’s tone:
  • "Just like, hey, we just need to rethink this. Like, she's the HR person for all of our property. You're not the HR person for my property." (Mary Kathryn Hanley, 05:59)

2. California Wildfires & Newsom’s Political Playbook

[14:53–25:28]

Key Points:

• Grim Fire Anniversary, Slow Recovery:
  • Marking the anniversary of the Palisades fire, the hosts tally the damage (12 deaths, 16,000 structures burned) and call out the abysmal pace of reconstruction:
    • Only 2,500 permits issued for rebuilding, none completed; in Malibu, only 22 permits in a year.
    • "That is after California Governor Newsom...said, we're going to cut all the red tape. Everything's going to go smoothly. That has not happened." (Mary Kathryn Hanley, 16:03)
• Governor Newsom’s PR Maneuvers:
  • Hanley and Markowitz criticize Newsom for using the disaster as a springboard for his presidential ambitions, referencing favorable media coverage:
    • "It's commemorating a grand failure in his own state...And he's like, you know what? This makes me the front runner. And the Atlantic is like, yes, it does." (Mary Kathryn Hanley, 16:38)
• Competence vs. Incompetence Narrative:
  • Newsom touts "the fastest debris removal in American history" [Audio Clip: Newsom, 18:52–20:11]; the hosts retort that it was federal, not state, action and contrast California’s foot-dragging with, e.g., Florida rebuilding a hurricane-damaged bridge in 15 days.
  • Internal investigations into the Fire Department’s performance were edited to gloss over errors and avoid accountability.
    • Quote: "A deleted passage in the report said that some crews waited more than an hour for an assignment... all looking to cover their asses." (Mary Kathryn Hanley, 21:31)
• Media Spin and Blame:
  • Noting a pattern where Democratic leaders reframe failures as strengths, Hanley reads from an Atlantic profile portraying Newsom as a fighter amidst disaster, sarcastically remarking:
    • "He's a fighter, Carol." (Mary Kathryn Hanley, 24:51)
• French Laundry & COVID-era Hypocrisy:
  • They revisit past scandals—"French laundry guy"—contrasting Newsom dining at an exclusive restaurant while public schools/private gatherings were forbidden.
    • "If we can't beat Gavin Newsom on that issue alone, I don't know what to tell anybody." (Carol Markowitz, 25:19)

Notable Quotes:

• "When you're a Democrat, they let you do it." (Carol Markowitz, 24:16)
• "You gotta beat him. That's it. I mean, he's very beatable. So let's do it." (Carol Markowitz, 25:50)

3. GOP "Rifts" and the MAGA Base

[28:36–34:59]

Key Points:

• Hyping Republican Division, Debunked by Data:
  • The hosts mock recurring media narratives of deep Republican splits, particularly over military interventions:
    • "There is no rift in the Republican Party...Donald Trump has had an iron grip, an iron grip on that Republican base." (Harry Enten, quoted by hosts, 29:21)
  • Polls show overwhelming GOP approval (over 80%) for recent Venezuela strike and continued support for Trump.
    • "85% is one point higher than 84%." (Harry Enten, 30:48)
• Competence Appreciated, Not Ideological Purity:
  • Both hosts note that despite online bickering or dissent (e.g., from Thomas Massie or J.D. Vance), actual Republican voters support strong, competent action even if they have reservations about interventionism.
    • "I think people underestimate a bit how much Americans appreciate seeing competence and power in action." (Mary Kathryn Hanley, 31:02)
    • "Nothing succeeds like success." (Carol Markowitz, 31:11)
• Education on Socialism & Moral Clarity:
  • The pair see value in former victims of socialism educating Americans about the realities it imposes, citing social media efforts to dispel utopian myths.
• Vice President’s Foreign Policy:
  • Lightly poking the ambiguity of Vance’s positions (should he be Trump’s VP), Markowitz jokes:
    • "If he has a different foreign policy than Donald Trump, I'd love to hear about it from him." (Carol Markowitz, 33:29)

Closing Note:

• "International law...is not actually a law. Like, let's just be real here." (Carol Markowitz, 34:56)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• NYC Socialism & Property: 02:23–11:41
• California Fires & Newsom: 14:53–25:28
• GOP Rifts and Media Spin: 28:36–34:59

Memorable Quotes

• "You're not the HR person for my property. And in order to get my property, you're going to have to take it from me. And that is stealing."
  — Mary Kathryn Hanley (05:59)
• "This is who New York elected. And I feel really bad for almost half of New Yorkers who tried really hard...But this is where his election was going to go."
  — Carol Markowitz (04:33)
• "If we can't beat Gavin Newsom on that issue alone, I don't know what to tell anybody."
  — Carol Markowitz (25:19)
• "Nothing succeeds like success."
  — Carol Markowitz (31:11)
• "International law will let Maduro just sit there and torture everyone for decades. But if you do something about it, that's when international law has a problem."
  — Mary Kathryn Hanley (34:46)

Tone and Style

The conversation is brisk and irreverent, blending policy critique with wit and personal insight. The hosts use real-world examples and media soundbites to expose what they see as ideological excess, government mismanagement, and media bias—always with a sharp, sometimes sarcastic humor.