The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show – Sunday Hang | August 17, 2025

Episode Overview

In this lively installment of The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, Clay and Buck mix their trademark intelligence and humor as they dive into debates and banter around music preferences, masculinity in instrument choice, the legacy of action movie stars, the best American cities right now, ice cream flavors, and the state of urban America. While working in listener calls and pop culture talk, they also weave in political undercurrents, their audience’s favorite topics, and moments of self-deprecating fun.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Buck’s Musical Tastes (00:51–03:28)

• Music Preferences: Buck reveals he listens mostly to classical music—Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert—interspersed with EDM and electronic acts like Paul Oakenfold, Rufus Du Sol, and Bob Moses. He links this to his upbringing and describes how he switches music genres depending on his mood.
• Classical Music Advocacy: Buck encourages listeners to incorporate more classical music into their lives:
  • "Just listen to more classical music. I know it seems like such a... just trust me on that one." (02:55 – Buck Sexton)
• Workout Music: He praises EDM and electronic dance as superior workout music.

2. The Flute, Masculinity, and Donald Trump (03:32–06:49)

• Running Gag: Clay's recurring joke about flute playing not being masculine is challenged when Buck references Donald Trump admitting to playing the flute as a child during an interview with Miranda Devine.
• Trump’s Confession (Audio Clip):
  • Trump: "I played like for very short periods of time, the flute... I didn't particularly like it…My mother had me with an instructor coming to teach me how to play the flute. Can you believe that?" (04:20–04:50)
• Clay’s Take: Clay doubles down, humorously suggesting Trump’s masculinity led him to abandon the flute, while referencing Pride Month and Kamala Harris as an adept flute player.
  • "At some point in time, I guarantee you, he thought to himself, blowing into a phallic object that I hold in close proximity to my mouth is not something that I want to do for fun." (04:58 – Clay Travis)
• Buck’s Comeback: Buck declares,
  • "Donald J. Trump, president slash former flute player, a true statement. You now have to handle this, sir." (06:11 – Buck Sexton)
• Clay’s Distinction: He focuses on Trump being a former flute player:
  • "He had tried it. It wasn't for him. He recognized that...He wouldn't have been elected president. I'll tell you this. If he still played the..." (06:36 – Clay Travis)

3. Stallone vs. Schwarzenegger: The Action Movie Debate (07:10–12:09)

• Who’s the Greatest Action Star?: Buck and Clay debate whether Arnold Schwarzenegger or Sylvester Stallone deserves the crown. Buck favors Schwarzenegger, especially for "Predator"; Clay leans toward Stallone, arguing for impact and creative authorship (notably with "Rocky").
  • Buck: "Best action hero of all time is Schwarzenegger." (07:43)
  • Clay: "Stallone, to me, was more involved in creating the action movies that he was in. ...Rocky would not have happened without Stallone." (07:48)
• Best Action Movies:
  • Schwarzenegger: Buck picks "Predator" but admits "T2" is a close contender,
    • "Predator, I think, is the best Schwarzenegger action movie. Although if you say T2, to me, that's a Coke Pepsi." (11:23 – Buck Sexton)
  • Stallone: Clay chooses "Rambo" movies but says "Rocky" is more than just action.
• Nostalgic Aside: Clay recounts meeting Stallone,
  • "When I met Stallone, Stallone said, man, I love everything that you do…When Rocky and Rambo walk up to you and knows who you are and is like hey, we got to get a picture…" (11:56 – Clay Travis)
• Fun Fact: Buck describes behind-the-scenes trivia—Jean Claude Van Damme was the original Predator suit actor.

4. The Fate and Appeal of U.S. Cities (15:17–24:57)

• New York Debate: Buck defends New York City, calling it the greatest American (and world) city, though he admits it’s "on injured reserve" due to current troubles.
  • "I'm not giving up on my NYC because I love it. I love it. It's still the greatest city in America. I would argue the greatest city in the world." (15:17 – Buck Sexton)
• Lord of the Rings Metaphor: Buck compares his hope for NYC to Aragorn’s return to Minas Tirith/Gondor.
• Clay’s Top 5 Pro Sports Cities:
  • 1. Nashville
  • 2. Phoenix
  • 3. Miami
  • 4. Salt Lake City
  • 5. Houston/Dallas (with caveats)
  • Biases: Clay excludes "blue city, blue state" combos, favoring red states/red cities and nice weather.
  • "I'm biased against cold weather locations, and I'm also biased against blue states and blue cities." (20:46 – Clay Travis)
• Buck’s Choices: Miami, Nashville, New York (on "injured reserve"), with shout-outs to Charleston and San Diego, though eliminated by Clay's rules.

5. Ice Cream Flavors – An All-American Debate (21:06–23:46)

• Rich Kid Flavor: Clay jokes about pistachio being a "rich kid" flavor, while Buck contends it's always in top ice cream lists.
  • Buck: "If you look on top 10, top 20 lists, pistachio generally sneaks in there..." (22:10)
  • Clay: "I don't even know that was an ice cream flavor." (22:20)
• Classic Flavors: Buck says the top three are chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry, with Clay contending that cookie dough has surged in popularity and is now a "game changer."
• Homemade Ice Cream: Buck’s wife makes artisan flavors (toasted almond cherry, for example), with Clay praising it lavishly.
  • "This is maybe the best ice cream I’ve ever had." (23:21 – Clay Travis)

6. Listener Calls – Best Cities in America (26:39–29:48)

• San Diego Claims: 'William' from San Diego defends his city as #1, but Clay reiterates his rule: no blue city/blue state pairings for his rankings. Buck thinks Clay’s rules are “too restrictive.”
• Tampa and Orlando: A listener from Tampa touts the area’s sports, but both hosts admit a lack of familiarity with Tampa. Clay prefers Orlando but notes its lack of multiple pro franchises.
• Houston vs. Dallas: Jerry calls out Clay for fence-sitting by including both cities as a tie. Clay picks Houston, citing a dislike for Dallas owner Mark Cuban.
  • "If I have to break the tie, I’m going to pick Houston because Mark Cuban doesn’t live in Houston." (29:25 – Clay Travis)
  • Buck: "I love Houstonians for making us number one in that market…and Michael Barry, the greatest lead in we could have…" (29:35)

7. Greatest Movie of the 21st Century? (25:07–26:16)

• Debate Setup: Buck and Clay agree "best" means a film you love and rewatch, not necessarily the most artistically acclaimed. They tease a more in-depth discussion for the next day.
  • Buck: "Some of these movies I watch 100 times. Like, I just love." (25:48)
• Must-Watch and Not-Must-Watch Films: They cite "Schindler’s List" and "The Pianist" as masterpieces but not rewatchable comfort movies.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Music:

• "I will occasionally go from, you know, listening to Mozart or, or Schubert or Haydn to just switch right over to Paul Oakenfold or something, you know… That’s just the way it goes." (01:13 – Buck Sexton)

Flute Humor:

• "He abandoned it for other things." (06:46 – Clay Travis, on Trump quitting the flute)

On Ice Cream:

• "Pistachio generally sneaks in there around, you know, 18. Bottom of the list." (22:10 – Buck Sexton)
• "I never even know that was an ice cream flavor." (22:20 – Clay Travis)

City Rankings:

• "Nashville is the best city in America in my always humble and unbiased opinion." (18:56 – Clay Travis)
• "I'm biased against cold weather locations, and… against blue states and blue cities." (20:46 – Clay Travis)
• "New York’s on the injured reserve list now. ...It’s the franchise player, but has a strained Achilles." (23:49 – Buck Sexton)

Movie Debate:

• "Best action hero of all time is Schwarzenegger." (07:43 – Buck Sexton)
• "Predator, I think, is the best Schwarzenegger action movie. Although if you say T2, to me, that’s a Coke Pepsi." (11:23 – Buck Sexton)
• "I think Terminator 2… is one of the rare sequels up there with Empire Strikes Back that’s actually better than the original." (11:30 – Clay Travis)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:51–03:28: Buck’s thoughts on EDM, classical music, and personal music habits
• 03:32–06:49: Trump’s secret flute lessons, masculinity and instrument discourse, and Clay’s signature ribbing
• 07:10–12:09: Stallone vs. Schwarzenegger action star debate; best action films
• 15:17–24:57: Discussion of U.S. city rankings, NYC's woes and virtues, Clay and Buck’s top five cities
• 21:06–23:46: Ice cream flavor debate and personal favorites
• 25:07–26:16: The "best movie of the 21st century" debate setup
• 26:39–29:48: Listener calls on best cities; heated defense of city rankings; Houston vs. Dallas showcase

Overall Tone

The episode is characteristically irreverent, good-naturedly combative, laced with pop culture references, rooted in red/blue state rivalry, and sprinkled with audience interactivity. Clay & Buck are in peak form, blending political worldview with nostalgia, humor, and everyday observations that make for highly entertaining radio.