The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Sunday Hang with Clay and Buck – December 28, 2025

Podcast: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
Hosts: Clay Travis, Buck Sexton
Date: December 28, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of the "Sunday Hang" features Clay Travis and Buck Sexton diving with typical irreverence, humor, and intelligence into the news that the penny—the $0.01 coin—is ceasing production in the United States. Using this fresh headline as a springboard, the hosts explore broader questions about the future of physical currency, the economy’s shift toward cashless transactions, personal stories about cash and coins, and a lively debate sparked by listener participation. Along the way, they blend anecdotes from their own lives with economic history, pop culture references, and listener calls, weaving together an engaging reflection on how money—virtual and tangible—shapes American lives.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The End of the Penny: Time to Eliminate Coins?

• [02:52] Clay opens the main topic by referencing a poll he posted: Should all coins be eliminated, given that pennies are being phased out for cost reasons?
  • "Trump came in and said the penny doesn't make sense. It costs more than to produce it. Should we eliminate all coins?" – Clay Travis [02:52]
• [03:34] Buck voices strong support for eliminating pennies, but producer Greg raises concerns about a slippery slope to tracked, cashless society.
  • "You eliminate the penny, you eliminate the nickel. It’s the first step on the slippery slope to getting rid of all currency." – Producer Greg via Buck [03:34]
• [04:15] Clay jokes about pockets full of jangling coins and the impracticality of coins in modern life.

2. Cashless Society: Reality and Concerns

• [05:54] Clay drops a startling stat: Only about 10% of money in the world physically exists.
  • "Only about 10% of the dollars in America…of all of the different currencies physically exist." – Clay Travis [06:00]
• Both hosts comment on how younger generations rarely carry physical cash or coins, using phones or cards for everything.
• [07:19] Buck hesitates fully embracing a cashless future, citing privacy concerns.
  • "There are concerns about not having the privacy and the ability to just have currency that the government is not tracking." – Buck Sexton [07:19]

3. Retail and Cash: Nostalgia and Anecdotes

• [07:40] Clay and Buck swap stories about working retail and handling cash, sparking memories of jobs at Abercrombie & Fitch, American Eagle, and unpaid internships.
  • Clay: "I worked at American Eagle…Media Play…Abercrombie and Fitch, Pentagon City Mall in Washington D.C." [08:12]
  • Buck: "I got caught up in the world…of the unpaid corporate internship." [08:46]
• Discussion includes the evolution from cash-heavy retail to today’s prevalence of cards and mobile payments, and reminiscing about end-of-shift cash drops and tallying coins.

4. Cash and Crime: Pop Culture and Real World

• Reference to Breaking Bad and the drug trade’s logistical problem of physically hiding stacks of cash.
• [13:24] Buck details Pablo Escobar’s issue with “spoilage”—losing millions to rats eating stored cash.
  • "They had so much cash…they would store it underground in pallets and rats would eat it. Tens of millions a year…" – Buck Sexton [13:24]
• US policy of limiting denominations (no $1,000 bills) to prevent criminal ease of cash storage is discussed.

5. Coins for Survival: The Story of Jen

• [18:18] A highlight call from Jen in the Southeast, who saved pennies in secret to escape an abusive relationship.
  • "I bought a lawyer for $1,000 as a retainer using 35 quart size glass jars…all filled with pennies." – Caller Jen [18:51]
  • She explains gathering change secretly, paying for her freedom in coins after two and a half years.
  • "I wouldn't have been able to get out," Jen states, underlining the freedom that tangible cash offered her. [21:03]
• Hosts compare her story’s patience to Shawshank Redemption, underscoring how physical currency can mean real, personal opportunity and privacy.

6. Listener Reactions & Coin Culture

• Numerous listeners weigh in via poll and calls—results are split near 50/50 on abolishing coins.
• [25:01] Justin from Arizona shares his family’s “Fun Jar” tradition, turning spare change into family activities.
  • "We have a thing we call the Family Fun Jar…when it fills up, we cash it in and go do something fun as a family." – Justin [25:01]
• Buck and Clay share nostalgia over coin jars, rolling coins, and the satisfaction of cashing in for simple treats—a “lost ritual” in the digital age.

7. Where Is Cash Still King?

• Both hosts acknowledge dwindling reasons to use cash, except:
  • Church donations (Buck: "I actually have a little cash…for putting in the cash box at church." [26:53])
  • Tips for delivery or haircuts
  • Babysitters or similar informal arrangements (Clay: "Babysitters only dealt in cash." [27:24])
• Gentle ribbing about Clay being the only person in the family who carries cash.

8. Coins as Collectibles and Precious Metals

• Clay notes pre-1960 quarters and half-dollars made of silver are now worth well above face value due to precious metals prices.
  • "If you find a half dollar or a quarter that is full silver, they're now actually worth over $3 each." – Clay Travis [29:58]

9. Coin-Dependent Businesses

• Owner of a coin laundromat writes in, worrying about the future of quarters, prompting Buck and Clay to clarify that existing coins will remain in circulation “for the rest of our lives”—just not newly minted pennies.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the death of the penny:
  • "We may have stepped into a coin-loving buzzsaw here, Buck." – Clay Travis [04:36]
• On cashless youth:
  • "They don't even carry money…They just have Venmo, they have Zelle…It's kind of wild." – Clay Travis [06:00]
• On coins and privacy:
  • "You eliminate the penny…then everything can be tracked by the government all the time." – Producer Greg via Buck [03:34]
• On coins as empowerment:
  • "I bought a lawyer for $1,000 as a retainer using 35 quart size glass jars on six shelves in the back of my pantry, all filled with pennies." – Caller Jen [18:51]
• On Escobar's rat problem:
  • "Their spoilage…was $2 billion a year." – Buck Sexton [22:30]
• On the satisfaction of coins:
  • "I've definitely gone out with a buddy of mine…get a Chinese all-you-can-eat, $17 with your coins...very satisfying." – Buck Sexton [25:57]

Important Timestamps

• 02:52 – Main topic: Should all coins be eliminated as the penny is phased out?
• 05:54 – Only 10% of world currency is physical cash.
• 07:40 - 11:14 – Retail anecdotes; evolution from cash to cards and mobile.
• 13:24 – Discussion of Escobar and cash stockpiles.
• 18:18 - 21:10 – Powerful listener call: Jen’s escape from abuse using stored pennies.
• 25:01 – Listener family’s “Fun Jar” tradition.
• 26:42 - 28:25 – Real-life examples of where cash and coins are still essential.
• 29:58 – Value of pre-1960 silver coins.
• 31:52 – Listener with coin laundromat highlights continuing coin dependency.

Tone and Style

As in every Clay and Buck episode, the conversation is part sharp news commentary, part freewheeling banter, and part open phone lines for Americana-in-the-wild. The hosts move nimbly from big-picture policy debates to personal stories, pop-culture asides (Breaking Bad, Shawshank Redemption), and listener engagement. There’s humor, a touch of nostalgia, and a recurring, lightly libertarian warning about losing privacy and freedom if cash vanishes entirely.

Conclusion

This "Sunday Hang" is as much a meditation on the changing symbolism and utility of money as it is a spirited exchange about a vanishing coin. The episode balances societal commentary, gritty true stories, and warmth for old traditions—making a fun and thoughtful listen for anyone wondering what a cashless future might mean.