The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
Episode: Team 47 – Make America Smart Again
Date: February 15, 2026
Guest: Linda McMahon, Secretary of Education
Episode Overview
This episode of The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show focuses on the state of American education, the importance of historical literacy, and the launch of the Presidential 1776 Award—a sweeping national civics competition. Clay and Buck are joined by U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, with whom they dig into contemporary educational challenges, innovative successes at the state level, the politicization of schools, and efforts to address historical illiteracy among young Americans, all against the backdrop of America’s 250th birthday celebration.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Launch of the Presidential 1776 Award and Historical Literacy
[02:44]
- Linda McMahon announces a new initiative—the Presidential 1776 Award, a national civics competition designed to combat historical illiteracy among youth.
- Open to students, the contest consists of a “world’s impossible” online test:
4,000 questions to be answered in 90 minutes. - The competition is structured with rounds (similar to a spelling bee), culminating in a live final in Washington, D.C.
- Top prizes: $150,000 (1st), $75,000 (2nd), $25,000 (3rd).
- The goal is to spark excitement around civics and history, leveraging the 250th anniversary of America’s founding.
- Open to students, the contest consists of a “world’s impossible” online test:
Linda McMahon [03:36]:
“The 1776 award, in conjunction with our 250th birthday for the country... is to generate interest, [the President] wanted to create the civics award... students are going to sign up to take the world's impossible test.”
Clay Travis & Buck Sexton express enthusiasm for trying the test themselves, joking about competing against media personalities.
Clay Travis [06:30]:
“It would be you and me versus Don Lemon... I would smoke any of the libs out there.”
2. Reforming American Education Under the Trump Administration
[07:13]
- McMahon discusses executive orders aimed at returning educational control to the states and dismantling unnecessary federal bureaucracy.
- Plan: Move responsibilities away from Department of Education, allowing states/parents more agency.
- Historical context: Department of Education not established until 1980; $3 trillion spent since with declining national scores.
- Vision: Education closest to the child is best—led by states, local superintendents, teachers, and parents.
Linda McMahon [07:32]:
“Instead of all the money that is appropriated by Congress, flowing through the Department of Education and into the states... it is my goal to move the different agencies... to other agencies... The best education is that that's closest to the child... So this, the dismantling, if you will, of the department... will make it more efficient.”
3. The "Mississippi Miracle" and Educational Innovation
[09:08]
- Buck Sexton highlights Mississippi's dramatic improvement in literacy rates due to a return to phonics-based, "old school" reading instruction.
- Mississippi rejected “newfangled” methods for proven teaching techniques.
- The approach now being adopted by other states.
Linda McMahon [10:10]:
“They adopted the science of reading. It is exactly what you said it was, going back to the way reading was originally taught... based on phonics... So the science of reading as it has been adopted has proven to be so successful.”
- McMahon shares she is touring all 50 states to build a toolkit of proven educational strategies.
- Emphasizes the competitive nature of states/governors and the diversity of successful school models: public, charter, private, religious, homeschooling, “micro-schools,” and even AI-augmented schools.
4. Politicization and Protests in Schools
[13:01]
- Clay questions why schools have become “shock troops of the far left,” using Minneapolis protests as context.
- McMahon calls the trend “outrageous” and suggests federal funding could be at risk for schools canceling learning for unrelated protests.
Linda McMahon [13:30]:
“If we look at what the scores are, you know, in Minnesota, they're not sterling at all... I think it’s outrageous. And if that were to continue... those schools could be... in jeopardy of having lost federal funding.”
5. The Broader State of Education: Innovation, Virtual Learning, and Declining Standards
[19:37]
- Clay and Buck reflect on how technological innovation (e.g., online courses, AI), school choice, and state-level experimentation are shifting the educational landscape.
- Criticism of traditional public school models as “babysitting/daycare,” especially with extended hours but limited true learning.
- The “Mississippi Miracle” held up as a template for state-driven (not federal) innovation.
Buck Sexton [20:34]:
“I think that it's largely like a glorified babysitting service for a lot of kids... The just one size fits all mass public education approach... is a bad... plan.”
6. Super Bowl Halftime, Shared Culture, and Language
[26:58]
- Lively discussion of the Super Bowl halftime show featuring Bad Bunny, the resulting viewer drop-off when the show was conducted primarily in Spanish, and the broader question of language and shared national experiences.
- Clay argues the NFL’s choice missed the mark, as “shared” events matter:
- Halftime should be a unifying English-language experience.
- The show had the “largest ever” viewership loss in Super Bowl history during halftime.
Clay Travis [32:48]:
“The NFL should be trying to reach the broadest possible audience... American cultural experiences that are shared matter. Having something that everybody is experiencing together as one is something that... should be aspirational.”
7. Colonialism, Historical Blind Spots, and the 1619 Project
[33:11] – End
- Clay and Buck launch into an unsparing look at misremembered or ignored history:
- Mock the idea that Spanish is “the language of anti-colonialism,” reminding listeners of the brutality of Spanish and Portuguese colonial powers.
- Highlight the prevalence and history of the transatlantic slave trade, emphasizing that Portugal led—transporting ~5 million Africans, mostly to Brazil.
- British abolitionism discussed, including their significant role in ending the transatlantic slave trade and America’s Civil War as “massive penance.”
- Clay and Buck criticize the 1619 Project for rooting American history solely in the legacy of slavery.
Buck Sexton [36:24]:
“It's actually, I think, symptomatic of... one of the great major issues that we have in this country, which is historical illiteracy and the inability to understand our country, but basically the whole landscape of the world historically.”
- Further commentary on global slavery, abolition dates, and lack of global context in U.S. educational discourse.
- Discussion of contemporary slavery in countries like Nigeria, Oman, and Mauritania.
- Historical “toolkit” is presumed essential in restoring real civic literacy.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On the need for civics education:
“Historical literacy is a major issue among young people in the United States today.”
— Buck Sexton [02:44] -
On state innovation in education:
“States being laboratories... this is innovation that occurred at the state level... Mississippi Miracle.”
— Linda McMahon [10:10] -
On Super Bowl halftime controversy:
“Making selections on a halftime show that alienates the vast majority... is a poor decision by the NFL.”
— Clay Travis [32:48] -
On rewriting history and the 1619 Project:
"The entire purpose of much of left wing cultural argument... is to... root all of American history and indeed all of Western civilization to slavery, which began in 1619... Therefore nothing that occurred in America is legitimate."
— Buck Sexton [36:24]
Timestamps for Important Segments
- Presidential 1776 Civics Competition Overview: [02:44]–[05:52]
- Clay & Buck Joke About Taking the Test: [06:17]–[07:02]
- Education Policy & State Control: [07:13]–[09:08]
- Mississippi’s Phonics-Based Miracle: [09:08]–[13:01]
- School Protest and Politicization: [13:01]–[14:22]
- Clay & Buck Education Philosophies: [19:37]–[22:42]
- Super Bowl Halftime/Lost Viewers Discussion: [26:58]–[32:48]
- Colonialism, Language, and Historical Literacy: [33:11]–[36:24]
- Global Slave Trade Context & Modern Slavery: [39:11]–[41:26]
Tone & Style
- Casual and humorous banter, especially between Clay and Buck.
- Wry, occasionally self-deprecating, and combative when discussing politics and media.
- Earnest and policy-focused during the interview with Secretary McMahon.
- Frequently invokes history with “teacher” or “explainer” energy, often sprinkled with pop culture or sports references.
Takeaway
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show delivers a critical look at American education, aiming to “make America smart again” by confronting historical illiteracy, advocating for local/state control, and fostering real civic engagement—all while providing energetic, unscripted takes on news, culture, and history. The episode underscores the need for reforms driven by evidence, not ideology, and highlights the pitfalls of historical amnesia, both in schools and in public discourse.