Team 47 - The ‘28 Election Begins This Year

Summary

The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show – "Team 47: The ‘28 Election Begins This Year"

Date: March 22, 2026
Podcast Host: iHeartPodcasts
Hosts: Clay Travis & Buck Sexton

---

Episode Overview

This episode of "Team 47" focuses on the mounting urgency for the Republican agenda before the 2028 election cycle takes over, as well as topical deep-dives into issues like border security, governmental dysfunction, New York State’s fiscal woes, homelessness, and the ongoing foreign policy crisis with Iran. Throughout, Clay and Buck maintain their trademark mix of intelligence, banter, and pointed critique aimed at left-leaning governance both domestically and abroad.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Political Urgency Before 2028 (03:51–07:09)

• DHS Leadership & Border Security

  • Mark Wayne Mullen is expected to become DHS Secretary.
  • Buck criticizes current DHS leadership, blaming border issues and deportation failures as Trump’s most significant miss in his administration’s first year.
  • “Is there a more important thing than deportation, securing the border and changing the trajectory of illegal immigration in this country? I don't think so.” — Buck Sexton [04:40]

• Impeachment & Gridlock Risks

  • Looming gridlock if Republicans fail to keep the House or Senate.
  • High likelihood (70% quoted) Democrats will impeach Trump again if they retake the House.
  • “If Republicans don’t get things through now, nothing’s going to happen for two years.” — Clay Travis [05:08]
  • Echoes the need for the Senate as an “ultimate Maginot line,” despite historical failures.

---

2. Historical and Political Symbolism (08:02–09:21)

• Red/Blue State Origins
  • The switch from blue-for-Republicans/red-for-Democrats in televised elections was a recent historical shift rooted in broadcast choices after the 2000 election.
  • Buck jokes Democrats should be the “reds” due to their political leanings.

---

3. State Governance and Tax Policy: The New York Example (09:28–15:11)

• Wealth Exodus & State Mismanagement

  • Buck pokes fun at New York’s taxes and exodus of wealthy residents to Florida, Texas, and Tennessee.
  • Kathy Hochul’s quote reveals the state’s dependency on high-income earners to fund welfare programs.
    • “Maybe the first step should be go down to Palm Beach and see who he can bring back home.” — Kathy Hochul [10:58]
  • Florida’s population now outpaces New York as a reference for fiscal sanity and efficiency.

• Government Waste Exposed in Homeless Spending

  • New York City’s annual $81,000 expenditure per homeless person exceeds the avg. resident’s income.
    • “It would be an awful idea, but you’d save money if you just gave $78,000 in cash to every homeless person.” — Clay Travis [14:05]
  • Majority of homeless struggle with substance abuse or severe mental health issues, debunking stereotypes.
  • Lexical shift from “homeless” to “unhoused” signifies bureaucratic failure to solve the root issue.

---

4. The “Homeless Industrial Complex” and Systemic Waste (15:11–24:10)

• Nonprofits, Waste, and Political Patronage
  • Discussion of how city spending helps not the homeless, but well-paid “administrators,” NGOs, and Democratic political machines.
    • “It’s a giant cash cow... There is a homeless industrial complex now.” — Buck Sexton [18:11]
  • Parallel drawn with fraud in autism therapy funding and Somali daycare scams.
    • “How much of the autism diagnosis that we are seeing are completely made up and a function of being able to make money at 4 or 5 and $600 to do autism therapy.” — Clay Travis [19:29]
  • Pessimistic consensus that government bloat is resistant to reform and feeds into “federal bailouts” and ever-growing national debt (now $39 trillion, per Clay).

---

5. Real-Time International Crisis: Iran Situation (27:32–40:41)

• Trump’s Oval Office Statement — No "Boots on the Ground"

  • Trump tells press: “No, I’m not putting troops anywhere. If I were, I certainly wouldn't tell you, but I'm not…” — Donald J. Trump [28:43]
  • Analysis of potential military targets (Carg Island), Trump’s communication style, and the likelihood of the U.S. winding down operations in Iran.
  • Both hosts predict a soon resolution, citing Iran’s depleted military assets.

• Escalatory Risks and Messaging to Iran

  • Clay reads Trump’s lengthy “truth” (Truth Social post) outlining warnings to Iran regarding retaliatory actions and threats to Qatar’s LNG infrastructure.
  • “If Qatar's liquid natural gas is attacked again, I will not hesitate to do so. Thank you for your attention. This matter, President Donald J. Trump.” — Buck Sexton quoting Trump [31:18]
  • Oil market volatility discussed as a consequence of the crisis.
  • Questions raised about the true endgame: regime change in Iran seems unlikely now; some ambiguity remains.

• Broader Strategic Doubts

  • Discussion about the huge military and economic costs—hundreds of billions—versus achievable objectives.
    • “What is the outcome here that’s going to be worth the hundreds of billions...?” — Buck Sexton [35:16]
  • Clay points out the unpredictability of protests in Iran post-leadership decapitation and draws parallels to previous US intelligence disappointments (e.g., Iraq WMD).

• The Limits of US/Israel Cooperation

  • Possibility of diverging approaches, with Israel pursuing its own (potentially harsher) agenda.
  • Trump claims: “We've obliterated their navy... They pick new leaders, they're gone. And now they're looking for new leaders again. We can take out the island anytime we want.” — Donald J. Trump [39:58]
  • Emphasis on domestic fatigue for foreign entanglements and prioritization of US issues.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Buck Sexton on DHS and Border:

  “The leadership of DHS may be the single biggest whiff of the first 12 months… I’m pretty frustrated with how it’s gone up to this point.” (03:57)

• Clay Travis on Congressional Stalemate:

  “If Republicans don’t retain the House and the Senate, then we’re insignificant. Just basically gridlock for the next two years. Nothing is going to happen.” (05:00)

• Kathy Hochul on High-Income Residents (Play 8):

  “I need people who are high net worth to support the generous social programs that we want to have in our state. … Go down to Palm Beach and see who he can bring back home.” (10:58)

• Clay Travis on New York’s Homeless Spending:

  “New York City is spending more money than the average New Yorker makes on homeless people… It would be better off if the entire government just got out of the way and they just gave $78,000 in cash to every homeless person.” (13:38–14:11)

• Buck Sexton on the “Homeless Industrial Complex”:

  “There is a homeless industrial complex now… of all these NGOs and bureaucrats getting paid to not actually fix the problem.” (18:11)

• Trump on Iran:

  “No, I’m not putting troops anywhere. If I were, I certainly wouldn't tell you, but I'm not putting troops…” (28:43) “If Qatar's liquid natural gas is attacked again, I will not hesitate to do so.” (31:18, Trump via Buck Sexton)

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | | --- | --- | | 03:51–07:09 | DHS Leadership & Border Security | | 08:02–09:21 | History of red/blue state colors | | 09:28–15:11 | New York’s tax/spending issues; exodus of wealthy; homeless spending | | 15:11–24:10 | Waste/fraud in social programs; “homeless industrial complex” | | 27:32–30:41 | Iran crisis: Trump in Oval Office, military stance | | 31:18–39:58 | Escalation risks and strategic ambiguity in Iran | | 39:58–40:41 | Trump: Operation nearly over, Iran’s military assets destroyed |

---

Episode Tone and Style

• Language & Tone: The tone is conversational, direct, and frequently humorous with an underlying sense of urgency. Both hosts blend political commentary with accessible analogies and candid historical references.
• Critique and Satire: They take multiple jabs at political opponents (Democrats, blue state governors), often using sarcasm or historical metaphor.
  • E.g., comparing the Senate as a “Maginot line” or “Great Wall of China” and riffing on administrative bloat as akin to a “homeless industrial complex.”

---

Summary for Non-Listeners

This episode is a must for listeners interested in the interplay between looming electoral politics and real-time governance challenges. Clay and Buck tie together the scramble to pass the Republican agenda, the lingering chaos of blue-state fiscal policy, and the massive inefficiencies and patronage networks engorging public funds in cities like New York. They bookend the domestic with incisive play-by-play from the situation in Iran, critically assessing both Trump’s bravado and the risks of foreign entanglement. Packed with memorable quotes, sharp banter, data points, and strategic questions, this episode is equal parts news analysis and political battle cry.

Transcript

[Buck Sexton]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Public Ad Read]

Guaranteed Human support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors llc. SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures [e-mail]

[Anabe Sofa Ad Read]

tired of spills and stains on your sofa? Wash away your worries with Anabe Annabe is the only machine washable sofa inside and out where designer quality meets budget friendly prices. That's right, sofas start at just $699. Enjoy a no risk experience with pet friendly stain resistant and changeable slip covers made with performance fabric Experience cloud like comfort with high resilience foam that's hypoallergenic and never needs fluffing. The sturdy steel frame ensures longevity and the modular pieces can be rearranged anytime. Shop washablesofas.com for up to 60% off site wide backed by a 30 day satisfaction guarantee. If you're not absolutely in love, send it back for a full refund. No return shipping or restocking fees. Every penny back Upgrade [e-mail] Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

[iFlag Football Ad Read]

Flag football is exploding and iflag is leading the way as the Guinness World Record Holder. IFLAG hosts premier flag football tournaments nationwide for boys, girls, high school girls and adults. From first time players to elite competitors, iflag delivers top level competition, unforgettable experience, experiences and a community built around the game. Ready to be part of it? Join the movement, find your tournament and learn [e-mail] that's iflag.org these days it

[Okta Ad Read]

seems like AI agents are just about everywhere you turn every field and every function. But without identity, you can't trust they'll serve your business instead of jeopardizing it. Fortunately, Okta helps you get identity right by securing your AI agents identities, giving you a single layer of control, a single standard of trust. So whether an AI agent, agent supports a single user or your entire enterprise, with Okta, you'll turn risk into opportunity. Secure every agent, secure any agent. Okta secures AI.

[Firestone Ad Read]

Your vehicle doesn't just get you from here to there. It's a bridge to the people and places that matter most. It's how you show up for your family, your community, and everyone else that depends on you. That's why for 125 years, Firestone has been building tires with one thing in to deliver products that are as reliable as you are. Firestone always dependable since 1900.

[Clay Travis]

The Team 47 podcast is brought to you by Cozy Earth Comfort, style and

[Buck Sexton]

quality you can count on. Cozy Earth

[Public Ad Read]

Team 47 with clay and Buck starts now.

[Clay Travis]

Mark Wayne Mullen will be the next DHS secretary, which we believe he will be, is currently underway in earnest.

[Buck Sexton]

Can I just be clear, though? It's really important. This is a really important job. So. And unfortunately, this was. This is among a lot of you would say the way the Epstein files were handled. The Epstein files have now come out. As far as I understand it, there was mishandling of that too. For me, I think the. The leadership of DHS may be the single biggest whiff of the first 12 months. Because, guys, Minneapolis, we pulled back. Minneapolis is now all you're hearing about from these Democrats. And this is what, you know, the whole thing. It was a big. It was a blunder. It was a blunder from the people running that. Running that shop. And we need new leadership, Clay, that gets the job done. Is there a more important thing than deportation, securing the border and changing the trajectory of illegal immigration in this country? I don't think so. I don't think there is something that's more important as a Trump agenda item than that. Yeah, so I'm. I'm pretty frustrated with how it's gone up to this point. The border securing. Amazing. But that. That was something that we got done the first 90 days.

[Clay Travis]

So if we want to talk things that are alarming, there are a lot of them out there. What I would say is particularly alarming to me is we're now into mid to late March. Soon we will be into early summer, and Congress will just shut down for the campaign season. And if Republicans don't retain the House and, or the Senate then we're insignificant. Just basically gridlock for the next two years. Nothing is going to happen. So if Republicans don't get through things now, then basically I'm just being honest with you all. Nothing's going to happen for two years.

[Buck Sexton]

And the 2028 election starts in Dec, my friends. Yes, think about that. The 2028 election begins at the end of this year. So this is really important. It is time sensitive, the agenda and people are like, we got a VIP email from Matthew. Please ask Senator Paul what are you doing to get the SAVE act passed? We'll ask him. It's not going to pass. That's it. There's no, there's because the way that it have to get passed is they get rid of the filibuster. They're not willing to do that. Not going to pass. I think I can sit here and complain about it and we have. But we're not senators. We're certainly not 60 senators.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah. And, and I think that just ties in with what are they going to do. We know what Democrats are going to do if they win the House. I was looking today on Polymarket buck. There's a 70% chance Trump is going to be impeached again. If Democrats win the House in lockstep, they are going to go impeach President Trump and we're going to have the multi month charade. And you may say, well this is a total joke and it is and we agree with you but they're going to shut down the House and the Senate to have another trial on President Trump. They're going to shut down everything. And again this, this is why I say, look, the House is important. The Senate is to me has got to be the, has got to be the ultimate, you know, Maginot line, so to speak. That didn't go well.

[Buck Sexton]

Although that didn't work out so great as we know.

[Clay Travis]

But yeah, historically did not. But we've got to have what is the most successful.

[Buck Sexton]

The Great Wall of China.

[Clay Travis]

Wall of China. We got to also by the way,

[Buck Sexton]

kind of a fabrication after the fact, not really that successful. The Mongols kick. That's what I'm saying.

[Clay Travis]

What is the most successful defense line ever? It's a good military history question. Maybe, maybe they need to have a Cemetery Ridge third day Battle of Gettysburg Bulwark, which used to be a good word before those crazy people took it over in order to rebut a charge. And this is why I've said a lot of people. Supreme Court Clarence Thomas 75, Justice Alito 74. We may not have the ability to have a president of the same party as the Senate for another four or five years. You saw what happened with Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

[Buck Sexton]

We told you guys to enjoy that first year of Trump's incredible wins and just running up the scoreboard and all that stuff because it does not last. There will be the fight ahead, that is for sure. Clay got me excited about history there for a second. Some of you are writing in about this to be clear. For much of US history on the red blue phenomenon. Blue was of course the color of the Union during the Civil War. Blue represented the Union. Blue was the color of the Republican Party more often than not, although there was no standard system. It was color TV that changed this in 1976, Ford versus Carter. Blue was suddenly for Republicans, red was for Democrats. And this followed the older convention. But then guess what? They changed it. Some of you pointed this out. 2000 election, red states on the screen after the disputed election. Republican George Bush, blue states, Al Gore. And then all the networks followed suit. Clay. And that's how we got red state, blue state. The Democrat party should be the Reds. I'm just saying maybe I don't know

[Clay Travis]

what would happen if one station just flipped it like if Fox News just said, hey, you know what? Red, blue, we're going back to the historic.

[Buck Sexton]

They went full Department of War on this. I kind of like that idea because the Democrats are the commies. They should be red. Blue is the greatest color in my opinion. And blue is what the Republican party has always stood for. So there you go.

[Clay Travis]

You're listening to Team 47 with clay and Buck.

[Buck Sexton]

Talk about New York for a second, shall we? Hello to everybody on W O R N Y C. Fantastic heritage radio station that really covers much of the Tri Burrow area. Or sorry, the tri State area. Tri burrow.

[Clay Travis]

Good lord.

[Buck Sexton]

Tri, Tri state. I haven't been gone that long, guys.

[Clay Travis]

Guy moves. Florida suddenly doesn't know anything about New York anymore.

[Buck Sexton]

The tribe boroughs, the three boroughs in New York. Like I gotta, I gotta remember things here. I gotta keep. Keep things straight. But wr, great station listening many of you. And the truth is, sorry, we're going to have a little fun at the expense of New York State governance right now. That's just where this is going because a lot of very wealthy people have become quite annoyed with what's going on in New York. Not just New York, Washington state now has this millionaires tax situation. Same thing. California, California just Got so many taxes, all kinds of problems. Kathy Hochul, who is honestly somebody that you wouldn't want in charge of the bake sale for the pta, not even the pta. You wouldn't want her running the bake sale to raise money. Like you would not want this woman in charge of anything of any consequence whatsoever. She'd be burning the zucchini bread, there's no question about it. And here she is telling people that they need to move back to New York. Wealthy people need to move back to New York so they can fund welfare programs in New York. Play 8.

[Kathy Hochul]

There is this anxiety, which is real. And we're continuing to address the affordability crisis, which I believe should be the number one priority of this legislative session. What can we do to take off some of that pain that New Yorkers are feeling that I hear about literally every day? What I want to make sure we are smart about is having a system in place where it's not just taxing for the sake of taxing and being conscious of the fact that I need people who are high net worth to support the generous social programs that we want to have in our state. Right now. There are some patriotic millionaires who stepped up, okay, cut me the checks if you want to be supportive. But maybe the first step should be go down to Palm beach and see who he can bring back home.

[Buck Sexton]

I mean, she's saying Florida, Florida has stolen her cash cows. And a lot of them are in Palm Beach. A lot of them are here in Miami Beach. Let me tell you, I got neighbors. And, and they're in Delray and they're in Boca. Hey, a lot of places around here. And Clay, this is really. I appreciate this. She is so unsophisticated in so many ways that she's just saying the truth here, which is New York or former New Yorkers, please move back to New York so you can be milked like the cows you are for the welfare state. That is her pitch.

[Clay Travis]

And so we've told you this, and it is going to long range mean that states like Tennessee, Florida, Texas, 0 state income tax states are going to be far more effective and well run than super high income tax states that are losing, as you just heard Kathy Hochul say, a lot of the base that has paid for all of the government to exist. What was the data point you gave us, Buck? That New York, I think, has a little bit fewer people now than Florida. Right. But Florida's government is half the size of New York's.

[Buck Sexton]

Well, Florida's budget is half the size of New York's budget and Florida has 2 to 3 million more residents as a state. 2 to 3 million. By the way, there are a lot of states that barely have 2 or 3 million residents.

[Clay Travis]

And as a general rule, how would you say as a Florida resident that the Florida budget and the governance is at running the money that they get at basically managing the taxpayer dollars.

[Buck Sexton]

Everything that involves the state of Florida is more efficient, more reasonable, more sane compared to New York state level governance. Everything, everything is easier, everything is smoother, everything makes more sense. Miami, things get a little third world down here, but state of Florida, fantastic.

[Clay Travis]

Okay, so building on that, you mentioned this stat earlier and I saw it, my jaw dropped. It's rare that I see a stat and I'm like, oh my, I can't believe this is real New York. Is it? New York City is spending more money than the average New Yorker makes on homeless people. What is this math? Buck? $81,000 a year, I believe was the. So all of you out there, I, I, you worked a long time with not making $81,000 a year? Buck, I worked a long time not making $81,000 a year.

[Buck Sexton]

I aspired to 81,000. I was like, oh my gosh, think about life at 80K. Yes, this is, by the way, 100% true.

[Clay Travis]

A lot of you out there are aspiring to life at 80k, right? That's a lot of money. That is what New York is spending on homeless people. And you made this analogy earlier. How many of you out there listening to us right now in New York are busting your asses all day long and you're not making 81k and you're looking around and you're saying, wait a minute, what is the state doing that they're providing 81k a year in support for homeless people? This is just so flagrantly flawed. I mean it's, it would be better off and this would be an awful idea, but if the entire government just got out of the way and they just gave 80, $78,000 in cash, you would save money if you just walked up and gave $78,000 in cash to every homeless person.

[Buck Sexton]

I also, by the way, there's nothing, there's nothing inherently derogatory about the term homeless. These people clearly don't have homes. This whole thing about unsheltered now. No, I'm sorry, Unhoused is unhoused. Unsheltered is the other the same, the same thing. No, I'm sorry, we're not doing this, ok? The Reason they're doing this is because homeless, homelessness and homeless realities. Across this country, people have learned more about this. They've started to understand that almost all of the homeless, the truly homeless population, almost all have either extreme substance abuse or extreme mental health or a combination of both issues and disorders. The stories that you hear about a family of four kicked out of their home, down on their luck, that can happen. It does happen. I get it. It is rare. And they don't stay homeless because there are programs and there are, you know, this notion, thankfully.

[Clay Travis]

I mean, there are.

[Buck Sexton]

But there are things to help people get back on their feet, and they tend to do so. The real homelessness issue is people with severe mental health and severe addiction issues, overwhelmingly. So this, the stories about someone lost their job, they're down on their luck. 1% of the, of the unhoused or homeless population at any point in time, 5% maybe. I think that might be too much. It's people with those problems now. Those are human beings who deserve help too. I'm not, I'm not saying otherwise. My point though is they're changing the definition, truly. Or they're changing the terms we use of homeless because they don't want people to think about the discussions about, like Gavin Newsom said he's going to lower homelessness. That was the term he was using in California over a 10 year period. It's like doubled.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah.

[Buck Sexton]

So they're changing the word. So it's like a new problem now. Right? It's like, oh, well, we're not dealing with the homelessness thing, Clay, because we completely failed. Now we're dealing with the unhoused population. And. And here's the other thing. 81,000. This is from the Comptroller of New York. This is, you know, right wing, angry blogger.net or something. This is from the Comptroller of New York. $81,000 a year per homeless person in New York. Why are we spending? I mean, think about, should we just give a check?

[Clay Travis]

Should we give a check for half

[Buck Sexton]

of that 40 grand in cash to every homeless person, One time payment. There you go. Lump sum. Get off the street.

[Clay Travis]

Cut half of the expenditures. To your point. And you know what's a big part of this? There are a lot of people who are doing nothing to actually help homelessness that are being paid a lot of money inside of that $81,000.

[Buck Sexton]

This is where you get. This is the ugly. True. This is the ugliness of it. Okay, we're seeing this, my friends. Some people are going to really start to pull these dots together. I also think this is part of why Elon just with the whole Doge thing had kind of a like a thermonuclear meltdown of. There's just so much fraud and so much waste and so much crap that it was nobody else.

[Clay Travis]

Unlike in a business where you would have somebody look at it, right? We can't run a business like that. We need that for our country and for our government.

[Buck Sexton]

I think Elon was truly just overwhelmed by the scale of this. And in his. And you know, his brain is able to tackle these things at scale and he's just like, this is completely. This monster is 100 times larger than I even realized. Anyway, a big part of this notice, Clay. The autistic, like autistic kids programs, the child daycare, Somali. I'm talking look at the autistic kids thing and that's in California. I think they've started looking. The spending on these programs has gone absolutely stratospheric in recent years. This is fraud, my friends. People are being paid a lot of money to do nothing of public benefit and they're getting taxpayer dollars to do this. And you know why the Democrats keep this going. It's a giant cash cow for their constituents. Who. What do you think if you walk into some city funded homelessness program in New York, what do you think the voting record of the people that are getting checks from the city to run the program? What do you think voting? I bet it's 95, 99% Democrat. It's just like the public school systems have become now, Clay, this is about vote harvesting. This is about donations. This is power for the Democrat Party. There is a homeless industrial complex now essentially of all these NGOs and bureaucrats getting paid to not actually fix the problem.

[Clay Travis]

And this is also ties in with the health care system being broken. There was a Wall street journal editorial saying 99% of one state. I think it was Ohio. Of the fraud analysis. It was all fraud. 99. I also think, again, this goes to health care. Nobody knows what it costs. The government funds a ton of it. Doesn't look at spending. There are people being paid $600 an hour to do autistic rehab that didn't actually have any kids with autism. I also think this ties in with an interesting question. We keep talking about how the number of kids with autism has skyrocketed. That's certainly true. How much of the autism diagnosis that we are seeing are completely made up and a function of being able to make money at 4 or 5 and $600 to do autism therapy. I mean, some of these companies, you saw what happened in Minnesota. But I think the same thing is happening in California. These companies don't even have a physical location. They have a P.O. box and they're getting paid millions of dollars a year. They're not even pretending. Just like you saw with the Somali daycare thing. Remember, Buck, it is interesting. No one has come out that I've seen and said, hey, my family lost daycare. Leave aside whether you think the government should be involved in Somali daycares at all. If they were actually doing Somali daycare, wouldn't. Tons of people have come out and said, oh my goodness, the kids daycare. I can't go, I can't go to. I haven't seen anything about this. This was all a sham. And it's a function of government not being well run enough for people to notice where all the money is going. It's just, it's infuriating for anybody out there that pays taxes.

[Buck Sexton]

It really is, it's, it's astonishing. And, and what you realize is that, and this is a, this is a pretty stark realization, but it's true. We think about fixing this. Not only are Democrats unwilling to fix it, they don't want it to be fixed. Yes, they believe that this is a redistribution of wealth to people who should get the money. They want homeless administrators on the, on the city, you know, getting, getting their budget paid for by the city, by the taxpayers. They want them making 3, 4, 600 grand to be a homelessness.

[Clay Travis]

That New York is spending more money, more than $81,000 a year for every homeless person. I mean, it should be infuriating more

[Buck Sexton]

than the average household in New York City. People who are working, people who are showing up, and we've all been there. I have showed up to jobs on mornings where I hated so much I thought I was going to throw up. I mean, I just like, I'm not making any money. This sucks. I've, we've, we've all been. But you show up and you suck it up and you do it, you do it for your family, you do it for, you know, the people around you who are counting on you. 80 grand going to every, you know, spent for every individual homeless person. What are they doing?

[Clay Travis]

Yeah.

[Buck Sexton]

Where is all the money? Think about this. How can that be possible? Where's all the money going? We know what it is in the public school system. The public school system in New York pays more than most private schools cost across the country per pupil. You know where the money goes? Bloated administrators making 150 grand to show up, sit at a desk, do nothing all day. There are tens of thousands of them

[Clay Travis]

and it's crazy how many people don't, don't do anything. Don't do anything and are just administrators.

[Buck Sexton]

It goes to vice principals of a district as a vice principal. What, like, you know, in case someone needs to step in for the principal, like vice principals and vice chancellors and all this stuff. We're making 2, 300 grand to be working for the public school system of New York or New Jersey or any of these states.

[Kathy Hochul]

Hmm.

[Buck Sexton]

Oh, and you can retire after 20 years and you get all your benefits and everything paid for. I mean friends, by the way, this is also where all your city taxes and state taxes are going as well. And you know what the game is at the end of all this, Clay? Federal bailout, it's coming. You get a Gavin Newsom administration. What, you think he's going to leave California high and dry with its budget deficit? Oh, no more. They'll just find ways to more.

[Clay Travis]

That's a good point because thankfully most states have to have balanced budgets, but a lot of cities have ended up going bankrupt and again, the federal government doesn't. So the buck, to buck's point, the bailout goes on the books of the federal government. I saw today we hit 39 trillion national debt. The debt, the number today now is 39 trillion. And what percentage of that money do you think has been well spent

[Buck Sexton]

again?

[Clay Travis]

Much. We could strip 75% of all government and be better off. I mean, I think that there's zero doubt about that. Unfortunately, we're not going to do it.

[Public Ad Read]

Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index. With AI, it all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc. SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available at public.com disclosures tired

[Anabe Sofa Ad Read]

of spills and stains on your sofa? Wash away your worries with Anabe. Annabe is the only designer sofa that's machine washable inside and out starting at just $699 plus. Anabe sofas are pet friendly, stain resistant and feature changeable. Slipcovers and modular pieces. Get up to 60% off site wide with a 30 day money back guarantee. Visit washablesofas.com to get yours now that's washablesofas.com offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply Flag Football is

[iFlag Football Ad Read]

exploding and iflag is leading the way as the Guinness World Record Holder. Iflag hosts premier flag iflag football tournaments nationwide for boys, girls, high school girls and adults. From first time players to elite competitors, iflag delivers top level competition, unforgettable experiences and a community built around the game ready to be part of it. Join the movement, find your tournament and learn [e-mail] that's iflag.org these days it

[Okta Ad Read]

seems like AI agents are just about everywhere. You turn every field and every function. But without identity, you can't trust they'll serve your business instead of jeopardy. Fortunately, Okta helps you get identity right by securing your AI agents identities, giving you a single layer of control, a single standard of trust. So whether an AI agent supports a single user or your entire enterprise, with Okta you'll turn risk into opportunity. Secure every agent. Secure any agent. Okta secures AI.

[Firestone Ad Read]

Your vehicle doesn't just get you from here to there. It's a bridge to the people and places that matter most. It's how you show up for your family, your community and everyone else that depends on you. That's why for 125 years Firestone has been building tires with one thing in mind to deliver products that are as reliable as you are. Firestone Always dependable since 1900,

[Clay Travis]

the Team 47 podcast is brought to you by Cozy Earth.

[Buck Sexton]

Comfort, style and quality. You can count on Cozy Earth.

[Clay Travis]

You're listening to team 47 with Clay and Buck Pete Exef had another early press conference about the situation unfolding in Iran, and I'm sure we're going to play some of those cuts for you, but President Trump is meeting the new leader of Japan in the Oval Office as we speak. And he just made news, as Trump typically does. Buck, one of my favorite things that Trump does is, is say he's not going to answer a question and then answer the question while, while saying he's not going to answer the question. So he was specifically asked, this is something that a lot of you have been concerned about. He was specifically asked, are you going to put so called boots on the ground in Iran? He's typically said, hey, I'm not going to answer that. And to his credit, strategically it would be not smart to say potentially if he's going to do one thing or another, leave all options open. It's harder to prepare for something if you don't know what's coming. But he said he's not going to answer and then he answered. Here is cut 31. This just happened in the Oval Office moments ago. Potentially put US Troops or more troops in the region.

[Donald J. Trump]

No, I'm not putting troops anywhere. If I, if I were, I certainly wouldn't tell you, but I'm not putting troops and we will do whatever is necessary to keep the price is low. I actually thought when I did this, look, the dow just hit 50,000 a couple of weeks ago. They said that couldn't happen for four years, it wouldn't happen in my term. It's such an outrageous thing because I said it would happen. I didn't know it was going to happen that fast, but just hit 50,000.

[Clay Travis]

So Trump kind of dancing around there, but asked if he's going to put boots on the ground. The only place I think he would have gone, and we've said this for days and days now, is potentially Carg island, which is the main central location of where Iranian oil is shipped, produced. We have video of Trump from back in the 1980s that we've played talking about, hey, if you're gonna hit Iran, that's the place where you hit Iran. But it seems like Buck, there is. Trump had a strongly worded statement that he put out last night and continues to move towards things being done. I think you said you expected by April 1st for this thing to be over. I think that's a good number. I would go by April 15th if we want to go on the long end, which would mean another three and a half or so weeks. But it does feel to me like this operation is winding down primarily because Iran has very few ballistic missiles left and increasingly few drones. If you look at the overall trajectory of Iran's ability to fire back kind of haphazardly in direction. They don't have that opportunity anymore to a large extent. And as that opportunity has continued to be degraded, we are now sitting in a situation where it's basically, hey, who do we want to take out and what is a resolution here? Is that your take as President Trump again will continue to update, continues to answer questions?

[Buck Sexton]

Well, sure, but I think, I think that something else that came out last night, a reminder that this is high stakes stuff and things can go south on us pretty quick. The president truthed out the following. Israel, out of anger for what has taken place in the Middle east, has violently lashed out at a major facility known as South Parr's gas field in Iran. A relatively small section of the hole has been hit. The United States knew nothing about this particular attack and the country of Qatar. Qatar was in no way, shape or form involved with it, nor did it have any idea that it was going to happen. Unfortunately, Iran did not know this or any of the pertinent facts pertaining to the South Pars attack and unjustifiably and unfairly attacked a portion of Qatar's liquid natural gas facility. No more attacks will be made by Israel, all caps pertaining to this extremely important and valuable South Pars field unless Iran unwisely decides to attack a very innocent, in this case Qatar, in which instance the United States of America, with or without the help or consent of Israel, will massively blow up the entirety of the South Pars gas field at an amount of strength and power that Iran has never seen or witnessed before. I do not want to authorize this level of violence and destruction because of the long term implications that will have on the future of Iran. But if Qatar's liquid natural gas is attacked again, I will not hesitate to do so. Thank you for your attention. This matter, President Donald J. Trump. Glenn, I just want to read that whole thing because, wow, that's, that's a lot going.

[Clay Travis]

There's a lot going on. A lot of different plot twists in that statement. When I read it last night, I was like, oh, wow. So there's, it's almost like you need us, you know, to break down all the different categories. The first and obviously the one that jumped out the most to me was this attack that Israel levied was not one that Trump knew was coming, but I actually thought it was quite diplomatic as he moved on to say, hey, if you do anything to Qatar, then we are going to rain down holy hell on you. There are some reports that Iran seems to be stepping back from doing anything, which obviously would suggest we are moving towards a situation where maybe calming down is more likely to occur. Oil and gas prices, Buck, I thought you said this yesterday. This is of all the times that you could be the oil and gas guy. It spikes on every little news story. It comes back down on every little news story. There's a bunch of different oil markets. There now is a huge divergence between the oil markets that are based in the Middle east, largely that type of oil and gas and crude oil, which is the typical US Oil and gas, as I have it open on my screen in front of me right now, $97 a barrel crude oil, the US focused crude oil went to 120 about a week ago and it continues to spike, or not spike entirely based on news stories right now. So you'll hear, hey, there's something new in the Strait of Hormuz or a new missile has landed and they will move in one direction or another rapidly even as we are talking to all of you. Crude oil right now is $97 a half a barrel again down from 120 where it went a couple of weeks ago and sitting at right at 9750 as I'm talking to all of you. Moving on the news, basically that's coming out of the Oval Office. Every sentence almost, it feels like right now.

[Buck Sexton]

Look, I'm wondering what exactly is going to come out of all of this because increasingly I think it's clear what we've been saying. There's not going to be regime change here. So you've killed the leadership off, but the security forces and the government structure below that leadership level seems like they're staying in place. You've destroyed all their military infrastructure. But that doesn't seem to change. For example, the Basiji militia, the Basij being able to terrify people into staying in their homes. And I just sit here and think this was what is, is it clear why we're, what we're trying to get out of this and why we got into this? I'm not sure it is.

[Clay Travis]

Well, I think, I think this is

[Buck Sexton]

a, this is a fair question to ask. The. What we're trying, what got us into this is Iran was going to go nuclear, which we've been told for 20 years at different levels was like months away. Weeks away. Months away. Weeks away. Ok. All right. I mean, we don't have access to that information. Only the top of the national security apparatus does, which should make people a little bit uncomfortable, right? I mean, we're trying to. I live through the whole WMD thing as did all of you. We're trusting the people in charge now. I voted for Trump three times. I trust President Trump on, on matters of national security as a general rule. But there is just a trust factor there. What is the outcome here that's going to be worth the hundreds of billions of dollars that this campaign will have ended up costing?

[Clay Travis]

I think the challenge is, and you would know this better than anybody, having worked as a CIA analyst, predicting what was going to happen on the ground and what is happening and what's likely to happen is really, really difficult inside of Iran. Because the president's first statement that he made when we decapitated the government and took out the Ayatollah was, now is the time for all of you to rise up. You may not have another chance for decades or generations to take back your government. That seemed like the goal was regime change, but it now seems like, given that there doesn't appear to have been that rising tide inside of Iran. I mean, I think it's fair to say, Buck, there were tens of thousands of people in the streets protesting the government when the Ayatollah was still alive. Now he's dead, and the tens of thousands of people in the streets don't seem to be happening now.

[Buck Sexton]

Well, a lot of them. A lot of them are dead, but,

[Clay Travis]

yeah, well, yeah, he killed 30,000 people. Australia has an incredible, great newspaper in Australia has an incredible front page. So, yes, a lot of the resistance they killed, but I think maybe there was an expectation of more of an uprising. And as you were talking, I just sent it in, we'll play it. Bessant is in the Oval Office and he just said they still expect for there to be an uprising inside of Iran. So I think part of the argument has been it's shifting in its goals because on the one hand, the mow the grass strategy of, hey, we're just going to wipe out Iran's ability to have strong weaponry and any impact in the Middle east, that's to me, the. The low end and I think likely to have occurred. The high end is we're going to replace this government with one that actually is a decent one. That seems unlikely. And it feels to me like we're going to be somewhere in kind of the squishy middle where what exactly Iran is going to look like when we stop dropping bombs is hard to forecast. Here's the other thing. Why can Israel not continue to drop bombs? So if the US Decides at some point in time, hey, we've done everything we think we need to do. I'm not sure the joint response. We've got an audio clip from Trump about this and the truth social post that you read is indicative of this as well. Couldn't there be at some point a divergence in the union where the US Says, hey, we think we've done enough, and Iran says, hey, you know, we haven't. Like we saw in Gaza when Iran kept going, I mean, sorry, Israel kept going because they're trying to eliminate the threat once and for all. And the threat, to be fair to Israel is more substantial than the threat is to the United States.

[Buck Sexton]

Well, I think the Israelis have made it clear to Iranian hardliners if you do anything that negatively affects the national security or the people of Israel will blow you up in a tent in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the night, like, we'll get you. Yeah, I mean, that has been made clear. What does that mean for the future of a country of 90 million people? I mean, I got to tell you, as this thing is going on here, we are using a tremendous amount of munitions, which are very expensive, I might add in all of this, to blow up a lot of kind of second and third tier military equipment. Just calling it like it is. So how long do we continue to do this for? I mean, this is going to end up being an expensive side quest of sorts. From what I think a lot of people are still wondering, hey, we've got a, we've got domestic issues here. That's really what we want to see. The focus on. Trump is aware of that. Look, he just said it's going to be over pretty soon. This is cut 33. Play this one.

[Donald J. Trump]

Oil prices will go up, the economy will go down a little bit. I thought it would be worse. Much worse, actually. I thought there was a chance it could be much worse. It's not bad. And it's going to be all with pretty soon. We've obliterated the Navy. We've obliterated their just about everything there is to obliterate, including leadership. Their navy's gone, Their air force is gone, their antiaircraft equipment is gone. We're flying wherever we want. Pete, we have no, nobody even shooting at us. They have. I mean, and as you know, their leadership is gone. Their leaders are gone. They pick new leaders, they're gone. They pick new leaders, they're gone. And now they're looking for new leaders again. We can take out the island anytime we want.

[Clay Travis]

So he's talking about Karg island there.

[Anabe Sofa Ad Read]

Kids, pets, life, your sofa sees it all. But with a washable sofa Stains don't stand a chance. All of our sofa collections come with fully machine washable covers and cushions, making cleanup effortless. Liquid and stain resistant fabrics provide extra protection against everyday messes. Plus, with modular designs, you can rearrange your sofa however you like. Perfect for growing families and changing spaces. Starting at just $699, it's time to upgrade to a stress free mess proof sofa. Visit washablesofas.com today and save offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

[Okta Ad Read]

These days it seems like AI agents are just about everywhere you turn, every field and every function. But without identity, you can't trust they'll serve your business instead of jeopardizing it. Fortunately, Okta helps you get identity right by securing your AI agents identities, giving you a single layer of control, a single standard of trust. So whether an AI agent supports a single user or your entire enterprise, with Okta you'll turn risk into opportunity. Secure every agent, Secure any agent. Okta secures AI.

[Firestone Ad Read]

Your vehicle doesn't just get you from here to there. It's a bridge to the people and places that matter most. It's how you show up for your family, your community and everyone else that depends on you. That's why for 125 years Firestone has been building tires with one thing in to deliver products that are as reliable as you are. Firestone always dependable since 1900

[iFlag Football Ad Read]

flag football is exploding and IFLAG is leading the way as the Guinness World Record Holder, iflag hosts premier flag football tournaments nationwide for boys, girls, high school girls and adults. From first time players to elite competitors, iflag delivers top level competition, unforgettable experiences and a community built around the game. Ready to be part of it? Join the movement. Find your tournament and learn [e-mail] that's

[Reynolds Kitchens Ad Read]

iflag.org ever wonder how to make hosting look effortless? Here's a secret Getting ahead of the mess with new Reynolds Kitchens countertop prep paper Just lightly wet the counter beforehand so the paper grips and stays in place. Then lay down the Reynolds Kitchens countertop prep paper so drips and spills stay on the paper, not all over your kitchen counter. You can roll out dough, prep a party spread or cook alongside family. When you're done, cleanup is as simple as lifting the paper and revealing that clean counter underneath. Effortless. You can use it for cooking and baking, prep and even crafting, especially when you need extra working space. Because when the mess is already handled, you can focus on what matters. The food, the people and the moment. It may look effortless, but now, you know, it's Reynolds Kitchen's countertop prep paper. Take a tip from me. Wet it, set it, prep it. Done. Make it easy. Make it with Reynolds Kitchens countertop prep paper available now in the Reynolds wrap aisle in Walmart.