The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Team 47 – You’re Damn Right!
Date: March 29, 2026
Host: iHeartPodcasts

Overview

In this episode, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle pressing topics in national security, immigration enforcement, global energy tensions, and urban crime reduction. The show features in-depth interviews with Tom Homan (Border Czar), Steve Yates (Heritage Foundation, national security expert), and Senator Marsha Blackburn (Tennessee). The discussions dive into recent ICE deployments at airports, U.S.-Iran tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, and Memphis’s dramatic reduction in violent crime through federal partnerships. The show combines political insight with practical analysis on the week’s headline issues.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. ICE Deployment at Airports & Immigration Enforcement

Guest: Tom Homan (Border Czar for Trump White House)
Timestamps: [00:49] – [11:54]

• Background on Airport ICE Operations

  • President Trump directed ICE to support overwhelmed TSA personnel and airport security amid worker shortages.
  • Tom Homan: “President Trump asked us get to the airports to help because a lot of TSA workers are calling in or they're just plain quitting.” [01:33]
  • ICE officers assist with ID checks, baggage, and checkpoint security, supplementing TSA staff and securing airports.
  • Homan clarifies: while assisting TSA is the main mission, ICE agents remain vigilant for immigration violations and can act on legal grounds if necessary.

• Enforcement and Coordination

  • Easy detection: Everyone goes through security and presents identification – an efficient setting for “target enforcement” operations.
  • ICE and TSA can share leads; ICE officers equipped with real-time database access.
  • Tom Homan: “If we got reasonable suspicion to question somebody or probable cause to rest somebody, that's exactly what we're going to do.” [03:17]

• Political & Legal Dynamics

  • Pushback from local authorities, e.g., Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner’s threat to arrest ICE agents, characterized by Homan as “ridiculous.” [04:25]
  • Federal law supersedes local rules; ICE acts under congressional mandate.
  • Ongoing Congressional debates on funding and the authority of ICE; concerns about public rhetoric increasing threats to agents.

• Deportation Metrics & Impact

  • Sharp increase: Over 700,000 removals, outpacing previous Obama-era records.
  • ICE plans to hire 10,000 more enforcement officers to intensify efforts, especially despite inefficiencies from sanctuary cities.
  • Tom Homan: “With 10,000 more agents, we'll beat last year's number.” [08:36]
  • Improved cooperation with local and state prisons in some states (e.g., Minnesota) led to more efficient enforcement and fewer personnel needed per arrest.
  • Voluntary departures up: Over 2 million left voluntarily in Trump’s first year, attributed to the “no free ride” message and visible ICE activity.

• Notable Moments

  • Homan’s frustration with inflammatory rhetoric against ICE:

    “I wish these members of Congress rather than vilifying the men and women of ICE and calling us Nazis and the secret police...strap a gun to your hip, put a kevlar vest on and come do what we do and see if you can stand on the line.” [11:54]

2. Strait of Hormuz Crisis & U.S.-Iran Tensions

Guest: Steve Yates (Heritage Foundation, nat. security expert)
Timestamps: [14:01] – [27:51]

• Strategic Overview of Hormuz

  • The Strait is a critical, narrow waterway, with Iran on one side and wealthy U.S. allies on the other. The possibility of military escalation is complex and potentially dangerous.
  • Steve Yates: “It’s a very confined geography...one of the major challenges.” [14:44]
  • Much of the oil passing through Hormuz goes to China, making this a global (not just American) security and economic issue.

• U.S. Approach under Trump

  • Mix of maximum military pressure and diplomatic back-channeling:

    “He hits like a sledgehammer and then...looks for where are there deals.” [18:23]

  • Realism about the limits of direct U.S. involvement; Trump seeking more buy-in from regional partners affected (India, China, Gulf states).
  • Potential U.S. military operations (e.g., occupying Carg Island) discussed – with hope of broader coalition involvement.
  • Back channel negotiations ongoing, with Trump giving Iran deadlines to de-escalate or face strikes on energy infrastructure.

• Objectives & Endgame

  • Immediate goals: Open Strait, maintain oil flow, force Iran’s denuclearization, and ensure regional security involvement beyond the U.S. alone.
  • Acceptance that victory is a de-escalation with international guarantees—potentially not regime change, but “defanged and frightened mullahs” or, ideally, a more representative government.
  • Steve Yates: “First we’re going to have to see who’s the they. When President Trump says they have made a commitment to denuclearize, that would be a major win...complete, verifiable, irreversible dismantlement of that program is a 30-plus year long objective.” [25:11]

• Role of Regional Allies

  • Growing support for U.S. pressure on Iran among Gulf states; some Arab countries expelling Iranian diplomats.
  • Yates: “It was Arab allies that pushed very, very hard in this. And it's really ultimately gets back to Trump craft 1.0. He's resetting all of these trouble zones with different cards and different coalitions.” [26:53]

3. Urban Crime Reduction – The Memphis Model

Guest: Senator Marsha Blackburn (Tennessee)
Timestamps: [28:00] – [38:20]

• Federal-Local Partnership Successes

  • Memphis, previously the most dangerous U.S. city per capita, has halved its violent crime rate in under six months through partnership between federal (FBI, DOJ, National Guard, U.S. Marshals, 30 agencies) and local officials—even with a Democratic mayor and police chief.
  • Sen. Blackburn: “Memphis is the model. If you want to get crime down in your city, look at what Memphis has done and the partnership that is there...in under six months, we have cut the crime rate in Memphis by half.” [28:34]
  • Dramatic stats: Over 9,000 violent criminal arrests, 65% reduction in vehicle theft, hundreds of children returned to school, more than 150 missing children recovered.

• Replicability and Lessons

  • Critical to success: Local officials embracing federal help. Contrasts with cities like Minneapolis where federal assistance was initially rebuffed.
  • Sen. Blackburn: “When you focus on an issue and say we’re going to surge...and then once we surge...figure out how to sustain that good work...for the safety of our city.” [32:55]
  • Suggests national application—cities like Chicago, LA, and San Francisco could benefit if political leaders accepted similar support.

• Political Updates

  • Markwayne Mullin confirmed as new DHS Secretary, with Blackburn’s support. Praised for his practical leadership.
  • Airports crisis: ICE presence at exits/checkpoints credited with resolving TSA congestion spurred by a mix of labor issues and Democratic policies.
  • Funding proposals: Ongoing work in Congress to secure DHS and public safety funding through reconciliation.

• Quote – The Human Impact

  • Sen. Blackburn: “For them to be able to talk about sitting on their porch...not worrying about a bullet coming through the house, about...employees not being robbed when they were leaving work and hear about children back to class...they're not being recruited by gangs...” [31:10]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Tom Homan (on ICE at airports):

  “We're doing a little bit of everything right now...you're damn right. Our purpose there is help TSA provide security and get people to the checkpoints. However...they see illegal activity, they're going to absolutely take action.” [01:33]

• On anti-ICE rhetoric:

  “Grow set. Put a badge on your chest, put a gun on your hip and come out with us...see what you have caused from the constant negative rhetoric and comparing them to the Nazis...I guarantee you none of them can.” [11:54]

• Steve Yates (on Trump’s Iran approach):

  “He hits like a sledgehammer and then he'll pull back and he'll look for where are their deals.... He's trying to do them a solid. Hopefully they recognize it...” [18:23]

• Senator Blackburn (on Memphis’s turnaround):

  “Memphis is the model...when the people with a Democrat mayor, Democrat elected, Democrat police chief, stand up and say, we are going to work with these resources...then this is the type result that you get.” [28:34]

Important Segments & Timestamps

• ICE/Airport Security Deep Dive (with Tom Homan): [00:49] – [11:54]
• Strait of Hormuz & Iran Crisis Analysis (with Steve Yates): [14:01] – [27:51]
• Memphis Crime Turnaround & DHS Leadership (with Sen. Blackburn): [28:00] – [38:20]

Tone & Language

The episode maintains a direct, conversational style with sharp critiques of Democratic policies, strong support for current Trump administration actions, and an emphasis on law-enforcement-first solutions. Guests and hosts employ assertive, sometimes passionate rhetoric—especially in defending ICE and celebrating bipartisan efforts where results are demonstrable.

Summary

This Team 47 episode offers a close look at law enforcement’s expanding presence in airport security, the intricacies of U.S. policy toward Iran in the global oil context, and the dramatic transformation achieved in Memphis through unprecedented federal-local cooperation. With perspectives from policymakers and national security experts, Clay and Buck guide listeners through timely, complex issues shaping headlines and public policy nationwide.