The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
Episode: Weekly Review With Clay and Buck H1 – About Last Night
Date: November 8, 2025
Platform: iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

In this lively post-election discussion, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton analyze the previous night’s election results, focusing on the significant Democratic victories in New York City, New Jersey, and Virginia. With their signature intelligence and humor, Clay and Buck break down what these results mean for the Republican party, American urban life, and voter turnout, addressing broader questions about immigration, demographic shifts, and the challenges ahead for the GOP. Callers from around the country also share their reactions, providing on-the-ground sentiment from both red and blue regions.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. New York City: Zoran Mamdani’s Win and High Turnout

• Not an Upset: Mamdani's victory as NYC mayor not considered an upset by the hosts; he won just over 50% in a high-turnout election.
• Role of Third Candidates: Clay argues that if Curtis Sliwa had dropped out earlier, a direct Cuomo–Mamdani contest might have produced a different outcome—but doubts linger whether Cuomo had enough support regardless.
  • Quote (Clay, 02:58): “‘If he had dropped out earlier and it had been a Cuomo against Mamdani straight up election, I think that Cuomo may have been able to win.’”
• Polls Were Accurate: Buck emphasizes that, contrary to anti-polling sentiment, “the polls were pretty much spot on... The people that were leading all won, and the margins were more or less what was expected.” (Buck, 05:03)
• Demographics:
  • Mamdani garnered 90%+ of the Black vote and was strong among millennials, Hispanics, and Asians.
  • Recent arrivals (especially in the last decade) overwhelmingly supported Mamdani.
  • Skepticism about the influence of immigration and assimilation on city politics.
  • Quote (Clay, 13:18): “If you have the largest city in America... being largely determined, its future being determined by people who have been in America for only a couple of years, that’s... a problem. That’s actually not what you want. No other country would allow that.”

2. Virginia & New Jersey: GOP Disappointment

• Turnout Problems for Republicans:
  • 600,000 fewer Trump voters turned out in NJ and VA compared to 2024.
  • Republicans lost key races, and turnout among Democrats remained strong, especially from voters motivated by anti-Trump sentiment.
  • Quote (Buck, 08:37): “The people, Buck, who hate Trump, they show up, their brains are broken. They will show up at a school board vote because they hate Trump. The people who love Trump, they don’t show up when Trump’s not on the ballot.”
• Campaign Style Analysis:
  • Youngkin’s 2021 win in VA seen as a “nice off-year win” but recent GOP campaigners uninspiring.
  • Mamdani seen as “fun,” “engaging,” and reminiscent of Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals—making activism and voting feel like a cool, social experience.
  • Quote (Clay, 11:08): “Go back and read Rules for Radicals, everybody... Make activism something people want to show up to because they’ll feel cool and they’ll laugh and they’ll be with their friends. And Zoran managed to do that.”

3. Broader GOP Implications

• Turnout Worry: Buck predicts media will soon pivot to saying “Trump’s voters won’t show up in ‘28 and in ‘26,” hinting at an existential concern for future elections.
  • Quote (Buck, 09:40): “In New Jersey and Virginia, the biggest story to me is Trump’s people didn’t show up.”
• Economic Messaging: Clay and Buck note that the economy remains the dominant political issue—cost of living, rent, groceries, etc.—and the right needs coherent solutions to win voters.
• Immigration and Cultural Shift: Discussion of the long-term effect of immigration—both legal and illegal—on city voting and policy, with warnings of insufficient assimilation and rise of far-left political attitudes.
  • Quote (Buck, 14:27): “A lot of people coming now, which is certainly incredibly ironic, are arguing America’s an awful place. Oh, and American history is awful.”

4. Voter Behavior, Demographics, and Brainwashing

• Recent Arrivals and Young Voters: Noted as being especially eager to support left candidates.
• Asset Ownership, Debt, and Frustration: Millennials and recent arrivals face high costs and lack assets, feeding into leftist economic policies.

5. The "San Francisco Model" and Left-wing Governance

• Tolerance of Declining Quality of Life: Clay argues that progressive cities (like SF, now NY) will tolerate worsening conditions out of commitment to ideological purity and social justice narratives—even at personal cost.
  • Quote (Clay, 34:14): “You must revel in your suffering... that is where they finally will go. And in New York, they have not suffered enough.”
• Reparations and Redistributive Policy: Buck connects urban crime policy and reparations rhetoric.
  • Quote (Buck, 35:46): “But this is just a physical direct manifestation of what reparations is.”

6. Jewish Voters and Antisemitism Accusations

• Election of a Muslim Mayor in NYC: Buck notes that the city with the highest Jewish population just elected a Muslim mayor who “hates them,” countering claims of Jewish control.
  • Quote (Buck, 27:16): “Let me just point this out. The biggest population of Jews in America is in New York City. And New York City just elected a mayor that hates them.”
• Post-9/11 Reflections: Surprised at the prospect of a Muslim mayor 25 years after 9/11—seen both as a sign of tolerance and as disproving “Islamophobic” narratives.

Listener Calls & Regional Sentiment (30:08–46:00)

Highlights from Calls:

• Jason in Houston (30:08): Invites conservative New Yorkers to move to Texas, touts Houston’s cultural and economic strengths.
• Bonnie in Charleston, SC (31:35): Apologizes humorously for women’s voting patterns, noting women voted heavily for far-left candidates.
  • Quote (Bonnie, 31:41): “I want to apologize because I watched the statistics. The women are the ones that put Mandami over... I want to apologize for the stupidity of my gender.”
• Danny in Staten Island (44:35): Retired fireman shares disappointment in NYC; ready to move to Florida’s Gulf Coast, seeing this election as the “last straw.”
  • Quote (Danny, 45:59): “I don’t hate it, but I just, just, the expenses here... we’re still living for paycheck to paycheck here, you know, and what am I getting? Nothing.”
• Tom in Tampa (36:21): Challenges hosts’ analysis of Sliwa’s impact, citing internal polling and casting doubt that Sliwa voters would have changed the race outcome.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On NYC’s Future

  • “We’ve got a communist mayor of New York City inbound. Clay, I am wearing Soviet Union red today in solidarity with Comrade Zoran.” (Buck, 05:09)

• On Young, Affluent Voters

  • “The richest, whitest, most sheltered girl... is posting a picture of Zoran Mamdani on her story right now, captioned ‘Power to the people’ from her SoHo apartment. That’s paid for by her wealthy, conservative father.” (Buck, 12:22)

• On Migration Out of NYC

  • “Real estate agents in Florida and Tennessee and Texas are being flooded with calls right now.” (Buck, 17:42)

• On Democratic Commitment

  • “They hate Trump so much that they are willing to live in awfulness rather than make a choice that would in any way be seen as an acknowledgement that Trump is something other than pure evil.” (Buck, 33:47)

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:38 | Start of main political content—NYC election breakdown | | 05:03 | Polls analysis and confirmation of predicted margins | | 07:40 | Turnout issues for Republicans in NJ and VA; anti-Trump voter mobilization | | 11:08 | Campaign style and Saul Alinsky’s “make it fun” approach | | 13:18 | Immigration and impact on voting dynamics in NYC | | 14:27 | Cultural shift, assimilation, and criticism of anti-American rhetoric | | 22:22 | Satirical reflection on new, young NYC residents and their voting tendencies | | 27:16 | Jewish voters/rhetoric contesting claims of antisemitic conspiracy | | 31:35 | Bonnie from Charleston calls in re: gender and voting patterns | | 34:14 | Clay explains “San Francisco Model” and progressive self-sacrifice narrative | | 35:46 | Reparations, urban policy, and direct/indirect redistribution comparisons | | 44:35 | Danny from Staten Island’s personal reaction, planning a move to Florida |

Language & Tone

• Witty, sarcastic, occasionally dark humor: “Have a little bit of black sense of humor, right? A dark sense of humor.” (Buck, 12:13)
• Unapologetically partisan, occasionally self-deprecating, and willing to air jabs at themselves and their audience for missed calls or electoral disappointments.

Final Thoughts

Clay and Buck present the 2025 election night as a cautionary tale for the GOP: the importance of turnout, compelling candidates, and economic messaging. They stress that the Democratic victories—especially in NYC—were foreseeable given trends in demographics, campaign energy, and urban voter culture. The episode ends with listeners sharing both frustration and humor, and with a warning that if Republicans can’t adapt, “the commies will be in charge.” (Buck, 12:04)