The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Weekly Review With Clay and Buck H1 - Buck's Beloved NYC
Date: November 1, 2025
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts
Hosts: Clay Travis and Buck Sexton

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the upcoming New York City mayoral election, the ideological divisions within the Democratic party, and the rise of far-left candidates, with a focus on Zoran Mamdani. Clay and Buck explore what the results could mean for New York City and the country at large, highlighting issues like victimhood politics, socialism, crime, and the shifting narratives around 9/11. They debate Kamala Harris's political future and critique various public figures, bringing in sharp wit and their signature banter. The episode features audio clips from the candidates, analysis of campaign dynamics, and a preview of their upcoming interview with Curtis Sliwa, the Republican candidate.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Upcoming NYC Mayoral Race: Candidates and Stakes

• Buck expresses strong feelings for NYC as "the world's greatest city" ([00:35]):
  • “It does not matter. There could be nuclear winter in New York and I would still think it is the greatest city. And there kind of was because Bill de Blasio was the mayor for a number of years and that was pretty horrific.”
• The main candidates discussed:
  • Zoran Mamdani: Cast as a radical leftwing socialist, labeled by Buck as “Mamdani the Commie”.
  • Andrew Cuomo: Running as an independent; Buck argues Cuomo’s campaign is weak and derivative.
  • Curtis Sliwa: Republican, called a “long shot,” but will join the show later to make his case.
• Buck predicts Mamdani will win:
  • “I think Momdani’s winning the New York City mayor’s race. Yeah. From everything that I’ve seen so far, I would love it if Sliwa would win. But I think... let the chips fall where they may at this point.”

2. Democratic Party Infighting and the Far Left

• Both hosts discuss a “civil war” within the Democratic party—between moderates like Cuomo and the far-left embodied by Mamdani ([30:40]):
  • Cuomo (clip): “You have an extreme left, radical left, Bernie Sanders, AOC. Mamdani is just the banner carrier for that... I believe that far left will destroy the Democratic Party. I believe it will destroy the Democratic Party nationwide if that far left becomes dominant.”
  • Clay: “I think he’s 100% right about this, Buck. The problem is... what he is pointing to, I think actually benefits Mamdani in New York City.”

3. Victimhood Politics and Shifting Narratives (Post-9/11)

• The hosts dissect Mamdani’s narrative of anti-Muslim victimization post-9/11, criticizing its accuracy and underlying motives ([07:27]–[09:49]):
  • Buck notes, “Mamdani had to create some version of victim status for himself to be truly worthy of the left wing adulation that he has.”
  • Clay argues, “He knows what he’s doing. He’s trying to change the history and the narrative and make his side the victims.”
  • Both hosts repeatedly reference comedian Norm MacDonald’s joke about post-atrocity victim narratives, making it a running theme.
  • Clay’s sharp analogy ([11:34]):
    • “If 20 people in Clay and Buck gear showed up and committed a mass murder... I don’t think I would want to wear a Clay and Buck shirt in the city where the mass murder happened the next day.”

4. Critique of Far-Left Ideology and Crime Policy

• Clips of Mamdani play, revealing his views on policing and incarceration ([23:28]):
  • Mamdani: “...prisons are set up in our society. I would argue that they do not work, they do not make us safer.”
  • Buck reacts: “When someone has been arrested 50 or 100 times, which is not unusual in New York City... the problem, according to Mamdani, is us, is everybody else.”
• On Mamdani’s rhetoric equating NYPD and IDF, and calling Israel an apartheid state:
  • Clay: “All of this is gobbledygook university campus talk... he believes in the idea that Israel is an apartheid state, that the NYPD exists as a colonialist occupier... That's what he believes.”
  • Buck: “That’s like Protocols of the Elders of Zion kind of antisemitism. Yes. And anti Jew.”

5. Wider Cultural and Political Implications

• The conversation turns to how narratives and ideologies from global issues like the Israel-Palestinian conflict are imported into American politics and college campuses ([32:59]):
  • Clay: “...They are exporting the same arguments from Israel in the Middle East to the United States... Mamdani’s dad wrote a book post 9/11 saying the United States and Al Qaeda were moral equivalents.”
• Buck reiterates the dangers: “That’s always in there somehow. Always a part of it, isn’t it, with these Islamo fascist types.”

6. Kamala Harris, Identity Politics & Democratic Optics

• Early segment skewers Kamala Harris and, especially, former press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre ([03:19]):
  • Buck: “The single best thing that Kamala Harris has going for the rehabilitation of her Democrat standing is the Karine Jean Pierre book tour, which is a glorious catastrophe.”
  • Clay: “She just kept coming back to her chosen default line, which is, well, I’m black and gay. And that identity is both cloak and shield that she believes protects her from any consequences...”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Buck on NYC pride:

  “There could be nuclear winter in New York and I would still think it is the greatest city. And there kind of was because Bill de Blasio was the mayor...”
  [00:35]

• Clay on shifting post-9/11 narratives:

  “The idea that the story of 911 within a quarter century... would be mobilized as a story about the unfair treatment of people who were of the Muslim faith is... incredibly alarming.”
  [08:08]

• On left-wing victimhood politics:

  “Left wing victimology dictates that when somebody from the left or from a group that you generally like or whatever does a terrible thing, you have to go in the other direction. You are the real victim.” —Buck
  [13:01]

• Clay’s SNL analogy:

  “If a bunch of you in our gear committed a mass murder, I don’t think I would want to wear a Clay and Buck shirt in the city where the mass murder happened the next day.”
  [12:04]

• Cuomo on Democrat civil war:

  “There's a quiet civil war going on in the Democratic Party right now. You have an extreme left, radical left... versus the mainstream moderate Democrats... I believe that far left will destroy the Democratic Party.”
  [30:40]

• Buck on Mamdani’s anti-cop/anti-Israel rhetoric:

  “That’s like Protocols of the Elders of Zion kind of antisemitism. Yes. And anti Jew. And this guy’s going to become the mayor of New York City...”
  [28:28]

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment or Quote | |-----------|------------------| | 00:35 | Buck’s passionate defense of NYC & race overview | | 03:19 | Discussion opens on Kamala Harris, Karine Jean-Pierre’s book tour | | 07:27–08:08 | Mamdani defends subway Islamophobia story; Buck and Clay respond | | 11:34 | Clay’s analogy about group identity and logic post-tragedy | | 23:28 | Mamdani’s criminal justice reform stance; Buck & Clay critique | | 25:08, 26:12 | Mamdani’s comments on apartheid/state power & NYPD-IDF relations | | 30:40 | Cuomo clip on internal Democratic conflict | | 32:59 | Clay: global ideology import; Mamdani family’s controversial writings | | 39:10+ | Predictions for election outcome, preview of Sliwa interview |

Flow and Tone

The tone is humorous yet sharply critical, marked by Clay and Buck’s back-and-forth banter and use of pop culture references. They blend policy critique with satire and personal anecdotes, making complex ideological issues accessible. The tone is openly conservative, skeptical of progressive victimhood narratives, and deeply concerned about the political trajectory of New York City.

In Summary

For listeners who missed the episode, this installment offers a deep dive into the NYC mayoral race and the broader struggle over the soul of American liberalism. Clay and Buck argue that narratives of victimhood, identity, and far-left ideology are profoundly shaping politics in NYC and beyond. They warn of the consequences of electing candidates like Mamdani and critique both the left and legacy media's role. The episode sets the stage for a lively interview with Curtis Sliwa, promising further fireworks as the election approaches.