
Loading summary
Clay Travis
This is an iHeart podcast.
Public Podcast Sponsor
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 available at public.com Ever wonder
Martha Stewart
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 Kitchen's 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 Kitchens 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, Target, Amazon and Costco.
Okta Sponsor
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, ultimately, 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 after reaching over $5,000
Clay Travis
an ounce, gold prices have softened. What does that mean for you? It means this is a buying opportunity. Whether you haven't yet diversified your savings into gold, or maybe you just want to buy more, Birch Gold Group can help you. The fundamentals are still out of whack. Surging oil prices keep inflation high, the national debt is still soaring and central banks are still buying massive quantities of gold. That's why my belief in gold hasn't changed one bit. Educate yourself. Birch Gold will send you a free info kit on gold when you text My name Buck to 989898 there's no obligation, only useful information, including how you can own gold in a tax sheltered retirement account with an A plus rating with the Better Business Bureau and tens of thousands of happy customers. See if buying the dip makes sense for you right now. Text buck to the number 989898 claim your free info kit and diversify your savings with gold. Text Buck to 989898 welcome in Clay
Buck Sexton
Travis Buck Sexton Show President Trump is official officially on the ground in Beijing. It is midnight in Beijing. I guess it is Thursday, early early morning in Beijing. Much of the news we will find out as these this state visit officially progresses. He landed Buck with a ton of high powered heavyweight CEOs who were also on the trip, among them Elon Musk. The band is back together again and and many others. Jensen Huang of Nvidia Just a huge collection of pretty formidable leaders of major corporations in the United States. They fetted him on his arrival with a red carpet in Beijing and we will see what progresses there. I was doing a lot of reading about this visit as we are beginning it as to what might happen and Buck, I would say there are two things that are standing out to me. We'll get to that in a moment. I'm curious what's standing out to you as the state visit begins, the first for an American president in China since 2017 when Trump went during his first term. LA mayor's race fireworks. A lot of drama building there as we come up on the California primary as well as the California governor's race where the top two advance from the so called jungle primary. There we've got Covid testimony from a CIA whistleblower in front of Senator Rand Paul. The CIA official is saying that Dr. Fauci interjected himself into the investigation from of where Covid came from and that the CIA was prepared in 2021 to say publicly that they believe that Covid came from a Chinese lab, which it feels like at this point, Buck, everybody kind of acknowledges was what happened. But remember, it was racist to say that Covid came from a Chinese lab, according to the New York Times for some time. And so we've got a bunch of cuts from that. And I do think that is at least intriguing testimony. We also have an offer out to Senator Rand Paul to potentially join us. We'll also be going down to your home state of Florida where Congressman Byron Donalds, who is the leading contender to be the next governor of the state of Florida, is going to join us at 1:30 Eastern. All that coming. But Buck, there are two things that stand out to me about this Chinese state visit from President Trump. One is what's going to happen with the Strait of Hormuz. China gets a huge percentage of its oil and gas via oil that transits that through there. There are reports that there have been a lot of back channel discussions that China may be leaning on Iran, which is one of the foremost providers of oil and gas for China, and saying, guys, open up the Strait or we're not going to continue to give you the favorable treatments that we have given you in the past. We'll see whether anything emanates from that, whether while Trump is in China, we may get some form of resolution associated with Iran. How involved will China get? Point two, you traveled to Taiwan, Buck, and so you know of the intense severity, complexity of the relationship between Taiwan and and China and the United States, what the United States is willing to see. We've had this strategic ambiguity policy as to what we would do if China invaded Taiwan for a long time. So those are the two things. And maybe will Jimmy Lai, this goes directly with the show because we talked to Jimmy Lai's son. Will he be released from a Hong Kong prison for effectively standing up for basic human rights around the world? That is kind of my big picture take. What are you expecting? What are you paying attention to as this Chinese state visit begins?
Clay Travis
Well, Xi Jinping has elevated Taiwan to the absolute top of the agenda. And he's trying to use what he wants when it comes to Taiwan as a primary bargaining piece against what Trump wants, which is a whole range of things on the US Side when it comes to trade. One of the reasons why, of course, Trump went with all these mega CEOs, if you will, some of the biggest and most powerful CEO really the biggest and most powerful CEOs, in many cases in the world. So it's worth noting that we signed and as you mentioned, clap went to really. So that going forward, I knew China would be a big issue. I went to Taiwan with Steve Yates, by the way, who will be with us tomorrow to talk about the first run through, if you will, of the Xi Jinping talks. But when we were there, the Taiwanese are incredibly concerned about even signaling from Trump that somehow Taiwan is on the menu, if you will, that there could be enough daylight between America, Japan, very important ally as well in this whole issue, and Taiwan, that the Chinese think that now is the time. Now it's go time. So the leverage that we have, I might note, is just to continue essentially status quo. Trump approved an $11 billion arms package for Taiwan. So we are selling them stuff, advanced munitions. And. And the Taiwanese are ramping up, I think, Clay. They're going to spend 5% of GDP on defense this year. That's a lot, everybody, Right. You think about what the NATO. The NATO requirement is. I think 2%, which none of those countries hit. 5% is a. Is a sizable chunk of GDP for a country that, let's remember, just wants to stay doing exactly what it's doing. It has no offensive intent whatsoever. So all of that is defensive. It's not. It doesn't have bases all over the world. It's not trying to invade a neighbor. It just wants to be left alone. It wants to make sure the quills on the porcupine are long enough and sharp enough that the Chinese dragon does not decide it's lunchtime. So that's a huge part of this. Trump is going to want to make sure that we get continuity on the rare earth minerals piece because we found out, oh, wait a second, China has a lot of rare earth. And if they use that against us, that can create supply chain disruptions and problems for us. Trump wants Taiwan to offshore, Clay, a lot. And I remember I went to see the premier manufacturer of chips in Taiwan and tsmc, and it's like a country within a country.
Buck Sexton
Yeah.
Clay Travis
Imagine an industry in a nation that is so essential and so powerful to that country and to the world that it is a strategic asset globally as well as locally. That's what TSMC is. Now, they've moved, Clay, some of their facilities into the US They've. They're building a big fab fabrication facility in Arizona. And TSMC walked me through a lot of what they're doing. But here's the problem. We want them to build More stuff here, of course, but they're looking at us like, and this includes even talking to the president of Taiwan about this. They're looking at us like, guys, first of all, we kind of like being the best in the world at this, just going to be honest with you and having it on our own soil. And second of all, you can't allow China to seize this. So isn't it a good thing for us that we have this incredibly important intellectual property and strategic asset. 90% of the high end chips, everybody, we think AI is going to change our lives and already is. 90% of high end chips are made in Taiwan by TSMC. And it looks like magic when you see just versions of like videos of how they put all this stuff together. So, Clay, it's high stakes with Trump here in China. You know, Trump is going to say that he kicked ass and got the best deal possible. I think he'll get some good things done. But the Chinese have some bare knuckle tactics that they're going to use here too. So it is a, it is a real showdown on trade, on economics and on strategy.
Buck Sexton
Also, the Chinese have the advantage of knowing that in theory their leader is going to be in control for far more than the next six months, which is, you know, when you balance out how all of these scenarios are in play and some of you say, okay, what do you mean by that, Clay? If, if the midterms go against President Trump, President Trump is still in office, but in terms of being able to implement anything through the relationship with Congress, that's basically over. And so already I think the, the odds of China having to do anything that's particularly beneficial to us given their time situations, is, is less significant. I would just say this too. China has begun a decline and I do think this is significant and not receiving enough attention by the end of this century. They are now projecting that China's population will be cut in half from what it is right now. And China's population has already begun to decline. They were supposed to catch us for world's biggest economy. You remember reading all those feverish articles a decade ago about how China's progression was such that soon they would get, they're not close and we are actually creating more of a gap between ourselves and the Chinese. Again, I think to a large extent that's because President Trump stopped bending over backwards and allowing China to take advantage of us in terms of trade to such a significant extent. So China, while they have a longer range leadership certainty, they've actually got a worse overall I would say global trajectory than we do. And China is one of those first countries. I mean, what's the population of the world now? 8 billion. I think if, if we end up continuing on these trend lines, the global population may well have already peaked. It's going to start to decline and China is going to be a foremost proponent of that decline of overall population.
Clay Travis
One thing on the demographic side, Clay, that is a bit unsettling for us is that when you have a country that has a large male population without female pairing because of China's monstrous one child policy, when you think about this, I mean, for what is it, about 30, 40 years? Yes, a one child policy. Hundreds of millions of births prevented through either restriction or abortion in China. Hundreds of millions of people. And of course what that also meant because the 11 child people a lot of them chose has to be a male. I need an heir to keep the family name going and to, for economic reasons and you know, all these different things. So you have a, a bulge of unmarried Chinese men in their, you know, 20s, 30s, 40s now and what are they going to do? And this is a big problem now historically, when societies have a, a huge surplus of unmarried men, I'm just going to say bad things happen, including wars. So that's something that I think is very concerning for us on the demographic side of things. And even with a massive drop in population, Clay, there's still over a billion people. So it's there. You know, it's is one of these things on the China Taiwan issue, depending on which expert I talk to, I will get and I've talked to a lot of them, right. And depending on who even the government you talk to over there, it's, it's all going to be fine. Status quo will continue. People need to calm down. Don't worry. Taiwan and Japan and America together will defend themselves aptly. If China does invade, there's no issue or Taiwan's totally screwed. It'll take a few days, China will take it. And that's the, I mean the range
Buck Sexton
of quote unquote obvious outcome here from
Clay Travis
experts is that's what's really concerning is that I'm telling you, depending on who you talk to, China could invade and kick their asses in a few days. China would get wiped out in the strait. It's a total mess and a disaster for them. I mean, you know, and they're also certain of their answers. And that's why I sit here and say if everyone is certain and, and they all disagree with each other, it Means no one is certain. And that's where we are as Trump is sitting down with Xi Jinping to work out deals that will have implications for us here at home, for sure, but also for the whole world, quite honestly. So it's a big, it's a big situation. It's big stuff. Big stakes going on over there. And like I said, we'll, we'll cover that more here. And also, our friend Steve Yates, maybe he can do part of the interview, Clay with us in Mandarin, just to show off a little bit. You know, I got to tell you, seeing that guy walk around Taiwan and just whip out perfect Chinese everywhere. Because, you know, Yates, Yates is like a big white dude. You know what I'm saying? You wouldn't, you wouldn't expect it. It was, it's pretty cool.
Buck Sexton
So I would think for him, eavesdropping would be incredibly valuable because nobody is expecting that. He's having any idea what they're saying. And, and he's got it mastered.
Clay Travis
I will tell you that I went into a place and I was getting, they do a lot of reflexology there. And as I was getting reflexology, one of the women said that my feet are weird and it was very sad for me. He told me this because they didn't think that I would be able to understand, which of course I couldn't, but he could. So I have a, I have weird feet. According to the ladies in Taiwan. All right, we're all creatures of habit with one thing or another. Tonight, for instance, will you go through the ritual of turning off lights and locking the door, making sure your home is safe before bed? We do this because somewhere in our mind, we register a threat to our safety. Slightly as it might be to some of us, threats don't come with warnings. They come when the house is quiet or when someone you love is home alone. One of the reasons Sabre has sold so many self protection devices, including their Sabre home defense launcher. It's their non lethal protection that helps you respond to multiple threats at a distance. Sabre home defense launchers. Easy to use and delivers seven powerful pepper or impact projectiles. Two more than most competitors. And right now, you can save up to 15% on select bundles. When safety matters, America chooses Sabre, the number one brand trusted by police and millions worldwide. Don't wait for a close call. Get protection now at sabre protect.com that's S A B R E saber protect.com or call 844-824 safe 844-824 safe. Laugh, learn and hang with the guys.
Buck Sexton
Play it buck preset on the iHeart Apple.
Public Podcast Sponsor
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 screenshot thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S P500. 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 Income 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 this
Martha Stewart
is Martha Stewart from the Martha Stewart Podcast. 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 Kitchen's 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 Kitchens 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, Target, Amazon and Costco.
Okta Sponsor
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 Craving bold, authentic taste without kitchen chaos. True nature meets Hawaiian Kahlua Pork delivers slow roasted tenderness with smoky tropical notes. Pre cooked perfection. 30 years supplying the finest restaurants. Chances are you've already had their pork heat in two minutes. Shred for plates or bowls. Complaints turn to second helpings and laughter. Real meat, real flavor. Go to truenature meats.com code free meat for 20% off plus free New York strip Texas smoked brisket and Mediterranean chicken with code free meat@truenature meats.com welcome back
Clay Travis
into Clay and Buck. I just want to note that while Trump is in China right now, he's on the ground in Beijing. Meetings will be happening imminently. He does have an economic wind at his back despite the not sure stalemate. Well, it certainly is a negotiating stalemate in Iran with the Strait of Hormuz. The economy is still humming along. And here's Trump talking about, yes, we just had one month of high inflation, but he says inflation overall is good and the stock market is absolutely cooking. Play 10. Mr. President, you promised to bring inflation
Buck Sexton
down is now at its highest level in three years.
Clay Travis
Are your policies not working? What's happening? They're working. Incredibly. If you go back to just before the war, for the last three, three months, inflation was at 1.7%. Now, we had a choice, let these lunatics have a nuclear weapon. If you want to do that, then you're a stupid person. And you happen to be, I mean, I know you very well. Anybody that wants them to have a nuclear weapon is a stupid person. So we said we're going to take the greatest stock market in history and we're going to go down a little bit. And actually that turned out to be incorrect because our stock market is now at the highest point in history. Clay Trump is still taking this position that, look, the Trump economy is so strong that he was willing to do what was necessary here, even if it meant a temporary hit to the market, which didn't really even materialize. It was very brief and now it's higher than ever. And even if it means temporarily higher gas prices, he's taking a risk. He knows it, but he's very clear eyed in. This was a risk that he felt he had to take.
Buck Sexton
I think all that's true. But if the president were asking me, I would say get a resolution and get a resolution soon. And if you, if you think that you need to go back in, go back in after the midterms. I, you know, the timing on this, again is, is such that I believe if you get this done before the summer really starts off because again, remember, usually in the summer, gas prices go up naturally. So I think it's likely the case that gas prices will go up in the summer. So we need gas prices to start coming back down so that you end up, I think, lower than we were in June of 2022. Gas prices go above where they were in June of 22, which was the peak of Biden inflation. Trump is going to be in a tough spot. Republicans are going to be in a tough spot come September, October. So that would be my suggestion in general.
Clay Travis
And I'm just going to say even the most ardent Trump supporters in Congress, etcetera, Clay, they're all saying the same thing. Gas prices are high. It's going to be rough. All right, this spring, buy a set of rapid radios, okay? These are like advanced ones, walkie talkie radios, the kind that you can connect with anyone, anywhere in the US Why do you need them? Well, think about this. In the event of severe weather and power outages, rapid radios will keep you connected. Think of it as part of your preparation plan. Rapid radios operate on the LTE network, which means they can instantly connect with another rapid radio holder. They're small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, but durable in case you or your kids drop them. The charge goes to distance too, lasting up to five days. So don't wait. Go online to rapidradios.com right now they're including over 300 in free gear with your order, including a tactical radio bag, USB charger and EMP Faraday bag. Every order comes with a 30 day money back guarantee. Go to Rapidradios.com use code radio 5% off Rapidradios.com use code Radio for 5% off rapid radios.
Buck Sexton
Go get some welcome back in just happening on Capitol Hill, a press, not a press conference, but a hearing.
Clay Travis
Can I just tell you, Clay, apparently we're playing Enter the Ranchman. Come on. Dad joke. Come on.
Buck Sexton
That's a very, that's a very good dad joke. Rand Paul hearing on Capitol Hill and it is with a CIA analyst who has said, I feel compelled to speak out as a whistleblower based on the COVID ups that I saw happening of our Covid analysis in terms of where the COVID virus likely originated. The CIA was all prepared to say it came out of a Chinese lab. And then, according to this whistleblower, Dr. Fauci got involved to try and keep that story from being disseminated widely in 2021. Remember, they said that it was racist to even consider that the COVID might have come out of a Chinese lab. Here is cut five. This gentleman's name, James Erdman iii. Cut five.
James Erdman III
I'm here today to discuss the COVID cover up, the national security implications associated with the digs, investigative findings, and CIA refusal to comply with lawful oversight, as well as how we remedy these problems. Intelligence community leaders and senior analysts downplayed the possibility that the COVID pandemic originated as a result of a lab incident. Motives are difficult to define given the scope of the Diggs review. Intentional or not, the IC's actions resulted in a cover up, wasted resources, and a failure to properly inform policymakers. Public health policy would have been very different had the American public been made aware that a virus from a lab in China was going to serve as the foundation for an emergency use authorization MRNA products being mandated by the former administration.
Buck Sexton
All right, so that is one part of his beginning testimony, Buck. Here is the second part. Dr. Fauci's role, according to this CIA whistleblower, was intentional. Cut 6.
James Erdman III
Dr. Fauci's role in the COVID up was intentional. Dr. Fauci influenced the analytical process and findings by leveraging his position to ensure the IC consulted with a conflicted list of curated subject matter experts, public health officials and scientists. This included some of the authors of the paper, the proximal origin of SARS CoV2, and other public health experts who have been in his orbit for the last 20 plus years. Some of the scientists were part of the Biological Sciences Experts Group, or the bceg, an office of Director, National Intelligence Advisory body whose members often receive considerable funding from NIAID and public health agencies. The BSEG scientists influenced national laboratory WMD research, policy decisions, finished analysis, and other intelligence matters, creating misaligned incentives and conflicts of interest, as well as counterintelligence issues.
Buck Sexton
Okay, so you were in the CIA back in the day, Buck. What do you think of this individual coming forward, testifying, and obviously his belief is that Dr. Fauci influenced what the CIA determinations were going to be on Covid. Do you buy it? What's your overall take as a former CIA guy?
Clay Travis
Yeah, I think it's 100% accurate. Everything that I'm hearing rings true. And then when you add to it the context of what Fauci did, and let's take a step back for A moment the official narrative became so official, I might add, that if you said otherwise on social media, you could be banned. And as we know, social media, the Internet, that's how communication is primarily happening on these issues. Certainly back and forth communication, that's how it's happening. And if you said that you thought it came from a lab, that was considered a conspiracy theory. It's a big planet, Clay, for there to be a Wuhan Institute of Virology just down the street from where a new strain of Wuhan virus pops up. This is a heck of a coincidence.
Buck Sexton
Yes.
Clay Travis
And we all knew that from the very beginning. But here is why Fauci, and I think Fauci is. I think he's an unfortunately, I think he's an evil person. I think he did tremendous damage to the whole world, quite honestly. I think that he was a coward and an institutionalist and. And somebody who put his own reputation and sense of self above the needs of people in a health crisis. So I think he's a bad guy. I just, you know, I don't wish anything other than the justice system to look at this, meaning our justice system. I'm not indicating anything else, but. And that's obviously why we have this testimony going on on Capitol Hill. I think he's a bad guy. And Clay, when you look at the incentive here. And I'll come back to the CIA thing in a second, by the way, one of our team just said Fauci loved the power. He was addicted to the power. What could be more alluring, what could be more addictive to a lifelong bureaucrat than to be the single most important voice on a global pandemic ever, in the final, let's be honest, the final stages of your life as well. Right? I mean, for him to have been in this position, he had a God complex. Even though he was talking down here, he thought he was up there in the clouds. So I would say that, Clay, the reason that he did this also was this would have undermined everything that was going to come afterwards. The origin of COVID is more than just a question of government malfeasance and cover up. They couldn't have gotten away with mask up between bites, double mask, put a mask on in the shower, go into a department store and stand six feet away from people and pretend like you're not actually breathing the same air circles in the par in the park. To separate people from each other, to show like this is what social. Social distancing. A completely manufactured concept, a completely manufactured delusion, as we know by the way, no one even disagrees with that. They just made it up. They go six feet, three feet, five feet, meh. Let's just say it's six all made up. They couldn't have done this, Clay, if it came out very early on that they were the ones who caused the virus in the first place. So that's why it was an all hands on deck effort. And people say, oh, but the CIA analyst could. Here's the problem with analysis in the intelligence community. It's always Clay, a team effort. It's a collective effort. You as an analyst never get to say, and you know, this is even showed in Zero Dark Thirty when she's finally like, I'm 100% sure bin Laden's there, like, stop being such a bunch of, you know, jerks. You basically never get to say that. It's always this is what we say. And DIA says and State Department has a different opinion. And, and we looked at what the Coast Guard thought about this and Coast Guard isn't sure. You know, everybody gets to weigh in. You water down the analysis to nothing. Fauci was able to just from his little perch squash the whole thing and say, this is what you're going to say. And that's what he did.
Buck Sexton
And this is what Rand Paul just tweeted, which I think does a good job of summing this up. Dr. Fauci approved the research in Wuhan. He had every reason to make sure the conclusion about the origins of COVID was not a lab leak. So he injected himself into the intelligence community's analysis. The conflict of interest could not be more obvious. And some of you are going to say, ok, we get it. We get that it happened. Democrats are not showing up for this hearing. Not one Democrat has shown up for this CIA whistleblower's testimony. Not one Democrat is asking any questions at all. I do think it matters for the historic record that we establish where Covid came from, that we establish it was partly funded by American taxpayer dollars, that we established the so called experts that were supposed to lead us lied to us consistently that you can't rebuild trust. And I think we've talked about this, Buck, but I really do believe the reason why every conspiracy theory takes root now and finds such fertile soil is because there is a deep, lasting distrust of all people in the government. I mean, on both sides. 42% of Democrats think that the Butler, Pennsylvania shooting that killed Corey Campatori and came within a quarter inch of killing President Trump was staged. They think the whole thing was made up 42%. A huge percentage of them think that the would be assassin at the White House correspondents dinner was completely staged. A huge percentage of them think that the would be assassin in the West Palm beach bushes outside of Trump's golf course was staged. They are, I think, in that soil of distrust. And by the way, there's a lot of people out there on the right who think that Israel killed Charlie Kirk. There's, I mean, so the, the, the conspiracy theories that have taken root and are so pernicious, I think right now are all in my, in my mind directly connected to so many lies that were. We were told about COVID And until we have a full accounting, I don't think that America can heal in terms of trusting people in positions of power to ever be honest with us about anything. And that's kind of where we are. And so I think this hearing matters. I think that we should have. That's why I wanted Dr. Fauci charged. It seems like he's going to avoid being charged. I think you have pointed out for some times the actual punishment is the process of having to defend yourself.
Clay Travis
And you know who actually just said the punishment is the process or the process is the punishment? I mean, James Comey, who we'll also talk about. I told you guys this. Some of you were mad at me. Buck. It's justice. They're finally going to get Comey. Comey freaking loves this. Loves it. He's on msnbc. Big martyr Comey. Oh, my gosh.
Buck Sexton
I know this guy expects to get charged three or four more times. He's desperate for it. He wants it to happen.
Clay Travis
He wants it. There's the book sales go up, the speaking fees go up. He's on TV again. Comey loves it. Please listen to me when I tell you these things. I know bureaucrat, ok? You know how Clay knows SEC football, like in his bones. I know bureaucrat. I know these people. I was one of them. I get how they think. And the highest bureaucrats, whether it's a Fauci or a Comey, it's like I've read the instruction manual on all these guys. I know how they think. It's certainly true here, by the way, with Fauci. He's going to do the whole martyrdom routine as well now that this is coming out. And you know what he's going to say? He's just going to claim that. Well, this was my assessment at the time, stupidity being wrong, these things cannot be punished when it comes to opinions within government, even when it's obvious that there was a cover up, even when it's obvious that he had an incentive that he didn't disclose Clay. That's why this is so frustrating for people. That's why they get away with this.
Buck Sexton
I think the lie was so ridiculous. They told us that it was racist to say that Covid came from a Chinese lab, but that it wasn't racist to say it came from a Chinese wet market. And their argument was, well, Chinese people basically just eat anything. And that's how zoonotically, it transferred itself from whatever animal it was that they were claiming. They shifted different animals to humans in Covid, which sounds more racist. Chinese people eat all sorts of crazy things at their wet markets, even animals that are extremely rare. And as a result, they get viruses that way. And this is how the global pandemic began. Or in a lab. They didn't have a good enough security and they managed to have the. The COVID virus escape from a Chinese laboratory. A lab leak theory is way, way, way less racist to me, Buck. So it's not even. Their argument was actually backwards. They tried to tell us that a lab leak somehow out of China was racist. But, but, but that the wet market, if you had to rank them as like cultural attacks. Can I also be a culture attack?
Clay Travis
Let you all know something. The wet market phenomenon was a result of communism because the Maoist policies of mass starvation that came out of their modernization campaign clay was so profound that people started breeding and eating wild animals to survive.
Buck Sexton
Anything they could eat, basically anything that they could get.
Clay Travis
So they started capturing pangolins, they started capturing frogs, they started capturing, you name it, hedgehogs, whatever they could. And that's where the wet market phenomenon comes from. It comes from Mao's communist policies starving peasants to death. Because communism always kills everybody if it has enough power. And then now it's actually something that's become kind of a cultural phenomenon. And the Communist party taxes fixes it and makes money off of it. So they don't want it to go away necessarily, although they've started to shut it down in some places. But that's the. The legacy. So we have wet markets because of the legacy of failed communism, I might add.
Buck Sexton
We will continue. We'll take your calls, we'll take your talk backs. We're going to also dive into this latest New York Times story on Israel, which is crazy even by New York Times standards, for craziness. But I want to let you know, when it rains, boy, does it ever pour. Here in Tennessee, where we have huge thunderstorms on a regular basis and hail and all sorts of damage that might ensue if you're nervous about whether your roof is going to make it through another summer. If you just wonder how much damage your roof might have, that's exactly what Erie Home does. They're the real deal, not just a man in a van driving around repairing in quotation marks your roof one year and then they're out of business the next. This is a 50 plus year old company that is experts when it comes to taking care of your roof. They're not some fly by night organization. In fact, they'll inspect your roof free of charge. 25 point inspection and they will determine whether you might need a new roof. And then when they do it, they'll give you a 50 year transferable warranty so your roof rolls along even if you sell your home. That warranty is there when people want to know the status of your roof. As many of you sell homes know, those home inspections can be very detailed. Schedule your free inspection@eriehome.com Clay today get up to $1200 in discount when you go to Erie home.com Clay that's Erie home E R I E home.com Clay $1200 discount valid on new roofing installations only. Minimum purchase and required and restrictions do C rep for warranty or promotional details. That's ErieHome.com Clay Level up your brain
Clay Travis
and balance out your day with the right amount of information and entertainment.
Buck Sexton
Clay, Travis and Buck Sexton on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.
Public Podcast Sponsor
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, 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 this
Martha Stewart
is Martha Stewart from the Martha Stewart Podcast. 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 Kitchens 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, Target, Amazon and Costco
Okta Sponsor
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 life's non stop work
Public Podcast Sponsor
Family workouts True nature meets New York Strip Steak Richly seasoned pre cooked perfection that melts in your mouth. 30 years supplying the finest steakhouses.
Clay Travis
Heat in four minutes.
Public Podcast Sponsor
No stress, just nourishing joy. Head to TrueNatureMeats.com code free meat for 20% off plus free New York strip Texas smoked brisket and Mediterranean Chicken with Code free meat@trunaturemeats.com welcome back in here
Clay Travis
to Clay and Buck. Just want to tell you all right now@crockett coffee.com you can get a really cool offer as a new subscriber. When you start a new subscription, you'll get an email with a code to buy a signed copy of Manufacturing Delusion. We were just talking about some manufactured delusions. Buy your copy of New York Times Bestselling manufacturing delusion. Signed for 1999. When you are a new subscriber, go to Crockett Coffee.com. that's Crockett Coffee.com signed copies of my book. Go check it out. And. And there you go. So with that, let's do some calls here. Fred in Ohio wants to talk viruses. What's going on, Fred? Hey, not too much here. You guys do an incredible job. Love listening to you. And you're probably the most informed guys out there on the radio, without a doubt. But I do have one problem here.
Okta Sponsor
You know, with all this coming out
Clay Travis
about Fauci and everything, you guys know as well as. And by the way, I'm just out here in podon, Xenia, Ohio. I have no. You got 20 seconds. Nothing. You guys know that this was an intentional leak out of that lab. You know that there were protests going on in that area at that time. They intentionally let it out. They put it amongst the crowd, and
Okta Sponsor
those people spread it around the world on that.
Clay Travis
You guys know. We'll come back to this.
Buck Sexton
Yeah, it's a big. It's a big part of the story. Next hour. Was it an intentional leak? What do we think about that? Thanks to Fred in Ohio for the call. That's next.
Martha Stewart
This is Martha Stewart from the Martha Stewart podcast. 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 Kitchens countertop prep paper. Take a tip from me. Wet it, set it, prep it, done. Make it easy. Make it with Reynolds kitchen's countertop prep paper, available now in the Reynolds wrap aisle and Walmart, Target, Amazon, and Costco.
Okta Sponsor
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 Real value shows up in reliability.
Clay Travis
You don't have to second guess Like
Okta Sponsor
a set of Firestone All Season tires, They're designed to deliver confidence inspiring wet weather traction and a quieter ride no matter the road season after season. Firestone All Season tires for durability you
Clay Travis
can count on, just like people count on you. Firestone always dependable since 1900
Buck Sexton
Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. I don't know if you knew this,
Clay Travis
but anyone can get the same Premium
Buck Sexton
Wireless for $15 a month plan that I've been enjoying.
Clay Travis
It's not just for celebrities. So do like I did and have one of your assistant's assistants switch you
Buck Sexton
to Mint Mobile today. I'm told it's super easy to do@mintmobile.com
Clay Travis
Switch upfront payment of $45 for 3 month plan equivalent to $15 per month Required intro rate first 3 months only, then full price plan options available, taxes
Buck Sexton
and fees, extra feeful terms@mintmobile.com.
Episode: Weekly Review With Clay and Buck H1 – What to Expect From Trump’s China Trip
Date: May 16, 2026
Host: iHeartPodcasts
In this episode, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton analyze former President Trump’s high-profile state visit to China, with a particular focus on geopolitical strategy around Taiwan, trade, the Strait of Hormuz, and rare earth minerals. The hosts also dive into breaking congressional testimony on COVID’s origins, alleging a cover-up orchestrated by Dr. Anthony Fauci, and connect ongoing distrust in government to pandemic-era messaging. Throughout, the tone blends seriousness on policy issues with the hosts' trademark humor and energetic banter.
[03:50–08:09]
Historic Occasion:
Trump is the first American president to visit China since his own 2017 trip. The visit includes “a ton of high-powered heavyweight CEOs,” among them Elon Musk and Jensen Huang (Nvidia).
“The band is back together again…a huge collection of pretty formidable leaders of major corporations in the United States.”
—Clay Travis [03:59]
Major Themes to Watch:
Strait of Hormuz: Will China pressure Iran to open oil passageways, using its energy leverage to stabilize global supply?
“China gets a huge percentage of its oil and gas via oil that transits that [strait]…China may be leaning on Iran…Guys, open up the Strait or we’re not going to continue to give you the favorable treatments that we have given you in the past.”
—Clay Travis [06:08]
Taiwan’s Security: Trump faces the perennial challenge of supporting Taiwan without provoking China. Both the U.S. policy of “strategic ambiguity” and the region’s ramped-up defense spending are highlighted.
“The leverage that we have is just to continue essentially status quo. Trump approved an $11 billion arms package for Taiwan. So we are selling them stuff, advanced munitions…They’re going to spend 5% of GDP on defense this year. That’s a lot.”
—Buck Sexton [09:07]
Human Rights: Will the release of Hong Kong activist Jimmy Lai be brokered as a sign of goodwill?
“Will Jimmy Lai, this goes directly with the show…will he be released from a Hong Kong prison for effectively standing up for basic human rights?”
—Clay Travis [07:48]
Rare Earth Minerals & Chips: Trump wants tighter U.S. control over chip manufacturing, but Taiwanese industry (TSMC) prefers to keep its technological “moat.”
“90% of the high end chips…are made in Taiwan by TSMC…if they use that against us, that can create supply chain disruptions and problems for us.”
—Buck Sexton [10:48]
[12:21–16:18]
Population Decline & Aging:
China is entering demographic decline, with population projected to halve by the century’s end.
“By the end of this century, they are now projecting that China’s population will be cut in half from what it is right now.”
—Buck Sexton [12:53]
Effect of the One-Child Policy:
Surplus of unmarried men is flagged as a source of future instability, historically linked to unrest and war.
“When societies have a huge surplus of unmarried men, bad things happen, including wars. So that’s something that I think is very concerning for us.”
—Buck Sexton [14:59]
Economic Rivalry:
Although China has political continuity, its economic trajectory is lagging behind past predictions, exacerbated by Trump’s trade strategies.
“They were supposed to catch us for world’s biggest economy…they’re not close…we are actually creating more of a gap between ourselves and the Chinese.”
—Buck Sexton [13:16]
[16:18–17:29]
Expert Disagreement:
Views on a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan range from immediate collapse to robust resistance; hosts stress unpredictability.
“Depending on who you talk to, China could invade and kick their asses in a few days. China would get wiped out in the strait. It’s a total mess…if everyone is certain and, and they all disagree with each other, it means no one is certain.”
—Clay Travis [16:21]
Personal Anecdotes:
Humor surfaces as Buck reminisces about expert Steve Yates’ fluency in Mandarin and Clay’s experience with reflexology in Taiwan.
“One of the women said that my feet are weird and it was very sad for me…which of course I couldn’t [understand], but he could.”
—Clay Travis [17:29]
[22:17–25:06]
Trump’s Economic Messaging:
Despite persistent inflation, Trump claims a resilient, soaring stock market and frames certain economic pain as necessary for policy wins.
“The Trump economy is so strong that he was willing to do what was necessary here…even if it meant temporarily higher gas prices, he’s taking a risk. He knows it, but he’s very clear eyed in.”
—Buck Sexton [23:11]
Election Implications:
High gas prices pose a threat to Trump and GOP prospects.
“If gas prices go above where they were in June of 22…Trump is going to be in a tough spot. Republicans are going to be in a tough spot come September, October.”
—Clay Travis [24:40]
[26:04–39:44]
Whistleblower Testifies:
Former CIA analyst James Erdman III testifies that the intelligence community was poised to announce a lab origin for COVID, but Dr. Fauci intervened to downplay this theory.
“Motives are difficult to define…Intentional or not, the IC’s actions resulted in a cover up, wasted resources, and a failure to properly inform policymakers.”
—James Erdman III [27:15]
Fauci’s Role Described as ‘Intentional’
Erdman alleges Fauci steered analysis by stacking expert panels with his allies, creating conflicts of interest and undermining public trust.
“Dr. Fauci’s role in the COVID up was intentional…influenced the analytical process and findings by leveraging his position…”
—James Erdman III [28:27]
Clay & Buck’s Reactions:
“I think Fauci is…I think he’s an unfortunately, I think he’s an evil person. I think he did tremendous damage to the whole world, quite honestly…He had a God complex.”
—Buck Sexton [31:07]
“Until we have a full accounting, I don’t think that America can heal in terms of trusting people in positions of power to ever be honest with us about anything.”
—Clay Travis [35:37]
Rand Paul’s Take:
Buck reads Senator Paul’s summary tweet:
“Dr. Fauci approved the research in Wuhan. He had every reason to make sure the conclusion about the origins of COVID was not a lab leak. So he injected himself into the intelligence community’s analysis. The conflict of interest could not be more obvious.”
—Quoted by Buck Sexton reading Rand Paul [33:44]
[36:31–38:01]
“The highest bureaucrats, whether it’s a Fauci or a Comey, it’s like I’ve read the instruction manual on all these guys. I know how they think…”
—Buck Sexton [36:58]
[38:01–39:44]
Racism Claims Debunked:
Clay and Buck argue that the insistence that the lab-leak theory was “racist”—while blaming Chinese wet markets was not—is illogical and backwards.
“A lab leak theory is way, way, way less racist to me, Buck. So it’s not even…Their argument was actually backwards.”
—Clay Travis [38:45]
Communist Legacy of Wet Markets:
The hosts link the phenomenon of Chinese wet markets to policies born of Maoist communism and mass starvation.
“So we have wet markets because of the legacy of failed communism, I might add.”
—Clay Travis [39:44]
“The band is back together again and and many others. Jensen Huang of Nvidia Just a huge collection of pretty formidable leaders of major corporations in the United States.”
—Clay Travis [03:59]
“I went to Taiwan…The Taiwanese are incredibly concerned about…Trump that somehow Taiwan is on the menu…that the Chinese think that now is the time. Now it’s go time.”
—Buck Sexton [08:53]
“90% of high end chips…are made in Taiwan by TSMC. And it looks like magic when you see just versions of like videos of how they put all this stuff together.”
—Buck Sexton [11:37]
“Depending on who you talk to, China could invade and kick their asses in a few days. China would get wiped out in the strait. It’s a total mess…if everyone is certain and, and they all disagree with each other, it means no one is certain.”
—Clay Travis [16:21]
“I think Fauci is…I think he’s an unfortunately, I think he’s an evil person…I think that he was a coward and an institutionalist and somebody who put his own reputation and sense of self above the needs of people in a health crisis.”
—Buck Sexton [31:07]
“Until we have a full accounting, I don’t think that America can heal in terms of trusting people in positions of power to ever be honest with us about anything.”
—Clay Travis [35:37]
“The highest bureaucrats…Fauci or a Comey…loves it. There’s the book sales go up, the speaking fees go up. He’s on TV again. Comey loves it.”
—Buck Sexton [36:52]
“A lab leak theory is way, way, way less racist to me, Buck. So it’s not even. Their argument was actually backwards.”
—Clay Travis [38:45]
This episode situates Trump’s China trip within a web of contemporary geopolitical and economic challenges, emphasizing the unpredictability of Taiwan’s future, the global stakes of chip manufacturing, and the shifting balance in U.S.-China relations. Equally, it devotes significant energy to COVID-19 whistleblower testimony, articulating a belief in widespread institutional cover-ups and signaling continued public skepticism of government authorities and mainstream narratives. The lively, direct tone makes the discussion accessible while also heightening the urgency of the topics discussed.