The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Weekly Review With Clay and Buck H2 – Congressman Jim Jordan
Date: December 6, 2025
Host: Clay Travis & Buck Sexton
Guest: Congressman Jim Jordan

Episode Overview

This episode features a deep-dive interview with Congressman Jim Jordan, focusing on the legislative priorities for the Republican-led Congress, the challenges of health care reform, ongoing economic concerns including inflation, the ramifications of government shutdowns, and issues surrounding immigration and assimilation. Clay and Buck bring their signature mix of political analysis, humor, and audience interaction, spotlighting both national headlines and grassroots sentiments.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Legislative Agenda & Health Care Reform

• Buck Sexton (04:00): Asks Rep. Jordan what Republicans aim to accomplish before losing their majority, especially given the quickly approaching end of the session.
• Rep. Jim Jordan (04:11):
  • Emphasizes moving away from Obamacare-style subsidies, arguing that they “drive costs up” rather than reducing them.
  • Focuses instead on “choice and competition," health savings accounts, association health plans, and individualized insurance options as a way to lower health care costs and provide suitable coverage for different demographics.
  • Mentions pending legislation on college sports and government funding deadlines.
  • Reflects on previous reconciliation bills' economic impact: “We got to make a decision on a second reconciliation package... the first one I thought was great and it's starting to have impact on our economy.”

2. Election Cycles & The Campaign Season

• Clay Travis (05:30): Asks when the 2026 congressional election season will truly begin given today's “perpetual campaign” climate.
• Rep. Jim Jordan (06:12):
  • Notes the historical August recess as the official campaign start but acknowledges campaigns are now “pretty much perpetual."
  • Critiques Democrats for “constant attack” on President Trump—“it feels like it’s never stopped.”

3. Affordability, Inflation, and Economic Perceptions

• Buck Sexton (06:59): Probes whether affordability can realistically be addressed, naming health care premiums and inflation as intractable problems, especially post-Obamacare.

• Rep. Jim Jordan (07:46):

  • Calls out Democrats for broken promises (“They were 0 for 3... you like your plan, you can keep your plan... premiums will go down”), arguing that more subsidies won’t lower costs.
  • Points to Republican tax cuts—“the big beautiful bill”—starting to yield benefits for families, though recovery is slow: “President Trump and Republicans bring it down significantly, but things still cost too much.”
  • Acknowledges pain at everyday spending: “It was so bad under Biden, the spending inflation was off the charts. 9% was like going crazy levels, record levels.”

• Clay Travis (09:20): Jokes about high prices at Chick-fil-A as a relatable example of ‘sticker shock’ and references historical context comparing it to the Carter-Reagan years: “Everyone out there knows what that feeling is when you go to buy something and in your head it feels like it should cost 20 bucks and instead it costs 30.”

4. Will Economic Optimism Arrive in Time for Elections?

• Clay Travis (10:08): Questions if improvements will resonate with voters by the 2026 midterms.
• Rep. Jim Jordan (10:23): Expresses optimism: “When the... big, beautiful bill really kicks in, he thinks it will have that kind of impact... I’m always the optimist about these good policies that we put in place. So, let’s hope so.”

5. Differentiating the Parties & Culture War Issues

• Rep. Jim Jordan (11:14): Argues Democrats are dominated by their left wing, alluding to positions on policing, sports, and borders:
  • “They’re the party that says we want to defund the police, which is crazy... men should compete against women in sports, which is crazy... we shouldn’t have a border, should just be wide open...”
  • “Not all Democrats are crazy, but the left that controls their party is.”

6. Lessons from the Government Shutdown?

• Buck Sexton (11:30): Asks if Democrats have learned from the “longest shutdown.”
• Rep. Jim Jordan (12:03):
  • Dismisses the idea that Democrats have learned a “lesson.”
  • Asserts, “The left controls their party... all the energy is... that is the Mom Donnie wing and the AOC wing.”
  • Uses a recent Tennessee race as an example, mocking the Democrats for running “the AOC of Tennessee” in a conservative district: “That makes no sense. But that’s today’s left.”

7. Priorities for the Next Congressional Year

• Clay Travis (13:23): What should be the GOP’s top priority before election campaigning ramps up?
• Rep. Jim Jordan (14:00):
  • Stresses the need to “do our job” by restoring regular order: “pass the budget, move in appropriations, fund the government.”
  • Highlights the FISA reauthorization debate, warning about government surveillance:
    • Reveals Jack Smith’s team surveilled his phone records for two-and-a-half years:
    • “They knew who I called, who called me... when... how long... where I was at...” (14:24)
    • Calls for strong Fourth and First Amendment protections in FISA renewal—“That’s our system, that’s the Constitution, that’s the Bill of Rights.”

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• Rep. Jim Jordan (03:17): Playfully congratulates Buck on his tennis serve:
  • “I’ve seen the athletic prowess, the 100 mph serve that you are championing and putting out there for the entire planet to view... I stand corrected.”
• On Obamacare Failures (07:46):
  • “They told us, remember, they told us, you like your plan, you can keep your plan. You like your doctor, you can keep your doctor and premiums will go down. They were 0 for 3.”
• On Democratic Party (11:14):
  • “Not all Democrats are crazy, but the left that controls their party is.”
• On Congressional Surveillance (14:24):
  • “Jack Smith and his team were getting my phone records, spying and surveilling me for two and a half years... That’s creepy, but that’s what they were doing.”

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Topic/Quote | |---------------|-----------------| | 02:37 | Start of second hour, intro to Jim Jordan | | 03:17 | Buck/Jordan joking about athleticism | | 04:11 | Jordan lays out House GOP’s end-of-session agenda | | 05:30 | When does 2026 campaign season begin? | | 06:59 | Affordability and inflation discussion | | 07:46 | Jordan: “They were 0 for 3...” (Obamacare) | | 09:20 | Clay’s Chick-fil-A sticker shock analogy | | 10:23 | Will economic policies register with voters in time? | | 11:14 | Jordan: Culture war critiques of Democratic Party | | 12:03 | Did Democrats learn from the government shutdown? | | 14:00 | Jordan’s top priorities: doing “the job” and FISA reauthorization | | 14:24 | Jordan details government surveillance on him | | 15:44 | Clay and Buck thank Jordan, closing comments on the segment |

Additional Segments of Note

Reaction to Trump’s Comments on Somali Fraud Scandal (29:04–38:48)

Buck and Clay pivot to Trump’s inflammatory comments about Somali fraud in Minnesota and the associated media backlash. Discussion highlights include:

• Skepticism and outrage over the “feeding our future” scam, billing for 125 million fake meals in Minnesota.
• Moral condemnation of charity fraud (“particularly grotesque” – Buck, 31:33).
• Deeper commentary on assimilation, political correctness, and failures to confront cultural differences, referencing scandals in both the US Somali community and the UK’s Rotherham case.
• Discussion of a rape allegation against a Somali immigrant and the inadequacy of “cultural difference” as a defense in a court of law.

Notable Quote:

• Buck Sexton (34:08): “Is that phenomenon alive and well here? That same idea of, well, we don’t want to enforce the law because people will realize we got a real problem in the Somali community in Minneapolis.”

Listener Feedback & Lighter Moments (20:00–26:39)

• Heartfelt emails and calls from listeners across the US, many expressing gratitude for election awareness and one teasing Buck for his “man card” due to culinary and comfort preferences.
• Alaska stories, including Buck’s near-stranding in bear country (25:46), serve as comic relief and a bid to reclaim his “manliness.”

Tone and Language

The conversation is lively, informal, and pointedly conservative. Clay and Buck blend serious political concerns, especially around policy and culture war issues, with light-hearted banter and audience engagement. Congressman Jordan is both policy-driven and combative toward left-wing positions, reflecting GOP talking points interlaced with personal anecdotes and direct accusations against Democrats.

Summary for Non-Listeners

This episode is a quintessential slice of contemporary American conservative talk radio: a hard-hitting policy interview coupled with real-world examples and listener participation. Congressman Jim Jordan lays out the Republican legislative playbook, denounces the direction of the Democratic Party, and argues that upcoming GOP policies—especially on taxes and health care—will soon deliver relief to ordinary Americans. Buck and Clay provide cultural and economic context, amplify listeners’ voices, and don’t shy from controversial subjects or humor, making this a comprehensive, engaging listen for conservatives or anyone seeking to understand their perspective on current events.

For further information or listening, visit The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show archives on iHeartRadio or your preferred podcast platform.