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Ryan Seacrest
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Travis Holloway
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David Zweig
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Ryan Seacrest
Welcome back in Clay Travis, Buck Sexton Show. Appreciate all of you hanging out with us. Rolling through the Tuesday edition of the program. And we are joined now by David Zweig, investigative journalist and author. He's got a brand new book. I think you guys are gonna love it. I've already started to check it out. We've got it at the Buck is holding it up right now. An abundance of caution, American Schools, the Virus, and a story of bad decisions. David, thanks for joining us in our New York City studio. I know we've had you on before and I think it's fair to say that a lot of your reporting was not necessarily well received by people on the left and that you are not some far right wing conspiracist conspiracy theorist. You just did something wild. You looked at the data and you were willing to write about what the data showed. And you were, as Buck and I have both been, profoundly angered and still angry over the failures of American public policy as it pertains to Covid. What pushed you to write this book and what do you hope that people take from it?
Travis Holloway
That's a, it's a very good assessment. Yeah. In the beginning, I, very early on, it seemed reasonable to me. I wasn't knowledgeable about what was happening. I live right outside New York City, okay. The schools are closed, everything's shut down. But very quickly after that, I watched my kids just wilting away in the kind of the gray light of their chromebooks, sitting alone in their bedrooms. And I was like, this isn't going to work for a long period of time like this. This, how can this be? And, and from there I just started kind of researching and digging in. I was in the middle of writing a book on a totally different topic at the time. But this was just so crazy what was happening. I wanted to learn more about what was going on. And very quickly I started to speak with experts in Europe and elsewhere because you couldn't speak to them in the United States. And it was very obvious that there was no reason for the schools to remain closed. And that kind of set me off on this path. And as you noted, this very much was, you know, what was termed a contrarian view against the establishment. And it was, it was certainly a Challenging position for me writing for mainstream publications to get, to get my reporting in there. But I pulled it off and I think people kind of perceive me, I think it's true, as basically the only guy who's really able to do that. To write a number of pieces. They were all backed by evidence showing why the establishment view was so wrong.
David Zweig
David, you said something I want to return to if I can. You said that there was no reason for the schools to be closed, there was no medical reason for the schools to be closed. But I am sure in the course of your research you found a whole slew of non medical reasons or rationales or horse trading that led to the continuation of public school closures. While, you know, I grew up in New York City, so I know that system pretty well went to, you know, went to Catholic school there. There's private schools, parochial schools, public schools, parochial and private, were open for business in that, in that fall after the initial pandemic. And yet public schools were remote.
Ryan Seacrest
Why?
Travis Holloway
Yeah, I mean, one of the things that's so remarkable and it's, it's almost astonishing that this actually happened in real time. And it's kind of one of the main reasons of why I wrote this book was to make sure that what happened isn't just memory hold. And the idea, as you noted, kids were in school in private schools. They were in school in red districts and in, you know, red states, while at the same time a kid could be down the block in public school and he was kept home while his best friend, you know, in a different area or went to private school, was in school every day. So the irony to me is that on the left, which traditionally perceives itself as being that the heroes of the underprivileged in our society, they championed the rules and the guidelines and the policies that actually harmed underprivileged kids the most. And it's like one of the most tragic ironies of the pandemic to me that this was the result that you had people vigorously, it wasn't just advocating, but as you know, anyone who disagreed was immediately vilified. You were some right wing crank. You are a piece of garbage if you disagreed with them.
David Zweig
Well, I mean, I am a right wing crank, so I can imagine what it would be like for you.
Travis Holloway
Yeah, I was a turncoat.
David Zweig
You're not one.
Travis Holloway
Yeah, I was Benedict Arnold here. I was, I was, you know, immediately cast aside. I was called a murderer. You know, how could you do this? One of the things that's so important that, that, that and this is kind of like the original sin that I talk about in the book. At the end of April, in the beginning of May in 2020, schools began to open in Europe. And it's not just like some little school in Tibet somewhere with 12 kids we're talking about. Millions of kids were back in school. And the European, European Union, the education ministers met in May. And at that meeting, they said, we have observed no negative consequences of opening our schools. They met a second time in June. They had the same determination. No one reported this. I ultimately reported it myself in June. But this is kind of an astonishing thing. This wasn't, you know, a random blog. This wasn't an obscure medical journal. This is the European Union. And their official announcement regarding opening schools where millions of kids were in. There was. There was no negative consequence. And as far as I am aware, no one in the U.S. media reported on this meeting. That sort of set things on the course, you know, where we were just kind of never to come back from that.
Ryan Seacrest
Okay, so I want. That's an important point. I want you to expound upon something that happened that a lot of people have forgotten in June of 2020. And I may get the official name wrong, but it was like the American association of Pediatricians or something like that, said schools needed to open back up and we could do it safely. That was a big story in June. And then Randy Weingarten and the American Federation of Teachers somehow kind of got into their universe and they ended up. You probably. I'm sure it's in the book.
Travis Holloway
It is.
Ryan Seacrest
They ended up reversing their guidance. What do you think now when you see Randy Weingarten going around on show saying, oh, I never said that I wanted schools to be shut down. What does the evidence show us? And how important was it from a science perspective for those pediatricians? And I remember their argument being, David, correct me if I'm wrong, that while the virus wasn't going to go away, kids had far more to gain by being in school than they did to fear from the virus. That was June of 2020. And then they completely reversed themselves under political pressure.
Travis Holloway
So what happened was the American Academy of Pediatrics put out guidance that was unambiguous. It said, we've got to get kids in school. Don't even worry about six feet of distancing. If you can do, great, but if you can't, don't worry. Just three feet is fine. Whatever. Just get the kids in the building. Shortly thereafter, Donald Trump tweeted, we must open schools in the fall all caps with a bunch of exclamation points. Within days, the American Academy of Pediatrics put out a new statement. Gone was any mention of don't worry about distancing. Gone was the idea of get kids in school no matter what. And instead they mentioned money. It's really important to, for a lot of money to flow to schools. And then the second important thing about that revised statement was who authored it. And it wasn't just the American Academy of Pediatrics. It was coauthored with the two largest teachers unions in the country. The it was so stark what happened that even NPR reported on this. But I got to tell you, this is part of a larger thing. And I talk about this a lot in the book where I show this behind the scenes thing that was going on. So as I started writing these articles challenging the sort of dogma and the establishment view, people started reaching out to me from around the country. Parents, regular people, but also a lot of doctors. And these are doctors, not just some suburban pediatrician, but people who are at elite institutions, our top, you know, university hospitals in the country. And they were saying, hey, thank you so much for writing this. I just want you to know I think it's terrible what's happening with kids. I think these policies for keeping schools closed and these mask mandates, there isn't good evidence behind this. Schools are open in Europe, all these things. And they said, but all this has to be off the record because they were afraid to be cast out by their peers. Or in many instances, they were explicitly told. And I have examples of this in the book. They were explicitly told by their superiors, by the administrators at their hospitals, do not say anything about this. So I had this bizarre experience where I'm observing this narrative that's going on in the culture, this sort of manufactured consensus that wasn't real. And I had this very lonely, strange experience where I'm getting all these text messages and emails and I'm talking with all these doctors who are disagreeing with this. But the dissent was, was silent. I wasn't allowed to talk about it and they were too afraid or weren't allowed to speak about it themselves. So my book gives what I hope is this deep behind the scenes account of what actually happened during the pandemic, not the narrative that we were all fed. And I'm hoping that when people finish reading this that they're going to be armed with enough information so they can actually understand and see how the gears turn within the legacy media and how they turn where, where they are working in conjunction with different institutions. So it's not just for a pandemic, but for when any other crisis happens that your listeners. And they're like, oh, I read about that in Zweig's book. I see exactly what's happening now.
David Zweig
We're speaking to David Zweig. The book is an abundance of caution. I have my copy in my hands here. American Schools, the Virus, and A Story of Bad Decisions. One of the reason why I have you on, David, is we like to reward people who were right when it mattered and did good work. What it mattered on this issue. So congrats on the book, and we hope people will. We'll pick up a copy because I think that's very. It's very important. Right. It's a lot easier for people to jump on the bandwagon now, but we know that you were early on this and you got heat to that end. Just one. I mean, Clay might have a question for you in closing. I don't know if you're a sports fan or you like the SEC or anything, but that's always a possibility here at the end, too. But if you were to walk around right now, you know, sort of tell us what it's like on the other side of it, because they'll still talk to you. They won't talk to us that much. Some of them listen to the show because it is so entertaining. But generally speaking, we have a center to right audience. If you walked around Park Slope or you walked around, I don't know, you know, Santa Monica, and just talk to people who watch, I don't know, CNN read the New York Times, the L. A Times, and said, hey, guys, the next time around, we're all. We're all clear that we don't shut down the schools for this, right? Are they clear on that?
Travis Holloway
I think there's been a softening. So I think that that's the good news. The bad news is, is that there is this revisionist history. There's this narrative that they've been pushing, which is. In the beginning, it was, we have to close schools. We have to do all this stuff. Eventually, when it was so obvious that that wasn't beneficial, it was so obvious this was only causing harm. Then they shifted. Then the narrative was, well, this is regrettable, but it was an understandable thing. This was a fog of war decision. It was chaos. We did the best we could. And what I show in the book over and over is that information was known in real time. And that example about the European Union is just one of many they knew what was happening, it was ignored or it was dismissed. So when you asked me that question, my fear is that when the next crisis happens and it doesn't have to be a pandemic, that once again that there's this excuse of we're building the plane as we fly it, we don't know, sorry, we're doing the best we can. Don't accept it, it's not true. Demand evidence. And that's what my book is about at its core is you can't say stuff without providing evidence. And over and over, and I cite these long samples in the New York Times and all these other media outlets, they kept quoting all these experts, saying things, but they didn't provide any evidence. They never challenged them. Journalists shirked their core duty, which was to actually question the statements by those in power. So I'm hoping my book will act as a counter, as a corrective as this is an actual real history of what happened and it works as its own guidebook to help arm people to understand how the gears turn behind the scenes so we can try to prevent something like this from happening again.
Ryan Seacrest
Last question. You came from the left and Buck's right. I'm just curious from your perspective. We hope that the historic record 20, 40 years, 60 years from now is going to be a worthy lesson. How much less faith do you personally have in the so called legacy media than you did before COVID happened? So David Zweig 2019 compared to David Zweig 2025, how are you different?
Travis Holloway
I would say if I may, not just the legacy media, but the entire left establishment, if you will. My experience during the pandemic and what I observed and what I experienced as a journalist, actually chasing down the evidence and the facts has completely shattered my entire worldview that I had. I was a smug liberal. I've always been an independent. I was not like a staunch Democrat. So I was an independent minded person. But I tended to believe in these institutions. And what I observed and experienced was the absolute failure and these people who are the good guys. I recount some stuff in the book about. I had evidence from Arizona, the state itself, which differed from a study that the CDC put out. And when I contacted the cdc, I said, hey, I have evidence that I have data that's differing from what you have in your study. And I knew what they had was wrong because I had the official data. And their response to me was, we look through it. There are no errors when you can't come back from something like that. And like I remember just like kind of hunched over with like a migraine that night talking to my wife. So to answer your question, I'm, I just feel entirely differently about how the world works and, and you just can't recover from something like that when, you know, you would think something like the NSA or defense Department might pull some type of BS on that. This was, this is a health department and the cdc, they were lying through their teeth right to me in email saying there were no errors when I knew we. They knew that I knew and I knew that they knew that I knew that this was complete BS and they didn't care. You can't recover from something like that. So my book is filled with kind of that type of stuff where I, this was, this was almost like a cathartic endeavor where I had to set the record straight. So people, and hopefully not just your audience though I know they're going to be receptive, I think. But I'm hoping that I can persuade some independent minded people as well. That's my real goal is like to help people see what's really going on.
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Ryan Seacrest
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David Zweig
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Ryan Seacrest
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David Zweig
Got a quick turnaround here, so just want to invite you all to please, first of all, ignore Ginger barking in the background. She's so sweet. But when her mommy leaves, Mommy's taking the baby out for a walk and doesn't bring Ginger. Ginger gets Clay. Very jelly, very jealous, very quickly. So she gets. It's amazing. She's very sweet to the baby, but she expects to go wherever the baby goes now. And we've noticed this. So if you heard that before, and she's. I'm now playing fetch with the dog while doing radio. We call that multitasking. But please send us your talk backs and, and call in 800-282-2882. You know that number. Also our VIP emails. Let's give that a go. So all of that, we want to hear from you and we're going to dive into some more news here momentarily. I just, I do think it's interesting that David Zweig came on with us there. The fact that they shut down schools is just unforgivable because they knew. It's a little bit like the Biden dementia thing. They knew they didn't know necessarily about masks as it was a religious belief for them. But they knew that the school shut down thing, but it was just for the teachers unions, it was just for the Democrats to keep their base happy. Look, everybody should feel safe in their own home. And Sabre can help with that. They're a family owned business. Decades of doing this, 50 years of home defense and protection tools for you. And this is on the non lethal side of things. As you know, I like to have force escalation options. I have lethal options here. I have non lethal options courtesy of Sabre. But Carrie and Lara, they also really like to know that if they want to carry around pepper spray, if they want to have the pepper projectile launcher handy, it's a non lethal option that can deal with threats to your home, your safety, your security. Sabre has safeguarded hundreds of thousands of Americans with their products. Their pepper launcher is the best in the business, except no imitations. It's spelled S a B R e. Go to saberradio.coms a b r e saberradio.com Save15 on that website or call 844-824-SAFE. That's 844-824-SAVE.
Ryan Seacrest
Welcome back in Clay Travis Buck SEXTON SHOW There is now another legal dispute that is underway. Harvard is reportedly going to sue Trump and the Trump administration over the withholding of billions of dollars in taxpayer dollars that have otherwise been going to the the university Harvard, but also a lot of other universities. And I grabbed this stat and credit New York Times where it was and I shared it on social media the other day. I don't know if you have seen this yet, Buck, but we are going to spend, or we did spend in 20, 23, 60 billion dollars in taxpayer money more to colleges and universities, 60 billion dollars. Harvard is getting billions of that, but the money is being spent many different universities across the country and this was 30 times what they spent in 1953 if you account for inflation. So there's a graphic and I, I shared the graphic and the New York Times had it up and you look at it and what we are spending on universities blew my mind. Here is a question for you because I would put this in the same category. Now the defense of this is gonna be saying, okay, well they're doing research and we want them doing research, development, all these different things. If it's such a great idea, why aren't the universities funding their own research and development? Why is it the responsibility of you and me and so many of you out there listening to us right now to not only Potentially be paying tuition and room and board that is exorbitant for many of these colleges and universities nationwide. But for us also to be funding with our dollars huge amounts of the bureaucracy that exist at these universities. I actually give Trump credit. I never really thought about it before. I didn't know the dollars were this extensive. Did you know that we were given $60 billion to colleges and universities? And why should we be doing this?
David Zweig
Well, you know, one thing that you've heard a lot about is this is for research for R and D. Okay, like what? Yeah, I want to know that if we're hearing this because there's a lot that you can say is research. I mean, is this the kind of research where we're spending money to find out the mating habits of, you know, tsetse flies or something? Like, what exactly is this money being spent on at these schools? Or even worse, is it looking at, is it just a lot of people being hired to do sociology research to. For the. The progress of DEI initiatives? I mean, we have no idea. Right, so your first point, Clay, Did I know or do I think the general public had any idea how much money was going to universities? I knew the answer was that there was money and it was considerable. I didn't know it was $60 billion. That's a lot. And the second part of it is, well, this is where you get more into the Doge piece. What, what exactly is this money being spent on? And then you can add to that. Well, hold on a second. Why are we to fund these universities? We've already decided that the government's going to backstop the loan. So now everyone can get a loan to go, I'll just be honest, to a worthless four year college degree at a place or whatever, at a place that does not have any incentive really, to make sure that its graduates are getting jobs that can help them pay back the loans. Because it doesn't matter to them. It's not their problem. Right. The colleges and universities have no incentive to address what the job market actually looks like. Now, I'm not saying they don't do any of this, but from the macro view, it's just there's no skin in the game for the colleges and universities. And this is why the tuition keeps going up. Because why not? Because it's not their problem. The government is backstopping this stuff and anybody can get these loans. So that's part one of it, or rather that's part three of it. And I just think that then you add to this the ideological realization that we all have had for a long time, but just what factories of insanity these places are. And I think that the campus pro Hamas stuff was just the latest iteration of this. But I mean, I had friends who were in law school, Clay, during the George Floyd stuff. And what was law school and what was being sent around in law schools was nuts.
Ryan Seacrest
Yes.
David Zweig
You know, you want to talk about, do you, do you think any of them thought that Derek Chauvin should get due process? This is law schools.
Ryan Seacrest
Yeah, of course.
David Zweig
Of course not.
Ryan Seacrest
I also think this ties in and I'm going to start hammering this really aggressively. NPR said that Trump was going to fire Pete Hegseth. You can go read npr.org or npr.com or whatever the heck their website is. It is full on left wing propaganda daily. We compete with them. Why should, regardless of what your politics are, why should NPR be getting millions and millions of dollars in government funding? We don't get millions and millions of dollars in government funding. We don't get favorable treatment when it comes to ad dollars being allocated basically from the federal government. If we're directly competing with npr, which we are now. You know, you guys have brains, so you probably don't listen to NPR that often. But in many of the 550 some odd stations that we are on on a daily basis, there are a lot of stations out there that will be top competing options with us will be npr. There are lots of places out there where you might live or you might not get this show and you get npr. Why is that not one of the first things that they would cut to your point on Doge Buck? And if NPR says, well, we're not getting that much money and they make the argument that, okay, why are you getting any at all? And you are, because it's coming through local advertisements and everything else. I don't think a single red cent of taxpayer money should go to subsidize NPR's coverage in any way of their media outlet. In the same way that I don't think we should be spending millions of dollars on Politico subscriptions or anything else. We shouldn't be giving them a penny.
David Zweig
Yeah. Well, why? I mean, sure, the government, the government in general, you don't really want, in the business of business, you want to let the American people do that. Would we want the government to create a really bad smartphone company? We'd say no. I think that there's plenty of people already in that space. There are plenty of people in the media space. We don't need incumbents who Are little piggies at the trough of government funding to continue to do what they've been doing. So I completely, completely agree with that. And on that colleges and university side of things, it's very clear. I mean, Harvard is just the most prominent example. Understand this, everyone. Harvard has been violating the Constitution for years with its admissions policies. Now, you could say at the time, Harvard thought they were operating within. Okay, fine. I'm not saying that we can hold them responsible after the fact in a legal sense, but I do think it's worth noting that Harvard has engaged in a long practice of discrimination. And when it comes to discrimination, just look at section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. Places end up being punished or being watched very closely for historical discrimination, in some cases for decades or more.
Ryan Seacrest
Right.
David Zweig
I mean, this is the reality of discrimination law is that once you find a place that has discriminated under the law, they are under a dark cloud of suspicion for a very long time, legally speaking, mind you. Look at section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, A perfect example of what I'm talking about. Although I think now that Supreme Court's even looked at that and changed the formula. But put that aside. You know what I mean? In general, I think Clay, on this issue, Harvard has shown everybody that the plan is to continue to get the money, but to not have to abide by federal guidelines. Or so why should you have your cake and eat it? To Harvard plus.
Ryan Seacrest
Amen.
David Zweig
It's effectively a hedge fund that also has classes at this point. It's got an, you know, what is it, 80 billion, 60 billion, $53 billion.
Ryan Seacrest
Endowment, as most recently. We don't know what it's been for like the last year and change. But to your point, when you take federal dollars, you agree to be bound in some way by federal guidelines. And the most basic of federal guidelines is don't discriminate on the basis of. Of race and make sure that everybody has an equal opportunity to be educated and they're not going to be discriminated against based on ethnicity, religion, anything else. They failed during the protests surrounding the October 7th related incidents. And many other universities failed as well. I told our team to get Dr. Larry Arn. There was a great article interviewing him in the Wall Street Journal weekend edition. He is the president of Hillsdale College. Hillsdale made the decision. We want our educational mission to be completely independent of the United States government. And so we are not going to take any of their dollars. Hillsdale has way less money than Harvard does, and they have managed to run their university independently. Without needing federal dollars. Why wouldn't that be the standard for Harvard? Unless, buck, they were feeding at the trough of special interest dollars. They've got a $53 billion endowment. They can't afford to run their university without taxpayer subsidies.
David Zweig
You would think, you would think, you know, Harvard, at one point the reporting was that they were planning to just batten down the hatches and do without the federal funds. But I think they've realized, well, hold on, it would be for a number of years here you start to do that math and those hundreds of millions of dollars feel like it's, it actually adds up even for Harvard. So this is, this is a moment that we've been waiting for on the right for a long time, which is just more accountability. These universities have been given tremendous preferential treatment. Tremendous preferential treatment. Right. I mean, whether it's about the tax, tax policy, supporting the student loans with government backstopping, which I think is a bad idea. Now even the discussion, although you know, Trump is going to start Trump's Department of Education, not a Department of Education. Who, who's behind the loans? Who does the loans? Student loans.
Ryan Seacrest
They're going to start underwriting. Yeah, it's a good question.
David Zweig
I'm wondering who does a collection on that? I don't know. But anyway, they're going to start collecting money again because I was like doe, that would actually mean they do something that they're supposed to do. Yeah. So I think that you're going to see more people paying attention to this issue than they have in a while because of that. And I also think that. But the universities have betrayed the mandate that they've implicitly been given by the American people, which is to educate future leadership and make our people as smart and competitive in a global marketplace as possible. Instead, they're educating a ton of foreigners. Okay, start with that. Cuz the foreigners pay full freight. No, no help with the tuition, whatever. You go to a lot of the elite universities and everybody's from Beijing and Dubai. This is just the truth. Not everybody, but huge percentages of these classes. And they've become left wing indoctrination factories that are churning out kids who don't owe anything. That's not good. So they're getting slapped down. I like it.
Ryan Seacrest
I also would point out, I think there are massive lawsuits to be filed here. Some of these education loans are indefensible. For instance, you shouldn't be able to take out a loan of $200,000 to get a social work degree. You can never pay it back. When your job. And look, I appreciate the people who take jobs that don't pay that well, but the fact that these universities would loan somebody 200 grand to get a job where you're going to make 40 grand a year, it doesn't ever add up that you can ever pay these things off. To me, they're predatory. Also, I think this is a function of, hey, we should be teaching actual basic math and investment and understanding in schools, because the people who agree to these loans, I don't think they have any concept of how impossible it is to ever pay them back.
David Zweig
Right.
Ryan Seacrest
If you're a lawyer or doctor, someone getting a master's degree in business or something like that, you could.
David Zweig
I wouldn't. I wouldn't even tell people to get. Look, I looked at getting an MBA and from fancy places, and I didn't do it. Now I'm sitting here with Clay. So I went into media instead. I think the advanced. I think advanced degrees. People need far more honesty in this discussion. Most advanced degrees are not worth very much. And a lot of advanced degrees are truly worthless. In fact, they put you deep in the hole. A perfect example, journalism. Don't ever get a master's in journalism. It is a waste. I'm not even. I don't even know how journalism schools still exist. Like, that's a whole. It is a waste of your time. And a lot of master's degrees in the humanities, unless you are convinced you're going to get a teaching job, that is the only thing that they are worthwhile to do. And those are very hard to come by. Right, Clay? I mean, you look at this stuff.
Ryan Seacrest
Most degrees, I don't think people do the math. And I think, unfortunately, we have a lot of people who don't understand how loans work and a lot of people who don't understand how interest rates work. And you don't even sit back and think how you're going to bankrupt yourself basically getting a degree that never pays.
David Zweig
I actually, I qualified for master's credit from Georgetown School of Foreign Service as an undergrad. So I got master's credit as an undergraduate. You know what the master's credit was for a class just like the classes I was taking in undergrad. I remember thinking, so I would just go to school for two more years to do two more years of reading books that I could read on my own. I don't think so.
Ryan Seacrest
Lessons in life from Clay and Buck. As hard as the Israelis have tried to return to a normal life, difficult to do nearly every day, there's talk of another missile attack on one of multiple fronts. You never know which direction it might be coming. I was over there in December and I saw for myself how dangerous it can be. That's why we're partnering with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews to help provide life saving aid and security essentials. Your urgently needed gift today will help provide security essentials like bomb shelters, flak jackets, bulletproof vests. Your gift will also help first responders by providing armored security vehicles, ambulances and more. Join us in standing with Israel. The importance of knowing the entire world cares about you and stands by you is important to Israeli citizens and IFCJ delivers that message every single day. Call to make your gift at 888-488-IFCJ. That's 888-488-4325 online@supportifcj.org to give that website again. Supportifcj.org keep up with the biggest political comeback in world history on the team 47 podcasts Clay and Buck highlight Trump replays from the week, Sundays at noon Eastern. Find it on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. Grand Canyon University, a private Christian university in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona, believes we're endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. GCU believes in equal opportunity and the American Dream starts with purpose. GCU equips you to serve others in ways that promote human flourishing and create a ripple effect of transformation for generations to come. By honoring your career, calling you impact your family, your friends and your community, you can change the world for good by putting others before yourself to glorify God. Whether your pursuit involves a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree, GCU's online, on campus and hybrid learning environments are designed to help you achieve your unique academic, personal and professional goals. With over 340 academic programs as of September 2024, GCU meets you where you are and provides a path to help you fulfill your dreams. The pursuit to serve others is yours. Let it flourish. Find your purpose at Grand Canyon University. Private christian affordable visit gcu.edu we've all done it.
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David Zweig
All right, we're closing up shop today on Clay and Buck. That's a great time to remind you to please subscribe to the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton show Podcast network. Why is it a network? It's not just this show. Other great hosts put their shows in that feed. Carol Markowitz, Tudor Dixon, Dave Rutherford, former Navy seal. His podcast has been blown up lately. So many of you listening and he's doing a great job and many, many others. So go check that out when you get a chance. Get some of your VIP emails and and also some talkbacks here. Let's start with VIP email. I'm going to jump to this one. Clay Sandy. Sandy knows how to get on the show. She starts with. Buck is absolutely right.
Ryan Seacrest
Why?
David Zweig
Jill was part of the COVID up of Biden's cognitive decline to make sure Biden could cover up the crime of the Biden family. She was protecting Joe from staff pushing removal by the 25th Amendment at any time. I do think, Clay, I mean, I know, you know, we're a little bit, we don't see this exactly the same way, but Jill was having to do a delicate, delicate dance to keep Joe in the, in the cockpit, so to speak.
Ryan Seacrest
It is funny. Remember the first Trump term, how often they talked about the 25th Amendment with him?
David Zweig
All the time. Yeah.
Ryan Seacrest
Never was mentioned about Biden at all. Even though it probably was far more legitimate to mention it there. Now there's all sorts of constitutional issues associated with it. It's a challenge in general, but I think Biden was so decrepit mentally and physically that even Democrats are not willing to bring up the 25th Amendment on Trump. So far this term, that's a perfect.
David Zweig
Transition to Kevin, another vip. The first time I heard Clay make this point, it really opened my eyes and I share the point with all my friends. We see Biden maybe 5% of the time. Imagine what he is like the other 95% of the time behind closed doors. That point really struck with me. Opened eyes to how decrepit Biden really was. Touche, Clay. Indeed.
Ryan Seacrest
I mean, it is whatever you think of a public figure, understand that they typically are putting foot forth, their best foot forward when they are in a public venue. The Biden that we saw on June 27 and the Biden that we saw at all those public events was the best version of him they could put out. And it was still awful. And we still are only getting, I think probably a smidge, a small pin prick of the awfulness that he was embodying behind closed doors. We'll be back with you tomorrow. Never behind closed doors. Three hours of fun playing Buck, come hang with us.
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The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
Episode: Weekly Review With Clay and Buck H3 - David Zweig Covid Blockbuster
Release Date: April 26, 2025
Host/Author: iHeartPodcasts
In this episode of The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, hosts Clay Travis and Buck Sexton engage in a profound conversation with investigative journalist and author David Zweig. Zweig presents his latest work, "An Abundance of Caution: American Schools, the Virus, and a Story of Bad Decisions," delving into the controversial decisions surrounding COVID-19 policies in American education. The discussion navigates through the intricacies of public policy failures, media complicity, and the long-term implications of pandemic responses on society.
[02:36] Ryan Seacrest introduces David Zweig, highlighting his investigative efforts and the backlash he faced from the left for his contrarian views on COVID-19 policies.
Zweig explains his motivation:
"I watched my kids just wilting away in the kind of gray light of their Chromebooks, sitting alone in their bedrooms. And I was like, this isn't going to work for a long period of time like this."
[03:43] David Zweig
Zweig's initial concern for his children's well-being propelled him to research the prolonged school closures, leading him to question the prevailing narratives and seek out experts beyond the United States.
Zweig juxtaposes the American approach to school closures with that of Europe, emphasizing the lack of negative consequences reported in European Union meetings.
"In May, the European Union Education Ministers met and stated they observed no negative consequences of opening schools."
[07:18] David Zweig
He points out the stark contrast between private/parochial schools, which remained open, and public schools, which continued remote learning, disproportionately affecting underprivileged students.
Zweig critiques the abrupt reversal of guidance by the American Academy of Pediatrics under political pressure.
"The American Academy of Pediatrics initially advocated for reopening schools without strict distancing. Shortly after, following President Trump's insistence, they revised their stance, removing earlier recommendations and citing financial needs."
[09:19] David Zweig
This shift underscores the interplay between scientific guidance and political agendas, undermining public trust in health institutions.
Zweig highlights the suppression of dissenting voices among healthcare professionals and the media's failure to critically examine prevailing narratives.
"I received messages from elite doctors who privately disagreed with the school closures and mask mandates but were too afraid to speak publicly."
[07:18] David Zweig
He criticizes the media for perpetuating a manufactured consensus without challenging the underlying data or questioning authoritative statements.
Zweig expresses concern over the long-term erosion of trust in legacy media and institutions due to the mishandling of the pandemic.
"Building trust doesn't happen overnight, but when institutions lie or fail to provide evidence, recovering that trust becomes nearly impossible."
[15:37] David Zweig
He warns that without accountability, future crises may be met with similar failures, emphasizing the need for evidence-based policies and transparent reporting.
Transitioning from pandemic policies, Travis introduces the topic of federal funding to universities, particularly focusing on Harvard's legal disputes over taxpayer dollars.
"Harvard is reportedly suing the Trump administration over billions in withheld taxpayer funds, highlighting a broader issue of federal funding in higher education."
[25:50] Ryan Seacrest
Zweig critiques the reliance of elite institutions on federal funding, arguing it leads to inflated tuition costs and perpetuates discriminatory practices.
"Harvard has been violating the Constitution with its admissions policies for years, leveraging federal funds while engaging in discriminatory practices."
[33:31] David Zweig
He advocates for greater accountability and transparency in how universities utilize federal funds, questioning the true beneficiaries of such financial support.
Both hosts and Zweig delve into the consequences of exorbitant student loans and the questionable value of advanced degrees.
"Taking out $200,000 for a social work degree is predatory. Many advanced degrees, especially in the humanities, are financially unviable and do not guarantee employment."
[37:26] Ryan Seacrest & [38:16] David Zweig
Zweig shares his personal experience of rejecting an MBA, emphasizing the importance of practical education over costly, often undervalued degrees.
As the episode wraps up, the hosts and Zweig reflect on the lessons learned from the pandemic and the broader education crisis. They underscore the necessity for independent thinking, evidence-based policies, and structural reforms in both public health and higher education sectors to prevent future missteps.
"My book serves as a guide to understanding how institutions and media can manipulate narratives without evidence. It's crucial for the public to demand transparency and accountability."
[05:19] David Zweig
Zweig’s insights aim to equip listeners with the knowledge to critically assess information and advocate for systemic changes that prioritize truth and equity.
David Zweig [03:43]:
"I watched my kids just wilting away in the kind of gray light of their Chromebooks, sitting alone in their bedrooms."
David Zweig [07:18]:
"On the left, which traditionally perceives itself as being the heroes of the underprivileged in our society, they championed the policies that actually harmed underprivileged kids the most."
David Zweig [09:19]:
"This is part of a larger thing... anyone who disagreed was immediately vilified. You were some right-wing crank. You are a piece of garbage if you disagreed with them."
David Zweig [15:37]:
"My book is filled with kind of that type of stuff where this was almost like a cathartic endeavor where I had to set the record straight."
Ryan Seacrest [37:26]:
"Most degrees, I don't think people do the math. A lot of people who agree to these loans, I don't think they have any concept of how impossible it is to ever pay them back."
David Zweig’s appearance on The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show offers a critical examination of the pandemic response in American education, the politicization of health guidelines, and the systemic issues within higher education funding. His call for accountability, transparency, and evidence-based decision-making serves as a clarion for listeners to advocate for meaningful reforms in policy and institutional practices.
For those seeking to understand the undercurrents of pandemic policies and their broader societal impacts, Zweig’s insights provide a compelling narrative that challenges the status quo and urges a return to principled governance.
Note: This summary excludes advertisements, intros, outros, and non-content sections to focus solely on the substantive discussions and insights presented during the episode.