The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Weekly Review With Clay and Buck - Hour 1 - Interior Secretary Doug Burgum
Date: February 14, 2026
Podcast Host: iHeartPodcasts

Overview

In this episode, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton focus on major national stories and U.S. energy policy, highlighted by an in-depth interview with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. They also react to the trending Nancy Guthrie kidnapping case, discuss cultural controversies around the Super Bowl halftime show, and analyze the current state and future of the American economy—particularly in the context of Trump administration policies.

Main Topics and Discussion Highlights

1. U.S. Economic Update and Energy Policy (03:38–04:40, 27:04–39:37)

• Strong GDP Growth:

  • Clay and Buck celebrate reported 4% GDP growth in the last quarter.

  • Discussion on how recent policies are fueling economic momentum.

    “The force that’s pushing up is the GDP growth is through the roof. Even with a revised down GDP now, we’re looking at 4% growth into the end of the year, 3% for the year as a whole, despite the fact that we had a really negative first quarter with Joe Biden.”
    (Doug Burgum, 03:46)

• Labor Market Trends:

  • Secretary Burgum notes that productivity gains may decrease labor demand and that illegal immigration's decline lowers the labor force, making job numbers a different metric than under Biden.

• U.S. Oil and Energy Policy:

  • Interview with Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum about U.S. energy independence, recent expansions in LNG exports, and sanctions on Russian gas.

  • Discussion of the "All of the Above" Trump energy policy, focused on energy affordability, reliability, and national security.

    “Drill baby drill. One of his main campaign promises he’s delivered on... creating the National Energy Dominance Council.”
    (Doug Burgum, 27:33)

    “We’ve displaced two thirds of Russian gas in Europe, taking a whack out of their pocketbook.”
    (Doug Burgum, 27:56)

• Critical Minerals Initiative:

  • Secretary Burgum explains Project Vault—a $12 billion initiative to create a U.S. strategic reserve of critical minerals, reducing China’s stranglehold on global supply chains.

    “We became, like most countries in the world, completely dependent on China... They control 85 to 100% of the refining.”
    (Doug Burgum, 30:38)

• State-by-State Policy Impact on Gas Prices:

  • Specific criticism of California’s climate and energy policies, noting stark differences in gas prices across states tied to policy choices.

    “California, regularly, five bucks. You can go to parts of California... where it’s over six or seven... these policies, which are driven by climate extremities.”
    (Doug Burgum, 34:43)

• 2026 and Beyond – Economic Outlook:

  • Burgum forecasts unprecedented GDP numbers with the Trump administration’s economic plan, especially in states with “common sense” policies.

    “You’re going to see numbers that we’ve not seen before. Many people in their lifetime haven't seen numbers north of 5%.”
    (Doug Burgum, 38:01)

2. The Nancy Guthrie Kidnapping Story (06:15–16:32)

• Story overview: Ongoing kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie, mother of TV personality Savannah Guthrie, dominates national attention.

• Speculation and Analysis:

  • Clay and Buck analyze the professional approach of the kidnappers—cutting cameras, possible inside help, unusual ransom demands (including cryptocurrency), and the meticulous planning involved.

    “There’s something particularly horrific and hits home about a senior citizen member of your family just disappearing from their home… It does have that ‘this could happen to anyone’ feeling.”
    (Clay Travis, 05:35)

• Expertise on Investigations:

  • Buck discusses forensic and investigative techniques—cell phone tower pings, blood evidence at the scene, potential DNA, and the difficulty of pulling off a prolonged kidnapping in the digital age.

    “It’s very hard to kill someone that you have contact with… and then not to be able to figure that out. This is why, you know, any kind of murder for hire situation, you often get the person that did the hiring…”
    (Buck Sexton, 11:47)

• Audience Connection:

  • Both hosts emphasize the emotional intensity and the sense of vulnerability felt by the public.

3. Super Bowl Halftime Show & Cultural Critiques (21:29–26:10)

• Listener Call:

  • Discussion over whether the 250th Super Bowl anniversary appropriately reflected American heritage during its halftime show.

    “It would seem to me that the theme should have been around that.”
    (Listener Robert in Indiana, 21:57)

• Goodell and NFL Criticism:

  • Clay and Buck criticize NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for not honoring America’s 250th—connecting it to broader themes of political correctness and corporate cowardice.

    “He’s not doing what’s in the best interest of the league. He’s doing what’s in the best interest of him, not getting noticed… If he raises his hand… somebody’s going to say, ‘well, that’s racist of you, Roger.’”
    (Buck Sexton, 23:15)

• Music Genre Debate:

  • Lighthearted debate about reggaeton vs. R&B vs. death metal—both hosts express their generational “unhipness” (“unk,” per Buck's kids), with a playful exchange about musical tastes.

4. Sports and North Dakota State University (39:37–40:49)

• Shoutout to NDSU:

  • Secretary Burgum celebrates North Dakota State University Bison’s move to Mountain West Conference and their contribution to NFL talent.

    “There were two North Dakota State University recent graduates on that offensive line of Seattle… shout out to those Bison…”
    (Doug Burgum, 39:37)

Notable Quotes

• On energy policy:

  “You can't separate national security or national economy from energy policy. President Trump has got it dialed in.”
  (Doug Burgum, 29:26)

• On the Guthrie kidnapping:

  "It is so strange, all the details that have taken place here and we'll see whether we're going to get some sort of resolution to come out of this."
  (Clay Travis, 16:26)

• On California energy policy:

  “This is the state... trying to ban [internal combustion engines] and they’re the number one thing. They’re just driving the cost up on their consumers… New York and California... leading the nation in outmigration.”
  (Doug Burgum, 34:43)

• On future economic prospects:

  “I'm expecting the numbers to be big... individual results may vary. Check your zip code. Move to a place where they’ve got common sense policies.”
  (Doug Burgum, 39:20)

Key Timestamps

• 03:38–04:40: Economic Update, Labor Market, and GDP
• 06:15–16:32: Nancy Guthrie Kidnapping Deep Dive
• 21:29–26:10: Listener Calls, Super Bowl Commentary, Musical Taste Debate
• 27:04–39:37: Extended Interview with Secretary Doug Burgum (U.S. Oil Production, Critical Minerals, State Policies, GDP Outlook)
• 39:37–40:49: NDSU Sports Shoutout

Tone

• Conversational & Candid: Clay and Buck maintain their lighthearted banter, even while handling serious topics like kidnapping and national security.
• Patriotic & Policy-Driven: Frequently emphasize American prosperity, energy independence, and critiques of "climate extremism."
• Humorous & Self-Deprecating: Light jabs at their generational knowledge of music and the NFL, and the use of "unk" to describe being unhip.

This episode balances major policy discussions, current events analysis, and lighter cultural debates, offering a comprehensive—and occasionally irreverent—look at news and politics through the eyes of Clay Travis, Buck Sexton, and their high-profile guest.