The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
Weekly Review With Clay and Buck – Hour 2 – Saving CA from Itself
Date: February 14, 2026
Hosts: Clay Travis and Buck Sexton
Guests: Senator Bill Hagerty (Tennessee), Steve Hilton (Republican candidate for Governor of California)
Episode Overview
This episode centers on two major themes:
- Concerns about government and corporate overreach, especially regarding privacy, media consolidation, and voting integrity—highlighted in an extended interview with Senator Bill Hagerty.
- California’s ongoing social, economic, and political challenges—from the flight of billionaires to tax and energy policy failures—as discussed with gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton.
Both segments feature candid, fast-paced discussions laced with the show's signature blend of political critique, insight, and a touch of humor.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Government Overreach and Privacy (w/ Senator Bill Hagerty)
[02:33–07:01]
- The Verizon/FCC Phone Records Scandal
- Senator Hagerty describes how after announcing his support for Trump, Jack Smith’s team (linked to the Biden administration) requested his phone records from Verizon—as well as those of other pro-Trump senators—under the investigation codenamed “Arctic Frost.”
- Verizon allegedly handed over more information than was even requested to federal investigators, without informing Hagerty.
- Hagerty connects Verizon’s compliance to its chief legal officer’s political ties (a former Henry Waxman staffer), calling it a case of big corporations collaborating with partisan government actors.
- He emphasizes the dangerous precedent if telecoms can so easily hand over private data, warning, “if they would do this to a sitting senator...what would they do to the rest of their customers?” (Bill Hagerty, 06:04)
Notable Quote:
"If they would do this to a sitting senator...what would they do to the rest of their customers? I have been a Verizon customer for decades...it was just outrageous."
— Senator Bill Hagerty [06:04]
2. Media Consolidation and Power of Streaming Giants
[07:01–08:46]
- Clay Travis prompts a conversation about media consolidation, specifically the possible merger between Netflix and Warner Bros, with Netflix and Paramount reportedly bidding.
- Hagerty expresses concern over the concentrated power and potential for abuse, drawing parallels to how mainstream media already displays bias.
- He calls for "serious questions" before such mergers are approved, though refrains from making predictions.
Notable Quote:
“America ought to be quite consistent. If you look at the consolidation of power here...we ought to be asking some very serious questions here about ...control that might be the result of this type of merger.”
— Senator Bill Hagerty [08:20]
3. The 2026 Senate Midterms Outlook
[08:46–12:32]
- Hagerty lays out the Republican path in key states: Michigan (Mike Rogers as potential pickup), North Carolina, Maine, New Hampshire (opportunity with Senator Shaheen retiring), Georgia (Jon Ossoff's vulnerability), and Iowa.
- He highlights New Hampshire’s history of same-day student voting, pinning Republican losses there on lax rules and stressing that reforms are underway.
- Expresses optimism, but also describes the effort needed as “running scared,” given the purple nature of several battlegrounds.
4. Nationwide Voter ID and Representation
[12:32–16:41]
- Widespread support for voter ID exists across demographics; even some Democrats (e.g., John Fetterman) are voicing support.
- Hagerty slams Democrats for opposing ID requirements, linking resistance to a desire for power rather than democracy.
- He argues that only citizens should be counted for apportionment of congressional seats and electoral votes—not illegal immigrants or temporary residents.
- Points to California’s “backfilling” of population loss with illegal immigrants to maintain political clout, at the expense of states like Tennessee.
Notable Quote:
“I can't imagine the Founding Fathers wanted people that, you know, are visiting this country to be able to affect the allocation of congressional districts here... California, with millions of illegal aliens resident there...those illegal aliens are being counted.”
— Senator Bill Hagerty [15:31]
5. The California Exodus and State Dysfunction (w/ Steve Hilton)
[25:05–33:29]
A. Billionaire Flight and Tax Policy
- Clay Travis and Steve Hilton discuss Mark Zuckerberg becoming a Florida resident—another sign of “mega-billionaires fleeing” California due to extreme taxes and regulatory threats, particularly over proposed “asset seizure” policies.
- Hilton claims $1 trillion in wealth has left California, costing the state lost tax revenue.
Notable Quote:
"Before they even get it on the ballot, [the threat of the billionaires tax] has already caused $1 trillion of wealth to leave the state."
— Steve Hilton [25:49]
B. The 2026 Governor’s Race & Primary
- Explains California's “top-two” primary: only the top two finishers, regardless of party, reach the general election—raising the risk that two Democrats could advance if Republicans split the vote.
- Hilton describes his Republican opponent Chad Bianco as “damaged” (for, among other things, “taking a knee for BLM” as a sheriff).
- Hilton urges conservatives to unite early to avoid being locked out of the general.
C. The “California Revolution” and Economic Collapse
- Energy costs: Gas at $6.91/gallon in LA; electricity bills have more than doubled, blamed on mandates for solar and wind (“10,000 floating Eiffel Towers” as wind turbines envisioned off the coast).
- Tax system: State income taxes highest nationwide; in some counties $100,000 annual income is classified as “poverty,” yet taxes still near 9%.
- “Jock tax” means star athletes lose money performing/playing in California.
- Hilton outlines his tax plan—previews exempting the first $100k for workers, reforming or ending punitive taxes to stem the exodus.
Notable Quote:
“We have the highest electric bills in the country, everywhere except Hawaii... Both driven by their insane climate crusade…they want floating windmills 20 miles off the coast... 1,000 ft high—the height of the Eiffel Tower.”
— Steve Hilton [32:12]
D. Budget Gimmicks and Rampant Fraud
- Budget has nearly doubled in five years (now $350 billion); still, California ranks last on performance metrics.
- Hilton alleges consistent “scams” and shell games in budget accounting; claims $250 billion in fraud in recent years.
- Reports of “Mexican citizens living in Mexico claiming health benefits in California posing as illegal immigrants.”
- Announces the creation of “caldoge” (CA Dept. of Government Efficiency) to root out fraud.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “If they would do this to a sitting senator...what would they do to the rest of their customers?”
— Sen. Bill Hagerty [06:04] - “I think the revolution is exactly the right analogy … This year is going to be the California Revolution because we just can’t go on like this.”
— Steve Hilton [32:56] - “We pay the most and we get the least.”
— Steve Hilton [34:46] - “You’ve now got Mexican citizens living in Mexico claiming health benefits in California posing as illegal immigrants.”
— Steve Hilton [39:22]
Important Segment Timestamps
- Sen. Bill Hagerty on Verizon and FCC probe: [02:54–07:01]
- Media consolidation questions: [07:01–08:46]
- 2026 midterms analysis: [08:46–12:32]
- Voter ID/voting integrity: [12:32–16:41]
- Illegal immigrant apportionment/Hagerty on loss of TN seat: [15:23–16:57]
- Steve Hilton on billionaire exodus and “billionaire tax”: [25:05–26:37]
- CA primary/GOP strategy: [27:33–30:40]
- CA energy and gas price crisis: [30:40–33:29]
- CA tax policy/jock tax controversy: [34:38–36:47]
- CA budget, spending & fraud allegations: [37:07–39:45]
Tone and Language
The episode maintains a conversational and energetic tone, balancing policy critique with humor and anecdotes. The hosts and guests speak plainly, using vivid, sometimes hyperbolic language to emphasize the urgency of topics (“California is under … communist occupation and we have to liberate it,” [30:40]) and blend personal stories or observations with policy analysis.
Summary
This episode spotlights the dangers of unchecked government overreach, biased corporate cooperation, and structural failings in American democracy—using the alleged abuse of phone records, media power consolidation, and voting rules as examples. The second half turns to California as a cautionary tale, where “woke” tax and climate policies are said to be fueling a mass exodus and rampant budget mismanagement, according to Steve Hilton's gubernatorial campaign platform. The show ends on a call for engagement and hope for reform, encapsulated in Hilton’s promise of a coming “California Revolution.”