Verdict with Ted Cruz
Bonus: Daily Review with Clay and Buck
Air Date: August 28, 2025
Special Guests: Mary Margaret Olahan (Daily Wire), Winsome Sears (VA Lt. Gov.)
Episode Overview
This episode features Clay Travis and Buck Sexton (co-hosting from "Clay and Buck"), filling in for Ted Cruz, as they discuss the aftermath of a recent mass shooting at a Catholic school in Minneapolis. The episode takes an unflinching look at what they call the “toxic empathy” in today’s handling of gender identity and trans issues, the political rhetoric that fans division, the media’s handling of such events, and the direct impact on families. Major guests include investigative reporter Mary Margaret Olahan, who reports from outside the White House, and Virginia Lt. Governor Winsome Sears. Notably, the episode explores deep parental concerns, identity politics, and the manipulation of language in media coverage.
Main Discussion Points & Insights
1. Fallout from the Minneapolis Catholic School Shooting
[01:24 - 17:08]
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Clay Travis strongly condemns both the act and the ideological environment he claims fostered it:
- Stresses that both the Minneapolis and 2023 Nashville school shootings involved trans-identifying individuals previously connected to religious schools.
- Draws connections between mental health issues, drug treatments for gender dysphoria, and violence.
- Quote: "Time for good people...to really stop trying to be kind and be willing to acknowledge that almost everyone who is claiming that they're trans has a severe mental illness." [02:26]
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Buck Sexton warns about the social consequences of toxic identity politics as amplifiers of violence:
- Critiques the “genocide rhetoric” from some left-wing activists and politicians.
- Draws a line from "BLM rhetoric" leading to violence against police, to current anti-Trump and transgender issues.
- Quote: "Demons live among us. And this person was a demon." [05:18]
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Both hosts express frustration at what they describe as media narratives that obscure uncomfortable truths and focus on gun control or misrepresent the facts of recent shootings.
2. Political Rhetoric, Media Narratives, and Dangerous Consequences
[05:01 - 16:16]
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Analysis and criticism of Gavin Newsom’s inflammatory comments about Trump's intentions regarding future elections.
- Both Clay and Buck highlight how political hyperbole (“Trump is a dictator/extremist”) risks inciting unstable individuals.
- Quote - Clay Travis: "If Trump was in fact Hitler, then killing him would be justified. Right? That is the process in [the shooter's] mind..." [11:10]
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The media is accused of perpetuating dangerous myths (e.g., wrongful pronoun usage, obscuring the shooter's clear anti-Trump motive).
3. Interview: Mary Margaret Olahan on Safety in Schools and Gender Ideology
Interview: [20:17 - 33:32]
- Mary Margaret Olahan (Daily Wire) details her reporting on Minnesota private school leaders' calls for increased security after the Nashville shooting, which were ignored by Gov. Tim Walz.
- Highlights the disparity—state protections for trans individuals expanded, while no added security was provided after warnings.
- Quote: "They sent a letter to Tim Walz...One week after [Nashville]...everything expressed, but ultimately nothing was done." [21:27]
- Explains how parents are emotionally blackmailed by the “dead daughter or a living son” ultimatum from the medical industry.
- Advises parents to remove children from environments where ideology is promoted, restrict technology, and seek support communities.
- Critiques what she calls the irrationality of medical transitions: “If the plumbing does not determine the gender...why all the surgery?” [29:20]
- Recounts the Biden administration's refusal to release the Nashville shooter's manifesto, labeling it "pure suppression, pure politics" [33:06]
- Her reporting links the inaction of Democratic officials to a predictable recurrence of ideologically motivated school violence.
4. Bravery During Crisis: Focus on the Victims, Not the Shooters
[35:30 - 38:43]
- Hosts replay an interview with a fifth-grade survivor describing how his friend saved his life by shielding him:
- Student quote: “My friend Victor, like, saved me, though, because he laid on top of me, but he got hit.” [38:17]
- Both hosts state a preference for emphasizing the heroism of victims and bystanders rather than amplifying the notoriety of shooters.
5. Media Coverage and Pronoun Policing
[41:58 - 47:37]
- Critique of ABC and CNN, who are accused of misleading viewers about the shooter's motives, omitting critical facts.
- ABC’s vague reporting might lead viewers to assume wrongly the shooter was a Trump supporter.
- Discussion of CNN’s use of preferred pronouns for the shooter, which the hosts brand “a mass delusion.”
- Quote - Clay Travis: “When you have a killer terrorist and on live television you are worried about using the correct pronoun of a trans terrorist… It's indefensible.” [44:19]
- Buck Sexton: “Some of these media institutions…are keeping score on pronoun usage. Even for a child murdering psychopath…” [45:03]
6. Identity Politics, the LGBTQ Community, and How to "Break the Fever"
[49:15 - 50:48]
- Clay calls for gay and lesbian Americans to distance themselves from trans ideology:
- Sees a divide between “LGB” and “TQ+” as necessary for cultural sanity.
- Quote - Clay Travis: “There is a pretty big difference between saying, hey, I'm attracted to the same sex, and, hey, I am a different gender than what all of us know to be true.” [48:23]
7. Interview: Winsome Sears, VA Lt. Governor, on Common Sense, School Policy, and Political Races
[56:43 - 66:42]
- Sears outlines her gubernatorial campaign, focusing on the economy, job creation, and common sense on gender policy.
- Blasts her Democratic opponent Abigail Spanberger for dodging questions on men's participation in women's sports, supporting biological men in women’s spaces, and supporting educational overreach.
- Highlights "sexual trauma" created by school policies forcing boys to undress in front of girls and vice versa.
- Quote - Sears: "We're creating sexual trauma. Sexual trauma. Do we not have enough trauma in the world?" [62:52]
- Criticizes the media for ignoring or marginalizing her candidacy and viewpoints.
- Vows, if elected, to continue Youngkin-era reforms, support law enforcement, lower taxes, keep Virginia safe, and protect parental rights.
8. Listener Calls and Personal Stories
[68:08 - 74:17]
- Clay reads emails from gay listeners agreeing that trans activism is not congruent with their values.
- Lisa (caller): Shares her experience as the mother of a trans-identifying adult child. She recounts institution-led gender transitions, drastic behavioral changes, and the emotional turmoil and blackmail parents face, including being pressured to choose between supporting gender transition or risking their child’s suicide.
- Quote - Lisa: “I told my husband last night, I don't know if he would actually. He's gotten so bitter and they feed into it and make it worse. I don't, I don't know that he wouldn't go out and do something like this. I can't tell you that.” [72:35]
- Her story underlines the “emotional blackmail” and potential health and psychological dangers for youth and families.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- Clay Travis [02:26]: "It's time for good people...to really significantly stop trying to be kind and be willing to acknowledge that almost everyone who is claiming that they're trans has a severe mental illness."
- Buck Sexton [05:18]: "Demons live among us. And this person was a demon."
- Mary Margaret Olahan [21:27]: "They sent a letter to Tim Walz...One week after [Nashville]...expressed these concerns, but ultimately nothing was done."
- Clay Travis [11:10]: "If Trump was in fact Hitler, then killing him would be justified. Right?"
- Marry Margaret Olahan [29:20]: "If the plumbing does not determine the gender...why all the surgery?"
- Buck Sexton [44:03]: "When you have a killer terrorist and on live television you are worried about using the correct pronoun of a trans terrorist...it's indefensible."
- Winsome Sears [62:52]: "We're creating sexual trauma. Sexual trauma. Do we not have enough trauma in the world?"
Key Timestamps
| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:24 | Show opens; recapping Minneapolis school shooting | | 04:51 | Critique of “toxic empathy” and drug treatments | | 09:06 | Newsom’s “no 2028 election” rhetoric dissected | | 16:17 | Critique of “emotional blackmail” in gender ideology | | 20:17 | Interview: Mary Margaret Olahan | | 29:20 | Olahan on the contradictions of gender surgery rationale | | 35:30 | Survivor account of the shooting (elementary student) | | 41:58 | Analysis of major media coverage and pronoun debate | | 49:15 | Clay Travis calls for LGB community to oppose “TQ+” | | 56:43 | Interview: Winsome Sears, VA Lt. Governor | | 68:08 | Listener calls/emails; family's personal trans journey |
Tone and Language
- Candid and direct. Hosts use emotionally charged, unfiltered language to highlight the urgency and emotional cost of the issues discussed. They alternate between analytical, polemical, and empathetic engagement, especially with guests’ and listeners’ personal stories.
- Confrontational toward mainstream media, political opponents, and the medical/therapy establishment seen as enabling what the hosts characterize as “delusion,” “emotional blackmail,” and a culture of violence.
For Listeners: Key Takeaways
- The episode delivers a thorough critique of how gender identity and political rhetoric intersect with violence and public safety.
- It maintains focus on families—especially parents—caught in the crossfire of cultural and political battles they feel unprepared to fight.
- The hosts urge listeners to advocate for truth, resist emotional manipulation, and hold media and politicians to account for fostering what they see as destructive delusions.
- The voices of guests Mary Margaret Olahan and Winsome Sears underscore the episode’s main themes: the need for action, common sense, courage, and a rejection of identity politics-driven policies.