BONUS: Daily Review with Clay and Buck - Jul 10 2025

Summary

Verdict with Ted Cruz: BONUS - Daily Review with Clay and Buck (July 10, 2025)

Released on July 10, 2025 by Premiere Networks

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1. BRICS Summit and Global Financial Shifts

Timestamp: [00:00 - 02:21]

Clay Travis and Buck Sexton delve into the recent BRICS Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, BRICS has expanded by adding five new members, emphasizing its intent to reshape global financial dynamics.

• Clay Travis [01:04]: Introduces the BRICS Summit, highlighting its objective to reduce reliance on the US dollar in global trade.

• Buck Sexton [01:46]: Expresses concern over the diminishing role of the US dollar, stating, “The world is moving on from the dollar. Quietly but steadily, these nations are making real progress towards reshaping global trade” ([02:09]).

• Philip [01:55 - 02:12]: Advises listeners to protect their savings by investing in gold through Birch Gold Group, suggesting it as a hedge against a declining dollar.

2. Critique of Media Figures and Hollywood's Political Leanings

Timestamp: [02:48 - 15:41]

The conversation shifts to media personalities and the politicization of Hollywood, with a focus on Wolf Blitzer’s portrayal and the political undertones in blockbuster films.

• Buck Sexton [02:48]: Humorously critiques Wolf Blitzer's intelligence, sparking a light-hearted debate with Clay about media credibility.

• Discussion on James Gunn and the Superman Movie [06:08 - 15:41]:

  • Buck Sexton: Criticizes James Gunn’s political messaging in the new Superman movie, labeling Gunn's statements as “a moron to say this publicly the week before release” ([06:08]).

  • Laura Travis [09:54]: Supports Buck’s view by explaining Superman’s status as an alien and an asylum seeker, countering the director’s interpretation of Superman as an immigrant.

  • Clay Travis [13:45]: Accuses Hollywood of prioritizing ideological agendas over profitability, referencing failed films like "Snow White" and "Barbie" as evidence.

  • Buck Sexton [14:47]: Highlights the backlash received for his comments on the Superman movie, including hostile messages from fans ([08:30]).

3. Economic Legislation and Congressman Jim Jordan Interview

Timestamp: [19:17 - 31:26]

The duo welcomes Congressman Jim Jordan from Ohio to discuss the recent passage of a significant economic bill, its implications, and ongoing political dynamics.

• Jim Jordan [19:17]:

  • Describes the bill as the "largest tax cut in history" aimed at empowering families through tax reductions, school choice, and enhanced border security.
  • Emphasizes the necessity of economic growth to address the national deficit and compares the bill favorably against the previous administration’s policies.

• Clay Travis [20:19]: Inquires about the bill’s real-world impact, to which Jordan responds by highlighting increased disposable income for families and potential job creation.

• Discussion on Sports and Personal Anecdotes [21:03 - 26:29]:

  • Light-hearted exchange about sports knowledge, including a Jumble round on football scores.

  • Transition into a conversation about college athletics and ongoing legislative efforts to standardize Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) laws.

• Jim Jordan [22:38 - 26:29]:

  • Details bipartisan efforts to reform college sports, focusing on athlete rights, agent transparency, and NCAA regulations.
  • Expresses optimism about the bill's passage due to widespread support from both parties and stakeholders in college athletics.

• Further Political Insights [27:11 - 31:26]:

  • Jim Jordan: Praises President Trump's leadership and effectiveness in his second term, citing successful policies on Iran, NATO, and border security ([27:11]).

  • Discusses potential hearings related to the Joe Biden administration and underscores confidence in the current FBI leadership under agents like Cash Patel and Dan Bongino ([28:54 - 31:15]).

4. Texas Flooding and Law Enforcement Attacks

Timestamp: [32:45 - 45:24]

The focus shifts to severe flooding in Texas and a recent attack on law enforcement, with insights from Senator John Cornyn.

• Senator Cornyn [33:17 - 45:24]:

  • Flooding in Texas [33:17 - 40:52]:

    • Reports tragic statistics: 120 confirmed dead and 170 missing due to the Guadalupe River overflow ([33:17]).
    • Discusses the challenges in disaster preparedness and potential improvements in alert systems, drawing comparisons to Florida’s AMBER alerts.

  • Attack on Law Enforcement [36:30 - 39:14]:

    • Addresses the ambush on ICE agents in Alvarado, Texas, denouncing the violence and blaming irresponsible rhetoric from political figures for inciting such attacks.
    • Reiterates strong support for border security and the positive impacts of recent measures to control illegal immigration.

  • Economic Bill Impact [40:34 - 43:13]:

    • Highlights the avoidance of a multi-trillion dollar tax increase due to the new bill, debunking claims that it only benefits the wealthy.
    • Outlines expected economic growth and job creation, attributing optimism to the bill’s provisions and upcoming economic reforms.

  • Texas Senate Race [43:13 - 45:24]:

    • Discusses the upcoming Senate race, mentioning potential Democratic challengers like Jasmine Crockett.
    • Emphasizes the strong Republican stance in Texas and the challenges Democrats face in flipping statewide seats ([43:50]).

  • Caller Interaction: [48:29 - 49:08]:

    • Responds to a caller’s suggestion for improved national disaster alert systems, comparing it to frequent truck beeping and the challenges of ensuring alerts are effective without causing desensitization.

5. Concluding Remarks and Future Outlook

Timestamp: [31:26 - End]

Clay and Buck wrap up the episode by highlighting key political races and encouraging listener engagement through fundraising for Texas flood victims.

• Buck Sexton [32:47 - 51:43]: Summarizes the significance of the Texas Senate race and other battleground states, stressing the importance of building electoral advantages to influence future political landscapes.

• Clay Travis [50:09 - 52:13]: Engages in a discussion about disaster alert systems, drawing parallels to everyday warning sounds and emphasizing the complexity of implementing effective alerts.

• Final Advertisements: The episode concludes with promotions for Pure Talk and Dutch veterinary services, ensuring that the core content remains the focus.

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Key Takeaways

• Global Financial Shifts: The expansion of BRICS indicates a strategic move to challenge the US dollar's dominance, prompting investors to consider protective measures like gold investments.

• Media and Entertainment Critique: There's growing frustration with Hollywood's perceived political agendas, as exemplified by critiques of the new Superman movie and discussions about media personalities’ credibility.

• Economic Legislation: Significant bipartisan efforts are underway to implement comprehensive tax cuts and college sports reforms, with optimism about positive economic growth and athlete rights.

• Domestic Challenges: Texas faces devastating floods, prompting discussions on disaster preparedness, while attacks on law enforcement highlight the escalating tensions and the need for robust security measures.

• Political Dynamics: Upcoming Senate races, especially in Texas, are crucial battlegrounds that could shape the political landscape, emphasizing the need for strategic campaigning and voter engagement.

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Notable Quotes

• Buck Sexton [01:46]: “The world is moving on from the dollar. Quietly but steadily, these nations are making real progress towards reshaping global trade.”

• Jim Jordan [19:17]: “This was the largest tax cut in history, coupled with the largest investment in border security… It was a good bill because the left hated it.”

• Clay Travis [13:35]: “They view that they've reached a point like James Gunn is already very rich… They care more about the mission of indoctrination than they do making money with these films.”

• Senator Cornyn [38:57]: “There is no excuse, no justification for attacking law enforcement officials like these two ICE agents and the police officer in Alvarado, Texas.”

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Listen to "Verdict with Ted Cruz" for more in-depth discussions on the latest political and economic developments shaping our nation.

Transcript

[Clay Travis]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Buck Sexton]

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[Philip]

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[Clay Travis]

Clay, have you heard of the Rio Reset?

[Buck Sexton]

Sounds like a trendy new workout, Buck.

[Clay Travis]

It does, but it's actually a big summit going on in Brazil. The formal name is brics, which stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. But they've just added five new members.

[Buck Sexton]

Smart move to stick with brics. We know what happens when acronyms don't end. They confuse everyone.

[Clay Travis]

Well, that's an understatement. BRICS is a group of emerging economies hoping to increase their sway in the global financial order.

[Buck Sexton]

Now that sounds like the plotline of a movie. I'm listening.

[Clay Travis]

Philip. Patrick is our Bruce Wayne. He's a precious metal specialist and a spokesman for the Birch Gold Group. He's on the ground in Rio getting the whole lowdown on what's going on there.

[Buck Sexton]

Can he give us some inside intel?

[Clay Travis]

Absolutely. He's been there since day one. In fact, a major theme at the summit is how BRICS nations aim to reduce reliance on the US dollar in global trade.

[Buck Sexton]

Yikes. That doesn't sound good. We gotta get Philip on the line, stat.

[Clay Travis]

Already did. And he left the Clay and Buck audience this message.

[Buck Sexton]

The world is moving on from the dollar. Quietly but steadily, these nations are making.

[Philip]

Real progress towards reshaping global trade.

[Buck Sexton]

And the US dollar is no longer the centerpiece. That shift doesn't happen overnight.

[Philip]

But make no mistake, it's already begun.

[Clay Travis]

Thank you, Philip. Protect the value of your Savings account, your 401k, your IRA, all of them, by purchasing gold and placing it into those accounts and reducing your exposure to a declining dollar value. Text my name Buck to 989898. You get the free information you'll need to make the right decision. You can rely on Birch Gold Group as I do to give you the information you need to make an informed decision. One more time, text my name Buck to 98 98. 98.

[Buck Sexton]

Welcome back in Clay Travis, Buck Sexton show. Congrats. As you just heard, Buck Sexton successfully knowing how many points of safety is worth, unlike two thirds of the Jeopardy. Contestants. Gonna have a little bit of fun here. And this is all real. But I want to. How funny is that Wolf Blitzer clip? I mean, that, that he would. I mean, for everybody out there watching, he is held up as one of the brainiacs of cnn.

[Jim Jordan]

Right?

[Buck Sexton]

Wouldn't you say that's probably fair to say that Wolf Blitzer is seen as one of the smarter guys on the air at cnn? I think that's probably fair.

[Clay Travis]

Well, I don't know if it's as a result of his Jeopardy. Appearance, but people have been suggesting that he's like the confused fool for a while now. Okay. I think so. But I don't know.

[Buck Sexton]

To be fair, he's probably. I mean, he's got to be over 70 now, right? Like, that clip was from 2009.

[Clay Travis]

I will say. I will say I have heard from people within the CNN world for a long time. He's actually a pretty.

[Jim Jordan]

Pretty.

[Buck Sexton]

I've heard he's a super nice guy.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah, he's a nice guy. So I will give him total credit on. He's apparently a good dude and we're having a little bit of fun at his expense, but he's paid millions of.

[Buck Sexton]

Dollars and he's had a good run.

[Clay Travis]

And so, you know, but he is apparently unlike. Unlike most of the CNN anchors and I could go through chapter and verse. He's apparently a nice guy.

[Buck Sexton]

To be fair, if I went on celebrity Jeopardy. And I lost $5,000, it would go insanely mega viral. And I would. I mean, I would have to own it, right? But all the clips of me missing the questions and everything else, it would actually. It would probably be better for me to go and lose a ton of money than to win a ton of money. Because if I won tons of money, nobody would share it. They would be like, oh, whatever, Clay Travis, still stupid meanie head moron. If I lost like $5,000, everybody that hates me would share it. So it probably would go more viral for a collapse than actually being successful. Okay. I tweeted this last night. I got a sense that My take, this is all real. I got a sense that my take on Superman, the new movie, had gone mega viral because yesterday I woke up and I had an email from a Japan news agency asking if they could interview me for my take on the new Superman movie.

[Clay Travis]

So when you see the Suntory commercials with Clay Travis in them or Sapporo, you will know that this is. That he. Clay's big in Japan. Let's just say Clay is big in Japan.

[Buck Sexton]

In my entire career of telling, tons of sharing, tons of opinions on everything under the sun, there has never been any request for me to be interviewed by any Japanese news agency.

[Clay Travis]

Well, I think the one part we have to let everybody know, though, is that the director, James Gunn, I'm. I used to be. I will say, if we were talking, like, late 90s, early 2000s movies, I was absolutely dialed in. I had my favorite directors, my favorite actors, you know, excited about. I don't even know who's. I don't know who's been directing movies for the last 10 years. I basically have no idea. I don't pay attention because I think most movies absolutely stink. Almost all of them absolutely stink. Now, he said something, though.

[Buck Sexton]

Here's the quote. Here's the James Gunn quote. So this is where it all started on in Variety magazine, which is like a Hollywood celebrity magazine, shared a story and said, james Gunn says Superman is about an immigrant that came from other places. How we've lost the value of basic human kindness. Yes, it's about politics. That was James Gunn's take. He is the director of the new Superman movie that is opening. I think it may be already out or opening today or whatever else I tweeted three days ago. And this is true. I'm gonna skip seeing Superman. The director is a moron to say this publicly the week before release. America's desperate for apolitical entertainment. Hollywood's unable to deliver it. And then I continued. I said, I made a fun movie I hope everyone of all backgrounds enjoys. Is it that hard to say this when you've been given hundreds of millions of dollars of studio money to make a summer blockbuster? It feels like Tom Cruise is the only Hollywood superstar who still gets this. That's what I. I don't even think of all my takes. Like, I think that is, like one of the most tepid, non hot take, non crazy takes. It has evidently gone mega viral, and the Superman community of fans is furious at me. And this buck just in the last, I don't know, little bit on social media, I got the following Messages sent to me on Instagram from Superman fans. These are people that are furious at me. This is a representative sample. I am deluged in angry Superman fan messages. Here is one. Hey. Word that you can't say on the radio. I just want to let you know Superman has been an immigrant since he was created. And that calling stuff woke means you can't find a good reason to complain. You're being a bitch. You're an idiot. Wrong. You're being used, you piece of blank. Go kill yourself. James Gunn isn't the moron you are. Your family will burn for this.

[Laura Travis]

Whoa.

[Buck Sexton]

Your family will burn for that. For my Superman movie take. Okay, it's not a good idea to go mega political. This is crazy town.

[Clay Travis]

Can I give you. I'm going to give you a few things here. First of all, Superman is not an immigrant. If we're going to play this conversation out a little bit, let's do it. Okay. Superman is an alien. He is not a human being who is subject to another jurisdiction on this planet and has citizenship elsewhere. He is from another planet. Now that, to me, is actually a good case, especially when your home planet has been destroyed, as Superman's has. If I remember my comic book lore, Superman, if anything, would be an asylum seeker.

[Buck Sexton]

No.

[Clay Travis]

Unlike all of the people who are showing up in America pretending that their planet was blown up, so to speak, pretending they can't go back to their home country. They are just fraudsters. So Superman is an alien. Not an illegal alien, but an actual alien from another planet does not have a jurisdiction on planet Earth that he should be in other than America. And I think under any reasonable view of asylum law, his home planet is gone. So I don't think he can go back. So I think that you could say he's a credible asylee.

[Buck Sexton]

Okay, you. That is amazing. You are going to be nerding out because my wife is a superhero movie junkie super nerd. All the boys go to all the movies and everything else. She actually was upset that all the super Superman people are mad at me, and she sent me this because. You're going to build on this, Buck. She's also a lawyer. She said they're totally wrong. And she said what you just said, Buck. Superman is actually a true asylum seeker. His planet was destroyed. All his culture and people are destroyed. His first landing is on American soil in Kansas. This is Laura Travis, lawyer. He's orphaned as his parents die, so he's legally adopted by the Kents, who are American citizens, thus giving him American citizenship. Even if not for one and two, he has unique talents of great use to the U.S. that would be impossible to find after a thorough search for other candidates, thus qualifying him for EB1, a controversially visa and legal channel to full citizenship. On top of all this, he ends up being one of the most productive and useful members of society, choosing to hold two full time jobs as both a journalist and a crime fighting superhero.

[Clay Travis]

Now this is all absolutely, absolutely spot on. I didn't know that that was, I didn't know that Laura had written any of that is absolutely correct. So the people that are the director of this movie saying he's just like an immigrant, no jackass. That's not even, that's not even vaguely correct.

[Buck Sexton]

And, and this also builds on something that I, that, that I was getting at when this went mega viral. I would believe if you gave me Buck, if you, if you and I, if I left this, this show and I suddenly became a Hollywood movie director, if you gave me hundreds of millions of dollars to make a movie, it might well end in utter disaster. Remember, Fox had to sell off the lot at the Pico and motor part of it. The Westfield Mall is now for those of you out in LA because they lost so much money on Cleopatra with Elizabeth Taylor back in the day for the movie nerds. So it may well end in unmitigated disaster and the company might lose tons of money, but it wouldn't be because I said to half the country, hey, I'm trying to make an intensely political movie. I would go full Michael Jordan. Republicans buy sneakers two. I don't think it would have been smart of James Gunn to say, hey, I think it's super timely that Superman would come out right now because Donald Trump is a super president and he's super man, like in the way that he responded to the assassination attempt. And I think that if you hate Trump, you shouldn't come see this movie. Well, that wouldn't be smart, right? I actually would agree with that take, but it wouldn't be smart if you're trying to appeal to the whole swath of America? And I mean, look, we got a lot of people who listen in LA and we've talked about this before. When is Hollywood going to recognize that the reason why Tom Cruise is the last superstar is because he just wants to make apolitical popcorn movies that everybody can sit and watch that aren't trying to indoctrinate you and in any way and are just about entertaining you for a great summer movie. Right. I just, I don't understand why these people can't get it through their heads that apolitical entertainment that everybody can watch. It should be the goal.

[Clay Travis]

No, because they're the goal. These are communists. Their goal is the indoctrination. They view that they've reached a point like James Gunn is already very rich, already has all the connections he needs.

[Buck Sexton]

He.

[Clay Travis]

It is more important to him to make a movie that he can virtue signal to his lib friends in Hollywood about than to make a movie that makes a ton of money at this point. Like if he has to choose between those two things. Otherwise how do you explain things like Snow White, which was an absolute disaster, hundreds of millions lost and we knew it was going to lose money the whole time. We're not making that movie. But it's because they're. They're so ideologically committed that it, it is not profit motive first. That's what they used to say, I might add. They used to say, oh, it's. We're just doing what makes money. That's not true. They care more about the mission of indoctrination than they do making money with these films. And you see it over and over again because every time we say this is going to be a disaster, there's going to be a bomb. It pretty much is. The only exception to that is the Barbie movie, which was so bad, was so.

[Buck Sexton]

I still never seen it.

[Clay Travis]

Oh, I watched. I couldn't get through it. I tried. I watched some of it. I'm like, this is just trash. Trash.

[Buck Sexton]

It is that just be. It was successful because they were just, they were marketing. It was entirely to women. And it's like girl. It was a girl power.

[Clay Travis]

It was a whole girl power thing. Like, oh, like Barbie and the nostalgia, everything else. It is an absolutely garbage movie. Absolutely garbage movie. And I, you know, just like people Clay I used to say that Hamilton was garbage when people were waiting in line for like three days for tickets. Ok? I was like, guys, I just know it's garbage. And it is garbage. And now more and more people agree with me because it's just what it is, Barbie. Eventually everyone's going to realize nonsense. And don't even get me started on Avatar. Those of you who like Avatar.

[Buck Sexton]

Yeah, but Avatar is not to me as aggressively political. I know James Cameron, Gully ferngully with.

[Clay Travis]

Some laser guns or whatever. It's pretty preposterous.

[Buck Sexton]

But it made, it made a lot. I think that there.

[Clay Travis]

It did make a lot. It did make a lot of. But that was because the technology, it wasn't because of the storyline. It was because of the 3D and all that stuff.

[Buck Sexton]

I'm just telling you, somebody out there in Hollywood is going to get smart enough to just say, I'm not hiring any of these woke BS moron people. We're just going to like whoever Tom Cruise wants to work with. We're going to double, triple, quadruple down with him. All he cares about is making movies that are going to be super entertaining. And that's what we're going to focus on. And you're going to mint money. You are going to make money hand over fist. Because I just see stuff like this all the time and it just makes me throw my hands up because I wanted to go see Superman. I mean, I'm, I'm a, you know, middle America guy. Like, I like to go sit in the movies and have popcorn. I still like going to the movie theater. I want to go see the new Jurassic park. Even though I'm sure it's like total trash.

[Clay Travis]

Michael Crichton is rolling over in his grave. Good heavens.

[Buck Sexton]

I enjoy seeing dinosaurs on the movie screen. I like seeing fighter jets blow things up. I mean, I am the average American consumer. Why would you alienate anybody from Superman? You could easily say Superman is an aspirational goal that is about everyone fulfilling the best possible abilities of their own innate gifts. Like it's so easy to sell this movie to just don't tell me that it's political. And about immigration, by the way, when most people are opposed right now to the immigration policies, it's not even 50. 50. We talked about this. It's like 65, 35. The guy's a moron. Anyway, I thought you guys would enjoy and I do think it's important culturally, but there's people out there that are furious at me for saying, hey, you know, maybe Superman should just kind of appeal to everybody and not be some sort of woke version of Hollywood fantasy. And when you say that, the little fanboys come running and, and tell me my family should burn, my family should burn for my Superman take of all things. Look, Amazon prime in soon today and tomorrow, last two days to get great deals including from our sponsor Cardia, makers of the world's first FDA cleared personal EKG. Get yourself or a family member a Kardia Mobile 6L. It can detect afib leading cause of stroke. Small, easy to use, records right to your phone. You get six views of your heart, six times the data of any smartwatch at a fraction of the cost. Cardi Mobile. Perfect way to manage your heart health at home between doctors visits. Small enough to hold in your palm or to slip into your back pocket or purse. Give yourself peace of mind. Save 10% off as well on both Amazon and on Kardia's website too. That's Kardia.com K A R D I A.com or on Amazon. And use code 10 6L Clay, the number 10 as in 10% off and the Cardia Model 6L Clay to get 10% off your Cardia Mobile 6L. Stories of Freedom, stories of America. Inspirational stories that unite us all. Each day, spend time with Clay and Buck. Find them on the free iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast. Welcome back in Clay Play Travis Buck Sexton show. Appreciate all of you hanging out with us as we are rolling through the Thursday edition of the program, joined now by Congressman Jim Jordan, State of Ohio. So many different things going on right now on Capitol Hill. Let's start here. Big beautiful bill gets passed. Was it more dramatic than you expected? Was it about what you expected? What happens now?

[Jim Jordan]

No, it was about what I expect. I think the economy takes off. I mean, I probably, I don't know how many interviews I've done on this issue, but it's like I say all the time, you know, it was a good bill, Clay, because the left hated it. And the left hated it because it actually empowered people, empowered families. Tax cuts for families, school choice for families, resources, most resources devoted to border security in the history of our country to make sure our border stays secure. And then the work requirements for able bodied adults currently get your tax money in the future, they're going to have to work, which is a good thing for the economy, it's a good thing for taxpayers. But most importantly, I think it's a good thing for those individuals.

[Clay Travis]

What are the most important things that you think we're going to see now changing in the economy, Congressman, since the bill has been passed? I mean, we talk about tax cuts. That's great. More money in people's pockets, more money for the private sector to let the business of the American people be business. But where do you think we're going to see some of this in a, in a real life, day to day way take root and be really helpful to the bottom line of the American people?

[Jim Jordan]

Yeah, I think it's, I think it's just that fundamental point when you let families, when you let moms and dads keep more of their money to spend on their goals and their dreams, good things happen. That's good for that family it's good for their community. It's good for their local school, their local business. It's just good for our economy. This was the largest tax cut in history, coupled with the largest investment in border security. Those were key items in last, last fall' and why the American people, I think, elected President Trump. So I think it's that basic. Now we need the growth because we got a huge deficit we're running every single year, piling up this big debt. We got to begin to deal with that. But step one to deal with all that is to get your economy growing at a faster clip than, of course, it was under, under the Biden administration.

[Buck Sexton]

All right. You and I are die hard sports fans. Buck is, I would say, kind of coming along a little bit. He's starting to pepper a lot of sports. Wait, wait, wait.

[Clay Travis]

Before you ask your real question, Congressman Clay wasn't, wasn't sure that I was going to know how many points you get for a safety in football. Can you believe the disrespect that sometimes I have to brook? On this show.

[Buck Sexton]

We played a Jeopardy. Question for him where the two of the Jeopardy. Contestants got it wrong and Buck got it right. To his credit. But I'll allow you to weigh in.

[Jim Jordan]

Well, no, I figured he would get it right. Everyone knows that, that that's two points, but. Except, I guess, a few people on. A few people on Jeopardy. But yeah, we love sports. I mean, now, I got to tell you, Clay, I shot for me, I'm not the greatest golfer, but I shot an 81 yesterday. So that's a good score for me.

[Buck Sexton]

That's really good.

[Laura Travis]

And it's.

[Jim Jordan]

And it's even better when you beat your brother and your two buddies, which we got a chance to sneak out and play a little bit yesterday because this week we were back in D.C. so I'll take that score because I don't normally shoot quite that low, but I'll take that any day.

[Buck Sexton]

All right, so let's dive into this mess because if you are a sports fan right now, the whole name, image and likeness universe has been crazy. And for people out there who don't know, just a few years ago, you went from, hey, you get a scholarship to go to college. That's your full compensation. Now you can get basically paid to play. You can also get name, image and likeness. You guys are working on a bill to try to standardize laws and make these rules consistent. Tell me what you're working on and where you are.

[Jim Jordan]

Yeah, we've got legislation. It's actually bipartisan support. The key sponsors are Gus Villarakis from Florida and Scott Fitzgerald, who's on our committee from the great state of Wisconsin. And we try to outline some basic things. We want to make sure we spell out for athletes. You have a right to get nil money. You have a right to work with agents. You have a right to keep that information private. We make sure in this bill that the agents have to disclose. Right now, nobody knows who some of these agents are. They're these kids transfer in every year. So agent disclosure, we put in some guaranteed rights for the student athlete. Now, most of these student athletes already have this, but we want to make sure it's in there. And then probably the key part is we allow the entity that governs college sports, and we don't say what it is, but in essence it's the ncaa, to set some rules and basically say, okay, we're going to give you liability protection. This is the antitrust issue. We're going to give you liability protection so that you can say, here's what it takes to be eligible. You got to maintain a certain gpa. Here's how many years of eligible. We got kids, student athletes today who are competing like six years. The COVID and everything else, and the red shirts years and everything else. They're doing like six, seven years of competition. So we let the NCAA set eligibility. We let them set the number of times you can transfer. Right now, some of these athletes are transferred four, five, six times. And what we're saying is you're going to get one transfer under this, allow them to get one transfer. And then we also put in there this sort of salary cap concept which every sports organization have. And I want to thank you, Clay. I know you've been working on this issue a ton with college, with conference commissioners, with athletic directors and coaches. We're trying not to get too prescriptive, but we think this is the kind of bill that makes sense, particularly after the big decision, the House decision. And then finally there's a few more things where we, where we talk about preempting states. You can't have each state setting up a standard and trying to outdo the other. So that's part of the, part of the legislation as well.

[Buck Sexton]

I've been working on this, you know, because I just think it's important to have a standard set of rules that everybody. I love college athletics. People out there understand this. What is the likelihood? Because some people are going to say, well, Congress, I mean, it's hard to get anything passed. You mentioned that there's bipartisan recognition that this is a mess. And I think anyone who is a college sports fan is nodding along. It is a mess right now. It's a. It's a broken, you know, sort of haphazard system in place. Coaches, players, parents, certainly administrators, everybody. What do you think the chances are that this passes? I know, and I'll let you kind of dive in that President Trump has been supportive of trying to get this fixed as well, because he's a big college sports fan. What's the timeframe? What does that look like as you assess?

[Jim Jordan]

Well, I think there's a good chance that we can get a pass. I mean, we got Shamari figures, a new member from the great state of Alabama, a Democrat. We got Janelle Biden from Washington. So we got already some Democrats signing on. We think more will do it. And I think it's just a recognition that I use the example. I think the top college wrestling recruit this year is a young man out of Pittsburgh area. And I think the rumors are he's getting like $500,000. So if the top wrestler is getting that, imagine what the quarterbacks are getting paid to go to these top notch big 10 sec universities. I mean, it's a ton of money. There needs to be something done, and everyone understands that. And so I think when you have coaches and college presidents and athletic directors and conference commissioners begin to talk to members of Congress and say, we need something that gives some framework to this to college sports, something we all love, I think there's a good chance we get the kind of bipartisan support that you don't see a whole lot of these days in Congress. But when it comes to college sports, I think you can get it and we'll get something done that I think will be helpful to student athletes and helpful to college sports in general.

[Buck Sexton]

You've been one of the biggest and foremost defenders of Trump for 10 years. I mentioned that. President Trump obviously is a huge sports fan. He's talking about having a UFC fight on the White House lawn, which would be amazing. I bet you'll be there. I'd like to be there. You and I were together at the NCAA wrestling championships in Philadelphia. You just referenced that. When you look at Trump 2.0 and the first six months of Trump 2.0, and you compare it to Trump 1.0, how much different difference is there? And are you blown away, like both Buck and myself are at the president's energy and just the efficiency with which they have attacked this new term?

[Jim Jordan]

Yeah. And I mean, it's he's got his team in place around him and key, you know, agencies, cabinet secretaries and they're just amazing. And you just look at the last the attack on Iran was in taking out their nuclear capabilities was so successful. He goes to NATO, gets them to ante up more money. So successful, gets the big beautiful bill passed. So successful, best border security we've had in who knows our lifetime probably. And you can just keep going. All the things he's got done. It's truly amazing. And his energy. I called him last night and then I actually went to bed and I woke up this morning and said where I had a missed call. He called me after 11 last night. That and then and you know, he was up early this morning working the phone. I mean, that's just the kind of energy he has. He loves the country. One of the things I always say about him is he speaking of sports, he totally thinks like an athlete. He hates to lose. He despises losing, which is a great quality. I tell people it's an American quality and it's certainly a character trait that you want in your commander in chief, in your president. And President Trump just has it. So, yeah, I mean, he's off to an amazing start and I think it's just going to continue to be good things that'll, that'll happen for the country.

[Buck Sexton]

Yesterday we mentioned the idea of primetime hearings surrounding the Joe Biden cover up. I know you paid attention. The doctor took the Fifth Amendment yesterday. We led the show talking about that. Is there any momentum to really kind of put people under the spotlight of a major national hearing, much like occurred with the Jan.6 primetime hearings that Democrats did in, if I remember correctly, the summer of 22 or thereabouts. What kind of momentum, if any, might there be for something such as that?

[Jim Jordan]

Yeah, I think, I think that option is certainly on the table with Chairman Comer. There's some things we're looking at in slightly different areas on Judiciary Committee, specifically with the, you know, sort of the auto pen doctor, all that, all that stuff with Joe Biden. I really think it would be maybe the best thing is if you had a whistleblower come forward. I don't know if we're ever going to get that. But that to me seems what we need to really say. Yes, there wasn't really Joe Biden giving the okay on this versus other people. But that'll take a whistleblower coming forward to talk about that. Short of that, I think it's tough.

[Laura Travis]

To ever prove it.

[Jim Jordan]

But that doesn't mean, you don't have hearings to just highlight how we now, you know, we all saw it at the time, but how we know how just how bad it was when President Biden was in there and his inability, I think, to truly handle the task at hand.

[Buck Sexton]

We're talking to Congressman Jim Jordan. Last question for you, Congressman. Appreciate all the time. You know, I think decently, Cash Patel and Dan Bongino. I know there's a huge flare up. Buck and I have been talking about this all week as to what might or might not be in the Epstein files. All those things, what. And you're not involved in the Department of Justice investigation, so I'm not asking you about that. But what confidence do you have based on your knowledge of the team in Cash Patel and Dan Bongino running the FBI?

[Jim Jordan]

I got complete confidence, complete confidence in them. And Pam Bondi and Todd Blanche over at the Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General. Just night and day compared to what we had with Garland and Ray and that crowd. So no complete confidence. And the latest investigation they've announced in Nakomi and Brennan that has been reported. I mean, I think this is critically important because never forget what happened with Comey and Brennan and Clapper and these guys. In 2016, President Trump wins, and after Election Day, but before Inauguration Day, they all go up to Trump Tower in New York and they brief him on the dossier, knowing at the time the dossier was B.S. they brief him on it so they can leak it to the press and therefore give it some kind of credibility. That's how low they went to go after President Trump. And now Director Ratcliffe has people who are saying, oh, this dossier wouldn't. Guys are saying what Brennan said in testimony to Congress was contradicted by what they did. So I do think that investigation is critically important.

[Buck Sexton]

Awesome. Appreciate the time, Congressman. Have a good weekend. I know we're not quite there. And keep us updated. Come back on whenever you want.

[Jim Jordan]

We will. Take care, Clay. Thanks, guys.

[Buck Sexton]

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[Clay Travis]

Third hour of clay and Buck kicks off.

[Buck Sexton]

Now.

[Clay Travis]

We are joined by Texas Senator Cornyn. Senator, appreciate you making the time for us. The story that is first and foremost in our minds this week is anything you can tell us about updates and what the latest is. With the terrible flooding that hit the hill country in your home state of Texas and all the course thoughts and prayers that this audience has been sharing with the families and the communities affected, what can you tell us, Senator?

[Laura Travis]

Well, thank you for having me on. And yes, it's a very sad time. I think the numbers are now 109 recoveries. Excuse me, it's now 120 confirmed dead. And unfortunately they were then able to account for about another 170 who are missing. Just so your listeners understand this, of course, Guadalupe river there overflowed, went up 26ft in 45 minutes in the middle of the night. But there were in addition to some of the children, the young children at some of these camps like Camp mystic, there were day campers, people who, you know, cast a tent down by the Guadalupe river or had a camper there for the 4th of July and the fireworks. But unfortunately they got swept up in this as well. So 120 confirmed dead, 170 missing. And of course, this happened last Friday. So that number will probably go up.

[Buck Sexton]

What as and I know we're still in the early days of uncovering exactly went wrong, what went wrong. Obviously it's hard to predict anything as it pertains to flooding and exactly when it's going to happen. But I know here, where I live in Nashville, Senator, we had an awful tornado. And you go back and you look and you find out, hey, maybe there could have been a better tornado awareness system in place. Are there better flood related technology that could be applied to help people in a situation like this? Where it comes through in the middle of the night and maybe people, it seems quite clearly were sleeping and they don't know the severity and how quickly and rapidly the floodwaters are rising until in some cases, unfortunately, it was too late.

[Laura Travis]

Well, that's a very important question and I think there will be a time for us to explore all of that. I know Governor Abbott has added this issue to the special session that will convene later this month in Boston. And of course, we're already starting to look at some of these measures at the federal level, too, since we work cooperatively at the state, local and federal level on disaster relief and events like this. But unfortunately, there are always some people who want to make politics out of everything and claiming that staffing reductions at the National Weather Service or some other cut as a result of the department on government efficiency or doge contributed to this. I will tell you that there is no evidence of any of that happening. But it is, I think, fair to ask, and indeed, I think it's necessary for us to ask going forward, what can we do to prevent the loss of life again? If anything, as I said, this, this, this flooding occurred so fast at a, in the middle of the night in a way that just, it's hard to imagine what could have prevented it. But maybe there's something we can do in the future.

[Clay Travis]

Speaking to Senator John Cornyn of Texas. And Senator, I also wanted to ask you about a story that if it weren't for the huge story and the tragic story of the flooding, I think would be much more well known nationwide. It also occurred in Texas and it's this ambush, I believe 11 people have been charged so far. Ambush of a federal law enforcement officer, an ICE officer who was hit in the neck. They had rifles and tactical gear. And to me, this is a harbinger, unfortunately, I think of things to come with the way the radical left is going to approach this. What can you tell us about that case and about what law enforcement is doing to prepare for more of these radical attacks that are likely to come?

[Laura Travis]

I'm sure you'll agree with me that there is no excuse, no justification for attacking law enforcement officials like these two ICE agents and the police officer in Alvarado, Texas. And I know that a criminal complaint has been filed which alleges that the assailant shot between 20 and 30 rounds from an AR15 style rifle before it jammed. But obviously a whole lot more casualties could have occurred as a result of this, and thank goodness they did not. But unfortunately, I think some of the rhetoric, the irresponsible rhetoric, starting here in Congress, people from Chuck Schumer to Maxine Waters on down have basically sanctioned violence against law enforcement officials. You're familiar with the fact that some of my colleagues here in the Senate, the Democratic colleagues, have said we need to pass a law that prevents ICE agents from wearing masks. They were the ones who wanted us all to wear masks back during COVID 19. But now when the law enforcement officials are doing their job and trying to protect themselves and their families, they don't want that to happen. So I can't imagine that the vast, the overwhelming majority of Americans condemn this sort of attack against law enforcement. And we ought to make clear that there is no excuse for this and it will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

[Buck Sexton]

Texas bore the brunt of illegal immigration more than any state in the nation. Now that illegal immigration has effectively ended, how much difference has it made in Texas? And what are you hearing from people in your state about the border now being shut down?

[Laura Travis]

Well, I think they're gratified that the border is now under control and now the Border Patrol can go back to their job that they were trained to do and that they want to do, which is to secure the border and to protect the country. Given the overwhelming numbers of people that were coming across during the open border policies of the Biden administration, many Border Patrol were doing things like changing diapers, feeding people, transporting migrants and the like just because they were overwhelmed. And we've all, we all remember some of the detention facilities which were jam packed with individuals and what the answer of the Biden administration was to simply parole or to release these individuals and without even a notice to appear for a court hearing in the future. So I will say my constituents in Texas and along the border are as relieved as anybody for this, for President Trump to actually enforce the law. And I know the Border Patrol morale is at an all time high because they are now being allowed to do what they trained to do, what they volunteer to do, which is to secure the port, the border and to protect the public.

[Clay Travis]

Senator, what can you tell us about the, your, your sense of what is going to happen now that the bbb, the big beautiful bill has been passed? What do you think is most critical that comes from this and what are you optimistic about?

[Laura Travis]

Well, I'm number one. We had to pass that bill because if not we would have seen a multi trillion dollar tax increase on, according to the Wall Street Journal, 62% of taxpayers. So all this propaganda we've heard from the left from Democrats that this just advantaged billionaires and millionaires is just not true. And it's shocking to me how easily people lie with impunity here in the nation's capital. But it's become sort of coin of the realm and they are just, they can't be shamed into stopping it. So we just need to combat that with the truth. And there's a lot of provisions of this bill that I think people can be very excited about. Number one, not having a huge tax increase on top of 40 year high inflation as a result of bidenomics. The standard of living of Texans and Americans had gone down because of this hidden tax of inflation. And a tax increase is the last thing they need. But President Trump made clear he wanted to extend the benefits of these tax cuts to people who work for wait for tips and who worked overtime. So this is truly a middle class tax cut. And I believe it will stimulate the economy and economic growth in a way that will create a lot of new jobs. It will bring a lot of companies who built factories overseas, bring them back home and create a lot of good, well paying jobs here. I'm very optimistic about it. But it really can't be viewed in isolation. I think it's part of a larger package of economic reforms that President Trump is committed to that's going to see the economy take off. And right now we're hoping to see at least 3% growth in the economy, GDP in coming years. We made a lot of these provisions permanent, including expensing the new equipment and bonus depreciation for small businesses. So I'm very optimistic about it. But obviously we got to go out and tell the story and we need the guy with the best megaphone, the president, to get out there and help us because people, when he speaks, people listen.

[Buck Sexton]

I know. Last question for you, Senator. I know you're in the middle now of the primary process. I know it's going to be still a ways out. You've got a contender on at least one contender on your side of the aisle in Ken Paxton. I don't know if you saw this, but Jasmine Crockett on the Democrat side is potentially considering throwing her hat in the ring. What can you tell us about the, about the Senate race right now? And you just mentioned President Trump. Do you think he is going to weigh in in the primary? Do you expect him to stay out? How is this going to play out in your mind?

[Laura Travis]

Well, when I saw Jasmine Crockett was a leading candidate in a Democratic primary, I wanted to say Run, Jasmine, run. But so I don't know who's going to get in the race. There may be more people in the Republican primary than the race is pretty quick. I mean, the election's on March 3rd, so we're the earliest one in the, in the nation. But I've, I've run a number of races in the past. We know what to do and I'm confident of the outcome. But Democrats are hoping, just hoping that the attorney General is successful because he's probably the only Republican that a Democrat could beat in the general election and because of all of his many troubles I won't go into right here, but we haven't elected a statewide Democrat for 30 years in Texas. And they're looking to break that winning streak if somehow he's able to squeak out a win in this primary on March 3rd. But I'm determined not to let that happen.

[Buck Sexton]

Senator, we appreciate the time and yeah, run, Jasmine, run. I think there's a lot of people out there that think she would probably be the best possible steward for the Democrat party in the 2026 Senate race. Appreciate the time, sir. And I want to remind people, everybody out there, we have fundraising opportunities for everybody for the Texas flood victims [e-mail] if you're looking for a good place to donate. Thank you, Senator.

[Laura Travis]

Thanks a lot. Appreciate it.

[Buck Sexton]

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[Laura Travis]

Hey guys. Love you guys. I local truck driver here. So I'm have the ability to listen to it all day long from we love our truckers.

[Clay Travis]

You guys are rolling with us the whole show. Thank you.

[Laura Travis]

Yeah, to you guys, to Dana Lass and all great programs. But I look forward mostly for you guys. So I love the show. What I wanted to say was I'm not familiar with Texas per se, but here in Florida we have alert systems, AMBER alerts for child children that are missing. I wonder if there's anything in place or could go in place like that for national disaster type events that could help mitigate or prevent or at least alert larger areas of something.

[Clay Travis]

Look, it's a very, it's a very good question, Greg. And I think that they're going to look at this and but I'll just point this out, you guys. I know this is going to sound like it's very different, but it'll make sense in a second. You know how when trucks go backwards, they beep. Yeah, they make this beeping sound. They've looked into this because still sometimes people get run over by the truck even when it's beeping. And I think you can guess why people get so used to hearing the beeping that and it's so loud.

[Buck Sexton]

The danger isn't there oftentimes too correct.

[Clay Travis]

Because it's so far away that their brain doesn't process. Oh, maybe there's something actually that's a, that's a real risk here because I'm always. You're hearing that beeping everywhere. Beep, beep, beep all the time. That can be the truth of alerts too. You, you know, you hear these alerts and if you hear them too frequently, especially about something like flooding in a flood prone area, you know, so then you get into how do you know when it's really the time and you're really telling people and who makes that decision?

[Buck Sexton]

It's a little bit like yes, and, and I think they're going to look into that. And I think it's something. Again I mentioned we had tornado sirens here. They go off and I think it's the most valuable at night because during the day you can assess in some way if the river is coming up. You can see it, you can look outside, you can recognize it if you're sleeping. Even if you're getting alerts on your phone, you may not recognize them. And it can happen so quickly you almost have to wake someone up from sleep. And then the challenge becomes to your point, Buck. Sometimes if you do it too frequently, you just presume that it's not an actual danger and you ignore it anyway.

[Clay Travis]

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[Clay Travis]

This is an iHeart podcast.