Verdict with Ted Cruz – BONUS: Daily Review with Clay and Buck (Nov 13, 2025)

Overview

In this special bonus episode simulcast with “The Clay & Buck Show,” Senator Ted Cruz is absent and the principal hosts are Clay Travis and Buck Sexton. They are joined in the second hour by Bill O’Reilly. The discussion centers on the just-ended government shutdown, Republican and Democratic strategies heading into the 2026 midterms, legislative procedures like the filibuster, the political futures of Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris, the disruptive potential of AI in politics and media, the H1B visa debate in tech, and a critique of proposed government-run grocery stores. The tone is critical of Democratic tactics and policies, and conversational, with moments of humor and listener engagement.

Main Discussion Segments

1. Government Shutdown: What Happened and What's Next?

(01:35 - 04:36, 19:02 - 25:24)

• Government Reopens: Clay Travis reports President Trump signed a bill ending the 43-day government shutdown, which began over Democratic demands for expanded spending, including benefits for illegal immigrants.
• Political Fallout: The hosts argue Democrats “gained absolutely nothing” and only suffered damage, while Trump did not concede. They speculate Democrats may attempt shutdowns again during the 2026 election cycle.

Notable Quotes:

• “The Democrats gained absolutely nothing...my concern is, yes, Democrats have recognized after 43 days, hey, we didn't gain anything. Trump's not going to bend. But they may still believe that they gain politically. So my concern is why would they not do this potentially multiple times in the upcoming year with the election cycle?”
  — Clay Travis (03:26)
• “The midterms will factor into the assessment of whether this kind of tactic is effective or not, because a lot of the narrative is going to be built off this.”
  — Buck Sexton (04:36)

| See also: Bill O’Reilly’s analysis at 19:56 |

2. Filibuster and Shutdowns: Should Legislative Rules Be Changed?

(04:36 - 11:57, 22:56 - 24:37)

• Clay advocates for changing the filibuster rules to prevent minority parties from causing shutdowns.
• Buck is cautious, noting each party pushes rules when in power, but warns of escalatory “arms races” in rule changes.
• Bill O’Reilly opposes frequent rule changes (“You can't be changing the filibuster rules every two years”), proposing the better solution is a new law limiting shutdown opportunities to once per fiscal year.

Notable Quotes:

• “I think getting rid of the whole filibuster is a step too far. But this, to me, would make sense.”
  — Clay Travis (10:04)
• “No, I wouldn't mess around with the filibuster at all because then you're going to create a monster that is going to come back and do some serious damage.”
  — Bill O’Reilly (23:09)

3. Democrat Party Strategy, 2026 Election, and Leadership

(19:56 - 27:56)

• Bill O’Reilly asserts the shutdown was orchestrated by Democrat consultants to “make a stand” as the party is losing to Trump and lacks a health care answer.
• Acknowledges internal Democrat division, risk of becoming “the mean party,” and the need for caution heading into the midterms.

Notable Quotes:

• “The genesis of this is that the Democratic Party was getting beaten so badly by President Trump that it had to make a stand somewhere...So 43 days, millions of Americans hurt for nothing. The Democrats got nothing.”
  — Bill O’Reilly (19:56)

4. Newsom vs. Harris: Who Leads Democrats Next?

(25:24 - 28:06)

• Buck and Clay predict Gavin Newsom will likely top the 2028 Democrat ticket; O’Reilly disagrees, citing Newsom’s “abysmal” California record and preference for someone less defined like Wes Moore (Maryland’s governor).
• Discussion closes with a friendly steak dinner bet.

Notable Quotes:

• “[Newsom’s] record is so abysmal...his chief of staff was indicted on corruption...When you lose a million citizens from your state, most of whom are affluent, paid big taxes—you got something wrong.”
  — Bill O’Reilly (25:25)

5. The Rise and Risk of AI in Politics

(28:06 - 33:49)

• O’Reilly warns of AI’s capacity to produce fake videos and photos, complicating defamation, libel, and public trust, especially for political figures.
• References a false AI-generated image of Trump cited by Rep. Melanie Stansberry, highlighting the ease with which misinformation can spread.

Notable Quotes:

• “The AI approach...is going to alter the media above all else. Because...you're going to have fake videos 24/7.”
  — Bill O’Reilly (28:42)
• “If Trump wanted to sue Stansberry, he would win because her statements about Trump are malicious...”
  — Bill O’Reilly (30:45)

6. Listener Calls and H1B Visa Debate: Is the System Abused?

(11:57 - 16:48, 36:26 - 46:27)

• Clay opens lines for business owners and tech professionals with direct H1B experience.
• Buck clarifies Trump’s remarks on bringing in foreign workers for skills transfer, not to permanently displace Americans.
• Mixed feedback:
  • Geralynn (39:30): Notes H1B programmers from India were paid less but “not necessarily better” than Americans; companies could have found Americans but would have paid more.
  • Jim (41:16): Ran a business hiring H1Bs “because they were more productive” and harder workers; couldn’t find Americans to match productivity, especially in IT/data science. Sees net value in the program.
  • David (43:04): 15-year engineering manager, feels the market is “flooded” and American wages have stagnated; if H1Bs are limited, companies will offshore jobs instead.

Notable Quotes:

• “It’s a little bit like a modern indentured servitude.”
  — Buck Sexton (38:53)
• “We hired them...because they were more productive than their equivalent American counterparts.”
  — Jim, caller (41:16)
• “We're flooding the market with, with too many engineers, and it's clearly disrupting the...supply chain of engineers.”
  — David, caller (43:04)

7. Government-Run Grocery Stores: “Cuba Model” Critique

(51:46 - 61:20, 64:46 - 68:07)

• Clay and Buck play audio from Michelle Obama and Seattle’s incoming mayor advocating for government-run grocery stores to fight “food deserts.”
• They mock the idea, cite failed efforts like Kansas City and Cuba, and reference research (NYT, 2015) showing greater access does not change diets.
• Emphasize low margins in grocery business and argue government inefficiency will worsen problems.

Notable Quotes:

• “Access to affordable healthy food is a basic right...as mayor I’m excited to step up and with UFCW explore public option grocery stores to fill those gaps.”
  — Mayor-elect Katie Wilson of Seattle (audio, 55:08)
• “The profit margin on grocery stores is 1 or 2%. It's one of the hardest businesses to run.”
  — Clay Travis (59:46)
• “Civilization is based upon individual incentive... If you want to have a society that functions efficiently and well, people have to benefit.”
  — Buck Sexton (67:25)

Memorable and Notable Off-Cuff Moments

• Old Man Strength Banter (14:49): Buck jests about Bill O’Reilly’s “old man strength,” leading to laughter about the odd but true growth in grip strength with age.
• Steak Bet (27:24): Clay proposes a steak dinner wager with Bill O’Reilly over Gavin Newsom’s future, injecting friendly competition.

Timestamps for Key Discussions

• Shutdown Recap and Analysis: 01:35 – 04:36, 19:02 – 25:24
• Filibuster and Legislative Rules: 04:36 – 11:57, 22:56 – 24:37
• 2026 Election & Democrat Strategy: 19:56 – 27:56
• AI and Defamation Risks: 28:06 – 33:49
• H1B Visa Debate/Listener Calls: 36:26 – 46:27
• Government Grocery Stores Critique: 51:46 – 61:20, 64:46 – 68:07

Summary Table

| Timestamp | Topic/Segment | Speaker(s) | Notable Quote/Point | |--------------|----------------------------------------------|------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------| | 01:35-04:36 | Why did the shutdown happen, what’s next? | Clay, Buck | “Democrats gained nothing...could this happen again?”| | 04:36-11:57 | Filibuster, shutdown rules | Clay, Buck | “Why not modify filibuster to stop shutdowns?” | | 19:56-25:24 | Shutdown tactics, 2026 electoral impact | Bill O’Reilly | “Millions of Americans hurt for nothing.” | | 25:24-28:06 | Who’s the Dem leader in 2028? | Bill, Clay, Buck | “Newsom’s record is so abysmal...” | | 28:06-33:49 | AI misinformation, libel suits | Bill, Clay, Buck | “The AI approach...is going to alter the media...” | | 36:26-46:27 | H1B visas: abuse or merit? | Clay, Buck, Callers | “Modern indentured servitude.” (Buck) | | 51:46-61:20 | Government grocery stores: practical critique| Clay, Buck | “Profit margin...is 1 or 2%. One of the hardest businesses.” | | 64:46-68:07 | Efficiency of government services | Clay, Buck | “Civilization is based on individual incentive.” |

Final Thoughts

This episode provides a rapid-fire conservative review of contemporary political controversies:

• Blames Democrats for the shutdown and frames it as a failed political maneuver.
• Debates the risks and wisdom of changing legislative procedures (filibuster).
• Looks ahead to who leads the Democratic Party post-Biden and Harris, pitting Newsom's baggage vs. other options.
• Sound alarm on AI’s danger to democracy and media trust.
• Offers a practical and ideological critique of progressive solutions—from the H1B visa program in business to public grocery initiatives in urban food deserts.

It engages directly with listeners with on-the-ground experiences, seeking authentic perspectives beyond punditry, and closes with playful banter and calls for further listener participation—maintaining the signature high-energy, conservative, confrontational, and often humorous tone throughout.