Verdict with Ted Cruz – Bonus: Daily Review with Clay Travis and Buck Sexton

Episode Date: November 19, 2025
Host(s): Buck Sexton, Clay Travis (call-in), with guest Michael Whatley

Episode Overview

In this special crossover episode, Buck Sexton leads a daily news breakdown, joined by Clay Travis calling from Rome and guest Michael Whatley, GOP Senate candidate from North Carolina. The discussion focuses on the imminent release of the Jeffrey Epstein files following new congressional action, the politics surrounding Trump and transparency, ongoing immigration enforcement issues in North Carolina, and some unique lighter moments including Clay Travis’s meeting with the Pope. The episode combines deep dives into political controversies with firsthand insights and classic culture-war commentary.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Congressional Push for Epstein Transparency

[02:27–19:19]

• Epstein Files Release:
  After years of controversy, both the House and Senate have passed the "Epstein Transparency Act," requiring the Justice Department to release Epstein-related materials within 30 days of the President’s signature (expected from Donald Trump).

• Buck's Perspective:
  Buck Sexton raises skepticism over the extent of transparency, emphasizing possible redactions and political motivations:

  “There may be further redactions that happen... If the redactions are extensive enough, people will say that's not gonna fly. That's not good enough. There have to be more things that are released.” (04:19)

  He underscores the importance of “following the money,” questioning why Epstein’s fortune (approaching a billion dollars) has never been fully explained:

  “It is completely unthinkable… that we do not have a full accounting of how Epstein pulled together a fortune… Tax advice is not one of them. It’s just not one of them.” (07:06)

  • The House, in tandem, subpoenaed JPMorgan Chase, Deutsche Bank, and the US Virgin Islands for Epstein's financial records, flagging thousands of suspicious transactions.

• Political Weaponization:
  Sexton argues Democrats’ newfound interest is politically motivated, aimed at damaging Trump regardless of what the files contain:

  “No matter what happens… Democrats are going to weaponize it. They’re going to attack Trump even if his name doesn’t appear one more time in the files.” (13:23)

  • Speaker Mike Johnson is quoted as calling the process “a political exercise for Democrats,” charging them with leveraging Epstein’s crimes for partisan gain (“…trying to tie President Trump somehow into this wretched scandal. The president had nothing to do with it…” – Johnson at 14:18).

  • Chuck Schumer, conversely, blasts Trump for lack of transparency and claims this episode represents “one of the most damaging moments” of Trump’s presidency (15:30).

• Buck’s Prediction:
  Buck remains skeptical that any “smoking gun” will emerge and notes DOJ’s reluctance to self-incriminate:

  “If they had derogatory info about Donald Trump, they would have released it while prosecuting him... I do not believe there will be a smoking gun.” (17:10)

2. Clay Travis’ ‘Super-Secret’ Rome Mission

[23:39–29:56]

• Clay Calls from Rome:
  Clay Travis reveals his clandestine trip involved meeting the Pope and inviting him to throw out the first pitch at a new Chicago White Sox stadium.

  “We were, a couple of months ago, sitting around trying to think of ways he could introduce himself to the people of Chicago. And I had seen that J.D. Vance presents a Chicago Bears jersey to the Pope… [So we thought] invite him to throw out the first pitch…” (25:16)

  • The newly minted White Sox co-owner (Travis’s law school classmate) presented a jersey signed by the 2005 championship team. The Pope, described as a “huge White Sox fan,” responded positively but without a firm commitment (“He said he's going to try and do it. So it could, it should be a pretty awesome event.” – 28:42).

  • Buck quips about Clay ‘moving in high Catholic circles’ and jokes that the encounter might make Clay, a non-Catholic, a Catholic celebrity.

3. North Carolina Senate & Immigration Enforcement

[36:27–47:48]

• Guest Michael Watley:
  GOP Senate candidate discusses illegal immigration’s impact on North Carolina, focusing on local enforcement issues and Democratic opposition.

  • Criticizes former Governor Roy Cooper (Democratic Senate opponent) for vetoing legislation mandating sheriff cooperation with ICE:

    “My opponent... vetoed legislation which would have forced sheriffs to honor ICE detainers and move violent criminal illegal aliens out of the state. So now we have a revolving door...” (36:51)

  • Buck highlights the sheer scale, citing that “21,000 students missed school in just the Charlotte Public School District on Monday… 15%” (37:26), linking absences to recent enforcement activities affecting families connected to illegal immigration.

  • Watley emphasizes the budget burden and societal costs of illegal immigration:

    “The societal costs for services for illegal aliens is absolutely stupefying.” (39:44)

  • On Cooper’s record: blames bail reform and soft-on-crime executive orders for increases in violent crime (“Aryna Zyrotska, a beautiful young lady… her murderer had been arrested 14 different times and released under Roy Cooper's soft on crime policies…” – 45:21).

  • Differentiates his “jobs, safety, and families first” agenda from Cooper’s “radical, progressive, woke mob” approach.

  • Watley predicts a record-breaking Senate race, possibly up to $800M in campaign spending focused on North Carolina.

4. Cultural Commentary: The Marriage Divide

[52:58–61:31]

• Pew Poll Dissection:
  Buck Sexton reviews a Pew Research poll indicating a substantial drop in high school girls' desire for marriage compared to boys (61% girls vs. 74% boys).

  • On Young Women:
    Buck blames “Sex and the City” culture, “boss babe” feminism, and urban career priorities for misleading women about happiness and fulfillment.

    “For my entire adult life… there has been a very clear effort in our culture to tell young women to act like men…to view dating and hookup culture the way men do…” (53:25)

  • On Young Men & Masculinity:
    He considers it encouraging that young men, despite toxic masculinity discourse, increasingly desire marriage and traditional family roles:

    “Young men realize toxic masculinity is a toxic ideology of nonsense…they want to be spiritual leaders… a man their wife can count on…” (61:12)

  • Buck urges for more positive messaging to young women from influential female voices.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Epstein “Follow the Money”:

  “It is completely unthinkable... that we do not have a full accounting of how Epstein pulled together a fortune that was approaching a billion dollars.”
  — Buck Sexton (07:06)

• On Political Motives:

  “Democrats are using the Epstein tragedy…as a political weapon to try to distract from their failures as a party and... tie President Trump somehow into this wretched scandal.”
  — Speaker Mike Johnson (14:18, read by Buck)

  “This will go down as one of the most damaging moments of Donald Trump's presidency…”
  — Chuck Schumer (15:30, quoted by Buck)

• On the Pope Pitch:

  “You should invite [the Pope] to come and throw out the first pitch at a proposed new stadium... He seems really, really excited at the idea.”
  — Clay Travis (25:16)

• On North Carolina Enforcement:

  “It is absolutely a dereliction of duty for, you know, the sheriff of Mecklenburg County, sheriffs of Wake County, [...] to not honor these ICE detainers…”
  — Michael Watley (38:04)

• On Girls, Boys, and Marriage:

  “Young women are being absolutely brainwashed, misled, it's terrible... the results are just going to be a lot of, a lot of misery for them later in life. A lot of regret.”
  — Buck Sexton (61:31)

  “Young men want to get married in greater numbers, according to Pew. They want to be masculine, not just, ‘Oh, I'm shooting up a lot of steroids,’ but fulfilling their masculine imperative.”
  — Buck Sexton (61:12)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Epstein Files Debate:

  • Congressional action and transparency debate: [02:27–19:19]
  • Motivations and political fallout: [13:23–19:19]

• Clay Travis Rome/Pope Story:

  • Clay reveals his "super-secret" trip: [23:39–29:56]

• North Carolina/Senate/Immigration:

  • Michael Watley interview: [36:27–47:48]

• Cultural Commentary—Marriage Poll:

  • Buck’s deep-dive on Pew poll findings: [52:58–61:31]

Conclusion

This episode combines exclusive on-the-ground anecdotes (including Clay with the Pope) with analysis of breaking political news and policy debates. The hosts focus on the gap between public and media narratives regarding Epstein’s legacy, transparency, and partisanship. Their cultural commentary remains rooted in traditional conservatism, highlighting demographic and social polling as evidence of America’s shifting values—and, perhaps, hope for a conservative turnaround among young men.