The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

David Rutherford says presidents from Woodrow Wilson to Lyndon Johnson promised to keep America out of war, and then the country went to war anyway. In this solo episode, David, who says he spent much of his adult life in special operations and intelligence work, walks through seven warning signs he sees in the years before America's wars, and says he sees them again today. He says he is not predicting a war and that his list is not a definitive way to read history. He wants to give listeners more context for their own critical thinking.
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What you get:
David's account of the broken "no war" promises from Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt and Johnson.
A plain-language look at The Fourth Turning, the 1997 book by William Strauss and Neil Howe that David says sparked this episode.
Seven signs, each tied to history: World War I, World War II, Korea, September 11, and the present day.
David's view that the U.S. is already at war with Iran, backing Ukraine against Russia, and under economic strain at home.
What David says listeners can do: strengthen family and community, get offline, and push for in-person paper ballots.

0:00 Cold open
0:39 Presidents promised no war, then war came
3:30 The Fourth Turning and how the seven signs came together
8:09 Sign 1: The enemy tells us what it plans (WWI, Pearl Harbor, 9/11)
20:56 Sign 2: Adversaries link up (Nazi-Soviet pact, BRICS)
27:30 BRCC ad
29:19 Signs 3 and 4: Unclear deterrence and economic warfare
42:48 Signs 5 and 6: Sea lanes and political violence at home
49:06 Sign 7 and the three wars
54:20 What can we do?
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Iran offered a seven-day plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but the price was steep: sanctions relief, unfrozen assets, and an end to economic pressure before any lasting agreement. Steve Yates explains why President Trump rejected the proposal, how leverage shapes nation-state negotiations, and what the decision could mean for energy markets, China, the Revolutionary Guard, and American consumers facing higher fuel costs.
Listen for a clear breakdown of the bargaining strategy behind the headlines and the real-world impact on Main Street.
Follow Nation States with Yates for clear, common-sense insights where Steve Yates serves as your personal national security advisor, breaking down world events in ways that matter to Main Street, not just Washington. Connect with the show at Feedback@NationStatesYates.com and follow on X @NSWithYates.
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What rights do parents have when public schools make decisions involving their children’s gender identity without informing them?
Lisa Boothe sits down with Jim Campbell, Chief Legal Counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), to examine the growing legal battle over parental rights in America’s public schools. Campbell discusses what ADF describes as “secret social transition” policies, including cases in which schools allegedly used different names or pronouns for students while withholding that information from their parents.
Campbell also breaks down ADF’s litigation involving parental notification and religious freedom, explains what he says recent court decisions mean for families, and discusses cases ADF has pursued in states including New York, Michigan, Kansas, New Jersey, Texas, and Virginia.
Lisa and Jim also tackle disputes over sexually explicit and LGBTQ-themed material in school libraries and classrooms, parents’ ability to opt their children out of certain instruction, and how families can challenge school policies through the courts and local school boards.
It’s a wide-ranging conversation about parental rights, public education, gender identity, religious liberty, free speech, and the legal fight over who makes consequential decisions for children.
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Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, Clay and Buck recap their eventful trip to Washington, D.C., including Buck’s visit to Arlington National Cemetery for the burial ceremony of his wife’s grandfather, Admiral James Flatley, followed by an informal meeting with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office. The hosts describe talking with President Trump about national politics, the media, college football, and the developing situation with Iran, including an impromptu speakerphone conversation with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who mixed Iran diplomacy with some Florida Gators football talk. Clay and Buck also recount crossing paths at the White House with Tulsi Gabbard, Stephen Miller, Susie Wiles, Chamath Palihapitiya, and others, while sharing positive news about Wiles’ cancer battle and discussing their encounter with former White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Jack Posobiec, TPUSA contributor, host of "Human Events Daily", and author of the new book "Unhumans: Socialist Revolution – Tactics for Patriots to Survive a Communist Uprising" joins Clay and Buck for an extended interview that begins with the Lindsay Clancy proceedings and broadens into a discussion of true-crime media, online conspiracy theories, political ideology, and violent political extremism. Posobiec presents his own critique of the online true-crime community and discusses themes from his book Unhumans, arguing that ideological narratives can influence how high-profile criminal cases are interpreted online. The conversation then turns to the prosecution of Tyler Robinson in connection with the killing of Charlie Kirk. Posobiec, who describes his personal friendship and working relationship with Kirk and his attendance at pretrial proceedings, pushes back against online conspiracy theories surrounding the case and argues that discrepancies commonly found in eyewitness accounts should not automatically be treated as evidence of a cover-up. He discusses evidence he says was presented during court proceedings and compares the case with the prosecution of Bryan Kohberger. Clay, Buck, and Posobiec then discuss their view of left-wing political violence, attacks targeting conservatives, the assassination attempts against President Trump, the Butler, Pennsylvania shooting, attacks on ICE, the killing of a UnitedHealthcare executive, and their concerns about political radicalization and future violence. Posobiec also criticizes the federal response following Kirk’s death and argues that inadequate attention to political ideology helped create an opening for alternative conspiracy narratives to flourish.
Clay and Buck dive into a pair of high-profile legal controversies, beginning with the reopened investigation into an alleged 2024 sexual assault involving Cornell University fraternity members. The hosts stress the importance of withholding judgment and following the evidence as questions of consent, drugs and alcohol, witness accounts, digital communications, and competing allegations receive national attention. They compare the intense public reaction to previous college sexual-assault controversies, including the Duke lacrosse case and the discredited Rolling Stone University of Virginia story, and debate the dangers of allowing media narratives, social media pressure, or identity politics to determine guilt before the legal process runs its course.
Clay and Buck discuss the crucial 2026 Michigan midterm elections with Republican gubernatorial candidate and Congressman John James. James describes Michigan as a pivotal battleground not only for the governor's race but also for control of Congress and the U.S. Senate, highlighting Republican Mike Rogers' Senate campaign and competitive congressional contests across the state. Clay and Buck question James about Michigan's economy, infrastructure, schools, taxes, unemployment, energy costs, cost of living, business climate, and years of Democratic leadership. James makes the case for lower taxes and regulation while contrasting his business and military experience with Democratic gubernatorial opponent Jocelyn Benson. The discussion also covers Detroit, political outreach across racial and demographic lines, education, economic opportunity, population and business growth, and James' effort to expand Republican support among voters dissatisfied with longstanding Democratic governance. James recounts his Detroit roots, his parents' journey from the Jim Crow South, his military service as a combat veteran, his business career, and his argument that Republicans can compete for voters who have traditionally supported Democrats.
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In Hour 1 of The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, Clay and Buck recap their eventful trip to Washington, D.C., including Buck’s visit to Arlington National Cemetery for the burial ceremony of his wife’s grandfather, Admiral James Flatley, followed by an informal meeting with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office. The hosts describe talking with President Trump about national politics, the media, college football, and the developing situation with Iran, including an impromptu speakerphone conversation with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who mixed Iran diplomacy with some Florida Gators football talk. Clay and Buck also recount crossing paths at the White House with Tulsi Gabbard, Stephen Miller, Susie Wiles, Chamath Palihapitiya, and others, while sharing positive news about Wiles’ cancer battle and discussing their encounter with former White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
The conversation then turns to the 2026 midterm elections, with early voting already underway in several states and President Trump preparing to campaign aggressively in battleground races. Clay and Buck examine the strength of the MAGA and Republican voter coalition, question whether the polls are correctly measuring conservative enthusiasm, and focus heavily on troubling polling for Republicans in Ohio, where Vivek Ramaswamy is running for governor against Amy Acton and Sherrod Brown is competing in the Senate race. They explore Ramaswamy’s political vulnerabilities, including cost-of-living concerns and his past comments about H-1B visas and American culture, while assessing Ohio’s evolution from a presidential swing state into a state Trump won comfortably in 2024.
The hosts also touch on key Texas and Michigan midterm races, Republican campaign spending, and whether Trump’s presence on the campaign trail can help GOP candidates outperform current polling. They preview a larger discussion about Iran, Middle East oil production, oil prices, energy markets, and the Trump administration’s strategy toward Tehran, arguing that increased oil flows and pressure on Iranian exports could have major geopolitical implications even if the effects arrive too late to significantly reshape voter perceptions before Election Day.
Sean Hannity then joins Clay and Buck for a wide-ranging and lighthearted conversation spanning politics, sports, media, and their ongoing personal wagers. Hannity discusses approaching 25 years in national syndication and praises Clay and Buck while reflecting on the legacy of Rush Limbaugh. The trio debate college football and gambling, including Arch Manning, Texas, Tennessee, and Clay’s provocative challenge involving an eighth-grade boys basketball team against the WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces, along with his criticism of sports media for not pressing WNBA players and coaches about the challenge. A new competition emerges when Clay proposes that Buck play a tennis match against Hannity’s daughter, a former University of Michigan tennis player, prompting Hannity to confidently predict Buck would lose.
The conversation branches into Clay abandoning his proposed Alcatraz swim after concerns about sharks, Hannity’s soon-to-arrive Border Collie named Daisy, and the popularity of dogs with their respective audiences. Hannity also discusses his move from New York to Florida, criticizes the tax burden and government policies in New York and California, and touts Republican gubernatorial candidates Bruce Blakeman in New York and Steve Hilton in California. The group swaps opinions about Tesla, with Hannity praising his Model S Plaid’s performance and explaining that he bought the electric vehicle because he considered it an exceptional car and wanted to support Elon Musk, not because of environmental considerations.
Hour 1 closes with some 2028 presidential election speculation, as Hannity and Buck challenge Clay’s prediction that Kamala Harris will become the Democratic presidential nominee. Hannity instead predicts Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, leading to another friendly wager, this time involving a steak dinner and potentially charitable contributions if neither prediction proves correct. Clay and Buck return briefly to the Ohio midterms, taking a call from an Ohio listener who says the campaign signs he is seeing locally make him more optimistic about Republican prospects than the polls suggest. The hosts end Hour 1 of The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show emphasizing the stakes of the 2026 midterm elections, Ohio’s gubernatorial and Senate contests, Republican turnout, polling accuracy, Trump’s campaign influence, and the political and economic importance of the evolving Iran and Middle East oil situation, setting up further discussion in the next hour.
Make sure you never miss a second of the show by subscribing to the Clay Travis & Buck Sexton show podcast wherever you get your podcasts! ihr.fm/3InlkL8

For the latest updates from Clay & Buck, visit our website https://www.clayandbuck.com/

Connect with Clay Travis and Buck Sexton:
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FB - https://www.facebook.com/ClayandBuck/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/clayandbuck/
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Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/ClayandBuck
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@clayandbuck
Follow Clay & Buck on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/clayandbuck
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.