Why AOC’s Attack Was Politically Counterproductive

Meet my friends, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton!  If you love Verdict, the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show might also be in your audio wheelhouse. Politics, news analysis, and some pop culture and comedy thrown in too.

Here’s a sample episode recapping four takeaways. Give the guys a listen and then follow and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Get Ready to VOTE

Election Day 2025. The hour kicks off with a discussion on the upcoming elections in New York City, Virginia, and New Jersey, emphasizing the stakes and voter turnout trends. Clay shares a personal anecdote about voting locally and previews an interview with Riley Gaines, who recently faced backlash from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez over her stance on protecting women’s sports.

The conversation quickly pivots to the New York City mayoral race, spotlighting controversial candidate Zohran Mamdani. Clay and Buck dissect Mamdani’s shifting narratives, including his disputed claims about Islamophobia post-9/11 and radical past statements such as “Defund the NYPD” and linking police to the IDF. They analyze why voters seem unfazed by these revelations and criticize Andrew Cuomo’s lackluster campaign strategy. The hosts warn that Mamdani’s progressive platform—featuring ideas like government-run grocery stores and fare-free buses—reflects a dangerous trend toward socialist policies that could devastate city infrastructure and small businesses.

The "White Men Are Evil" Argument

Clay and Buck discuss Zohran Mamdani, the leading candidate for New York City mayor, and dissect his radical platform and controversial family background. They highlight statements made by Mamdani’s father, a Columbia University professor, who accused the United States of inspiring Nazi genocide through its treatment of Native Americans. Clay and Buck push back hard, offering a detailed historical rebuttal that includes references to colonial history, tribal warfare, and global conquest, arguing that the left’s narrative is rooted in anti-American sentiment and historical ignorance.

The conversation expands to critique the broader Democratic leadership, including figures like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries, and Gavin Newsom, warning that the “New York City liberal” and “California liberal” brands are becoming toxic in middle America. They praise more moderate Democratic mayors like Daniel Lurie in San Francisco and Muriel Bowser in Washington, D.C., for showing signs of pragmatism, especially in working with President Trump on crime reduction and urban policy.

Trump '28 Unity Ticket?

record-breaking highs in the S&P 500, Dow Jones, and NASDAQ, crediting President Trump’s economic policies for the surge. He contrasts this with media narratives from earlier in the year that predicted economic collapse, emphasizing the disconnect between Wall Street performance and lingering ground-level effects from the Biden-era economy.

The hosts then pivot to Trump’s Asia tour, highlighting his meetings with leaders in Japan, South Korea, and potentially North Korea’s Kim Jong-un. Trump’s comments aboard Air Force One spark speculation about a JD Vance–Marco Rubio unity ticket for 2028, with Clay and Buck debating the plausibility of Trump stepping aside while endorsing his successors.

A major segment features Trump’s challenge to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) and Rep. Jasmine Crockett, mocking their intelligence and inviting them to take cognitive tests. Crockett fires back, accusing Trump of elitism and racial obsession, prompting Clay and Buck to critique the intellectual caliber of current congressional representatives across party lines.

Riley Gaines vs. AOC 

Riley Gaines discusses her recent clash with AOC over women’s sports. Gaines shares her experience as a new mom, pushing back against cultural narratives that discourage young women from motherhood. She also responds to AOC’s dismissive comments about her athletic achievements, defending her fifth-place NCAA ranking and criticizing the left’s hypocrisy on women’s sports and fairness. 

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