BONUS: Daily Review with Clay and Buck - Dec 18 2025

Dec 18, 2025

In this engaging discussion, psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert shares practical advice for surviving politically charged family gatherings, advocating for prioritizing love and setting boundaries. Meanwhile, Brianna Lyman passionately defends historical literacy and the importance of understanding figures like Robert E. Lee in context, warning against modern moral judgments of the past. Both guests highlight the cultural implications of monument debates and societal grievances, offering insights that resonate beyond the holiday season.

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INSIGHT

Inflation Drops Below Expectations

Inflation fell to 2.7% (headline) and 2.6% (core), the lowest since spring 2021 and better than expectations.
Clay Travis argues this validates policies aimed at lowering inflation and can boost markets and interest-rate cuts.

INSIGHT

Stimulus, Inflation, And The Housing Freeze

Clay connects Biden-era stimulus to the 2021–2022 inflation spike and subsequent rapid Fed rate hikes.
He says high rates froze the housing market by locking many homeowners into historically low mortgages.

ANECDOTE

Chick‑fil‑A Drive‑Thru As Inflation Example

Clay recounts how his family’s Chick-fil-A visits jumped to over $50 during 2021–22, illustrating everyday inflation pain.
He uses this personal example to explain why voters felt the inflation shock so viscerally.

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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.

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Trump IS Fixing the Economy

Inflation has dropped to 2.7%—the lowest level since spring 2021. Core inflation sits at 2.6%, nearing the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. Clay explains why this matters for everyday Americans, connecting the dots between Biden-era spending, skyrocketing prices, and the aggressive interest rate hikes that froze the housing market. He recalls how inflation surged to 9.1% in June 2022 after trillions in stimulus spending, driving mortgage rates above 7% and locking millions of homeowners into historically low rates from 2020–2021. This “housing freeze,” Clay argues, remains one of the biggest drags on economic mobility. Clay then pivots to President Trump’s primetime address, highlighting key announcements that could reshape the economic landscape.

Culture Wars

Brianna Lyman of The Federalist delivers a powerful defense of historical literacy amid efforts to erase America’s past. The discussion centers on Virginia’s removal of a Robert E. Lee statue, the legacy of reconciliation after the Civil War, and the dangers of applying modern moral standards to historical figures. Lyman warns that the left’s obsession with tearing down monuments—from Lee to Jefferson and even Washington—aims to delegitimize America’s founding principles and pave the way for radical ideological shifts. Clay and Lyman explore how this “floor vs. ceiling” approach to history—focusing on flaws instead of achievements—threatens national unity, especially as the country prepares for its 250th anniversary in 2026.

MIT Assassination

Authorities believe they have identified the suspect in the Brown University shooting, which left two students dead and 12 injured after 40 rounds were fired on campus. While no arrest has been made, investigators are also probing a possible link between this attack and the assassination of MIT professor Nuno Loureiro, a nuclear weapons expert killed in his Boston home just days later. Clay underscores the chilling implications of these events and promises continued coverage as details emerge.

The hour also touches on tragic news from North Carolina, where NASCAR legend Greg Biffle reportedly died in a private plane crash en route to Florida, according to Daily Mail reports citing close friends. Clay then pivots to a heated media moment: Candace Owens’ explosive claims on Piers Morgan’s show, suggesting two Turning Point USA employees may have had foreknowledge of Charlie Kirk’s assassination—a theory Clay calls “loony bin crazy” and emblematic of a media ecosystem that rewards outrageous, unverified opinions. He contrasts this with a Washington Post profile of alleged assassin Tyler Robinson, detailing his radicalization, anti-Trump rage, and ties to trans activism, reinforcing what Clay sees as the clear ideological motive behind the killing.

Dealing with Holiday TDS

Psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert joins to offer strategies for surviving holiday gatherings with politically divided families. Alpert warns that “Trump Derangement Syndrome” has hardened into personality-level anger for some, fueling anxiety and family estrangement. His advice: prioritize relationships over politics, set boundaries, and redirect conversations to holiday traditions. Callers weigh in with personal stories and coping tactics, from walking away during heated debates to reaffirming shared values. Alpert also explores whether this intense polarization will persist beyond Trump’s presidency, concluding that while partisan hostility will remain, Trump’s outsider status amplified the vitriol to unprecedented levels.

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