Bonus: Daily Review with Clay and Buck - Feb 12 2026

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Verdict with Ted Cruz 58 min 8 chapters transcribed

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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?

0:00

This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed Human. Welcome to today's edition of the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show Podcast. Welcome everybody. Thursday edition of the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show kicks off right now. Thanks for being here with us. A couple of big stories right off the top we're going to spend some time on today. One, the pullback from the operation in Minneapolis, the Enhanced ice deployment there. We have some sound bites from Tom Homan. We have updates from the administration on this one, but they are claiming the mission has been completed and therefore this is on schedule. Is that the way this will play more broadly? We will discuss. Also a horrific shooting by a transgender man claiming to be a woman at a secondary school outside of Vancouver in Canada.

1:02

And the Canadian media in particular, although not only Canadian media, are pretending it was a woman. We're going to talk about this. There is a mass hysteria, a mass delusion around this transgender issue, and we are not going to back down one inch from the truth. It's very important. So we will get into that, talk a bit about Minnesota. Also, some excellent guests today.

What recent changes have occurred in Minneapolis regarding ICE operations?

1:28

We have Secretary of Education Linda McMahon with us in the next hour. We will talk to her later. about a new prize for, well, it has to do with the American founding, has to do with 250 years of America, which we're celebrating this summer, which is very exciting. And we also have our friend Jesse Kelly, who will deign to spend a few minutes of his time with us, and I'm sure will have pithy commentary on America's political and cultural scene, as well as Clay Travis's mustache. which is now turning into kind of a gruff beard slash mustache situation. You're going sort of like for the Sam Elliott after a couple of weeks out on the trail look now? Is that where we are? I don't really know. I'm kind of in a tough spot with the mustache.

2:14

You know, if I go clean shaven, then the mustache is completely a commitment here at this point. I wouldn't know who you were. If you showed up clean-shaven, if that mustache and the beard were gone, I would think you were an imposter, and I wouldn't know what to do. So I don't know. I mean, it's the most trusted mustache in news now. I'm not even sure who my competition would be. Geraldo may be back in the day, but I think Geraldo retired. So I don't know. I feel an obligation to the American public, and I don't know exactly how to land the plane, so to speak, although with this mustache, I'd probably be great at landing planes. I think similar to... Churchill, played by Gary Oldman in Darkest Hour, you should let the people weigh in on this.

3:00

And you should just take it to a poll and just see what the Clay Travis people of America, because I think Team Mustache will win. I think if you put it to a fair democratic process, you become a mustache guy instead of a beard guy. You know what's funny is a lot of 20-year-old guys have mustaches. I was watching the U.S. men's hockey team as they were playing and getting ready for their games and everything else. Almost everybody on the team has a mustache now.

What concerns are raised about rising violence involving transgender individuals?

3:32

So my 15-year-old was like, that's a good stache. I mean, I think the mustache has surged in the 18- to 28-year-old contingent out there. So I'm definitely way older than them, but there are a lot of them. I noticed it out at the Super Bowl. So we will see. We shall see. All right, Minnesota, let's talk about this. The White House is saying that this is essentially mission accomplished and that that's why there's a change here. This is Tom Holman this morning who has taken the lead on the messaging and the operations in Minneapolis. Here he is saying that this is coming to a conclusion in that state. Play one. I have proposed, and President Trump has concurred, that this surge operation conclude. A significant drawdown has already been underway this week, and will continue through the next week.

4:34

We have a lot of work to do across this country to remove public safety risk who shouldn't even be in this country.

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Chapters

8 chapters

1 What is the main topic discussed in this episode? 0:00–1:28 2 What recent changes have occurred in Minneapolis regarding ICE operations? 1:28–3:32 3 What concerns are raised about rising violence involving transgender individuals? 3:32–7:58 4 What initiatives did Secretary of Education Linda McMahon announce? 7:58–9:19 5 How is the 'Impossible Test' structured and what are its goals? 9:19–17:06 6 How does the media's portrayal of crime impact public perception? 17:06–25:32 7 What insights does Jesse Kelly provide on current political and cultural issues? 25:32–30:38 8 How do cultural phenomena like Taylor Swift's influence affect societal norms? 30:38–58:33

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Topics in this episode

Donald Trump 2 White House 1 New York Times 1 ICE 2 Minnesota 4 iHeart Podcast 2 Minneapolis 2 Tim Walz 3 Vancouver 3 MSNBC 1 Tom Homan 3 Tom Holman 1

Source

Recorded12 Feb 2026

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Show notes

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. Melting ICE? The Trump administration’s announcement—reinforced by Tom Homan—that Minnesota’s ICE surge operation is being scaled down after a “mission accomplished”‑style success. Clay and Buck outline how Minneapolis quietly reached a handshake agreement to reverse sanctuary‑style resistance and begin alerting ICE when violent illegal immigrants are taken into custody, a major policy pivot after years of non‑cooperation. The hosts warn that activist “street harpies,” Antifa‑aligned groups, and left‑wing organizers may try to replicate Minneapolis’s obstruction tactics in other liberal cities. They also dive deep into the political consequences, arguing that Tim Walz’s political career is effectively over, and preview competitive 2026 races—especially the Minnesota Senate race, where Michelle Tafoya trails by just a few points. MASA: Make America Smart Again A major interview featuring U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, who outlines several key initiatives aimed at reshaping American education during the lead‑up to America’s 250th anniversary. A major focus of the conversation is the newly launched Presidential 1776 Award, a national civics and history competition created to reverse declining historical literacy among young Americans. McMahon explains that students will take a 90‑minute “Impossible Test” of 4,000 rapid‑fire questions, advancing through three rounds for scholarships of up to $150,000. Clay and Buck enthusiastically offer to take the test themselves—joking about challenging media figures—and highlight how this effort aligns with a broader push to revive foundational American history. The interview expands into President Trump’s education reform strategy, which aims to return educational authority to the states by dismantling federal bureaucracy and moving Department of Education functions to other agencies. McMahon emphasizes that despite more than $3 trillion spent since the Department’s creation in 1980, national test scores have declined—proving that centralized control has failed. She highlights the “Mississippi Miracle,” where the state dramatically boosted literacy by reinstating phonics‑based “science of reading” instruction, prompting other states to adopt similar reforms. She also discusses school innovation across the country—from classical academies to AI‑driven models like Austin’s Alpha School—and her goal of producing a best‑practices toolkit for all fifty states. The hour then pivots sharply to controversial school protests in Minneapolis, where staff and administrators walked out during political demonstrations, prompting criticism that public schools behave as “shock troops” for far‑left activism. McMahon signals that such closures could invite federal investigation or funding consequences, especially given Minnesota’s already weak academic performance. Clay and Buck follow with a broader critique of America’s K–12 system—calling it a glorified daycare model that prioritizes union demands over student outcomes—while advocating for parental empowerment, school choice, and more flexible education pathways. Another Trans Shooter A major conversation on rising violence involving transgender-identifying shooters, sparked by news of a British Columbia mass shooting. The hosts link this to previous attacks in Minneapolis and Nashville, arguing that the media and police distort facts by prioritizing preferred pronouns over biological accuracy. The transcript includes an extended critique of mental‑health issues, hormonal drugs, and the cultural narrative that non‑affirmation constitutes “genocide,” which the hosts argue contributes to radicalization among vulnerable individuals. They highlight the police’s admission that the Canadian shooter was biologically male, despite earlier claims of “female,” and examine concerns about public safety, media bias, and political correctness. Jesse Kelly Hangs With Us Jesse Kelly, host of The Jesse Kelly Show and author of the newly released Jesse’s Little Red Book opens the hour with their signature banter—roasting each other’s haircuts, mustaches, and Super Bowl party choices—before diving into deeper political and cultural issues shaping the country under President Donald Trump. A major segment centers on Jesse Kelly’s new book, which he describes as a free, 93‑page collection of his insights on politics, culture, party dynamics, and even food. From there, the hosts pivot into a fiery discussion of the Jeffrey Epstein hearings, expressing frustration that self‑identified victims continue holding press events without naming alleged abusers. The conversation compares the situation to the trajectory of the Me Too movement, arguing that legitimate victim advocacy has been diluted by performative claims, opportunism, and media manipulation. The political analysis intensifies as the hosts look ahead to Election 2026, with Jesse predicting that Republicans may lose the House but retain the Senate, depending largely on the strength of the economy and whether “normie voters” feel financial relief in their everyday lives. The hour also features a humorous cultural debate after Clay proposes that Taylor Swift may be evolving into the “21st‑century Beatles,” prompting Jesse’s mock‑therapeutic concern and Buck’s acknowledgment of Swift’s global cultural dominance. 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 and Buck: https://www.clayandbuck.com/ Connect with Clay Travis and Buck Sexton on Social Media: X - https://x.com/clayandbuck FB - https://www.facebook.com/ClayandBuck/ IG - https://www.instagram.com/clayandbuck/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/clayandbuck Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/ClayandBuck TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@clayandbuck YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VerdictwithTedCruzSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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