Bonus: Daily Review with Clay and Buck - Jan 22 2026

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What recent events in Minneapolis are impacting church protests?

Clay Travis 0:00

This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed human.

Katie Zachariah 0:04

Welcome in, everybody. Thursday edition of the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton show kicks off right now. We've got Jack Smith hearings on Capitol Hill, bringing some highlights of that. I'm not expecting much to come of it, but it's causing fireworks in our nation's capital, sort of. So we will get into it in a little bit. Trump on the Greenland deal. Very interesting stuff happening there. He's talking Golden Dome, mineral rights, all kinds of goodies that he believes he has lined up for us via Greenland. And Trump speaking with Maria Bartiromo this morning. Some highlights from that. J.D. Vance is in Toledo, Ohio. Gavin Newsom. We'll talk to our friend Katie Zachariah, a California political and legal analyst, about Newsom.

Katie Zachariah 0:53

He got a little bit of a womp womp because they canceled his Davos speech at the last minute. He's saying it's pressure from Trump world. We shall see more and more on all of that. In the meantime, my friends, the big, big news today coming out of, yes, you guessed it, Minneapolis.

How has the DOJ responded to the Minneapolis church protest arrests?

Katie Zachariah 1:14

Minneapolis, Minnesota. We have the following from Attorney General Pam Bondi. This on Twitter or X. Minutes ago at my direction... FBI agents executed an arrest in Minnesota. So far, we have arrested Nikima Levi Armstrong. who allegedly played a key role in organizing the coordinated attack on City's Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. We will share more updates as they become available. Listen loud and clear. All caps now, Clay. We do not tolerate attacks on places of worship. This, I think... is what many of you have been calling for. And this is a pretty quick turnaround for DOJ, at least, on this kind of an arrest, I have to say. They wanted to make sure they get all this lined up. And this is now, I think, the beginning of more arrests like this.

Katie Zachariah 2:18

Although, Clay, now there's going to be a lot of rewriting of history. It was peaceful protest. We were just hanging out in the church. We were asking for directions. You know, it was no big deal. Anti-ice church protester organizer Levi Armstrong was on CNN last night. This is cut one. Here's her claim. This is pre-arrest, by the way. Hit it.

Pam Bondi 2:40

We did not rush into that church. We actually went and sat down and participated in the service. And after the pastor prayed, that is when I stood up and asked him a question in response to his prayer. And then he responded to me.

What statistics highlight the drop in violent crime during Trump's presidency?

Pam Bondi 2:56

And then I proceeded to ask him about Pastor David Easterwood. And how is it possible for him to serve as both the pastor and the director of ICE for Minnesota? And instead of responding to me, as soon as I said the name David Easterwood, the pastor says, shame, shame. And that is when I let us enchant justice for Renee Good and hands up, don't shoot. So I want to clarify that. We didn't rush in. We didn't bust in.

Katie Zachariah 3:25

Okay, Clay, now it's the big mean pastor was the one who caused the problem. In his church, by the way, trying to celebrate with his congregants and enjoy their connection with God, these lunatics show up. Once again, whether it's BLM with the cops or it's just the leftist agitators with ICE, their main enemy, video footage. Video footage. We saw. We've all seen what happened.

Buck Sexton 3:54

Yes, so credit to the Department of Justice for getting these arrests done in Minneapolis. I've actually seen, which I think speaks to even Democrats being like, yeah, this is probably inappropriate. I've actually seen so far a fairly muted response from Democrats in terms of being opposed to these arrests going on. I mean, I'm sure that there's going to be the usual suspects lining up but it doesn't feel to me like this is some sort of cross the Rubicon moment for them. And you knew that these activists were aware that they had potentially created an issue because they very rapidly started trying to recharacterize what actually happened, even though we could all see it on video ourselves. And for those of you out there that are not familiar with the FACE Act, for instance,

Buck Sexton 4:47

You know, it was actually designed to stop. If you're wondering where did this law having to do with protecting church services come from, you know what it was actually designed to do for churches, Buck?

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Chapters

8 chapters

1 What recent events in Minneapolis are impacting church protests? 0:00–1:14 2 How has the DOJ responded to the Minneapolis church protest arrests? 1:14–2:56 3 What statistics highlight the drop in violent crime during Trump's presidency? 2:56–5:41 4 How do sanctuary city policies affect immigration enforcement? 5:41–8:40 5 What are the implications of Gavin Newsom's political ambitions? 8:40–13:04 6 How does the political landscape in California reflect broader trends? 13:04–15:34 7 What is the significance of voter ID laws in California's elections? 15:34–19:42 8 How do recent polling trends indicate the future of the Democratic Party? 19:42–58:02

Speakers

10 identified

Buck Sexton 21 min Katie Zachariah 16 min Gavin Newsom 7 min Bobby Charles 3 min Clay Travis 2 min Ransom from Columbus, Ohio 2 min Unknown 1 min JD Vance 1 min Pam Bondi 1 min William Kelly

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Topics in this episode

Donald Trump 2 ICE 1 J.D. Vance 2 Minnesota 2 Gavin Newsom 2 Pam Bondi 5 Department of Justice 1 Greenland 1 Minneapolis 2 Davos 1 Mayor Fry 1 William Kelly 1

Source

Recorded22 Jan 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. Church Protest Precedence The arrest of an organizer tied to the anti‑ICE church disruption in Minnesota, announced by Attorney General Pam Bondi. The hosts react to DOJ confirmation that Nekima Levy-Armstrong (identified by Bondi as a key organizer) was arrested for allegedly coordinating an attack on a church service in St. Paul. Clay and Buck emphasize the speed and clarity of the DOJ’s action, praising the Department of Justice for responding quickly with a charge backed by evidence rather than performative outrage. They contrast the arrest with pre‑arrest media appearances in which the organizer claimed the church protest was “peaceful,” arguing that video evidence flatly contradicts that narrative. Hour 1 of the program breaks down the legal foundation for the arrest, including laws protecting religious services from disruption. Buck explains that statutes originally designed to protect churches—historically justified by Democrats as safeguards against extremist interference—are now being enforced against left‑wing activists. Clay and Buck argue this represents an “open‑and‑shut” case where probable cause is clear, while cautioning that conviction still depends on a Minneapolis jury. Black Lives Mattered to Trump Clay points out one of the most underreported accomplishments of Trump’s second term: a historic drop in violent crime nationwide. Citing newly released data, the hosts highlight that the U.S. murder rate has fallen to its lowest level since 1900, with murders down 21% year‑over‑year, the largest single‑year decline ever recorded. They spotlight staggering city‑level declines, including Washington, D.C. and Omaha, both seeing murders drop by roughly 40%, and argue these results reflect a nationwide return to law‑and‑order policies. Clay and Buck stress that these statistics carry particular significance for Black communities, noting that reductions in violent crime overwhelmingly translate into lives saved among populations most affected by homicide. Clay argues that Trump has, by policy outcomes rather than rhetoric, done more to save Black lives than any modern president—an assertion they say stands in direct contradiction to activist narratives that oppose enforcement‑focused policing. FOFO Multiple Minneapolis church protesters have now been arrested, with Attorney General Pam Bondi announcing additional suspects taken into custody. Clay and Buck focus on reports from CBS News and The Daily Wire that a federal judge refused to sign a criminal complaint allowing Don Lemon to be arrested, despite DOJ efforts. The hosts argue this judicial refusal underscores a growing concern about politicization within the courts, especially when contrasted with how aggressively Trump allies were previously prosecuted. They note that, despite early attempts to downplay the incident, Democrats appear to have abandoned public defense of the protesters due to the overwhelmingly negative optics of storming a church service. A core discussion in Hour 2 of the program centers on sanctuary city policies and obstruction of immigration enforcement. Clay and Buck explain that Minneapolis leadership—including Mayor Jacob Frey—has openly refused to cooperate with ICE, even in cases involving violent offenders already in custody. The hosts argue this refusal forces federal agents into more visible enforcement actions and directly fuels unrest, while also potentially violating the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution. They emphasize that refusing to enforce federal law is not passive resistance but deliberate obstruction. Mayor Jacob Frey claims ICE operations exist solely to “terrorize” communities. Buck sharply disputes those claims, arguing the mayor is misrepresenting facts and ignoring his own refusal to cooperate with federal authorities. They contrast Frey’s statements with DOJ actions targeting protesters who openly challenged and taunted federal officials, including one individual who dared Attorney General Bondi to arrest him—only to be taken into custody hours later. Davos Drama Humor and commentary about California Governor Gavin Newsom’s failed Davos appearance, before welcoming Katie Zacharia, a California political and legal analyst, to unpack Newsom’s national ambitions and the state of Democratic politics on the West Coast. Zacharia explains that Newsom traveled to Davos largely to troll President Donald Trump, only to be politically sidelined as Trump advanced what she describes as a historic Greenland and Arctic security agreement. The discussion frames Newsom as the Democrats’ likely 2028 presidential front‑runner, despite what Zacharia characterizes as weak policy substance and declining credibility outside coastal blue states. Clay and Buck examine polling odds showing Newsom far ahead of other Democratic contenders and debate whether his polished media style could translate into national electability against potential Republican nominees such as J.D. Vance or Marco Rubio. Hour 3 of the program also explores California’s deep internal struggles, including speculation around potential successors to Newsom such as Eric Swalwell, whom Zacharia argues is politically and legally unviable due to residency issues and extreme policy rhetoric toward ICE. The conversation expands into California’s broader political decline, including discussions of wealth taxes, billionaire flight to states like Florida, high energy costs, and voter identification laws. Zacharia emphasizes that voter ID reform is the most realistic path for Republicans to regain statewide competitiveness in California, calling it an overwhelmingly popular issue even among Democratic voters. 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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