The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show Daily Review with Clay and Buck - Feb 18 2026
Manufacturing Mass Delusion
Buck Sexton focuses on the rapidly escalating fiscal crisis in New York City. He examines the new mayor’s announcement of a massive expansion of the city budget—up to $127 billion—and a proposed property‑tax increase meant to close deficits and support surging expenditures. Buck contrasts New York City’s enormous budget with that of entire states like Florida and highlights the explosive growth in city spending since 2021. He breaks down the allocation of funds, pointing out that roughly 40% of the city’s spending goes to a public‑school system that consistently underperforms, and more than a quarter goes to social‑services programs, including extensive funding tied to illegal immigration. He argues that the city’s fiscal model now revolves around propping up a failing education bureaucracy and expanding welfare systems while middle‑class residents shoulder the tax burden.
Buck frames this moment as a case study in the predictable failure of progressive governance. According to him, no matter how much money is taken from taxpayers, the left always demands more while blaming the same taxpayers for the system’s failures. He draws parallels between New York City’s fiscal spiral and the collapse of Venezuela, arguing that both represent the consequences of replacing sound economics and personal responsibility with envy-based redistribution and ideological dogma.
Calling Out Media Gatekeepers
Buck interviews FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, who explains the rapidly developing controversy involving Stephen Colbert, Texas Democratic candidate James Talarico, CBS, and the federal equal‑time rule. Carr details how Colbert and Talarico attempted to frame CBS as being “censored” by the government after choosing not to air their interview, when in reality CBS simply instructed the show to comply with existing equal‑time law. Carr emphasizes that broadcast outlets using public airwaves must follow political‑content rules that do not apply to cable or streaming—and that talk shows falsely claiming to be exempt “bonafide news” programs have skirted these rules for years. He reveals that enforcement actions are already underway, including against ABC’s The View, and stresses that broadcast licenses require neutrality because they rely on public spectrum.
Buck and Carr then broaden the discussion to public misunderstanding of how broadcast regulation works, including why podcasts, YouTube channels, and cable networks face none of the FCC restrictions that apply to licensed broadcasters. The conversation also touches on the FCC’s parallel crackdown on robocalls, scam texts, and elder‑fraud schemes—an area Carr says federal agencies are now prioritizing due to widespread consumer harm.
Buck Learned from Rush
Remembering the legacy of Rush Limbaugh and his influence. Buck talks about the podcast the team put together honoring Rush and how he learned from the best of the best. Buck takes listener messages reflecting on Rush’s impact and the way his team continues to carry forward the show’s traditions.
Menticide IS a Thing
One of the most heated topics in national politics: transgender medical interventions for minors. Buck discusses breaking news that NYU Langone, one of the nation’s leading medical systems, is discontinuing its gender‑medicine program for minors due to legal and regulatory exposure. He describes the announcement as a major turning point in the nationwide backlash against pediatric gender surgeries and cross‑sex hormone treatments. Buck argues that the medical establishment, advocacy groups, and political institutions have aggressively suppressed questions about long‑term outcomes, complications, and psychological risks, and that the ideology behind “gender‑affirming care” is collapsing under scrutiny. He connects this to the broader phenomenon of “mass delusion,” examining how propaganda, language manipulation, and psychological pressure have shaped public opinion, and comparing the movement’s reaction to classic signs of ideological panic.
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