Daily Review with Clay and Buck - Feb 13 2026

This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human. The Joel Osteen Daily podcast. God's plans for you are for good. Be inspired. Get ready. God is about to exceed your expectations. Joel Osteen Daily podcast. You are coming out of that dry place into more than enough. Daily encouragement right when you need it. There are opportunities in your future. bigger than you can imagine. Listen to the Joel Osteen Daily podcast on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Welcome to today's edition of the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show podcast. Welcome in Friday edition, Clay Travis, Buck Sexton Show. We appreciate all of you hanging out with us as we are taking you into the weekend. We have got a ton to discuss with all of you. Most importantly that the economic information and indicators that are out there continue to be quite strong. Friday, a morning, just about two hours ago, the latest inflation read for January came in at 2.4% inflation. That is the lowest core inflation number that has existed since... March, I believe, of 2021. That is the very beginning of the Joe Biden administration before the disastrous rise to 9.1% inflation began, which I believe peaked in around June of 2022, if I remember off the top of my head. Some of you out there might be saying, okay, well, what does that mean in real terms? It means that the Fed's target inflation rate of 2%. is easily within target. It means that all of the histrionics surrounding Trump's decision to implement tariffs have not led to soaring inflation. And it means that overall the economy is moving in a very, very good direction. And as we sit here midway through February buck, what jumps out to me is the most recent. GDP rating that we got, the most recent reading that we got on the GDP was 4.4% growth. Wages have now begun to outpace the growth of inflation in a fairly substantial way. What you're seeing as all of this kind of works together is... The secured southern border is helping to result in significant declines in rent. And I know many of you may be starting to see this as your rent bills come up as your leases come up and you're looking around. And whereas in the past, the landlords have been able to just jack rates up at a really rapid pace. That is no longer occurring. In fact, rents have begun to come down.

We added 130,000 private sector jobs. That's after we take away the fact that we declined government jobs substantially. In fact, Buck, the number of government employees is down over 10% since Donald Trump came into office. We have eliminated roughly 350,000 jobs from people who are funded by... taxpayers. So it's not, I think this is really important because people look at the overall jobs and the growth for everybody out there that's paying taxes that we have eliminated 10% of the people that we are required to pay for on the federal government's dole. And ideally what appears to be happening is, Those people are actually going into the private sector and getting jobs that don't require the federal government to be paying their salaries. So this is a huge net positive for everyone out there. And again, I know it takes a little while for all of the larger macro, big picture economic issues to translate all the way through the entire economy. One thing I would say that a lot of people notice every single day is the price of gas is down substantially. And overall, again, gas and rent are actually declining, which is a pretty transformative change. And one other thing we should mention is a lot of times January inflation comes in hot. It comes in higher than people expected because during the holidays, spending is sometimes tough to measure. In January, it sometimes comes in hot. We're actually set up for as we move into the spring. I think inflation to be back down to 2%, which is the Fed's target. And when that happens, then you're going to get more interest rate cuts, which means your mortgages, which means your car payments, which means everything out there, your credit cards, in theory, everything is going to get cheaper because the economy is starting to fire on all cylinders again. And that will free up the housing market, which has been essentially frozen. because so many people got 3% mortgages and are just not going to move, even if it would make sense to move because rates are so much higher than what they got. Here is, on that point, Clay, because there's the numbers and then there's what people feel. Yeah. And in politics, you've got to make them both line up. There's the good data, which we were just talking about, the jobs. But then it's how expensive does gas feel? How's your rent? How are the things that matter to you day to day? The paycheck, kitchen table issues that are really at the heart of American politics and always will be because this is something that people feel and they know. And no matter what the TV tells them, their reality is their reality.

Scott Bessent's pointing out that we saw real wage growth last year, but it could be great. And this will really go to this point. If you get really substantial wage growth and low inflation in 26, people are going to feel it. This is cut three. Play it. There are two ways to fix affordability. There is bringing down prices and things like energy. Energy is coming down. Energy is a core component of everything for consumers. So as that comes down, we will see the inflation levels come down. But on the other side, it's real income increases. And we've seen real, we saw real wage growth. In 2025, I think it could be very strong in 26. And I think the American people are going to start feeling it. There we go, Clay. Yeah, look, and again, I think the big challenge of 2026 is going to be, is and are the average voters going to recognize that the trajectory of the economy is very positive, or is it still going to feel bad because of the Biden hangover? I think that is the number one question for 2026. And in fact, if you go back and you look, and I like to go back and look at modern recent history presidential, it took a while for Reagan's economic bona fides to start to hit. 1984, we've talked about it, was in all-time landslide. 1982 wasn't great. And so the beneficiary, ironically, of the policies that Trump has put in place because Trump can't run again is not going to be Donald Trump. It's going to be JD Vance or whomever the presumptive Republican candidate is going to be because I think it's going to be impossible to argue by 2028 that everyone. can't see that the economy is firing on all cylinders. The tough thing for Trump is he doesn't get to run on that. And we talked about this earlier in the week. Everybody forgets we had the best economy in the history of the country in February of 2020. And then COVID happened. If COVID doesn't exist, then Trump wins, I think, a very comfortable election win over Joe Biden. And he's already out of office. I don't know who would be in office right now. And I think our economy would be in a much better place, obviously. Now Trump is having to rebuild the mess that is Biden. He's going to fix it again. And then somebody else is going to be benefiting going forward.

Take your calls, take your talkbacks, get into all of it. But I've got to say, another good week in the books for this Trump administration. And staying the course right now with a lot of these policies is the smart move. And it is amazing. We'll start to go back 12 months in time to pull what was being said a year ago by the so-called financial intelligentsia reporters and the CNBC Commentariat. the economists quote economists like which economists the ones that hate trump those the only ones that find their way into most major newspapers and all the rest they said that this was going to crash out the economy and the economy is kicking ass that's the truth now i understand that doesn't mean that it's perfect that doesn't mean that there aren't still high prices or you know this is we have to level set expectations here but i think you're going to see more and more uh really strong indicators and things are going to start to align even more this year and so the democrats i don't know maybe they'll have to like fake another uh uh you know mass pandemic or something they'll they'll do something they'll come up with some way to explain why things aren't as great as they are But we'll continue to follow this one very closely, my friends. The world's softest, most luxury sheets come from Cozy Earth. When you sleep on them, you feel like you're at a five-star hotel. They're available online at cozyEarth.com. These bamboo sheets are made with fabric that allows you to sleep cooler at night while feeling like you're sleeping on the softest sheets you've ever experienced. This purchase is totally risk-free. You get a 100-day money-back guarantee and a 10-year warranty because they want you totally satisfied. Go online to cozyEarth.com. Use my name Buck to get a 20% discount. And if you got a post-purch survey, be sure to mention you heard about CozyEarth right here. One more time, CozyEarth.com is the website. Use promo code Buck. Get your discount on this purchase today. CozyEarth.com promo code Buck.

What God started in my life, he's going to finish. The Joel Osteen Daily Podcast. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life. What was meant for my harm, Lord, I want to thank you right now. You're turning to my advantage. Your daily source of hope and encouragement. Your second wind is on its way. God is about to breathe on your life in a new way. Listen to the Joel Osteen Daily podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Buck has got, because trust me on Hour 3 is going to be fun. Hour 3 is going to be fun. We got some great audio. I don't know about you, Buck, but this is actually not that. This is a bit of a sad aspect. We mentioned that James Vanderbeek. 48 years old star of Dawson's Creek and Varsity Blues died. And somebody shared with me, it was you. And then I shared it and so many people were reacting to it. Varsity Blues was a... all-time teen and football movie and I bet a lot of you saw it and had a large number of at that time people in their late teens or early 20s that were stars in that era it's for people who grew up in the 90s was a big movie I don't think our parents saw it but yeah um but that Three of the icons of that movie are all now dead. Paul Walker, that's the guy from Fast and the Furious, but he was in this movie. He was the star of the Fast and the Furious movies who died in a high-speed car accident. And then the Billy Bob character, all three of them have passed. And James Vanderbeek had six young kids, 48 years old. And this was his final message. And this has gone viral. And I don't know how many people have heard this. But James Vanderbeek, as you mentioned, Buck, was on team sanity. It would not stun me if he... sometimes listen to this show. And again, he had six kids. And he, I think it was colon cancer, which has become. Very deadly, it seems like, for a lot of younger men that you wouldn't anticipate. Chadwick Bozeman, who played the Black Panther, among other roles, also, I believe, died of colon cancer. But here was James Vanderbeek's final message. I thought maybe it would resonate with some of you like it resonated with me when I heard this yesterday. Cut 21. I was younger. I used to define myself as an actor, right?

which was never really all that fulfilling. And then it became a husband, and that was much better. And then it became a father. And that was the ultimate. I could define myself then as a loving, capable, strong, supportive husband, father, provider, steward of the land that we're so lucky to live on. And for a long time, that felt like a really good definition to the question, who am I? What am I? And then this year, I had to look my own mortality in the eye. I had to come nose to nose with death. And all of those definitions that I cared so deeply about were stripped for me. I was away for treatment so I could no longer be a husband that was helpful to my wife. I could no longer be a father who could pick up his kids and put them to bed and be there for them. I could not be a provider because I wasn't working. I couldn't even be a steward of the land because at times I was too weak to. prune all the trees during the window that you're supposed to prune them and so i was faced with the question if i am just a a too skinny weak guy alone in an apartment with cancer what am i and i meditated and the answer came through i am worthy of god's love simply because i exist and if i'm worthy of god's love shouldn't i also be worthy of my own and the same is true for you I just thought that was really very well said for a 48-year-old. And again, he has left behind six very young children. They're the lovely family. But just a, I think for a lot of people out there, because he's relatively young, you don't expect people in their 40s to pass with young families that they're taking care of. And I think a lot of people have been sharing that because it. did feel like a very profound revelation from him. And I think a lot of people find purpose, particularly men. I think this is one of the biggest challenges that exists in our society today, Buck, is when you tell men that they shouldn't be providers and that they shouldn't be fathers and they don't have people that rely on them, most men are not at their best. I think that's fair to say. When men... act entirely in their own self-interest, and they do not have people to provide for protect and basically be the strong backbone of a household. I think most men are at their worst. And I thought that evolution in James Vanderbeek's perspective on a lot of people say, oh, I'd love to be in a movie. I don't know. I've done a couple of things in film. It's honestly seems really boring to me, Buck. You do the same scene over and over again. Like this job is way better than being in. You're going back for your, your IMD here, Clay. Well, I mean, I just, I think a lot of people think, oh, being an actor would be cool. And if you've ever been in one of those trailers and you've ever done a scene in a movie or you've ever filmed anything. I like live television. I like live radio because I imagine I probably would like live theater because there is no safety net. But the idea of doing the same scene 40 different times from every angle, it's miserable. Like I did not enjoy it at all. And I think a lot of people, you know, he had a great deal of success there, but I think what he's recognizing is something much more profound than personal success.

uh yes i just clay clay drawing upon his time as a thespian straight on this one is is very clay and i appreciate that uh he his his speech here or his uh his message here which i i even share it with my own with my family i just thought it was really worth hearing worth watching and listening to i'm very glad you played it on the air uh reminds me of a of a memoir that was written by paul calanithi As you can get, it's short. It's called when breath becomes air. And it's about this absolute top neurosurgeon who finds out right when he's about to sort of hit his peak of saving lives and, you know, operating on tumors that are the hardest to operate on all this kind of stuff that he has terminal cancer. And then the book is really a meditation on being a dad, being a, you know, a man, everything, you know, father. And it's just really beautifully written. And I think that if you're ever looking for something that's, I mean, you will read it in a weekend for sure. Get manufacturing delusion first, which comes out on Tuesday, but it can't be selling other people's books right now. But no, it's a really, if you haven't read when breath becomes error, it's a really beautiful memoir. And it goes into. a lot of these things about he was he was a man of faith uh paul kalanithy so i think a lot of you would uh you know he loved being a dad love being a husband but it's very honest he's also wildly brilliant that comes across from you know he was like the clay he was like the stanford neurosurgeon guy you know that was the up and coming in california at his at the hospital and everything else you know he's like he's the guy that you would make the uh doctor like soap opera or uh you know gray's anatomy around as like the super doctor he was that guy uh and so i think it's it's really powerful to sort of go through his thoughts he knew he had a year to live and he wrote this book and that's that's what he did for the year so i would i would recommend that to you um you can get it bundled with manufacturing delusion which is out on tuesday so okay there we have that but i'm glad you played james vanderbig i'm gonna tell you something People used to say all the time when I was in high school that I looked like Pacey. Constantly. I was told that I looked like Joshua Jackson. And right now, I might look more like, Signore, Joshua Jackson. My hair cut is a little Miami. But Joshua Jackson and I, Pacey from Dawson's. People see me at parties. They're like, yo, it's Pacey. So Dawson's Creek had a really profound effect on my youth. That was a great show, entertaining show back in the day. All right, we will take your calls. It is the Friday edition of the program, 800282-282. Our friend Senator Ron Johnson will join us. Again, a lot of different news stories out there that we will continue to track, including, and it doesn't seem like there has been very much of an update at all as it pertains to this. But we are continuing to monitor, and that is the Nancy. Guthrie case. So we will keep you updated on that. But I want to let you know, self-protection inside of your home can make a tremendous difference, especially if you've got kids around.

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uh you know it typically you want two or three percent if you got five percent to get four point four percent is extraordinary two point four percent inflation that's the number that just came out this this morning record high stock market lowest murder rate since 1900 most secure border in history and a 10 percent decline in government employees That's honestly pretty extraordinary for year one. Now, I understand, and trust me, I'm sure that Trump administration understands there's more work to be done. But if I had told you that we were going to end 2025 at 4.4% GDP, 2.4% inflation, record high stock market, lowest murder rate since 1900, most secure border in history, and a 10% decline in government employees, I don't think that most of you would have believed that was possible. I don't. And by the way, I was asking the question because I do think there is a little bit of a historical echo, 1992 versus 2026. Democrats gained 26 seats in Reagan. 1982, the midterm of Reagan. And the Senate basically didn't change at all. And then in 1984, we had the landslide Reagan election victory over Mondale. What did I jot down? But Democrats won the national popular vote in 1982 by 11. So if you had... Well, how do they do in 86? I think 86 would be a better analogy to where we are now because we're in the second term of Trump. And we just had a huge Trump win. The challenge, I think, Buck, is... You got double Reagan terms. So I almost think we got two one term Trumpers, right? So to me, the analogy, Trump won bigger in 24 than he did in 16. So to me, yeah, your 86 analogy is not a bad one. I'm sure that Ronald Reagan lost seats in the House and the Senate because I believe. And this is off the top of my head. I think in the modern era, only in 1998 and 2002 did the party in power gain seats in midterm elections. Usually the party in power loses seats and is on its back foot. Again, I think that's one of the challenges here. 2018 was a rough one for Trump's first term, unfortunately, in the House, as we recall. And also, unfortunately, we've lost a number three. should have won Senate seats in Georgia alone. We gave up three Senate seats in one state that when you go back and look at what happened there, it was total own goals by the Republicans in every sense, in every one of those. But let's get back to Trump here and what he's saying, because some questions about national security here, about potential strikes on Colombia, Venezuela, and even Mexico against the cartels. This is 25. Let's hear what he said. What about it? Nan's right. Are you planning? Don't worry about it. Don't worry about it. It's a very Trump answer. He goes more here, though, Clay. This is 26. He says he's going to have to.

Go to Venezuela himself. That will be really interesting. Play 26. What are you planning to be to Venezuela first? I'm going to make a visit to Venezuela. Wait, wait. We haven't decided. Are you for Venezuela? From Colombia, sir. We just had a good meeting with you. Then we had a good meeting with Colombia. Venezuela still very much. It remains to be seen how successful the aftermath of the Majuro arrest is really a military operation, but they have arrested him. He's in federal court now sitting in federal prison. So we'll see where that ends up going, Clay. But that's something that I think the president is going to have to focus in on and drive some of that policy himself. Not only that, Buck, you're down in South Florida. I'm up on the panhandle, so I'll be in the panhandle for the weekend up in North Florida, which I love it here. But Cuba, we have not talked a great deal about Cuba as a major reverberation of the operation that took place in Venezuela. I don't know if you read this buck, but. There is so little fuel now in Cuba because Venezuela used to be providing a lot of the oil and gas to allow Cuba to exist. Trump has put pressure on Mexico and fine bomb, shine bomb. Fine Bomb is a friend of mine. Shine bomb, who's the president of Mexico. Not to be confused with Fine Bomb. Very different. Shine bomb. Two different people. One talks about Southeastern Conference football is a friend of mine. The other is the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum. He has basically put pressure on Mexico not to continue to give oil and gas to Cuba either, such that. The places that fly into Cuba, and evidently there's a lot of Russian tourism and a lot of Spanish tourism, people still go to Cuba from Europe, they don't have enough gas to be able to fly in and refuel at Cuban airports. So they're basically having to fly and refuel in other countries and start to pull their tourists out. In other words, why do you bring, why do I bring this up? Cuba is within weeks of a complete economic collapse. And I don't know that a lot of people have focused on this, but one of the primary impacts of what happened in Venezuela has actually been what's taking place in Cuba. And it is possible. I say possible that after, what is it, 79 years, basically, 69 years, whatever the math is, since Fidel Castro came into power. It's possible that Cuba could be really truly collapsing and freedom could be returning to Cuba on some level. I think it's actually been under the radar. A lot of people focused on Venezuela and there's the oil story there and everything else. But maybe the more immediate outcome might well be the collapse of the Cuban government.

and some forms of market-based economy returning to Cuba after generations where that was not allowed. And in South Florida, I bet this is a major topic of conversation, but Cuba could be an absolute jewel of the global economy. if they would just embrace capitalism. It's a beautiful country. It is surrounded by thriving Caribbean countries that particularly have taken advantage of sort of economic resource allocations, meaning the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands and some of these countries that have allowed businesses to be based there with low tax rates. I think Cuba would explode. And there is an argument that it could be utterly transformative to South Florida in many ways for the economic conditions there because Cuba, in any way, embracing capitalism would take off. Have you ever been on a cruise? You ever been on a cruise ship? I have not. I am not a cruise guy. It doesn't surprise me. But I did a, the last cruise I went on was the Disney cruise with my kids. They loved it. Five people in one tiny little cruise cabin. Not ideal. We were all five in the same place. We went right by Cuba so close, Buck, that you could see all of the spires and all of the buildings of Havana as we were passing. If you go look at the cruise industry in general, Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Line, whatever you want to point to, the entire cruise industry by and large, at least based in the south, in Florida, they just circle Cuba. That's all they do. They just go to all of the beautiful islands around Cuba. I don't think people understand how transformative a free Cuba would be. A lot of people have forgotten. Cuba was Las Vegas. Havana was where people would hop on fast boats. Look at Godfather Part 2. That was the whole thing. Hey. I think that we are potentially seeing with Cuba, Venezuela, we'll see what happens with Iran. Again, the echo of the Reagan era with Trump. I don't think most people are realizing how quick the capitulation and collapse of Cuba could really be. We're on the precipice of that happening right now. There will be something really full circle about that moment when the incredible gleaming tower of Trump International Caracas goes up and Trump International Havana goes up, you know? Yeah. And not impossible. I would even say I give it 50-50 that at some point it happens in both those places. I don't think it's crazy at all. Let me ask you this, because I know Venezuelans are already having these conversations. How many people go back? America's an awesome place, right? The idea has been, you know, the Cubans toast and they say next year in Havana, all these things. How many people? I know there'd be a lot of cross-collination. I think very few. Yeah. Very few. People don't like to necessarily admit that until they have to make that decision. But.

America's America. It's pretty awesome here. You know? Yeah. South Florida is really nice. Like, you know, it's, yeah, Venezuela could get better, but Caracas is a long way from being South Beach, my friends. And that's not going to change anytime soon. And Havana, I mean, they basically can't keep the power on in Havana right now at all. But if you're in illegal and you're here, guess what? Be a good time to go back. I will say this. I'd like to invest. I'd like to put a lot, if we could turn Cuba into an actual capitalistic country, the amount of beautiful countryside beaches, it's one of the most beautiful countries I think in the world. I mean, Cuba would be if you really kind of put resources behind it. There's a lot of Cuban money. I'm curious how much of that money would eventually go back. You know, the remittances. is basically the only reason Cuba has an economy at all right now is people giving money back to their family members who still live in Cuba. So anyway, I just want you to put a pen in that story. I know some of you who are Cuban, South Floridians are paying more attention to it. The biggest impact of what we did to Maduro in Venezuela may actually be occurring in Cuba in the short terms. and we'll continue to talk about that. I know we have a huge listenership in South Florida. Buck and I like to have fun with 80s and 90s throwback. Lots of memories. Guess what? Recorded back in the day on old school camcorders and lots of us from that generation, VHS tapes, old photo albums, priceless memories. Heck, just about, how about you thought how cool it would be to share some of your old high school photos with some of your friends from high school? These were pre-digital photos that are out there floating around. They aren't easy to be distributed. That's what Legacy Box can do. They can take your old 8mm. They can take your old family photos that have been hanging on the walls, that maybe we're in the attic, that we're in the garage. And they do a tremendous job. Over 200 technicians, their job is to bring your memories into the 21st century. Legacy Box. Simple and safe solution for digitizing old media. You order one of their specialty-made shipping boxes. Send off the tapes, film photos to Legacy Box, and their team will digitize everything by hand. to ensure your memories are safely handled. You get your original media back, and man, it's like opening a time machine, time capsule. It's awesome. We've relied on Legacy Box with great results. Memories matter. Your family will love reliving all those great moments. Go to Legacybox.com slash clay for 50% off today. They do a great job down in Chattanooga, Tennessee. I've toured their facility. Go to legacybox.com slash clay.

What God started in my life, he's going to finish. The Joel Osteen Daily Podcast. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life. What was meant for my harm, Lord, I want to thank you right now. You're turning to my advantage. Your daily source of hope and encouragement. Your second wind is on its way. God is about to breathe on your life in a new way. Listen to the Joel Osteen Daily podcast on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your favorite podcasts. It is Friday the 13th. Do not walk under any ladders. Make sure you dodge any black cats in your path. Do not say Candyman. And then repeat that same thing several times into a mirror in the dark. What else am I missing, Clay? What are the other rules for superstition, the occult, and Friday the 13th? For those of us who grew up in a certain region, I don't think it was well known. We were told, don't screw around with the Bell Witch. Have you ever heard of the Bell Witch legend, B-E-L-L? They kind of based, you remember the movie, the handheld movie back in the day. I mean, Blair Witch. Real talk here for a second. Real talk here, Clay. We're friends. Did you have a banjo growing up? Like, I feel like I did. They made the, they based the Blair Witch project to a certain extent on some of the legacy of the Bell Witch. But back in the day when the Bellwitch was the one that we focused on the most. And actually the Bellwitch is the story of the Bellwitch. I don't know anything about it. Bellwitch is very famous. In fact, Andrew Jackson back in the day went to the home where the Bell Witch was supposedly haunting. And there's a Belwich Cave, which you can still tour. I think it's kind of had a new life on YouTube because there's a lot of these kids, you know this, that go to the most haunted places and just take their own personal YouTube paraphernalia, film it. It's super popular. You know, I know they've done television shows about this, but there's a certain genre of it on YouTube that my teenage boys have ended up following that has gotten a lot of attention. And so there's been. pardon the term, a resurrection of some of these old, you know, sort of ghost stories back in the day that have found a new life on, on social media of the internet. I think well-written, so I'm not a horror genre guy in general, but I, and I, a lot of it, too, first of all, the older I get, actually, the less I'm okay with, like, really extreme violence in movies and things, I just. I don't want that negativity, like entering my consciousness in my sphere. So I, anything that I don't like the slasher genre is what I'm saying. The more occult, it's eerie, the writing, that stuff, I think can be, can be very well done. And I think it's far more effective as actual horror than the like, you know, guy with like the Friday, the classic, they don't really make those movies anymore, but the Slasher films back in the day.

Slasher films, Freddie Kruger, Michael Myers, Michael Myers. That was a huge genre for a while because dollars in, dollars out. It may still be the case. I know it was the case that horror movies were the most profitable genre of film to be involved in. Think about it. What are your costs? Like fake blood? You know, a hockey mask. People... Yeah, the Bloom... I think it's Jason Bloom House has made a... It might be Blum House. I've read all about it. You're still right. The horror universe is the most profitable. Let me give you a couple of things here. The Conjuring movies are incredible. Have you watched The Conjuring movies? I have not seen those. I have not seen them. I think you would like them because they're basically, it's about a husband and a wife. They are so well done. And it's really about their marriage as much, but they are basically exorcists. They're investigating on behalf of religion. the idea of evil in the world. And I'm sure they're Hollywooded up, but they're based in reality on this husband and wife couple that this is what they did. They went and they investigated evil of a vile nature from a religious perspective. And the movies are supremely popular. That actually sounds like it's pretty good. Like it sounds like an interesting premise. They are really well done. I don't know what percentage of this audience would have watched them. They're scary. Was there ever a movie that you watched when you were younger as a kid that was so scary that you had to turn it off or like you're like, I can't, I can't sit. I can't do this. Oh, it's Friday the 13th. I mean, sorry. Really? No, sorry, nightmare on Elm Street. When I was a little kid, because Freddie came to you while you were sleeping. So if you were a kid and you got in bed and you had a wild imagination like I did, and you would be trying to go to sleep and you would think. I mean, that was what made, I think, the nightmare on Elm Street movies so particularly well done was they were going to get you when you went to sleep. So that you weren't even safe once you fell asleep. That was the danger. Let me give you the conjuring are really good since it's Friday the 13th. Scream movies. I still really like the screen movies. I think those are more crime thriller than they are horror. There's nothing super natural. It's really just a serial killer. Yeah, I mean, it's typically stabbing. So, I mean, it's kind of nasty in the sense that you're getting stabbed with a knife. Yes, I'm stabbing is not, I'm not for saying as a genre. But they're not supremely gory to your point. I want so they're coming out with a new scream. Scream seven. This is the seventh version of it. So I would say.

To a large extent, you're right, like the nightmare on the street. Would you make a cameo, Mr. Thespian in Screen 7 if asked? People are coming after me. People think that acting is awesome. That's what I thought. I was like, man, there's nothing cooler than being in a movie. It's really boring. You sit in like your little, you know, on set. You go out, you do the same thing 40 different times from 80 different angles. I was like, this is not, it's not as fast-paced as I thought of it. My mom is going to chuckle right now, but before she had to just do the mom thing full time, when she was early on married to my dad, she was on a soap opera, Doctors, which I told you about, for a season. She was a, she was a cast regular for a season. She was the starring role in a Hallmark movie, Summer of My German Soldier. She was in a, I mean, these were real, like, you know, kind of. So was she the one who dated the German soldier? Yeah. Yeah, she was the love interest for the German soldier. Yeah. And so she was in a number of these things. So she did. She was a working actress, like a person that was making a living acting. She says his work. It's a brutal. It's a brutal profession because it's so fickle and it was work. It's not all the stuff that people think about like red carpet and everything else. That's the very end process. That's that's signing the books at Barnes & Noble. My very limited. Yeah, that's, yeah, my very limited time as involved in doing acting. And again, I've only done it in the context of being an adult. I love it you're even talking about you doing acting. You played yourself. Come on. I played myself. But I have to say, I did an incredible job playing the role of Clay Travis. Playing Clay Travis, this is hilarious. That's really very funny. I had never thought that I've only played myself in film and movie. I don't think I've ever played anybody else. But this mustache, there's no telling who I could play. But my point on it is, having done a limited amount of it, the idea that we give credence to actors. I spent one day in a trailer, you know, like everybody goes and sits in their trailers or whatever. The first time I ever did it. And I was like, Why have I ever cared what anybody who did this for their, for a living? I'm not saying, look, there's great, you know, art that can be produced, all those things. But the idea that I would desperately care what somebody who sits around in a trailer and says the same line from 40 different angles thinks about politics, I remember having that revelation where I thought it was way more challenging and in. of a thing to do until I did it. Clay, this is where I get to remind everybody. This is where the history nerd comes out.

actors throughout history were like a step above clowns and prostitutes. Yeah. And I'm not even sure a step above the clowns. Like actors for thousands of years, going back to ancient Greece, were kind of a disreputable bunch. And it was really only with the rise of cinema in the 20th century. And then I would say in our, I think actors and music acts in our lifetime. were elevated to their absolute pinnacle of prestige and power. And I think in the last decade, we have seen a dramatic decline because there's also so many other ways and so many other people who get famous now because of the online world we live in. So it has dispersed a lot. But I wanted to go back to horror for a second. So you said Friday 13th movies were scary. What is the nightmare on Elm Street? Scary. That was the one that I couldn't sleep after watching. Friday 13th was fine. But I remember Freddie Kruger was the one that I was like, I'm terrified of. I used, whenever one of these movies would come on, even if just flashed on for a second, if I was, my dad was around, he was always like, I would just take my double out buck and I'd finish this guy. He was always like, he was always like, Jason's not that scary. I'd take my 45. The guy would be toast. I'm like, yeah, but that's like not really the point. But anyway, tell me the scary, for you, the scariest movie that you have ever seen is. That really hits the peak of the sort of fear center in your brain when you're watching that movie. For me, there is one. What is your answer? My mom read to be in the movie as the starring role, by the way. Oh, wow. And I. Yeah. What was the movie for you? The Exorcist. No question. Number one, still by far. The Exorcist. So I watched paranormal activity. And I was afraid to go to sleep after watching it. This has probably been like 15 years ago. I was a grown up. I mean, back in the day when I was a kid, it was Freddie Kruger. But I watched, I think it was paranormal activity. And my wife and kids, and again, this was like 15 years ago, were out of the house. And I was sleeping in the house by myself. So I went to go watch the movie by myself. My kids were out of town. My wife was out of town. And then I came back home and I turned on every light in the house. And I barricaded the bedroom door before I went to sleep that night. I was a problem. Oh, yeah. I was probably. Yeah. Oh, yeah. I was probably, seriously, I was probably, probably 30. It was about 15 years ago. Now I know why Laura's the one doing all the firearms training. Laura's on the ball with the firearms training. I turned on every light in the house and, and I put something in front of the bedroom door. That was 30. I watched the paranormal activity movie. It was really, really scary. Wasn't that the most successful financial? Again, not most, there's not the most money. That's like Avatar in these big movies. But dollars in, dollars out as a percentage of profits. It cost virtually nothing to make. And it was insanely profitable as a hit. I always, my story about the Blair Witch Project is I was a.

junior counselor, so I think I was like 16 at a camp in Vermont. And when it would rain, it was all outdoor stuff. We had these little, when it would rain, what do we do? We'd go into Burlington. We'd go into town and we'd go to a movie. And the older counselor, who was like 19 or 20, who was like the main counselor, he was a crazy guy from New Zealand, who was definitely like a little nuts. And he was like, oh, let's go take the kids to Blair Witch Project. And I was like, they're like 14, dude. Like you really were going to take all these 14-year-old kids that player? Who were in a camp? He was still in a camp. And he almost, I will tell you, he almost got fired and like sent home over it. Because I actually, I'm not just saying this now, I was like, I think. I'm not going to say his name, but I was like, I think, dude, this is not a good idea. And he's like, oh, he basically pulled rank of me. He's like, it's fine. These kids will be good. Let's go. And I was like, I don't know. Clay, we had to go back to a dark, rainy campsite that night. And the kids, the 13 and 14-year-old kids were shaking like leaves after watching. Oh, I don't doubt that at all. That seems like, by the way, Brian in Florida is with us. He's a former actor. I mean, let me put it this way. If you're a professional baseball player or a basketball player, football player, it's awesome. right a perfect that that job is really cool it gets to play games golfer whatever it is like i can see why people would aspire to it i've gotten to cover it i've thought to myself this would be something really fun to do i'm not kidding acting i don't think would be a very funny a very fun job brian and most actors are weirdos but brian go ahead yes first of you guys got me to crack it up so you brought up jason bum i actually did productions with jason blum but Clay, I will say, I chased both of those dreams. I was a college athlete. I did try to pursue playing Major League Baseball. I fell short. I was a little older. I came out of high school to the military, but I was doing, like, modeling down in Miami where Buck is as a teenager, then got into business. And then when I came home from the military, I was like, oh, let me go. I went to junior college in LACC, started playing ball, and then I was doing my Hollywood stuff. And you're so right. Like, I was just caught up in it trying to chase the dream, really, for my family. And then you learn, like, these people are a bunch of communist idiots and demonic. And, like, it was just, yeah, it's not fun. It's not the, like, how they put on the perspective of, oh, it's such a, it's highly lit. No, it's, man, it's brutal. It's. Everything you guys were saying was wanted on the money. And low-key, when I, you know, well, let me tell you, I played on a baseball league with James Vanderbeak. He was very kind. He was a very humble man. He actually never acted like he was better than anybody. He was a shortstop on our team. I was first base. And so, like, you kind of talk to these guys a little and you.

Like me, I was kind of open about being a conservative. I didn't care. Like my career ended pretty quick once President Trump was coming down the escalators. I was an avid voice, and Hollywood's like, well, we can't have this crazy MAGA guy in here. And then I ran when I found out really the undercover is when I ran for United States Congress during the China virus in 2020. And I was never wearing a mask in California. I would have a lot of these actors like send me a message, bro, like, that's awesome, man. Like, I can't really come out publicly and support you because my career would be over, but, like, go for it. But you guys are so right. You guys are cracking me up because it is. Like, who I wanted to be a baseball player. That was my, like you said, Clay, you're out there playing ball. You're playing a game, doing something you love to do. Acting, yeah, it's fun being different characters and different things like that. But like you said. You're sitting sometimes on the set for hours, bro. Like, you're seeing, like, oh, let's cut. And then we got to do it again. And then you didn't even get to really get in there. And then you got to wait again for that scene. And sometimes the actor could not even say this stupid line or two, right? Then they got to cut that. And then you're waiting for them to redo the lighting. Or even if you're outside, then you got to wait for the lighting even outside to get. I'm like, oh, my gosh. Yeah, thank you. Thank you for the call. Look. If you could do a scene one time and be done with it, I would say, okay, this is better. I can understand why doing a, like, Broadway play would be pure because you do it for two hours. That's it. You're gone. But the actual production of movies for people who dream of being an actor in Hollywood and stuff like that, the actual mechanics of it and my limited experience is awful. Look, how many throw blankets are too many in winter? I'm down here in Florida right now. And guess what we have? A bunch of cozy earth cuddle blankets. North Florida. It's not as warm as where Buck is down in South Florida. And this is one of the softest, most luxurious items cozy earth makes. Over Thanksgiving, my sister came in. We had one on the couch. She put it on like. covered herself with it and said, oh, my God, this is unbelievable. She went online and bought it right then and there. She had no idea that we did ads for them because cuddle blankets are just that awesome. By the way, How incredible is the name? Cuddle Blankets. Valentine's Day coming up. We can have some fun with that. CozyEarth.com, plentiful qualities, variety of colors, totally risk-free. 100-day money-back guarantee, 10-year warranty. Go online to cozyEarth.com. Use my name Clay to get up to a 20% discount on their cuddle blanket. And if you get a post-purch survey, be sure to mention you heard about Cozy Earth. right here. One more time, cozy earth.com promo code clay to get the discount on the purchase. That's cozy earth.com promo code clay.

What God started in my life, he's going to finish. The Joel Osteen Daily Podcast. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life. What was meant for my harm, Lord, I want to thank you right now. You're turning to my advantage. Your daily source of hope and encouragement. Your second wind is on its way. God is about to breathe on your life in a new way. Listen to the Joel Osteen Daily podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your favorite podcasts.