June 17, 2025 • 36 mins
Hour 1 of The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show dives into a high-stakes foreign policy debate as President Donald Trump faces a pivotal decision regarding Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Broadcasting solo from Washington, D.C., Clay Travis unpacks breaking developments in the Middle East, emphasizing the United States’ strategic position and military superiority. The hour centers on whether the U.S. should provide Israel with advanced “bunker-busting bombs” to eliminate Iran’s deeply buried nuclear facilities—specifically the fortified Fordo site—and whether the U.S. should support or tacitly approve Israel’s potential move to remove Iran’s Supreme Leader, the Ayatollah. Clay highlights President Trump’s recent statement asserting “complete and total control of the skies over Iran,” signaling deep U.S.-Israeli coordination. The show features analysis of satellite imagery and intelligence reports, underscoring the technical challenges of neutralizing Iran’s nuclear infrastructure without U.S. assistance. Clay argues that Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons is a rational strategy for regime survival, likening the situation to North Korea’s nuclear deterrent. He uses a compelling “antibiotic” analogy to stress the urgency of acting decisively now to prevent a more dangerous future. The hour also includes a robust discussion of the geopolitical implications of regime change in Iran, with Clay advocating for the removal of the Ayatollahs, citing their authoritarian rule and destabilizing influence across the Middle East. He draws a sharp contrast between past U.S. interventions, like the Iraq War, and the current situation, emphasizing that this is not about nation-building but about eliminating a clear and present nuclear threat. Texas Senator Ted Cruz joins the program to offer his perspective, strongly supporting Israel’s right to defend itself and warning of the catastrophic risks if Iran acquires nuclear weapons. Cruz confirms that while he opposes U.S. boots on the ground, he supports providing Israel with the necessary military tools to succeed, including bunker-busting munitions. He also discusses the broader implications for U.S. national security and the safety of American troops in the region. Listeners call in to share their views, with opinions split on the best course of action. Some caution against escalation, while others echo Clay’s call for decisive military support to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power. This hour sets the stage for what may be one of the most consequential foreign policy decisions of President Trump’s second term. With a high-level cabinet meeting reportedly scheduled at the White House, the show captures the urgency and gravity of the moment, offering in-depth analysis, expert commentary, and real-time reactions.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to today's edition of the Clay Travis and Buck
Sexton Show podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Welcome in Tuesday edition Clay Travis Buck Sexton Show. Appreciate
all of you hanging out with us. Buck still on
the French Riviera as he will be all week. I
am in Washington, d C. And I will be with
you solo all week long. Appreciate all of you hanging
out with us. We have got a lot to discuss,
(00:28):
in particular the decision that now looms for President Trump
as he has to decide what involvement, if any, should
the United States undertake to help Israel when it comes
to taking away the nuclear weapon option once and for
(00:49):
all from Iran. The President just put up this message,
we now have complete and total control of the skies
over Iran. Iran had good sky trackers and other defensive equipment,
and plenty of it, but it doesn't compare to American made,
conceived and manufactured stuff. Nobody does it better. Keyword there
(01:14):
to me, we now have complete and total control of
the skies over Iran, suggesting that the United States is
consulting with Iran at least enough for the Royal we
to be used there in some context, there are a
lot of different stories out there. I would say Russia
(01:39):
withdrawing support for the Islamic Republic is pretty significant. And
I'm going to open up phone lines and let you
guys way in because you may disagree with the take
that I'm about to give you. Let me also let
you know we got some great guests coming your way.
Couple of Senators Ted Cruz at the bottom of this
(02:00):
hour from Texas, at the top of the third hour,
two pm eastern, Senator Rampaul of Kentucky.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
And then in studio with me here in Washington, d C.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
At two thirty eastern, the Chairman of the FCC, Brendan Carr.
So we're gonna have some interesting conversations with those guests.
But right off the top, President Trump has a very
important decision to make, according to reports out and I
will play audio of I will play audio of this discussion.
(02:38):
But we do not have meaning, we do not have
the ability to stay completely out of that this conflict
if we want to eliminate Iran's ability to have nuclear
weapons going forward. In particular, Iran has buried much of
their nuclear material deep inside of a mountain, and in
(03:01):
order to reach that location, we need to use United
States bunker busting bombs that would require us to get involved.
Let me play this from CNN Caitlin Collins explaining exactly
what would be necessary in order to once and for
all destroy Iran's nuclear weapons capabilities.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
Cut seven tonight the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Desinia, who
says strikes in Iran have set its nuclear program back,
and I'm quoting him now a very long time, but
based on CNN analysis of one of the secretive Iranian
nuclear facilities, eliminating the program altogether could prove incredibly difficult
without more time, larger bombs, and assistance from the United States.
(03:44):
The pot Out plant, the nuclear plant, has been a
key target of Israel's over the last several days, and
we have new satellite images that show just how hard
it could be to take out and why. If you
look at this, you see there's a security perimeter protecting
what appears to be a heavily forty five mountain layer,
and it's believed that hundreds of centrifuges placed nearly three
hundred feet under the ground are working to enrich uranium
(04:06):
that could be ultimately used for nuclear bombs.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
Okay, So that is the background on why we may
have the ability to do something that Israel does not
when it comes to the technology and power of our
bombs that they do not have. Now, the decision that
Trump is going to have to make is should we
use American assets bombs to once and for all eliminate
(04:35):
Iran from being.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Able to get nuclear weapons.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Secondarily, should we okay or nod in some way assent
towards Israel's desire to take out the Ayatola Kamini and
once and for all remove the Ayatolas from leadership of Iran,
which they have had since the nineteen seventy nine revolution.
(04:59):
Here is Benjamin Yahoo cut twelve talking about assassinating the Ayatola.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
US officials tell us that the president flatly rejected a plan,
an opportunity that you that the Israelis had to take
out the supreme leader.
Speaker 5 (05:15):
Do you understand his concern?
Speaker 4 (05:16):
My understanding his concern is that this would escalate the
conflict beyond where it is already.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
It's not going to escalate the conflict. It's going to
end the conflict.
Speaker 6 (05:24):
We've had half a century of conflict spread by this
regime that has terrorized as everyone in the Middle East
is bombed, the Aramco oil fields in Saudi Arabia is
spreading terrorism and subversion and sabotage everywhere. That's the forever war,
is what Iran wants, and they're bringing us to the
brink of nuclear war. In fact, what Israel is doing
is preventing this, bringing an end to this, this aggression.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Okay, So the double question that Trump has to answer
as we sit here today is should we give assistance
in the way basically of these bunker busting bombs that
would wipe out nuclear capabilities of Iran that are deeply
(06:11):
buried underground, and reportedly Israel does not have the ability
to do it based on the weaponry that they control. Second,
should we in any way nod a sent or maybe
even potentially be involved in the removal of the Ayatolas.
This is split very reasonable, very rational people on both
(06:33):
the left and the right. Jade Vance just put out
a long piece saying that I'll read to you at
some point, but essentially saying President Trump should be trusted
to make this decision, and that Trump has been consistent
that Iran can never get a nuclear weapon and anything
that he does related to that will be in his
(06:54):
decade long career as a politician, further echoing the comments
that he is made throughout that Iran can't get a
nuclear weapon. Here's my answer. I think we should once
and for all wipe out Iran's ability to have nuclear weapons.
I think that if that requires us using our bunker
(07:15):
bombs to wipe out that capability, I think we should
do it. Second, I think the Ayatolas have to go. Now,
those may be controversial opinions. Some of you may disagree
eight hundred and two eight two two eight eight two.
We will take your calls to agree or disagree. You
can also talk back. We know, and let me lay
(07:37):
out why I believe this is necessary. Every time that
we have negotiated with Iran, especially with the deal that
Obama struck with Iran, the Iranians have been unwilling.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
To accede to the agreements.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
They always cheat, they always try to get nuclear weapons.
I don't blame them, because the Iola see nuclear weapons
in the same way that Kim Jong un and North
Korea did, which is, once they have them, the danger
of trying to take them out becomes so pronounced that
(08:12):
they will be in power effectively forever. I understand why
Iran wants nuclear weapons. It's a rational decision for the
iotolas to pursue them. It's why I don't believe that
Iranian Iotola leadership is ever going to give up the
pursuit of nuclear weapons. There is no doubt that they
(08:35):
are pursuing them. There is no doubt that they have
an incentive to one day have them because it increases
the overall power and stability of the iotolas. So to me,
this is a bit like starting to treat an infection
for antibiotics and then you stop. Iran is right now
(08:57):
on the precipice of how having the iotola is thrown
out of control of the country and also of never
being able to have nuclear weapons for the life of
anyone listening right now. I think we have the ability
to ensure that if we do not do it now.
I think using my antibiotics example, if you start to
(09:20):
take antibiotics and you have an infection and then you stop,
you can actually strengthen the infection because you didn't do
enough to knock it out. We have to, in my opinion,
and I know it's a tough call, and this is
why presidents age so much when they're in office, because
making tough calls is the ultimate job, and there are
(09:43):
good people arguing on both sides of this issue from
a variety of different perspectives. I think reasoned, articulate, logical
cases can be made for either decision. To me, if
you believe that Aron wants nuclear weapons and has been
pursuing them for a long time, which I do, then
(10:04):
you have to, in my opinion, wipe them out once
and for all. Now, some of you out there are saying, well,
this sounds too similar to Iraq, and we will talk
about it during the course of this program. I oppose
the Iraq War back in the day twenty some odd
years ago, because to me, it never made sense to
(10:24):
connect Saddam Hussein to nine to eleven, and we were
the aggressor going into Iraq, and the attempt to build
a new Iraqi government and the trillions of dollars that
we spent and the loss of men and the loss
of basically everything without much benefit to me felt very
(10:50):
similar to Afghanistan. So what would later happen in Afghanistan?
I do not believe that the United States should take
the next step of having boots on the ground and
trying to pick who the leaders of Iran are going
to be going forward. There seems to be some optimism
(11:11):
that the Iranian people might well support their royal family,
which was deposed and kicked out of the country in
the nineteen seventies. And again, if you go back and
watch those YouTube videos they're up, you can go check
them out. Iran, for a Middle Eastern country, used to
be quite free. Instead of walking around in he jobs
(11:33):
and burkas, women were walking around in high heels and skirts.
This was a jewel of Middle Eastern economy. They have
fallen behind. Saudi Arabia has passed them, Qatar has passed them.
All of these other countries that used to look up
to Iran have now ended up surpassing Iran. Persians proud
(11:57):
people that live there. I think think economically, this is
what I love about what Trump is doing. He's not
focusing on religion, He's focusing on economic opportunity. That doesn't
mean there's something wrong with the religious focus. But Christians,
Jews and Muslims have struggled to get along, as you
(12:19):
well know, in the Middle East for a very long time.
Trying to reconcile those religions can be challenging. Instead, to me,
what Trump seems to have been successful in doing is saying, hey,
let's focus on commerce, let's focus on capitalism, let's focus
on growing everybody's economy together. And that seems to have
(12:42):
been received very favorably. Trump has done a phenomenal job,
in my opinion, and his team on Middle Eastern relationships,
building them. The Middle Eastern countries, by and large, Saudi
Arabia the largest and most powerful of them. They want
the Ayatola's gone. They actually support Israel in the United States,
(13:05):
if we make this decision, it's going to be a
hard one.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
It's going to be a difficult one. We'll talk about this.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
I'll certainly talk about it with Ted Cruz and Senator
Ran Paul who are both going to be on this
program and will take some of your calls and some
of your talkbacks on this decision. But to me, this
is a hard decision. But presidents are elected to make
hard decisions. Trump, in my opinion, should should wipe out
(13:31):
the nuclear capabilities once and for all, and I think
should quietly assent to the idea from Israel of taking
out the Ayatolas who are persecuting authoritarians who do not
have I don't believe substantial support inside of Iran. I
think that what replaced them, while potentially uncertain, would be
(13:54):
better and safer for all of us than what is
there now. America first does not mean America alone. We
have to make rational decisions in the larger world about
how to ensure that we are safe. And I do
not believe that if we allowed Iran to ever have
(14:15):
a nuclear weapon that would make the world safer. We've
already got one crazy man, Kim Jong un, with nuclear weapons.
I don't think it's a good decision to allow Iran,
run by frankly religious zelic crazy people, to have a
nuclear weapon. We have seen what happens when religious zelate
(14:39):
crazy people from the Middle East decide to trade their
focus on us. It's nine to eleven. I believe that
the Ayatola is not just chancing death to America and
leading those chants in Iran because he wants a few
good viral moments. I think he hates America and would
(15:00):
do us ill, and therefore we have to prepare for it.
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(15:56):
In addition to the fact that we, which seems signifuh
meaning Israel in the United States, control the skies above,
Iran says, we know exactly where the so called quote
Supreme Leader is hiding. He is an easy target but
is safe there. We are not going to take him
out kill at least not for now. But we don't
(16:18):
want missile shot at civilians or American soldiers. Our patience
is wearing thin. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
So there is Trump giving, at least for now his
position on the ayah Toola. We are not going to
take him out and kill him, at least not for now.
(16:39):
Is that speaking on behalf of Israel? Who I don't know?
Or is that just speaking on behalf of the United States?
That is interesting. Trump has also said that Iran just
now must engage in unconditional surrender and so so this
(17:00):
thing is getting spread in a major way the story here.
So I'm in reacting in real time reading the president's comments.
We'll ask Senator Ted Cruz about these because he is
scheduled to join us in just a couple of minutes.
And I would say, this feels like a major point
(17:22):
of decision is close. So will we go in on
the Ayatolah? Will we take out the nuclear weapons? When
Trump says unconditional surrender, what does that mean that he
wants Iran to do put down their weapons and not
fire back? I presume, But what are the terms of
(17:44):
unconditional surrender on the Iranian side? Does that mean that
the Ayatolas are giving up power? What does that look like?
We will discuss with Senator Ted Cruz and we'll take
some of your reactions as well. First day of Summer
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(19:00):
be joined by Senator Ted Cruz in a moment. I
believe he is voting right now on the Senate floor.
So let me go ahead and hit you with this
off the top, so we're cleaned up for the backside.
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number two t dot org. While we wait on Senator
(20:10):
Ted Cruz to join us, several of you wanting to
weigh in let's go to James in Texas, which guy.
Speaker 7 (20:17):
James, Yeah, play. I would like to both applaud excampt
and applaud your your anti bonic.
Speaker 8 (20:29):
Thought on.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
Uh yeah, thank you. I think he was breaking up
there a little bit.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
He was using the antibiotic analogy to say that he
agrees by the way I told you I would read this.
I'm gonna go back to calls in a sec here,
but let me hit you with what jd Vance posted.
I'm seeing this from the inside, and I'm admittedly biased,
but there's a lot of crazy stuff on social media.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
Again, this is jd Vance.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
So I wanted to address directly some things on the
Iran issue. First, Trump has been potus has been amazingly
consistent over ten years that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.
Over the last few months, he's encouraged the Foreign policy
team to reach a deal with Iran to accomplish this goal.
Presidents make clear Iran cannot have uranium enrichment, and he
(21:14):
said repeatedly this would happen one of two ways, the
easy way or the other way. Then there's an explanation
of uranium enrichment, and he says, continuing the President shown
remarkable restraint, keeping our militaries focus on protecting our troops
and protecting our citizens. He may decide he needs to
take further action to end Iranian enrichment. That decision ultimately
(21:37):
belongs to the President. And of course people are right
to be worried about foreign entanglement after the last twenty
five years of idiotic foreign policy. But I believe the
President has earned some trust on this issue. Having seen
up close and personal, I can assure you he is
only interested in using the American military to accomplish the
American people's goals. Whatever he does at is his focus.
(22:01):
That is Jade Vance, Greg Import, Saint Lucy Florida, what
you got for us?
Speaker 8 (22:08):
I'm a listener. How are you so I'm gonna have
to disagree with you on behalf of dropping the bunker Buster.
I mean, if there's so many people that are just
you know, in the shadows, that are quietly supporting this,
then I think they need to help provide some bombs.
I don't think sending in a major bunker Busters and
(22:30):
great idea. We've got to remember there was the interview
back in ninety four with Dick Cheney U during the
whole desert storm and kreate situation. We were asked, you know,
why didn't we take out some dam at the time,
because he's said the word. That would be a bad idea,
because I think he destabilize the Middle East, all right,
as much of a dictator as he is, you destabilize it.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
Okay, I understand that argument. But let me go back
to the bomb. What would you do? Do you believe
that Ron wants nuclear weapons?
Speaker 8 (22:59):
I do absolutely believe that they want nuclear weapons.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
Okay, so I don't think why, I'm sorry, let me
just ask. Yeah, But so if it is required to
stop them from getting nuclear weapons that we use, because
they have buried much of their their production way underground
to try to prevent it from being reached by bombs,
and if only the United States has the technology and
(23:26):
the bomb making ability to reach that, would you leave
it alone and let Iron continue to try to produce
a nuclear weapon.
Speaker 8 (23:35):
No, I'm not saying leave it alone. I'm seeing right now,
we know that the Atola is extremely his health is
beginning to fade. He's just eighty seven years old. Okay.
We know that the regimes getting ready to collapse, especially
with all the you know Israeli, you know, strikes and
everything we see that, you know, they're getting ready to fall. Okay,
(23:55):
the leadership is collapsing. You know, it's just not good.
So let's just blow out all of the tunnels and
anything that leads down into there, kill it off, all right,
so that way they can't get down into it. By
that by the time they're able to get access to
that again, there's already going to be a regime change. Okay.
(24:15):
I think we should allow the region to deal with
this issue. I think, you know, I'm just a carpenter
from you know, a small town of Pennsylvania. Originally I
removed to for Saint Lucy about a decade ago. All right,
but we're tired of the doom and gloom and the
constant shelling in the Middle East.
Speaker 2 (24:36):
Okay, thank you for that, Thank you for the call.
Thank you for the call. I'm going to go to
work calls. My concern, candidly is that if we don't
end Iran's ability to undertake enrichment to try to produce
nuclear weapons, if we don't end it once and for
all now, we're going to be back at this exact
same situation in the years ahead. And that's why I
(24:59):
use the antibiotic example. If you've got a sickness and
you start to treat it with antibiotics, and you actually
don't fully wipe it out, you just take a couple
of pills or for a few days, then the virus
actually can come back much stronger than if you go
ahead and wipe it out once and for all right.
That's my analogy of what I'm concerned of if we
(25:22):
don't take out Iran once and for all right. Now,
Ken in Southeast Michigan, Ken, what you got for us?
Speaker 5 (25:29):
Well, I think it's the essential that we don't underestimate
how to vote. The leaders of our Iran are to
their religious conviction.
Speaker 9 (25:38):
Yes, they will use the nuclear bomb the second they
have it. They truly do believe, kill the infidel, kill
the non believer. This is their funnel metal belief system.
Speaker 5 (25:53):
They will use the weapons. They're not the Chinese, they're
not the Russians, they're not the Koreans. They will use it,
and we must stop them no matter what it takes.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
Thank you for the call.
Speaker 2 (26:08):
That's my concern for people out there who say, Okay,
why do we care if Iran gets a nuclear weapon?
I understand why Iran wants a nuclear weapon because the
Iotolas believe that, much like Kim Jong Un, that will
keep them from ever being replaced. That is a logical
goal on their side. But also we know that Muslim
(26:28):
fundamentalists who are religiously motivated are not necessarily going to
engage in rational behavior, and they may decide at some
point in time to actually fire a nuke and try
to wipe out Israel. They may decide at some point
in time to unleash that new nuclear arsenal on other
(26:49):
countries around the world. I'm nervous about Kim Jong un
doing it. I wish he didn't have nuclear weapons. I
think America would be safer. I think the world would
be safer. Senator Ted Kruz with us now. He's just
coming off the Senate floor. I know this is a
tough call, and he may not have been expecting that
this was going to emerge as the tough time that
we have now.
Speaker 1 (27:09):
To make this call.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
But what do you think America should do as it
pertains to Iran given what's going on right now?
Speaker 10 (27:19):
To be to be honest, Clay, I don't think it's
a tough call at all. I think we should stand
unshakably with the state of Israel. I think it Iran
acquiring a nuclear weapon is the most acute national security
threat facing the United States today, and I think Israel
acting decisively to take out Iran's capability to develop a
(27:43):
nuclear weapon is overwhelmingly beneficial to America. It makes us
safer because I think if the Iotola were to acquire
a nuclear weapon, the risks are unacceptably high that that
that the Iotola would use that weapon and actually kill
millions of Americans or millions of Israelis, And that's not
(28:04):
a risk that we should allow.
Speaker 1 (28:06):
I agree with that.
Speaker 2 (28:08):
In particular, we're diving into the decision that Trump may
have to make. If you were president right now, or
if the President called and asked for your advice, if
we need Israel does, if they need our bunker busting
bombs in order to get to some of these nuclear facilities,
should we should we give that assistance to Israel if asked?
(28:31):
In your mind, second part of this, should the Ayatolahs
be removed in some way, either allowing Israel to do
it or potentially America being involved. How would you handle
those two questions?
Speaker 10 (28:44):
So let's break them down one at a time. So
right now Israel is conducting the military strikes. The American
military is not conducting them. We are assisting with intelligence.
We're helping Israel with missile defense in Israel because Iran
is firing ballistic missiles and trying to kill as many
civilians as possible in Israel. And I would note there's
(29:05):
a huge difference between Israel's attacks, which are targeted military
attacks taking out the senior leadership of their military who
are charged with conducting the war, and also taking out
their nuclear facilities. In contrast, i Ran is trying to
kill civilians as many as possible. I do not believe
under any circumstances we should see American boots on the ground.
(29:29):
I don't think our military is needed to be on
the ground here. I think Israel is capable of doing this.
The one exception is the question you asked of bunker busters,
and in particular, most of the nuclear facilities Israel is
taking out quite effectively right now. The one major exception
is a facility that's called FORDA, and FORDA is built
into the base of a mountain, and it was deliberately
(29:52):
built to make it very difficult to bomb, and Israel
lacks the technical capacity. They don't have big enough bunker
busters to bomb and hit Fordau, UH, whereas America does.
And and so that's the one aspect I think there
is a serious argument. I've long argued that America should
be willing to provide those bunker busters because Fordau was
designed to help Iran. That's where they're conducting their most
(30:13):
sensitive nuclear research, and it was designed to help them
get a nuclear weapon, which which they intend I believe
UH to be able to use. And and the Iotola
chance death to America and death to Israel, and I
believe him, and and so I think it is it
is very worthwhile UH to to do what is necessary
(30:34):
to prevent them from having a nuclear weapon that that
could help them make death to America and death to
to to Israel much more of a reality and and
and be used to commit UH murder on on a
massive scale. Now on the second question about regime change,
in my view of the world would be much better
if the Iotolas were no longer in charge of Iran.
(30:58):
I think the the Iatola is a theocratic zealot. He
refers to Israel as the little Satan. He refers to
America as the Great Satan, and unquestionably Iran would be better,
Israel would be better, America would be better if the
Iotola were not in charge. I don't think that means
we should invade Iran and try to topple the Iotola,
(31:19):
but I think we should use every tool we have,
in particular economic sanctions and pressure. And indeed, this military
campaign directed at stopping the nuclear program I think is
weakening the regime as well, and so we should certainly
cheer if the Iatola, if the regime falls, But whether
(31:40):
it does or not, the objective of Israel's attack here
is not regime change, but it is to stop Iran
from getting nuclear weapons.
Speaker 2 (31:49):
If Natyahu asked for the ability to kill the Ayatola,
should Trump, in your mind give that nod, even if
we're not directly involved.
Speaker 10 (32:03):
You know, look that that's a difficult question. I talked
about it on the latest episode of my podcast Verdict
with Ted Cruz, and we talked about it at some length.
There has been reporting. I don't know if this is accurate.
I don't know independently, but I've read the newspaper stories
that say the net and Yah who wanted to target
the Iyatola, and the Trump White House asked them not to.
(32:23):
I don't have a reason to doubt or dispute that
that reporting, and listen, I think it's a close call.
Generally in warfare, nations refrained from targeting heads of state.
It's also complicated by the Iyahtola being simultaneously a religious
figure and taking out a religious figure that there are
real risks of that, there are risks of making him
(32:45):
a martyr and and inflaming things further. So I think
it is a reasonable decision to say, rather than targeting
the Iyatola himself, who's a you know, an old man,
that what they're doing in Israel is doing it with
amazing precision. Is they're taking out the senior military leadership.
They're taking out taking out the head of the IRGC
(33:08):
and the chief of Staff and in fact then the
next chief of staff. They keep taking out the senior
leadership of the military that is number one in charge
of waging the terror war. Iran provides ninety percent of
the funding to Hamas and ninety percent of the funding
to Hesbelah, and they're taking out the senior leadership that
are directing the missile strikes on Israel that are directing
(33:30):
the nuclear program, they're also taking out the nuclear scientists.
I think it makes sense for the attacks to be
directed at removing their ability to wage war against Israel
into wage war against America. I will tell you also,
it is a dangerous time. It's a dangerous time for
(33:51):
the people of Israel. I spoke with a friend of
mine on Sunday whose mom is in Jerusalem, and he
said his mom like, nobody's able to sleep because they
wake up at two and three in the morning every
night night with with air rate sirens going on, and
they have to rush to the bomb shelter. So I mean,
it is intense when a civilian population is facing constant
missile strikes, and there have been significant fatalities, and there
(34:11):
may be substantially more so the people of Israel in
harm's way, but Clay also our servicemen and women. We
have a large number of servicemen and women that are
in the Middle East, and I think it is exceptionally important.
I spoke with President Trump on Sunday and I called
him just to say that I thought he was doing
(34:32):
exceptionally well and standing with Israel and his leadership was
really important, and I said, in particular, thank you for
making unequivocally clear to Iran that if they attack and
kill US servicemen and women, that they will face very
significant retaliation from the United States. I think that is
(34:52):
protecting the lives of our servicemen and women, and that
is what a strong commander in chief does. That's what
Trump is doing.
Speaker 2 (35:00):
Senator Ted Cruz, we appreciate the time, know how busy
you are. Thanks for hopping on.
Speaker 10 (35:04):
Thanks my friend, God bless We'll.
Speaker 1 (35:06):
Continue to take your calls.
Speaker 2 (35:07):
Eight hundred and two A two two eight A two
My thanks to Ted Cruz's major decision coming from President
Trump as to what he should do in Iran reports
that he has a cabinet meeting with all of his
(35:30):
top advisors at one pm Eastern in the White House,
just down the road from where I am right now,
to potentially make a decision about whether or not to
allow those bunker busting bombs to be used, potentially maybe
also to decide what to do with the Ayatola. And
we will keep you updated on all of this, which
(35:52):
may well be being determined during the course of today's program. Also,
Senator Ran Paul and FCC chair and Brendan Carr scheduled
to join us in the third hour, but this upcoming
hour no guests at all will dive into this story
in greater detail. Allow you guys to weigh in. You
can also give us talkbacks eight hundred two two two
(36:14):
eight a two And we will continue as the President
faces one of the most consequential decisions in foreign policy,
maybe the most of his early tenure in term two.
So we will discuss that, break it all down for you.
Appreciate all of you listening. Tough decision. Should we use
our bunker busting bombs, that's a tough phrase to say,
(36:37):
on the relier weapons? And what about regime change? Should
we be involved in that in a way, we'll continue
to discuss with y'all.
Welcome to today's edition of the Clay Travis and Buck
Sexton Show podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Welcome in Tuesday edition Clay Travis Buck Sexton Show. Appreciate
all of you hanging out with us. Buck still on
the French Riviera as he will be all week. I
am in Washington, d C. And I will be with
you solo all week long. Appreciate all of you hanging
out with us. We have got a lot to discuss,
(00:28):
in particular the decision that now looms for President Trump
as he has to decide what involvement, if any, should
the United States undertake to help Israel when it comes
to taking away the nuclear weapon option once and for
(00:49):
all from Iran. The President just put up this message,
we now have complete and total control of the skies
over Iran. Iran had good sky trackers and other defensive equipment,
and plenty of it, but it doesn't compare to American made,
conceived and manufactured stuff. Nobody does it better. Keyword there
(01:14):
to me, we now have complete and total control of
the skies over Iran, suggesting that the United States is
consulting with Iran at least enough for the Royal we
to be used there in some context, there are a
lot of different stories out there. I would say Russia
(01:39):
withdrawing support for the Islamic Republic is pretty significant. And
I'm going to open up phone lines and let you
guys way in because you may disagree with the take
that I'm about to give you. Let me also let
you know we got some great guests coming your way.
Couple of Senators Ted Cruz at the bottom of this
(02:00):
hour from Texas, at the top of the third hour,
two pm eastern, Senator Rampaul of Kentucky.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
And then in studio with me here in Washington, d C.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
At two thirty eastern, the Chairman of the FCC, Brendan Carr.
So we're gonna have some interesting conversations with those guests.
But right off the top, President Trump has a very
important decision to make, according to reports out and I
will play audio of I will play audio of this discussion.
(02:38):
But we do not have meaning, we do not have
the ability to stay completely out of that this conflict
if we want to eliminate Iran's ability to have nuclear
weapons going forward. In particular, Iran has buried much of
their nuclear material deep inside of a mountain, and in
(03:01):
order to reach that location, we need to use United
States bunker busting bombs that would require us to get involved.
Let me play this from CNN Caitlin Collins explaining exactly
what would be necessary in order to once and for
all destroy Iran's nuclear weapons capabilities.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
Cut seven tonight the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Desinia, who
says strikes in Iran have set its nuclear program back,
and I'm quoting him now a very long time, but
based on CNN analysis of one of the secretive Iranian
nuclear facilities, eliminating the program altogether could prove incredibly difficult
without more time, larger bombs, and assistance from the United States.
(03:44):
The pot Out plant, the nuclear plant, has been a
key target of Israel's over the last several days, and
we have new satellite images that show just how hard
it could be to take out and why. If you
look at this, you see there's a security perimeter protecting
what appears to be a heavily forty five mountain layer,
and it's believed that hundreds of centrifuges placed nearly three
hundred feet under the ground are working to enrich uranium
(04:06):
that could be ultimately used for nuclear bombs.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
Okay, So that is the background on why we may
have the ability to do something that Israel does not
when it comes to the technology and power of our
bombs that they do not have. Now, the decision that
Trump is going to have to make is should we
use American assets bombs to once and for all eliminate
(04:35):
Iran from being.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Able to get nuclear weapons.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Secondarily, should we okay or nod in some way assent
towards Israel's desire to take out the Ayatola Kamini and
once and for all remove the Ayatolas from leadership of Iran,
which they have had since the nineteen seventy nine revolution.
(04:59):
Here is Benjamin Yahoo cut twelve talking about assassinating the Ayatola.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
US officials tell us that the president flatly rejected a plan,
an opportunity that you that the Israelis had to take
out the supreme leader.
Speaker 5 (05:15):
Do you understand his concern?
Speaker 4 (05:16):
My understanding his concern is that this would escalate the
conflict beyond where it is already.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
It's not going to escalate the conflict. It's going to
end the conflict.
Speaker 6 (05:24):
We've had half a century of conflict spread by this
regime that has terrorized as everyone in the Middle East
is bombed, the Aramco oil fields in Saudi Arabia is
spreading terrorism and subversion and sabotage everywhere. That's the forever war,
is what Iran wants, and they're bringing us to the
brink of nuclear war. In fact, what Israel is doing
is preventing this, bringing an end to this, this aggression.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Okay, So the double question that Trump has to answer
as we sit here today is should we give assistance
in the way basically of these bunker busting bombs that
would wipe out nuclear capabilities of Iran that are deeply
(06:11):
buried underground, and reportedly Israel does not have the ability
to do it based on the weaponry that they control. Second,
should we in any way nod a sent or maybe
even potentially be involved in the removal of the Ayatolas.
This is split very reasonable, very rational people on both
(06:33):
the left and the right. Jade Vance just put out
a long piece saying that I'll read to you at
some point, but essentially saying President Trump should be trusted
to make this decision, and that Trump has been consistent
that Iran can never get a nuclear weapon and anything
that he does related to that will be in his
(06:54):
decade long career as a politician, further echoing the comments
that he is made throughout that Iran can't get a
nuclear weapon. Here's my answer. I think we should once
and for all wipe out Iran's ability to have nuclear weapons.
I think that if that requires us using our bunker
(07:15):
bombs to wipe out that capability, I think we should
do it. Second, I think the Ayatolas have to go. Now,
those may be controversial opinions. Some of you may disagree
eight hundred and two eight two two eight eight two.
We will take your calls to agree or disagree. You
can also talk back. We know, and let me lay
(07:37):
out why I believe this is necessary. Every time that
we have negotiated with Iran, especially with the deal that
Obama struck with Iran, the Iranians have been unwilling.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
To accede to the agreements.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
They always cheat, they always try to get nuclear weapons.
I don't blame them, because the Iola see nuclear weapons
in the same way that Kim Jong un and North
Korea did, which is, once they have them, the danger
of trying to take them out becomes so pronounced that
(08:12):
they will be in power effectively forever. I understand why
Iran wants nuclear weapons. It's a rational decision for the
iotolas to pursue them. It's why I don't believe that
Iranian Iotola leadership is ever going to give up the
pursuit of nuclear weapons. There is no doubt that they
(08:35):
are pursuing them. There is no doubt that they have
an incentive to one day have them because it increases
the overall power and stability of the iotolas. So to me,
this is a bit like starting to treat an infection
for antibiotics and then you stop. Iran is right now
(08:57):
on the precipice of how having the iotola is thrown
out of control of the country and also of never
being able to have nuclear weapons for the life of
anyone listening right now. I think we have the ability
to ensure that if we do not do it now.
I think using my antibiotics example, if you start to
(09:20):
take antibiotics and you have an infection and then you stop,
you can actually strengthen the infection because you didn't do
enough to knock it out. We have to, in my opinion,
and I know it's a tough call, and this is
why presidents age so much when they're in office, because
making tough calls is the ultimate job, and there are
(09:43):
good people arguing on both sides of this issue from
a variety of different perspectives. I think reasoned, articulate, logical
cases can be made for either decision. To me, if
you believe that Aron wants nuclear weapons and has been
pursuing them for a long time, which I do, then
(10:04):
you have to, in my opinion, wipe them out once
and for all. Now, some of you out there are saying, well,
this sounds too similar to Iraq, and we will talk
about it during the course of this program. I oppose
the Iraq War back in the day twenty some odd
years ago, because to me, it never made sense to
(10:24):
connect Saddam Hussein to nine to eleven, and we were
the aggressor going into Iraq, and the attempt to build
a new Iraqi government and the trillions of dollars that
we spent and the loss of men and the loss
of basically everything without much benefit to me felt very
(10:50):
similar to Afghanistan. So what would later happen in Afghanistan?
I do not believe that the United States should take
the next step of having boots on the ground and
trying to pick who the leaders of Iran are going
to be going forward. There seems to be some optimism
(11:11):
that the Iranian people might well support their royal family,
which was deposed and kicked out of the country in
the nineteen seventies. And again, if you go back and
watch those YouTube videos they're up, you can go check
them out. Iran, for a Middle Eastern country, used to
be quite free. Instead of walking around in he jobs
(11:33):
and burkas, women were walking around in high heels and skirts.
This was a jewel of Middle Eastern economy. They have
fallen behind. Saudi Arabia has passed them, Qatar has passed them.
All of these other countries that used to look up
to Iran have now ended up surpassing Iran. Persians proud
(11:57):
people that live there. I think think economically, this is
what I love about what Trump is doing. He's not
focusing on religion, He's focusing on economic opportunity. That doesn't
mean there's something wrong with the religious focus. But Christians,
Jews and Muslims have struggled to get along, as you
(12:19):
well know, in the Middle East for a very long time.
Trying to reconcile those religions can be challenging. Instead, to me,
what Trump seems to have been successful in doing is saying, hey,
let's focus on commerce, let's focus on capitalism, let's focus
on growing everybody's economy together. And that seems to have
(12:42):
been received very favorably. Trump has done a phenomenal job,
in my opinion, and his team on Middle Eastern relationships,
building them. The Middle Eastern countries, by and large, Saudi
Arabia the largest and most powerful of them. They want
the Ayatola's gone. They actually support Israel in the United States,
(13:05):
if we make this decision, it's going to be a
hard one.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
It's going to be a difficult one. We'll talk about this.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
I'll certainly talk about it with Ted Cruz and Senator
Ran Paul who are both going to be on this
program and will take some of your calls and some
of your talkbacks on this decision. But to me, this
is a hard decision. But presidents are elected to make
hard decisions. Trump, in my opinion, should should wipe out
(13:31):
the nuclear capabilities once and for all, and I think
should quietly assent to the idea from Israel of taking
out the Ayatolas who are persecuting authoritarians who do not
have I don't believe substantial support inside of Iran. I
think that what replaced them, while potentially uncertain, would be
(13:54):
better and safer for all of us than what is
there now. America first does not mean America alone. We
have to make rational decisions in the larger world about
how to ensure that we are safe. And I do
not believe that if we allowed Iran to ever have
(14:15):
a nuclear weapon that would make the world safer. We've
already got one crazy man, Kim Jong un, with nuclear weapons.
I don't think it's a good decision to allow Iran,
run by frankly religious zelic crazy people, to have a
nuclear weapon. We have seen what happens when religious zelate
(14:39):
crazy people from the Middle East decide to trade their
focus on us. It's nine to eleven. I believe that
the Ayatola is not just chancing death to America and
leading those chants in Iran because he wants a few
good viral moments. I think he hates America and would
(15:00):
do us ill, and therefore we have to prepare for it.
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Promo code Clay for forty percent off. President Trump just posting.
(15:56):
In addition to the fact that we, which seems signifuh
meaning Israel in the United States, control the skies above,
Iran says, we know exactly where the so called quote
Supreme Leader is hiding. He is an easy target but
is safe there. We are not going to take him
out kill at least not for now. But we don't
(16:18):
want missile shot at civilians or American soldiers. Our patience
is wearing thin. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
So there is Trump giving, at least for now his
position on the ayah Toola. We are not going to
take him out and kill him, at least not for now.
(16:39):
Is that speaking on behalf of Israel? Who I don't know?
Or is that just speaking on behalf of the United States?
That is interesting. Trump has also said that Iran just
now must engage in unconditional surrender and so so this
(17:00):
thing is getting spread in a major way the story here.
So I'm in reacting in real time reading the president's comments.
We'll ask Senator Ted Cruz about these because he is
scheduled to join us in just a couple of minutes.
And I would say, this feels like a major point
(17:22):
of decision is close. So will we go in on
the Ayatolah? Will we take out the nuclear weapons? When
Trump says unconditional surrender, what does that mean that he
wants Iran to do put down their weapons and not
fire back? I presume, But what are the terms of
(17:44):
unconditional surrender on the Iranian side? Does that mean that
the Ayatolas are giving up power? What does that look like?
We will discuss with Senator Ted Cruz and we'll take
some of your reactions as well. First day of Summer
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(19:00):
be joined by Senator Ted Cruz in a moment. I
believe he is voting right now on the Senate floor.
So let me go ahead and hit you with this
off the top, so we're cleaned up for the backside.
Our friends at Tunnel to the Towers do incredible work,
and unfortunately nine to eleven still taking lives today. We
remember the twenty nine hundred and seventy seven people lost
(19:23):
on nine to eleven, including many first responders, but since
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Towers at T two t dot org. That's t the
number two t dot org. While we wait on Senator
(20:10):
Ted Cruz to join us, several of you wanting to
weigh in let's go to James in Texas, which guy.
Speaker 7 (20:17):
James, Yeah, play. I would like to both applaud excampt
and applaud your your anti bonic.
Speaker 8 (20:29):
Thought on.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
Uh yeah, thank you. I think he was breaking up
there a little bit.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
He was using the antibiotic analogy to say that he
agrees by the way I told you I would read this.
I'm gonna go back to calls in a sec here,
but let me hit you with what jd Vance posted.
I'm seeing this from the inside, and I'm admittedly biased,
but there's a lot of crazy stuff on social media.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
Again, this is jd Vance.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
So I wanted to address directly some things on the
Iran issue. First, Trump has been potus has been amazingly
consistent over ten years that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.
Over the last few months, he's encouraged the Foreign policy
team to reach a deal with Iran to accomplish this goal.
Presidents make clear Iran cannot have uranium enrichment, and he
(21:14):
said repeatedly this would happen one of two ways, the
easy way or the other way. Then there's an explanation
of uranium enrichment, and he says, continuing the President shown
remarkable restraint, keeping our militaries focus on protecting our troops
and protecting our citizens. He may decide he needs to
take further action to end Iranian enrichment. That decision ultimately
(21:37):
belongs to the President. And of course people are right
to be worried about foreign entanglement after the last twenty
five years of idiotic foreign policy. But I believe the
President has earned some trust on this issue. Having seen
up close and personal, I can assure you he is
only interested in using the American military to accomplish the
American people's goals. Whatever he does at is his focus.
(22:01):
That is Jade Vance, Greg Import, Saint Lucy Florida, what
you got for us?
Speaker 8 (22:08):
I'm a listener. How are you so I'm gonna have
to disagree with you on behalf of dropping the bunker Buster.
I mean, if there's so many people that are just
you know, in the shadows, that are quietly supporting this,
then I think they need to help provide some bombs.
I don't think sending in a major bunker Busters and
(22:30):
great idea. We've got to remember there was the interview
back in ninety four with Dick Cheney U during the
whole desert storm and kreate situation. We were asked, you know,
why didn't we take out some dam at the time,
because he's said the word. That would be a bad idea,
because I think he destabilize the Middle East, all right,
as much of a dictator as he is, you destabilize it.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
Okay, I understand that argument. But let me go back
to the bomb. What would you do? Do you believe
that Ron wants nuclear weapons?
Speaker 8 (22:59):
I do absolutely believe that they want nuclear weapons.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
Okay, so I don't think why, I'm sorry, let me
just ask. Yeah, But so if it is required to
stop them from getting nuclear weapons that we use, because
they have buried much of their their production way underground
to try to prevent it from being reached by bombs,
and if only the United States has the technology and
(23:26):
the bomb making ability to reach that, would you leave
it alone and let Iron continue to try to produce
a nuclear weapon.
Speaker 8 (23:35):
No, I'm not saying leave it alone. I'm seeing right now,
we know that the Atola is extremely his health is
beginning to fade. He's just eighty seven years old. Okay.
We know that the regimes getting ready to collapse, especially
with all the you know Israeli, you know, strikes and
everything we see that, you know, they're getting ready to fall. Okay,
(23:55):
the leadership is collapsing. You know, it's just not good.
So let's just blow out all of the tunnels and
anything that leads down into there, kill it off, all right,
so that way they can't get down into it. By
that by the time they're able to get access to
that again, there's already going to be a regime change. Okay.
(24:15):
I think we should allow the region to deal with
this issue. I think, you know, I'm just a carpenter
from you know, a small town of Pennsylvania. Originally I
removed to for Saint Lucy about a decade ago. All right,
but we're tired of the doom and gloom and the
constant shelling in the Middle East.
Speaker 2 (24:36):
Okay, thank you for that, Thank you for the call.
Thank you for the call. I'm going to go to
work calls. My concern, candidly is that if we don't
end Iran's ability to undertake enrichment to try to produce
nuclear weapons, if we don't end it once and for
all now, we're going to be back at this exact
same situation in the years ahead. And that's why I
(24:59):
use the antibiotic example. If you've got a sickness and
you start to treat it with antibiotics, and you actually
don't fully wipe it out, you just take a couple
of pills or for a few days, then the virus
actually can come back much stronger than if you go
ahead and wipe it out once and for all right.
That's my analogy of what I'm concerned of if we
(25:22):
don't take out Iran once and for all right. Now,
Ken in Southeast Michigan, Ken, what you got for us?
Speaker 5 (25:29):
Well, I think it's the essential that we don't underestimate
how to vote. The leaders of our Iran are to
their religious conviction.
Speaker 9 (25:38):
Yes, they will use the nuclear bomb the second they
have it. They truly do believe, kill the infidel, kill
the non believer. This is their funnel metal belief system.
Speaker 5 (25:53):
They will use the weapons. They're not the Chinese, they're
not the Russians, they're not the Koreans. They will use it,
and we must stop them no matter what it takes.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
Thank you for the call.
Speaker 2 (26:08):
That's my concern for people out there who say, Okay,
why do we care if Iran gets a nuclear weapon?
I understand why Iran wants a nuclear weapon because the
Iotolas believe that, much like Kim Jong Un, that will
keep them from ever being replaced. That is a logical
goal on their side. But also we know that Muslim
(26:28):
fundamentalists who are religiously motivated are not necessarily going to
engage in rational behavior, and they may decide at some
point in time to actually fire a nuke and try
to wipe out Israel. They may decide at some point
in time to unleash that new nuclear arsenal on other
(26:49):
countries around the world. I'm nervous about Kim Jong un
doing it. I wish he didn't have nuclear weapons. I
think America would be safer. I think the world would
be safer. Senator Ted Kruz with us now. He's just
coming off the Senate floor. I know this is a
tough call, and he may not have been expecting that
this was going to emerge as the tough time that
we have now.
Speaker 1 (27:09):
To make this call.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
But what do you think America should do as it
pertains to Iran given what's going on right now?
Speaker 10 (27:19):
To be to be honest, Clay, I don't think it's
a tough call at all. I think we should stand
unshakably with the state of Israel. I think it Iran
acquiring a nuclear weapon is the most acute national security
threat facing the United States today, and I think Israel
acting decisively to take out Iran's capability to develop a
(27:43):
nuclear weapon is overwhelmingly beneficial to America. It makes us
safer because I think if the Iotola were to acquire
a nuclear weapon, the risks are unacceptably high that that
that the Iotola would use that weapon and actually kill
millions of Americans or millions of Israelis, And that's not
(28:04):
a risk that we should allow.
Speaker 1 (28:06):
I agree with that.
Speaker 2 (28:08):
In particular, we're diving into the decision that Trump may
have to make. If you were president right now, or
if the President called and asked for your advice, if
we need Israel does, if they need our bunker busting
bombs in order to get to some of these nuclear facilities,
should we should we give that assistance to Israel if asked?
(28:31):
In your mind, second part of this, should the Ayatolahs
be removed in some way, either allowing Israel to do
it or potentially America being involved. How would you handle
those two questions?
Speaker 10 (28:44):
So let's break them down one at a time. So
right now Israel is conducting the military strikes. The American
military is not conducting them. We are assisting with intelligence.
We're helping Israel with missile defense in Israel because Iran
is firing ballistic missiles and trying to kill as many
civilians as possible in Israel. And I would note there's
(29:05):
a huge difference between Israel's attacks, which are targeted military
attacks taking out the senior leadership of their military who
are charged with conducting the war, and also taking out
their nuclear facilities. In contrast, i Ran is trying to
kill civilians as many as possible. I do not believe
under any circumstances we should see American boots on the ground.
(29:29):
I don't think our military is needed to be on
the ground here. I think Israel is capable of doing this.
The one exception is the question you asked of bunker busters,
and in particular, most of the nuclear facilities Israel is
taking out quite effectively right now. The one major exception
is a facility that's called FORDA, and FORDA is built
into the base of a mountain, and it was deliberately
(29:52):
built to make it very difficult to bomb, and Israel
lacks the technical capacity. They don't have big enough bunker
busters to bomb and hit Fordau, UH, whereas America does.
And and so that's the one aspect I think there
is a serious argument. I've long argued that America should
be willing to provide those bunker busters because Fordau was
designed to help Iran. That's where they're conducting their most
(30:13):
sensitive nuclear research, and it was designed to help them
get a nuclear weapon, which which they intend I believe
UH to be able to use. And and the Iotola
chance death to America and death to Israel, and I
believe him, and and so I think it is it
is very worthwhile UH to to do what is necessary
(30:34):
to prevent them from having a nuclear weapon that that
could help them make death to America and death to
to to Israel much more of a reality and and
and be used to commit UH murder on on a
massive scale. Now on the second question about regime change,
in my view of the world would be much better
if the Iotolas were no longer in charge of Iran.
(30:58):
I think the the Iatola is a theocratic zealot. He
refers to Israel as the little Satan. He refers to
America as the Great Satan, and unquestionably Iran would be better,
Israel would be better, America would be better if the
Iotola were not in charge. I don't think that means
we should invade Iran and try to topple the Iotola,
(31:19):
but I think we should use every tool we have,
in particular economic sanctions and pressure. And indeed, this military
campaign directed at stopping the nuclear program I think is
weakening the regime as well, and so we should certainly
cheer if the Iatola, if the regime falls, But whether
(31:40):
it does or not, the objective of Israel's attack here
is not regime change, but it is to stop Iran
from getting nuclear weapons.
Speaker 2 (31:49):
If Natyahu asked for the ability to kill the Ayatola,
should Trump, in your mind give that nod, even if
we're not directly involved.
Speaker 10 (32:03):
You know, look that that's a difficult question. I talked
about it on the latest episode of my podcast Verdict
with Ted Cruz, and we talked about it at some length.
There has been reporting. I don't know if this is accurate.
I don't know independently, but I've read the newspaper stories
that say the net and Yah who wanted to target
the Iyatola, and the Trump White House asked them not to.
(32:23):
I don't have a reason to doubt or dispute that
that reporting, and listen, I think it's a close call.
Generally in warfare, nations refrained from targeting heads of state.
It's also complicated by the Iyahtola being simultaneously a religious
figure and taking out a religious figure that there are
real risks of that, there are risks of making him
(32:45):
a martyr and and inflaming things further. So I think
it is a reasonable decision to say, rather than targeting
the Iyatola himself, who's a you know, an old man,
that what they're doing in Israel is doing it with
amazing precision. Is they're taking out the senior military leadership.
They're taking out taking out the head of the IRGC
(33:08):
and the chief of Staff and in fact then the
next chief of staff. They keep taking out the senior
leadership of the military that is number one in charge
of waging the terror war. Iran provides ninety percent of
the funding to Hamas and ninety percent of the funding
to Hesbelah, and they're taking out the senior leadership that
are directing the missile strikes on Israel that are directing
(33:30):
the nuclear program, they're also taking out the nuclear scientists.
I think it makes sense for the attacks to be
directed at removing their ability to wage war against Israel
into wage war against America. I will tell you also,
it is a dangerous time. It's a dangerous time for
(33:51):
the people of Israel. I spoke with a friend of
mine on Sunday whose mom is in Jerusalem, and he
said his mom like, nobody's able to sleep because they
wake up at two and three in the morning every
night night with with air rate sirens going on, and
they have to rush to the bomb shelter. So I mean,
it is intense when a civilian population is facing constant
missile strikes, and there have been significant fatalities, and there
(34:11):
may be substantially more so the people of Israel in
harm's way, but Clay also our servicemen and women. We
have a large number of servicemen and women that are
in the Middle East, and I think it is exceptionally important.
I spoke with President Trump on Sunday and I called
him just to say that I thought he was doing
(34:32):
exceptionally well and standing with Israel and his leadership was
really important, and I said, in particular, thank you for
making unequivocally clear to Iran that if they attack and
kill US servicemen and women, that they will face very
significant retaliation from the United States. I think that is
(34:52):
protecting the lives of our servicemen and women, and that
is what a strong commander in chief does. That's what
Trump is doing.
Speaker 2 (35:00):
Senator Ted Cruz, we appreciate the time, know how busy
you are. Thanks for hopping on.
Speaker 10 (35:04):
Thanks my friend, God bless We'll.
Speaker 1 (35:06):
Continue to take your calls.
Speaker 2 (35:07):
Eight hundred and two A two two eight A two
My thanks to Ted Cruz's major decision coming from President
Trump as to what he should do in Iran reports
that he has a cabinet meeting with all of his
(35:30):
top advisors at one pm Eastern in the White House,
just down the road from where I am right now,
to potentially make a decision about whether or not to
allow those bunker busting bombs to be used, potentially maybe
also to decide what to do with the Ayatola. And
we will keep you updated on all of this, which
(35:52):
may well be being determined during the course of today's program. Also,
Senator Ran Paul and FCC chair and Brendan Carr scheduled
to join us in the third hour, but this upcoming
hour no guests at all will dive into this story
in greater detail. Allow you guys to weigh in. You
can also give us talkbacks eight hundred two two two
(36:14):
eight a two And we will continue as the President
faces one of the most consequential decisions in foreign policy,
maybe the most of his early tenure in term two.
So we will discuss that, break it all down for you.
Appreciate all of you listening. Tough decision. Should we use
our bunker busting bombs, that's a tough phrase to say,
(36:37):
on the relier weapons? And what about regime change? Should
we be involved in that in a way, we'll continue
to discuss with y'all.
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Buck Sexton
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