June 2, 2026 • 36 mins
In Hour 3 of The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton shift toward a mix of cultural commentary, American identity, 250th anniversary celebrations, media influence, and grassroots patriotism, delivering a thoughtful and often spirited discussion on national unity, public sentiment, and the future of American culture.
The hour opens with lighthearted commentary from Washington, D.C., where Buck observes early activity and preparation for the upcoming America 250 celebration, marking the nation’s 250th anniversary of independence. The hosts discuss entertainment and event planning surrounding the celebration, including musical performances and public festivities, while debating whether the event should lean more toward cultural celebration or political messaging. This sets the foundation for a broader conversation about how Americans are approaching this historic milestone.
A central theme throughout Hour 3 is whether the United States is capable of coming together for a major national celebration. Clay compares the upcoming America 250 celebration to the bicentennial in 1976, noting that despite significant challenges at that time—economic struggles, political turmoil, and social unrest—there was still a strong sense of national pride and unity. In contrast, both hosts question whether today’s environment, characterized by political polarization and cultural division, will allow for a similar collective experience.
The conversation evolves into a deeper analysis of declining national happiness and consumer sentiment, despite strong underlying indicators such as wealth, life expectancy, and safety. Clay argues that social media has played a major role in reducing overall happiness and increasing societal anxiety, suggesting it has had a widespread psychological impact similar to how harmful substances once affected physical health. Buck pushes back, emphasizing instead economic pressures such as inflation, housing costs, and gas prices as key drivers of dissatisfaction. This debate highlights a recurring theme in the show: the tension between cultural and economic explanations for public sentiment in America.
The hosts further explore how political narratives influence national identity, particularly around the teaching and interpretation of American history. Clay argues that modern political divisions, especially disagreements over how to view the nation’s past, have made it more difficult to create a unifying national celebration. Buck adds that political leadership and messaging also shape the tone of events like America 250, raising questions about whether political figures should play a central role in such celebrations.
A major segment of Hour 3 features an interview with Kelley Paul, author of new children’s books Goodnight Young American and Goodnight Little American. Her books are designed to introduce young audiences to American history and patriotic themes, focusing on the Founding Fathers, the Revolutionary War, and the ideals of liberty and independence. Paul explains that the books were inspired by a desire to provide family-friendly, patriotic educational content for children, emphasizing storytelling that highlights American courage, freedom, and foundational values. She discusses concerns that modern media and children’s programming may lack this perspective, and positions her books as a way to encourage historical awareness, family engagement, and national pride.
Paul also reflects on her personal experiences growing up during the bicentennial and contrasts that era’s widespread community celebrations and patriotic enthusiasm with what she perceives as a less unified national mood today. She emphasizes the importance of teaching younger generations about American history through accessible and engaging formats, including literature and family traditions such as visiting historical sites.
Later in the hour, Clay and Buck take listener calls and reactions, which reinforce the divide in perspectives about the upcoming America 250 celebration. Some listeners express excitement and describe personal plans to celebrate with flags, fireworks, and patriotic gatherings, while others echo concerns about political division and declining national unity. The hosts highlight these contrasting viewpoints as evidence of a broader national conversation about what it means to celebrate America in the current climate.
Additional discussion touches on California election issues, including frustration over slow vote counting and broader concerns about election systems. The hosts also engage in commentary about government accountability and political privilege, briefly discussing topics such as stock trading by lawmakers, which they suggest should face stricter bipartisan regulation.
The hour concludes with a return to the overarching theme of patriotism and personal respo
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Third hour of Clay and Buck Kickshof Now, everybody, great
to be with you here. I'm coming to you from
our nation's capital, which is very interesting time to be here,
I think because we got the two fiftieth happening. I
was walking by the FBI headquarters this morning. Clay, It's
a true story. I was on Pennsylvania Avenue walking down
(00:21):
the street and I had one or two of those
people who look at me. I don't know if they're
just like, is that guy's hair ai or or I
think that's Buck of Clay and Buck. It could be
either one. But as I'm walking by the Hoover building,
I heard I probably should have taken a video of
this because people might think that I'm having some kind
(00:41):
of a hallucination. There was loud Justin Timberlake music coming
from the FBI building. I don't know if they're having
like a zumba class out on the promenade or something,
but I walked past the Hoover Building and rock your
Body if you remember that, Justin to oh Yeah back
in the day was playing. And then I was walking
to go visit with our friends from the Ruthless podcast,
(01:04):
which with that I went on that one, and they
are demanding a Clay Travis appearance there soon as well.
So I went on the Ruthless podcast to hang with
all those boys, mister Comfortably Smug and Josh Holmes and
Mike and John, the whole crew, and they're great guys.
So that'll be coming out later. But on the way
over there I heard it sounded like sound tests going on.
(01:27):
I just think there's a lot of early prep for
the two hundred and fiftieth that is underway here. You
can tell there's a little bit of a festive atmosphere
out on the streets. Things look like they're starting to
get lively. And with that in mind, I just want
to say, you know, you don't always know who's going
to be a hero. You don't know who is going
(01:48):
to step up when things start to look a little tough,
as they have for the two fifty planning recently. Let's
be honest, things got a little bit of a pushback
on that one, but sure enough, Clay, one of the
great one hit wonders of all time, putting on his cape.
Not all heroes wear capes. Putting on his cape, so
(02:10):
to speak, Vanilla Ice is in fact going to be
performing at the two fiftieth. This has cut twenty six.
Listen to the man himself. I'm proud to be an American.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
I was born here and raised here, and this is
my country, and I don't like anybody telling me I
really can't be proud of it. And this is a
huge honor to play the birthday. It's in a lifetime,
you know, two fifty, So I'm honored. I respect everybody else.
I know there's a lot of tension everywhere. This whole
world is like a snow globe. But it shouldn't be that.
And music is here to bring people together, man, and
(02:41):
you know it shouldn't be that. This music is dragged
into politics.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
It's not right, and we can stop that. Why was
his his audio? Vanilla Ice just blasted out my ear.
Hopefully he didn't do that to everybody on the radio,
but nonetheless, Vanilla Ice. I do you know his real name? Offhand?
I don't. Will he will always be Vanilla Ice to me.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
But I used to know his real name because it's
kind of a funny name, like Rupert or something like that.
You would not that you would not anticipate someone named
Henry or you know.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
I I will say, also a little sad to see
there was a part of me that thought that Millie
Vanilli's fab mor Von. We don't have to buy that play.
I don't want to hear I don't want to hear
Robert van Robert van Winkle. I remember that there was
a his name is Robert van Winkle. Yes, wow, okay,
(03:35):
all right, I did not know that. I didn't that.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Yeah, I knew it was like the the ultimate, like
kind of like country club ish name.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Yeah. Definitely sounds like he likes croquet. And you would
not think that he at one point was a rap
superstar or I guess hip hop or I'm not sure
what you're I think it's rap, right ice ice babies rap.
But but Millie Vanilly's fab more Von is sadly not
a right winger. Nor is he going to be performing
at the two fiftieth. I saw that Trump said he's
(04:05):
going to give a speech at the two fiftieth. I
don't think that's really what people had in mind for
the two hundred and fiftieth celebration of a speech. I'm
not sure I'll leave that. You know, Trump fans are
gonna love whatever he does, no matter what he does
every time he does it, so that's fine. But I
feel like it's either a festival of America or it's
(04:27):
a political celebration, or rather it's a political event. I
don't know how much you want to have crossover between
those two. That all said, there is still the UFC
fight going to happen, right, there's a UFC fight that will.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
Yeah, but that's I believe June fourteenth, So that's a couple.
I mean, that's a week from Sunday, so that's soon.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Are you going to that?
Speaker 3 (04:51):
Maybe I'm not one hundred percent sure I'm gonna be anyway,
I'm running around on the road. I'm testified in front
of Congress next week. I don't even know if that's public,
but I'm testifying in front of Congress. And then we
have the we have the big event for advertisers that
(05:12):
we do down in South Florida that I have to
be to. And I was thinking about trying to go
to the US World Cup opener, which is all the
way out in LA. So that is to say, I
don't know where the heck I'm gonna be. And meanwhile,
I got to manage the kids.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Okay, all right, We're getting a little deep into clay
schedule here point bing Clay, do you think that the
Trump speech for the two fiftieth is the move here?
I don't know why. We just can't have a whole
lot of people who play great, you know, music and
have just like patriotic stuff, a lot of American flags,
love America and everything else. I don't know that it
(05:50):
has to be. I don't know that a particular speech
from a particular president should be the main event.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
I was just talking about this offen with producer. Ally,
I don't get the sense that America two fifty feels
like a very big event to me, in the way
that you know, when it gets close to Christmas. Everywhere
you go, even if you're not die hard for celebrating Christmas,
it feels like you are aware of it. July fourth, obviously,
(06:22):
is a patriotic event every year, and there's certain parts
of the American capitalistic ecosystem that celebrated more than others.
I was hoping that America two fifty would feel like
a real event to me.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
It doesn't.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
And that's the history nerd in me, because I didn't
get to experience America two hundred, and I've seen a
lot of the footage from America two hundred, and it
feels like the nation came together in nineteen seventy six
and celebrated, and things were actually kind of awful in
nineteen seventy six, for those of you who have forgotten
(06:59):
mortgage your rates were double digits. Unemployment was not good.
We were coming out of the awfulness of the Vietnam War.
You had RFK and MLK assassinated in sixty eight, you
had JFK in sixty three. Yet everybody could come together
(07:20):
even when things weren't great in nineteen seventy six, and say,
America is awesome. Let's all celebrate. I don't feel like
we're going to have in America is awesome. Let's all
celebrate feel in twenty fifty, even though objectively things are
much better in America for two fifty in terms of
where we are in twenty twenty six, I think compared
(07:41):
to where we were in nineteen seventy six. But I
think one of the problems with this buck is and
there's actually a good piece I was reading in Axios
about this Americans have never been less happy, and I
don't I think you're yeah, really the consumer sentiment has
never been lower than it is right now, and I
(08:04):
think I'm gonna be honest with everybody. I think this
is all social media. I think that social media has
been destructive to mental health across the board. Not for
every single person the same way, but I think in general,
social media has destroyed net happiness in America.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
If you go back and you look, it.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
Started about twenty thirteen, that overall happiness in America has cratered,
and the consumer centiment is at all time lows. I
don't even think it really matters who the president or
the party is in power in terms of the way
people feel. Because one half is angry and then the
other half is angry. I don't get the sense that
(08:49):
people want to celebrate. And I was optimistic Buck coming
out of the US men's hockey team because I think
that tapped into an innate depth of reservoir for American exceptionalism.
I hope that America two fifty was going to be
a great unifying event. It doesn't feel like it's going
to be one.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
And I think.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
Ultimately Travis is being captain. I'm being pessimistic. I think
there's two reasons. One is I think social media. I
think that social media makes everybody unhappy as a group. Two,
I think the Democrat Party has made as its foundational
belief system that America's history is not one to celebrate.
(09:29):
And I think when half the country is not willing
to celebrate American history, it makes it hard to believe
that America two fifty is a good thing. And I
think you combine it with social media and there's just
a great deal of angst and unhappiness.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
Yeah, I think they also hate Trump man. I think
that the fact that Trump is a guy in charge
of the celebrations, Okay, they can't play that aside. Yeah,
let's go back.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
If ron DeSantis had been elected president instead of Trump,
I think that they would still hate American history. Think
what you're gonna see, unfortunately, is the Trump hate. They're
gonna try to pivot it to JD Vance or Marco Rubio. Now,
the extent to which it sticks, I think is a
fair question. But the idea that they're gonna be like, oh,
(10:13):
Trump was a unique threat to democracy, and now the
new Republican, Oh, he's fine. I just I don't think
that's gonna be the reality. I think they're they're they're
connecting America being awful with in their mind, his history
with whatever Republican figure.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Is like the most depressing segment you've ever You've ever
really leaned into heavily. Here, buddy, this is like this usually.
I was looking you to be it's gonna be awesome,
because I think it's gonna be a total non event unfortunate.
Speaker 3 (10:42):
Well, I mean I think look July fourth in d C.
I'm sure you've been before, right, because you lived in DC.
Have you ever gone? Or is the crowd such.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Like you know me? I I don't you know. I
don't even like fireworks, Okay, I'm that guy. I'm always
like they're too loud. What's with all these boom backs
in the sky. I'm not fun.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
If you have never been and taken a blanket and
put it on the National Mall and just laid back
and watch the fireworks over the National Mall, it is
an awesome event to go to. So my suggestion at
this point in time would just be put on the biggest,
baddest ass fireworks display that has ever existed in the
(11:23):
history of mankind if you can interact it as well
with some sort of drone show which has become popular now.
I think that would be great, but I think unfortunately
the national fever that social media has unleashed. I mean,
do you buy into that. I think we're gonna look
at social media in the decades ahead as modern day cigarettes.
(11:49):
I think people are gonna look at them and say,
for health psychological, not as much physical, although maybe there's
a physical component to it too. I think people are
going to look at social media and say the fact
that we just got on handed phones to kids and
we let them run with this like crazy was the
modern day equivalent of cigarettes.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
And I think it's just.
Speaker 3 (12:10):
Unfortunately collapsed overall net happiness in a very negative way.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
So I'm down. I don't subscribe. I don't subscribe you
vociferous in this. I don't subscribe to the cigarettes give
you lung cancer and ruin your health. So I don't
think that.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
There's physical versus mental. I think that social media has
done mentally what cigarettes did physically in terms of people's
overall well.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
People used to say this that television was going to
make everybody into zombies, and yeah, some people watch TV
way too much. They watch for six or eight hours
a day, and they come home and their couch potatoes.
But it's all it's a look. Social media has like
any other tool.
Speaker 3 (12:48):
Social media has been great for people like you and
me who make careers. But I think there's a very
big difference between something that you look at externally and
something that is largely MP's pockets. And so you think
people are too bummed out because of Facebook to enjoy
the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
I think I think this is a lot You're putting
a lot on on Zuckerberg and co.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
I think that social media since twenty thirteen has driven
down we're at.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
This is true.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
We're at the absolute lowest consumer confidence ratings that we've
ever had. I think it's largely connected to social media,
irrespective of the fact that life has tended to be
getting better. I think the other part of this, though,
is Democrats have decided that American history is evil and
that it's rooted in slavery. And if you believe that
American history is a bad thing, it's hard to celebrate
(13:38):
the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the country. I
think that's the combo.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
Consumer confidence is low clay because costs or high costs,
or high because of a number of things, but gas.
But if you got very I mean, this is you go.
I think I think we're focusing more on on Facebook
and TikTok than the Iran war, which unfortunately has not
come to a conclusion and is still driving gas.
Speaker 3 (13:59):
But if you go back, I can look at the overall
consumer confidence. It drove off a cliff in twenty thirteen,
and we have had a lot of very good economic cycles.
We've had far worse economic cycles. I'm talking about buck
consumer confidence. You can go back and look at it
since nineteen sixty. It's lower now than it was when
things were awful in the nineteen seventies, when things were
(14:21):
awful in two thousand and eight and nine, when objectively
the overall economy stunk, Employments low, stock market setting record highs. Unemployment,
I should say is low. Overall wage growth has been
relatively good in Trump so far.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Yeah, I mean, I think consumer confidence is particularly troubled
right now because housing prices are up sixty percent in
less than five years, and the price of gas has
gone up dramatically, and groceries are expensive, and inflation has
actually been priced because we shouldn't have spent seven trillion
dollars during COVID that we didn't have out of thin air,
and now we're still dealing with the hangover of those prices.
Speaker 3 (14:59):
All of those things are true, but eight to oh
nine was worse than nineteen seventies, which you and I
weren't alive for, were awful. Nineteen seventy six people came
together and celebrated. We just had the Vietnam War. Fifty
thousand people died in a war that we had no
business fighting. Nixon had just been impeached, RFK Senior R
(15:20):
the first RFK, and MLK had just been assassinated a
few years before. There was a lot of tumult, and
everybody said, America is awesome, let's celebrate the two hundredth anniversary.
I think there's something deeper than the current reality of
economic situations that unfortunately is afoot right now. And I'm
not sure anyone.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
I think a lot of people were excited about Millie
Vanilly and they're now still dealing with the disappointment. All right.
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What I was just referencing.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
And by the way, we're gonna be joined by Kelly Paul,
wife of Rand Paulish's got a couple of kids books.
This is from Axios Yesterday. Americans are richer than they
have ever been before, safer and longer lived.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
I'm reading from.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
Axios US total wealth, all time high, violent crime, one
hundred and twenty year low. Life expectancy just hit seventy
nine years, the highest in American history. And yet University
of Michigan consumer sentiment just hit its lowest reading in
fifty years. So we're richer, we're living longer, and we're
(17:36):
safer than we have ever been in the history of
the United States. Yet people are at fifty year lows
for contentment. What's going on? That's I'm kind of hitting at.
I'm thinking about it a lot. We'll maybe talk about
that a little bit with Kelly Paul when we come back.
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Welcome back in to Clay. And Buck. We're joined now
by Kelly Paul, author of good Night, Young American and
good Night Little American. And Kelly is the wife of
doctor and Senator Rand Paul, who is a frequent guest
(19:10):
on the show. Kelly, congrats on the authorship on the
books that come out today. Tell us a bit about these.
We were just discussing the two fiftieth and patriotism, and
it feels like it could use a little bit of
a boost in some quarters these days. Your books talk
about Americans, I assume about from the perspective of loving America.
Speaker 5 (19:31):
Tell us about it absolutely well, thanks so much for
having me, Yes, they do. They were inspired by my grandson.
This is my first time to ever write a children's book.
He's about a year and a half old, and my
daughter in law late last summer was saying she thought
we needed more patriotic books for children and board books
(19:53):
for young children, and so I got the idea, especially
with America's two fifty coming up. My book really take
a journey of a little boy who has a dream.
On July fourth, he's out celebrating with his parents and
he goes to bed that night he dreams all of
American revolutionary history. So he's on the Mayflower and he's
(20:16):
a pilgrim, then he's a colonist. He makes friends with
great American revolutionary heroes like Sam Adams and takes part
in the Boston Tea Party, and he makes friends with
Paul Revere and rides with him. And my hope is
that it will start conversation with parents and children just
about the heroism and bravery courage that our founders really showed.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
Kelly, I appreciate you coming on and encourage people to
check out the book. Bucke and Eye were just having
a conversation about America two fifty. I don't know if
you remember America two hundred, but based on the things
that we see, it seems like the nation came together
for America two hundred, even though a lot of things
were objectively tough for the country. At that point in time.
(21:04):
You had just had RFK and MLK assassinated, Richard Nixon
had just been impeached and removed from office, the Vietnam
War had been going on. Yet people seem to come
together and really have a good time at two hundred.
I don't get the sense that that's happening for twoint fifty.
Speaker 1 (21:21):
Do you how do we change that?
Speaker 3 (21:24):
Now?
Speaker 5 (21:24):
I agree, and I do very much. Remember America two hundred.
I was a little girl growing up in a small
town in Russellville, and that by centennial summer was so exciting,
and I think of just our little town. My mother
and I had seventeen seventy six style dresses made, and
so did all my friends and their moms, and we
(21:46):
all participated in this big festival in our downtown square
for the Bye centennial, and I just I remember it
just consumed the whole summer, and I wish I did
see that kind of spirit for the two fifteen. And
you're right, I'm really.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
Not how much of of your efforts to write this
book comes out of a recognition, Kelly, that there's a
there's a lack of content that I think young people
are exposed to that celebrates traditional Americana and and and
our history. I mean, I'll give you just an example
I have. I have a one year old and I
(22:24):
won't name names here, but there's a communist on YouTube
that he seems to want to watch all the time
that does children's content that is very left wing, and
I can't get him he's he's old enough now where
he will he will take the controller out of my hand.
He can't really find things yet, but he'll take it
out of my hand and kind of bang it until
I give him the the left wing song and dance
(22:47):
from YouTube that he wants. So is this in part
because you want kids to have content that aligns with
with your values and and and you know, I'm just
wondering what spurred you to do this?
Speaker 5 (22:58):
I agree one percent because our grandson is about seventeen
months old, and our son and daughter in law they
say kind of the same thing as I said. My
daughter in law really gave me the idea for this
because she's like, you know, we want to really instill
these values and we want to have you know, our
son grow up with an appreciation for America and a
(23:20):
love for America. And you know, that's really my purpose
in the book. I mean, I think we need to
remember that the American Revolution was was really a convergence
of you know, vision and resolve that has never been
equaled in all of human history. I mean, our founders
were really the original civil rights heroes. They took you know,
(23:42):
ideals from the Enlightenment and used them to challenge the
divine right of kings and hereditary rule and challenge the
most powerful empire in the world in order to say, look,
we believe in and you know, in natural law, we
believe in that our rights come from thodd and not
from any king or any government. So their courage was
(24:05):
really intellectual and moral, but it was also physical courage,
as they were all basically committing acts of treason. Right
the Declaration of Independence was considered an act of treason.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
We're talking to Kelly Paul would encourage all of you
to go check out her brand new book for Kids.
It is out today. Kelly, you're talking about courage in
this age in which we live. We've had your husband,
Rand Paul on a lot. What is it like to
raise kids and also now have grandkids, as you just said,
(24:42):
in a world where violence feels omnipresent for people that
are in public life, people like your husband who had
to deal with being attacked and having people celebrate his attacker.
And certainly it hasn't even been a year since what
happened to Charlie Kirk, the shooting of President Trump. What's
that like for you as both a mom and grandma
(25:02):
and a wife.
Speaker 5 (25:04):
You know, it's very challenging at times, it really is.
And there are moments when I'm just sort of like, rand, gosh,
just let's check this and you can go back to
being a nice doctor in Bowling Green. But but then
I remember that, you know, we've been given such an
incredible honor and platform and voice, and I am so
(25:24):
proud of brand for the things that he stands for,
and so I just try to, you know, feel feel brave.
I mean, I try to feel like, Okay, very few
people have the kind of you know, platform that we do,
and so I want to use it for good. And
that's what I try to focus on.
Speaker 1 (25:46):
So the book is out today or the two books
rather out today? Are you planning on doing more after
this one? Kelly? The books, by the way, good Night
Young American, good Night Little American. What age is is
this mostly geared for?
Speaker 5 (26:00):
So good Night Little American is a bored book. So
it's for babies and toddlers, and it's lullabies and really
beautiful frustrations. But they are they're patriotic. I mean, they
they sort of distilled down the idea that you know,
equality and joy or something for us all to pursue
and it came from you know, Jefferson's writing of the Declaration.
(26:23):
And it's a simple, sweet, little bedtime board book. And
then good Night, Young American is for children, probably ages
four to eight, so it could be read to your
child or older children can read it themselves. And and
in that one, my little character is a little boy.
As I said, he he basically in his dream is
(26:46):
part of He's just part of all revolutionary history. He's
there in Philadelphia when the signers of the declaration are signing,
and he climbs up and he rings a livery bell.
He makes friends with Ben Franklin and uh learns about electricity,
and he is crossing the Delaware with George Washington. He's
just present for all of it. And it's written, you know,
(27:08):
through the eyes of a child. UH. And at the
end of the book, when the little boy wakes up
from his dream, there's a nice map in the back
of the book, a simple map for children. But I
my hope is that more families will try to maybe
see some of these great landmarks, make some southern trips
and uh summer trips and go go to Boston or
(27:30):
go to Massachusetts, or UH see you know see where
the declaration was signed in Philadelphia. I think that those
are the kind of things that we did back in
you know, the bi centennial, right. I mean, I know
my dad took us on a trip and it was
very special.
Speaker 1 (27:48):
Kelly.
Speaker 3 (27:49):
If people want these books, thank you for making the
time with us again. Good Night Young American and good
night little American. Amazon, where would you suggest they can
find these? And I believe your name is k E. L. L.
E Y if people are typing in Kelly Paul just
to search for that.
Speaker 6 (28:08):
Right.
Speaker 5 (28:09):
Yes, they are on Amazon, They're on Barnes and Noble,
they're online, they're in stores, They're just about everywhere. So
I hope that families will enjoy them, and I hope
that it will inspire more children to really understand what
we're celebrating when we celebrate Independence Day this year.
Speaker 3 (28:30):
Awesome. We appreciate the time. Thank your husband for all
the work he does. Thank you for all the work
that you're doing as well.
Speaker 5 (28:37):
Thank you both so much for having me.
Speaker 3 (28:39):
And by the way, Kelly, I think you are a listener,
so you have great taste in radio as well, if
I remember based on past, So thank you for being
part of the Clay and Buck family.
Speaker 5 (28:50):
Yes, love your show.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (28:52):
That is Kelly Paul courage all of you to go
check out her new kids books that are out right now.
And we were talking about America two fifty, talking about
America two hundred. It's also coming up on the twenty
fifth anniversary of Tunnel to Towers. In fact or, in
one of the commercial breaks, Buck and I were talking
with a producer, Ali to make sure that we're going
to be able to go to help raise money and
(29:13):
honor all of the work that Tunnel to Towers has
been doing in this twenty fifth anniversary year. And right
now I want to tell you all about Mario Nelson.
He is an Army sergeant. He served in the National Guard,
volunteered at Ground Zero after the nine to eleven attacks,
and then enlisted full time in the Army. Deployed to Iraq,
(29:35):
where he made the ultimate sacrifice when he was killed
by a rocket propelled grenade. Mario left behind his wife Mecca,
their daughter Mia. The Tunnel the Towers Foundation recognized the
sacrifice of this family by providing Mecca and Meo with
a mortgage free home help even more families like the Nelsons.
Your donation today can make a world of difference in
(29:56):
honoring their service and keeping their memory alive. Donate eleven
a month and amplify your impact with a car or
Land donation. Go to ttwot dot org. That's t twot
dot org.
Speaker 4 (30:10):
Level up your brain and balance out your day with
the right amount of information and entertainment. Clay Travis and
Buck Sexton on the iHeartRadio app or.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
Wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome back in Clay and Buck,
appreciate all of you hanging out with us a bunch.
Speaker 1 (30:27):
You've been waiting a while. We'll hit to some of
your calls.
Speaker 3 (30:30):
Also, try to get to your talkbacks mover rapidly.
Speaker 5 (30:33):
Here.
Speaker 3 (30:34):
Patty in Virginia, you say your house is all designed
and you're ready for two point fifty.
Speaker 5 (30:41):
Absolutely stop bumming me out on this because I am
decorated for the two fiftieth birthday and cannot wait. All
my neighbors know it and everything.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
There we go. Yeah, Clay, mister bummer, thank you for
the call.
Speaker 3 (30:56):
David in Montana nineteen seventy six versus twenty twenty your
thoughts well.
Speaker 7 (31:02):
I graduated high school in nineteen seventy six, and I
seemed like everybody that I ever talked to that graduated,
they all picked their colors, cap and downs and stuff
like that, and everybody was red, white and blue.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
That's a great point.
Speaker 3 (31:17):
Thank you for the call again, Buck, And I did
not experience America two hundred, but I.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
Really play you didn't experience Come on though seventy nine.
Speaker 3 (31:30):
I'm the last great Gen xer and the generation that
continues to save America. And I just remember, even in
pop culture there was a huge embrace of American exceptionalism,
all different sorts of popular books and movies that were
(31:51):
coming out and everything else. Is there anything two fifty
focused that feels like, oh, this was made for America
to fifty. I just don't get the sense that there is.
And let me get some of these talkbacks. But because
there's a bunch of them. Patriot, kate E, I be
Joe and Huntington Beach, California, Go vote California. He's reacting
(32:14):
to that cut out.
Speaker 6 (32:15):
It's amazing to me that people who try to criticize
Spencer Pratt by saying that he was a reality TV
star in his twenties, do you know what Karen Bass
was doing? In her twenties, she was going to Cuba
supporting the Castro regime, and she was a part of
communist groups. I mean, you can't make this stuff up.
Speaker 3 (32:37):
Yeah, cut b that's very true. Cut Bee Scott. In California, you'd.
Speaker 8 (32:43):
Be happy if you came in on Wednesday and found
out that there were two Republicans in the rate for
al a mayor. What do you think this is California.
We won't have him result by Wednesday. Take much longer
than Wednesday, figure it out and put the propagama And
that's the way it's always going to happen.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
Yeah, California has got to fix this. My hope is Buck,
that we will have enough of the vote in that
you can tell we remember, we don't have to get
project factly who won, just like who are the top
two going to be? My hope is that we've got
at least it's a projection pending democrat. After the fac
shenanigans and finding giant bags of ballots in cars trunks,
(33:24):
somehow that happen to all be for Democrats like that.
You know, we're going to assume what we assume until
all of a sudden, the late the post postmarked ballots come.
Speaker 1 (33:35):
I think you're with me.
Speaker 3 (33:36):
I bet on this. I believe in federalism. I also
believe that you shouldn't be able to count votes for
three weeks. There should be some basic national standards for
elections in the United States. This California, we're counting for
three weeks. Business is shouldn't be allowed. I don't think
by the federal government, even from someone who believes in
(33:59):
states way, how can the Democrats know how many votes
they have to make up if they don't have time
to count and change them afterwards. Let's be fair to
how they like things to go. Pete from Minnesota listens
on Newstalk eleven thirty. This is d hit it.
Speaker 6 (34:15):
If Spencer Pratt wins mayor of LA, it's going to
be interesting to compare how well a LA does to
New York City with Mondami.
Speaker 1 (34:25):
It will be a little bit of an ab test,
if you will. They're in different places as a city,
as cities with different problems, but well, there's some similar problems,
but obviously the situations are a bit unique, and we
will we will see how that all goes. I think
there's a lot of room to make enormous progress very
(34:45):
quickly in Los Angeles, particularly on things like cutting red
tape and cutting excess spending. I'm sure that's true in
New York as well. Dave in Cincinnati cut Sea.
Speaker 9 (34:58):
Wrong, Clay On Buffett, He's not the best investor of
all time.
Speaker 2 (35:02):
He's only the second best behind Nancy Pelosi.
Speaker 1 (35:07):
Nancy's got game, you know. For somebody who doesn't seem
like she can add and subtract on her own, she
certainly knows how to pick stocks really well.
Speaker 3 (35:16):
I don't understand this is something that I think should
be crazily by partisan. How do we let these guys
get away with insider trading and buying and selling individual stocks.
Speaker 1 (35:28):
Because the people that have to write the laws are
the people that don't want to be governed by these laws.
They want to they don't want to be subject to
the same rules as the rest of us. It's just
like when they exempted themselves from Obamacare. The Democrats said
it was disgusting. Well, Clay, this is a this is
a good one. We got to get to this one.
This is podcast listener Brian on a g on the
list here hit it, Clay and Buck.
Speaker 9 (35:48):
Brian and Savannah have been listening since rush started. So
I don't know about y'all, but my family, we feel
it's going to be two fifty. We're celebrating. We have
six hundred dollars and fireworks and my boys have matching
mullet wigs, hit viper sunglasses, an American flag overall shorts,
(36:08):
and we are going to rock out.
Speaker 1 (36:10):
That is the spirit of two fifty Clay that Brian
is establishing.
Speaker 8 (36:14):
That.
Speaker 1 (36:14):
And I'll say this for all of you, Honestly, who
cares what the celebration is here in the swamp in DC.
Have your own two fifty celebration. Wherever you are across
the country. You celebrate America doesn't have to be based
all here in our nation's capital. So what if you
don't have million Vanilli in your backyard. I can't wait.
Speaker 3 (36:33):
We will have a great July fourth on the Florida
Gulf coast. But I do wish America could come together.
It does not, sound, unfortunately, buck like we will. I
don't want to end on a bad note, So everybody
go vote and make America better.
Speaker 1 (36:49):
Thanks
Third hour of Clay and Buck Kickshof Now, everybody, great
to be with you here. I'm coming to you from
our nation's capital, which is very interesting time to be here,
I think because we got the two fiftieth happening. I
was walking by the FBI headquarters this morning. Clay, It's
a true story. I was on Pennsylvania Avenue walking down
(00:21):
the street and I had one or two of those
people who look at me. I don't know if they're
just like, is that guy's hair ai or or I
think that's Buck of Clay and Buck. It could be
either one. But as I'm walking by the Hoover building,
I heard I probably should have taken a video of
this because people might think that I'm having some kind
(00:41):
of a hallucination. There was loud Justin Timberlake music coming
from the FBI building. I don't know if they're having
like a zumba class out on the promenade or something,
but I walked past the Hoover Building and rock your
Body if you remember that, Justin to oh Yeah back
in the day was playing. And then I was walking
to go visit with our friends from the Ruthless podcast,
(01:04):
which with that I went on that one, and they
are demanding a Clay Travis appearance there soon as well.
So I went on the Ruthless podcast to hang with
all those boys, mister Comfortably Smug and Josh Holmes and
Mike and John, the whole crew, and they're great guys.
So that'll be coming out later. But on the way
over there I heard it sounded like sound tests going on.
(01:27):
I just think there's a lot of early prep for
the two hundred and fiftieth that is underway here. You
can tell there's a little bit of a festive atmosphere
out on the streets. Things look like they're starting to
get lively. And with that in mind, I just want
to say, you know, you don't always know who's going
to be a hero. You don't know who is going
(01:48):
to step up when things start to look a little tough,
as they have for the two fifty planning recently. Let's
be honest, things got a little bit of a pushback
on that one, but sure enough, Clay, one of the
great one hit wonders of all time, putting on his cape.
Not all heroes wear capes. Putting on his cape, so
(02:10):
to speak, Vanilla Ice is in fact going to be
performing at the two fiftieth. This has cut twenty six.
Listen to the man himself. I'm proud to be an American.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
I was born here and raised here, and this is
my country, and I don't like anybody telling me I
really can't be proud of it. And this is a
huge honor to play the birthday. It's in a lifetime,
you know, two fifty, So I'm honored. I respect everybody else.
I know there's a lot of tension everywhere. This whole
world is like a snow globe. But it shouldn't be that.
And music is here to bring people together, man, and
(02:41):
you know it shouldn't be that. This music is dragged
into politics.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
It's not right, and we can stop that. Why was
his his audio? Vanilla Ice just blasted out my ear.
Hopefully he didn't do that to everybody on the radio,
but nonetheless, Vanilla Ice. I do you know his real name? Offhand?
I don't. Will he will always be Vanilla Ice to me.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
But I used to know his real name because it's
kind of a funny name, like Rupert or something like that.
You would not that you would not anticipate someone named
Henry or you know.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
I I will say, also a little sad to see
there was a part of me that thought that Millie
Vanilli's fab mor Von. We don't have to buy that play.
I don't want to hear I don't want to hear
Robert van Robert van Winkle. I remember that there was
a his name is Robert van Winkle. Yes, wow, okay,
(03:35):
all right, I did not know that. I didn't that.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Yeah, I knew it was like the the ultimate, like
kind of like country club ish name.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Yeah. Definitely sounds like he likes croquet. And you would
not think that he at one point was a rap
superstar or I guess hip hop or I'm not sure
what you're I think it's rap, right ice ice babies rap.
But but Millie Vanilly's fab more Von is sadly not
a right winger. Nor is he going to be performing
at the two fiftieth. I saw that Trump said he's
(04:05):
going to give a speech at the two fiftieth. I
don't think that's really what people had in mind for
the two hundred and fiftieth celebration of a speech. I'm
not sure I'll leave that. You know, Trump fans are
gonna love whatever he does, no matter what he does
every time he does it, so that's fine. But I
feel like it's either a festival of America or it's
(04:27):
a political celebration, or rather it's a political event. I
don't know how much you want to have crossover between
those two. That all said, there is still the UFC
fight going to happen, right, there's a UFC fight that will.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
Yeah, but that's I believe June fourteenth, So that's a couple.
I mean, that's a week from Sunday, so that's soon.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Are you going to that?
Speaker 3 (04:51):
Maybe I'm not one hundred percent sure I'm gonna be anyway,
I'm running around on the road. I'm testified in front
of Congress next week. I don't even know if that's public,
but I'm testifying in front of Congress. And then we
have the we have the big event for advertisers that
(05:12):
we do down in South Florida that I have to
be to. And I was thinking about trying to go
to the US World Cup opener, which is all the
way out in LA. So that is to say, I
don't know where the heck I'm gonna be. And meanwhile,
I got to manage the kids.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Okay, all right, We're getting a little deep into clay
schedule here point bing Clay, do you think that the
Trump speech for the two fiftieth is the move here?
I don't know why. We just can't have a whole
lot of people who play great, you know, music and
have just like patriotic stuff, a lot of American flags,
love America and everything else. I don't know that it
(05:50):
has to be. I don't know that a particular speech
from a particular president should be the main event.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
I was just talking about this offen with producer. Ally,
I don't get the sense that America two fifty feels
like a very big event to me, in the way
that you know, when it gets close to Christmas. Everywhere
you go, even if you're not die hard for celebrating Christmas,
it feels like you are aware of it. July fourth, obviously,
(06:22):
is a patriotic event every year, and there's certain parts
of the American capitalistic ecosystem that celebrated more than others.
I was hoping that America two fifty would feel like
a real event to me.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
It doesn't.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
And that's the history nerd in me, because I didn't
get to experience America two hundred, and I've seen a
lot of the footage from America two hundred, and it
feels like the nation came together in nineteen seventy six
and celebrated, and things were actually kind of awful in
nineteen seventy six, for those of you who have forgotten
(06:59):
mortgage your rates were double digits. Unemployment was not good.
We were coming out of the awfulness of the Vietnam War.
You had RFK and MLK assassinated in sixty eight, you
had JFK in sixty three. Yet everybody could come together
(07:20):
even when things weren't great in nineteen seventy six, and say,
America is awesome. Let's all celebrate. I don't feel like
we're going to have in America is awesome. Let's all
celebrate feel in twenty fifty, even though objectively things are
much better in America for two fifty in terms of
where we are in twenty twenty six, I think compared
(07:41):
to where we were in nineteen seventy six. But I
think one of the problems with this buck is and
there's actually a good piece I was reading in Axios
about this Americans have never been less happy, and I
don't I think you're yeah, really the consumer sentiment has
never been lower than it is right now, and I
(08:04):
think I'm gonna be honest with everybody. I think this
is all social media. I think that social media has
been destructive to mental health across the board. Not for
every single person the same way, but I think in general,
social media has destroyed net happiness in America.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
If you go back and you look, it.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
Started about twenty thirteen, that overall happiness in America has cratered,
and the consumer centiment is at all time lows. I
don't even think it really matters who the president or
the party is in power in terms of the way
people feel. Because one half is angry and then the
other half is angry. I don't get the sense that
(08:49):
people want to celebrate. And I was optimistic Buck coming
out of the US men's hockey team because I think
that tapped into an innate depth of reservoir for American exceptionalism.
I hope that America two fifty was going to be
a great unifying event. It doesn't feel like it's going
to be one.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
And I think.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
Ultimately Travis is being captain. I'm being pessimistic. I think
there's two reasons. One is I think social media. I
think that social media makes everybody unhappy as a group. Two,
I think the Democrat Party has made as its foundational
belief system that America's history is not one to celebrate.
(09:29):
And I think when half the country is not willing
to celebrate American history, it makes it hard to believe
that America two fifty is a good thing. And I
think you combine it with social media and there's just
a great deal of angst and unhappiness.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
Yeah, I think they also hate Trump man. I think
that the fact that Trump is a guy in charge
of the celebrations, Okay, they can't play that aside. Yeah,
let's go back.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
If ron DeSantis had been elected president instead of Trump,
I think that they would still hate American history. Think
what you're gonna see, unfortunately, is the Trump hate. They're
gonna try to pivot it to JD Vance or Marco Rubio. Now,
the extent to which it sticks, I think is a
fair question. But the idea that they're gonna be like, oh,
(10:13):
Trump was a unique threat to democracy, and now the
new Republican, Oh, he's fine. I just I don't think
that's gonna be the reality. I think they're they're they're
connecting America being awful with in their mind, his history
with whatever Republican figure.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Is like the most depressing segment you've ever You've ever
really leaned into heavily. Here, buddy, this is like this usually.
I was looking you to be it's gonna be awesome,
because I think it's gonna be a total non event unfortunate.
Speaker 3 (10:42):
Well, I mean I think look July fourth in d C.
I'm sure you've been before, right, because you lived in DC.
Have you ever gone? Or is the crowd such.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Like you know me? I I don't you know. I
don't even like fireworks, Okay, I'm that guy. I'm always
like they're too loud. What's with all these boom backs
in the sky. I'm not fun.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
If you have never been and taken a blanket and
put it on the National Mall and just laid back
and watch the fireworks over the National Mall, it is
an awesome event to go to. So my suggestion at
this point in time would just be put on the biggest,
baddest ass fireworks display that has ever existed in the
(11:23):
history of mankind if you can interact it as well
with some sort of drone show which has become popular now.
I think that would be great, but I think unfortunately
the national fever that social media has unleashed. I mean,
do you buy into that. I think we're gonna look
at social media in the decades ahead as modern day cigarettes.
(11:49):
I think people are gonna look at them and say,
for health psychological, not as much physical, although maybe there's
a physical component to it too. I think people are
going to look at social media and say the fact
that we just got on handed phones to kids and
we let them run with this like crazy was the
modern day equivalent of cigarettes.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
And I think it's just.
Speaker 3 (12:10):
Unfortunately collapsed overall net happiness in a very negative way.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
So I'm down. I don't subscribe. I don't subscribe you
vociferous in this. I don't subscribe to the cigarettes give
you lung cancer and ruin your health. So I don't
think that.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
There's physical versus mental. I think that social media has
done mentally what cigarettes did physically in terms of people's
overall well.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
People used to say this that television was going to
make everybody into zombies, and yeah, some people watch TV
way too much. They watch for six or eight hours
a day, and they come home and their couch potatoes.
But it's all it's a look. Social media has like
any other tool.
Speaker 3 (12:48):
Social media has been great for people like you and
me who make careers. But I think there's a very
big difference between something that you look at externally and
something that is largely MP's pockets. And so you think
people are too bummed out because of Facebook to enjoy
the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
I think I think this is a lot You're putting
a lot on on Zuckerberg and co.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
I think that social media since twenty thirteen has driven
down we're at.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
This is true.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
We're at the absolute lowest consumer confidence ratings that we've
ever had. I think it's largely connected to social media,
irrespective of the fact that life has tended to be
getting better. I think the other part of this, though,
is Democrats have decided that American history is evil and
that it's rooted in slavery. And if you believe that
American history is a bad thing, it's hard to celebrate
(13:38):
the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the country. I
think that's the combo.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
Consumer confidence is low clay because costs or high costs,
or high because of a number of things, but gas.
But if you got very I mean, this is you go.
I think I think we're focusing more on on Facebook
and TikTok than the Iran war, which unfortunately has not
come to a conclusion and is still driving gas.
Speaker 3 (13:59):
But if you go back, I can look at the overall
consumer confidence. It drove off a cliff in twenty thirteen,
and we have had a lot of very good economic cycles.
We've had far worse economic cycles. I'm talking about buck
consumer confidence. You can go back and look at it
since nineteen sixty. It's lower now than it was when
things were awful in the nineteen seventies, when things were
(14:21):
awful in two thousand and eight and nine, when objectively
the overall economy stunk, Employments low, stock market setting record highs. Unemployment,
I should say is low. Overall wage growth has been
relatively good in Trump so far.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Yeah, I mean, I think consumer confidence is particularly troubled
right now because housing prices are up sixty percent in
less than five years, and the price of gas has
gone up dramatically, and groceries are expensive, and inflation has
actually been priced because we shouldn't have spent seven trillion
dollars during COVID that we didn't have out of thin air,
and now we're still dealing with the hangover of those prices.
Speaker 3 (14:59):
All of those things are true, but eight to oh
nine was worse than nineteen seventies, which you and I
weren't alive for, were awful. Nineteen seventy six people came
together and celebrated. We just had the Vietnam War. Fifty
thousand people died in a war that we had no
business fighting. Nixon had just been impeached, RFK Senior R
(15:20):
the first RFK, and MLK had just been assassinated a
few years before. There was a lot of tumult, and
everybody said, America is awesome, let's celebrate the two hundredth anniversary.
I think there's something deeper than the current reality of
economic situations that unfortunately is afoot right now. And I'm
not sure anyone.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
I think a lot of people were excited about Millie
Vanilly and they're now still dealing with the disappointment. All right.
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(16:22):
this Father's Day as a gift that'll get worn and
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Speaker 4 (16:52):
Level up your brain mental mugging with Clay and Bucks.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
What I was just referencing.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
And by the way, we're gonna be joined by Kelly Paul,
wife of Rand Paulish's got a couple of kids books.
This is from Axios Yesterday. Americans are richer than they
have ever been before, safer and longer lived.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
I'm reading from.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
Axios US total wealth, all time high, violent crime, one
hundred and twenty year low. Life expectancy just hit seventy
nine years, the highest in American history. And yet University
of Michigan consumer sentiment just hit its lowest reading in
fifty years. So we're richer, we're living longer, and we're
(17:36):
safer than we have ever been in the history of
the United States. Yet people are at fifty year lows
for contentment. What's going on? That's I'm kind of hitting at.
I'm thinking about it a lot. We'll maybe talk about
that a little bit with Kelly Paul when we come back.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
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(18:48):
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Welcome back in to Clay. And Buck. We're joined now
by Kelly Paul, author of good Night, Young American and
good Night Little American. And Kelly is the wife of
doctor and Senator Rand Paul, who is a frequent guest
(19:10):
on the show. Kelly, congrats on the authorship on the
books that come out today. Tell us a bit about these.
We were just discussing the two fiftieth and patriotism, and
it feels like it could use a little bit of
a boost in some quarters these days. Your books talk
about Americans, I assume about from the perspective of loving America.
Speaker 5 (19:31):
Tell us about it absolutely well, thanks so much for
having me, Yes, they do. They were inspired by my grandson.
This is my first time to ever write a children's book.
He's about a year and a half old, and my
daughter in law late last summer was saying she thought
we needed more patriotic books for children and board books
(19:53):
for young children, and so I got the idea, especially
with America's two fifty coming up. My book really take
a journey of a little boy who has a dream.
On July fourth, he's out celebrating with his parents and
he goes to bed that night he dreams all of
American revolutionary history. So he's on the Mayflower and he's
(20:16):
a pilgrim, then he's a colonist. He makes friends with
great American revolutionary heroes like Sam Adams and takes part
in the Boston Tea Party, and he makes friends with
Paul Revere and rides with him. And my hope is
that it will start conversation with parents and children just
about the heroism and bravery courage that our founders really showed.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
Kelly, I appreciate you coming on and encourage people to
check out the book. Bucke and Eye were just having
a conversation about America two fifty. I don't know if
you remember America two hundred, but based on the things
that we see, it seems like the nation came together
for America two hundred, even though a lot of things
were objectively tough for the country. At that point in time.
(21:04):
You had just had RFK and MLK assassinated, Richard Nixon
had just been impeached and removed from office, the Vietnam
War had been going on. Yet people seem to come
together and really have a good time at two hundred.
I don't get the sense that that's happening for twoint fifty.
Speaker 1 (21:21):
Do you how do we change that?
Speaker 3 (21:24):
Now?
Speaker 5 (21:24):
I agree, and I do very much. Remember America two hundred.
I was a little girl growing up in a small
town in Russellville, and that by centennial summer was so exciting,
and I think of just our little town. My mother
and I had seventeen seventy six style dresses made, and
so did all my friends and their moms, and we
(21:46):
all participated in this big festival in our downtown square
for the Bye centennial, and I just I remember it
just consumed the whole summer, and I wish I did
see that kind of spirit for the two fifteen. And
you're right, I'm really.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
Not how much of of your efforts to write this
book comes out of a recognition, Kelly, that there's a
there's a lack of content that I think young people
are exposed to that celebrates traditional Americana and and and
our history. I mean, I'll give you just an example
I have. I have a one year old and I
(22:24):
won't name names here, but there's a communist on YouTube
that he seems to want to watch all the time
that does children's content that is very left wing, and
I can't get him he's he's old enough now where
he will he will take the controller out of my hand.
He can't really find things yet, but he'll take it
out of my hand and kind of bang it until
I give him the the left wing song and dance
(22:47):
from YouTube that he wants. So is this in part
because you want kids to have content that aligns with
with your values and and and you know, I'm just
wondering what spurred you to do this?
Speaker 5 (22:58):
I agree one percent because our grandson is about seventeen
months old, and our son and daughter in law they
say kind of the same thing as I said. My
daughter in law really gave me the idea for this
because she's like, you know, we want to really instill
these values and we want to have you know, our
son grow up with an appreciation for America and a
(23:20):
love for America. And you know, that's really my purpose
in the book. I mean, I think we need to
remember that the American Revolution was was really a convergence
of you know, vision and resolve that has never been
equaled in all of human history. I mean, our founders
were really the original civil rights heroes. They took you know,
(23:42):
ideals from the Enlightenment and used them to challenge the
divine right of kings and hereditary rule and challenge the
most powerful empire in the world in order to say, look,
we believe in and you know, in natural law, we
believe in that our rights come from thodd and not
from any king or any government. So their courage was
(24:05):
really intellectual and moral, but it was also physical courage,
as they were all basically committing acts of treason. Right
the Declaration of Independence was considered an act of treason.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
We're talking to Kelly Paul would encourage all of you
to go check out her brand new book for Kids.
It is out today. Kelly, you're talking about courage in
this age in which we live. We've had your husband,
Rand Paul on a lot. What is it like to
raise kids and also now have grandkids, as you just said,
(24:42):
in a world where violence feels omnipresent for people that
are in public life, people like your husband who had
to deal with being attacked and having people celebrate his attacker.
And certainly it hasn't even been a year since what
happened to Charlie Kirk, the shooting of President Trump. What's
that like for you as both a mom and grandma
(25:02):
and a wife.
Speaker 5 (25:04):
You know, it's very challenging at times, it really is.
And there are moments when I'm just sort of like, rand, gosh,
just let's check this and you can go back to
being a nice doctor in Bowling Green. But but then
I remember that, you know, we've been given such an
incredible honor and platform and voice, and I am so
(25:24):
proud of brand for the things that he stands for,
and so I just try to, you know, feel feel brave.
I mean, I try to feel like, Okay, very few
people have the kind of you know, platform that we do,
and so I want to use it for good. And
that's what I try to focus on.
Speaker 1 (25:46):
So the book is out today or the two books
rather out today? Are you planning on doing more after
this one? Kelly? The books, by the way, good Night
Young American, good Night Little American. What age is is
this mostly geared for?
Speaker 5 (26:00):
So good Night Little American is a bored book. So
it's for babies and toddlers, and it's lullabies and really
beautiful frustrations. But they are they're patriotic. I mean, they
they sort of distilled down the idea that you know,
equality and joy or something for us all to pursue
and it came from you know, Jefferson's writing of the Declaration.
(26:23):
And it's a simple, sweet, little bedtime board book. And
then good Night, Young American is for children, probably ages
four to eight, so it could be read to your
child or older children can read it themselves. And and
in that one, my little character is a little boy.
As I said, he he basically in his dream is
(26:46):
part of He's just part of all revolutionary history. He's
there in Philadelphia when the signers of the declaration are signing,
and he climbs up and he rings a livery bell.
He makes friends with Ben Franklin and uh learns about electricity,
and he is crossing the Delaware with George Washington. He's
just present for all of it. And it's written, you know,
(27:08):
through the eyes of a child. UH. And at the
end of the book, when the little boy wakes up
from his dream, there's a nice map in the back
of the book, a simple map for children. But I
my hope is that more families will try to maybe
see some of these great landmarks, make some southern trips
and uh summer trips and go go to Boston or
(27:30):
go to Massachusetts, or UH see you know see where
the declaration was signed in Philadelphia. I think that those
are the kind of things that we did back in
you know, the bi centennial, right. I mean, I know
my dad took us on a trip and it was
very special.
Speaker 1 (27:48):
Kelly.
Speaker 3 (27:49):
If people want these books, thank you for making the
time with us again. Good Night Young American and good
night little American. Amazon, where would you suggest they can
find these? And I believe your name is k E. L. L.
E Y if people are typing in Kelly Paul just
to search for that.
Speaker 6 (28:08):
Right.
Speaker 5 (28:09):
Yes, they are on Amazon, They're on Barnes and Noble,
they're online, they're in stores, They're just about everywhere. So
I hope that families will enjoy them, and I hope
that it will inspire more children to really understand what
we're celebrating when we celebrate Independence Day this year.
Speaker 3 (28:30):
Awesome. We appreciate the time. Thank your husband for all
the work he does. Thank you for all the work
that you're doing as well.
Speaker 5 (28:37):
Thank you both so much for having me.
Speaker 3 (28:39):
And by the way, Kelly, I think you are a listener,
so you have great taste in radio as well, if
I remember based on past, So thank you for being
part of the Clay and Buck family.
Speaker 5 (28:50):
Yes, love your show.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (28:52):
That is Kelly Paul courage all of you to go
check out her new kids books that are out right now.
And we were talking about America two fifty, talking about
America two hundred. It's also coming up on the twenty
fifth anniversary of Tunnel to Towers. In fact or, in
one of the commercial breaks, Buck and I were talking
with a producer, Ali to make sure that we're going
to be able to go to help raise money and
(29:13):
honor all of the work that Tunnel to Towers has
been doing in this twenty fifth anniversary year. And right
now I want to tell you all about Mario Nelson.
He is an Army sergeant. He served in the National Guard,
volunteered at Ground Zero after the nine to eleven attacks,
and then enlisted full time in the Army. Deployed to Iraq,
(29:35):
where he made the ultimate sacrifice when he was killed
by a rocket propelled grenade. Mario left behind his wife Mecca,
their daughter Mia. The Tunnel the Towers Foundation recognized the
sacrifice of this family by providing Mecca and Meo with
a mortgage free home help even more families like the Nelsons.
Your donation today can make a world of difference in
(29:56):
honoring their service and keeping their memory alive. Donate eleven
a month and amplify your impact with a car or
Land donation. Go to ttwot dot org. That's t twot
dot org.
Speaker 4 (30:10):
Level up your brain and balance out your day with
the right amount of information and entertainment. Clay Travis and
Buck Sexton on the iHeartRadio app or.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
Wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome back in Clay and Buck,
appreciate all of you hanging out with us a bunch.
Speaker 1 (30:27):
You've been waiting a while. We'll hit to some of
your calls.
Speaker 3 (30:30):
Also, try to get to your talkbacks mover rapidly.
Speaker 5 (30:33):
Here.
Speaker 3 (30:34):
Patty in Virginia, you say your house is all designed
and you're ready for two point fifty.
Speaker 5 (30:41):
Absolutely stop bumming me out on this because I am
decorated for the two fiftieth birthday and cannot wait. All
my neighbors know it and everything.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
There we go. Yeah, Clay, mister bummer, thank you for
the call.
Speaker 3 (30:56):
David in Montana nineteen seventy six versus twenty twenty your
thoughts well.
Speaker 7 (31:02):
I graduated high school in nineteen seventy six, and I
seemed like everybody that I ever talked to that graduated,
they all picked their colors, cap and downs and stuff
like that, and everybody was red, white and blue.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
That's a great point.
Speaker 3 (31:17):
Thank you for the call again, Buck, And I did
not experience America two hundred, but I.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
Really play you didn't experience Come on though seventy nine.
Speaker 3 (31:30):
I'm the last great Gen xer and the generation that
continues to save America. And I just remember, even in
pop culture there was a huge embrace of American exceptionalism,
all different sorts of popular books and movies that were
(31:51):
coming out and everything else. Is there anything two fifty
focused that feels like, oh, this was made for America
to fifty. I just don't get the sense that there is.
And let me get some of these talkbacks. But because
there's a bunch of them. Patriot, kate E, I be
Joe and Huntington Beach, California, Go vote California. He's reacting
(32:14):
to that cut out.
Speaker 6 (32:15):
It's amazing to me that people who try to criticize
Spencer Pratt by saying that he was a reality TV
star in his twenties, do you know what Karen Bass
was doing? In her twenties, she was going to Cuba
supporting the Castro regime, and she was a part of
communist groups. I mean, you can't make this stuff up.
Speaker 3 (32:37):
Yeah, cut b that's very true. Cut Bee Scott. In California, you'd.
Speaker 8 (32:43):
Be happy if you came in on Wednesday and found
out that there were two Republicans in the rate for
al a mayor. What do you think this is California.
We won't have him result by Wednesday. Take much longer
than Wednesday, figure it out and put the propagama And
that's the way it's always going to happen.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
Yeah, California has got to fix this. My hope is Buck,
that we will have enough of the vote in that
you can tell we remember, we don't have to get
project factly who won, just like who are the top
two going to be? My hope is that we've got
at least it's a projection pending democrat. After the fac
shenanigans and finding giant bags of ballots in cars trunks,
(33:24):
somehow that happen to all be for Democrats like that.
You know, we're going to assume what we assume until
all of a sudden, the late the post postmarked ballots come.
Speaker 1 (33:35):
I think you're with me.
Speaker 3 (33:36):
I bet on this. I believe in federalism. I also
believe that you shouldn't be able to count votes for
three weeks. There should be some basic national standards for
elections in the United States. This California, we're counting for
three weeks. Business is shouldn't be allowed. I don't think
by the federal government, even from someone who believes in
(33:59):
states way, how can the Democrats know how many votes
they have to make up if they don't have time
to count and change them afterwards. Let's be fair to
how they like things to go. Pete from Minnesota listens
on Newstalk eleven thirty. This is d hit it.
Speaker 6 (34:15):
If Spencer Pratt wins mayor of LA, it's going to
be interesting to compare how well a LA does to
New York City with Mondami.
Speaker 1 (34:25):
It will be a little bit of an ab test,
if you will. They're in different places as a city,
as cities with different problems, but well, there's some similar problems,
but obviously the situations are a bit unique, and we
will we will see how that all goes. I think
there's a lot of room to make enormous progress very
(34:45):
quickly in Los Angeles, particularly on things like cutting red
tape and cutting excess spending. I'm sure that's true in
New York as well. Dave in Cincinnati cut Sea.
Speaker 9 (34:58):
Wrong, Clay On Buffett, He's not the best investor of
all time.
Speaker 2 (35:02):
He's only the second best behind Nancy Pelosi.
Speaker 1 (35:07):
Nancy's got game, you know. For somebody who doesn't seem
like she can add and subtract on her own, she
certainly knows how to pick stocks really well.
Speaker 3 (35:16):
I don't understand this is something that I think should
be crazily by partisan. How do we let these guys
get away with insider trading and buying and selling individual stocks.
Speaker 1 (35:28):
Because the people that have to write the laws are
the people that don't want to be governed by these laws.
They want to they don't want to be subject to
the same rules as the rest of us. It's just
like when they exempted themselves from Obamacare. The Democrats said
it was disgusting. Well, Clay, this is a this is
a good one. We got to get to this one.
This is podcast listener Brian on a g on the
list here hit it, Clay and Buck.
Speaker 9 (35:48):
Brian and Savannah have been listening since rush started. So
I don't know about y'all, but my family, we feel
it's going to be two fifty. We're celebrating. We have
six hundred dollars and fireworks and my boys have matching
mullet wigs, hit viper sunglasses, an American flag overall shorts,
(36:08):
and we are going to rock out.
Speaker 1 (36:10):
That is the spirit of two fifty Clay that Brian
is establishing.
Speaker 8 (36:14):
That.
Speaker 1 (36:14):
And I'll say this for all of you, Honestly, who
cares what the celebration is here in the swamp in DC.
Have your own two fifty celebration. Wherever you are across
the country. You celebrate America doesn't have to be based
all here in our nation's capital. So what if you
don't have million Vanilli in your backyard. I can't wait.
Speaker 3 (36:33):
We will have a great July fourth on the Florida
Gulf coast. But I do wish America could come together.
It does not, sound, unfortunately, buck like we will. I
don't want to end on a bad note, So everybody
go vote and make America better.
Speaker 1 (36:49):
Thanks
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