Hour 3 - Hollywood Freefall

Hour 3 of The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show continues the Thursday broadcast with deep‑dive analysis into the Department of Justice shakeup, California politics, the collapse of Hollywood, and a marquee legal discussion on birthright citizenship featuring Anne Coulter. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton open the hour welcoming legal strategist Katie Zachariah, who weighs in on the removal of former Attorney General Pam Bondi and the question of who should be President Donald Trump’s next pick to lead the DOJ. Zachariah strongly backs Todd Blanche, praising his loyalty to Trump during the post‑presidency legal battles and arguing that his willingness to risk his career for the president proves he has the toughness and credibility required for the role.

The discussion broadens into California Democratic politics, particularly speculation that the DOJ leadership change could expose renewed scrutiny of Congressman Eric Swalwell, including past allegations connected to a Chinese spy and questions about his residency. Zachariah argues that the Democratic Party lacks a deep bench in California, suggesting candidates like Swalwell and Katie Porter reflect broader party weakness as the state faces fiscal decline, population loss, and policy failure. Clay and Buck sharply criticize the idea of Swalwell as a potential governor, framing California as a case study in one‑party rule and systemic dysfunction.

A major segment of Hour 3 focuses on the collapse of Hollywood and the film industry in Los Angeles, which Zachariah and the hosts attribute to tax policy, affordability, union costs, and ideological content mandates. They note that film and television production has moved en masse to states like Georgia or overseas to countries such as Ireland due to better incentives, devastating blue‑collar workers in the entertainment sector—many of whom are conservatives. Clay emphasizes that California’s decline is not cultural schadenfreude but an economic tragedy for tens of thousands of working families.

The centerpiece of Hour 3 is an extended interview with Ann Coulter, who delivers a detailed legal history and constitutional argument against birthright citizenship for children of illegal immigrants. Coulter traces the 14th Amendment to its post‑Civil War intent—arguing it applied strictly to freed slaves—and criticizes modern interpretations that conflate legal residency with illegal entry. She explains that the Supreme Court case Wong Kim Ark dealt with a child of legal residents and should never have been expanded to create what she calls the “anchor baby” doctrine, which she says originated not in constitutional text but in a 1980s footnote by Justice William Brennan.

Coulter praises the Trump administration’s legal strategy centering on domicile and allegiance, pointing out that illegal entry inherently violates U.S. law and cannot credibly establish allegiance to the country. She highlights statistics raised during Supreme Court arguments showing hundreds of organized birth‑tourism operations, particularly in China, and warns that allowing citizenship to be “gamed” threatens the meaning of national sovereignty. Coulter argues that mainstream media coverage falsely portrays birthright citizenship as ancient and indisputable when, in her view, it is neither.

The conversation turns to the Supreme Court itself, where Clay presses Coulter on Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s performance during oral arguments. Coulter contrasts Jackson with Justice Clarence Thomas, noting Thomas’ pointed question tying the 14th Amendment back to Dred Scott and Reconstruction. While critical overall, Coulter acknowledges Jackson’s partial alignment with conservatives in past free‑speech cases involving government retaliation against political organizations.

Hour 3 also addresses audience reaction to earlier Democratic guest interviews, with Clay and Buck defending their decision to host candidates from across the political spectrum as a function of FCC rules, audience growth across platforms, and good‑faith debate. They reject claims that featuring Democrats alienates listeners, emphasizing that respectful engagement does not equal endorsement.
The hour closes with listener talkbacks, including reactions to the Georgia congressional race discussed earlier in the show and light‑hearted commentary from fans—ending the program on a mix of serious policy debate and community engagement.

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