Hour 3 - Speaker Mike Johnson Calls In

In Hour 3 of The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, Buck delivers a packed segment featuring two major stories: the ongoing government shutdown battle and his exclusive interview with the President of Taiwan on global security and economic resilience.
The hour begins with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson joining the program to break down the latest on what Buck calls the “Schumer Shutdown.” 

Johnson explains that Republicans offered a clean continuing resolution to keep the government open, but Democrats blocked it to create a political fight over healthcare. He accuses Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of prioritizing his own political survival over the American people, citing fears of a primary challenge from the far left. Johnson details how Democrats are pushing to restore taxpayer-funded healthcare benefits for illegal immigrants, reversing GOP reforms that saved nearly $200 billion by ending Medicaid loopholes, emergency care expansions, and Obamacare subsidies for non-citizens. He warns that the shutdown is causing real pain for Americans, including halted nutrition programs and unpaid federal workers, while Democrats refuse to compromise.

The second half of the hour shifts to Buck’s exclusive interview with Taiwan’s President, offering rare insights into the escalating tensions with China. The president emphasizes that Taiwan is not part of the PRC and condemns Beijing’s aggressive military drills in the Taiwan Strait. He outlines Taiwan’s Four Pillars of Peace Action Plan, which includes boosting defense spending to 3.32% of GDP next year and 5% by 2030, strengthening economic resilience by reducing reliance on China, and deepening partnerships with the U.S. and other democracies to deter aggression. 

The conversation highlights Taiwan’s critical role in the global semiconductor supply chain, with TSMC producing 90% of the world’s advanced chips, and its commitment to supporting America’s leadership in AI technology. The president also discusses social policies aimed at reversing declining birth rates through housing subsidies, fertility treatments, and tax cuts—drawing parallels to similar debates in the U.S.

Buck underscores why Americans should care: a Chinese invasion of Taiwan could cripple global trade, crash markets, and give Beijing dominance over chip manufacturing, impacting everything from smartphones to AI-driven defense systems. The hour closes with a strong message on the importance of U.S.-Taiwan cooperation to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.

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