CLAY: We’re still having some fun with the absurdity of the Jussie Smollett case. By the way “Juicy Smollyay,” as Dave Chappelle called him in one of his comedy specials, which was absolutely phenomenal as he discussed this case. But the amount of media coverage that Jussie Smollett got and people that were willing to believe him that found his accusations credible? Yet another black eye for the mainstream news media. None was worse, frankly, than Robin Roberts and I believe Good Morning America is the show she’s on. I don’t watch.
BUCK: She’s the highest paid woman in TV news, as I understand it, and among the —
CLAY: Twenty million something a year, probably.
BUCK: — highest paid people in TV fuse, period.
CLAY: Okay. One of the highest paid people in all of TV news, Robin Roberts sat down for about a 19-minute interview with Jussie Smollett. Here’s a small cut of that interview. Listen to cuts 2.
ROBERTS: And there is no doubt in your mind what motivated this attack?
SMOLLETT: I can only go off of their words. I mean, who says, “(bleep) Empire (bleep)! This MAGA country, (bleep)!” ties a noose around your neck and pours bleach on you — and this is just a friendly fight? I will never be the man that this did not happen to. I am forever changed. And I don’t subscribe to the idea that everything happens for a reason, but I do subscribe to the idea that we have the right and responsibility to make something meaningful out of the things in a happen to us, good and bad.
BUCK: Clay, come on. It’s the best performance he’s ever given in his life. Let’s be honest.
CLAY: He’s an actor, and he’s played the role of his life as hate crime victim. I think this guy should go to jail for years and years.
BUCK: I want to know what he…? I think fair is three years, maybe two, and I think he’s gonna get a year to 18 months. What do you think is fair? What do you think he gets?
CLAY: I think he should get 10 years or more.
BUCK: Damn! Clay.
CLAY: I am usually fairly lenient on cases, but if we’re trying to send a message about the significance of race relations in this country, when someone lies like this in an effort to divide us all, I think we need to send a message that there are severe consequences.
BUCK: Three years in prison is no…. (laughing)
CLAY: I want 10. I want 10 or more. I want him to do double.
BUCK: Clay Travis! Law & Order Travis.
CLAY: If they put him in jail the rest of his life, I wouldn’t complain.
BUCK: You guys don’t want Travis on the bench if you’re guilty, I’ll tell you that.
CLAY: Not for this case.
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