AI Summary
5 min read“I said what I said.” That was Sophie Cunningham’s answer when WNBA reporters pressed her on whether men should compete in women’s sports. She became the first current women’s professional athlete to state plainly that biological males do not belong in female athletics, and she refused to back down when the sports media came after her. On the July 23, 2026 episode of Verdict with Ted Cruz, hosts Clay Travis and Buck Sexton used Cunningham’s stand as a launching point for a wide-ranging conversation about culture, politics, and the military—tying together the state of women’s sports, the Democratic primary calendar, a new Pentagon policy on testosterone, and the controversy around Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey.
Sophie Cunningham and the fight for women’s sports
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What you'll learn
- 1 (02:02) **Show Open & Topic Rundown** - The hosts welcome listeners and preview the day's major segments, including Sophie Cunningham, the Democratic primary race, and self-driving car safety data.
- 2 (04:40) **Sophie Cunningham Stands Her Ground** - The hosts play audio of WNBA star Sophie Cunningham being grilled by reporters for her stance on protecting women's sports, and analyze her defiant response.
- 3 (11:09) **Megan Rapinoe's Counter-Argument Dismantled** - The hosts play and critique Megan Rapinoe's appearance on *The View*, where she claimed removing men from women's sports is an "attack on women in society."
- 4 (12:45) **The Insane USA Today Column on Caitlin Clark** - Clay reads a USA Today column by Nancy Armour arguing that Caitlin Clark arguing with referees puts Black lives in danger due to her "white nationalist" fandom.
- 5 (20:34) **Democratic Primary Shakeup & AOC's Rise** - The hosts discuss the impact of moving the first Democratic primary from Iowa to South Carolina and polling showing AOC as the preferred candidate in New Hampshire.
- 6 (24:03) **David Rutherford on Safari and "Operator Syndrome"** - Former Navy SEAL David Rutherford joins to discuss his African safari and a landmark Pentagon memo addressing "Operator Syndrome" and testosterone in the military.
- 7 (29:29) **Escalation with Iran and Ground Troop Considerations** - Rutherford analyzes the 12 days of strikes on Iran, the loss of four service members, and the potential need for a ground invasion.
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Guests on this episode
Show Notes
Meet my friends, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton! If you love Verdict, the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show might also be in your audio wheelhouse. Politics, news analysis, and some pop culture and comedy thrown in too.
Here’s a sample episode recapping four takeaways. Give the guys a listen and then follow and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Buy Sophie Cunningham's Jersey! (HR 1, Seg 1)
Bland white guy predictions (HR 1, Seg 2)
Rut on the Truth about T and the military (HR 2, Seg 3)
Steve Deace with Big Odyssey Thoughts (HR 3, Seg 3)
Clay and Buck focused heavily on the growing cultural and political battle surrounding women's sports, transgender athlete participation, WNBA star Sophie Cunningham, and the future direction of the Democrat Party heading into the 2028 presidential election cycle. The hour opened with extensive discussion of Cunningham's comments defending the idea that biological males should not compete in women's sports. The hosts praised the WNBA player for refusing to backtrack under media pressure and highlighted her statements that women's athletic opportunities and protections under Title IX should be preserved. They contrasted Cunningham's position with arguments from progressive activists and former soccer star Megan Rapinoe, framing the debate as one of fairness, biological differences, women's rights, and the future of female athletics. The conversation also explored public reaction to Cunningham's comments, growing support from athletes and fans, and the broader cultural implications of high-profile female athletes speaking out on controversial issues.
The hosts then turned to what they described as increasing political activism and ideological bias within the sports media. They criticized coverage surrounding Caitlin Clark, the WNBA, race, and identity politics, including commentary that linked Clark's popularity to broader social and racial debates. Clay and Buck argued that sports journalism has become increasingly politicized and used the discussion to examine how cultural issues influence public opinion and electoral politics. Throughout the segment, they emphasized the connection they see between winning cultural debates and winning elections, arguing that public support for figures like Sophie Cunningham reflects larger shifts in American opinion on gender, sports, and free expression.
A major political segment focused on the Democratic Party's developing 2028 presidential primary landscape. Clay and Buck analyzed reports that Democratic leaders are debating whether South Carolina or Nevada should hold the first presidential contest, framing the dispute as a contest between key Democratic voting blocs, particularly Black and Hispanic voters. The hosts discussed how the primary calendar could shape potential candidacies from figures including Kamala Harris, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), Gavin Newsom, Ma
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