Who is OutKick founder Clay Travis, who’s cosy with Trump and Musk? A lawyer turned sportswriter turned political commentator, he says he was a ‘lifelong Democrat’ before 2016

Mar 27 , 2025

Who is OutKick founder Clay Travis, in the good books of Trump and Musk? Photos: TNS, @ClayTravis/X

Formerly a writer for CBS Sports and blog Deadspin, Travis has been accused of pushing Covid-19 misinformation and downplaying police brutality against Black people

OutKick founder Clay Travis joined President Donald Trump and his entourage, including Elon Musk, aboard Air Force One last weekend for a trip to the NCAA wrestling tournament in Philadelphia.

Clay Travis and President Donald Trump aboard Air Force One. Photo: @ClayTravis/X

As a member of the White House press pool, Travis sat down with Trump for an in-flight interview on various topics, from fantasising about Caitlyn Jenner beating up Tim Walz to giving advice on Kamala Harris’ career in politics. The OutKick the Show podcast host and Trump even discussed conspiracy theories about John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963. According to Reuters, the president believes that the assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, might have had help, contrary to the Justice Department’s conclusion that Oswald had worked alone.

At the NCAA Wrestling Championships, Trump was greeted with a standing ovation, fans chanting “USA” as the president walked in to take his seat in the Wells Fargo Center arena.

Clay Travis with Elon Musk. Photo: @ClayTravis/X

A 2020 article in The Washington Post referred to Travis as “Trump’s secret weapon”. Over the years, the conservative sports radio and podcast host has used his OutKick platform to push right-wing ideas to sports fans.

From spreading misinformation about Covid-19 and attacking transgender athletes, to downplaying police brutality against Black people in the United States, here’s everything to know about Clay Travis.

He’s a lawyer

Clay Travis with wife Lara Travis. Photo: @claytravisoutkick/Instagram

Before becoming a radio host and running his own site, Clay Travis, 45, was a lawyer. He then pursued a career in sportswriting and commentating.

Travis was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee. He graduated from The George Washington University with a degree in history before returning to Nashville to attend Vanderbilt University Law School.