Bubba the Love Sponge (Bubba Clem), a 40-year radio veteran and longtime Tampa personality, joins the Danny Jones Podcast for a wide-ranging, unfiltered conversation covering his career burnout, the Hulk Hogan/Gawker lawsuit documentary, Epstein and Iran war conspiracies, the petrodollar crisis, his 2007 Stormy Daniels tape and call with Bill Clinton, Howard Stern’s decline, censorship and surveillance, the Lindsay Clancy and Terry Schiavo cases, his friendship with convicted fraudster Matt Cox, steroid and peptide use, parenting and education, a live call with his friend “Concrete Clem,” Metallica at the Sphere, rock-star excess, Tucker Carlson, and his theory that Scientology played a role in Hogan’s death.
Bubba’s career, burnout, and the radio-to-podcast shift
After 40 years in broadcasting — 30 doing live morning drive — Bubba had a “mini meltdown” this week: for the first time he dreaded going to the studio, and Monday/Tuesday shows “sucked” before he recovered Wednesday/Thursday.
Live radio is a “high-wire act”: you’re on at 6 a.m. sharp, syndication windows open, no flexibility; podcasting lets you start at 11:15 if kids distract you, but doing two pods a week on top of a 4-hour daily show is still a grind.
He wakes at 3:40 a.m., goes live 6–10 a.m., then records podcasts; the relentless schedule finally caught up to him.
”Video Killed the Radio Star” documentary and the Hogan/Thiel/Gawker saga
Bubba co-produced the documentary (now free on Tubi after a year on Apple/Amazon) about Hulk Hogan’s $141M verdict against Gawker.
Peter Thiel financed Hogan’s suit (~$6–8M) not for justice but to retaliate against Gawker editor Nick Denton, who had outed Thiel as gay; lawsuit financing is standard (contingency fees), but the media framed it as sinister.
Hogan convinced a jury; Thiel profited, Hogan profited, Bubba “got left holding the bag” — he was the one recorded in the sex tape and faced the fallout.
Thiel now appears in Epstein files, hangs with convicted pedophiles, and is building a “police state on the likes of China” — Bubba calls him “bad news.”
Epstein, Trump, Clinton, and the “mutually assured destruction” dynamic
Both Clinton and Trump are “all over” the Epstein files; Clinton’s surprising defense of Trump in Congress suggests a “gentleman’s agreement” or mutually assured destruction — two men who hate each other playing nice only because both are compromised.
If Trump’s involvement is only with 17–19-year-olds in the 1980s, Bubba argues most Americans wouldn’t care; he’d be better off admitting it and leaning into his “alpha pimp” persona.
The Epstein files will never fully drop — “everybody’s compromised” — and UFO disclosures are just distractions (“wetting your beak”) when Congress gets too close.
Bubba’s FCC fines and the “acts of indecency” era
Bubba holds the highest single FCC fine in history: $755,000 for seven “acts of indecency” (not the Hogan tape — he was acquitted on that).
Stunts included a Ripley’s performer deadlifting a 25-lb dumbbell with his penis, a bit about “Ned” masturbating in an adult theater, and a cartoon bit (George Jetson/Scooby-Doo) deemed accessible to children.
“We were Jackass before Jackass, Girls Gone Wild before Girls Gone Wild” — today’s platforms would ban it instantly.
The Romeo & Juliet law and a friend’s ruined life
In the early ’90s at Jannus Landing, a 22-year-old friend slept with a 17-year-old who had a fake ID (said 20) and an “X” on her hand (underage but allowed in club).
Her sorority sisters shamed her; she called police; he admitted it, was arrested, did 18 months, and became a registered sex offender for life — Florida’s Romeo & Juliet law (close-in-age exemption) didn’t exist yet.
Bubba contrasts male vs. female peer reactions: guys high-five, girls shame.
Butler shooting and Charlie Kirk conspiracies
Bubba believes the Butler assassination attempt on Trump was a cover-up: the bullet grazing Trump’s ear by a micrometer is statistically implausible; Trump’s silence afterward is “very weird” for someone who never shuts up.
Six to eight Secret Service agents were pulled from Trump’s detail for a Jill Biden/Kamala Harris trip to Pittsburgh — creating a vulnerability.
Charlie Kirk’s alleged pre-shooting texts fearing left-wing assassination make it “even worse”; Bubba suspects federal coercion of the shooter.
Macklemore, Ed Sheeran, and the economics of protest
Macklemore walked off Ed Sheeran’s tour (reportedly $75–100K per show) to protest for Palestine; Bubba questions whether he knows the conflict or just wants “cool kid” cred.
Danny argues the move may revive Macklemore’s career digitally — young audiences are overwhelmingly anti-Israel, and Bob Kraft banning him from Gillette Stadium only amplified it.
Bubba is a First Amendment absolutist (won a defamation trial over calling MJ’s wife a “cunt”) but admits “sometimes it’s better to keep your mouth shut if you’re making money.”
Pete Rosini (“Rain Man”) breaks down the Iran war
Bubba’s new podcast Deadly Intentions co-host Pete Rosini did 25 years in federal prison for cartel money laundering and moving bodies; he’s “Rain Man brilliant” on geopolitics.
Pete’s thesis: the Iran conflict is about the petrodollar. Venezuela, Iran, China, Russia moved oil trade to the Chinese financial instrument (yuan/gold-backed); the U.S. flipped Venezuela back to USD by installing a compliant VP — Iran was the next target.
Trump miscalculated: thought it’d be a 96-hour war; Iran has two years of munitions, refuses to negotiate until Trump leaves (2029), and launched cheap $35K missiles forcing the U.S. to burn $1–5M THAAD interceptors.
Next: Iran hits Saudi refineries and desalination plants (fresh water for the whole Middle East); U.S. lacks capacity to guard Hormuz, refineries, and desal plants simultaneously.
Netanyahu as false flag: For 30 years Netanyahu begged every president to back an Iran invasion; all said no. This administration said yes — not for Israel, but to use Israel as the entry point to regime-change Iran and restore USD oil trading. The U.S. used Netanyahu, not vice versa.
Greenland capitulation: Denmark/Greenland threatened to stop buying U.S. bonds; Trump instantly dropped the “take Greenland” rhetoric and signed a “victory lap” agreement that just reaffirmed the 1950s status quo.
The U.S. dollar crisis: gold, debt, and the petrodollar
U.S. has ~$2T in gold (8,000 tons at ~$4,300/oz) vs. $41T debt — the dollar is backed only by “our word” and the petrodollar system.
Nixon ended the gold standard in ’71; since then, “white trash with a credit card.”
China backs its currency with gold; if Gulf states switch oil trade to yuan, the dollar collapses.
Clinton balanced the budget with no wars and a booming economy — Bubba now appreciates him more than he did at the time.
Stormy Daniels’ 2007 confession and the Bill Clinton call
In 2007 (six months after Lake Tahoe), Stormy Daniels appeared on Bubba’s show, wrote down “Donald Trump” as a celebrity she’d slept with — before he was a political figure.
Bubba had the 3:21 tape; when Stormy’s 60 Minutes interview loomed (2018), he called attorney John Morgan, who put him on speaker with Bill Clinton.
Clinton called Bubba “the dirty one” and “a rascal,” then connected them to Michael Avenatti (Stormy’s lawyer) to broker a deal: Bubba would withhold the tape in exchange for a wire transfer to Morgan’s escrow — which arrived at 4:45 p.m. Friday before the Sunday 60 Minutes airing.
CBS had a “spoilation clause”: if another outlet scooped them, Stormy lost her $4M. Bubba was ready to blow it up; Avenatti paid to suppress it.
Avenatti later went to prison for extorting Nike and stealing client funds.
Michael Avenatti: from Democratic darling to federal inmate
Avenatti did 315 major network appearances in one year; touted as a potential Democratic nominee.
Extorted Nike for $30M (they refused, he got 18 months), then got 11 more years for stealing millions from client escrow accounts — lawyers park settlements in escrow, earn interest for 30–45 days, then pay clients; Avenatti just kept the principal.
Howard Stern: germaphobe, wedding guest lists, and the Joe Rogan rift
Howard attended Bubba’s 2007 wedding with demands: own bathroom, own table, hand sanitizer on every table, personal security.
At Howard’s 2010/11 wedding (Jimmy Kimmel officiated), Bubba sat next to Donald Trump, Ivanka, Leon Black, Billy Joel, Chevy Chase (drunk toast: “if your wife won’t give it, sometimes a man’s just got to take it” — mic cut).
Howard now records from his apartment via video feed; even Paul McCartney and Metallica get piped-in Howard on a screen — he won’t leave the house.
Joe Rogan vs. Howard: In ’08, Rogan told Bubba to start a 45-min podcast after his Sirius show; Bubba dismissed it as “1955 technology.” Had he listened, he’d be “as big as Adam Carolla.”
Howard is “butthurt” that a podcast overtook him; he was the rebel, became the establishment; Rogan is now the “king of all media” but can’t do what Bubba did (topless guests, explicit stunts) because platforms ban it.
Modern cancel culture: one Reddit mob from a basement replaces the old effort of calling advertisers; server providers (AWS) get cease-and-desist letters and pull the plug.
Gillette Stadium’s Israeli command center and geofenced surveillance
Bob Kraft’s “Blue Square Alliance Against Hate” runs a NORAD-style command center under Gillette Stadium monitoring 1B+ social posts/day for “antisemitism.”
Police at major events (Tropicana Field ’08 World Series, Taylor Swift concerts) geofence a 1–3-mile radius, flag threatening or “hateful” posts in real time, and eject fans.
At Gillette, text “too bad the owners are Jews” → ushers appear instantly; they know your exact seat via geolocation.
Woke 1 → Woke 2 shift
The Economist: Woke 1 = identity, race, gender, language policing. Woke 2 = economic class, universal healthcare, systemic power.
Bubba: “I can’t recuperate from Woke 1… I don’t have any economic class, universal healthcare, or power — maybe I’m uncancelable in Woke 2.”
Three bipartisan consensus issues: release Epstein files, end total surveillance, stop endless wars — but no politician can win without “blackmail” leverage (Tim Dillon: “American politics is pick your favorite blackmail”).
Kash Patel’s FBI hiring policy: bestiality and sexual assault
Senate hearing (Durbin vs. Patel): FBI dropped automatic disqualification for applicants who engaged in bestiality, solicited sex, or stole from employers.
Patel’s defense: “We didn’t want to punish victims of bestiality/trafficking” — but the memo says “applicants who have engaged in bestiality,” not victims.
Durbin: “They don’t arrest victims for bestiality.” Patel doubles down: victims forced into it by traffickers shouldn’t be barred.
Bubba: the real motive is leverage — “if you work for the FBI and get loud about Thomas Matthew Crooks, we’ll say ‘shut your mouth.’” Blackmail is the currency of power.
Lindsay Clancy and the “insanity” defense
Clancy strangled her three kids (5, 3, 8 months) with an exercise band, oldest first (could run), then middle, then infant; composed herself for a phone call from husband between killings.
Massachusetts jury questionnaire: 11 of 12 jurors open to “not guilty by reason of insanity.”
Husband (Patrick) on 60 Minutes: never speaks ill of her, blames meds, wants to move on and remarry — Bubba: “Bitch killed my kids… I’d want the death penalty.”
Bubba suspects a psyop: story exploded organically? “Crossing state lines to protest” isn’t natural; if it’s organic, “our country is worse off than I thought.”
Terry Schiavo: the pizza stunt and the feeding tube war
Schiavo (brain-dead, followed balloons with eyes) kept alive by feeding tube; husband wanted to pull it, family fought, George W. Bush woke up at midnight to sign legislation.
During the 2-day window when the tube was reinserted, Bubba’s show ordered a Domino’s pizza to her room live on air — “she was hungry” — got in huge trouble.
Mitch McConnell now: “vegetable in a wheelchair, begging to die” — “they should call him Mitch Schiavo.”
Matt Cox: the fraudster turned content machine
Bubba’s close friend; did 4 podcasts in one day, writes books/screenplays, “the next Martin Scorsese.”
Bubba gets nervous at Cox’s house: “he’s sizing me up for a synthetic credit line” — but admires the hustle.
Cox introduced Bubba to Pete Rosini.
Steroids, peptides, growth hormone, and the “fountain of youth”
Young guys (early 20s) now on peptides/steroids — buy behind 7-Eleven or from gym contacts.
Real growth hormone (not peptides) is what “rich people and high-dollar athletes” take — keeps you young, but only works with strict diet/training.
Bubba: on TRT (“for my wiener”), bloodwork pristine (cholesterol 175, BP 120/76), colonoscopies every 5 years — doctor says “healthy as a horse” despite BMI saying 50–80 lbs overweight.
Danny (39) considering TRT; Bubba’s dad (born ’56) on Ozempic — Bubba trying to get him off.
Parenting, school, and the “factory worker” model
Danny’s wife handles 3 kids (7, 4, 1.5) solo while he works — “I’d dig a ditch before watching three kids for 3 hours.”
Many parents iPad-parent; homeschool co-ops exist (8–10 kids at a parent’s house 3 days/week) but Bubba opposes: kids need social friction, bullying, “jungle” dynamics to learn survival.
School system designed for factory workers; college not for everyone; trade school or gap years better for some.
Private schools ($40K/yr for Jesuit 8th grade) “suck just as bad.”
Bubba’s “self-discovery” story (7th grade, Penthouse, dish rag)
Warsaw, Indiana, 1970s: buddy Larry Plumber taught him to masturbate using dad’s stolen Penthouse.
Mom went to mall (45 min away); Bubba faked sick, did the deed, panicked at the volume (“gallons”), wiped up with mom’s dish rag, put it back.
Next night: spaghetti dinner, dad grabs the rag to wipe sauce, sees the “glue” stains, says: “Don’t you ever use your mother’s dish rag for that again or I’ll beat you within an inch of your life.”
Danny: “At 60 it’s a map of Hawaii; at 13 it was California up the coast.”
Live call with “Concrete Clem” (Shane)
Clem: concrete supervisor, poured at midnight, now slinging bids in office; “indoor cat” Bubba vs. “pit bull on the porch with fleas” Clem.
Vegas trip next month: Metallica at the Sphere (Danny knows Kirk Hammett); Clem’s on the gas, works 18-hour days, looks shredded.
Metallica at the Sphere and rock-star excess
Sphere: 360° LED interior + exterior; Pink Floyd residency, U2, now Metallica (month-long run, ~75K/night, two shows).
Bubba saw Metallica at Raymond James (June ’24): “snake pit” inside round stage, shoulder-to-shoulder floor, pyro, double-bass drums, five drum kits rising from stage — “unfucking believable.”
Backstage ’97–’02 (Livestock festivals): Tommy Lee lined up 40 women, picked 4–5, “her, her, her, the redhead — everybody else, see you later”; groupies rode bus to next city, woke up in Jacksonville needing rides home.
Today: NDAs, phone lockers, lawyers — “probably tough being a rock star now.”
Tucker Carlson: from MSNBC/Fox to independent juggernaut
Bubba knew Tucker 15+ years; he called in every Tuesday for 7 years on Bubba’s show (“Canadians are stupid,” “Iraqi women’s bushes are the size of a camel’s vag”).
Tucker started Daily Caller (sold 1/3 stake, undisclosed sum); Fox fired him during Murdoch-to-sons transition (sons more liberal, hated Tucker).
Forced to digital → 10x audience; no censorship, “wide open.”
Bubba worries: powerful people want him dead (interviewed Putin, Huckabee in Israel, etc.); Tucker is “brilliant,” “calculated,” finds stories no one else covers.
Hulk Hogan’s death: Bubba’s Scientology murder theory
Hogan died suddenly; Dr. Fitzgerald (Hogan’s physician) had DEA busts, other wrestler overdose deaths (Brian Adams) — cut Hogan off pain meds 6 months prior.
Hogan sourced street pills, got “stepped on” (fentanyl-laced); two cans of Narcan, full CPR, but Clearwater PD did a “quickie investigation”: no toxicology, no autopsy, cremated in 12 days.
Standard protocol for high-profile deaths (Matthew Perry) includes tox/autopsy/dealer hunt — none here.
Brooke (daughter) demanded body: fluids drained, embalmed, toe-tagged — no tox possible now.
Surveillance gaps, nurses from night before not interviewed, Hogan had a port (direct venous access) — “someone could shoot bleach into it.”
Hogan unhappy in marriage, considering divorce; someone in his circle (Scientology-connected?) stood to gain from will.
Clearwater: 5 of 7 city council members allegedly Scientologists; church is largest employer of off-duty Clearwater PD; they run the city.
Bubba: “Scientology killed him” — not the institution, but a member with motive and access.
Closing
Bubba promotes Deadly Intentions (YouTube, with Pete Rosini) and his live morning show (6 a.m. ET, YouTube).
Mutual admiration: “I’m proud of you, bro… from the back of a paint van to this.”
