Make It Make Sense with Grant Hermes
The political world is fast paced, chaotic and often it's just too much to keep up with. That's where Grant Hermes comes in. Grant has been a journalist over a decade on the ground covering the biggest US political stories, scandals and elections. Twice a week, he'll break down the biggest political news you need to know. It's never been more important to stay informed and sometimes all it takes is a little help to Make It Make Sense.
Episodes
226 episodes
"Children Will Die" Because Of Dept. of Ed's New Policy w/ Zero Abuse Project CEO, Jeff Dion
Grant sits down with the CEO of the Zero Abuse Project, Jeff Dion, to talk about the Department of Education's new policy to downgrade degrees for jobs required to report child abuse, neglect, and maltreatment. Jeff talks about the ...
•
29:59
Congress Shrugs And Lets Insurance Costs Spike
After weeks of fighting over what will happen to Affordable Care Act subsidies that help millions of Americans afford their health insurance, Republicans in the Senate shrugged and voted to let prices spike. Not just for people on t...
•
15:53
Who In Trump's Cabinet Is Getting Fired?
There's been a lot of talk about Trump getting fed up with certain members of his administration. Pete Hegseth, Kristi Noem, Kash Patel, and Pam Bondi have all made the wrong kind of headlines. Grant breaks down what those headlines...
•
21:34
Is This Millennials' Political Moment? w/ Amanda Litman from Run For Something
Grant welcomes Amanda Litman from Run For Something and author of the book When We're In Charge (link below) back on the show to talk about the tipping point in American politics that was this last fall. They talk about the...
•
35:35
Pete Hegseth's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week
It has been a week for the books for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. First, there was new, corroborated reporting that he might have ordered a war crime in the Caribbean. Second, the Admiral that Hegseth has been blam...
•
18:39
Did Pete Hegseth Commit A War Crime?
A growing scandal rocked the White House over the Thanksgiving holiday. The Washington Post reported that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth gave an order to kill two people who had survived an initial strike on their alleged drug boat.
•
20:38
Why So Many Americans Are Afraid To Talk Politics w/ Junelle Cavero from My Code
This week’s interview is with Junelle Cavero, a State Representative from Arizona and head of political at the multicultural-focused media company My Code. She joined Grant to talk about the brand new polling that My Code just relea...
•
36:28
Trump Signs Off On The Epstein Files And Chaos At The DOJ
Donald Trump signed the bill to release the Epstein files after being jammed by the Senate, which passed the bill in a matter of hours. Now it's in the hands of the DOJ to release the files which has spent months combing through and...
•
17:50
Republicans Flip On The Files
The House of Representatives overwhelmingly vote to release the Epstein files ( Grant reacts live) but it's only the beginning of the process. Grant explains Trump and Republican leaders' flip-flop on releasing the files, whether it...
•
24:55
An Out Of Control Week w/ Ryan Welton From Oklahoma Memo
Another crossover episode this week! Every Friday, Grant joins Ryan Welton at the Oklahoma Memo to talk national politics. The two talk all about the shutdown, the shocking details in the Epstein files and whether MAGA i...
•
46:58
Shady Shutdown Deals And New Epstein Emails
The longest government shutdown in US history is officially over after 43 days. But the worst of the fighting in Washington might just be ramping up. Grant explains what's in the final government reopening deal, the blatant self-dea...
•
20:43
Did The Democrats Cave Or Play The Long Game?
Eight Democratic caucus senators vote to end the government shutdown after 40 days, after brokering a deal with Republicans that doesn't include protecting healthcare subsidies for millions of Americans. It was the reason Democrats for...
•
19:25
What Is Going On With MAGA Fashion? w/ Lindsey Louise
Grant is joined by fashion writer and the voice behind the great Substack, The Official Nancy Drew Newsletter, Lindsey Louise to talk about what the deal is with MAGA fashion and political fashion in general right now. Lind...
•
54:06
What Can We REALLY Learn From This Week's Elections?
It was a mini-midterm appetizer sampler of elections this week across the country. At nearly every turn Democrats won in high profile races big and small. But what does it mean? Does it mean anything? Grant breaks down the races for...
•
18:06
Trump's 60 Minutes Confessional
President Donald Trump went on 60 Minutes for the first time in 5 years and laid out how he sees the most pressing issues, like the government shutdown and high prices. Those answers were telling, but throughout the entire interview...
•
21:05
America's Revenge Politics w/ Paul Starr
Grant is joined by Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, co-founder and co-editor of The American Prospect, Princeton professor Paul Starr. Paul is the author of the new book American Contradiction: Revolution and Revenge from the 1950s to...
•
43:44
How Bad Is The Government Shutdown Going To Get?
The government shutdown is a month long now, just five days behind the longest ever. But it's not the record deadline that's the big one; it's the one happening this weekend. On Nov. 1, food stamp benefits and health insurance subsi...
•
17:20
How Trump's Health And 3-Term Push Are Connected
Donald Trump says again he's not ruling out a third term, even though there's no legal way for him to become president again after 2028. But that's not stopping MAGA from talking about and some Republican Senators not ruling it out either. ...
•
21:20
The End Of The Voting Rights Act As We Know It w/ Dave Daley
This month, the US Supreme Court looks poised to cut out the heart of the Voting Rights Act, which has been making sure Americans of all kinds can take part in free and fair elections with a chance to have their voices represented at all levels...
•
39:12
Why Trump's White House Tear Down Is More Than A Renovation
The president decided to demolish the East Wing of the White House this week without warning or approval to make way for his new ballroom. The images of heavy machinery tearing into the First Lady's office have sent shockwaves through our colle...
•
24:59
How Big Of A Deal Was No Kings 2?
The second round of the No Kings protests swept the country over the weekend with an estimated 5-7 million people participating in more than 2600 rallies and marches. But what did they actually do?Grant breaks down what the larg...
•
16:52
What's Going To Happen To Rural Hospitals Now? w/ Prof. Michael Shepherd
With the government still shut down and the Speaker of the House indicating they're willing to wait it out for the long haul, the Nov. 1 expiration date on affordable healthcare through tax credits for millions is coming quickly. Gr...
•
30:53
Is This Supreme Court Going To End Voting Rights?
Grant breaks down the complicated case being heard by the US Supreme Court that could fundamentally change how we run our elections, especially in the South. The court could potentially make it legal to draw districts based on race,...
•
14:57
Why Is The Government Still Shutdown?
Members of Congress are still deadlocked over how to reopen the government as the shutdown hits the two-week mark. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson says we're "barreling" toward the longest shutdown in history, but has his own motives for not ...
•
18:46
Why Do So Many Of Us Believe Conspiracy Theories? w/ Prof. Joe Uscinski
It seems like American politics right now is filled with conspiracies. Deep state plots to undermine Trump. Vaccines cause autism. Joe Biden's Autopen or The Epstein Files. But University of Miami political science professor Joe Usc...
•
43:43