Make It Make Sense with Grant Hermes

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 are, who might replace those people, and what the odds are that they actually get fired despite Trump talking behind their backs.  MAKE IT MAKE SENSE SUBSCRIPTIO...

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 big elections that took place around the country, including Zohran Mamdani's win in NYC. But they also talk about the shift from older politicians and leaders to Mil...

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 blaming testified in classified briefings to members of Congress, who came out and said it was a disturbing ordeal.  Third, more new reporting about how Pete ousted a 4-star Admiral...

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.  If true, it would clearly violate the language of the laws of war and treaties the US has signed.  Grant breaks down what Hegseth and the White House are saying, t...

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 released about how multicultural Americans view the president, his administration and the state of the nation. Spoilers, it’s not good for Trump with some real buyer’s remo...

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 redacting the files. But, the FBI might have to start that over given what's in the bill that was just passed, and the DOJ will have to explain to Congress...

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's really an about-face, and whether the Senate might use the files as a political bargaining chip.  Plus, Trump's weekend crash-out over the files...

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 is starting to sour on Trump or if there's anything that could ever make that happen.  LINKS: Oklahoma Memo PROMO CODE: Today's episode is sponsored by Molly Bz’s Gourme...

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-dealing grift GOP Senators tucked into the deal, and when you'll start seeing government money again.  But with the shutdown out of the way, it means the fight...

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 forced a shutdown, and now it looks like they get nothing.  What was it all for? Did the Democrats really cave or were they playing the long game? Grant explains t...

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.  Lindsey breaks down how fashion on the right is about power, who has it, who doesn't, and what value messages MAGA's different factions are sending each other and the res...

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 governor in VA and NJ. The California vote to redistrict the state and the huge win for Zohran Mamdani to be the next mayor of New York.  Those races were certainly r...

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, Trump was mostly telling on himself. He admitted to pardoning a money launderer without knowing anything about the case. He said he didn't think ICE is going fa...

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 now (link below). He talks about how we got to this moment of retribution and revenge, how it's different from how political scores used to be settled, and why A...

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 subsidies expire for tens of millions of Americans who rely on those programs to avoid starvation or get vital care.  Grant explains whether a judge in Massa...

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.  But the new focus on a third term comes as Trump reveals new things about his health, namely, he underwent an MRI and more cognitive tests at a...

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 of government.  Grant talks to Dave Daley, an elections expert, about what this recent case in front of SCOTUS is, how the VRA actually works, and what it...

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 collective ideas of American imagery.  Grant talks about how Trump went back on his word about not touching the White House, what we're losing by losin...

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 largest US protests in 50 years actually means, how  the White House is doubling down on calling Trump a king as he continues to threaten American cities with the Insurrectio...

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.  Grant is joined by University of Michigan Assistant Professor Michael Shepherd, who studies rural health care and how it meets politics and race. They explore what...

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, which could bring back Jim Crow-era elections and put people of color out of power for decades.  Ending this part of the landmark Voting Rights Act has been the goal...

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 coming to the table including carrying out Project 2025 and helping Trump keep the Epstein files hidden.  As that's happening, Democrats...

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 Uscinski tells Grant, it's not the conspiracies that are the problem, or even how many people believe them, but that so many people in power right now believe t...

The White House is in serious talks to invoke the Insurrection Act over nonexistent out of out-of-control crime and invented and self-incited scenarios of violence against ICE agents in Chicago and Portland.  As Texas troops stand ready to invade Illinois on the President's orders, Grant breaks down what it would mean for Trump to use the Insurrection Act, how it works and answers the questio...

National Guard troops from Texas are now staging at a base an hour outside Chicago, preparing to be deployed to the streets of America's largest city.  Grant breaks down whether Trump can really just send troops into cities wherever and whenever he wants, how that's gone in other states and what the law says about it.  PROMO CODE: Today's episode is sponsored by Distil Union Get 20%...