Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle are getting increasingly angry with the Department of Justice and the president after they were supposed to have been given access to unredacted Epstein files. 

Instead, what they got were files that lacked victim protections and went out of their way to protect potential co-conspirators, in direct violation of the law. 

Grant breaks down what we know from members of Congress, whether Trump is going to give a pardon to a convicted sex offender, and whether dominoes in his cabinet might start falling as a cover-up is being exposed. 

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• Supports metabolism, focus, and overall wellness
• Six superfood-infused flavors (Banana Cacao, Strawberry Lemon, Cinnamon Goji Berry, and more)
• Every box helps provide a meal to a child in need through No Kid Hungry

 Get 15% off at mantramatcha.com with code MIMS25
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Less chaos. More clarity. Two things we could all use right now. 

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Grant is joined by Michael McNulty to talk about a wild week of the federal government attempted to interfere in the 2026 elections. 

McNulty is an elections expert with promoting democracy in authoritarian countries and is now Policy Director at the bipartisan non-profit Issue One. 

They talk about Trump's push to "nationalize" elections, what the latest round of voting bills would mean for voters, and a brand new report from Issue One about election workers leaving their positions in droves as election conspiracies and threats against workers have spiked since 2020. 

LINKS: 

Issue One

Election worker turnover report

PROMO CODES: 

MANTRA MATCHA

If coffee makes you alert and deeply unwell, it might be time to switch it up.

Mantra Matcha offers ceremonial-grade matcha sourced from a private hillside farm in Uji, Japan. It’s smooth, naturally sweet, and delivers calm, focused energy—no jitters, no crash.

Why we like it:

• 137x more antioxidants than regular green tea
• Supports metabolism, focus, and overall wellness
• Six superfood-infused flavors (Banana Cacao, Strawberry Lemon, Cinnamon Goji Berry, and more)
• Every box helps provide a meal to a child in need through No Kid Hungry

 Get 15% off at mantramatcha.com with code MIMS25
That code also supports Make It Make Sense with Grant Hermes with a 15% commission.

Less chaos. More clarity. Two things we could all use right now. 

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Grant talks to Former ICE Assistant Director for policy Scott Shuchart. Scott served in both DHS as a senior advisor for civil rights during the Obama and first Trump Administrations and as the AD for policy at ICE under Joe Biden. 

The two talk about how far ICE and DHS have fallen from their original mission and what Tom Homan is really doing in Minneapolis. PLUS the big question, what it would mean to dismantle ICE, and why Scott says it needs to happen. 

LINKS: 

https://www.scottshuchart.com/

PROMO CODES: 

MANTRA MATCHA

If coffee makes you alert and deeply unwell, it might be time to switch it up.

Mantra Matcha offers ceremonial-grade matcha sourced from a private hillside farm in Uji, Japan. It’s smooth, naturally sweet, and delivers calm, focused energy—no jitters, no crash.

Why we like it:

• 137x more antioxidants than regular green tea
• Supports metabolism, focus, and overall wellness
• Six superfood-infused flavors (Banana Cacao, Strawberry Lemon, Cinnamon Goji Berry, and more)
• Every box helps provide a meal to a child in need through No Kid Hungry

 Get 15% off at mantramatcha.com with code MIMS25
That code also supports Make It Make Sense with Grant Hermes with a 15% commission.

Less chaos. More clarity. Two things we could all use right now. 

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The Department of Justice has released millions of documents, photos and videos from the Epstein Files. Despite it being 6 weeks late and still refusing to publish millions more documents, what was released has some incredibly damning allegations for the president and some of the world's richest, most powerful people. 

Grant breaks down the allegations you need to know about, what the DOJ isn't doing about them, and what Congress could do about them. 

CONTENT WARNING: descriptions of allegations of abuse and assault are in this episode

PROMO CODES: 

MANTRA MATCHA

If coffee makes you alert and deeply unwell, it might be time to switch it up.

Mantra Matcha offers ceremonial-grade matcha sourced from a private hillside farm in Uji, Japan. It’s smooth, naturally sweet, and delivers calm, focused energy—no jitters, no crash.

Why we like it:

• 137x more antioxidants than regular green tea
• Supports metabolism, focus, and overall wellness
• Six superfood-infused flavors (Banana Cacao, Strawberry Lemon, Cinnamon Goji Berry, and more)
• Every box helps provide a meal to a child in need through No Kid Hungry

 Get 15% off at mantramatcha.com with code MIMS25
That code also supports Make It Make Sense with Grant Hermes with a 15% commission.

Less chaos. More clarity. Two things we could all use right now. 

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Grant is joined by the Executive Director of TheSteadyState, Steve Cash to talk about the mission of the nearly 400 intelligence and diplomatic community members who turned their experience dealing with authoritarian governments abroad inward. 

They talk about where the US is on the road away from democracy, how DHS and ICE have changed into an aggressive, paramilitary force being used against Americans, and what needs to happen to stop it. 

LINKS: 

The Steady State

The Steady State on Substack

PROMO CODES: 

MANTRA MATCHA

If coffee makes you alert and deeply unwell, it might be time to switch it up.

Mantra Matcha offers ceremonial-grade matcha sourced from a private hillside farm in Uji, Japan. It’s smooth, naturally sweet, and delivers calm, focused energy—no jitters, no crash.

Why we like it:

• 137x more antioxidants than regular green tea
• Supports metabolism, focus, and overall wellness
• Six infused flavors (Banana Cacao, Strawberry Lemon, Cinnamon Goji Berry, and more)
• Every box helps provide a meal to a child in need through No Kid Hungry

 Get 15% off at mantramatcha.com with code MIMS25
That code also supports Make It Make Sense with Grant Hermes with a 15% commission.

Less chaos. More clarity. Two things we could all use right now. 

Support the show

Follow along on social media

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As the deal to avoid a government shutdown seems likely, Democrats are grappling with what it would mean to continue to allow DHS and ICE to operate the way it has been. 

Senators are asking for big changes at ICE, like more body cameras, no masks, and no roving patrols, but the clock is ticking against the deadline to fund the government... and keep their voters' support. 

All that is happening as ICE seems to be in full retreat from not ust minnesota but operations around the country as the agency gets a new face to lead them on the ground. 

MANTRA MATCHA

If coffee makes you alert and deeply unwell, it might be time to switch it up.

Mantra Matcha offers ceremonial-grade matcha sourced from a private hillside farm in Uji, Japan. It’s smooth, naturally sweet, and delivers calm, focused energy—no jitters, no crash.

Why we like it:

• 137x more antioxidants than regular green tea
• Supports focus and overall wellness
• Six infused flavors (Banana Cacao, Strawberry Lemon, Cinnamon Goji Berry, and more)
• Every box helps provide a meal to a child in need through No Kid Hungry

 Get 15% off at mantramatcha.com with code MIMS25
 

Support the show

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After the latest fatality at the hands of DHS agents and the second in as many weeks in Minneapolis, ICE, DHS and the Trump Administration have begun to scramble. 

Grant breaks down the death of Alex Pretti, what we have to understand about DHS pattern of lying, why the courts and the law still matter, and what it means next for the White House's plans for out-of-control immigration forces. 

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Grant talks to David Gans about what we're seeing happen to civil rights and  Constitutional rights as ICE continues to occupy Minneapolis. 

Gans is the Director of the Human Rights, Civil Rights and Citizenship Program at the Constitutional Accountability Center. 

They discuss how ICE is crossing Constitutional lines, is there a way back from that, and how history is repeating itself when it comes to the 14th Amendment and the Civil War. 

LINKS: 

Constitutional Accountability Center

 This episode is brought to you by RSRV Collective Botanical Drinks.

RSRV makes non-alcoholic botanical beverages crafted with adaptogens and plant-based ingredients—designed to help you feel calm, focused, and present without alcohol, hangovers, or the crash that comes with most “energy” drinks.

Listeners of Make It Make Sense can get 30% off their next order with the code MIMS25.

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The Department of Justice investigates one of the president's favorite political punching bags. This time it's the head of the Federal Reserve. While the president says he doesn't have any involvement, he's been targeting 

Grant explains what the Fed actually is, what the investigation is about, and what Trump's fight with the Fed is about...and why it matters for you. 

 This episode is brought to you by RSRV Collective Botanical Drinks.

RSRV makes non-alcoholic botanical beverages crafted with adaptogens and plant-based ingredients—designed to help you feel calm, focused, and present without alcohol, hangovers, or the crash that comes with most “energy” drinks.

Listeners of Make It Make Sense can get 30% off their next order with the code MIMS25.

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Grant talks to Mike Madrid, the former GOP operative, consultant, and now the mind behind The Great Transformation Substack, about the bombing and capture mission in Venezuela, what it means for Latin America, Latino voters in the US, and the US's new position on the global stage. 

PROMO CODES: 

This episode is brought to you by Cozy Earth. Wrap the ones you love in warmth and luxury this holiday season with the exclusive Make It Make Sense discount code: MIMS25 to get 40% off your entire order. 

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