Episodes

  • D.C. has a ‘teen takeover’ problem

    D.C. has a ‘teen takeover’ problem
    Jun 8 2026
    ‘Teen takeovers’ are becoming a defining issue in the D.C. mayoral race. In this episode of “Make It Make Sense,” James Hohmann and Rob Gebelhoff break down where the candidates stand on crime and policing, how they may approach the National Guard in D.C., and whether they’ll work with or against President Donald Trump.
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    31 mins
  • Was Trump’s ‘weaponization fund’ doomed from the start?

    Was Trump’s ‘weaponization fund’ doomed from the start?
    Jun 5 2026
    Was President Donald Trump's "Anti-Weaponization Fund" doomed to fail from the start? In this episode of "Make It Make Sense," Kate Andrews, Jason Willick and Damir Marusic discuss the rise and fall of the $1.776 billion fund while exploring whether "lawfare" has fundamentally changed the ideal of an apolitical justice system.
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    37 mins
  • Did Trump win the late-night comedy battle?

    Did Trump win the late-night comedy battle?
    Jun 3 2026
    Did President Donald Trump kill late-night television shows, or did comedy podcasts simply beat them at their own game? In this episode of "Make It Make Sense," James Hohmann, Carine Hajjar and Damir Marusic explore the massive cultural shift in comedy during the Trump era.
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    29 mins
  • What happens in California after Gavin Newsom?

    What happens in California after Gavin Newsom?
    Jun 1 2026
    With Gavin Newsom's era as California governor ending, could Tom Steyer be the Democrat to step up? Or will skyrocketing costs and crime finally break the party's grip on California? In this episode of "Make It Make Sense," Carine Hajjar, Jason Willick and James Desio explore the future of the Golden State's political landscape, including whether the GOP can capture the governor's mansion and if Spencer Pratt has a real shot at winning the L.A. mayoral race.
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    29 mins
  • Is America a Christian nation? A conversation with Bishop Barron.

    Is America a Christian nation? A conversation with Bishop Barron.
    May 29 2026
    In this episode of "Make It Make Sense," Adam O'Neal sits down with Bishop Robert Barron to discuss Christian nationalism, the role of Catholicism in America and whether Pope Leo is positioned as the "anti-Trump" pope.
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    28 mins
  • What's behind Zohran Mamdani's mass appeal?

    What's behind Zohran Mamdani's mass appeal?
    May 27 2026
    Zohran Mamdani successfully built an unlikely coalition of progressives and the professional managerial class, but what ideological shifts made this possible? In this episode of "Make It Make Sense," Sagnik Basu and Zineb Riboua break down how the rise of third-worldism in Western culture fueled this alliance.
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    25 mins
  • Why data centers don't deserve so much hate

    Why data centers don't deserve so much hate
    May 26 2026
    The hysteria around artificial intelligence and data centers is growing, but are the public's worst fears warranted? In this episode of "Make It Make Sense," James Hohmann, Jason Willick and Dominic Pino debunk the biggest myths about the technology's impacts on jobs and the environment.
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    50 mins
  • Will the Ukraine war force Putin's exit?

    Will the Ukraine war force Putin's exit?
    May 22 2026
    Has the Ukraine war done more damage to Russia than we've heard? In this episode of "Make It Make Sense," Adam O’Neal sits down with David Ignatius to discuss how the war is going, what Ukraine's future holds and what Russia would look like without Vladimir Putin.
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    22 mins