Caitlin M. Green and Trent R. Nelson interview experts who weigh in on current debates. In the process they seek not only to uncover answers to the questions of the day, but to explore why they are being asked in the first place. To understand the questions we ask, they believe, is half the answer.
Everything's 'National Security' in Trump's Washington (with Stephanie Mencimer)
Donald Trump is changing the landscape of Washington—literally. From East Potomac Park to the Kennedy Center to the 'Arc de Trump,' everything he touches turns to plaster and adhesive gold-colored filigree. And all the while, D.C. is still under occupation by National Guard out-of-towners. Stephanie Mencimer, a senior reporter with Mother Jones and resident of the city under siege, joins us.
Resources
https://bsky.app/profile/smencimer.bsky.social
https://www.motherjones.com/topics/reveal-podcast/
https://www.youtube.com/@MotherJones
https://www.tiktok.com/@motherjonesmag
https://www.motherjones.com/author/Stephanie-mencimer/
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/08/fore-trumps-dc-golf-course-is-already-in-the-rough/
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/05/the-kennedy-center-was-part-of-dc-life-trump-destroyed-it/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/09/30/trumps-upscale-golf-plan-would-destroy-dc-haven-cyclists-runners/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/09/29/trumps-arch-not-expected-feature-drones-snipers-officials-say/
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/NZIUqUdoz2I
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/08/23/secret-white-house-bunker-undercuts-trumps-ballroom-lawsuit-ex-officials-say/
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/18/us/politics/trump-ballroom-construction.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/2026/09/30/kennedy-center-was-solvent-when-trump-took-over-then-its-finances-collapsed/
https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/29/politics/mike-lee-kennedy-center-bill
https://apnews.com/article/trump-rose-garden-historical-statues-founders-sculptures-0fe922ef11337b4937adf3ac505e9b5b
https://www.turtlediaries.net/p/update-from-the-great-american-state
https://people.com/trump-rose-garden-renovations-complete-photo-timeline-11985903
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/08/a-year-of-troops-in-washington/688317/
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-put-thousands-soldiers-washingtons-streets-they-seldom-stop-crime-2026-08-19/
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/classroom/daily-news-lessons/2025/10/east-wing-of-white-house-torn-down-as-trump-clears-space-for-his-ballroom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNpIOlDhigw
24 Sept 2026
Orange Man Deteriorating: What It Means for 2026 and 2028 (with Ryan Cooper)
Donald Trump appears to be deteriorating…in every way possible. Physically, mentally, internationally, grammatically—somehow, orange man worsening, while word salads, IVs, and naps are great again. Ryan Cooper of the American Prospect helps us think through what it means for 2026, 2028, and beyond.
Resources
https://prospect.org
https://www.leftanchor.com
https://wlos.com/news/local/joke-trump-fema-funding-president-donald-trump-north-carolina-western-helene-reaction-whatley-cooper-election-candidates-politics-gov-josh-stein-community
https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3mvoaqk2q2523
https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/address-the-chance-for-peace-delivered-before-the-american-society-newspaper-editors
https://www.liberalcurrents.com/how-the-homeless-continue-to-be-forgotten-in-the-midst-of-the-covid-19-pandemic/
"Donald Trump" by Gage Skidmore is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
20 Sept 2026
European Election Results, Racist Militias, and Jared Kushner (with Hunter CG)
Our European correspondent Hunter CG, often known as RoteRoteMedia, clues us into the latest Old World happenings, with special attention to the ongoing adventures of Donald Trump's middle-aged son-in-law and "special envoy for peace" Jared Kushner.
https://www.LiberalCurrents.com/drive/
https://www.democratsabroad.org/about_us
https://www.thedemcon.org
https://www.tiktok.com/@roterotemedia
https://www.instagram.com/roterotemedia/
https://www.youtube.com/@roterotemedia/shorts
https://bsky.app/profile/roterote.bsky.social
https://apnews.com/video/protest-against-kushner-linked-coastal-development-held-near-albanias-parliament-f09c4305bc7548f3a37a5aa1d5463826
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c986w38r4j5o
https://www.lbc.co.uk/article/who-rupert-lowe-restore-britain-5HjdTPC_2/
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy8znyzgkjjo
https://apnews.com/article/wales-scotland-northern-ireland-independence-uk-devolution-4242b7fd6987520211562a2250f093a1
https://www.reuters.com/world/italys-meloni-says-albania-migrant-camp-scheme-will-continue-2025-11-13/
https://apnews.com/article/sweden-election-opposition-wins-andersson-bf88ef9771cdd4f435a1568b98a11790
https://www.propublica.org/article/donald-trump-jr-wedding-bankrolled-russian-oligarch-umar-kremlev-putin
https://www.britannica.com/event/2025-Nepalese-Gen-Z-Protests
https://apnews.com/article/madagascar-protests-gen-z-rajoelina-e39ef11bd1f4a92f1f4b353900348219
https://www.journalofdemocracy.org/online-exclusive/how-serbian-students-created-the-largest-protest-movement-in-decades/
Who has been a guest on Half the Answer
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Greg Sargent
Marisa Kabas
Nathan Oseroff-Spicer
Matthew Sheffield
Amanda Moore
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
20,840
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.2 / 5
17 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 61 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
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