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Make It Make Sense with Grant Hermes

Make It Make Sense with Grant Hermes

By: Grant Hermes
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Summary

Politics has never been more chaotic, and most podcasts just add to the noise. Make It Make Sense with Grant Hermes cuts through it.


Grant is an AP Award-winning journalist with over a decade of on-the-ground reporting on the biggest political stories, scandals, and elections in America. Twice a week, he takes the stories dominating the headlines and breaks them down in plain English — no jargon, no spin, no shouting.


If you care about what’s happening in this country but you’re exhausted by how it’s being covered, this is the show for you. Real reporting. Clear explanations. Actual context.


Make It Make Sense drops three times a week. Subscribe so you never miss it.

© 2026 Make It Make Sense with Grant Hermes
Political Science Politics & Government
Episodes
  • The Iran Peace Deal Is Just Obama's Deal (But Worse?)
    May 7 2026

    The White House is claiming a peace deal with Iran is close, but
    The deal on the table looks almost identical to the Obama-era agreement
    Trump tore up in 2018. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio
    openly told the press that the administration doesn't feel bound by the
    War Powers Act, and one Republican congressman from Michigan is
    trying to force the issue with a new bill.

    We break down what's actually in the proposed Iran deal, why the
    legal authority for U.S. military operations is murky at best,
    and what new intelligence reports say about Iran's missile stockpiles
    and their ability to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed.

    Topics covered:
    - Iran peace talks and what's actually being offered
    - How the proposed deal compares to the 2018 Obama deal Trump scrapped
    - Rubio says the White House won't follow the War Powers Act
    - Rep. Tom Barrett's AUMF bill and what it means
    - Iran's missile stockpile is 70-75% intact, not 18% like Trump claimed
    - U.S. has burned through nearly half its critical missile stockpiles
    - Saudi Arabia suspended U.S. base access, here's why

    Subscribe for breakdowns of the news that actually matters.
    Full story + more at the Make It Make Sense Substack: The Company They Keep

    Promo Code:

    The news is chaotic enough — you shouldn't also have to wonder if you're only getting half the story. Ground News shows you how every outlet, left, right, and center, is covering the same event, so you can see the full picture instead of just one side's version of it. Their Blindspot feed even surfaces stories that are being ignored by one side of the political spectrum entirely. Less echo chamber. More clarity.

    Go to https://bit.ly/4dvTblK for 40% off their best plan, the Vantage subscription.

    Support the show

    Follow along on social media

    X: @mimsnewspod
    Instagram: @mimsnewspod
    TikTok: @mimsnewspod
    Substack: mimsnewspod.substack.com
    YouTube: youtube.com/@MIMSnewspod
    Bluesky: Granthermes.bsky.social

    Follow Grant:
    X: @GrantHermes

    Insta: @Grant__Hermes

    Tiktok: Grant_Hermes

    Show More Show Less
    18 mins
  • Is the Iran War Actually Over? The White House Can't Get Its Story Straight
    May 5 2026

    The president told Congress the Iran war was "terminated." The Secretary of Defense says there's still a ceasefire. Then Trump called it a "mini-war" on camera. So... which is it?

    Today, Grant breaks down the War Powers Act deadline that forced Trump's hand, the new "Project Freedom" operation in the Strait of Hormuz, why gas just hit $4.50/gallon nationally, and what the polls say about where Americans actually stand.

    ⏱ Chapters:
    00:00 Intro — Can't get the story straight
    01:20 The War Powers Act deadline explained
    04:10 What is "Project Freedom" actually?
    07:30 Iran fires on US ships — is the ceasefire over?
    10:15 $4.50 gas & the economic toll
    14:00 What the polls say (and why Trump won't believe them)
    17:30 What comes next

    📬 Subscribe to the Make It Make Sense Substack for the full Civics Class breakdown on redistricting: How Does Redistricting Work?

    🎙️ Make It Make Sense is a daily news explainer with Grant Hermes. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday.

    PROMO CODE:

    The news is chaotic enough — you shouldn't also have to wonder if you're only getting half the story. Ground News shows you how every outlet, left, right, and center, is covering the same event, so you can see the full picture instead of just one side's version of it. Their Blindspot feed even surfaces stories that are being ignored by one side of the political spectrum entirely. Less echo chamber. More clarity.

    Go to ground.news/mims for 40% off their best plan, the Vantage subscription.


    Support the show

    Follow along on social media

    X: @mimsnewspod
    Instagram: @mimsnewspod
    TikTok: @mimsnewspod
    Substack: mimsnewspod.substack.com
    YouTube: youtube.com/@MIMSnewspod
    Bluesky: Granthermes.bsky.social

    Follow Grant:
    X: @GrantHermes

    Insta: @Grant__Hermes

    Tiktok: Grant_Hermes

    Show More Show Less
    19 mins
  • Forget Gerrymandering, The Supreme Court Legalized Gerrymaxxing w/ Dave Daley
    May 1 2026

    It's like Looksmaxxing but for gerrymandering. GERRYMAXXING

    The Supreme Court just finished what John Roberts started 45 years ago, gutting the Voting Rights Act. And the political earthquake it's about to cause will be felt in every state, in every race, all the way down to your school board.

    In this episode, Grant sits down with Dave Daley, author and senior fellow at FairVote, to break down the Supreme Court's ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, what it actually means for Black and Brown voters, and why this could lead to the largest reduction in minority representation in Congress since Reconstruction.

    They cover:

    • What the Voting Rights Act actually required and what Justice Alito just replaced it with
    • Why the new "intent" standard is nearly impossible to meet
    • The "Gerrymaxxing" wave that's about to sweep the nation.
    • Why competitive elections could drop to single digits out of 435 congressional seats by 2028
    • What real fixes exist, and whether any of them are politically possible
    • What you can do right now

    LINKS:

    Dave Daley at Fair Vote

    Dave's Books

    • Ratfucked
    • Unrigged

    Support the show

    Follow along on social media

    X: @mimsnewspod
    Instagram: @mimsnewspod
    TikTok: @mimsnewspod
    Substack: mimsnewspod.substack.com
    YouTube: youtube.com/@MIMSnewspod
    Bluesky: Granthermes.bsky.social

    Follow Grant:
    X: @GrantHermes

    Insta: @Grant__Hermes

    Tiktok: Grant_Hermes

    Show More Show Less
    42 mins
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