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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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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
  • Is This Even A Ceasefire?
    Apr 9 2026

    The Iran "ceasefire" lasted roughly three hours. The Strait of Hormuz is technically a toll road now. America might get a cut. And nobody can agree on what either side is even negotiating for.

    Grant breaks down everything that happened this week — the ceasefire announcement, why Israel blew it up, what Iran's 10-point plan actually says, and the honest scorecard after 38 days of war.

    Make It Make Sense Substack


    PROMO CODES:

    This episode is brought to you by Akila Sunglasses

    Don’t get caught wearing last summer’s sunglasses this spring break. Akila offers great frames for every style, without the designer price tag.

    Use the code MIMS25 to get 10% off your entire order

    👉 Shop now: AKILA.la

    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/TikTok: GrantHermesTV

    SPONSORS AND ADS:
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    Let’s work together. For sponsorships and custom ad spots, reach out to ads@matchbookmediapod.com

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    16 mins
  • Trump Threatens to Wipe Out Iran's Entire Civilization And The Nuclear Option on the Table?
    Apr 7 2026

    Trump's deadline for Iran expires at 8PM ET tonight — and hours before it hits, he threatened to wipe out an entire civilization in a single night. Is the nuclear option actually on the table?

    Grant breaks down Trump's escalating threats against Iran, what "wiping out a civilization" actually means under international law, the genocide definition in the Geneva Convention, and what signals suggest talks may still be happening behind closed doors.

    Topics covered:
    — Trump's Easter Sunday Truth Social post threatening Iranian power plants & bridges
    — Why bombing civilian infrastructure is a war crime under the Geneva Convention
    — The legal definition of genocide & why Trump's words meet the threshold
    — Republican reactions: Ron Johnson, Mike Lawler's CNN vs. Fox whiplash
    — JD Vance in Hungary, "Madman Theory," and the nuclear arms context
    — What signals suggest a deal may still be in play before tonight's deadline

    Make It Make Sense Substack

    PROMO CODES:

    This episode is brought to you by Akila Sunglasses

    Don’t get caught wearing last summer’s sunglasses this spring break. Akila offers great frames for every style, without the designer price tag.

    Use the code MIMS25 to get 10% off your entire order

    👉 Shop now: AKILA.la

    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/TikTok: GrantHermesTV

    SPONSORS AND ADS:
    Our listeners are smart, loyal, and tuned in — and your brand could be too.
    Let’s work together. For sponsorships and custom ad spots, reach out to ads@matchbookmediapod.com

    Show more Show less
    17 mins
  • The 1% Election: How Primaries Are Rigged Against Everyone ft. Chad Peace
    Apr 3 2026

    45% of Americans now call themselves independent — more than either party. So why does Congress look nothing like the country?

    Today Grant talks with Chad Peace of the Independent Voter Project about the hidden math behind our elections: how closed primaries, gerrymandering, and plurality voting let roughly 1–2% of the electorate pick your representative before most people even show up to vote.


    → Why independent voters aren't "closet partisans" — they're structurally locked out
    → The New Jersey primary that half the state can't vote in
    → Why Alaska now has the gold standard of elections (and why Trump hates it)
    → The one-sentence law Congress could pass tomorrow
    → Why voter ID is 84% popular but never passes
    → How we get from here to real reform

    LINKS:

    Independent Voter Project

    Make It Make Sense Substack

    PROMO CODES:

    This episode is brought to you by Akila Sunglasses

    Don’t get caught wearing last summer’s sunglasses this spring break. Akila offers great frames for every style, without the designer price tag.

    Use the code MIMS25 to get 10% off your entire order

    👉 Shop now: AKILA.la

    Disclosure: This episode contains paid sponsorship. All opinions are Grant’s own.


    #independentvoters #elections #democracy #votingrights #politics #primaryelections #rankedchoicevoting

    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/TikTok: GrantHermesTV

    SPONSORS AND ADS:
    Our listeners are smart, loyal, and tuned in — and your brand could be too.
    Let’s work together. For sponsorships and custom ad spots, reach out to ads@matchbookmediapod.com

    Show more Show less
    32 mins
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