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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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About this listen

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 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
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    SPONSORS AND ADS:
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    Show More Show Less
    32 mins
  • Trump Said Nothing For 20 Minutes
    Apr 2 2026

    Trump gave a primetime national address about the Iran war — and the most important parts were what he didn't say. We break down the three things that got cut from the speech, why the markets tanked anyway, and why $7/gallon gas might hit by Memorial Day.

    Then: the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Trump v. Barbara — the case that could end birthright citizenship for the first time in 127 years. We explain what the administration is actually arguing, why they're citing a pro-segregation white supremacist, and what the justices signaled. Plus: Trump became the first sitting president to show up during a case. It didn't go how he thought it would.

    This week on Substack (paid): The new bills in Congress targeting citizenship — what they say, what experts are calling dangerous, and who they'd affect. → makeitmakesense.substack.com

    PROMO CODES:

    Make It Make Sense with Grant Hermes

    Sponsored by: Akila Sunglasses


    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.

    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
    24 mins
  • The Shutdown Is Still Here, The War Has No Plan, And Lindsey Graham Is At Disney World
    Mar 31 2026

    The longest government shutdown in US history drags on as Republicans in the House and Senate square off against each other before leaving for Spring Break without a deal to fund the Department of Homeland Security.

    Trump orders TSA agents to get back pay, except no one knows where the money is coming from or if it's legal. ICE may be a permanent fixture at airports.

    The war in Iran reaches the two-month mark as gas prices rise to $4/gallon and don't show any sign of coming down. Trump hints that he may just walk away from the war and leave the rest of the world to deal with Iran and a closed Strait of Hormuz, which threatens to send gas prices to $7/gallon by the summer.

    Buckle up.

    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
    19 mins
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