Make It Make Sense with Grant Hermes
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.
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Make It Make Sense with Grant Hermes
Trump Announced a Ground Invasion of Iran. Then Called It Off, Six Hours Later.
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103 days into a war Donald Trump promised would never happen, the United States is striking targets inside Iran and along the Iranian coast for the third straight day. The Secretary of Defense announced the US would target bridges and power plants. Legal scholars say those strikes are unconstitutional. International law experts say targeting civilian infrastructure is a war crime.
This morning, Trump announced the US would be taking Kharg Island, Iran's most important oil hub. Senator Patty Murray called it a quagmire. Iran's lead negotiator called it a quagmire. Military and constitutional scholars called the strikes illegal. Six hours later, Trump posted on Truth Social that the strikes were cancelled and a peace deal was done.
Iran was not on the list of countries that approved the deal. Iran has not commented. This is the 39th time Trump has announced a peace deal is ready to be signed.
Grant also breaks down why 265 ships are still stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, what it means that the US has drawn down its own oil reserves to historic lows, and what Mike Johnson said when asked whether Congress should authorize the war — and then ran away from the cameras.
CHAPTERS:
0:00 The US is back at war with Iran. Three days of strikes. Here's what changed.
1:30 Sponsor: Cozy Earth
3:00 The helicopter Iran shot down, the rescue, and the US airstrike response
4:15 Why these strikes are unconstitutional: no Congressional authorization, no War Powers justification
5:30 Mike Johnson asked if Congress should authorize the war. He ran away from the cameras.
6:45 Senator Ron Johnson: Congress can't be trusted to know about its own wars
8:00 Targeting power plants and bridges: why Hegseth's "on our terms" is an admission of war crimes
9:30 The covert oil mission: 100 million barrels through the Strait, 265 ships still stranded
11:00 Trump says "I love inflation." The White House spin vs. what oil executives are actually telling the administration.
12:30 Kharg Island explained: why taking it means boots on the ground and a full-scale ground war
14:00 55% of Americans oppose any invasion. Support for the war is now at minus 20.
15:15 Six hours later: the invasion is off. Peace deal number 39 is announced. Iran wasn't consulted.
16:45 103 days of a war Trump promised would never happen. No end in sight.
PROMO CODES
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