Are conservatives too stupid to read?
The Brand Brief 2.4.26: Tom Homan, Savannah Guthrie, Janet Mills, Jelly Roll, Billie Eilish, Lindsey Vonn, the Clintons, Drake Maye, Bill Gates, and Wes Moore
Actionable media intel to keep you ahead: The Brand Brief delivers a daily snapshot of the conservative media ecosystem - FOX News, podcasts, and more. | Brought to you by On Brand Strategies | Written by Carly Moran and Nathan Brand
📣 Driving the Conversation…
1,632 words | 7 minute read | Written to be skimmable (12+ hours of media covered in The Brand Brief)
What Matters: Where conservatives get their news
New Media Voices: Grammys, Epstein, and Don Lemon
Leading FOX: Guthrie and Homan
Trending: Minnesota, Homan, and Bill Gates
What the Right is Writing: Wes Moore’s great-grandfather
✍️ WHAT MATTERS AND WHERE WE’RE GOING…
Nathan’s quick take on where we’re headed…
Left-wing commentators are recycling the lie that conservatives are too stupid to read. They lean on a 2025 Pew study that shows FOX News being the dominant source of news for conservatives, which is true. But the conclusion is deeply flawed:
While FOX commands a large share of conservative viewership, liberal audiences are spread out amongst many legacy outlets
Conservative media consumption is increasingly decentralized, and these studies fail to account for that fragmentation
Conservatives abandoned the legacy media that Pew is measuring
Conservative book sales have historically outpaced liberal books
As for liberals dominating Substack? As PoliticalMath notes on X, the platform was a safe haven for conservatives during Twitter’s aggressive censorship days. Elon Musk buys Twitter, then liberals migrate to Substack.
Conservatives are not stupid; they simply don’t trust legacy media. And that is why The Brand Brief seeks to track the broader, evolving conservative media ecosystem. - NRB
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🎙️ NEW MEDIA VOICES
The Megyn Kelly Show - 2/3
Jim Fitzgerald, co-host of Cold Red Podcast, and Randy Sutton, retired Las Vegas detective, join Kelly to discuss the apparent abduction of Today Show host Savannah Guthrie’s mom
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos says Nancy Guthrie’s blood trailed from her home to the driveway, her Apple Watch stopped syncing at 2 AM, and without her medication she could die
Rich Lowry and Charles Cooke of the National Review join to discuss Don Lemon’s Jimmy Kimmel appearance, and The View hosts’ reactions to his arrest
Activist judges continue to thwart Trump’s deportation plans, Kelly contrasts to past presidents’ usage of executive authority
Following her “no one is illegal on stolen land” Grammys speech, the Los Angeles Tongva tribe is requesting Billie Eilish give over her $14 million mansion
The Ben Shapiro Show - 2/3
Shapiro analyzes warning signs for Republicans regarding the 2026 midterms, citing Democrat gains in special elections
The show contrasts the Trump admin’s enforcement efforts with resistance from “sanctuary” jurisdictions like Minneapolis
Guest Brandon Tatum criticizes anti-ICE activism, arguing that local cooperation with federal immigration authorities is essential for public safety.
Matt Walsh discusses his new series challenging leftist historical narratives on slavery and expresses skepticism about the rise of AI
Sen. John Kennedy addresses the legislative stalemate in DC, ongoing economic concerns, and the threat of a China-Russia-Iran alliance
The Michael Knowles Show - 2/3
Knowles says the “compassionate collectivism” of NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani led to 16 homeless people freezing to death
The host analyzes files linking Jeffrey Epstein to Vladimir Putin and Robert Mugabe, suggesting he operated as an intelligence asset
Knowles condemns a disturbing trend of women utilizing cadaver fat for cosmetic enhancements
Democrats are describing deportation to Haiti as a “death sentence” while also encouraging mass migration from the unstable region
The Brett Cooper Show - 2/3
Cooper mocks Grammy fashion choices like Chappell Roan’s revealing outfit and Jamie Foxx’s bizarre reaction to it.
She slams the “Ice Out” pins worn by attendees as “brain-dead performative activism”
Cooper uses a viral tweet to dismantle Billie Eilish’s “stolen land” comments as historically illiterate and hypocritical
The host mocks Jack Antonoff’s viral interview where he couldn’t explain the pins’ meaning, exemplifying Hollywood’s superficiality
Cooper praises Jelly Roll’s faith-filled speech as the night’s only redeeming moment
TimcastIRL - 2/3
A Cameroon national was arrested by ICE after becoming a police recruit in New Orleans, some panelists question if intentional
Former congressman George Santos joins to discuss the piles of snow, garbage, and dog waste left behind in New York City more than a week after the storm, blaming Zohran Mamdani for the mess
The New York City mayor is now the face of a conspiracy theory, with online sleuths saying Jeffrey Epstein is his father, based upon his mother being in the files and a family resemblance
Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick is facing federal charges for using FEMA funds for herself, Santos says Congress is guilty of selective prosecution of its members
Following anti-ICE drama at the Grammys, Nicki Minaj claims celebrities engage in ritual blood sacrifices
📺 LEADING FOX NEWS
The Five
Rep. Jerry Nadler calls ICE agents “goons” and attempts to justify shooting them, CNN glorifies teens skipping school to distract ICE agents, Vanity Fair claims social justice is making a comeback
Savannah Guthrie’s mother remains missing as released evidence suggests she was abducted, potential ransom note uncovered
Citizen journalists blame Zohran Mamdani for the extent of snow, waste left behind in New York more than a week after the winter storm, 16 homeless people froze to death
A detransitioned woman won a $2 million medical malpractice lawsuit
Maine Gov. Janet Mills mocks reporters, saying she’s “not Joe Biden” when asked about her age
Minivan sales surged by 21% in 2025 thanks to Millennial dads
FOX & Friends
Nancy Guthrie has been missing for four days, more than 100 investigators join the search
Trump signs a bill that will fund DHS through Feb 13
Patriots quarterback Drake Maye focuses on faith and family ahead of the Super Bowl, and Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn says she plans to compete in the Winter Games despite a ruptured ACL
The U.S. military shoots down an Iranian drone near aircraft carrier
National Guard shooter Rahmanullah Lakanwal will be arraigned today
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons becomes the first U.S. medical society to advise against minor gender transitions
Cardinal Dolan is interviewed in-studio on his 17 years as archbishop
Irish comedian Graham Linehan is interviewed on his upcoming testimony addressing free speech in the UK after getting arrested for a trans joke
Dr. Marc Siegel explains how faith in God can expedite medical healing
FOX Newsroom
Panel provides live coverage of Tom Homan’s Minneapolis briefing, calls for anti-ICE blockades to be torn down, for 700 agents to leave the state, Trump says to “hand over their criminals,” former DHS Sec. Chad Wolf reacts
Charlie Kirk’s accused killer is in court today after his defense attorneys attempted to remove members of the prosecution team
Hugh Hewitt reacts after an Iranian drone got shot down for approaching an American aircraft carrier
The search for Nancy Guthrie enters day four with zero announced suspects, but evidence of abduction and a potential ransom note, and Jill Biden’s ex-husband has been accused of murder
Trump endorses the SAVE Act, which would implement federal voter ID
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons, representing 11,000 physicians, says transgender surgeries should be delayed until 19 years old
The Artemis II moon mission has been delayed after fuel leaked during a test launch
Kevin Warsh resigns from his current White House position in preparation for being voted in as the next fed chair
Pepsico and General Mills are cutting snack prices due to lowered demand and backlash for inflationary price hikes
The Clintons agree to testify before the House Oversight Committee on the Epstein Files
Interior Sec. Doug Burgam is interviewed on Trump’s push for a critical mineral stockpile to ease dependence on China
An Illinois man has been charged for doxxing, threatening an FBI agent, and The FBI is investigating a potential CCP biolab in Las Vegas
🍿 TRENDING AND POUNCING
Tomorrow’s news today…
Reporter: Do you think this operation was a success? Tom Homan: “Yeah, I just listed a bunch of people we took off the streets of the Twin Cities.” [X, Rapid Response 47]
Marcia Howard, head of Minneapolis Teachers Union, admits that elected officials are in anti-ICE signal chats designed to track and dox ICE agents. [X, Libs of TikTok]
New Yorkers are shocked and appalled after Ugandan Mayor Zohran Mamdani visits and consoles the man who tried to kill a cop with a knife. [X, Daugherty]
Bill Gates says he regrets every minute he spent with Jeffrey Epstein, denies STD cover up allegation. [X, Rugg]
🗞️ WHAT THE RIGHT IS WRITING
Leading FOX News Digital
New clues raise alarm in disappearance of Savannah Guthrie’s mother [FOX News]
These are the 21 House Republicans who held out against Trump [FOX News]
Native American tribe responds to Grammy winner’s remarks about ‘stolen land’ [FOX News]
Breitbart
Nationwide Rent Declines as Border Enforcement Reduces Migration [Breitbart]
Rep. Nadler Slammed For Suggesting Shooting Masked ICE Agents Is Justified [Breitbart]
Wall Street Journal Editorials
How to Get Kevin Warsh Confirmed [WSJ Ed]
The Epstein Files Fallout Hits the Innocent [WSJ Ed]
The AI Stock Market Rout [WSJ Ed]
Vladimir Putin Isn’t Winning in Ukraine [WSJ Ed]
New York Post
Princess Eugenie’s devastated reaction to getting dragged into her parents’ tawdry Epstein scandals revealed [NYP]
GOP senator demands Minnesota fraud oversight records: ‘Public deserves to know the extent’ [NYP]
Washington Free Beacon
Wes Moore Says the KKK Chased His Great-Grandfather Out of South Carolina. Historical Records Tell a Different Story. [WFB]
Washington Reporter
GOP heads into midterms flush with cash across outside groups [Reporter]
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