As close as politics gets to live sports
The Brand Brief 11.4.25: Jennifer Lawrence, Dick Cheney, Mamdani, Nancy Pelosi, and bomb threats
Actionable media intel to cut through the noise and keep you ahead: The Brand Brief delivers a daily snapshot of trending stories in 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…
1,654 words | 7 minute read (12+ hours of media covered in The Brand Brief)
What Matters: Election night plans
New Media Voices: Mamdani, and Trump on 60 Minutes
Leading FOX: Voters are voting
Trending and Pouncing: Mamdani supporters show their true colors
What the Right is Writing: Genocide of Nigerian Christians
✍️ WHAT MATTERS AND WHERE WE’RE GOING…
Nathan’s quick take on where we’re headed…
Election nights and debate nights are the most exciting moments in politics, and the closest the conservative media ecosystem will get to a live sports event. A few notes on tonight:
Virginia attorney general race: Democrat Jay Jones’ vile text messages about killing a Republican and his family made this race competitive. But given the state's environment and makeup, the question remains: how many split-ticket voters exist in this era of partisan politics?
New Jersey gubernatorial race: There is no doubt that Republicans face historical and partisan headwinds in both VA and NJ. But if gravity can be defied, keep an eye on Republican Jack Ciattarelli.
New York City Mayoral: The election of an avowed socialist to be mayor of the media capital of the world will drive the conservative media ecosystem for years to come (more on that here). For those loyal readers of The Brand Brief, you have likely noticed that Zohran Mamdani is already mentioned every hour on FOX and appears daily in new media podcasts. - NRB
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🎙️ NEW MEDIA VOICES
The Megyn Kelly Show - 11/3
Kelly is frustrated at the focus on Trump during the 2025 elections, and compares it to Obama’s continued involvement in campaigns
She argues 60 Minutes’ Norah O’Donnell struggled to be neutral when interviewing Trump, likely due to Bari Weiss’ takeover of the company
CBS News refused to air Trump’s praise of the company’s leadership changes, Kelly makes fun of former NBC News reporter Michelle Kosinski
Michelle Obama acts like she wants a quiet retirement, but goes on podcasts to talk about the scrutiny she faced as the first Black First Lady
Guest Sam Antar, a felon turned fraud investigator, explains how the charges against NY AG Letitia James will likely be proven true
The Benny Show - 11/4
Either Winsome-Earle Sears or Abigail Spanberger will become the first female governor of Virginia
Guests John Solomon, founder of Just the News, Julie Kelly, writer for American Greatness, as well as Republican California Rep. Darrell Issa share further evidence revealing James Comey’s ties to Russiagate
Rep. Issa explains Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s decline in power within the Democrat party
Rasmussen Reports confirms Republican turnout is strong, but support for Trump doesn’t necessarily confirm support for Ciattarelli
The Ben Shapiro Show - 11/4
Shapiro says he’ll be on CNN’s Election Day livestream tonight with other commentators like Isabel Brown and Charlamagne tha God
Shapiro tells his viewers to vote for Cuomo, while Democrat Spanberger leads the Virginia race by 7-10% and New Jersey polls show more of a standoff
Nancy Pelosi calls Trump “the worst thing on planet Earth” in a CNN interview
Trump highlights the importance of fighting back against the Nigerian genocide of Christians
Radical podcaster Nick Fuentes claims he has VP Vance’s chance at presidency in his hands
Author Oz Pearlman talks about his new book Read Your Mind
The Michael Knowles Show - 11/3
Knowles encourages all New Yorkers to fight against the possibility of a socialist mayor in NYC: Mamdani
President Trump makes a last-minute endorsement, saying Cuomo has a better chance at beating Mamdani than Sliwa
State-based races will be close, particularly in New Jersey where Republican Ciattarelli faces Democrat Sherrill
Even CNN pollster Harry Enten says the Democrats’ campaign strategy is “total and complete garbage,” as they face no 2028 frontrunner
A DC judge rules that Trump’s executive order to mandate proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections is unconstitutional
Allie Beth Stuckey’s “Relatable” - 11/3
Stuckey reminds her audience of her mantra, “do the next right thing in faith with excellence and for the glory of God” as she faces backlash for her speech critiquing feminism and porn
More than 42 million Americans are without SNAP benefits as the Schumer Shutdown becomes the longest shutdown in history
Stuckey says a welfare state is unbiblical, since charity should be voluntary and not done through compulsory taxation
The Ugandan-born Muslim socialist Mamdani is projected to win the NYC mayoral race, wants to defund the police and create city-run stores
Stuckey fears Mamdani’s socialism could parallel the failures in Venezuela and Zimbabwe, emphasizes holding leaders accountable
After Party with Emily Jashinsky - 11/4
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries gives socialist Mamdani a reluctant endorsement while denying his connection to the Democrats
Guest Mark Hemingway, a senior writer for RealClearPolitics, explains the Arctic Frost investigation that surveilled on conservatives
Guest Britney Xavier explains how her shift to authenticity online allowed her to rise to become a luxury product and MAHA influencer
Xavier and Jashinsky discuss the shift to being more open online, the fast fashion dilemma of TikTok and Instagram
Celebrities are softening in their response to Trump, including Nicki Minaj, Cheryl Hines, and Jennifer Lawrence
📺 LEADING FOX NEWS
A look inside the FOX editorial decision-making…
The Five
Trump says ICE raids haven’t gone far enough, calls Schumer a “kamikaze pilot” during 60 Minutes interview after suit settled
Obama gives stump speeches for Sherrill in New Jersey and Spanberger in Virginia, doesn’t endorse Mamdani
Guest Piers Morgan says the Democrats face an identity crisis as Obama loses his ideological agreement with the party
Newsom denies Biden’s health issues during his presidency, says he hates lying politicians in the same breath
Jennifer Lawrence questions the effectiveness of celebrities talking about politics
Gen Z men are afraid of being filmed or canceled while dating
FOX & Friends
California’s Prop 50, Virginia and New Jersey’s governor races, and the NYC mayoral race are all on the line today
Democrats continue to back VA AG candidate Jay Jones after his texting scandal by letting him give a speech at Spanberger’s rally
Trump gives remote speeches for New Jersey’s Ciattarelli and Virginia’s Sears after Ciattarelli is reunited with his military son on Election Day Eve
After former Vice President Dick Cheney passed last night at 84 years old, a former Bush speechwriter and Sen. Ted Cruz give their thoughts
Reporters on the ground speak to voters in New Jersey, Virginia, NYC
Police release new evidence confirming Bryan Kohberger as the murderer of the Idaho 4
Two bombs threats impact New Jersey voting centers
Guest NYC mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo emphasizes Mamdani’s socialist identity
FOX Newsroom
All NYC mayoral candidates claim momentum is on their side, even if polling says otherwise
Bomb threats are reported at multiple New Jersey voting locations, Mamdani claims it’s somehow Trump’s fault
Former Vice President Dick Cheney died last night at 84
Two men face federal charges for targeting gay bars in Michigan on Halloween, wanted to copy the 2015 Paris attack
The National Women’s Soccer Team is divided on how to handle trans people in sports
Cuomo casts his ballot live in the NYC election
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson confirms this is the longest government shutdown in American history
Air travel delays continue because of government shutdown
Trump’s tariffs case heads to the Supreme Court
California Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley talks about how he could lose his seat if Prop 50 passes, destroying multiple red districts
🍿 TRENDING AND POUNCING
Tomorrow’s news today: highlights from the conversation on the right and what conservatives are “pouncing” on…
Who bankrolled @ZohranKMamdani’s campaign and the DSA takeover of the Democrats? @lsarsour tells all. Mamdani’s rise was NEVER grassroots, it was bought and paid for by @CAIRNational. [X, Canary Mission]
President Trump has infuriated liberals after the White House posted this video featuring NICKI MINAJ on TikTok [X, Daugherty]
Democrat Virginia AG candidate Jay Jones who fantasized about kiIIing Republicans just tried to KICK A DOG [X, LibsofTikTok]
In an infuriating development, President Trump is now being forced by Democrats to use WAR-TIME FUNDING for some SNAP benefits [X, Daugherty]
Mamdani hasn’t even been elected yet, and people are already getting out of New York [X, Price]
🗞️ WHAT THE RIGHT IS WRITING
Leading FOX News Digital
Cuomo reaches across the aisle for support in high-stakes mayoral race after Trump endorsement [FOX News]
Social media erupts over ‘absurd’ Pelosi response to question about Trump [FOX News]
‘Wicked’ icon nearly broken by backlash to Charlie Kirk post after assassination [FOX News]
Top of Breitbart
Dick Cheney Dead at 84 [Breitbart]
Jennifer Lawrence Says Criticizing Trump Adds ‘Fuel to a Fire Ripping the Country Apart’ [Breitbart]
Zohran Mamdani Says He Will Defend Illegal Aliens’ Right to Live in NYC [Breitbart]
Nigerian President Denies Jihadist Slaughter, Expected to Meet Trump [Breitbart]
Wall Street Journal Editorials
The Tariff King and the Supreme Court [WSJ Ed]
Bust the Filibuster at the GOP’s Peril [WSJ Ed]
The Feds Clean Up Washington Square Park [WSJ Ed]
Trump and Nigeria’s Persecuted Christians [WSJ Ed]
SAY HELLO
Nathan (@NathanBrandWA on X or Nathan@OnBrandStrategies.com) and Carly (@realCarlyMoran on X or Carly@OnBrandStrategies.com).
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