Chelsea Handler vs Hinchcliffe, Gillis, and Hart
The Brand Brief 5.26.26: Bernie Sanders, Memorial Day, Netflix, John Cornyn, Spencer Pratt, Kyle Busch, and AOC
Actionable media intel: 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…
1,480 words | 6 minute read | Written to be skimmable (10+ hours of media covered in The Brand Brief)
What Matters: The comedy wars
New Media Voices: Soldiers and saints
Leading FOX: Texas primaries and Bernie Sanders
Trending: Graham Platner and Tim Walz
What the Right is Writing: Iran and Karen Bass
✍️ WHAT MATTERS AND WHERE WE’RE GOING…
Nathan’s quick take on where we’re headed…
The fallout from Netflix’s The Roast of Kevin Hart was too hot for cable news, but it has been a favorite of conservative media hosts.
The biggest target: Chelsea Handler. She was particularly angered by the performances of comedians Tony Hinchcliffe and Shane Gillis, calling their jokes offensive. This is a family-friendly newsletter, so I’m not gonna repeat the jokes here.
Right-leaning culture shows like Adam Carolla, Brett Cooper, Officer Tatum, and Emily Jashinsky all criticized Handler’s double standards about what is appropriate comedy and not. They outlined a similar message to what Kevin Hart shared today on The Breakfast Club.
Bottom line: Conservative media continues to lean heavily into cultural fights over political ones. - NRB
What do you think of The Brand Brief? Let us know.
🎙️ NEW MEDIA VOICES
The Megyn Kelly Show - 5/25
Kelly introduces Alan C. Mack, an Army Master Aviator and Nightstalker, whose career spanned critical operations from Desert Storm to Afghanistan
Mack details Chinook missions, including the post-9/11 “Horse Soldiers” mission and the constant dangers of special operations aviation
He describes the rescue of Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell, surviving a helicopter crash, and his personal struggles as a combat veteran
Kelly criticizes the Biden admin’s “humiliating departure” from Afghanistan, a sentiment Mack echoes
The Ben Shapiro Show - 5/25
Guest Nick Freitas, a fellow podcaster and Army veteran, recommends remembering fallen service members by name and sharing their stories
Freitas argues society should respect the voluntary, honorable nature of military service instead of portraying service members as victims
They criticize media narratives that hold U.S. forces to impossible standards while excusing enemy tactics, and condemn veterans who use their service to broadly denigrate America
The Michael Knowles Show - 5/26
Knowles strongly approves of the federal subpoena against leftist streamer Hasan Piker for violating the Cuba embargo
He praises Pope Leo XIV’s Magnifica Humanitas encyclical, critically examining AI and transhumanism from a Christian perspective
Knowles warns against AI’s inability to form genuine relationships and the dangers of “moralizing machines”
He contrasts Christian views on work, community, and alcohol to modern “self-optimization” that prioritizes efficiency over connection
He highlights new Revolutionary War statues, including one for his ancestor Simon Knowles
Making the Argument with Nick Freitas - 5/25
Freitas clarifies Memorial Day’s true meaning as a solemn day to honor those who died in combat, versus Veterans Day for all who served
He dedicates the episode to his friend, Army Sgt. 1st Class Dae Han Park, a Special Forces communications sergeant who died in Afghanistan
Park was intensely dedicated to his role, yet also a loving “girl dad” and husband, sharing old school parenting philosophies with Freitas
Freitas urges viewers to honor Memorial Day by remembering fallen service members by name, praying for their families, and striving daily to live worthy of their sacrifice
📺 LEADING FOX NEWS
The Five
Kamala Harris threatens to run for president again, while CA Gov. Gavin Newsom tries to relate to voters by playing the dumb card and IL Gov. JB Pritzker says Trump has dementia
The Love Story producer struggled to cast JFK, Jr., suggests masculinity crisis
Keeping tally of your spouse’s chores can build resentment, a study shows liberal men are more likely to be gold diggers
FOX & Friends
U.S. launches defensive strikes in the Strait of Hormuz, President Trump says Iran gets no concessions if they don’t give up uranium and asks countries to join Abraham Accords
Sen. Bernie Sanders and Maine candidate Graham Platner team up to call for “political revolution,” promote socialism
An 18-year-old has been charged with ramming five Chicago cops with a car
Sen. John Cornyn and Kevin Paxton battle it out today in Texas’ Republican Senate primary runoff, Cornyn interviewed
The NASCAR community mourns the loss of Kyle Busch
Trump’s former COVID advisor says the U.S. is equipped to fight off the Ebola virus emerging in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democrats spend Memorial Day attacking ICE in Newark, NJ
MT AG Austin Knudsen discusses VP JD Vance’s fraud roundtable today
Kroger plans to slash prices on thousands of grocery items
Parents are holding their kids back so they can be stronger student athletes than their younger peers
Pope Leo XIV provides AI ethics guidelines in new Magnifica Humanitas
The high-stakes Los Angeles mayoral election is one week away
The UFC octagon begins to take shape on the White House south lawn
Indy 500 winner Felix Rosenqvist is interviewed on his victory just weeks after welcoming his baby into the world
FOX Newsroom
Sec. of State Marco Rubio says there is “strong alignment” on a preliminary Iran deal, U.S. launches defensive strikes, President Trump encourages more countries to join Abraham Accords, Sen. Dave McCormick reacts
President Trump delivered a speech, participated in a wreath laying at the Arlington National Cemetery Memorial Day ceremony
Texas voters head to the polls for the Republican Senate runoff between Ken Paxton and John Cornyn
Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner refuses to apologize for an old post saying a veteran deserved to die, gets Sen. Bernie Sanders’ support
JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon encourages NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani to “grow and build” or lose jobs
Oil is more than a dollar per gallon more expensive than a year ago
The U.S. expands travel restrictions as Ebola outbreak grows
Protesters confront an ICE facility in Newark, NJ
Democrat Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson places blame on parents for “teen takeovers,” more than 20 shot this weekend
AOC appears to hint at a 2028 bid for president
Spencer Pratt surges in polling, fundraising one week before the Los Angeles mayoral election
Socialist streamer Hasan Piker says tech tycoon Singham funds far-left political groups
🍿 TRENDING AND POUNCING
Tomorrow’s news today…
Tampon Tim attended a George Floyd celebration while ditching an event for Memorial Day [X, Libs of TikTok]
We have the money…it’s just being stolen! You wanna fix the budget? End the fraud. [X, Pratt]
They’re making AOC SEC edits on TikTok [X, Longhorn]
Dem Rep. Jake Auchincloss says Graham Platner’s Nazi tattoo should be “disqualifying” [X, Cohen]
🗞️ WHAT THE RIGHT IS WRITING
FOX News Digital
US military carries out ‘self-defense strikes’ in Iran [FOX News]
Graham Platner embraces democratic socialism at Bernie Sanders rally [FOX News]
Breitbart
Fresh Strikes on Iran: U.S. Hits Missile Sites, Minelayers [Breitbart]
Dr. Gorka: USA Killed 177 Jihadis in One Weekend [Breitbart]
Trump: Iran’s Enriched Uranium to Be ‘Immediately Turned Over’ to U.S. [Breitbart]
Far-Left AOC May Be Moving Toward 2028 Run for President [Breitbart]
Wall Street Journal Editorials
Will Trump Bail Out Iran’s Regime? [WSJ Ed]
The New Big Labor GOP [WSJ Ed]
Kevin Warsh’s Internal Opponents Fire Away [WSJ Ed]
Trump Has Lost the Governing Plot [WSJ Ed]
New York Post
NY Dems running for House want fed funding for ‘Drag Story Hour’ as city, state spends $700K [NYP]
Furious LA firefighters take rarely seen step in fight against Karen Bass [NYP]
Gavin Newsom’s outrageous $20M plan to honor California’s governors just months before he leaves office [NYP]
Washington Free Beacon
‘TrackAIPAC’ Attack Account Used To Be Elizabeth Warren-Boosting ‘California for Warren,’ Raising Money for Her Presidential Bid [WFB]
Washington Reporter
Nonprofit led by Kamala Harris ally is weighing in on U.S.-Lebanon policy, and Republicans are concerned [Reporter]
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