Conversations about something more important
The Brand Brief 3.4.26: Wes Huff, John Fetterman, Marco Rubio, Jamie Foxx, Tim Walz, Gavin Newsom, the Clintons, James Talarico, and Pete Hegseth
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…
1,520 words | 7 minute read | Written to be skimmable (13+ hours of media covered in The Brand Brief)
What Matters: Faith in new media
New Media Voices: War in Iran
Leading FOX: Fraud hearing and Iran bombing
Trending: Talarico takes Texas
What the Right is Writing: Updates from Iran
✍️ WHAT MATTERS AND WHERE WE’RE GOING…
Nathan’s quick take on where we’re headed…
One of the most encouraging things I have learned while putting together this newsletter is the success of faith-centered conversations on long-form interview podcasts. Most notably, Wes Huff.
The Protestant apologist was featured in the fifth most-viewed Joe Rogan episode on YouTube in 2025, and Huff’s interview with Shawn Ryan is the podcaster’s most-viewed interview of 2026. Mel Gibson’s conversation about his Catholic faith was also the second-most-viewed Rogan video of 2025.
My final observation on this (for now) is that anyone who listened to Charlie Kirk toward the end of his life noticed his show was more preaching than politics. Voices like Allie Beth Stuckey have tapped into this interest, sharing the gospel with a growing audience. - NRB
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🎙️ NEW MEDIA VOICES
The Megyn Kelly Show - 3/3
Kelly cites a Washington Post poll showing confusion among the public about the intent of the Iran operation, and says support for the actions in Iran is sharply divided along partisan lines
Erik Prince, Blackwater founder, emphasizes the strength of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and the difficulty the U.S. would face in successfully implementing regime change in Iran without significant ground presence
Kelly reports on drone attacks on U.S. embassies, following Israeli strikes on Iranian cleric gatherings
Mark Geist, a retired U.S. Marine, argues in favor of military action against Iran as necessary to support Iranian citizens seeking change
The Ben Shapiro Show - 3/3
Shapiro asserts the U.S. is winning against Iran thanks to effective airstrikes, minimal casualties compared to past conflicts, and strong leadership
Sen. John Fetterman discusses the necessity of military actions against Iran, emphasizing their implications for global safety and the threat posed by their nuclear capabilities.
Shapiro criticizes Tucker Carlson, who he claims misrepresent U.S. military involvement and objectives in Iran, says there’s a distinction between genuine skepticism about U.S. actions and those who are undermining for their own agendas
The Michael Knowles Show - 3/3
Knowles introduces a live special episode titled “Did Israel Drag Us Into War With Iran?” featuring liberal guest Luke Beasley and right-winger Alex Stein
Sec. of State Marco Rubio claims in a press conference that Israel’s actions against Iran necessitated a preemptive strike by the U.S.
Knowles says the contradiction in Rubio’s statements suggests while the U.S. was aware of Israel’s intentions, they had planned to confront Iran regardless due to the growing threat
He analyzes criticisms from Democrats like Sen. Mark Warner, while Speaker Mike Johnson argues the operation against Iran was a necessary defensive measure
Timcast IRL - 3/3
Pool discusses the increasing likelihood of U.S. boots on the ground in Iran amid rising tensions and military mobilization
Congressional candidate Austin Rogers expresses skepticism about the sincerity of Democrats’ concerns regarding troop deployment, while also warning against a repeat of past wars
Pool says any U.S. military operation may involve unofficial means, such as private military contractors, instead of direct troop involvement
The Brett Cooper Show - 3/3
Cooper discusses the incident at the BAFTA awards where John Davidson, a Tourette’s advocate, shouted a racial slur due to his condition, which sparked significant online outrage
Cooper argues the reaction of actors like Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo, is hypocritical given their advocacy for diversity and inclusion
Cooper argues blaming the condition for causing offense perpetuates stigma rather than fostering empathy
Celebrities like Jamie Foxx and Charlamagne Tha God suggested Davidson should not have been allowed at the event
📺 LEADING FOX NEWS
The Five
Israel hits an Iran succession meeting, taking out multiple potential leaders, Sec. of State Marco Rubio says Iran is run by “lunatics”
President Trump confirms the majority of Iranian military assets are destroyed
The View claims Trump is using Iran as a distraction from administration issues, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries claims the operation will “end in failure”
The House Oversight Committee shares footage from the Bill and Hillary Clinton depositions
Gavin Newsom blames Trump for high gas prices, exposing California’s reliance on overseas oil
FOX & Friends
As strikes intensify, a funeral is postponed for the former Iranian dictator Ali Khamenei, his radical son is rumored to be the successor
A new FOX news poll says 61% of Americans view Iran as a serious national security threat, similar numbers to 2006
The U.S. and Israel have hit a total of 2,000 Iranian targets, Senate majority Whip John Barrasso shares findings from a briefing
The panel interviews Louis Herrle, an American woman stuck in Dubai
Sec. of War Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine give updates on the strikes in Iran, Rep. Jim Jordan reacts to the 50,000 troops deployed across the region
Four of six troops killed in Operation Epic Fury have been identified to their families
James Talarico beats Jasmine Crockett in the Texas senate primary
Former Bush speechwriter Marc Thiessen reports on DHS Sec. Kristi Noem’s congressional hearing on the partial shutdown
The Supreme Court ends California’s policy to allow schools to help students transition without parents knowing
The Austin shooter shared multiple anti-Christian and antisemetic posts before killing three in a bar
A Georgia father of a school shooter is found guilty of manslaughter
FOX Newsroom
The joint U.S. and Israeli military have struck 2,000 Iranian targets, sinks Iranian warship, Iran and Hezbollah target civilians
Sens. John Kennedy and Tim Sheehy are interviewed ahead of the Senate vote on curbing President Trump’s war powers
House majority leaders speak live on the rapid success of the Iran operation
The U.S. treasury reports steps to stabilize the price of oil
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and AG Keith Ellison testify on state fraud, GOP reports $9 billion in Medicare funds and $300 million in federal nutrition dollars stolen, Walz admits he’s been aware of fraud since 2019
James Talarico wins the Texas Democrat primary for Senate against Jasmine Crockett
🍿 TRENDING AND POUNCING
Tomorrow’s news today…
Talarico: “Our trans community needs abortion care too.” This is the guy the Democrats think is going to flip Texas blue. [X, Price]
Rubio: Let me explain to you guys this in simple English, ok? Iran is run by lunatics — religious fanatic lunatics. They have an ambition to have nuclear weapons. [X, Rapid Response 47]
James Comer calls out Tim Walz for losing billions in taxpayer funds to fraudsters and doing nothing about it. Walz looks dumbfounded. [X, RNC Research]
Assistant AG Harmeet Dhillon announces all 39 anti-ICE leftists who stormed the Minnesota church have been arrested — two of them while out of the country. [X, Daugherty]
🗞️ WHAT THE RIGHT IS WRITING
FOX News Digital
Pentagon identifies 4 of 6 US service members killed [FOX News]
Israel has warning for slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s replacement [FOX News]
Rising star topples Crockett in high-stakes Texas Senate Democratic primary [FOX News]
Breitbart
Crockett Loses to Talarico, Dan Crenshaw Unseated, Paxton, Cornyn Heading to May Runoff, Cooper v. Whatley in NC Showdown, Al Green on the Brink [Breitbart]
Livewire: Operation Epic Fury Day Four [Breitbart]
Senate Barrels Toward War Powers Resolution to End War Against Iran [Breitbart]
Wall Street Journal Editorials
Is the U.S. Running Out of Ammo? [WSJ Ed]
A Phony Iran Inflation Scare [WSJ Ed]
The Bibi-Made-Trump-Do-It Canard [WSJ Ed]
Two ‘Emergency’ Wins at the Supreme Court [WSJ Ed]
New York Post
Mastermind of Iran plot to assassinate president is dead, Pete Hegseth says [NYP]
DOJ set to file suit against Hochul admin over allegedly rigged revamp of NY’s $11B Medicaid homecare program [NYP]
GOP senator urges DOJ, FTC to probe soaring costs of watching NFL games on streamers [NYP]
Washington Free Beacon
The 1,400-Year-Old Sunni-Shia Islamic Religious Split Is Shaping the Iran War [WFB]
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