How to cover a protest
The Brand Brief 10.21.25: Deportations set records, KJP book, Sliwa and Mamdani, and more No Kings craziness
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…
1,514 words | 6 minute read (11+ hours of media covered in The Brand Brief)
What Matters: How to cover a protest
New Media Voices: Criticism of media coverage of weekend protests
Leading FOX: Deportations set record, NJ Gov race in focus
Trending and Pouncing: KJP, trans numbers, and Nazi tattoos
What the Right is Writing: NJ and NYC races two weeks out
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✍️ WHAT MATTERS AND WHERE WE’RE GOING…
Nathan’s quick take on where we’re headed…
Criticism of corporate media has been a fixture of conservative media since its inception, but some moments are more radicalizing than others.
The good folks at the Media Research Center went down memory lane on Monday to remind everyone of how ABC, CBS, and NBC covered the Tea Party protests in 2009: “angry,” “nasty,” “racial,” “violent themes,” “yelling slurs and epithets.”
Despite the weird, violent, and obscene protestors seen at this weekend’s “No Kings” events, none of them made the evening news. Megyn Kelly and others were right to call this out. - NRB
🎙️ NEW MEDIA VOICES
The Benny Show - 10/21
The DHS has deported more than 515,000 illegal immigrants, Noem confirms Operation River Wall to use the Coast Guard on the Rio Grande
Judges review charges against anti-Israel protester Mahmoud Khalil, Rep. LaMonica McIver for interfering with ICE officers
Johnson shows examples of protesters calling for the killing of Trump and ICE agents, celebrating Kirk’s death
Johnson laughs at the AI video of Trump in a fighter jet dropping sewage on protesters, Vance’s memes, and Levitt’s “your mom” retorts
Interviews DHS Assistant Sec. McGlaughlin about threats against ICE, referrals to the DOJ, and the National Guard deployment to Portland
The Megyn Kelly Show - 10/20
Mainstream media portrayed the “No Kings” protests as peaceful, joyful, and patriotic, ignoring violent rhetoric on picket signs and in chants
The No Kings protests were funded by the Communist Party USA, Planned Parenthood, and the ACLU, ignored by liberal news outlets
Protesters’ signs featured calls for guillotining Trump, celebrating Charlie Kirk’s assassination, and violence against ICE agents
Kelly is concerned about indoctrination by schools after seeing children at the marches celebrating Kirk’s death
Guest Emily Jashinsky agreed, saying the rhetoric only adds fuel to the fire of political divide
Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey - 10/20
The “No Kings” protests mocked the assassination of Kirk and attempt on Trump’s life, while being funded by Soros and the Communist Party
More than 7,000 Christians have been massacred in Nigeria this year alone by radical Islamists, Stuckey calls for national prayer
Stuckey urges Virginia voters of both parties to reject Jay Jones for attorney general following his violent tweet controversy
Stuckey argues Trump’s initiative to lower the cost of IVF is not actually pro-life, as the process discards nonimplanted embryos
The Ben Shapiro Show - 10/20
An estimated 7 million people, mainly elderly white people attended the “No Kings” protests without a clear agenda or message
Speakers included traditional Democrat politicians like Hakeem Jeffries, Bernie Sanders, but also radicals like Medhi Hasan
President Trump dismissed the protests as ineffective, posted an AI video of himself in a jet dropping excrement on protesters
Shapiro expresses frustration over ceasefire violations by Hamas, Mamdani’s ties to radical Muslims who celebrated 9/11
Trump plans to meet with Putin later this year, while also threatening cutting aid to Colombia over drug trafficking
After Party with Emily Jashinsky - 10/20
Guest Ana Kasparian of the Young Turks describes her story of getting verbally threatened by a neighbor, growing violence against journalists
Former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre seeks to rewrite history by claiming Biden was mentally present his entire tenure
Radio host Charlamagne tha God denies MSNBC’s claims that he supports MAGA
Pop Culture Crisis host Mary Morgan jokes about Kim Kardashian’s Academy Museum Gala face covering
Journalist Matt Taibbi reports on the politicization of FEMA
📺 LEADING FOX NEWS TODAY
A look inside the FOX editorial decision-making…
The Five
Boomers dominate attendance at last weekend’s “No Kings” protests
Trump responds to protests, “I’m no king, I work my a— off!”
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff caves to the woke mob, apologizes for saying he supports the San Francisco National Guard deployment
CA Gov. Gavin Newsom tries to spark a fight with podcaster Joe Rogan
Former Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre claims Biden was mentally fine before dropping out of the 2024 election
Smash and grab thieves at the Louvre steal jewelry, Napoleonic crown
FOX & Friends
Felon arrested at Atlanta Airport after threatening mass shooting
With races narrowing, Obama campaigns with NJ governor candidate Sherrill and Buttigieg with VA governor candidate Spanberger
An Illinois grad student was fired from his teaching position for flipping a TPUSA table, ripping flyers
KJP goes on book tour exposing the Democrat Party for pushing away Biden, insists he never mentally declined in office
Retired FBI agent explains the failures of the Louvre heist
A PA mom is placed on the Child Abuse Registry for letting a 13-year-old babysit her children
The government shutdown remains at a stalemate, growing closer to beating the 2018 record
As Jeffries prepares to endorse Mamdani for NYC mayor, many call for Sliwa to drop out of the race to give Cuomo a chance
An appeals court rules that the Trump Admin can deploy National Guard troops to Portland
VP Vance assists in Israel with the push toward Phase 2 of ceasefire deal
FOX Newsroom
Sliwa is encouraged to drop out of the NYC mayoral race, showing Cuomo has a chance if only competing against Mamdani
Trump backs Ciattarelli in the NJ governor race as Obama campaigns for Sherrill, attempts to motivate off-year voter turnout
Man charged for killing his daughter’s rapist now runs for sheriff
With more than 515,000 deportations and 1.6 million self-deportations, 2025 is expected to break DHS records before the end of the year
Thieves steal Napoleonic jewelry from the Louvre in the span of minutes
RFK will reveal new dietary guidelines encouraging limited consumption of saturated fats (i.e. butter) rather than trans fats (i.e. margarine)
Democrats refuse to end the government shutdown
Man arrested at Atlanta Airport for shooting threat, AR-15 found in his truck
Judge Pirro calls for accountability against young D.C. criminals
Gas price averages have fallen to $3.00 nationwide
🍿 TRENDING AND POUNCING
Tomorrow’s news today: highlights from the conversation on the right and what conservatives are “pouncing” on…
Mehdi Hasan calls for Islamic prayer calls since Christians have church bells [X, End Wokeness]
Colombia’s left-wing president threatens to get rid of Trump [X, Bonilla]
Memphis resident says it is more safe now than ever thanks to the National Guard: “I ain’t even support Trump” [X, End Wokeness]
CNN: White boomers have the right to have a mass therapy session…but to act like he is a king is so utterly preposterous. [X, Hern]
Karine Jean-Pierre on Biden: “We Were Always Honest, You Couldn’t Hide The Fact That He Was Aging” [X, RealClearPolitics]
[Colbert] grew so tired of KJP’s spin, he started talking down to her like a child [X, Vigilant Fox]
Democrat Senate candidate in Maine has a Nazi tattoo on his chest, video reveals [X, NRSC]
New survey distinguishing between trans and nonbinary identities confirms self-identification in a free-fall [X, Ryan]
🗞️ WHAT THE RIGHT IS WRITING
Leading FOX News Digital
Democrats ‘in full-blown panic’ as Trump allies rally behind surging Ciattarelli [FOX News]
Former president’s cancer milestone raises questions about White House transparency [FOX News]
Colbert battles former press secretary over Biden’s mental state after debate [FOX News]
Top of Breitbart
Breitbart News Hosting Policy Events with Secretary Sean Duffy and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin [Breitbart]
Rand Paul: Trump’s Military Strikes Against Suspected Drug Boats Are Not Legal [Breitbart]
Trump Dismisses ‘Joke’ No Kings Protests: ‘I Work My Ass Off’ [Breitbart]
‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ Hosts ‘Drag Queen Storytime;’ Trixie Mattel Reads Eric Trump’s Memoir to Children, Throws Book in Wood Chipper [Breitbart]
Wall Street Journal Editorials
Zohran Mamdani and the Democrats [WSJ Ed]
Gavin Newsom, Pharma Baron [WSJ Ed]
No More Cease-Fire Excuses for Hamas [WSJ Ed]
Chicago’s Union Boss Gets a Promotion [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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