How to rank them
The Brand Brief 4.17.26: Ben Shapiro, Stephen A. Smith, Nick Freitas, Gavin Newsom, Meghan Markle, and Clarence Thomas
NOTE: No Brand Brief on Monday. See you Tuesday!
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…
1,525 words | 7 minute read | Written to be skimmable (13+ hours of media covered in The Brand Brief)
What Matters: Fragmented data
New Media Voices: Meghan Markle and Minnesota
Leading FOX: Clarence Thomas, Analilia Mejia, and the ceasefire
Trending: The Stop Nick Shirley Act and restaurant reparations
What the Right is Writing: Justin Fairfax and missing researchers
✍️ WHAT MATTERS AND WHERE WE’RE GOING…
Nathan’s quick take on where we’re headed…
Podcast success is often judged on "vibes” because platform data remains fragmented: Spotify and Apple offer opaque rankings, while YouTube is data-rich. Furthermore, as we noted earlier this week, a show can drive a conversation through viral clips even if the full episodes are going unwatched. The era of monolithic Nielsen Ratings is over.
However, new Q1 numbers from Edison Research - which surveys thousands of podcast listeners weekly - might help provide some insight. A few conservative media takeaways:
The Daily Wire is still thriving, with Ben Shapiro jumping to #24 in their rankings. Meanwhile, Megyn Kelly sits at #19, Tucker at #29, and Dan Bongino returned to the rankings at #43. - NRB
What do you think of The Brand Brief? Let us know.
🎙️ NEW MEDIA VOICES
The Megyn Kelly Show - 4/16
Polling shows Kamala Harris leading at double digits ahead of Gavin Newsom in a potential 2028 run, Kelly encourages it as an easy win, guest Stephen A. Smith says Democrats may resort back to identity politics
Smith argues progressives want to dismantle America into a socialist state, calls Newsom’s effect on California a disaster and favors a Marco Rubio run over JD Vance
Guests Britt Mayer and Will Witt react to Meghan Markle turning a youth mental health event into a pity party
In culture news, they argue Dave Chappelle could be shifting blame for backlash over his jokes onto Republicans and the media, criticize Jimmy Kimmel, preview the Blake Lively trial, and slam the Malcolm in the Middle reboot for injecting a non-binary child character
They address recent religious-political divides among conservatives, such as War Sec. Pete Hegseth’s heavy quoting of the Bible and President Trump’s feud with Pope Leo
The Isabel Brown Show - 4/16
Brown supports TMZ’s shift from celebrity gossip to confronting Congress, viewing it as a long-overdue development
She criticizes members for taking extensive recesses rather than legislating on the SAVE America Act, and for insider trading
Brown laughs at TMZ’s confrontation of Sen. Lindsey Graham during his Disney World visit with a bubble wand, and acknowledges their more serious reporting on Eric Swalwell’s assault scandals
She notes the $100,000 reward TMZ is offering for hard evidence of congressional scandals
Human Events Daily with Jack Posobiec - 4/16
Posobiec says alongside guest Tom Sauer the ATF ballistics report on Charlie Kirk’s death showed spent casings matching the gun used by Robinson
He reacts to President Trump’s recent press gaggle on the War in Iran, noting his transparency with the media compared to Joe Biden
Posobiec, as a Catholic and conservative, touches on the president’s recent disagreements with Pope Leo
The Dan Bongino Show - 4/16
Bongino warns against the dangers of political inaction concerning Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons, defends President Trump’s decision to send in the military to prevent anything worse from developing
He argues a simple use of AI to research Democrat policies can prove defunding the police, open border, and high taxes don’t work
Bongino discusses the implications of institutional collapse, highlighted by the O.J. Simpson juror’s admission of acquittal as “payback,” calls upon citizens to engage in political outreach before the midterms
TimcastIRL - 4/16
The panel says the political motivations behind charging an ICE agent in Minnesota sets a dangerous precedent, they discuss the future of policing with robots and AI
They discuss the “homeless industrial complex” making the national mental health crisis worse, and debate the efficacy of Universal Basic Income
They weigh issues with housing both on the corporate side with BlackRock, and with socialist policies like the pied-à-terre tax
The panel jokingly describes a “Trump World Order” overtaking the existing liberal world order
📺 LEADING FOX NEWS
The Five
President Trump and War Sec. Pete Hegseth warn if there’s no peace agreement then the ceasefire ends, KY Gov. Andy Beshear claims Trump will use a nuke to get famous
Kamala Harris tries to stick it to Trump at a North Carolina gas station, turns out the prices were higher under her vice presidency
Illegal immigrants are getting government-funded sex changes in California
Actress Elizabeth Banks says she “doesn’t understand” white women who voted for Trump
FOX & Friends
President Trump celebrates No Tax on Tips in Las Vegas last night
The Artemis II mission reflects on the sense of unity felt by seeing Earth from space
A record number of Senate Democrats vote against funding supplies for Israel, the U.S. Navy blockade stopped 14 ships from passing, Israel and Lebanon agree to a 10-day ceasefire
Rep. Eric Burlison is interviewed on the number of missing and dead American scientists, “too coincidental”
The FBI is using a hair DNA sample in the Nancy Guthrie case
Retired Green Beret Nick Freitas shares his new book The Manbook
Far-left Analilia Mejia is now congresswoman-elect in New Jersey
Justice Clarence Thomas condemns progressivism at the University of Texas at Austin, meanwhile Justice Ketanji Jackson calls some court decisions “utterly irrational”
An ATF ballistics report shows the bullet used to kill Charlie Kirk is too fragmented to match, but the spent casing matches the firearm used by Tyler Robinson
FOX tours the USS Kearsarge for Fleet Week in Houston, TX
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries denies any prior knowledge of Eric Swalwell’s actions
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons resigns
The House approves a short-term FISA extension
The Barack Obama Presidential Library is expected to open this June
FOX Newsroom
The United Arab Emirates says they’re winning against Iran, the US Navy is escorting allied ships through the Strait of Hormuz, additional peace talks may happen this weekend, stocks surge
An ICE agent is facing felony assault charges in Minnesota
Progressive Democrat Analilia Mejia wins a New Jersey seat in Congress
The House passes a short-term FISA reauthorization, Rep. Jim Jordan reacts
Virginia will vote on a redistricting push by Gov. Abigail Spanberger that would redraw the state into 10-1 Democrat representation
Justice Clarence Thomas says progressivism seeks to replace the foundations of the Declaration of Independence
Tyler Robinson, Charlie Kirk’s alleged killer, appears in court today
President Trump vows to find answers to the numerous American scientists missing without a trace
🍿 TRENDING AND POUNCING
Tomorrow’s news today…
Mayor Johnson: Restaurants have “ties with slavery” so we “need reparations” [X, EndWokeness]
California Democrat lawmakers just voted to move forward with the Stop Nick Shirley Act because they are terrified of fraud. [X, Daugherty]
Gavin Newsom’s PAC used $1.5 million to buy 67,000 copies of his own book. Total book sales were around 97,400. His PAC’s purchase accounts for about two-thirds of all sold copies. [X, LibsofTikTok]
🗞️ WHAT THE RIGHT IS WRITING
FOX News Digital
Multiple researchers with top security clearances gone without a trace [FOX News]
Justice Thomas explains what progressivism is actually doing to America [FOX News]
Joe Rogan criticizes Trump for getting into one of the ‘craziest’ wars [FOX News]
Breitbart
ICE Director Lyons Resigns Hours After Announcing Bust of Largest Chinese Illegal Alien Gift Card Fraud in History [Breitbart]
Trump: Iran ‘Totally Agreed’ to Drop Nuclear Ambitions, Deal ‘Very Close’ [Breitbart]
Ex-Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax and Wife Dead [Breitbart]
OpenAI Attack Suspect Referenced ‘Luigi’ing Some Tech CEOs’ in Online [Breitbart]
Wall Street Journal Editorials
How the ABA Spreads DEI in Law Schools [WSJ Ed]
Democrats Try to Block Arms Sales to Israel [WSJ Ed]
Virginia Is for Higher Taxes—and Gerrymanders [WSJ Ed]
Finland’s Lessons on Transgender Children [WSJ Ed]
New York Post
First photos of boat Lynette Hooker was sailing when she vanished in Bahamas revealed [NYP]
Eric Swalwell donors footed $500K in hotel bills, including rooms where alleged rapes happened [NYP]
Hunter Biden hiding out from $20M debts at luxury California estate, not South Africa: ‘It’s a ruse’ [NYP]
Justin Fairfax was a raging drunk who bought gun with kids’ horseback-riding money before murder-suicide: court docs [NYP]
Justin Fairfax ‘couldn’t find a job’ or even get legal clients after sex assault scandal, pal says [NYP]
Washington Free Beacon
Michigan Senate Hopeful Abdul El-Sayed Blamed US for ‘Creating’ Terrorism: ‘What Happens When People Are in Pain?’ [WFB]
Washington Reporter
Sen. John Sununu: Why I support the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act [Reporter]
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