Legacy media prom
The Brand Brief 4.23.26: Katy Perry, Samuel Alito, Ilhan Omar, Xavier Becerra, Hasan Piker, and Steak ’n Shake
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…
1,464 words | 6 minute read | Written to be skimmable (12+ hours of media covered in The Brand Brief)
What Matters: Hollywood for Ugly People
New Media Voices: Strait of Hormuz and the SPLC
Leading FOX: Markwayne Mullin, MAHA, and Ilhan Omar
Trending: Immigration and Hasan Piker
What the Right is Writing: SPLC, FBI, and RFK
✍️ WHAT MATTERS AND WHERE WE’RE GOING…
Nathan’s quick take on where we’re headed…
The “Hollywood for Ugly People” Gala: The White House Correspondents’ Dinner (a.k.a. Nerd Prom) hits D.C. this Saturday.
The Headliner: President Trump makes his first appearance as Commander-in-Chief, ending his long-standing boycott. Brace for a healthy dose of champagne and black tie virtue signaling from legacy media with waning influence.
Not attending: Conservative media will be notably absent from the Hilton ballroom. Instead, the right gathered for a bash on Wednesday hosted by Townhall, having already held its premier event - The Dao Prize gala - back in November.
The Bottom Line: Saturday is mostly a “pulse check” between a diminishing legacy guard and a President ready to crack a few jokes at their expense. - NRB
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🎙️ NEW MEDIA VOICES
The Megyn Kelly Show - 4/22
Kelly discusses guest Russell Brand’s career evolution from a comedian to a political commentator during the pandemic
They discuss his past marriage to Katy Perry, struggles with addiction, and his journey towards Christianity and sobriety
They address allegations against him and his upcoming UK criminal trial, he argues his past was immoral but always consensual
The two discuss the UK government’s heavy surveillance and concerns about personal liberties
Brand promotes his new book How to Become a Christian in Seven Days
The Ben Shapiro Show - 4/22
Shapiro reviews the DOJ’s charges against the Southern Poverty Law Center stemming from an alleged scheme to pay “field sources” to incite racial hatred
He asserts that the “demand for white supremacy on the left is outstripping the supply”
He criticizes the media for not critically analyzing events like the 2017 Unite the Right Rally, which the SPLC has now been exposed for funding
Shapiro also condemns Virginia Democrats’ gerrymandered 10-1 congressional map
He briefly discusses the economic strangling of Iran through the naval blockade, and the potential retirement of Justice Samuel Alito
The Isabel Brown Show - 4/22
Brown describes the SPLC investigation as a top-10 political scandal of her lifetime
The DOJ asserts the SPLC paid over $3 million to groups and individuals that furthered white supremacy between 2014 and 2023
She suggests the center manufactures the hate it claims to fight to ensure their continued existence as an organization, which means their business model disincentivizes actually ending white supremacy
Brown condemns the SPLC for repeatedly targeting prominent conservative commentators and organizations like TPUSA
Allie Beth Stuckey’s “Relatable” - 4/22
Stuckey describes the “America Reads the Bible” event, featuring President Trump, as a hopeful “Ezra moment” for spiritual revival
She raises concerns about the economic impact of Iran on gas prices, and the critical importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open
Stuckey argues the conviction of Finnish Parliamentarian Päivi Räsänen for “hate speech” based on biblical views on sexuality highlights the dangerous erosion of religious liberty and free speech in Europe
She advocates for the SAVE Act ahead of the midterms and encourages Christians to tithe
After Party with Emily Jashinsky - 4/22
The Federalist’s Mollie Hemingway shares her new book Alito, detailing the courage of the justice amidst intense pressure, Supreme Court leaks, and threats following the Dobbs decision
Hemingway speaks against the Arctic Frost case, and the “despicable grift” of the Southern Poverty Law Center
They discuss the uninvestigated leak of the Dobbs decision, his wife Martha-Ann Alito, and a New York Times leak concerning Chief Justice John Roberts and Barack Obama’s climate agenda
They criticize Virginia’s redistricting efforts, and discuss ongoing court challenges
📺 LEADING FOX NEWS
The Five
The DOJ confirms the Southern Poverty Law Center funded the 2017 Unite the Right rally, which Joe Biden claimed was partly why he ran
The new Virginia redistricting map, being challenged by courts, would give Democrats a 10-1 majority in a swing state
President Trump extends the Iran ceasefire, says there is “no timeline”
Mark Cuban snubs Kamala Harris’ potential 2028 run
Liberal men scored higher on a “gold digging” survey
FOX & Friends
President Trump says he is in “no rush” to complete a deal with Iran, confirms women will no longer be executed by the regime, Lebanon and Israel resume peace talks in DC today, 31 ships intercepted in the Strait of Hormuz
The Southern Poverty Law Center funneled $3M to white supremacist groups
The Virginia redistricting measure is being challenged by the courts
The White House weighs a deal to save Spirit Airlines from bankruptcy
The parents of Sheridan Gorman demand accountability for the flood of illegal immigration that led to the murder of their daughter
UCLA Law School speaks out against the protest against a DHS speaker
20% of American men report frequent loneliness
Karee Van Wert White shares her story of being the primary caregiver for her veteran daughter who suffered a traumatic brain injury
The DOJ is probing the NFL for extreme streaming costs
US Attorney Jeanine Pirro explains how cars were stolen by reprogramming GPS systems and key fobs, sent to Africa
The Los Angeles School District is limiting screen time
FOX Newsroom
President Trump orders all ships laying mines to be shot, CENTCOM confirms 31 ships intercepted, the White House describes the blockade as an act of “economic fury” against Iran
In a late-night vote-a-rama, the Senate moved forward ICE funding
More than 150 protesters targeted a DHS attorney’s speech at UCLA Law
DHS Sec. Markwayne Mullin is interviewed on the investigation into Sheridan Gorman’s alleged killer, an illegal immigrant with a prior arrest
The Minnesota House is investigating Rep. Ilhan Omar’s alleged ties to a pandemic fraud scheme
The SPLC has been indicted for $3 million in fraudulent funds going toward white supremacist groups
A transgender couple has been accused of smuggling a child to Cuba
The White House is close to a deal with saving Spirit Airlines
Florida enters the redistricting fight, following the results of Virginia’s election heavily favoring Democrats
Wildfires in southern Georgia have spread to more than 30k acres
Steak ’n Shake appoints its first “Chief MAHA Officer”
🍿 TRENDING AND POUNCING
Tomorrow’s news today…
Xavier Becerra: As CA’s next governor, I will protect truckers that do not speak English [X, End Wokeness]
Border Czar Tom Homan confirms there is an ongoing investigation into Somali Rep. Ilhan Omar, which he cannot comment on due to its active nature. [X, Daugherty]
Hasan Piker glorifies the killing of the United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson “social murder” [X, Pirate Wires]
🗞️ WHAT THE RIGHT IS WRITING
FOX News Digital
Republicans cut Democrats out entirely with marathon overnight vote on border cash [FOX News]
Hezbollah disarmament deadlock risks civil war as US prepares peace talks [FOX News]
Pentagon sounds alarm on Iran mines threatening key route amid war fallout [FOX News]
Breitbart
Mitsotakis Looks Forward to Hosting Trump in Greece: ‘Greeks Very Much Take Pride in Our Hospitality’ [Breitbart]
Trump Announces Ceasefire Extension Until Iran Submits ‘Unified Proposal’ [Breitbart]
Judge Blocks Virginia From Certifying Results of Redistricting Referendum [Breitbart]
Wall Street Journal Editorials
Virginia’s Race to the Gerrymander Bottom [WSJ Ed]
Turning the Tables on Iranian Drones [WSJ Ed]
RFK Jr. Dodges the Oncologist Heat [WSJ Ed]
Oncologists vs. the FDA and RFK Jr. [WSJ Ed]
New York Post
Wall Street is growing optimistic about Kevin Warsh’s Fed chair nomination: Here’s why [NYP]
Trump says he ordered Navy to ‘shoot and kill’ Iran mine-laying boats in Strait of Hormuz [NYP]
FBI targets Mexican Mafia in California in stunning pre-dawn raids [NYP]
Washington Free Beacon
SPLC’s Offshore Assets Ballooned as Embattled Left-Wing Darling Secretly Funded KKK and Other ‘Violent Extremist Groups’—and Reported Owning Accounts in the Cayman Islands [WFB]
Washington Reporter
Trump policies drive auto manufacturing surge: 83% of Ford vehicles now built in U.S. [Reporter]
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