New media is not for everyone
The Brand Brief 5.21.26: Ilhan Omar, Netflix, Kamala Harris, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Jeff Bezos, and the Quality Learing Center
NOTE: No Brand Brief tomorrow or Monday. Stay tuned for some exciting updates!
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…
1,571 words | 7 minute read | Written to be skimmable (12+ hours of media covered in The Brand Brief)
What Matters: Autopsies, fighting, and attention
New Media Voices: Thomas Massie and Raul Castro
Leading FOX: Ilhan Omar, Jeff Bezos, and Iran
Trending: Fraud and LA
What the Right is Writing: The Quality Learing Center
✍️ WHAT MATTERS AND WHERE WE’RE GOING…
Nathan’s quick take on where we’re headed…
We love Democrat disarray, especially a Democrat autopsy. Where the DNC’s report today falls short, former Harris aide Rob Flaherty’s essay makes up for it. The most glaring is the debacle over Kamala Harris skipping Joe Rogan—an opportunity Flaherty favored as an “attention event.”
But Kamala wasn’t built for it. She suffers from the same issue plaguing most politicians: being trained for FOX News or MSNBC hits, but struggling in freewheeling arenas that expose conventional talkers.
Meanwhile, 2028 Democrats have already taken note (Newsom is always picking fights). The takeaway is that fighting drives attention, but not everyone is built for it. Everyone watches the NFL, but few are talented enough to take the field. - NRB
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🎙️ NEW MEDIA VOICES
The Megyn Kelly Show - 5/20
Kelly criticizes the “obscene” influence of pro-Israel money, citing the nearly $20 million spent against Thomas Massie
She questions Trump’s endorsement of Ken Paxton in Texas, highlighting the potential for Trump’s actions to alienate senators
She condemns the DOJ’s $1.88 billion settlement with Trump over leaked tax returns, views it as a politically motivated payout
Retired tennis player Patrick McEnroe laments the influx of older, international professionals unfairly displacing American high school grads
The Ben Shapiro Show - 5/20
Shapiro celebrates Thomas Massie’s decisive defeat by Ed Gallrein in Kentucky, viewing it as a critical victory against the “woke right”
He highlights President Trump’s continued influence over “normie” Republicans despite Massie’s online support
Shapiro argues Massie’s loss stemmed from his embrace of anti-Israel rhetoric, which he links to commentators Nick Fuentes and Cenk Uygur
He criticizes the Democrats’ radicalization, citing congressional candidates like Chris Rabb and Morena Galindo
He reviews a new $1.776 billion federal fund, established after Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS, intended to compensate individuals for government “weaponization and lawfare”
The Matt Walsh Show - 5/20
Walsh argues nostalgia, once considered a physical illness, has reached “catastrophic pandemic levels” today, particularly among millennials
He contends this widespread nostalgia isn’t for the products themselves, but the lost monoculture—a shared cultural experience that unified society before its fragmentation
Walsh argues the breakdown began around 2007 with smartphones and the Great Recession, when algorithms began replacing human cultural programmers and destroying decade-long aesthetics
He says historical media influence could cause figures like Richard Nixon to be taken down by coordinated efforts, unlike Trump today
Timcast IRL - 5/20
Guest host Jack Posobiec opens the show by arguing the Raul Castro indictment is the U.S. playbook for intervention in Cuba
Guest Dr. Josef Witt-Doerring expresses concern over high-potency cannabis, linking its use to rising psychosis and schizophrenia
Posobiec discusses Thomas Massie’s challenge to the Republican establishment and the Democratic Party’s leftward shift, noting Sen. John Fetterman’s unique position and Gov. Josh Shapiro’s 2028 ambitions
Posobiec warns of mass unemployment from AI and corporatocracy, laments the decline of family-friendly institutions
Allie Beth Stuckey’s “Relatable” - 5/20
Stuckey critiques “Call Her Daddy” podcaster Alex Cooper’s hypocrisy for promoting “sex-positive” advice while personally embracing traditional marriage and pregnancy
She asserts women inherently desire protective men, citing reactions to actor Dylan Sprouse’s care toward his pregnant wife
Stuckey also critiques commercial surrogacy, echoing FL AG James Uthmeier’s argument that it resembles slavery, commodifies children
She criticizes Netflix for undisclosed LGBTQ+ themes and advocates for transparent FCC ratings
📺 LEADING FOX NEWS
The Five
Trump-backed Ed Gallrein beats incumbent Thomas Massie
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries calls for black student athletes to boycott SEC schools after redistricting, says “we have to break” MAGA’s spirit
Texas congressional candidate Maureen Galindo says Zionists should go to prison, while Maine senate candidate Graham Platner dodges questions on his past Reddit comments
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos fires back at AOC billionaire comments
NY Gov. Kathy Hochul puts out an embarrassing video “passing the mic to bad*ss women of New York”
A new study shows the dad bod is dead, women want a lean man again
FOX & Friends
A new Iran peace proposal triggers a tense call between President Trump and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, Khamenei demands uranium stay in Iran
The alleged Minnesota fraud mastermind will be sentenced today, Rep. Ilhan Omar claims she had no knowledge of Feeding Our Future
An illegal immigrant truck driver is arrested in a hit-and-run
A grandmother died after falling into an uncovered NYC manhole, an MTA car exploded in a fireball near Wall Street, and a runway has been closed at LaGuardia Airport due to a massive sinkhole
Cuban dictator Raul Castro is indicted, former Miami Mayor Francis Suarez reacts
LA Mayor Karen Bass blames “bureaucratic barriers” for homeless crisis
Failed actor Alec Baldwin does a Trump impersonation skit with NY Gov. Kathy Hochul
HHS Sec. RFK, Jr. encourages kids to unplug, lower screentime
Polling shows 49% of Democrats think the WHCD shooting was staged
Cities across the country are being looted by teen takeovers
Jeff Bezos says the bottom 50% of earners should pay zero income tax
Meta cuts 8,000 jobs in expectation AI will replace their capabilities
Ebola screenings begin at most major US airports
Retired soccer player Alexi Lalas says the 2026 World Cup roster will be unveiled next week
President Trump tells Coast Guard Academy graduates to “never give up” and “think big”
Congressmen Democrat Jared Moskowitz and Republican Tim Burchett talk about teaming up to combat antisemitism
45 million Americans are expected to travel Memorial Day weekend
Father and son evangelism duo Stuart and Cliffe Knechtle are interviewed on speaking on college campuses
FOX Newsroom
The Middle East waits for Trump to make a move on Iran, 60% of Americans oppose the war
Today is expected to be the busiest day of Memorial Day Weekend travel
Maine senate candidate Graham Platner stirs up controversy with resurfaced Reddit posts saying a veteran deserved to die
The House Judiciary Committee investigated the SPLC yesterday over an alleged $3 million toward hate groups, Rep. Jim Jordan interviewed
The Simi Valley, CA fire forces thousands to evacuate, Palisades Fire arsonist appears before court
Six arrested in Long Branch, NJ in the most recent string of teen takeovers
Mass protests take place across the UK over the migrant crisis
A Cuban refugee celebrates the DOJ indictment of Raul Castro
President Trump uses primary wins to pressure the Senate
Texas Democrat candidate Maureen Galindo says Zionists should be arrested
A car caught on fire and exploded in lower Manhattan
Jeff Bezos responds to AOC, says taxing billionaires won’t solve anything
GOP candidate Caroline Shinkle is looking to flip a deep-blue NYC congressional district
🍿 TRENDING AND POUNCING
Tomorrow’s news today…
Minnesota fraudster is charged for childcare fraud. Fahima Mahamud received $3.67 million dollars for her “daycare” and tried to escape America prior. This is the same daycare where the $250 million dollar “feeding our future” scam took place. [X, Shirley]
Watch: @spencerpratt explains why he became a Republican: “When I was a hated reality star, I got so many death threats… The only people that supported a CCW was the Republican.” [X, LaValley]
🗞️ WHAT THE RIGHT IS WRITING
FOX News Digital
$4M in attack ads hammer Dem candidate’s obscene history [FOX News]
DOJ to announce Minnesota fraud action [FOX News]
Vannesa Trump’s stunning medical news rocks the family [FOX News]
Breitbart
2028: Gavin Newsom Tries Another Pivot! Cosplays as Populist… Trump & Bernie ‘Right on the Diagnosis’ [Breitbart]
Himes on Raul Castro: He Might Have Broken Law, Trump Did ‘Illegal Actions’ on ‘Drug Runners’ [Breitbart]
US indicts former Cuban President Raúl Castro over 1996 downing of planes [Breitbart]
Wall Street Journal Editorials
Trump Reaches an Iran Crossroads [WSJ Ed]
Is Raúl Castro the Next Maduro? [WSJ Ed]
Germany’s Slow Industrial Suicide [WSJ Ed]
Susan Collins Hits 10,000 Votes in a Row [WSJ Ed]
New York Post
Minnesota’s ‘Quality Learing Center’ raked in $215K federal payout — senator demands receipts [NYP]
Concerned bystanders called 911 to report open NYC manhole where grandma fell into hatch — 2 weeks before her horrific death [NYP]
Washington Free Beacon
Zohran Mamdani Paid Multiple Visits to Holocaust-Denying Sheikh Who Claimed Jewish Death Toll ‘Was Exaggerated’ and ‘Done By Zionists,’ Called for More ‘Study’ [WFB]
Washington Reporter
GOP senators want to reform INA to align with Trump’s immigration policies [Reporter]
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