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…
1,282 words | 6 minute read | Written to be skimmable (12+ hours of media covered in The Brand Brief)
What Matters: All quiet on the rightward front
New Media Voices: Lindsay Clancy, Ilhan Omar, and AI
Leading FOX: Dario Amodei, Gavin Newsom, and Macklemore
Trending: Wrangling the press and drag queens
What the Right is Writing: Jimmy Kimmel, Abdul El-Sayed, and The Emmys
✍️ WHAT MATTERS AND WHERE WE’RE GOING…
Nathan’s quick take on where we’re headed…
One of my early-2026 predictions is holding up exceptionally well: Conservative media will discuss 2028 Democrat candidates more than 2028 GOP contenders.
While entire newsletters are dedicated to tracking Democrat hopefuls visiting early states, holding phony rallies, and selling books, the GOP remains quiet. To their credit, conservative media has largely stayed focused on the midterms.
Crack in the dam? The RNC Midterm Convention in Dallas last week drew some limited attention to 2028 as the RNC finalized the presidential primary calendar (no changes to the early states) and a few anonymously sourced Vance and Rubio stories surfaced. Vance did pick up his first 2028 Senate endorsement Monday from Jim Banks.
Still, GOP jockeying is so scarce that The Washington Examiner’s Christian Datoc had to get creative with Vice President JD Vance, asking: “Could you see yourself supporting either [Hegseth or Cruz] for a presidential campaign?”
Vance’s reply: “That’s an innovative way to ask the question, but I’m still not gonna take the bait.” - NRB
🎙️ NEW MEDIA VOICES
The Megyn Kelly Show - 9/14
Kelly condemns NBC Boston for its doxing against the holdout juror in the Lindsay Clancy case, calling out CBS host Gayle King for being shocked the juror is a black man
Guests Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen, and Roy Schwartz, co-founders of Axios, discuss the alarming acceleration of AI “superintelligence”
The three promote their new book Simplify, advocating for intentionality and the power of saying “no” to commitments
Kelly addresses President Trump’s role as both “blocker” and deal-maker, and his perceived indifference to who controls Congress
The Ben Shapiro Show - 9/14
Shapiro thanks Bill Maher for calling out Islam as fundamentally incompatible with Western values of freedom and individual liberty
He looks into the alarming rise of positive views of Osama bin Laden among young Americans, directly linking this to the failure of institutions like the 9/11 Memorial Museum to properly educate
Shapiro highlights ongoing investigations into Rep. Ilhan Omar allegedly marrying her brother in an immigration fraud scheme
He explains how Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed uses “whataboutism” to deflect from addressing Islamic radicalism
The Matt Walsh Show - 9/14
Walsh condemns the doxxing and harassment of the lone black juror in the Lindsay Clancy triple murder case, arguing the media engaged in a “war” against the juror and the entire jury system
He calls out the hypocrisy of the media going after the juror’s alleged domestic violence while defending Clancy’s “altruistic filicide”
Walsh argues the female jurors lied under oath by focusing on women’s rights and societal implications rather than facts
He believes the doxxing by corporate press has irreparably damaged the legal system, making a fair retrial for Clancy impossible
The Trish Regan Show - 9/14
Regan criticizes Rep. Ilhan Omar’s alleged immigration fraud, which could lead to her denaturalization and deportation
She looks into the suspicious winery and investment firms owned by Omar, demanding that the House Oversight Committee and Ethics Committee pursue investigations into potential money laundering
Regan argues immigration challenges in Northern Ireland could ironically unite Protestant and Catholic communities
She criticizes the German political establishment for attempting to “firewall” against the rising AfD party, and the rise of socialism in Spain
📺 LEADING FOX NEWS
The Five
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei claims there are “real dangers” to AI, Barack Obama encourages slowdown, President Trump says we’re ahead of China in the AI race
Democrats use thirst traps and football to try to win over voters
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson announces his re-election bid
CBS News anchor Gayle King is shocked the lone Lindsay Clancy holdout is black
FOX & Friends
House Republicans are considering a bill that would curb data center power costs, President Trump plans to speak with Nvidia CEO about AI, Rep. Jay Obernolte reacts
The Supreme Court blocks Trump’s attempt to curb mail-in ballots
Saudi Arabia has to temporarily shut down its critical oil pipeline due to drone strikes
Macklemore has been dropped from the Ed Sheeran concert tour due to backlash over an anti-Israel rant
CA Gov. Gavin Newsom claims he wouldn’t run for president in 2028 if Kamala Harris runs again, while the DSA rallies around AOC
Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” ties the record for most weeks at Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 list
California students are getting straight A’s while struggling to pass state exams due to rampant grade inflation
Guest podcaster Brett Cooper reacts to VP JD Vance’s “Fall in love, get married” advice in response to the series Emily in Paris
Major streaming companies are forming a lobbying group to fight against complaints that sports streaming is getting too expensive
Marcel Latak is interviewed on winning the U.S. Open Junior Singles Title
🍿 TRENDING AND POUNCING
Tomorrow’s news today…
James Talarico says his “favorite drag queen” is Alyssa Edwards — who has described himself as “a drag performer that works with children.” [X, RNC Research]
🗞️ WHAT THE RIGHT IS WRITING
FOX News Digital
Eight NFL venues revolt and send pro-Palestinian opener packing [FOX News]
2026 Emmy Awards: The biggest winners and losers [FOX News]
Smithsonian’s dark take on America exposed [FOX News]
Breitbart
Trump calls AI risks a ‘hoax,’ says there is a ‘SICK conspiracy’ against AI and data centers [Breitbart]
Roy Cooper Claims People Frustrated ‘More’ Prisoners Weren’t Released [Breitbart]
FCC Chair Brendan Carr Slams Jimmy Kimmel for ‘Running the Same Hoax as Colbert’ With Talarico Interview Stunt [Breitbart]
Wall Street Journal Editorials
One Senator’s Plea for Tariff Breaks [WSJ Ed]
Chinese Students Are Lapping U.S. Children [WSJ Ed]
Justice, Berkeley and the Race Proxies [WSJ Ed]
Britain’s Go-Somewhere-Else Tax [WSJ Ed]
The Road to a Universal Basic Income [WSJ Ed]
New York Post
Lindsay Clancy holdout juror’s brother reveals details about why he chose guilty [NYP]
Cremation of would-be Trump assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks’ body was paid for by ‘anonymous donor’ [NYP]
Washington Free Beacon
‘He Is a Symbol of Jihad’: Abdul El-Sayed’s Imam Delivered ‘Absentee Funeral Prayer’ Hailing Slain Hamas Leader Ismail Haniyeh as ‘Heroic Martyr’ [WFB]
Washington Reporter
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders runs on “normal versus crazy” in her reelection bid [Reporter]
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