Shooting bricks
The Brand Brief 3.20.26: March Madness, Chuck Norris, Nancy Guthrie, Netflix, Joe Kent, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Kathy Hochul, and Iran
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…
1,390 words | 6 minute read | Written to be skimmable (12+ hours of media covered in The Brand Brief)
What Matters: No court vision
New Media Voices: Manosphere, Nancy Guthrie, and Netflix
Leading FOX: Iran, Vegans, and New York
Trending: TSA delays and Ilhan Omar
What the Right is Writing: Alabama student, Joe Kent, and Iran
✍️ WHAT MATTERS AND WHERE WE’RE GOING…
Nathan’s quick take on where we’re headed…
Conservative podcasters don’t know ball.
Given how dorky some of these guys and gals are, I can’t say I’m surprised at how little the conservative media orbit is discussing March Madness. Outside of buzzer-beater clips on X and conservatives highlighting athletes giving glory to God, there is not much bracketology being discussed.
No one is clamoring for Matt Walsh’s Final Four picks. - NRB
What do you think of The Brand Brief? Let us know.
🎙️ NEW MEDIA VOICES
The Megyn Kelly Show - 3/19
Kelly invites forensic DNA analyst Suzanna Ryan to explain how the Nancy Guthrie case team collects and interprets mixed DNA samples, might use new methods like the MVAC tool
Security experts James Hamilton and Will Geddes discuss the implications of failed communication with border authorities, skepticism surrounding polygraph tests
Kelly compares Guthrie’s investigation to missing baby Lisa Irwin, who to this day was never found
The Ben Shapiro Show - 3/19
Shapiro critiques the “Manosphere” as a manipulative online operation targeting young men, referencing Louis Theroux’s Netflix documentary
He describes the psychological manipulation employed by figures such as Sneako and Justin Waller, their narratives on women and dating, Manhattan Institute fellow Rob Henderson reacts
He argues they teach a negative form of masculinity, while reporter Lyden Blake discusses how female celebrities like Taylor Frankie Paul do the same to women’s behavior
In other news, Joe Kent could face legal trouble for classified information leaks, Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard has mixed views on Iran, and Sen. Markwayne Mullin undergoes the DHS confirmation process
The Matt Walsh Show - 3/19
Walsh discusses “streaming fatigue,” or audience dissatisfaction with the amount of TV subscriptions needed and content censorship
He reflects on the era of video rental stores, contrasting the communal experience of movie watching with modern streaming habits and its impact on filmmaking
Walsh critiques the Netflix film Carry-On, saying it exemplifies the decline of artistic vision and the overreliance on AI in scriptwriting
He also makes fun of the multi-million dollar wildlife crossing project in California, criticizing its budget overruns and delays, similar to the bullet train project
Walsh analyzes the Kouri Richins case and the broader implications on public opinion regarding the death penalty
Timcast IRL - 3/19
Tim Pool, looking at the James Comey case with Rudyard Lynch and Kyla Turner, expresses concerns about the perceived weaponization of the Department of Justice against political opponents, while drawing historical parallels to Democrat persecutions of Republicans
The panel looks into the Pentagon’s request for $200 billion in military funding in relation to Iran and Venezuela
Lynch debates a liberal on democracy, citing classical political philosophers
They discuss AI-generated film content, nostalgia for the 1990s, and the potential return to pre-internet cultural dynamics
A crazy theory suggests Trump is the antichrist
📺 LEADING FOX NEWS
The Five
Polling shows MAGA remains solid on the War in Iran, in response to Iranian leaders defecting President Trump says “I don’t blame them,” seven allies promise to help in the Strait of Hormuz
California wastes $114 million on a wild animal crossing over the freeway
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul begs rich residents to return
Sen. John Fetterman says Trump Derangement Syndrome controls his party
James Talarico backtracks on all accusations of being a vegan
Actor Kevin Hart jokes about his unrecognizable wax figure
FOX & Friends
The UAE reports an Iran-funded terror cell is taken out, actor Sam Asghari reacts to Iran’s execution of teen athlete Saleh Mohammadi for going against the regime, oil remains above $100 a barrel
James Gracey, a University of Alabama student, was found dead in Barcelona
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders was kicked out of a Little Rock, AR restaurant over workers feeling “threatened” by her presence
New York AG Letitia James threatens penalties against a hospital that got rid of trans surgeries for minors
Yesterday, Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard testified on Iran’s access to enriched uranium supplies
The House GOP is holding a hearing on the risks of the prolonged DHS shutdown
Team USA paralympics hockey player Declan Farmer is interviewed on his team winning gold for the fifth year in a row
The Minnesota elderly are fighting for happy hours to be hosted at retirement homes
FOX Newsroom
The military deploys A-10 Warthogs to secure the Strait of Hormuz, former Sec. of State Mike Pompeo is interviewed on the execution of three Iranian dissidents,
The body of missing spring breaking student James Gracey is found in Barcelona, cause of death to be determined
Even more TSA employees miss work as the DHS shutdown drags on, Sen. John Thune reacts
NY Gov. Kathy Hochul complains about her shrinking tax base as wealthy residents flee the high-taxed state
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders was told to leave a restaurant
Chuck Norris dies at the age of 86
The DOJ subpoenas former FBI Director James Comey over Russiagate
President Trump honors the U.S. Navy football team live
🍿 TRENDING AND POUNCING
Tomorrow’s news today…
The US Senate has just passed legislation that bans members of Congress from getting fast-tracked through TSA security [X, Daugherty]
Journalist Angela Rose investigates Ilhan Omar’s husband’s consulting firm (Rose Lake Capital), which claims to manage $60B in assets but has no actual office in the WeWork building [X, Wall Street Apes]
Total chaos at Atlanta airport: hours-long TSA lines snaking into baggage claim due to the DHS shutdown. [X, Daugherty]
🗞️ WHAT THE RIGHT IS WRITING
FOX News Digital
Missing Alabama student James Gracey found dead in Spain [FOX News]
Thune pushes back amid criticism over stalled SAVE America Act [FOX News]
UAE dismantles Iran-linked terror cell as Tehran’s attacks spread [FOX News]
Breitbart
Marlow: Glaring Holes in Joe Kent’s Narrative About Iran, Israel [Breitbart]
Report: FBI Investigating Joe Kent Over Alleged Leak of Classified Info [Breitbart]
Watch Live: Markwayne Mullin Confirmation Hearing for DHS Secretary [Breitbart]
Cardboard Khamenei, Still Hiding from Public, Issues Ominous [Breitbart]
Wall Street Journal Editorials
The Next Cuban Revolution [WSJ Ed]
The Enemy in Iran in One Lesson [WSJ Ed]
California’s Climate of Fuel Insecurity [WSJ Ed]
Tulsi Gabbard’s Resistance Shop [WSJ Ed]
New York Post
Wall Street bigs are desperately pleading with the White House to end Trump’s Powell feud [NYP]
King Charles’ planned April visit to the White House facing issues: palace sources [NYP]
Washington Free Beacon
‘Dezionize Jewish Consciousness’: Columbia-Affiliated Seminary Picks Up Anti-Israel Academics Who Abruptly Resigned From Harvard [WFB]
Washington Reporter
House Republicans introduce Constitutional amendment to enforce federal voting laws, restrict non-citizens from voting in federal elections [Reporter]
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