Actionable media intel to keep you ahead: 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…

1,473 words | 6 minute read | Written to be skimmable (12+ hours of media covered in The Brand Brief)

What Matters: Looking ahead to 2026
New Media Voices: Investigation updates and white men
Leading FOX: Trump touts economic progress
Trending and Pouncing: Kamala Harris and UFC
What the Right is Writing: ‘Warrior Dividend’ and Wes Moore

✍️ WHAT MATTERS AND WHERE WE’RE GOING…

Nathan’s quick take on where we’re headed…

Six conservative media predictions for 2026…

Clippers: Breaking news will increasingly originate more often with clippers and influencers rather than traditional media
Future of the movement: Conversations about the future of the conservative movement in 2025 will seem tame compared to what’s coming in 2026
2028 Dems: Conservative media will discuss 2028 Democrat candidates more than 2028 GOP contenders
The Reach Rolodex: Influencer rolodexes will matter even more as access will be defined by reach
Owned-media pivot: Republican politicians (finally) will embrace new and owned media (Following the lead of Trump and Sen. Markwayne Mullin)
Future of podcasts: Someone will start a political show that is not in the traditional seated podcast style (not sure who, but I feel there is an opening here)

Let me know what you think. - NRB

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🎙️ NEW MEDIA VOICES

The Megyn Kelly Show - 12/17

Guest legal analysts Arthur Idala and Matt Murphy agree with Kelly that the heavy evidence against Tyler Robinson will prove him guilty
New video evidence shows Nick Reiner appearing calm before and after killing his parents, guests doubt an insanity plea will work
As the Brown University shooting investigation continues to go nowhere, guests question if the false person of interest has a viable defamation suit against Providence PD
Guest Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer discusses re-enlisting in the Marine Corps at 37, supports Trump’s actions against Venezuela

The Ben Shapiro Show - 12/17

Referencing the Compact Magazine article, Shapiro uncovers how DEI, beginning around 2014, led to systemic discrimination against white men
Trump defends White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles’ interview with Vanity Fair, plans to reclassify marijuana to Schedule III for research, expands travel bans, launches an AI development program
Republicans propose alternatives to lower healthcare costs as Obamacare subsidies expire soon, risking doubling premiums
Shapiro reflects on last weekend’s violence with the Reiner murders, Brown University shooting, and terror attack in Australia

After Party with Emily Jashinsky - 12/17

While Tucker Carlson falsely claimed Trump would declare war on Venezuela in his address, it was a reflection on this year’s achievements
Pollster Tom Bevan praises VP Vance’s empathetic economic messaging, encourages Trump to do similar to improve approval rating
Fulton County DA Fani Willis testified defiantly in a Georgia Senate hearing on financial fraud allegations, called Trump a criminal
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr clashed with Sen. Jackie Rosen over investigating ABC for alleged distortions under public interest rules
Jillian Michaels was called a “white nationalist” by Wajahat Ali on Piers Morgan Uncensored, VP Vance shared an article on DEI discrimination, and Jashinsky questions transparency on Venezuela

The Brett Cooper Show - 12/17

While Brown University still hasn’t found a gunman nearly a week after the shooting, online sleuths have suggested multiple viable suspects
Law enforcement’s slow response, poor-quality camera footage, videos of FBI agents searching snow patches, and conflicting press conferences have all driven public mockery
Public frustration grows after a podcast teaser highlights an interview with FBI Director Kash Patel and his girlfriend, called tone-deaf

The Matt Walsh Show - 12/17

Walsh discusses Jacob Savage’s Compact Magazine article on systemic discrimination against white men, arguing their purposeful exclusion has led to societal deterioration in tech, arts, and leadership
Walsh criticizes Republicans for participating in the statue unveiling of 1951 school segregation strike leader Barbara Rose Johns, replacing Robert E. Lee
Kamala Harris weighs a 2028 run with book tours, engaging donors, and hinting in interviews, much to the mockery of Republicans
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara misuses the Nativity story to defend illegal immigration

📺 LEADING FOX NEWS

The Five

On her podcast tour, Kamala Harris says Democrats have an issue with speaking authentically
As the liberal media eats up the Vanity Fair interview, the Trump Admin rallies around Chief of Staff Susie Wiles in response
The Brown University shooting manhunt Day 5 ends with no results
CNN anchor Jake Tapper raises questions about Trump’s age despite remaining silent on Biden’s dementia
Adult kids are now letting their parents run their dating app profile

FOX & Friends

Trump addressed the nation last night on fiscal wins, says wages are now increasing higher than inflation, all job growth goes toward Americans in the private sector
U.S. Chief of Protocol Monica Crowley outlines Trump’s plans for America250, which include the Great State Fair, the UFC White House fight, and the Patriot Games
Charlie Kirk’s TPUSA AmericaFest begins today
The Providence PD reports there were no cameras inside the classroom, don’t know which students were there, are now searching door-to-door and identifying a second suspect
Following Cardinal Dolan’s resignation, Pope Leo appoints Illinois Bishop Ronald Hicks
Seven men tied to another terror plot were arrested on their way to Bondi Beach, a funeral was held today for last week’s shooting’s youngest victim
Nick Reiner’s siblings issued a statement following the murder of their parents
Trump orders a naval blockade of all Venezuelan oil tankers
November inflation slows more than expected based on last month’s CPI report

FOX Newsroom

Trump touts economic progress in his national address last night
Providence PD are asking for help identifying a second person, no cameras at Brown caught the shooter, DNA evidence found on ammo
Pope Leo accepts Cardinal Dolan’s resignation, appoints 58-year-old Bishop Ronald Hicks
Nick Reiner made his first court appearance in a suicide-prevention smock, arraignment scheduled for Jan 7th
November’s CPI index shows inflation has cooled to 2.7%
Kamala Harris dodges questions about running in 2028 during her podcast interview with “At Our Table with Jaime Harrison”
Rep. Jim Jordan is interviewed on Biden DOJ official Jack Smith testifying behind closed doors in a congressional hearing
Trump demands Venezuela return all seized U.S. assets
After being found guilty of murdering his wife, Brian Walshe has been sentenced to life with no parole
A Japanese woman married ChatGPT
Adrien Nunez is interviewed on his journey from playing college basketball to becoming a country singer

🍿 TRENDING AND POUNCING

Tomorrow’s news today…

President Trump has a packed slate of America250 events, including the White House UFC fight in June and a “spectacular national celebration” on July 4th [X, Daugherty]
Kamala confirms she drank a lot after losing the election [X, Elliott]
Ms. Jeanie Beeman speaks out after being harassed over her Charlie Kirk shirt at Target and says she does not want her attacker fired. [X, Harris]
DEI Providence Police Chief reveals that 5 days after the Brown University mass shooting…they have not interviewed the student eye-witnesses for a description of the shooter. [X, Detective]
Kamala gushes over Ketanji Brown Jackson: “I encourage everyone to read her dissents. They are brilliant.” [X, Lensman]

🗞️ WHAT THE RIGHT IS WRITING

Leading FOX News Digital

Trump launches massive ‘Freedom 250’ push [FOX News]
Trump drops receipts on US savings since Biden’s exit [FOX News]
Military troops to get special Christmas gift from Trump [FOX News]

Top of Breitbart

Trump: More than 1 Million U.S. Military Service Members to Receive ‘Warrior Dividend’ [Breitbart]
Christmas Day Gas Prices Expected to Drop to Lowest Level in 5 Years [Breitbart]
Golden Age: All Net Job Growth Going to Americans So Far This Year [Breitbart]

Wall Street Journal Editorials

A ‘Nonsensical’ GOP House Revolt [WSJ Ed]
California’s Stranded Solar Assets [WSJ Ed]
A Reparations Loan for Ukraine? [WSJ Ed]
Don’t Stop at a Single Oil Tanker [WSJ Ed]

New York Post Exclusives

Bill Clinton brought Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell to Moroccan king’s wedding — after ex-prez asked to add pervy pals [NYP]
Trump admin probes Colorado after 221 dead people received federal housing assistance [NYP]
Biden WH coordinated on raid of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago then took convo ‘offline’: ex-DOJ official [NYP]

Washington Free Beacon

Wes Moore Filmed Campaign Ad Praising Maryland Public Schools Inside His Kids’ Elite Private School [WFB]

NEED HELP NAVIGATING CONSERVATIVE MEDIA?

On Brand Strategies would love to help you navigate the conservative media ecosystem. Learn more at OnBrandStrategies.com, or connect with Nathan (Nathan@OnBrandStrategies.com) and Carly (Carly@OnBrandStrategies.com).

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