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The Brand Brief 7.30.26: Gavin Newsom, Sophie Cunningham, Rand Paul, Anthony Fauci, Jennifer Sey, and Francesca Hong
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…
1,407 words | 6 minute read | Written to be skimmable (12+ hours of media covered in The Brand Brief)
What Matters: Border coverage
New Media Voices: Sophie Cunningham, Anthony Fauci, and Gavin Newsom
Leading FOX: Anthony Fauci, Seattle Storm, and Nantucket shopping
Trending: Anthony Fauci, Sophie Cunningham, and Spain
What the Right is Writing: Government grocery stores and the World Cup
✍️ WHAT MATTERS AND WHERE WE’RE GOING…
Nathan’s quick take on where we’re headed…
Footage of illegal immigrants swarming the Spanish coast is all over conservative media today—a stark flashback to four years of hourly updates on the Biden-Harris border crisis.
Though the Trump Administration quickly resolved our border issues and shifted the news cycle, Spain remains a glaring reminder of open-border consequences and years of conservative media coverage. - NRB
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🎙️ NEW MEDIA VOICES
The Megyn Kelly Show - 7/29
Kelly criticizes Dr. Fauci for pleading the fifth during his Senate hearing, arguing his pardon for federal crimes does not shield him from state-level prosecution
Guest Mike Davis of the Article III Project counters Alan Dershowitz’s defense of Fauci, saying his dishonesty about vaccine safety, mask efficacy, and the lab leak warrants full accountability
Rich Lowry and Charles CW Cooke of National Review criticize anchors like Chris Cuomo and Jake Tapper who allegedly enabled Fauci’s narrative
Kelly dives into CA Gov. Gavin Newsom’s past affair with an old aide
She criticizes Cambridge University for its perceived lenient response to a plagiarism scandal, arguing DEI is eroding academic integrity
Kelly shares her personal experience with a death threat following the assassination of Charlie Kirk
The Michael Knowles Show - 7/29
Knowles says the viral story of the 16-year-old lifeguard saving a boy in Santa Cruz is a much-needed counter-narrative to “toxic masculinity”
He criticizes NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s proposed property tax and doxing of wealthy New Yorkers, saying it vilified the rich while doing nothing to truly help the poor
He calls Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine a hypocrite for defending the Haitian migrants
Knowles says Sen. Lindsey Graham’s funeral was a patriotic event that also reflected his faith, contrasting it to modern “celebration of life” memorials
He expresses concerns the country is in an ongoing Cold War with China, based on their bioweapons, AI race, and propaganda efforts
The Brett Cooper Show - 7/29
Cooper slams Dr. Fauci as a “fame-obsessed goblin,” arguing his ego drove his decisions during the pandemic, not public health
She looks at diary entries showing he got ill from the shot, and that he knew people were still getting Covid after being vaccinated
Cooper described a “mentally ill” state of American culture in 2020, fueled by Fauci and media on both sides of the aisle
After Party with Emily Jashinsky - 7/29
Jashinsky criticizes Dr. Fauci for pleading the fifth during his hearing, arguing his unredacted diaries should have been a public record
Guest Jennifer Sey, founder of XX-XY Athletics, talks about her upcoming documentary Generation Covid, and how Fauci sought to ruin the careers of dissenting scientists like Dr. Scott Atlas and Dr. Jay Bhattacharya
Jashinsky shames Gov. Gavin Newsom for closing California schools while his own children attended private schools, and explains how authenticity is the biggest hurdle in his campaign
Sey praises WNBA player Sophie Cunningham’s stance on women’s sports against Celeste Keaton, who verbally abused teen fans
Jashinsky makes fun of Dua Lipa for spreading “banned books lies,” when bans often have to do with censoring pornographic material in children’s libraries
Sara Gonzales Unfiltered - 7/29
Gonzales condemns Dr. Fauci’s invocation of the Fifth Amendment during his congressional hearing, arguing his presidential pardon from Joe Biden should not shield him from accountability
She thanks Sens. Bernie Moreno and Rand Paul for calling out Fauci in the hearing, despite his silence
Gonzales argues Fauci’s pulmonary infarction was karma for his role in suppressing Ivermectin, job losses, and school closures
She criticizes media figures like TMZ’s Harvey Levin for defending Fauci
Gonzales slams NYC Mayor Zohran Mandani’s pied-à-terre tax, which she says doxxes wealthy New Yorkers and destroys the luxury real estate market
She expresses outrage over the India’s alleged complicity in rampant H-1B visa fraud and fake degree scams
Gonzales says Democrats are shifting their stance on non-citizen voting, citing the recent case in New Jersey
📺 LEADING FOX NEWS
The Five
Dr. Fauci pleads the fifth to all questions at the Covid hearing, could face legal repercussions
Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong is in hot water for past socialist tweets
President Trump resumes plans to strike Iran after they launched missiles at a U.S. base
“Reacher” actor Alan Ritchson claims Trump is “raping the Earth”
The Four Winds Craft Guild in Nantucket is going viral for a “no influencers” policy
FOX & Friends
The military has presented President Trump with a plan to demolish Iran’s missile supply within two weeks
Dr. Fauci pleads the fifth 111 times during his congressional hearing
The Seattle festival shooting suspect had a previous gun charge and arrest
South Carolinians laid to rest Sen. Lindsey Graham yesterday
Nolan Wells’ mom is subpoenaing social media companies in an effort to uncover how her son drowned
WNBA player Sophie Cunningham thanks the girls who supported her for defending women’s sports, despite being yelled at by the Seattle Storm co-owner, Riley Gaines reacts
Divers are trying to find the bodies of missing children in a New Jersey river
A Nantucket store is going viral for banning influencers
The state of Florida is encouraging families to create lifestyle changes in their kids before prescribing SSRIs
Oscar Mayer is celebrating the 90th anniversary of the Weinermobile
As a nonprofit, the DSA is not required to disclose their donors, but many big names have been exposed for trying to appear “grassroots”
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani ignores concerns about his doxxing list for the pied-a-terre tax
🍿 TRENDING AND POUNCING
Tomorrow’s news today…
Anthony Fauci literally wrote in his diary Covid was only a 0.2% fatality rate. [X, Wall Street Apes]
Seattle Storm co-owner and players harassed Sophie Cunningham fans who came to support her following her comments about keeping males out of girl’s sports. [X, Libs of TikTok]
🗞️ WHAT THE RIGHT IS WRITING
FOX News Digital
Trump’s warning becomes reality after Iran’s failed attack [FOX News]
Senator demands Fauci face jail time [FOX News]
Former Democratic staffers, DEI leaders shape Smithsonian leadership [FOX News]
Breitbart
Establishment Dems Make Last Stand Against Socialist Takeover in Michigan [Breitbart]
Netanyahu, Trump Conclude ‘Positive, Productive’ White House Meeting [Breitbart]
The Fatal Economics of Mamdani’s Government Grocery [Breitbart]
Fauci and the Fifth Just Threw the ‘Cult-of-Fauci’ Under the Bus [Breitbart]
Wall Street Journal Editorials
Dr. Fauci Takes the Fifth, Alas [WSJ Ed]
Warsh, the Fed and Market Signals [WSJ Ed]
Mamdani’s Class Enemies List [WSJ Ed]
A Big Tax Moment for Missouri [WSJ Ed]
New York Post
Angry Fauci fires off an F-bomb during walk with wife hours after Senate grilling [NYP]
UEFA to boycott World Cup over FIFA boss’s $20B cash grab — throwing global soccer into chaos: sources [NYP]
Washington Free Beacon
‘Public Executions Are Extremely Rare’ in Iran, the New York Times Claims, Inaccurately [WFB]
Washington Reporter
How Sen. Tom Cotton helped make Arkansas the defense capital of America [Reporter]
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