The return of the “vast right-wing conspiracy”
The Brand Brief 2.5.26: Hillary Clinton, Allie Beth Stuckey, JD Vance, Zohran Mamdani, Billie Eilish, Nancy Guthrie, Kamala Harris, and the Prayer Breakfast
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…
1,433 words | 6 minute read | Written to be skimmable (12+ hours of media covered in The Brand Brief)
What Matters: Hillary Clinton vs. Allie Beth Stuckey
New Media Voices: JD sits down with Megyn
Leading FOX: Searching for Guthrie
Trending: Kamala HQ return mocked
The Right’s Writing: Amazon MGM and Netflix
✍️ WHAT MATTERS AND WHERE WE’RE GOING…
Nathan’s quick take on where we’re headed…
The “vast right-wing conspiracy” may look different than it did in 1998, but Hillary Clinton still seems eager for a fight.
First, Clinton sparked a feud with podcaster Allie Beth Stuckey in a recent essay for The Atlantic, criticizing Stuckey’s understanding of Christian empathy. Stuckey - author of a book titled “Toxic Empathy” - fired back with a podcast episode and a piece in The Free Press arguing that the left exploits Christian empathy to advance its political aims.
Second, House Republicans are calling the former First Lady in for a February 26 interview to discuss what she knows about Bill Clinton’s gallivanting with Jeffrey Epstein.
Once again, Hillary is itching for a brawl (and relevance), and the right is happy to oblige. Younger Democrats, however, seem more interested in ushering the Clintons off the stage altogether. - NRB
I would love to hear your feedback - survey here. Thank you!
🎙️ NEW MEDIA VOICES
The Megyn Kelly Show - 2/4
VP Vance discusses with Kelly his rise from “regular old JD” in Ohio nine years ago to the Vice President, and his battles with the transactional DC political culture
Vance criticizes mainstream media bias, citing how the Trump admin produced the lowest crime rate in 125 years, deported 675,000 illegal migrants
Vance defends the administration’s actions in Minneapolis, supports e-verify, and warns of impeachment if Democrats gain control after midterms
Vance says the next priorities are to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, domestic reindustrialization, reshaping NATO alliances, passing the SAVE Act, and continuing to utilize nontraditional media for GOP messaging
Following the Vance interview, Kelly speaks with journalist Ashleigh Banfield on the search for Savannah Guthrie’s mother
The Ben Shapiro Show - 2/4
Shapiro argues gender ideology is on the decline, citing a malpractice victory and plastic surgeons’ new caution regarding minor surgeries
The host attacks Democrat policies in Minneapolis, interviewing the Manhattan Institute’s Christina Buttons about coordinated anti-ICE groups
New Epstein file revelations are analyzed, implicating Prince Andrew and Bill Gates, while noting the Clintons agreed to testify before Congress
Reporter Lynden Blake discusses the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie’s mother, revealing details about ransom notes and suspects
Shapiro mocks celebrities Bad Bunny and Billie Eilish for their recent progressive political statements on immigration and indigenous land
The Matt Walsh Show - 2/4
Walsh critiques NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s first month, citing unfulfilled promises regarding free transit and piling trash while freezing deaths rise due to halted homeless encampment sweeps
He addresses the backlash against country singer Shaboozey’s Grammy speech, mocking leftists for demanding he explicitly credit Black people rather than just immigrants for building America.
Addressing a recent conservative influencer scandal, Walsh advises men to seek excitement through their vocation while still maintaining stability with their faith and family
Walsh reacts to a viral TikTok of a woman threatening family annihilation over irrational ICE fears
Allie Beth Stuckey’s “Relatable” - 2/4
Stuckey analyzes the DOJ’s release of new Epstein files, urging viewers to prioritize facts over confirmation bias
Stuckey praises Nicki Minaj’s surprising critique of Democrat policies and Jelly Roll’s Christian testimony at the Grammys, while exposing the hypocrisy of celebrities like Billie Eilish
The host celebrates a detransitioner who won millions against doctors who performed a double mastectomy on her as a minor
Stuckey criticizes “platonic co-parenting,” arguing prioritizing adult preferences over the nuclear family harms children’s well-being
After Party with Emily Jashinsky - 2/4
Jashinsky highlights the irony of the Tongva tribe claiming Billie Eilish’s home is on stolen land following the singer’s Grammy comments
RealClearPolitics co-founder Tom Bevan joins to discuss Washington Post layoffs, arguing the paper failed due to biased coverage and poor business decisions
The pair critiques Chuck Schumer for labeling the SAVE Act “Jim Crow 2.0,” citing polling data that shows overwhelming bipartisan support for voter ID
Jashinsky concludes with an analysis of Trump’s immigration approval ratings and a reaction to a cryptic video from Kamala Harris’ team.
📺 LEADING FOX NEWS
The Five
Anti-ICE agitators set up blockades in Minneapolis demanding ID checks before letting drivers pass, Border Czar Tom Homan agrees to pull 700 agents following access to jails, 4,000 criminals removed
Nicki Minaj takes to X to promote the SAVE Act, and 84% of Americans agree, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer calling it “Jim Crow 2.0”
A New York Times op-ed asks if CA Gov. Gavin Newsom will become the Democrats’ next “Kamala mistake”
Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell claims Republican lawmakers slam President Trump at the congressional gym behind his back
FOX & Friends
Nancy Guthrie’s family makes a video bargaining with her abductors, her home security cameras’ footage didn’t save, father of a kidnapping survivor Ed Smart gives his perspective
Melania Trump meets with freed Israeli hostages, Keith Siegel shares his story with FOX
Nike is facing fed probes over discriminatory hiring claims
Trump says Iran should be “very worried” after discovering the construction of a new nuclear site, negotiations take place in Oman today
Democrat lawmakers clashed with Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent in a House hearing yesterday
VP JD Vance is set to lead a major anti-fraud task force
FOX shows live coverage of President Trump’s speech at the National Prayer Breakfast
FOX Newsroom
President Trump speaks live at the National Prayer Breakfast
The Guthrie family produces a video negotiating with their mother’s abductors, investigators report it’s a dark region at night with limited cameras, AG Pam Bondi is receiving updates
Senators railed against Minnesota fraud, Trump admin institutes a new fraud investigation group
Kamala Harris’ HQ account on X has rebranded into a progressive meme content group to maintain a following until she decides her political future, Townhall editor Guy Benson reacts
Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent testifies at the Senate Banking Committee on Capitol Hill
🍿 TRENDING AND POUNCING
Tomorrow’s news today…
Welcome to Headquarters, the new Gen-Z led progressive content hub. [X, headquarters67]
Nick Shirley reveals his security informed him the left put out hits against his life — simply because he exposed fraud. [X, Daugherty]
At the prayer breakfast President Trump calls out politicians who refuse to say “God.” [X, Daugherty]
MS Now presses Schumer on 71% of Democrats supporting voter ID [X, Lensman]
The Justice Department with @ICEgov HSI arrested a self-identified anti-ICE Antifa TERRORIST [X, Blanche]
🗞️ WHAT THE RIGHT IS WRITING
FOX News Digital
Savannah Guthrie pleads with mother Nancy’s captors in heartbreaking video [FOX News]
Meet the career law enforcement charged with finding Nancy Guthrie [FOX News]
Trump returns to National Prayer Breakfast as faith takes center stage in second term [FOX News]
Breitbart
Top Dems Release Insane Demands to Curb ICE Operations: No Arrests Without Judge’s Signoff — Ever! [Breitbart]
Exclusive: Amazon MGM Expanding ‘Melania’ into 200 More Theaters [Breitbart]
Far-Left Washington Post Kills Podcast, Sports and Book Sections; Guts Foreign, Metro Reporting [Breitbart]
Wall Street Journal Editorials
Are Trump’s Tariffs Winning? [WSJ Ed]
Netflix Gets a Beltway Beating [WSJ Ed]
Japan’s Low-Energy, High-Impact Election [WSJ Ed]
The Epstein Files Fallout Hits the Innocent [WSJ Ed]
New York Post
Inside Nancy Guthrie’s final weeks before ‘impossible’ disappearance [NYP]
Pro-ICE billboards calling out ‘liberal hypocrisy’ go up in swing states [NYP]
Mamdani NYC health department staffers launch ‘Global Oppression Working Group’ accusing Israel of genocide [NYP]
Washington Free Beacon
‘We’re Not Criminalizing the Unhoused’: How a Homeless Encampment and Drug Dealers Are Destroying a Local Condominium Complex and Turning Its Residents’ Lives Upside Down [WFB]
Washington Reporter
Senate Republicans sound alarm on illicit Chinese vape threat, urge Administration action [Reporter]
NEED HELP NAVIGATING CONSERVATIVE MEDIA?
On Brand Strategies can assist you in getting booked on shows, placing op-eds, and navigating the conservative media. Learn more at OnBrandStrategies.com.