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…

1,102 words | 5 minute read | Written to be skimmable (18+ hours of media covered in The Brand Brief)

What Matters: Walz and Maduro fall
New Media Voices: Rogan, Von, and more
Leading FOX: Wall-to-wall Maduro and Walz
Trending and Pouncing: Mamdani’s collective property
What the Right is Writing: The future of Venezuela

✍️ WHAT MATTERS AND WHERE WE’RE GOING…

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

We’re back! Quick update for those who are new… Each Monday, we curate the highlights from center-right long-form podcasts. Tuesday through Thursday, we bring you the best of the daily news podcasts - think Ben Shapiro and Megyn Kelly. Every day, we outline what is driving FOX News, conservative media, and the best of X. Here is what hit our radar over Christmas:

President Trump captured Maduro
YouTuber Nick Shirley knocked off Tim Walz
Does Dan Bongino return to conservative media?
And AmericaFest had no shortage of fireworks amongst conservative media personalities

Happy New Year! - NRB

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🎙️ NEW MEDIA VOICES

The Joe Rogan Experience

Comedian and co-host of “Your Mom’s House” and “Two Bears, One Cave” Tom Segura talks about TV, ancient civilizations, and the Brown University shooting
Project Unity YouTuber Jay Anderson argues for the relation between humans and extraterrestrial life
Comedian Shane Gillis discusses life stories, the UFC, American politics, and monkeys
Civil rights attorney Josh Dubin shares his craziest work stories and discusses the criminal justice system
Comedian James McCann discusses socioeconomic politics, totalitarianism, AI, the American church, and the Epstein Files
MMA fighter Gable Steveson shares his favorite career stories

This Past Weekend with Theo Von

Singer Stephen Wilson Jr., nominated as “New Artist of the Year” at the CMAs, talks about growing up in the Midwest
Theo Von tells the story of when he tried to spy on Santa, and “free magic”

The Tucker Carlson Show

Former congressman Matt Gaetz argues against Ted Cruz 2028 run, and warns against the rise of identity politics within the GOP
Liquidity.io CEO Coleman Church vouches in favor of alternate currencies such as crypto in the wake of the national debt crisis
Dutch Pet founder Joe Spector says vet bills have increased due to private equity scams
YouTuber Ian Carroll talks about Las Vegas shooting conspiracy theories, Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia, and the Charlie Kirk assassination

Culture Apothecary with Alex Clark

The Tim Dillon Show

Leftist Ryan Grim joins Dillon to reflect on 2025 with coverage of the Epstein Files, the LA fires, multiple wars, AI “slop,” and political violence
Dillon expresses his foreign policy concerns, ranging from rebuilding Gaza, the continued Ukraine peace question, and Taiwan’s future

📺 LEADING FOX NEWS

A look inside the FOX editorial decision-making…

FOX & Friends

FBI Director Kash Patel is interviewed on how Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and his wife were captured by Delta Force soldiers
Ongoing live coverage, as Maduro is arraigned today in New York; guest former ambassador Nathan Sales explains how future leadership remains to be settled, Trump seeks peaceful partnership with new president
Guest Sen. John Fetterman says Venezuelans are celebrating, Colombia is ramping up its military presence on the border
After denying Somali fraud allegations, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is expected to announce he is no longer running for reelection

FOX Newsroom

FOX shows live footage of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and his wife being transferred to their arraignment in court today for federal drug and weapon charges, is held in same prison as Luigi Mangione
Sec. of State Marco Rubio slams Middle East comparisons to the Venezuela operation on his NBC appearance
Guest former Speaker Kevin McCarthy unpacks politics of Gov. Tim Walz will not seek reelection following the benefits fraud scandal
Hegseth moves to censure Sen. Mark Kelly for his calls to the U.S. military to “resist illegal orders”

🍿 TRENDING AND POUNCING

Tomorrow’s news today…

NYC Mayor Mamdani's Tenant Director, Cea Weaver: “We'll transition from treating property as an individual good to a collective good. Whites especially will be impacted.” [X, End Wokeness]
Rubio schools Margaret Brennen on capture details [X, Saavedra]
Americans are expected to spend $11 billion less at the gas pump than they did in 2025, according to GasBuddy. [X, Rapid Response 47]
Jimmy Kimmel says almost losing his show was like a “near-death experience” [X, ChiefNerd]

🗞️ WHAT THE RIGHT IS WRITING

FOX News Digital

Maduro and wife face ‘worst-case scenario’ as Trump vows to govern Venezuela [FOX News]
Trump warns Venezuela’s new leader to cooperate or face ‘big price’ [FOX News]
Cuba is ‘ready to fall’ after Maduro capture left Cuban officers dead [FOX News]

Breitbart

One in Custody as Police Rush to Incident at JD Vance’s Cincinnati Home [Breitbart]
Democrats Fundraise in Protest of Maduro Capture [Breitbart]
Venezuelans Celebrate U.S. Arrest of Nicolás Maduro [Breitbart]
Hollywood Celebs Rush to Call for Trump’s Impeachment over Maduro Capture [Breitbart]

Wall Street Journal Editorials

Trump’s Regime Change in Venezuela [WSJ Ed]
Don’t Settle for Maduro 2.0 [WSJ Ed]
Democratic Sanity on Rent Control [WSJ Ed]
No Secret School Gender Transitions [WSJ Ed]

New York Post

Dallas mayor predicts ‘flood’ of Wall Street firms to quit NYC under Mamdani [NYP]
Trump says US must restore law and order to Venezuela before elections — opposition leader could only win with his support [NYP]
Leftward Ho! Nearly 60% of NYC voters support Mamdani socialism [NYP]
Biden’s ‘extravagant’ pension is largest of any president in history – more than what he made as prez [NYP]

Washington Free Beacon

Bring in More Prosecutors: Finally Ending Minnesota’s ‘Never-Ending’ Somali Fraud Schemes Requires Reinforcements [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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Walz falls and Maduro is through