Welcome to the newsletter elite
The Brand Brief 2.26.26: JD Vance, Zohran Mamdani, Jack Hughes, Erika Kirk, Rachel Maddow, Hillary Clinton, and Bill Maher
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…
1,518 words | 7 minute read | Written to be skimmable (12+ hours of media covered in The Brand Brief)
What Matters: The newsletter crowd
New Media Voices: State of the Union behind the scenes
Leading FOX: Mamdani, Clintons, and Minnesota fraud
Trending: Transgender member of Congress interviewed by a shark
What the Right is Writing: State of the Union and USA Hockey
✍️ WHAT MATTERS AND WHERE WE’RE GOING…
Nathan’s quick take on where we’re headed…
Newsletters dominate DC politics, with Politico, Punchbowl, Axios, and Semafor filling inboxes every morning.
But who actually reads them? Pew research finds that newsletter readers skew wealthy and highly educated. In other words, the DC metro demographic. For most Americans, however, newsletters are not the norm - just 3 in 10 get their news from them.
So where do we fit? The conservative media newsletter space is still small, especially in news aggregators. The Brand Brief brings the newsletter crowd a snapshot of a traditional conservative media diet: podcasters, FOX News, and more. - NRB
What do you think of The Brand Brief? Let us know.
🎙️ NEW MEDIA VOICES
The Megyn Kelly Show - 2/25
Kelly said President Trump’s State of the Union, the longest in history, was one of his classic speeches with a CNN 64% positive viewership
The Real Clear Politics panel joins to discuss notable guests, including the Olympic men’s hockey team, Maduro raid leader Chief Warrant Officer Eric Slover, Coast Guard rescuer Scott Ruskan, 100-year-old Korean War pilot Royce Williams, Erika Kirk, and Iryna Zarutska’s mom
While Democrats heckled and remained seated, CNN called the honors a “game show,” the New York Times called the awards exploitative, and Robert De Niro cried on MS Now
Kelly argues the speech was a refreshing celebration of merit-based American heroes and masculinity
The Matt Walsh Show - 2/25
Walsh contrasts Trump’s State of the Union demeanor with Democrats who refused to stand for prioritizing American citizens
He argues the left is “pro-crime,” citing instances where judges gave lenient sentences to repeat offenders who later committed murder
Walsh contends that identity politics in the judicial system creates a dangerous bias, claiming judges are prioritizing racial equity over safety
He mocks AOC for promoting tax-funded daycare for illegal immigrants, arguing institutional daycare is harmful to children’s development
The Isabel Brown Show - 2/25
Brown documents her behind-the-scenes experience attending the State of the Union address as a guest of West Virginia Rep. Riley Moore
Podcast host Michael Knowles joins to predict speech outcomes and attends a reception in Speaker Mike Johnson’s office
Cameos include activist Chloe Cole, Minnesota fraud influencer Nick Shirley, and the Olympic hockey team
Brown joins a Daily Wire livestream panel to discuss the stark cultural division she perceives between “two different Americas”
Allie Beth Stuckey’s “Relatable” - 2/25
Stuckey praises Trump’s State of the Union address as “historic” and unapologetically “America First,” giving the speech an overall ‘A’ rating
She applauds his proposal of “Delilah’s Law” and his honoring of victims of crime committed by illegal immigrants
Stuckey supports Trump’s condemnation of gender transition procedures for minors, but disagrees with his endorsement of taxpayer-funded IVF, arguing the practice destroys human embryos
She critiques theatrics from Democrats like Rep. Ilhan Omar during moments focused on prioritizing American safety and citizenship
After Party with Emily Jashinsky - 2/25
Jashinsky critiques Sen. Chuck Schumer’s reliance on the 2013 “Gang of 8” bill as the the only counter to Trump’s immigration enforcement
Guest journalist Mark Hemingway analyzes Abigail Spanberger’s State of the Union response, arguing her attempt to appear moderate conflicts with her party’s progressive demands
They examine the disconnect between Democratic messaging and reality, highlighting political theater like the “Portland Frog Brigade”
Hemingway details his investigation into Portland’s rapid decline, attributing the city’s high crime rates and mass business exodus to failed radical progressive ideologies
In other news, surgeon general nominee Dr. Casey Means had her hearing, a lawsuit has been filed against Don Lemon, and Jashinsky contrasts the State of the Union to Wuthering Heights
📺 LEADING FOX NEWS
The Five
Democrats literally refuse to stand up for Americans at the State of the Union, Trump says “you should be ashamed” and breaks the record for longest SOTU address
MS Now claims the U.S. hockey team was used as a political prop, New York Times also makes it partisan, Rachel Maddow calls it “violence porn”
Some Democrats gathered with people in frog costumes for a counterprogramming event, while Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger gave the rebuttal speech
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani downplays the snow attack on the NYPD
FOX & Friends
VP JD Vance and CMMS Admin Dr. Mehmet Oz team up to tackle fraud, place a temporary $259M hold on Minnesota Medicaid funding, Gov. Tim Walz and AG Keith Ellison will testify next week, Hillary Clinton will testify on the Epstein Files today
The NYPD is looking for suspects in the snowball barrage, Mayor Mamdani claims they were kids despite footage of otherwise
Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is interviewed as military negotiations with Iran resume
A therapist in the social media addiction trial confirms the platforms contribute to stress and depression in adolescents, Instagram announces new teen safety features in response
A convicted child molester has been given parole in Sacramento, California
Nicolas Maduro’s lawyer claims the U.S. is blocking him from accessing legal funds in Venezuela
Actor Zachary Levi announces the premiere of David: King of Israel on FOX
FOX Newsroom
Following the State of the Union, President Trump is visiting Texas and VP JD Vance is traveling to Wisconsin for midterm rallies
Vance will lead a new fraud task force, $259M in Medicaid funding will be temporarily frozen in Minnesota, State Rep. Kristin Robbins says there has been no accountability
Kamala Harris claims married women won’t be able to vote under the SAVE Act
Texas primary Democrats Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico fight online, both parties spend millions on campaigns breaking records
Iran says they won’t give up their “right to the peaceful use of nuclear technology”
Rep. Carlos Gimenez responds to Cuba saying they shot and killed four Americans they claim attempted to infiltrate the island
Hillary Clinton testifies before Congress today on the Epstein Files, Rep. James Comer holds a press conference beforehand
The FCC is investigating the cost of sports streaming platforms
A judge will hear the case today over whether Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s smuggling charges should be dismissed as vindictive
🍿 TRENDING AND POUNCING
Tomorrow’s news today…
Congressman Tim McBride says being in Congress gives him trauma because he’s trans [X, Libs of TikTok]
“You can trust me on [fraud] - Minnesota Democrat Governor Tim Walz [X, RNC Research]
Bill Maher on Ilhan Omar: “I don’t like her. Is she a representative of America or Palestine? ... she married her brother.” [X, Cohen]
Nancy Pelosi says that she was never in Congress for the money: “Not that I was there for the money.” Pelosi’s net worth is over $400 million since joining Congress. [X, RNC Research]
🗞️ WHAT THE RIGHT IS WRITING
FOX News Digital
Iran vows to target US troops as Trump threatens repeat strike [FOX News]
Iran vows to target US troops as Trump threatens repeat strike [FOX News]
Devils game honors US Olympic hockey hero Jack Hughes [FOX News]
Breitbart
Polls Open in England’s Tinderbox Special Election [Breitbart]
Trump Adds Top Breitbart Editors to Pre-State of Union Address Lunch [Breitbart]
Breitbart Speaks to White House Officials After Trump SOTU [Breitbart]
Dem. Rep.: ‘Racist’ to Ask Lawmakers to Stand for Americans over Illegals [Breitbart]
Wall Street Journal Editorials
Trump and the Stakes in Iran [WSJ Ed]
A Vaccine Skeptic for Surgeon General [WSJ Ed]
The State of Trump’s Agenda [WSJ Ed]
The DHS Shutdown Is About to Bite [WSJ Ed]
New York Post
Terrifying way ultra-rich Americans were smuggled out of cartel hell [NYP]
Netflix’s Ted Sarandos heads to DC to save Warner Bros. deal as antitrust concerns intensify [NYP]
FBI makes final sweep of Nancy Guthrie’s house in sign investigation has hit a dead end [NYP]
Washington Free Beacon
Trump Avoids Drama To Focus on Foreign Imminent Threats [WFB]
Washington Reporter
Trump, Republicans highlight beneficiaries of “Golden Age” policies in State of the Union address [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.
I had missed that Pew study! Thank you for sharing.