What everyone gets wrong about conservative media
The Brand Brief 7.10.26: Lance Twiggs, Alec Baldwin, 50 Cent, Air Force One, Graham Platner, Janice Dean, Mehdi Hasan, and Tou Lue Vang
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…
1,117 words | 5 minute read | Written to be skimmable (10+ hours of media covered in The Brand Brief)
What Matters: Who doesn’t belong
New Media Voices: Twiggs, Platner, and the DSA
Leading FOX: Charlie Kirk hearing
Trending: Rubio and Tou Lue Vang
What the Right is Writing: Assassination plot and NATO
✍️ WHAT MATTERS AND WHERE WE’RE GOING…
Nathan’s quick take on where we’re headed…
I received several texts about Wednesday’s Brand Brief asking me to elaborate on this line:
Candace Owens might not host a conservative show, but unfortunately, she still draws conservative listeners.
This is legacy media’s greatest misunderstanding of conservative media: the difference between conservative shows and shows that conservatives listen to.
Hosts like Ben Shapiro, Megyn Kelly, Dan Bongino, and Allie Beth Stuckey run inherently conservative programs. They don’t always agree, but their framework and worldviews are right-of-center.
Conversely, shows hosted by Joe Rogan, Theo Von, and Tim Dillon are not conservative programs. While their distrust of institutions occasionally aligns them with the right, they are better understood as “unorthodox generalists” (more on this later). Yet, they command large conservative audiences. - NRB
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🎙️ NEW MEDIA VOICES
The Megyn Kelly Show - 7/9
Kelly highlights Tyler Robinson and Lance Twiggs’ erratic behavior and lifestyle changes leading up to the 2024 presidential election
She expresses frustration about the treatment of Erika Kirk and Charlie Kirk’s parents in the courtroom, and placing them too close to Robinson’s family
Kelly mentions the importance of Discord communications as a form of evidence, and criticizes the media’s role in amplifying conspiracies
She mentions the importance of DNA evidence for getting a death penalty verdict
The Ben Shapiro Show - 7/9
Shapiro emphasizes the need for extensive candidate vetting following Graham Platner’s suspension of his campaign, while showing support for Susan Collins’ integrity
He criticizes the Democrat establishment for allowing themselves to fall prey to the DSA, warning them of the peril they’re falling into
Shapiro shams mainstream media for promoting victimhood narratives, and contrasts the candidate quality between Democrats and Republicans
He criticizes former Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel for his sympathy toward Palestinians
The Isabel Brown Show - 7/9
Brown argues the suspension of Graham Platner’s campaign highlights the urgent need for rigorous vetting of political candidates
She looks into the testimony of alleged victim Lyndsey Fifield
Brown says mainstream media is fine with sexist coverage as long as it’s against Republican women
She argues the Platner problem represents a deeper issue among Democrats, as the party faces an ideological crossroads damaging leadership
Tony Kinnett Cast - 7/9
Kinnett reveals the Iranian Parliament is debating a bill offering €50 million for the assassination of Donald Trump, with Mojtaba Khamenei calling for his death
He argues the DSA’s new platform is essentially a call for the overthrow of the American government
Kinnett argues the Graham Platner scandal is representative of deep issues among Democrat leadership distracting them from the vetting process
He emphasizes the need to fund ICE following the shooting of Mexican national Lorenzo Salgado Araujo
📺 LEADING FOX NEWS
The Five
Tyler Robinson’s former roommate Lance Twiggs says he regretted killing Charlie Kirk
MS Now describes Graham Platner as a “morally challenged candidate,” tries to make his rape allegations about the president
President Trump uses both the new and old Air Force One to get home from Turkey, citing security concerns
Less than 50% of Americans believe capitalism is working well
FOX & Friends
Lance Twiggs, roommate of Tyler Robinson, says he remembers him engraving the bullets and then expressing regret for killing Charlie Kirk, Robinson appeared uncomfortable in court when his confession texts were shown
An American mom was murdered in Ireland by an asylum seeker
Maine Democrats rush to hold a convention to replace Graham Platner
Sens. John Fetterman and Dave McCormick start a Common Ground PA campaign, sparking rumors Fetterman will become a Republican
The DSA is releasing a new platform calling for the abolishment of the Senate, having Congress elect the president and Supreme Court, amnesty for all illegals, and defunding the Dept. of War
The Dodgers will celebrate their World Series win at the White House this month
Alec Baldwin tries to sue his Santa Fe, NM prosecutors, claiming they conspired against him after he accidentally killed a woman on set
Janice Dean looks back on 22 years at FOX News
🍿 TRENDING AND POUNCING
Tomorrow’s news today…
Last week, Calli Toler’s life was taken after an illegal alien recklessly ran a stop sign and crashed into her. She was just six years old. [X, DHS]
Laotian national Tou Lue Vang was convicted of sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl in Minnesota. [X, Rubio]
Mehdi Hasan: “People think that the UK is a dystopia run by Muslims… I wish.” [X, End Wokeness]
🗞️ WHAT THE RIGHT IS WRITING
FOX News Digital
Court hears alleged confession from accused Charlie Kirk assassin in texts with lover [FOX News]
Trump warns ‘they want to take out the US leader’ as assassination plot surfaces [FOX News]
Socialists launch radical platform to abolish the US Senate in bid to fundamentally transform America [FOX News]
Breitbart
Trump Shakes Up Election Commission Dragging Its Feet on Non-Citizen Voting Crackdown [Breitbart]
Trump Says NATO Deadbeat Spain Agreed to Pay More [Breitbart]
Explosive Infighting Erupts Between Maine Democrats and Platner’s Campaign [Breitbart]
Wall Street Journal Editorials
How Trump’s Tariffs Really ‘Work’ [WSJ Ed]
A Revealing Senate Debate in Michigan [WSJ Ed]
Mike Waltz Takes Cuba to School [WSJ Ed]
‘Decoy’ Dan Sullivan, Back on the Ballot [WSJ Ed]
New York Post
Trump tells The Post he’s ‘left instructions’ should Iran assassinate him: ‘Bomb them at levels’ never seen before [NYP]
Trump launches national crackdown on teachers accused of sexual abuse, CA could lose $50M [NYP]
Washington Free Beacon
Committee to Protect Journalists’ Staff Packed With Anti-Israel Agitators Amid Boardroom Feuds Over Group’s List of ‘Journalists’ Killed in Gaza [WFB]
Washington Reporter
“About time we won a war in Europe”: Trump’s NATO moves win praise from Congress [Reporter]
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