When arrows fly left
The Brand Brief 10.17.25: Kamala Harris and KJP book tours, Culture shift on transgender issues, and Debate nights in VA and NYC
Actionable media intel to cut through the noise and keep you ahead: The Brand Brief delivers a daily snapshot of trending stories in 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…
1,382 words | 6 minute read (12+ hours of media covered in The Brand Brief)
What Matters: Books and primaries fuel Dem infighting
New Media Voices: Politics and pop culture mood shift on trans issues
Leading FOX: Kamala Harris’s ego, recaps from Thursday debates
Trending and Pouncing: “Climate anxiety” haunts lefties
What the Right is Writing: Bolton and Behar
You’re receiving an early access version of The Brand Brief. I would love to hear your feedback. Thank you! - NRB
✍️ WHAT MATTERS AND WHERE WE’RE GOING…
Nathan’s quick take on where we’re headed…
Democrats are disciplined not to shoot left and wave off egregious actions and comments from members of their team (ie Jay Jones).
But when personal incentives (book sales) outweigh political considerations, arrows fly and the conservative media ecosystem rejoices. A few examples:
Biden’s former press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has a new book coming out next week that will likely air dirty laundry
The Kamala Harris book tour has produced great content (see an early edition of The Brand Brief for more on that)
Ongoing Democrat primaries are full of examples (ie Katie Porter in CA and Graham Platner in ME)
Looking ahead: The 2028 Democrat presidential primary will be ripe and has already been fruitful (JB Pritzker made how much gambling?!). It’s gonna be fun! - NRB
🎙️ NEW MEDIA VOICES
The Megyn Kelly Show - 10/16
AOC accuses the GOP of radicalizing men into “insecure masculinity,” Kelly argues it’s the fault of pinning all societal problems on men
Kelly gives the example of British actor Laurence Fox who faced backlash for raising awareness about male suicide rates
Kelly says the Left treats podcast bros and speakers like Jordan Peterson with suspicion simply because they give advice to men
AOC accused Charlie Kirk of being uneducated despite her own working class Bronx persona
The Brett Cooper Show - 10/16
Professor Eric Kaufman’s viral X thread showed trans identification in decline since 2023, was actually about nonbinary people
Journalist Benjamin Ryan critiques Kaufman for assuming trans people would select “nonbinary” over the binary gender they identify with
While the number of young people identifying as nonbinary or gay is decreasing, trans people make up 3% of 21-year-olds in a separate poll
Cooper argues the nonbinary trend was a result of lockdown politics and declining mental health in tandem with androgynous style
Emma Watson’s attempt to reconcile with JK Rowling, Keira Knightley’s dismissal of boycotts shows less care about gender ideology
The Michael Knowles Show - 10/16
During oral arguments on the Louisiana redistricting case, Justice Jackson compared minority voting disadvantage to being disabled
Kamala Harris claims to have been the most qualified candidate ever, despite losing the popular vote
During the CNN Townhall, AOC dodged questions about challenging Chuck Schumer for the Senate during primary season
Mamdani avoids answering whether Hamas should disarm on his Fox News interview
Knowles contrasts the Young Republicans group chat leak as young people making dumb jokes compared to Jay Jones’ death threats
Allie Beth Stuckey’s Jubilee Debate Reaction - 10/15
Stuckey’s 2nd annual Share the Arrows Christian women’s conference was a success, with nearly 7,000 attendees and plenty of babies
Charlie Kirk had texted Stuckey advice before his death, telling her to ask questions, define words in the argument, and probe their logic
She practiced for the debate with apologists Alisa Childers and Frank Turek, as well as her husband, read Greg Koukl’s “Tactics”
She debated liberal Christians on gay marriage, abortion, toxic empathy, and whether progressivism is at odds with Christianity
She noted many of the participants were civil, such as one debater, Gilbert, who stated LGBTQ suicide rates are higher in religious homes
📺 LEADING FOX NEWS TODAY
A look inside the FOX editorial decision-making…
The Five
AOC and Sanders stutter in response to CNN Townhall question about Schumer primary challenge, AOC claims GOP is radicalizing young men
American helicopters fly along coast of Venezuela as Trump weighs land strikes on cartels, authorizes CIA action within the country
More than 175,000 Americans have applied to work for ICE
Harris claims to be “most qualified presidential candidate ever” despite losing the popular and electoral vote
Kathy Griffin says “Trump thinks he’s a f—ing king.”
FOX & Friends
Typhoon hits the shores of Alaska, 1 dead 2 missing and 2,000 in shelters
Another packed stadium at University of Oklahoma fills for TPUSA
Virginia AG debate last night resulted in clear Miyares win thanks to full focus on Democrat Jay Jones’ death threat texts
NYC mayoral debate last night featured spar over crime
DOJ announces first Antifa-related terrorism charges
White House partners with drug company to slash the cost of IVF
Trump meets with Zelenskyy today, expects to meet with Putin again
New polls reveal the New Jersey governor’s race is neck-and-neck
American-Israeli hostage Itay Chen’s body still held by Hamas
Guest Patriots owner Robert Kraft talks about being honored at the 80th Al Smith dinner
Squad member Rashida Tlaib spent $36,717 on limo services this year
FOX Newsroom
Trump and Zelenskyy to meet at the White House today, touts successful call with Putin
Guest Kevin McCarthy discusses how Mamdani maintains the lead in the NYC mayoral race following debate
Guest Curtis Sliwa says “the gangbangers” want Mamdani as mayor because of his weak crime policy
Former National Security Advisor John Bolton indicted for sharing classified information
On Day 17 of the government shutdown, the Senate yet again failed to pass a funding bill, and will fly home for the weekend
U.S. launches sixth strike on Venezuelan drug cartel boats, considers going inland
NJ governor’s race is neck and neck, while the VA AG race shows a Miyares lead after last night’s debate focused on Jones’ text scandal
Over 6,000 University of Oklahoma students attended TPUSA event
Erika Kirk returns to TPUSA headquarters to show employees Charlie Kirk’s Presidential Medal of Freedom
The anti-ICE protests in Chicago escalate with more arrests
Pennsylvania Democrats look to oust Democrat Senator Fetterman
🍿 TRENDING AND POUNCING
Tomorrow’s news today: highlights from the conversation on the right and what conservatives are “pouncing” on…
Kamala Harris tells story of full-grown goddaughter crying about the climate [ChiefNerd, X]
Mamdani says he plans to raise taxes by billions [RNC, X]
Maine Senate candidate promoted violent political action in since-deleted online posts [Politico]
Jay Jones Haunted by Text Message Scandal in Virginia Attorney General Debate [National Review]
Abigail Spanberger says it’s “horrifying” that under President Trump, crossing the border illegally is “considered a criminal act.” [X, RNC Research]
President Trump’s approval rating among Americans surges to the highest level in months: +5 points, 52%-47% [X, Daugherty]
🗞️ WHAT THE RIGHT IS WRITING
Leading FOX News Digital
FBI arrests alleged pro-Hamas Oct. 7 attacker living in Louisiana [FOX News]
Vulnerable Republicans back Johnson as Schumer faces ‘math problem’ in shutdown fight [FOX News]
‘No Kings’ movement gets dethroned by violence as leader pushes peace post-pandemonium [FOX News]
Top of Breitbart
Hakeem Jeffries Stands by Homicidal Democrat Jay Jones: ‘Appropriately Apologized for His Remarks’ [Breitbart]
Former NSA John Bolton Indicted over Mishandling of Classified Documents [Breitbart]
Joy Behar Claims Republicans Too ‘Scared’ to Come on ‘The View’ [Breitbart]
Mamdani on Arresting Netanyahu: I Will ‘Exhaust Every Legal Option’ to Do So [Breitbart]
Wall Street Journal Editorials
The John Bolton Indictment [WSJ Ed]
Allies United Against China on Rare Earths [WSJ Ed]
The Hamas Rule of Terror in Gaza [WSJ Ed]
Bulldozing Race Conscious Road Work [WSJ Ed]
SAY HELLO
Nathan (@NathanBrandWA on X or Nathan@OnBrandStrategies.com) and Carly (@realCarlyMoran on X or Carly@OnBrandStrategies.com).
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