Why a TikTok rush is coming
The Brand Brief 1.21.26: Greenland, Baby Vance, Scott Bessent, Michelle Obama, Department Of Justice, Davos, Alex Soros, Gavin Newsom, and the Clintons
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…
1,542 words | 7 minute read | Written to be skimmable (12+ hours of media covered in The Brand Brief)
What Matters: Countdown to TikTok
New Media Voices: DOJ makes moves in Minnesota
Leading FOX: Trump in Davos
Trending and Pouncing: Baby Vance
What the Right is Writing: The future of Greenland
✍️ WHAT MATTERS AND WHERE WE’RE GOING…
Nathan’s quick take on where we’re headed…
Conservative media and influencers have been on TikTok for years. However, Republican elected leaders have been reluctant to hop on the platform. That’s about to change.
President Trump and the White House broke the seal during the presidential campaign, quickly building a massive following with standout content.
With the TikTok deal for U.S. operations set to close this week, expect Republican elected officials and more of the conservative ecosystem to embrace the platform. - NRB
I would love to hear your feedback - survey here. Thank you!
🎙️ NEW MEDIA VOICES
The Megyn Kelly Show - 1/20
Kelly and guest actor James Woods say Don Lemon crashing a church service with an anti-ICE mob is intimidation, not journalism; Woods says it’s a deliberate distraction from Somali fraud and the Democrats’ reliance on illegal immigration for electoral college votes
Following the church attack, Lemon claims the outlash against him was due to being a gay black man
Guests podcaster Britt Mayer and conservative influencer Will Witt mock planned protests against ICE, saying the participants often look like single cat ladies fueled by nihilism, poor life choices
In celebrity news, Brooklyn Beckham has been in a public internet feud with his parents David and Victoria, Meghan Markle’s Netflix show has been canceled, and Michelle Obama says women should support black companies over white ones
The Ben Shapiro Show - 1/21
Shapiro highlights a strong stock market and GDP, the bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities, the end of the war in Gaza, eliminating DEI, enforcing immigration law, and more under the first year of Trump’s second term
One year after his second inauguration, Trump ran the White House press conference toting a “book of accomplishments”
Today, Trump attends the World Economic Forum alongside Sec. of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent, and Commerce Sec. Howard Lutnick
Shapiro condemns the “new world order” vision of some leaders, debates the necessity of annexing Greenland, shames Canadian PM Mark Carney for allying with China
The DOJ issues subpoenas against multiple Minnesota officials, leftist politicians like NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani react with calls to abolish ICE, interview with Seth Gruber of the 1916 Project on the pro-life movement
The Michael Knowles Show - 1/20
The DOJ is investigating Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Gov. Tim Walz for allegedly obstructing law enforcement, and potentially Don Lemon for violating the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871
Knowles argues Don Lemon knowingly conspired with the church mob protesters, calls for his imprisonment
Referencing minimal public attention given to MLK Day, Knowles attributes the decline to the left’s rejection of the Christian Founders’ view of equality for DEI
Knowles says Michelle Obama’s call for supporting black business over other races undermines MLK’s color-blind ideal
Guest Mary Margaret Olohan, the Daily Wire’s White House correspondent, touts Trump’s first-year accomplishments
TimcastIRL - 1/20
The Timcast panel and guest political commentator Amy Dangerfield discuss subpoenas filed against Minnesota elected officials, describe it as a significant escalation in the battle over ICE, panel condemns local Minnesota officials for encouraging resistance against law enforcement
Tim Pool discourages the redistricting war, saying Democrats could gain an unreasonable numbers of House seats
Within 48 hours of a blue trifecta, Virginia has introduced bills for higher taxes, firearm bans, and voting reform
A new poll shows more than 50% of Americans believe political assassinations can be justified, this number is stronger among liberal women
The Brett Cooper Show - 1/20
Cooper says she misses being able to laugh over politics without potentially even offending her own party, referencing the chaotic “Manosphere Streamers Weekend”
Controversial manosphere figures like Clavicular, the Tate brothers, and Nick Fuentes posted a video of themselves awkwardly attempting to club in Miami
Cooper compares the streamers’ “trashy” video to more positive ones, like Kai Cenat looking up new vocabulary while reading
📺 LEADING FOX NEWS
The Five
President Trump tells the press “you’ll find out” how far he’s willing to go to get Greenland
Celebrities like Bruce Springsteen and Ellen DeGeneres smear ICE’s presence in Minneapolis
Minnesota AG Keith Ellison ignores concerns of church attendees, sides with Don Lemon and anti-ICE mob
Kamala Harris’ campaign team grilled Tim Walz on his ties to China, asked Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro if he was an Israeli agent
Comedian Dana Carvey says “Bill Clinton liberals” are now called Nazis for common-sense views
HHS Sec. RFK Jr. celebrated his birthday with a steak instead of cake
Second Lady Usha Vance is pregnant with her fourth child, a boy due in late July
FOX & Friends
French President Emmanuel Macron wears sunglasses during his speech, claims Trump wants to subordinate Europe
Lara Trump reacts to NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani pushing for abolishing ICE on The View
Former soccer player David Beckham responds to Brooklyn Beckham’s accusations against the family
President Trump addresses world leaders live at the Davos summit today, rolls out “board of peace” to rule over Gaza’s rebuilding
The DOJ issues subpoenas against Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, and AG Keith Ellison
ICE launches a new Operation Catch of the Day in Maine
New Jersey brings back a cursive education requirement in its schools
Dr. Marc Siegel says pediatric flu hospitalizations are on the rise in the U.S.
Second Lady Usha Vance announces her fourth pregnancy
FOX Newsroom
President Trump speaks live at the World Economic Forum in Davos: says only the U.S. can secure Greenland, reflects on his work to end the war in Ukraine, his usage of tariffs and bringing down drug costs, takes questions from reporters
Reporting from Nuuk, Greenland, FOX confirms Trump won’t use force to take the island, Hudson Institute Fellow Rebeccah Heinrichs says Greenland would block Russian ICBM missiles from hitting Washington, D.C.
More than 175 million Americans are in the direct path of a potentially historic winter storm
David and Victoria Beckham’s son Brooklyn speaks out against his parents online, says they “controlled” him
New Jersey is bringing back its cursive requirement in schools
🍿 TRENDING AND POUNCING
Tomorrow’s news today…
We’re very happy to share some exciting news. Our family is growing! [X, SLOTUS]
The winning will continue. The deportations will continue. The memes will continue. [X, White House]
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent roasts Gavin Newsom at the World Economic Forum, calls Alex Soros his “billionaire sugar daddy.” [X, Rugg]
Trump: “All we want from Denmark, for national and international security, and to keep our very energetic and dangerous potential enemies at bay, is this land on which we’re going to build the greatest Golden Dome ever built.” [X, Rapid Response 47]
Trump to Carney: “Canada lives because of us. Mark, remember that before you make those speeches.” [X, End Wokeness]
Dan Scavino thanks the Meme Makers: “As the President says… you could go to Fifth Avenue or Park Avenue in New York City to an ad agency, spend a million or $2 million, and they would not create these. The President calls them geniuses.” [X, Chief Nerd]
🗞️ WHAT THE RIGHT IS WRITING
FOX News Digital
Trump set to meet with foreign leaders at the World Economic Forum [FOX News]
Protesters torch American flags ahead of Trump’s Davos arrival [FOX News]
Comer dares Democrats to advance Clinton contempt of Congress resolutions [FOX News]
Breitbart
Beijing Trains Thousand of Military Pilots ‘Posing as Civilians’ in CA and AZ Every Year: Nearly 3x Its Domestic Training Capacity! [Breitbart]
Justice Dept. to Interview Tim Walz, Four Other Top MN Democrats [Breitbart]
Rep. Comer Rejects ‘Ridiculous Offer’ From Clintons For Unofficial Meeting [Breitbart]
DOJ Investigates Violations of FACE Act, KKK Act After MN Church Protest [Breitbart]
Wall Street Journal Editorials
Trump vs. the Fed Goes to the Supreme Court [WSJ Ed]
Iran’s Line on the Protests and Trump [WSJ Ed]
NATO Is the Board of Peace [WSJ Ed]
The Bond Vigilantes Head to Tokyo [WSJ Ed]
New York Post
Trump says he ‘won’t use force’ to acquire Greenland, calls for ‘immediate negotiations’ [NYP]
Rudy Giuliani’s lawyer tells ‘Pod Force One’ FBI didn’t want to touch Hunter Biden’s laptop during home raid: ‘Radioactive’ [NYP]
Club owners who vowed to probe Nick Fuentes’ Nazi night out revealed to have partied with far-right revelers [NYP]
Trump Organization-owned home right next to Mar-a-Lago lists for rent — for $1.47M a year [NYP]
Washington Free Beacon
Abigail Spanberger’s 48-Hour Honeymoon [WFB]
Washington Reporter
SCOOP: GOP AGs take center stage in fight to protect women’s sports [WR]
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