Why Newsom picks fights
The Brand Brief 1.15.26: Ben Shapiro, Greenland, Nick Shirley, James Talarico, Scott Adams, RIOTERS, and Iranian Regime Change
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…
1,487 words | 7 minute read | Written to be skimmable (13+ hours of media covered in The Brand Brief)
What Matters: Shapiro vs. Newsom
New Media Voices: Iran, ICE, and CBS’s ratings
Leading FOX: Greenland and Whole Milk
Trending and Pouncing: Nick Shirley releases part two
What the Right is Writing: Kamala Harris seaside mansion
✍️ WHAT MATTERS AND WHERE WE’RE GOING…
Nathan’s quick take on where we’re headed…
We always seem to be talking about Gavin Newsom. That’s not an accident.
Newsom knows conflict sells. On Thursday night, he will be stepping into the ring with Ben Shapiro.
This isn’t new. Newsom debated Ron DeSantis on FOX News in 2023, then launched his podcast in early 2025 with viral interviews with Charlie Kirk, Steve Bannon, and Michael Savage.
Conservatives highlight California’s policy failures. Newsom embraces the spotlight. The clash is the point, and we’re still talking about him. - NRB
I would love to hear your feedback - survey here. Thank you!
🎙️ NEW MEDIA VOICES
The Megyn Kelly Show - 1/14
Kelly and guest Emily Jashinsky express concern about the threat of military action in Iran, and question what post-regime leadership would look like
Renee Good’s family has hired a high-profile civil rights lawyer with ties to the George Floyd case, leftists threaten war on ICE
CBS Evening News ratings have dropped by 23%, much worse than competitors, suggesting the anchor Tony Dokoupil is too emotional, unprofessional
Kelly analyzes the arrest of actor Timothy Busfield, who is facing charges for child molestation
Guests Isabel Brown from the Daily Wire and podcaster Haley Caronia discuss how modern feminism discourages men from approaching women, the rise in non-woke media portrayals
The Ben Shapiro Show - 1/14
Hundreds of thousands of Iranians are protesting against the Ayatollah-led regime, as thousands die in the street and face days of zero to limited internet, water or electricity
Trump has canceled all meetings with Iranian officials until the killings stop, warns of “strong action” if any citizens are hung, Shapiro says targeted action could benefit the balance of power
Shapiro criticizes liberals for resisting ICE to the point of violence, while ignoring Iran’s slaughter of thousands of citizens
After hours of embarrassing debate, the Supreme Court is poised to uphold state bans on biological men competing in women’s sports
While Shapiro praises 4.3% Q3 growth and strong Q4 projections, he warns against villainizing Fed Chair Jerome Powell or adding credit card rate caps
In other news, Greenland and Denmark officials meet to discuss Trump’s offer to take the island, and Epstein and the Clintons remain in the headlines
The Michael Knowles Show - 1/14
Conservative SCOTUS justices butted heads with the ACLU attorney for refusing to define gendered terms, Knowles criticizes Justice Barrett for using terms like “cisgender” and “trans girls” but says the insanity of the trans debate is a gift for Republicans
Knowles argues the ICE protests in Minneapolis are less about immigration and more about liberal women’s hatred of male authority
Dilbert cartoonist Scott Adams chose to accept Christ into his heart using the Pascal’s Wager theory, died naturally after initially considering assisted suicide
James O’Keefe released footage of a Secret Service agent leaking VP J.D. Vance’s sensitive travels plans, violating NDAs and federal law
The Brett Cooper Show - 1/14
Iranians are fighting the collapse of their currency, food shortages, and the slaughter of up to 12,000 protesters
Cooper reflects on the history of Iran, including the 1953 Operation Ajax reinstillation of the Shah and the 1979 revolution, is saddened by what has happened to women’s freedoms under the regime
While Hollywood focuses on ICE, Cooper says they are ignoring egregious human rights abuses in Iran, including the killing of a five-year-old and beheadings against women wearing “improper” hijab
While recognizing the tragedy in Iran, Cooper expresses concerns over how American influence would go over, referencing the past 30 years of Middle Eastern military occupations
After Party with Emily Jashinsky - 1/14
Tony Dokoupil has caused CBS Evening News to experience a 23% drop in viewers, double the decline of ABC and NBC
Internals calling for viral moments in every broadcast can create tension, Jashinsky says, such as the potential “Whiskey Fridays with Tony Dokoupil” segment
Golden Globes host Nikki Glaser cut Trump jokes from her speech, saying it didn’t fit the tone
Guest Max Tani, media editor for Semafor, says James Talarico’s claim that media is driven by the “rage economy” is an outdated belief from the 2010s, says it’s now about audience engagement
Liberal news outlets like the New York Times framed Dilbert cartoonist Scott Adams are a racist in his obituary
Rep. Jasmine Crockett called Texas racist in a church campaign speech
📺 LEADING FOX NEWS
The Five
Democrats encourage defunding ICE, impeaching DHS Sec. Kristi Noem despite liberal journalists joining “ICE ridealongs” under Obama
Greenland and Denmark look to form a working group following Trump’s annexation offer during meeting with Danish officials
59% of Democrats now self-identify as liberal, according to Gallup polling
Trump flipped off a Ford factory employee who called him a “pedophile protector”
FOX & Friends
Sen. Josh Hawley asks an OBGYN in a hearing on abortion if men can get pregnant, referencing the trans conversation
A migrant got shot in the leg by ICE for attacking the officer with a shovel, the ICE agent hit by Renee Good’s car is suffering internal bleeding, Trump threatens Insurrection Act
The Senate will hold a hearing on kid’s screen time today
NASA held a change of command for an ill crewmate
Yesterday Verizon experienced a national outage
Former Deputy National Security Advisor KT McFarland explains Trump’s plans to control Greenland
HHS Sec. RFK, Jr. brings back whole milk in school cafeterias
The broken piece that caused the Kentucky UPS plane to crash was flagged years ago
FOX Newsroom
Guest Sen. Tim Sheehy weighs military options in Iran as the streets of Tehran are lined with body bags
Guests Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem and former DHS deputy assistant Jonathan Fahey react to second ICE-related Minneapolis shooting, weapons and documents stolen from an agency vehicle
New Jersey legislature passes three anti-ICE bills, Gov. Phil Murphy is expected to sign
As Trump debates how to gain control of Greenland, the FOX team reflects on the 1867 Seward purchase of Alaska for $7.2 million
The Senate hosts a hearing on the impact of tech on young Americans
🍿 TRENDING AND POUNCING
Tomorrow’s news today…
In this 51 minute video David and I expose another $16 Million in fraud as Minnesota welfare programs continue to operate fraudulently and steal from law-abiding taxpayers. [X, Shirley]
Reporter: “$9 Billion in fraud right here.” Omar: “There’s no godd*mn way. You need to get examined. Your brain is fried in some way. I hope you get help.” [X, Johnson]
Leftists appear to dox ICE and FBI agents after looting a government vehicle, proudly documented on a MeidasTouch livestream. [X, Rugg]
This is the Somali activist who was arrested in Minneapolis for obstructing ICE. She hangs out at the UN. Is she friends with the Somalia’s Ambassador to the UN who had a healthcare company which was convicted of Medicaid fraud? [X, Libs of TikTok]
🗞️ WHAT THE RIGHT IS WRITING
FOX News Digital
ICE agent wounded in ambush attack, DHS says [FOX News]
Federal prosecutors terminated over ICE shooting probe [FOX News]
Trump claims Iran killings stopping as Kurdish fighters breach border [FOX News]
Breitbart
Rioters Smash into ICE Vehicles… Minneapolis Police Stand Down [Breitbart]
ICE Agent Who Fatally Shot Woman Suffered Internal Bleeding [Breitbart]
Dem Rep. Vindman: ‘Irony’ with Iranians Protesting, ‘What We See with ICE’ [Breitbart]
Wall Street Journal Editorials
Where’s Congress on Russia Sanctions? [WSJ Ed]
Next Up for Higher Taxes: Rhode Island [WSJ Ed]
Scott Adams and Cancer Progress [WSJ Ed]
ObamaCare, Mamdani and the Nurses Strike [WSJ Ed]
New York Post
Mamdani’s radical tenant advocate Cea Weaver once admitted plan to tank free housing market — and achieve ‘full social housing’ [NYP]
Trump WH slams LA City Council over suggestions it could use Olympics to stage ICE raids [NYP]
Washington Free Beacon
Kamala Harris Buys $8.2 Million Seaside Mansion After Warning ‘Sea Levels Are Rising’ Due to ‘Climate Crisis’ [WFB]
The Washington Reporter
EXCLUSIVE: Trump and lawmakers celebrate affordability wins, tout American manufacturing comeback during Ford visit [WR]
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).
