February 23, 2025 | Read Online

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Good morning. Fox News' Greg Gutfeld is crushing the late-night TV game, surging past his left-wing competitors like Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel. As it turns out, people like comedy. Also, we have an exclusive interview with rising Republican star Congressman Brandon Gill. He'll talk about the GOP being unified behind the president and his vision for the party.

Mentioned in this edition: Greg Gutfeld, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Donald Trump, Alexandre de Moraes, Linda Yaccarino, Elon Musk, Candace Owens, Megyn Kelly, Michael Knowles, Gabe Kaminsky, Baron Trump, Brandon Gill, Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger, and more.

Have tips? Send them to me at ari@upward.news

🔎 WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

🏆 Greg Gutfeld tops the late-night ratings: Gutfeld! has become the top late-night show, averaging more than 3 million viewers, surpassing The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Gutfeld's show even broke records in August 2022, when it became the first late-night program to overtake Colbert in ratings since 2017, despite airing at 11 PM instead of the traditional 11:30 slot.

🏦 Wall Street banks retreat from corporate wokeness. Major financial institutions have begun removing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) language from their websites, the latest example of corporations (supposedly) rolling back woke initiatives. JPMorgan dropped its "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" section on its website in favor of "Workforce Compensation," while HSBC slashed its site's DEI content from 1,000 words to just 100.

⚖️ Trump's media company sues Brazilian justice over censorship. Trump Media & Technology Group and Rumble are suing Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes for censoring US-based political speech by enforcing gag orders on conservative users. The lawsuit argues this violates American sovereignty and free speech, and follows de Moraes' drawn-out battle with Elon Musk over censoring content on X.

📈 X pushes ad agencies to increase spending amid legal concerns. X's CEO Linda Yaccarino is reportedly pressuring ad agencies to secure higher spending commitments, warning that failure to comply could lead to legal action. As the company faces mounting legal difficulties, including a federal antitrust lawsuit accusing major brands of participating in an illegal boycott, the platform is intensifying efforts to convince advertisers to return through new brand safety tools and premium content.

👀 WHO WE'RE WATCHING

🔒 This section is for members only

Mentioned behind the paywall: Candace Owens, Megyn Kelly, Michael Knowles, Gabe Kaminsky, and Baron Trump.

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Rep. Brandon Gill on GOP unity and leaving behind the "Liz Cheneys and Adam Kinzingers"

Congressman Brandon Gill, a 30-year-old freshman Republican representing Texas' 26th District, is one of the youngest members of Congress. He's also a reader of Upward News. You can follow Rep. Gill on social media @RepBrandonGill and @RealBrandonGill.

This interview was edited for clarity.

Victoria: You're the youngest member of the GOP freshman class, yet you already serve in a leadership role as freshman class president. Could you tell us more about the position, what inspired you to seek it, and what you've done since being elected?

Rep. Gill: I am the youngest member of the freshman class and the youngest Republican in Congress. As freshman class president, I see my role as ensuring my colleagues are in the best position to execute on the Trump Agenda.

Every Republican coming in — freshmen and otherwise — ran on that agenda. Some are focused on border security, others on energy policy, tax reform, or restructuring welfare. My job is to equip them with the resources they need to succeed, whether that means connecting them with conservative media, think tanks, or policy experts in Washington.

The Republican conference is unified on the Trump mandate. Of course, there are details to iron out, but broadly speaking, we are all on the same page. I see my role as a facilitator — bringing together members to ensure we execute effectively. As Paul wrote about the church, different members serve different roles — some as arms, legs, or the head. It's the same within our conference: everyone has their expertise, and my job is to help bring it all together.

Victoria: Beyond the freshman class, what other caucuses or groups have you joined since arriving in Washington?

Rep. Gill: I attend a lot of meetings and engage with different groups. I'm involved with the Republican Study Committee as much as possible and have attended Freedom Caucus meetings. The Freedom Caucus has an invitation-based membership process, so that takes a little longer, but I've built great relationships across the political spectrum within the Republican conference — from the most conservative to the more moderate members.

The key difference from previous years is that there is no serious pushback against the Trump agenda anymore. The Liz Cheneys and Adam Kinzingers of the party are gone. The Republican conference is unified.

Victoria: As a young conservative, what do you see as the top priorities for your generation? Do you notice any tensions between your priorities and those of older Republican colleagues?

Rep. Gill: I'd put it this way: My generation grew up in an America fundamentally different from what our parents or grandparents experienced.

For my entire life, there has been a border crisis. The economy has been addicted to deficit spending and interest rate manipulation. Foreign policy has, at times, lacked realism or restraint. The left has taken over civil institutions, and as we're learning, much of that infrastructure has been taxpayer-funded.

We've grown up in a world where gender distinctions are erased, and radical left-wing ideologies are pushed on young children. When that's your starting point, you realize how hard we need to fight to get America back on track. I love this country, and I want to see it succeed, but I have no illusions about the challenge ahead. That's the unique perspective I bring as a younger member of Congress.

Victoria: Zooming out, you've been in DC for about six weeks now. What has surprised you the most, and what are you most proud of?

Rep. Gill: I've been working on a few bills, but one I'm especially proud of is the Remain in Mexico Act. This legislation codifies and makes permanent President Trump's Remain in Mexico executive order, which was instrumental in stemming illegal immigration.

Congress' top priority should be making Trump's executive orders permanent, and this bill is a major step in that direction. We already have over 100 co-sponsors, including two Democrats, so it's a bipartisan effort. As a freshman, getting that level of support behind a bill that directly impacts border security and American sovereignty is something I'm very proud of.

Victoria: Given that you're from Texas, you have a unique perspective on immigration. How do Texans view the Trump administration's immigration policies, and how do you see state and federal law enforcement working together on border security?

Rep. Gill: One key issue I've worked on with the Texas delegation is reimbursing the state for the over $11 billion it spent securing the border when the Biden administration failed to act. That's something the federal government should have covered.

I'm thrilled we now have an administration that takes border security seriously and is willing to work with states. The American people are tired of seeing their communities transformed by an unchecked flood of illegal immigration. We're not just talking about workers — we're talking about gangs, drug traffickers, and cartels taking control of sovereign American land.

We finally have leadership willing to push back, restore sovereignty, and take our country back from criminal organizations.

Victoria: With the government funding deadline approaching, do you expect border security to be a sticking point in negotiations?

Rep. Gill: Not really. I believe we'll secure border funding through the reconciliation process, which doesn't require Democrat votes. We have two funding tracks — discretionary and mandatory — and I think the urgency of this issue means we'll get what we need through reconciliation. Every Republican understands how critical this is.

Victoria: Is there anything else you'd like to add before we wrap up?

Rep. Gill: Just that Republicans are serious about implementing the Trump mandate. We've had enough of inflation, attacks on energy independence, and radical social policies. The Republican conference is unified in stopping this and putting America back on track.

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Today's newsletter was written by Brandon Goldman, Victoria Churchill, and Ari David. We scoured 100s of sources to bring you stories and insights you won't find in the mainstream media.