Dem Cries "Trump Censorship" Over Colbert Interview - CBS Has A Different Take

The most explosive development in Texas's high-stakes Senate race isn't 
polling - it's a late-night television appearance that never aired.

Democratic candidate James Talarico claimed that the Trump 
administration's Federal Communications Commission (FCC) "refused to 
air" his interview with "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," 
dramatically declaring on social media, "This is the interview Donald 
Trump didn't want you to see. His FCC refused to air my interview with 
Stephen Colbert. Trump is worried we're about to flip Texas."

        This is the interview Donald Trump didn't want you to see.

        His FCC refused to air my interview with Stephen Colbert.

        Trump is worried we're about to flip Texas. 
        pic.twitter.com/BCev5jZbKc

        - James Talarico (@jamestalarico) February 17, 2026

At a campaign rally on Tuesday, Talarico escalated further, alleging 
the FCC "colluded with corporate media executives at CBS . But I think 
it's safe to say that their plan backfired."

        At a packed campaign rally, @jamestalarico says the FCC 
        "colluded with corporate media executives at CBS" to keep 
        his interview with Stephen Colbert off the air.

        "But I think it's safe to say that their plan backfired," 
        Talarico says. #txsen pic.twitter.com/NABVRJZf4O

        - Kayla Guo (@kaylaguo_) February 18, 2026

That narrative quickly unraveled.

CBS issued a blunt statement contradicting both Talarico and host 
Stephen Colbert. The network said Colbert "was NOT prohibited" from 
airing the interview. Rather, lawyers advised the show that 
broadcasting it could trigger the FCC's equal-time rule, potentially 
requiring comparable airtime for other Democratic candidates - 
including Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX). CBS explained that the show 
opted to run the interview on YouTube with on-air promotion instead of 
navigating equal-time obligations on the broadcast.

        This just in from CBS: "THE LATE SHOW was not prohibited 
        by CBS from broadcasting the interview with Rep. James 
        Talarico. The show was provided legal guidance that the 
        broadcast could trigger the FCC equal-time rule for two other 
        candidates, including Rep. Jasmine Crockett, and.

        - Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) February 17, 2026

In other words: no federal ban, no White House directive - just legal 
guidance and a programming decision.

CNN's Brian Stelter reported that the FCC had recently sent a "letter 
of inquiry" to ABC regarding possible equal-time violations on "The 
View," creating caution among network executives. The regulatory 
environment, executives believed, was uncertain. But limited FCC 
enforcement power and corporate risk management hardly amount to 
"collusion."

        .But the scrutiny of ABC (which was first reported by Reuters 
        on Feb. 7) weighed on CBS execs. There was a sense, I'm told, 
        that the regulatory environment is uncertain, and that caution 
        is warranted. and that's why network lawyers called Colbert's 
        show. pic.twitter.com/pnkHIluHi9

        - Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) February 18, 2026

Yet Talarico not only doubled down - he has also praised Colbert in 
glowing terms, telling him, "You have really shown people in this 
country what Christianity should be."

        Texas Democrat James Talarico says Stephen Colbert embodies 
        Christianity.

        Colbert has.

        - Compared ICE agents to Nazis- Defended pro-Hamas protesters- 
        Called abortion a "funny word"

        - Likened Trump supporters to the Taliban.

        We can't let Talarico become a Senator. 
        pic.twitter.com/nEe8dlp6MK

        - Christian Collins (@CollinsforTX) February 17, 2026

That assertion is striking given Colbert's own record. Colbert has 
compared ICE agents to Nazis, saying, "Yes, do not compare ICE or 
Border Patrol agents to the Nazis. That's an unfair comparison. The 
Nazis were willing to show their faces."

Speaking of the word "abortion," Colbert has said, "It's a funny word. 
It's like guacamole." He has compared Trump supporters to the Taliban, 
saying in reference to January 6, "Why should our soldiers be fighting 
radicals in a Civil War in Afghanistan? We've got our own on Capitol 
Hill."

All of this unfolds as the Texas Senate race intensifies. On the 
Republican side, Sen. John Cornyn battles Texas Attorney General Ken 
Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt in a bruising primary that could head to a 
runoff. On the Democratic side, Rep. Jasmine Crockett leads Talarico in 
several polls, with demographic splits revealing a competitive contest. 
General election surveys show razor-thin margins against any top 
Republican.

But the defining controversy so far isn't ideological positioning or 
fundraising totals. It's a candidate alleging federal suppression - 
contradicted by the very network involved - while elevating a sharply 
partisan late-night comedian as a model of Christian witness. In a 
state like Texas, that combination may prove politically combustible.


-- 
Democrats and the liberal media hate President Trump more than they 
love this country.