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.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
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. <a href="https://t.co/BCev5jZbKc">pic.twitter.com/BCev5jZbKc</a>
&mdash; James Talarico (@jamestalarico) <a href="https://twitter.com/jamestalarico/status/2023659473466687994?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2026</a></blockquote>
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.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
At a packed campaign rally, <a href="https://twitter.com/jamestalarico?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jamestalarico</a> says the FCC “colluded with corporate media executives at CBS” to keep his interview with Stephen Colbert off the air.
“But I think it&#39;s safe to say that their plan backfired,” Talarico says. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/txsen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#txsen</a> <a href="https://t.co/NABVRJZf4O">pic.twitter.com/NABVRJZf4O</a>
&mdash; Kayla Guo (@kaylaguo_) <a href="https://twitter.com/kaylaguo_/status/2023927855973863508?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
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.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This just in from CBS: &quot;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…
&mdash; Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) <a href="https://twitter.com/brianstelter/status/2023843159604596894?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2026</a></blockquote>
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.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&#8230;But the scrutiny of ABC (which was first reported by Reuters on Feb. 7) weighed on CBS execs. There was a sense, I&#39;m told, that the regulatory environment is uncertain, and that caution is warranted&#8230; and that&#39;s why network lawyers called Colbert&#39;s show. <a href="https://t.co/pnkHIluHi9">pic.twitter.com/pnkHIluHi9</a>
&mdash; Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) <a href="https://twitter.com/brianstelter/status/2023969453889700310?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
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.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Texas Democrat James Talarico says Stephen Colbert embodies Christianity.
Colbert has&#8230;
&#8211; Compared ICE agents to Nazis &#8211; Defended pro-Hamas protesters &#8211; Called abortion a &quot;funny word&quot; &#8211; Likened Trump supporters to the Taliban.
We can&#39;t let Talarico become a Senator. <a href="https://t.co/nEe8dlp6MK">pic.twitter.com/nEe8dlp6MK</a>
&mdash; Christian Collins (@CollinsforTX) <a href="https://twitter.com/CollinsforTX/status/2023864036321108186?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2026</a></blockquote>
That assertion is striking given Colbert’s own record. Colbert has <a href="https://www.wccsradio.com/2026/01/29/late-show-host-stephen-colbert-faces-backlash-for-obscene-attack-on-ice-agents/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">compared</a> 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 <a href="https://www.lifenews.com/2014/09/17/stephen-colbert-abortion-is-a-funny-word-just-like-guacamole/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">said</a>, “It’s a funny word. It’s like guacamole.” He has compared Trump supporters to the Taliban, <a href="https://news.grabien.com/story/colbert-why-should-we-fight-radicals-afghanistan-when-we-hav">saying</a> 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.

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Dem Cries ‘Trump Censorship’ Over Colbert Interview — CBS Has A Different Take

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Dem Cries ‘Trump Censorship’ Over Colbert Interview — CBS Has A Different Take