A man shot and killed by Dallas police during a SWAT standoff this week had previously served as a security guard for Rep. Jasmine Crockett, according to multiple law enforcement sources.
Dallas police tracked the suspect, who went by different aliases — but was going by the name Mike King — to a parking garage at Children&#8217;s Medical Center Dallas late Wednesday night, Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux said during a press conference Thursday morning.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
OIS at 1900 Medical District Drive <a href="https://t.co/cWOeKf0akr">https://t.co/cWOeKf0akr</a>
— Dallas Police Dept (@DallasPD) <a href="https://twitter.com/DallasPD/status/2031981226597499119?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Officers located the man barricaded inside a vehicle in the garage. After deploying tear gas to force him out, police say the suspect emerged and pointed a gun at SWAT officers.
Officers opened fire, killing the suspect at the scene.
Multiple law enforcement sources have confirmed to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/dallas-police-killing-raises-questions-about-congresswoman-security/">CBS News</a> that the suspect had been operating under several aliases and was known publicly as Mike King. He allegedly ran a company called “Off Duty Police Services,” which connected North Texas police officers with off-duty security jobs. The Daily Wire reached out to a company of that name in the Dallas area for comment to confirm the claim, but did not receive a response.
Sources say the man was wanted for allegedly impersonating a law enforcement officer and had claimed to be one while operating the business. <a href="https://x.com/CollinRugg/status/2032621347978068016">Images</a> obtained by reporters show King standing close to Crockett at public events and on the campaign trail during her recent run for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate seat.
Law enforcement sources also said King oversaw teams of security officers working at several downtown Dallas hotels and events, and that he frequently drove a replica undercover police vehicle. Authorities say the vehicle allegedly used stolen license plates taken from cars outside a military recruiting office.
Federal Election Commission receipts <a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/disbursements/?data_type=processed&amp;committee_id=C00795450&amp;two_year_transaction_period=2026&amp;disbursement_description=security">reviewed</a> by The Daily Wire show that a person identified as Mike King received payments from Crockett for “security services” as recently as last year.
Crockett’s office has declined to comment on the situation. The Dallas Police Department has also said it will provide additional information as the investigation continues.
The Texas Democrat, first elected to Congress in 2023, has been a prominent left-wing voice in the House and a frequent critic of Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers.
The incident raises questions about how the suspect, who authorities say had a criminal background and was using multiple aliases, was able to operate a business placing officers in off-duty security work and secure a role providing protection for a sitting member of Congress.

police car at night

Man Killed In Dallas SWAT Standoff Worked As Security For Jasmine Crockett: Report

Congress

Crime

Dallas

Jasmine Crockett

Texas

U.S.

The national narrative about the result of last night&#8217;s Texas Senate Democratic primary is that the party dodged a bullet. Picking Austin state representative James Talarico over Dallas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett was the savvy move, ensuring a competitive statewide race that will, at worst, be a drag on Republican dollars in the upcoming midterms, and at best could finally fulfill leftist dreams of turning the state blue.
It&#8217;s possible this national narrative is right, and Talarico will make it a race against embattled incumbent Senator John Cornyn or, Democrats hope, controversial Attorney General Ken Paxton. There&#8217;s plenty of investment by the donor class and the party establishment in this effort. The dutiful legacy media complex, from Stephen Colbert to <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/03/02/james-talarico-profile" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New Yorker</a>, is already building up Talarico as that rare thing, a Christian of the Left who can win over centrist voters. They are already giving him the serious &#8220;young man looking into the middle distance thinking about noble stuff&#8221; profile already done to death for fellow Ivy League grads Beto O&#8217;Rourke and Pete Buttigieg (to no avail). Expect more of the same in the months ahead.
Despite Kamala Harris&#8217;s endorsement, Crockett faced a deluge of Democratic donor opposition for her Senate effort, as billionaire lefties went all out for Talarico — and paid for all the dirty political attacks he claims to demur from. As the Washington Free Beacon <a href="https://freebeacon.com/democrats/mess-in-texas-billionaire-backed-talarico-shrugs-off-racism-scandal-to-steal-senate-nod-from-jasmine-crockett/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>:
<blockquote>Meanwhile, a billionaire-funded super PAC linked to Talarico—who repeatedly assailed the influence of billionaire-funded super PACs—relentlessly attacked Crockett on the airwaves. The Lone Star Rising PAC, started by a longtime friend of Talarico just days before the candidate launched his Senate campaign, spent millions on negative ads against Crockett over the past few weeks. LinkedIn founder and Jeffrey Epstein pal Reid Hoffman was among the billionaires who bankrolled the super PAC, along with hedge fund titans Stephen Mandel and Mark Heising. The group also received millions via the same &#8220;dark money&#8221; networks Talarico had promised to ban via ‘anti-corruption’ legislation.</blockquote>
The irony here is that while Democrats might have wanted Talarico because he could make Texas competitive, they ended up picking a guy who — for all his invocations of Scripture — is actually further left than Crockett. Her record isn&#8217;t moderate, but it&#8217;s <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/03/upshot/crockett-talarico-texas-senate-election.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more moderate</a> than you&#8217;d think given her fiery social media persona. And her appeal was to a broad ethnically diverse camp that tends to grade as more moderate, while Talarico actually performed best in multiple polls with liberals. There&#8217;s a reason that white voters in Austin were his greatest center of support, and it&#8217;s not because he name-checks the Magnificat while making the case for abortion.
Texas Democrats may ultimately regret this decision. Crockett would&#8217;ve had a tougher path to victory, but she could&#8217;ve made inroads into the communities that Democrats need to peel back from Donald Trump&#8217;s coalition. With Talarico, it looks like Beto all over again — a guy who&#8217;s further left than the media will ever acknowledge trying to fake out moderate voters just until Election Day. In case you missed it, this was their favored approach just last year to win statewide in Virginia and New Jersey with two new governors who even got described as moderates by the Wall Street Journal, and instantly revealed they were nothing of the kind.
So watch out, Texas. You&#8217;re about to get the nice young man junior Bible camp version of Abigail Spanberger. Don&#8217;t fall for it.

Texas State Representative Talarico Campaigns Ahead Of Primary Election

Will James Talarico Flip Texas Blue? Don’t Be So Sure.

James Talarico

John Cornyn

Ken Paxton

“Our southern border should be like our front porch; there should be a giant welcome mat out front and a lock on the door.&#8221;
James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for Texas Senate, is facing heat over his previous comments that the border should be like a &#8220;giant welcome mat&#8221; for illegal immigrants.
Talarico secured a victory in the Democratic Senate primary in Texas on Tuesday over Rep. Jasmine Crockett. As of Wednesday morning, with 92% of the votes counted, Talarico has secured 53% of the vote while Crockett lags behind with 46%, according to the Associated Press.
“Our southern border should be like our front porch; there should be a giant welcome mat out front and a lock on the door,&#8221; Talarico said in the resurfaced clip, which was from a January debate between the two Democratic candidates.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
FACT CHECK:<a href="https://twitter.com/NRSC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NRSC</a> conveniently cut Talarico’s full quote:
“Our southern border should be like our front porch. There should be a giant welcome mat out front and a lock on the door.” <a href="https://t.co/YltkYf9b3W">https://t.co/YltkYf9b3W</a> <a href="https://t.co/d4aIFhZCwz">pic.twitter.com/d4aIFhZCwz</a>
— JT Ennis (@jt_ennis) <a href="https://twitter.com/jt_ennis/status/2015277177911074956?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Senator John Cornyn, who will face a May 26 runoff against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for the Republican nomination, reacted to the clip in January, calling it &#8220;Completely unhinged.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Completely unhinged <a href="https://t.co/yxKAslwL2Z">https://t.co/yxKAslwL2Z</a>
— Senator John Cornyn (@JohnCornyn) <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnCornyn/status/2015168353636061483?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Paxton also responded to the clip at the time, saying, &#8220;James, I don’t believe Texans feel the same.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
James, I don’t believe Texans feel the same. <a href="https://t.co/T4pyfSCoe1">https://t.co/T4pyfSCoe1</a>
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) <a href="https://twitter.com/KenPaxtonTX/status/2015171299803357200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Talarico&#8217;s earlier statement appears to be his official stance on the border and immigration. His campaign website also <a href="https://jamestalarico.com/issue/immigration-border-security/">states</a>: &#8220;Most of us agree on what should happen. Our border should be like a front porch — it should have a welcome mat out front and a lock on the door.&#8221;
It adds: &#8220;We can both welcome the stranger — refugees, asylum seekers, and folks who want to contribute to our economy and pursue the American dream — and we can keep people out who mean to do us harm.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The Democratic nominee for Senate in Texas, James Talarico, has repeatedly said the border “should have a giant welcome mat and a lock on the door.” <a href="https://t.co/Mmc3Ami4yZ">pic.twitter.com/Mmc3Ami4yZ</a>
— Jennie Taer (@JennieSTaer) <a href="https://twitter.com/JennieSTaer/status/2029207736450273335?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Talarico has made the statement during other stops along the campaign trail, including while visiting the southern border in El Paso.
In one of the earlier clips, Talarico said, &#8220;If anyone commits a violent crime in this country, they should be deported immediately,&#8221; adding, &#8220;Every law enforcement resource that is spent going after hard-working members of our community is law enforcement resources that aren&#8217;t spent on going after folks who are actually a threat to public safety.&#8221;

welcome_montage_final

Dem Nominee Wants ‘Giant Welcome Mat’ On America’s Front Porch — And It Gets Crazier

'Giant Welcome Mat': Talarico Faces Heat For Border Stance

illegal immigrants

Senators Speak To The Press Following Policy Luncheons On Capitol Hill

Why Are Republican Senators Sabotaging Trump?

2026 Midterms

Democrats

Filibuster

John Thune

Matt Walsh

Opinion

Republicans

Thom Tillis

U.S. Senate

Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett took the stage at her “TEXAS TOUGH Election Night Watch Party&#8221; in a downtown Dallas nightclub around 9:00 p.m. last night with some less-than-inspiring words for her followers.
“I can tell you now that people have been disenfranchised,” she said, implying that Republicans had deliberately suppressed votes in her home district. &#8220;And I think you know why.”
“I won’t be back tonight, because I have no idea when we’re going to have results.&#8221; Everyone should have a good time in her absence, she added.
But like it was always going to, the dream died in the middle of the night. Before 2:00 a.m. local time, the AP called the race. Crockett, the most entertaining Senate candidate Texas has seen in a generation, lost her Democratic primary to James Talarico, whose supporters in his home area of Austin — where he won something like 800% of the vote — were waving signs reading “Love Thy Neighbor” as he called his victory a “people-powered movement to take on this broken, corrupt political system.”
A liberal Christian vibe, led by a sort of lay preacher, won the day. But those of us who follow politics for a living, as a hobby, or both, want to thank Congresswoman Crockett for her service.
Crockett’s candidacy smothered the headlines like a noontime eclipse, blotting out the sun, even though she entered the race very late, not filing until near the December deadline. After Colin Allred, the blandest former football player on Earth, left the primary, she moved into the opening. Immediately upon her announcement, a poll saw her leading Talarico by eight points. As she said at a Houston nightclub soon after her announcement, &#8220;I&#8217;m Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett. Right now, I&#8217;m ready to kick some ass and become your next U.S. Senator.&#8221;
Even though you could barely parse the policy differences between Crockett and Talarico with a micrometer, she played the race card like no one has played it before. She said that Hispanic voters who supported the Trump administration’s immigration policies had a “slave mentality.” Rumors floated around that the GOP wanted her to run because they thought she’d be easier to beat than Talarico, even though Kamala Harris, of whose presidential campaign Crockett was a national co-chair, endorsed her candidacy. After a pro-Talarico group called Lone Star Rising released an ad that mentioned the apparent Republican preference for Crockett, Crockett accused them of darkening her skin in the ad and called the line of attack &#8220;straight-up racist.&#8221;
What dirt did she have on Talarico? Not much. With his over-earnest, Obama-like mannerisms and Richie Cunningham haircut, Talarico is the embodiment of the good-government liberal progressive, the kind of guy the old Daley Machine in Chicago used to call “goo-goos.&#8221; So instead, we got the “mediocre black man” controversy after Talarico, on a podcast, correctly called Allred’s dead Senate campaign “mediocre.” Crockett made good hay out of that one.
When Matt Rogers, co-host of the endlessly annoying “Las Culturistas” podcast with Bowen Yang, said, &#8220;Don&#8217;t waste your money sending to Jasmine Crockett,&#8221; the congresswoman unleashed a massive backlash online, forcing Rogers to apologize. And yet when CBS and the FCC “censored” but didn’t actually censor a Talarico interview with Stephen Colbert, garnering Talarico a massive national surge of publicity, Crockett’s response was muted, even soft. She knew the bird was cooked. But despite a massive fundraising disadvantage, a massive publicity disadvantage, and the fact that everyone, everywhere mocked everything about her, she actually did pretty well for a while. Not well enough, but almost.
So, what do we now face in Texas? Corruption-plagued Texas attorney general Ken Paxton, despite having more baggage than a family traveling back to India to visit relatives for six weeks, looked destined to upend the career of geriatric four-term Senator John Cornyn. But though Paxton and Cornyn are heading for a runoff in the Republican primary, Cornyn appears to have the edge, as he slightly overperformed polls on Tuesday, while Paxton and third-party candidate Wesley Hunt underperformed. It’s close, but Cornyn’s coalition of golf-shirt-wearing steakhouse people appears likely to triumph over whatever MAGA-style rebellion Paxton thinks he’s leading.
So here’s the most likely scenario: Talarico takes in countless millions of dollars from out-of-state Democrats, who once again believe they’re going to “turn Texas blue.” He’ll hold huge rallies full of enthusiastic, mostly white people who’ll cry while chanting his name. There will be a Willie Nelson concert and at least one appearance on Jimmy Kimmel. And then, on Election Day, he’ll lose by a respectable four to six points, once again bursting the bubble illusion that goo-goos can win in Texas, which hasn’t elected a Democratic Senator since Lloyd Bentsen.
Though the primary runoff between Cornyn and Paxton will be spicy, it’s going to be an earnestly dull general campaign. It didn’t have to be this way. Texas Democrats could have voted for Jasmine Crockett. As Whitney Houston once sang, didn’t we almost have it all?
***
Neal Pollack is the author of 12 semi-bestselling books of fiction and nonfiction and is a three-time Jeopardy! champion.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Congresswoman Crockett Holds Primary Election Night Event

Victory For The Goo-Goos? Inside Texas’s Wild Primary Night.

State Sen. James Talarico won the Democratic Senate primary in Texas over  Rep. Jasmine Crockett. With 83% of the vote in, Talarico won 53% to Crockett&#8217;s 46%.
Talarico will face off against either Attorney General Ken Paxton or Sen. John Cornyn, who are themselves scheduled for a May 26 runoff election after neither GOP candidate could crack the 50% barrier on Tuesday.
&#8220;We&#8217;re about to take back Texas,&#8221; Talarico posted on X on Wednesday morning.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
We’re about to take back Texas.
Join us: <a href="https://t.co/Cam7Y73uqe">https://t.co/Cam7Y73uqe</a> <a href="https://t.co/2aEX4RMC5K">pic.twitter.com/2aEX4RMC5K</a>
— James Talarico (@jamestalarico) <a href="https://twitter.com/jamestalarico/status/2029165491839811719?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Cook Political Report ranks the race as “Likely Republican” as of Tuesday, with the Kalshi prediction market showing that Republicans have the upper hand in the race.
Although the Republican primary has been messy, the Democrats have had a brutal fight among themselves.
The campaign trail was marked by several heated moments, including when Talarico claimed that the Trump administration was responsible for nixing his interview with Stephen Colbert from airing over Equal Time Rule concerns, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-cries-trump-censorship-over-colbert-interview-cbs-has-a-different-take?author=Hank+Berrien&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Dem+Cries+%E2%80%98Trump+Censorship%E2%80%99+Over+Colbert+Interview+%E2%80%94+CBS+Has+A+Different+Take" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a> reported.
“This is the interview Donald Trump didn’t want you to see,” Talarico claimed. “His FCC refused to air my interview with Stephen Colbert. Trump is worried we’re about to flip Texas.” The interview was ultimately posted online and gave a major publicity boost to his campaign.
&#8220;You had a Democrat candidate who understood the way that the news media works, and he took advantage of all of your sort of prior conceptions to run a hoax, apparently for the purpose of raising money and getting clicks,” Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr fired back at a press conference last month after Talarico’s claims.
Former Rep. Colin Allred also played a role in the race, as he dropped out and instead pursued another bid for Congress, but he waded in over rumors that Talarico said privately that he “signed up to run against a mediocre Black man, not a formidable, intelligent Black woman,” according to <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/02/a-mediocre-comment-has-put-talaricos-texas-senate-campaign-in-the-hot-seat-00761260" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Politico</a>.
Allred posted a video slamming Talarico’s reported comments, saying, “Thank you for telling us who you really are and what you really think, and goodbye.”
“Don’t come for me unless I send for you, okay James? And keep my name out of your mouth while you’re at it,” he added, while also telling people to vote for Crockett instead. Allred lost to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) in the 2024 Senate race.
“In my praise of Congresswoman Crockett, I described Congressman Allred’s method of campaigning as mediocre – but his life and service are not. I would never attack him on the basis of race,” the state senator said in a statement to Politico at the time.
Crockett also had the endorsement of former Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost Texas to Trump in 2024, and lawmakers like Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD).
&nbsp;

James Talarico & Jasmine Crockett

Talarico Declares Victory Over Crockett In Texas Dem Senate Primary

2026 election

Elections

Politics

Senate

Texas&#8217;s long-awaited Senate primary is Tuesday, and election watchers aren&#8217;t the only ones eagerly awaiting the results.
Kalshi users have wagered over $10 million on tonight&#8217;s primary as of this writing, the latest sign of the prediction market&#8217;s growing place in politics. Republicans have a 64% chance of winning the general election, while Democrats have just 36%, the current odds show.
As for the primaries, Attorney General Ken Paxton has an 83% chance to win the Republican nomination, with incumbent Sen. John Cornyn at 17% and Rep. Wesley Hunt at 1%. If none of the three candidates gets over 50% of the vote on Tuesday night, then the top two candidates will head to a runoff on May 26. President Donald Trump previously said he backs all three of the candidates, and did not make a specific endorsement ahead of the initial Tuesday primary.
For the Democrats, Kalshi has state Senator James Talarico’s odds at 85% for winning the nomination compared with 15% for firebrand Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett.
“Texas remains a critical part of President Trump’s Senate Majority,” National Republican Senatorial Committee Communications Director Joanna Rodriguez said in a statement on Tuesday morning. The NRSC is backing Cornyn. “It doesn&#8217;t matter which radical Democrat makes it out of their messy primary tonight: James Talarico and Jasmine Crockett are both too radical for Texas and must be defeated in November,” she added.
There’s a 74% chance that Talarico and Paxton face off in the general election, but just a 13% chance the ultimate matchup is Talarico vs. Cornyn. The odds of a Crockett-Paxton matchup sit at just 12%, with other possibilities being even lower.
The Associated Press is providing election results data to Kalshi for Tuesday&#8217;s primary, a collaboration that &#8220;will further Kalshi’s goal of being the premier destination to experience elections,&#8221; Jaron Zhou, Kalshi’s Head of Politics, said in a statement on Monday.
“Kalshi’s election forecasts help campaigns and everyday citizens track market expectations for election outcomes, and integrating AP’s live vote count data enhances Kalshi’s election night experience by bringing together real-time vote tallies and market activity,” Zhou added.
Polls close at 8:00 p.m. ET in the Lone Star State. On the campaign trail, the candidates are making their final pitch to voters, including Crockett, who’s visiting multiple polling places throughout the day.
“If you haven’t voted yet, today is the day for you! I’m at the top of your ballot and asking for your support to continue our fight for affordability and accountability!” Crockett posted to X on Tuesday morning. “I’m on the move all day because this fight is bigger than one stop, one speech, or one person. I’d love to see you pull up and meet me and my friends at the polls!”
Trump won Texas handily in 2024, but the midterms are a critical tipping point for the president, as Republicans seek to maintain or grow the 53-seat majority in the Senate and the 218-seat majority in the House.

texas_senate_montage

Here’s How People Are Betting On Tonight’s Heated Texas Senate Primaries

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>
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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>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

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

Donald Trump

Media

Stephen Colbert

As early voting begins Tuesday in Texas&#8217;s heated Republican Senate primary, President Donald Trump said he supports all three GOP candidates in the race, declining to pick a favorite.
On Air Force One on Monday night, Trump was asked whether he would back Attorney General Ken Paxton over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the three-way race that also includes Rep. Wesley Hunt.
“I just haven&#8217;t made a decision on that race yet. It’s got a ways to go, and I haven&#8217;t. [Cornyn’s] a good man. John is a good — I like all three of them, actually,” he said. “They&#8217;ve all supported me. They&#8217;re all good and you&#8217;re supposed to pick one. So, we&#8217;ll see what happens. But I support all three.&#8221;
The Republican nominee, to be decided in the March 3 primary, will face either Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) or state Sen. James Talarico in the general election. If no candidate tops 50% of the vote, the race heads to a May 26 runoff between the top two finishers.
All three campaigns welcomed Trump&#8217;s remarks.
Cornyn&#8217;s campaign touted his loyalty to Trump, noting he has voted with the president &#8220;99.3% of the time while in office&#8221; and arguing that he would keep Texas safely in Republican hands. Senior adviser Matt Mackowiak told The Daily Wire that nominating Paxton would require massive spending and hurt Republicans down-ballot.
A Paxton spokesperson did not respond in time for publication, though the attorney general has frequently emphasized his support for Trump. He was recently endorsed by Turning Point Action, while Cornyn is backed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee. On Tuesday, Paxton urged voters to &#8220;fire John Cornyn&#8221; as early voting began.
Hunt, meanwhile, said Trump&#8217;s endorsement &#8220;isn&#8217;t given, it&#8217;s earned,&#8221; arguing his campaign &#8220;has the momentum&#8221; and is &#8220;surging in the polls&#8221; ahead of March 3.
This is not the first time Trump has endorsed multiple candidates in a primary. Last April, he backed both Karrin Taylor Robson and Rep. Andy Biggs in Arizona&#8217;s gubernatorial primary, though Robson later dropped out. In 2022, he simply endorsed “ERIC” in Missouri&#8217;s Senate primary between Eric Schmitt and Eric Greitens, with Schmitt ultimately winning the seat.
The Cook Political Report ranks the Texas race as “Likely Republican.” Republicans are in a tight battle to maintain a 53-47 Senate majority, with four races listed as “toss-ups.”
Trump has also weighed in on other key GOP primaries, recently backing Rep. Julia Letlow (R-LA) in her bid to unseat incumbent Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), as well as backing former Sen. John Sununu (R-NH) over former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown in a competitive New Hampshire contest.

Trump Backs ‘All Three’ Republicans In Texas Senate Primary As Early Voting Begins

Trump Backs 'All Three' Republicans In Texas Senate Primary As Early Voting Begins

Executive

A new poll shows that Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) could be Texas’ Democratic Senate nominee, as all eyes have been on the messy primaries in the Lone Star State ahead of the March 3 Election Day.
The University of Houston <a href="https://www.uh.edu/hobby/primary2026/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> of 550 likely voters showed Crockett up by eight points over state Rep. James Talarico, with 47% compared with his 39%.
“Congresswoman Crockett is in the best position to reassemble a winning Texas democratic coalition in November. That coalition requires exciting the base to turn out, while bringing working people, Latinos, and young voters back into the fold. The poll demonstrates that independents and disillusioned Republicans favor Crockett as opposed to the other candidates,” her campaign said in a press release on Monday regarding the survey conducted from Jan. 20-31.
Other polls have shown Crockett leading, but some, like a recent Emerson College survey, have shown Talarico ahead by as much as nine percentage points. The race turned ugly after former Democratic Senate candidate Rep. Colin Allred strongly criticized Talarico over an allegation that the state representative referred to the former congressman as a “mediocre Black man,” according to the <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2026/02/02/texas-us-senate-democratic-primary-colin-allred-james-talarico-mediocre-black-man-tiktok/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Texas Tribune</a>.
The National Republican Campaign Committee said that Crockett&#8217;s lead in the poll is a sign that the Democratic Party is moving further to the Left, even in the traditionally conservative Lone Star State.
&#8220;Today&#8217;s Democrat Party is getting more progressive and extreme by the second, but one thing remains true: Jasmine Crockett&#8217;s radical anti-Trump agenda is wrong for Texas,&#8221; NRSC Regional Press Secretary Samantha Cantrell said in a statement to The Daily Wire. The group is backing incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the competitive Republican primary.
On the Republican side, President Donald Trump has yet to make an endorsement in the race, and it’s unclear if he will with less than a month to go. Cornyn is up against Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt for the seat, and the same University of Houston poll showed Paxton leading with 38%, compared with 31% for the incumbent senator and 17% for Hunt.
Hunt&#8217;s campaign spokesperson, James Kyrkanides, said in a statement that the poll is an “interesting snapshot” into the general electorate. In head-to-head matchups, each of the Republican candidates would defeat either Crockett or Talarico by a thin margin. Paxton would defeat either Democrat by two points, Cornyn would beat Crockett by two and Talarico by one, and Hunt would beat Crockett by three and Talarico by four.
Kyrkanides said other polls have indicated that the “campaign has surged into second place&#8221; and that “John Cornyn’s campaign has collapsed.”
Texas primaries require a candidate to break 50% of the vote to become the nominee.
“While the primary results in the [university] poll are being debated, one fact is undeniable: Among general election voters, Wesley Hunt once again outperforms both John Cornyn and Ken Paxton,” the statement continued. “This has been consistent since the day Hunt entered the race in October. The data keeps saying the same thing. Anyone making ‘electability’ arguments while excluding Wesley Hunt isn’t serious about winning. They’re serious about protecting the status quo. Texas voters are moving on.&#8221;
Paxton said that the poll, which also indicates he would defeat Cornyn in a runoff, is a good sign that he will be the Republican nominee.
&#8220;Ensuring that low-propensity America First voters are motivated to show up in November is critical to Republicans&#8217; success in 2026, and John Cornyn is the single worst person in Texas to accomplish that. Luckily, he won&#8217;t be on the ballot because Texans are ready to fire him this spring. In 2022, I faced tens of millions in negative attacks and then proceeded to overwhelmingly defeat my primary opponents and win the general by nearly ten points. I&#8217;m ready and in a strong position to do the same in 2026.&#8221;
As for Cornyn, he&#8217;s pulled no punches against his opponents on both sides of the aisle, as he came out with an ad on Sunday taking aim at both Democrats, and recently saying that he is the &#8220;only electable Republican in this primary, a proven conservative with real experience and results who votes with President Trump more than 99% of the time.&#8221;
The Cook Political Report currently ranks the general election race as “Likely Republican.”

Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, Texas’ 30th District: An Intimate Brunch

Crockett Could Become Texas Senate Democratic Nominee As Primaries Heat Up: Poll

Democratic Party

Wesley Hunt

Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) made a direct comparison between President Donald Trump and the recently-extradited Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, saying that both had attempted to seize &#8220;illegitimate&#8221; power, but that Maduro had been &#8220;successful.&#8221;
Crockett made the <a href="https://x.com/NickFondacaro/status/2008587925471023456">comments</a> during a Tuesday appearance on ABC&#8217;s &#8220;The View,&#8221; where she claimed that the Trump administration&#8217;s move to arrest and extradite Maduro had been &#8220;illegal&#8221; and claimed the president did not care about what happened to the Venezuelan people.
&#8220;When he went in to get Maduro, he killed even more Venezuelans – this ain&#8217;t about Venezuelans! I get that there are people that don&#8217;t like the leader. But guess what, there are a lot of people that don&#8217;t like our leader! And — and — regardless, somebody coming into the United States and grabbing our leader in the middle of the night and killing people in this country, I&#8217;m sure everybody would be outraged at them doing it that way.&#8221;
&#8220;But nobody stops [Trump],&#8221; Joy Behar complained.
&#8220;I&#8217;m trying, Joy,&#8221; Crockett said.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Crockett doubles down and says Trump wants to be the Maduro of the United States: 
&#8220;Everyone wants to talk about how Maduro was illegitimate. As we sit here on January 6th, I do want to be clear, somebody else was trying to be a Maduro of the United States. Somebody else wanted to… <a href="https://t.co/zQHjBICTkg">pic.twitter.com/zQHjBICTkg</a>
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/2008588619074658433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I do want to just say this,&#8221; Crockett continued. &#8220;Everyone wants to talk about how Maduro was illegitimate. As we sit here on January 6th, I do want to be clear, somebody else was trying to be a Maduro of the United States. Somebody else wanted to do the exact same thing. The difference is Maduro was successful.&#8221;
Crockett then claimed that Trump&#8217;s support of redistricting in states like Texas — where duly-elected representatives of the people had voted to adopt new maps — was concrete proof that the president &#8220;doesn&#8217;t believe in free and fair elections.&#8221;

Jasmine Crockett Believes Donald Trump Is America’s Maduro

Jasmine Crockett Thinks Donald Trump Is America's Maduro

Nicolas Maduro

The View

President Donald Trump highlights the administration’s affordability efforts, a key Senate race gains a new wrinkle in Texas, and mainstream science erupts at a new government memo on vaccines.
It’s Wednesday, December 10, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below, and the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mrn-251210-member-exclusive">video version can be seen on The Daily Wire</a>:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trump-touts-affordability-lone-star-senate-showdown/id1576594336?i=1000740617515" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Trump Kicks Off Economy Tour</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1012423" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Affordability-Center-Stage-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Affordability-Center-Stage-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Affordability-Center-Stage-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Affordability-Center-Stage-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Affordability-Center-Stage-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Affordability-Center-Stage.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: President Trump is hitting the road to tout his economic progress as Americans remain pessimistic about affordability and the cost of living.
Since retaking office, many of the president’s most high-profile road trips have been abroad to meet with foreign leaders and lock down peace deals and trade agreements. But with midterms fast approaching and affordability remaining the top issue for voters, he’s launching a nationwide tour to tout his economic record and address voter concerns on affordability.
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For years now, Republicans have dominated on the topic, with poll after poll showing voters prefer their handling of the economy over Democrats. But goodwill from Trump’s first term has not carried over, as Republicans now trail Democrats on the economy.
Last month’s electoral results in New Jersey, Virginia, and New York were seemingly a wake-up call for the White House. It’s not just that Democrats won handily, but it’s the fact that they won by attacking President Trump’s economy and focusing on affordability. Now the president has held a series of meetings with his top advisers to devise a new messaging strategy to convince voters that he’s taking the right course ahead of the midterms.
Trump appeared in Pennsylvania for the first of what the White House says will be a string of events focused primarily on affordability.
Trump is in a tough political spot. On the one hand, he takes great pride in his economic prowess and his role as a sort of businessman-in-chief. But if he continues insisting that things are going great, he risks coming off as out of touch and angering folks.
A Fox News poll this month found that 76% of voters view the economy negatively, while POLITICO found that even 37% of Trump voters say the cost of living is the worst they’ve ever seen.
For his part, the president reportedly feels the issue is perception, and that Republicans must step up their efforts to highlight the progress they’re making.
“We gave you an extension of the biggest tax cuts and the biggest tax cuts ever, even bigger than the first term, and that&#8217;s one of the reasons that your 401(k)s are through the roof. It&#8217;s one of the reasons that the stock market is at the highest point,” said Trump Tuesday evening. “Rent prices are down, dairy prices are coming down very strongly. The cost of Thanksgiving turkeys was down by 33% compared to the Biden era. That&#8217;s a good start. We&#8217;re bringing it down and we&#8217;re coming down more. We&#8217;re coming down a lot more.”
President Trump also touted the progress made so far in lowering the cost of gas and eggs, which reached historic highs in recent years. 
“We&#8217;re down lower than we&#8217;ve been in seven years. And gasoline prices in oil prices, not just the three states that I talk about with 1.99 a gallon,” said Trump. “  What about eggs? … The price of eggs is down now 80% since March. Think of that.”
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Shootout For Texas Senate Seat</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1012425" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Senate-Battle-Brews-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Senate-Battle-Brews-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Senate-Battle-Brews-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Senate-Battle-Brews-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Senate-Battle-Brews-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Senate-Battle-Brews.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: A Texas Senate race is already heating up as candidates for both parties jockey for the chance to win the key seat, and some notable names are shaking things up.
A new Democrat challenger: Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) is jumping into the race. Crockett is a sound-bite factory, so prepare to see some major developments out of the U.S. Senate race in Texas.
Former Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX) dropped out of the race earlier on Monday while signaling that Crockett was going to get in. Meanwhile, state Rep. James Talarico is maintaining that he is going to stay in the contest on the Democratic side.
Texas is a red state, but with the 2026 election, Democrats are feeling a bit cocky about their shot at winning that seat and many others, if possible.
Crockett’s impact: The NRCC, or the Republican arm focused on House elections, is already touting that Crockett could potentially be the Democratic nominee. What that means for down-ballot races is that moderate Democrats will face a choice: whether to embrace Crockett and risk being painted as radicals by Republicans, or to push away from Crockett and risk pushback from Democrats.
Either way, Republicans will likely try to paint Crockett as the standard-bearer of the Democratic Party in Texas.
GOP’s packed primary: On the Republican side, it&#8217;s a complicated primary. Incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) is running, as well as state Attorney General Ken Paxton. Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX) is also in the race.
Cornyn is backed by the NRC, the official party arm that defends incumbent GOP senators. Paxton, Hunt, and Cornyn are all vying for Trump&#8217;s endorsement. But the president has not yet picked a favorite.
Hunt and Paxton have both portrayed themselves as the better option to stand with Trump and carry out the president’s agenda. But there is a highly volatile dynamic in the race, and polling shows the contest is incredibly close.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">FDA Revamps Vaccine Standards</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1012427" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Shots-Under-Scrutiny-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Shots-Under-Scrutiny-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Shots-Under-Scrutiny-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Shots-Under-Scrutiny-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Shots-Under-Scrutiny-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Shots-Under-Scrutiny.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: The FDA is implementing tougher standards for vaccines, a move riling up the medical establishment.
Reports circulated this week about an internal memo from Dr. Vinay Prasad, director of the FDA’s vaccine division, proposing an overhaul of how vaccines are evaluated and approved, initiating tougher standards. The new process would include full randomized clinical trials even for updated or routine vaccines, such as the flu shot.
The trials would allow evaluation of real-world protection, not just antibody levels, as well as side-effect rates and additional information for risk-benefit analysis. Currently, officials rely primarily on immune-response data, such as antibody levels from small groups of people.
Notably, this memo cited at least 10 children who died “after and because of” receiving COVID vaccines. That is apparently driving this new direction for tougher vaccine approvals. 
How it&#8217;s playing: Twelve former FDA officials denounced the memo in an editorial, claiming that it casts doubt on vaccine safety. They claim these new standards reject “long-standing science” and say it will slow innovation. Former FDA head Dr. Scott Gottlieb appeared on CBS News and <a href="https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/1997844527353409711">said</a> Prasad’s new procedures could hamper vaccine effectiveness.
Trump admin response: The Department of Health and Human Services stands by Dr. Prasad and these new standards. An HHS spokesperson took a swipe at the “resistance” editorial, saying, “The fact these criticisms are coming from former FDA officials who opposed raising the bar for vaccine science confirms we are on the right track.”
HHS press secretary Emily Hilliard told Morning Wire that the American people “deserve evidence-based science,” and said Dr. Prasad’s email “lays out a philosophical framework that points us toward that higher standard.”
Hilliard also said HHS will “soon release documents laying out that framework,” as well as data confirming how the COVID vaccine resulted in children’s deaths that previous leadership failed to investigate properly.

MRN_251210_V2

Morning Brief: Trump Touts Affordability, Lone Star Senate Showdown, & Vax Standards Revised

Morning Brief: Trump’s Economy Tour, TX Senate Race, And FDA Revamps Vax Standards

Economy

Morning Wire

Pennsylvania

Vaccines

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