Stephen Colbert just announced that CBS pulled his Monday interview with Texas state Representative James Talarico, claiming the network’s explanation is a chilling cover-up driven by fear of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). This is a pretty big deal, and it really makes you wonder about what’s going on behind the scenes in broadcast media!
Colbert didn’t waste any time kicking off Monday night’s “Late Show” by addressing Talarico’s absence. He told viewers, “He was supposed to be here, but we were told in no uncertain terms by our network’s lawyers, who called us directly, that we could not have him on the broadcast.”
What’s even crazier is that Colbert was then told he couldn’t even mention not having Talarico on. Naturally, Colbert decided to do exactly the opposite, saying, “And because my network clearly doesn’t want us to talk about this, let’s talk about this.”
This incident certainly adds to the ongoing discussion about free speech and media regulation in a big way
The unaired interview with Talarico, who’s running for the U.S. Senate, was later published on YouTube. In it, Talarico discussed the FCC crackdown, which notably included a probe into another network’s show, “The View,” after he appeared there. Talarico didn’t hold back, stating, “I think that Donald Trump is worried that we’re about to flip Texas.”
He then added, “This is the party that ran against cancel culture, and now they’re trying to control what we watch, what we say, what we read. And this is the most dangerous kind of cancel culture, the kind that comes from the top.” He accused the Trump administration of “selling out the First Amendment to curry favor with corrupt politicians,” emphasizing that “a threat to any of our First Amendment rights is a threat to all of our First Amendment rights.”
CBS, for its part, quickly issued an emailed statement, saying “THE LATE SHOW was not prohibited by CBS from broadcasting the interview with Rep. James Talarico.” The network explained that the show was given legal guidance that the broadcast could trigger the FCC’s equal-time rule for two other candidates, including Rep. Jasmine Crockett, and that options were presented for fulfilling that equal time.
This whole situation comes amidst a broader climate where the FCC, the government’s media regulator, and its chairman, Brendan Carr, have been notably assertive with networks that have drawn President Trump’s disapproval. President Trump himself has suggested the FCC could revoke broadcasters’ licenses, and Carr, appointed by President Trump, has recently argued that daytime and late-night talk shows must comply with the equal-time rule.
Colbert, who hasn’t been one to mince words, fired back at Carr on Monday and accused the chairman of partisan motivations. He joked, “Let’s just call this what it is: Donald Trump’s administration wants to silence anyone who says anything bad about Trump on TV because all Trump does is watch TV.”
The White House, however, jumped to the FCC’s defense. White House spokesman Davis Ingle called Colbert “a pathetic trainwreck with no talent and terrible ratings, which is exactly why CBS canceled his show and is booting him off the airwaves.” Ingle added that “FCC Chairman Brendan Carr is simply doing his job and enforcing the rules.”
Published: Feb 18, 2026 02:30 pm