Colbert Blasts CBS for Refusing to Air Interview With Texas Democrat

Late Show host says network caved to Trump administration's efforts to silence critics on TV

Published on Feb. 18, 2026

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Stephen Colbert, host of "The Late Show," criticized CBS for refusing to air his interview with Texas U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico, allegedly out of fear that the FCC under Trump appointee Brendan Carr would retaliate against the network. Colbert said CBS "unilaterally enforced" new FCC guidance on equal time for political candidates, a decision he said was made for "purely financial reasons" as CBS is owned by a company with ties to Trump.

Why it matters

This case highlights concerns about media conglomerates caving to political pressure and government intimidation tactics to silence critics of the Trump administration. It raises questions about the independence of the media and the ability of political candidates to access television platforms to share their message.

The details

Colbert said CBS lawyers directly told the show they could not air the interview with Talarico, a Democratic candidate. This came after the Republican-led FCC launched an investigation into whether ABC's "The View" violated equal time rules by interviewing Talarico earlier this month. CBS is owned by Paramount Skydance, whose CEO is the son of billionaire Trump ally Larry Ellison.

  • On February 17, 2026, Colbert criticized CBS on his show for refusing to air the Talarico interview.
  • In January 2026, US Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) appeared on "The View" to discuss her Senate campaign against Talarico.

The players

Stephen Colbert

The host of "The Late Show" on CBS.

James Talarico

A Democratic candidate running for U.S. Senate in Texas.

Brendan Carr

A Trump appointee who leads the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

David Ellison

The CEO of Paramount Skydance, the parent company of CBS, and the son of billionaire Trump ally Larry Ellison.

Anna Gomez

The lone Democratic commissioner on the FCC who denounced the investigation into ABC's "The View" as a "sham."

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What they’re saying

“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, OK? He's like a toddler with too much screen time. He gets cranky and then drops a load in his diaper.”

— Stephen Colbert, Host, "The Late Show" (The Late Show)

“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.”

— James Talarico, U.S. Senate Candidate, Texas (The Late Show)

“Big media self-censorship is real.”

— Tim Karr, Senior Director of Strategy and Communications, Free Press (commondreams.org)

What’s next

The FCC is expected to continue its investigation into whether ABC's "The View" violated equal time rules with its Talarico interview.

The takeaway

This case highlights the growing concerns about media conglomerates bowing to political pressure and government intimidation tactics to silence critics of the Trump administration, raising questions about the independence of the press and the ability of political candidates to access television platforms.