From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.tv

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.

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