{"id":304919,"date":"2026-02-18T21:36:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T21:36:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/304919\/"},"modified":"2026-02-18T21:36:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T21:36:12","slug":"stephen-colbert-says-tv-interview-with-democrat-pulled-amid-regulatory-fears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/304919\/","title":{"rendered":"Stephen Colbert says TV interview with Democrat pulled amid regulatory fears"},"content":{"rendered":"

US talk show host Stephen Colbert has said his interview with a Democratic politician was pulled from Monday night\u2019s broadcast amid TV network fears it would violate regulatory guidance from Donald Trump\u2019s government.<\/p>\n

Colbert\u2019s statements about his interview with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico overshadowed the start of early voting for primaries in the state that feature a heated race between Mr Talarico and representative Jasmine Crockett.<\/p>\n

Colbert said lawyers for TV network CBS said in \u201cno uncertain terms\u201d that Mr Talarico could not appear on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert broadcast because it feared violating guidance from the Trump administration on giving equal time to political candidates. Colbert nevertheless interviewed Mr Talarico for nearly 15 minutes and posted the video on YouTube, because online material does not fall under the equal time rule.<\/p>\n

\"StephenStephen Colbert\u2019s show on CBS is coming to an end in May (Richard Shotwell\/Invision\/AP, File)\n<\/p>\n

\u201cThen I was told, in some uncertain terms, that not only could I not have him on. I could not mention me not having him on,\u201d Colbert said. \u201cAnd because my network clearly doesn\u2019t want us to talk about this, let\u2019s talk about this.\u201d<\/p>\n

CBS disputed Colbert\u2019s account, saying its lawyers only \u201cprovided legal guidance\u201d that broadcasting an interview with Mr Talarico could trigger the FCC\u2019s (Federal Communications Commission) equal time rule.<\/p>\n

Ms Crockett expressed scepticism about the \u201cmania\u201d playing out on the first day of early voting, \u201cwhich feels kind of convenient\u201d.<\/p>\n

Both Mr Talarico and Ms Crockett have built national profiles through viral social media clips as media organisations have navigated around changing broadcast guidance issued under Mr Trump governing how they interview political candidates.<\/p>\n

Mr Talarico posted a nearly minute-long clip of his interview with Colbert on X, calling it \u201cthe interview Donald Trump didn\u2019t want you to see\u201d. During the interview, Mr Talarico said he thinks Mr Trump is worried that Democrats can win the Texas seat.<\/p>\n

This is the interview Donald Trump didn\u2019t want you to see.<\/p>\n

His FCC refused to air my interview with Stephen Colbert.<\/p>\n

Trump is worried we\u2019re about to flip Texas. pic.twitter.com\/BCev5jZbKc<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 James Talarico (@jamestalarico) February 17, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThe administration was playing politics and was trying to control what a late-night show puts on air, something that\u2019s never been done before,\u201d Mr Talarico told reporters during a news conference on Tuesday in Austin after he voted early. \u201cThe executives at CBS were willing to go along with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ms Crockett suggested that Colbert could have avoided an issue with the FCC by having her on the show, as he has in the past. Both she and Mr Talarico also have appeared on ABC\u2019s daytime show The View.<\/p>\n

She told reporters after voting early in Dallas that she still was looking into the situation but added: \u201cI\u2019ve done Colbert a number of times. I\u2019ve done The View a number of times. I\u2019ve done (Jimmy) Kimmel a number (of times). I\u2019ve done all of these shows a number of times.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"JasmineJasmine Crockett suggested that the issue could have been avoided by having her on the Colbert show (AP Photo\/LM Otero)\n<\/p>\n

Broadcast networks have been required to give equal time to political candidates, but that rule has not traditionally been applied to talk shows.<\/p>\n

In January, the Federal Communications Commission issued new guidance warning late-night and daytime hosts that they need to give political candidates equal time. FCC chairman Brendan Carr, who was appointed by Mr Trump\u2019s administration, questioned the talk show exemption and posited that hosts were \u201cmotivated by partisan purposes\u201d.<\/p>\n

The public notice said the FCC had not seen evidence that talk shows would qualify for an exemption from the rule for \u201cbona fide news\u201d. Mr Carr has often criticised network talk shows, suggesting last year that probing The View \u2013 whose hosts have frequently been critical of Mr Trump \u2013 over the exemption might be \u201cworthwhile\u201d.<\/p>\n

Colbert\u2019s days as host are limited, following CBS\u2019s announcement last year that it was cancelling his show this May for financial reasons.<\/p>\n

But the timing of that announcement \u2014 three days after Colbert criticised the settlement between Mr Trump and Paramount Global, parent company of CBS, over a story on current affairs programme 60 Minutes \u2013 led two US senators to publicly question the motives behind the move, which served to remove from air one of Mr Trump\u2019s most prominent and persistent late-night critics.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Mr Talarico and Ms Crockett are hoping to avoid a May 26 runoff by capturing at least 50% of the Democratic vote in the March 3 primary.<\/p>\n