AUSTIN – What didn’t air on CBS may be doing more for James Talarico than if it had.
Late-night host Stephen Colbert said his interview with the Democratic Senate candidate was blocked Monday, and Talarico turned the dustup into a rallying cry, telling supporters Tuesday night that federal regulators had pressured CBS, an assertion the network disputes.
The segment, posted online instead, had racked up more than 5 million YouTube views by early Wednesday, and Talarico boasted on social media his campaign had raised $2.5 million in 24 hours “after the FCC banned our Colbert interview.”
The flap over the unaired interview electrified the crowd at Talarico’s get-out-the-vote event.
Political Points
Boos greeted his mention of the decision not to air the segment, then cheers as the Austin state representative, locked in a March 3 Senate primary with U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas, said the attempted censorship had backfired.
He cast the incident as a fight over free speech and corporate power, accusing President Donald Trump’s federal regulators of having “colluded with corporate media executives at CBS” to keep his Colbert interview off the air.
“These are the same people who ran against cancel culture, and now they’re trying to control what we watch, what we say, what we read,” Talarico said. “And this is the most dangerous kind of cancel culture, the kind that comes from the top.”
CBS has disputed Colbert’s assertion that network attorneys barred the interview from airing. The company said it was advised that broadcasting the segment could trigger Federal Communications Commission equal-time rules requiring other candidates in the race be given similar exposure.
Talk shows historically have not been subject to those requirements, but the FCC signaled earlier this year it was reconsidering that approach after Trump repeatedly complained about hostile treatment from broadcast hosts.
Talarico boosted the dispute with a late-night appearance on Lawrence O’Donnell’s show on MS NOW, talking up the importance of defending free speech.
Crockett, earlier on that same network, suggested the attempt to sideline the interview had only amplified it.
“It probably gave my opponent the boost he was looking for,” Crockett said.
The two Democrats are seeking to unseat GOP Sen. John Cornyn, who is locked in a primary against Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt.
Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico speaks to supporters at his campaign event at El Palacio Event Center in Austin, Texas, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman via AP)
Mikala Compton / AP
A broader pitch
At his hometown rally, Talarico used the uproar to reinforce his core campaign message: that the defining political line is not left vs. right but top vs. bottom.
He assailed corporate influence and billionaires, tied his campaign to his faith and pledged to lower the cost of housing, child care and prescription drugs.
He denounced the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement operations and called for impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
He also pushed back on conservative criticism of the Super Bowl halftime show featuring Bad Bunny, whom Talarico described as one of his favorite artists. He suggested attacks on the performance were rooted in fear of change.
“There was nothing to be afraid of in that halftime show, just joy and unity and love,” he said. “Because in the words of Scripture, love casts out fear – or in the words of Bad Bunny, the only thing more powerful than hate is love.”
Several rally attendees expressed warm feelings for Crockett but asserted Talarico was the candidate best positioned to flip the seat in November.
Cedar Park school psychologist Kelly Gin said she’s a big fan of Crockett but worries her aggressive approach could turn off some general election voters.
Talarico has a better shot at attracting crossover voters, she said.
“He brings a lot of genuineness to the table,” Gin said.
Meanwhile, a super PAC backing Talarico has aired negative ads questioning Crockett’s electability and using a grimy filter, prompting Crockett to accuse the group of “darkening my skin” and calling the attacks “straight up racist” that undermine party unity.
Talarico reiterated his support for eliminating super PACs but declined to criticize the ads, saying, “Legally, I cannot do anything about what any super PAC does,” and adding he avoids watching outside spots “for my own mental health.”