Stephen Colbert said his network would not let him air an interview with James Talarico on television. Colbert said network lawyers told his show the segment could not run because of new FCC guidance on equal time.
Colbert said on air, “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.” He then posted the full interview on his YouTube channel so viewers could still see it.
The guest was James Talarico. Talarico is running for a U S Senate seat in Texas that is now held by John Cornyn. Talarico reposted the interview on X and wrote, “This is the interview Donald Trump didn’t want you to see.”
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
Colbert blamed the move on the FCC and on the White House. He said, “Sir, you’re chairman of the FCC, so FCC you. Because I think you are motivated by partisan purposes yourself.” He also said, “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 new guidance came from the Federal Communications Commission and its chair Brendan Carr. The agency said late night and daytime talk shows that interview candidates may have to offer equal time to opponents. “A program that is motivated by partisan purposes, for example, would not be entitled to an exemption under longstanding FCC precedent,” the agency said in its January letter.
That change has made networks nervous. Networks fear that allowing one candidate on a show could require them to give time to rivals. CBS said the decision to end The Late Show was a business call and not political, but the timing has fed angry talk and push back from viewers and from people in both parties.
Colbert did not hold back. On air he added a line unlikely to get him invited to tea with the FCC. He said, “He’s like a toddler with too much screen time. He gets cranky and then drops a load in his diaper.”
The episode fits a wider fight. The FCC has also opened an inquiry into whether ABC News and its daytime show The View broke equal time rules after a recent guest. And the agency cited a controversial monologue on Jimmy Kimmel Live when it warned networks to watch their content.
For now the interview lives online where the FCC rules do not apply. Colbert’s upload drew about 1.1M views on YouTube, and Talarico’s repost on X reached about 4.7M views, far more than the blocked TV spot would have reached.
The story raises a simple question about where political talk will live going forward. If TV becomes too risky for hosts to interview candidates, more interviews will move online. That will let shows keep speaking, but it will also change who sees them and how they count in a political campaign.
Featured image via YouTube screengrab
