In a fiery rally held in Austin, Texas, U.S. Senate candidate and Texas State Representative James Talarico, a Democrat, made explosive allegations against the Federal Communications Commission. He claimed the FCC "colluded" with CBS executives to prevent his scheduled interview with "The Late Show" host Stephen Colbert from being broadcast this week.
Allegations of Top-Down Cancel Culture
Addressing hundreds of supporters, Talarico declared, "I think it's safe to say that their plan backfired." He criticized those who have previously campaigned against cancel culture, accusing them of now attempting to control public discourse. "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 stated. "And this is the most dangerous kind of cancel culture, the kind that comes from the top."
Corporate Media Under Fire
Talarico expanded his criticism to include corporate media executives, alleging they are compromising First Amendment principles to appease corrupt politicians. "They went after Jimmy Kimmel for telling a joke they didn't like," he noted. "They went after Stephen Colbert for telling the truth about Paramount's bribe to Donald Trump. Corporate media executives are selling out the First Amendment to curry favor with corrupt politicians."
Colbert's On-Air Accusations
Stephen Colbert himself addressed the controversy on his Monday night program, accusing CBS of yielding to FCC threats by canceling the interview with Talarico. "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," Colbert revealed.
This accusation emerges amidst broader bipartisan criticism of the Trump administration for allegedly abusing its authority to suppress dissent, particularly targeting comedians like Colbert and ABC's Jimmy Kimmel, who have frequently drawn Trump's ire.
CBS Denies the Claims
CBS responded to Colbert's allegations on Tuesday, denying that the network prohibited the interview from airing. The interview was subsequently published on YouTube. A network spokesperson explained, "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 presented options for how the equal time for other candidates could be fulfilled."
Controversy Over FCC Equal-Time Rule
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr has previously suggested that talk shows might be held to standards requiring equal time for opposing viewpoints. However, Colbert argued on his program that CBS is preemptively enforcing a rule change that has not yet been implemented. "My network is unilaterally enforcing it as if he had," Colbert asserted. "I want to assure you that this decision is for purely financial reasons."
Broader Political Context
Colbert, a frequent target of Trump's criticisms, is scheduled to depart CBS in May following the cancellation of his show last summer. This announcement coincided with Paramount's efforts to complete a merger requiring FCC approval. Colbert commented, "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."
Texas Senate Primary Dynamics
James Talarico is competing against Representative Jasmine Crockett, also a Texas Democrat, in the March 2 primary for the Democratic Senate nomination in Texas. While public polls show Talarico trailing Crockett, the race remains tightly contested and is anticipated to be decided by a narrow margin.
This incident highlights ongoing tensions between media freedom, regulatory oversight, and political influence, raising significant questions about the boundaries of free speech in contemporary American politics.
