Stephen Colbert Defies CBS, Says Network Banned Him From Interviewing James Talarico

Tuesday, February 17, 2026

Stephen Colbert tells his audience about who was not allowed on his show: "That's Texas state representative James 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. Then, 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. And because my network clearly does not want us to talk about this ... Let's talk about this."

Posted by retort at 12:02 PM | 22 COMMENTS | permalink | Comment on This Entry |

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The crowd is LOVING James Talarico on Stephen Colbert[image or embed]
-- Team Talarico (@teamtalaricohq.bsky.social) Feb 17, 2026 at 2:40 AM

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On Stephen Colbert's last day I am canceling my subscription to Paramount. I'll vote on their foolish decisions with my dollars.

#1 | Posted by donnerboy at 2026-02-17 01:08 PM | Reply

Rogers for the Tie Breaker!

Thread up twice already...pls consolidate posts:

drudge.com

Trump just boosted Talarico to National prominence with this stupid move.

#2 | Posted by Corky at 2026-02-17 01:14 PM | Reply

Here's the full interview that CBS refused to put on air, done on Colbert's YT channel:

www.youtube.com

#3 | Posted by Corky at 2026-02-17 01:21 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

I've already cancelled Paramount. But I still get CBS through basic cable. I'm not really ready to give up basic cable. yet.

#4 | Posted by Whatsleft at 2026-02-17 01:55 PM | Reply

I thought Dinger said CBS was left wing biased main stream media?

#5 | Posted by REDIAL at 2026-02-17 02:32 PM | Reply

Well, Colbert has nothing to lose at this point. Go for it.

#6 | Posted by bat4255 at 2026-02-17 02:58 PM | Reply

Dinger said CBS was left wing biased main stream media?

Those puff pieces they did on the Trump administration should have been his first clue.

The problem CBS has is FOX News has programmed their braindead viewers to view it as a liberal hellscape, so even with the recent acquisition by Larry Ellison and the complete overhaul of the staff, MAGA is still programmed to hate it.

#7 | Posted by ClownShack at 2026-02-17 03:05 PM | Reply

On Stephen Colbert's last day I am canceling my subscription to Paramount. I'll vote on their foolish decisions with my dollars.

#1 | Posted by donnerboy

that's great...seriously...I approve.

just like viewers for more than a couple of years now have done the same to his

show....with or without paramount.

#8 | Posted by shrimptacodan at 2026-02-17 04:05 PM | Reply

LMAO you fucking morons...

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 presented options for how the equal time for other candidates could be fulfilled. THE LATE SHOW decided to present the interview through its YouTube channel with on-air promotion on the broadcast rather than potentially providing the equal-time options."
x.com

#9 | Posted by oneironaut at 2026-02-17 04:05 PM | Reply

x.com
#9 | POSTED BY ONETRUMPER

X.com, the perfect source for "news".

Couldn't find anything better on TruthSocial?

#10 | Posted by ClownShack at 2026-02-17 04:08 PM | Reply

Trump just boosted Talarico to National prominence with this stupid move.

#2 | Posted by Corky

WELL GLADYS.....

---I"ll ask this question again...........hee hee......what if.....HA HA>...it's a big IF

BUT WHAT IF.....chuckle....the wannabe HO and idiot who said..." just because you commit

a crime doesn't make you a criminal".....DAT JASMINE GULL BEATS HIM ?.

BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

#11 | Posted by shrimptacodan at 2026-02-17 04:09 PM | Reply

Colbert should have AOC on this week....I always enjoy looking at the only two things she had

going for her....3 if you count her big lips.....but perhaps steven can

explain what the equator is.....

#12 | Posted by shrimptacodan at 2026-02-17 04:11 PM | Reply

THE LATE SHOW was not prohibited by CBS from broadcasting the interview

This is the official response, from CBS.

Kinda like when they tried to kill the story on El Salvador's CECOT prison involving Trump administration deportations.

When the rest of the world aired it, the official response was that it wasn't ready yet.

CBS killing the Colbert Talarico interview will make sure more people watch it than had they simply allowed it to air.

#13 | Posted by ClownShack at 2026-02-17 04:15 PM | Reply

Trump just boosted Talarico to National prominence with this stupid move.

#2 | Posted by Corky

No he didn't Colbert did, because people like you are so fucking gullible.

As an Asian, I can believe that two rich white men conspired to deny equal air time two weeks out from an election to a black woman.

The unmitigated racism against Jasmine is incredible, and Corky, Clownshack and WhatsAnIdiot supports this sort of racism.

#14 | Posted by oneironaut at 2026-02-17 04:40 PM | Reply | Funny: 2

No he didn't Colbert did,

Colbert did what?

Share your conspiracy theories with us.

We could all use a good laugh.

#15 | Posted by ClownShack at 2026-02-17 04:46 PM | Reply

#14... really needs to get a Refund on his ESL classes.

Trump's FCC quashed the Interview and sent it viral in the internet.

Colbert and every other such interviewer was always going to interview Talarico this cycle.

Perhaps it's not the ESL instructor's fault, though. Perhaps it's the haplessly (look it up) helpless and hopeless 1NONuts himself.

Or their self, as the case may be.

#16 | Posted by Corky at 2026-02-17 04:48 PM | Reply

The unmitigated racism against Jasmine is incredible, and Corky, Clownshack

Me, the poster who has on several occasions expressed my enthusiastic support Jasmine Crockett?

Too funny.

Meanwhile, you're the poster who discovered he's Asian when he needed to attack Black people in San Francisco.

Womp womp

#17 | Posted by ClownShack at 2026-02-17 04:50 PM | Reply

Crocket and Talarico, btw, get along famously.

Some people like James better than Jasmine because he doesn't take corporate money... or Israeli money.

But both of them would vote to limit or eliminate such bribery.

#18 | Posted by Corky at 2026-02-17 04:55 PM | Reply

Hi Corky:

I bet young master James Talarico gets along well with everyone, even those across the aisle.

#19 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2026-02-17 05:01 PM | Reply

#19

I think his quotable catch-phrase about how it's not really Left vs Right in this country, but that it's Top vs Bottom.... as he ended the Colbert interview with, is a winning proposition for a lot of people.

FDR won 4 elections with those kinds of policies... not that he's FDR, but he has a bit of youthful charisma like JFK had... and Shady could play Nixon really well in that scenario, lol.

What I want to know is if one of his aides decided to give him that little dash of grey in his hair so he doesn't look like a high schooler. ;-)

#20 | Posted by Corky at 2026-02-17 05:13 PM | Reply

F the FCC

Howard Stern was right!

#21 | Posted by lee_the_agent at 2026-02-17 05:16 PM | Reply

Trump's FCC quashed the Interview and sent it viral in the internet.

Because Trump is a Clinton supporting fellow Democrat crushing small government conservatives. Nobody cared about Talarico until today.

#22 | Posted by lee_the_agent at 2026-02-17 05:21 PM | Reply