Topic

Colbert accuses CBS of censorship

9m

Stephen Colbert said CBS barred him from airing a recorded interview with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico, which he blamed on Trump pressure and which CBS denied.

50%
17%
38%
BREAKING: Our campaign raised $2.5 million in 24 hours after the FCC banned our Colbert interview.
February 18, 2026 at 2:14 PM
29%
Kudos to Stephen Colbert for standing up for himself and against tyranny.

I've always been a fan of his — going way back to the Colbert Report years.

I enjoyed chatting with him in August. Here's a brief clip from our discussion.
February 18, 2026 at 7:33 PM

Reposted by Joanna L. Grossman

8%
CBS lawyers told Colbert he couldn't interview a Senate candidate. Couldn't show a photo. Couldn't show a drawing. Couldn't tell the audience it was happening. Based on an FCC rule that hasn't actually been changed. New piece on what CBS has become. www.readtpa.com/p/cbs-doesnt...
CBS Doesn't Need to Be Told Anymore
A year of capitulation, from paying off the president to killing stories to blocking interviews.
www.readtpa.com
February 18, 2026 at 9:21 PM
28%
3%
Corporate media sabotages democracy.
Unsubscribe! Judd has the goods on CBS

open.substack.com/pub/populari...
CBS censors Colbert, bowing to pressure from Trump’s FCC
CBS forbade Late Show host Stephen Colbert from interviewing Texas State Representative James Talarico, a Democrat running to unseat Republican Senator John Cornyn.
open.substack.com
February 18, 2026 at 6:35 PM
7%
If you have been following the clumsy — no, pathetic — attempt by CBS lawyers to collaborate with the FCC in reviving the pointless "equal time" rule, using Stephen Colbert and his show as their playground... then watch him explain it from his POV.

Fascinating. www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQIl...
Why Everyone's Talking About Stephen Colbert, CBS, The FCC And James Talarico
YouTube video by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
www.youtube.com
February 18, 2026 at 5:05 PM

Reposted by Olivier Mannoni

3%
CBS lawyers tried to silence Stephen Colbert. He posted the interview on YouTube anyway.

What Trump doesn't want you to see:
www.dworkinsubstack.com/p/great-news...
February 18, 2026 at 3:55 PM
15%
RIP the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the latest victim of Trump

The whole thing is just deleted

cpb.org/about/about-...
cpb.org
February 18, 2026 at 8:02 PM

Reposted by Kent Johnson

3%
COLBERT on Thin-Skinned Trump’s fascist @jamestalarico.bsky.social ban: “Because my network clearly doesn't want us to talk about this, let's talk about this… They're trying to control what we watch, say, read — The most dangerous kind of cancel culture is the kind that comes from the top."
February 18, 2026 at 5:35 PM
0%
CBS censors Colbert interview with James Talarico

And it backfires

Searches for his websites and the interview explode.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiTJ...
February 18, 2026 at 1:09 PM
20%
10%
0%
Censorship fails:

Rep. James Talarico with Colbert that was censored by a weak CBS after bullying by Trump administration
www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiTJ...
Rep. James Talarico On Confronting Christian Nationalism, And Strange Days In The Texas Legislature
YouTube video by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
www.youtube.com
February 18, 2026 at 1:10 PM

Reposted by Dean Baker

0%
4%
0%
Colbert defies CBS over interview with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico www.axios.com/2026/02/17/c...
Colbert defies CBS over interview with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico
The network's lawyers told the show it couldn't air the interview, Colbert said.
www.axios.com
February 18, 2026 at 12:41 PM
1%
"They want us talking about furries and bathrooms, so we don't realize they are picking our pockets... closing our schools, gutting our healthcare...The culture wars are a smokescreen."

www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiTJ...
Rep. James Talarico On Confronting Christian Nationalism, And Strange Days In The Texas Legislature
YouTube video by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
www.youtube.com
February 18, 2026 at 8:27 PM

Reposted by David Darmofal

4%
“just so surprised that this giant global corporation would not stand up to these bullies”

Colbert caught CBS in a lie about the Talarico interview but as he also points out, the bigger issue is how the Ellison's & Bari Weiss have caved to Trump.

@apnews.com
apnews.com/article/colb...
February 18, 2026 at 1:24 PM