By Isabella Torregiani
12:36pm PST, Feb 18, 2026
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The Late Show host
Stephen Colbert accused CBS of bowing under pressure to the Trump administration after the network denied blocking his interview with Texas state Representative
James Talarico, calling the denial "crap."
Keep reading for more on his verbal attack… MORE:
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Stephen Colbert had planned to host James Talarico, a candidate in the Democratic primary for a U.S. Senate seat in Texas, on the Monday, February 16, episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
However, at the start of the show, he told his studio audience that CBS' lawyers had informed him "in no uncertain terms … that we could not have him on the broadcast."
Colbert said the lawyers were concerned about new FCC guidance from Chair Brendan Carr, which could require talk shows to provide equal coverage to political candidates if their opponents appear on the broadcast.
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On Tuesday, February 17, CBS issued a statement denying Stephen Colbert's claim that it had blocked the interview from airing.
"The Late Show was not prohibited by CBS from broadcasting the interview with Rep. James Talarico," the network said.
"The show was provided legal guidance that the broadcast could trigger the FCC equal-time rule for two other candidates, including Rep. Jasmine Crockett [D-Texas], and presented options for how the equal time for other candidates could be fulfilled," CBS added.
While the network says its decision was a legal precaution, some say it raises questions about CBS' ties to the Trump administration, as its parent company, Paramount, moves forward with its bid for Warner Bros. Discovery.
If WBD shareholders agree to Paramount's offer, federal regulators would need to approve the deal before it can proceed.
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Stephen Colbert — whose program is scheduled to end in May following its cancelation by CBS — held up a printed copy of the network's statement regarding James Talarico's interview and said, "I don't even know what to do with this crap."
He then grabbed a plastic doggy bag from behind his desk, placed the statement inside, tied it shut and pretended to throw it away.
"They know damn well that every word of my script last night was approved by CBS lawyers who, for the record, approved every script that goes on the air," the late-night host said.
"In fact, between the monologue I did last night, and before I did the second act talking about this issue, I had to go backstage," he continued.
"I got called backstage to get more notes from these lawyers. Something that had never, ever happened before, and they told us the language they wanted me to use to describe that equal time exception, and I used that language," Colbert added. "So I don't know what this is about."
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Stephen Colbert went on to clarify that he isn't "mad" at the network and has no desire for an "adversarial relationship."
"I'm just so surprised that this giant global corporation would not stand up to these bullies," he said.
"Come on. You're Paramount. No, no, no, you're more than that. You're Paramount+," Colbert quipped. "And for the lawyers to release this [statement] without even talking to me is really surprising."
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Stephen Colbert also pointed out that there has been "a very famous exception to" the equal time rule, "and that exception included talk shows, interviews with politicians."
"We looked, and we can't find one example of this rule being enforced for any talk show interview, not only for my entire late-night career, but for anyone's late-night career, going back to the 1960s," he said.
Colbert added that the exception for talk show hosts has not been removed by Brendan Carr "yet."
"But CBS generously did it for him and told me, unilaterally, that I had to abide by the equal time rules, something I have never been asked to do for an interview in the 20 years of this job," he said.
"Now, that decision, I want to be clear, is their right, just like I have the right to talk about their decision on air last night," Colbert added.
