Austin, Texas — Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico said it “should be alarming to all of us” after CBS declined to air his scheduled interview on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” fueling debate over media rules and political influence.
Colbert told viewers Monday that network lawyers advised the show it could not broadcast the interview and instructed him not to mention it during the live program. The segment was later posted to YouTube.
CBS rejected claims it barred the appearance, stating the show received legal guidance that airing the interview could trigger the Federal Communications Commission’s equal-time rule. That rule requires broadcasters to offer comparable airtime to other candidates in the same race. Talarico is running in a Democratic primary against Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas).
Talarico said the explanation did not ease concerns about outside pressure. “I don’t think it did anything to assuage the concerns that they were pressured by the most powerful man in the country,” he said, referring to President Donald Trump. He later described the situation as “the most dangerous kind of cancel culture.”
Early voting in the Texas Democratic primary runs through Feb. 27, with Election Day set for March 3.
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