The controversy surrounding Stephen Colbert's blocked interview with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico has intensified, with Talarico's campaign raising an impressive $2.5 million in the 24 hours following Colbert's revelation that CBS prevented the segment from airing due to fears of violating FCC equal-time regulations. Colbert criticized CBS, stating, "Corporate media executives are selling out the First Amendment to curry favor with corrupt politicians," and emphasized the implications of such censorship on political discourse. CBS has denied that it stopped the interview from airing but acknowledged concerns about potential violations of federal fairness rules, which Colbert claims led to restrictions on discussing Talarico's appearance on his show. Colbert further addressed the controversy, stating that CBS's lawyers informed his team that Talarico could not appear on the broadcast and his name shouldn't be mentioned at all, highlighting the extent of the network's caution regarding FCC retaliation (BBC World, February 18, 2026).