Late-night host Stephen Colbert was surprisingly called out by Rep. Jasmine Crockett, who set the record straight on his claims about the FCC’s “equal time rule.”
Crockett told reporters this week that the federal government “didn’t shut this down,” referring to Colbert’s griping about CBS pulling his interview with her Senate primary opponent, Texas State Rep. James Talarico.
Colbert has been in a battle with his network, complaining to the studio audience about how his interview with Talarico was being pulled off the air and how the network was bending the knee to President Donald Trump’s FCC. But Crockett offered her own response, raising eyebrows as she seemed to be calling the late-night host a liar.
Crockett is essentially calling Talarico and Colbert liars now.
Says the federal government had nothing to do with shutting the interview down, and that Colbert could’ve had her on to resolve the issue, but didn’t want to.
Jasmine looks like she’s slowly coming to the… https://t.co/qFcWr8Wlpj pic.twitter.com/PKNLklCqJV
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) February 18, 2026
“We did receive information suggesting that the federal government did not shut down this segment, number one. That is my understanding — that the Federal Government did not, didn’t shut this down. And we will do an official statement once we get another official statement that we anticipate is going to be coming from Paramount,” the Texas Democrat told reporters.
“Alright, so we will read what they say, and then we’ll go from there. It is our understanding that Colbert, either Mr. Colbert or CBS, decide lets just not air it because of a fear that the FCC may say something to them, and that there may have been advice to just have me on, and then they could clear the issue. It was my understanding that someone somewhere decided we just don’t want to do that, and instead we’re going to just do it this way,” she added.
CBS released a statement that disputed Colbert’s claim that it prevented the Talarico interview from airing.
“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.”
Crockett believes her primary rival got a “boost” from the YouTube airing.
“The ‘Late Show’ decided that this was the option, and I think that it was a good strategy,” she said on MS NOW. “So, I think it probably gave my opponent the boost he was looking for.”
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida. Powers also contributes to BizPac Review.
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