AUSTIN, Texas ― Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) seemed to challenge the narrative surrounding CBS’s controversial decision not to air Stephen Colbert’s interview with her Senate Democratic primary opponent James Talarico.
“We did receive information suggesting the federal government did not shut down the segment,” Crockett told reporters on Tuesday, referring to Colbert’s interview with Talarico that was supposed to air on Monday.
Crockett said it appeared that CBS didn’t air the interview “because of a fear the FCC may say something to them, and that there may have been advice to just have me on, and then they can clear the issue. It is my understanding someone, somewhere, decided we just don’t want to do that.”
“Let me be clear. I don’t have love for the current FCC,” Crockett added. “I do think there are additional layers at play here.”
Colbert has accused his employer of caving to threats from the Federal Communications Commission by blocking his interview with Talarico that was set to air on Monday. He said CBS chose to abide by an equal time rule that hasn’t been previously used for late-night talk shows. He also noted that he’s had Crockett repeatedly on his show, though those appearances occurred prior to her announcing her campaign for the Senate.
Talarico also accused Trump’s FCC of colluding with CBS executives to keep his interview with Colbert off the air during a campaign rally in Austin on Tuesday.
“I think it’s safe to say that their plan backfired,” the Texas state representative said as the YouTube video of his interview with Colbert racked up over 5 million views online. “These are the same people who ran against cancel culture, and now they’re trying to control what we watch, what we say, what we read. And this is the most dangerous kind of cancel culture, the kind that comes from the top.”
“They went after Jimmy Kimmel for telling a joke they didn’t like,” he added. “They went after Stephen Colbert for telling the truth about Paramount’s bribe to Donald Trump. Corporate media executives are selling out the First Amendment to curry favor with corrupt politicians.”
FCC Chair Brendan Carr responded in a press conference on Wednesday, accusing Talarico of making up a “hoax” to raise money for his campaign. Talarico hauled in $2.5 million for his Senate campaign in just 24 hours after the controversy began.
“You had a Democrat candidate who understood the way the news media works and he took advantage of all of your, sort of, prior conceptions, to run a hoax, apparently for the purpose of raising money and getting clicks,” Carr said. “And the news media played right into it.”
But Colbert hasn’t backed down, slamming CBS again for releasing what he called a “crap” statement about why the interview couldn’t air this week.