Tex Dem Senate candidate James Talarico fundraises off false claim Trump's FCC blocked CBS from airing his Stephen Colbert interview—and Jasmine Crockett is hopping mad

Texas Democrat Senate candidate James Talarico announced Wednesday that his campaign has raised $2.5 million based on the false claim that Trump's Federal Communications Commission (FCC) blocked CBS from airing his interview with Stephen Colbert, host of "The Late Show." Colbert first spread the rumor to his studio audience on Monday night, prompting CBS to refute its own host's allegations.

Critics have since suggested that Colbert made up the claim because he didn't want to give equal airtime to Talarico's competitor, Texas Democrat Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a FCC requirement CBS cited as the reason for airing the interview on YouTube instead of broadcasting it on TV. FCC rules do not apply to YouTube.

CBS said in a statement: "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."

The White House also called out Stephen Colbert for spreading false accusations about the FCC, with spokesperson Davis Ingle referring to the host in a statement as "a pathetic train wreck with no talent and terrible ratings." Ingle added that Colbert's actions were "exactly why CBS canceled his show and is booting him off the airwaves."

Last month, the FCC issued a notice that daytime and late-night talk shows and programs must give equal time opportunities to opposing candidates, enforcing a longtime federal law that requires FCC-licensed broadcasters to allot the same amount of time to all candidates. The rule does not apply to bona fide newscasts and news interviews. 

Despite the false claims and CBS airing the interview on YouTube, Talarico used this as an opportunity to raise funds for his campaign, accusing the Trump administration of trying to "silence him." He shared a clip on X, stating, "This is the interview Donald Trump didn't want you to see. His FCC refused to air my interview with Stephen Colbert. Trump is worried we're about to flip Texas."

Talarico doubled down on the false claims during an interview with MSNOW. He stated, "The reason the Trump administration and their billionaire friends are trying to silence me and this movement is because they're worried that we are going to flip Texas in November."

Early voting in Texas kicked off on Tuesday for the March 3 primary. Talarico, a current state representative, is running for the US Senate seat against US Rep. Jasmine Crockett and Ahmad Hassan, a mortgage and real estate investor. The Republican candidates include Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, US Rep. Wesley Hunt, and longtime Senator John Cornyn.