Stephen Colbert’s Unaired James Talarico Interview Hits 5.3 Million YouTube Views and Results in $2.5 Million Raised for Talarico’s Campaign in 24 Hours

“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” was blocked on Monday by CBS from broadcasting its interview with Texas State Rep. James Talarico — fearing retribution from the FCC. So, instead the conversation was posted on YouTube and other social media platforms, where at last count, the clip had been viewed more than 5.3 million times. […] Home TV News Feb 18, 2026 6:46am PT Stephen Colbert’s Unaired James Talarico Interview Hits 5.3 Million YouTube Views and Results in $2.5 Million Raised for Talarico’s Campaign in 24 Hours By Michael Schneider Plus Icon Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large franklinavenue Latest Stephen Colbert’s Unaired James Talarico Interview Hits 5.3 Million YouTube Views and Results in $2.5 Million Raised for Talarico’s Campaign in 24 Hours 6 minutes ago ‘Ghosts’ Adds John Michael Higgins and Emmy Winner Jeff Hiller as Guest Stars (EXCLUSIVE) 21 hours ago ‘Reservation Dogs’ Star D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai Joins Netflix’s ‘Breakers’ With Antony Starr 2 days ago See All CBS/YouTube “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” was blocked on Monday by CBS from broadcasting its interview with Texas State Rep. James Talarico — fearing retribution from the FCC. So, instead the conversation was posted on YouTube and other social media platforms, where at last count, the clip had been viewed more than 5.3 million times. Talarico also revealed on X that his campaign raised $2.5 million in the 24 hours after Colbert revealed he was barred from airing the interview. Related Stories 'The Lincoln Lawyer' Season 4 Debuts With 9 Million Views in Four Days