Joe Scarborough says James Talarico won Texas because the GOP made a stupid move
Don’t mess with Texas…voters who care about the First Amendment – or “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
On Wednesday’s episode of MS NOW “Mañana Joe”, presenter Joe Scarborough He argued that one of the main reasons why state Rep. James Talarico defeated Rep. Jasmine Crockett in the Democratic primary for the Texas Senate was because he gained a lot of visibility after his “Late Show” controversy.

getty
Last month, Talarico and Colbert said that The Federal Communications Commission “colluded” with News executives to keep an interview he did with him on the “Late Show” off the air.
This isn’t the first time Colbert has taken on his network overlords and President Donald Trump’s appointed FCC chairman, Brendan Carr. Last year, News announced that it would cancel “The Late Show” in May 2026 after Colbert trashed News parent company Paramount Global for settle a lawsuit with the president – a move that critics felt threatened freedom of expression.
“I swear, I just wish these Republicans weren’t so stupid. I wish they would listen to me. I’m trying to help them out here a little bit, just to make it a fair fight in the fall,” Scarborough said Wednesday of Talarico’s victory in the Texas Democratic Senate primary. “But what did we say? What did we say? First of all, when they took Colbert off the air? You’re going to pay for it. They He did pay it off with ‘South Park’ three or four days laterand decide they will bow even further. Good?”
Scarborough continued: “And here they try to keep Talarico off the show. What’s wrong? They give him a push. If you talk to Jasmine Crockett, she’ll say the same thing.” — “I was ahead until that controversy.” So the same person they were trying to defeat, the same person whose message scared them, is the same person they helped win this race!
Scarborough concluded his reflections on the Senate primary by saying that Republicans need to relax their attempts to “game the system” through underhanded tricks.
“It keeps happening over and over again. They think they can game the system. They think somehow they’re going to be able to win. In the end, the voters have the final say,” Scarborough said.
“,”guy”:”video”,”goal”:{“author”:”News themezone”,”author_url”:”https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZfsrIV68Oegr5bJgAMLBDA”,”cache_age”:86400,”options”:{“_cc_load_policy”:{“label”:”Closed Captions”,”worth”:FAKE},”_end”:{“label”:”Finish the”,”placeholder”:”ex.: 11, 1m10s”,”worth”:””},”_begin”:{“label”:”Start from”,”placeholder”:”ex.: 11, 1m10s”,”worth”:””}},”supplier_name”:”YouTube”,”thumbnail_height”:720,”thumbnail_url”:”https://i.ytimg.com/vi/1ZkHxk1OP-U/maxresdefault.jpg”,”thumbnail_width”:1280,”qualification”:”Joe Scarborough says James Talarico won Texas because the GOP made a ‘stupid’ move”,”guy”:”video”,”URL”:”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZkHxk1OP-U”,”version”:”1.0″},”flags”:[],”improvements”:{},”complete bleeding”:FAKE,”options”:{“issue”:”news”,”device”:”office”,”editionInfo”:{“ID”:”us”,”name”:”US”,”link”:”https://www.News themezone.com”,”place”:”y_US”},”Original edition”:”us”,”esMapi”:FAKE,”esAmp”:FAKE,”it’s mobile”:FAKE,”esAdsFree”:FAKE,”enVideoEntry”:FAKE,”enEntry”:TRUE,”also mount”:FAKE,”Entry ID”:”69a87150e4b0b7f2ce60e165″,”entryPermanent link”:”https://www.News themezone.com/entry/joe-scarborough-james-talarico-won-texas-because-gop-pulled-1-stupid-move_n_69a87150e4b0b7f2ce60e165″,”entryTagsList”:”texas,stephen-colbert,joe-scarborough,elections-2026,james-talarico,@us_News themezone_now”,”sectionSlug”:”policy”,”departmentSlug”:”news-politics”,”sectionRedirectUrl”:null,”subcategories”:””,”it is wide”:FAKE,”enShopping”:FAKE,”Override header”:null,”no video ads”:FAKE,”disable float”:FAKE,”is native”:FAKE,”commercialVideo”:{“supplier”:”habit”,”site_and_category”:”we.politics”,”package”:null},”enHighline”:FAKE,”vidibleConfigValues”:{“cid”:”60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf”,”cancels”:{“front_page_top_videos”:{“office”:”60b64354b171b7444beaff4d”,”mobile web”:”60b64354b171b7444beaff4d”},”top_media”:{“office”:”60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147″,”mobile”:”60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee”,”iPhone”:”60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6″,”iPad”:”60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6″,”android phone”:”60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c”,”android tablet”:”60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c”},”anthology”:{“office”:”60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba”,”mobile”:”60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66″,”iPhone”:”60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6″,”iPad”:”60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6″,”android phone”:”60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c”,”android tablet”:”60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c”},”content”:{“office”:”60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba”,”mobile”:”60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66″,”iPhone”:”60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6″,”iPad”:”60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6″,”android phone”:”60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c”,”android tablet”:”60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c”}},”playerUpdates”:{“5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6″:”60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443″,”56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8″:”60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81″,”5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f”:”60b8e355cdd90620331ba185″,”58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895″:”60b64316b171b7444beafdb2″,”58b74698f78ced31417819ae”:”60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52″,”58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1″:”60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5″,”58cff690d85a100b9992bc39″:”60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba”,”58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d”:”60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6″,”58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180″:”60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66″,”58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7″:”60b643c82e76be41f112735c”,”592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd”:”60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c”,”5b35266b158f855373e28256″:”60b64354b171b7444beaff4d”,”5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a”:”60b64440b171b7444beb040b”,”5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9″:”60b646102e76be41f1127ffc”,”5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f”:”60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147″,”5c477987a6b48b35f164773d”:”60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee”,”5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371″:”60b8e747cdd90620331bb861″,”5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2″:”60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b”,”5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6″:”60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9″,”58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321″:”60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c”,”58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3″:”60d0dic19340d7032ad115a0″,”58cff8eccebcea42931e0436″:”60d0e005b627221e9d819d44″,”592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b”:”60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf”,”58cff72fd85a100b9992c112″:”60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da”,”56b4d34fe4b022697697c400″:”60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443″,”60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d”:”60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81″}},”connatixConfigValues”:{“default player”:”ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b”,”click to play player”:”d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0″,”video page player”:”f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145″,”vertical player”:”e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065″,”StickyPlayerControl”:”52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da”,”sticky player”:”8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22″,”noAdsPlayer”:”deeeda04-49cb-4a1d-ac6c-c388a685b58e”,”life page player”:”e1d799d2-2d81-4f27-bfa0-e6833a6576 59″,”noLifePagePlayer”:”6f2f7532-1bdc-4d9d-806b-8109a4010559″,”adLightDesktopPlayer”:”014f5956-89c0-4fda-9201-b1c2b8232be5″,”adLightMobilePlayer”:”b74a8200-8881-451a-b3ae-e3479c486eac”},”topConnatixThumnbailSrc”:”https://img.connatix.com/e594d7bf-63b9-4b6e-86ae-5bf85d5e2b60/1_th.jpg?crop=629:354,smart&width=629&height=354&format=jpeg&quality=60&fit=crop”,”custom amplifier components”:[],”ampAssetsUrl”:”https://amp.assets.News themezone.com”,”videoTraits”:null,”position in units units”:{“head_buzz”:{“count”:0},”body_buzz”:{“count”:0},”buzz_bottom”:{“count”:0}},”position in subunits”:{“article_body”:{“count”:11},”summary_blog”:{“count”:0},”before_going_happy”:{“count”:0}},”connatixCountsHelper”:{“cont ar”:1},”buzzfeedTracking”:{“context_page_id”:”69a87150e4b0b7f2ce60e165″,”context_page_type”:”buzz”,”destination”:”anger post”,”mode”:”office”,”page_edit”:”es-us”},”labels”:[{[{“name”:”Texas”,”slug”:”Texas”,”golf course”:{“relative link”:”theme/texas”,”permanent link”:”https://www.News themezone.com/topic/texas”,”mobileWebLink”:”https://www.News themezone.com/topic/texas”},”department”:{“name”:”Latest news”,”slug”:”news-politics”},”section”:{“qualification”:”US News”,”slug”:”us-news”},”issue”:{“qualification”:”Texas”,”slug”:”Texas”,”overrides section tag”:FAKE},”URL”:”https://www.News themezone.com/news/topic/texas”},{“name”:”Stephen Colbert”,”slug”:”stephen colbert”,”golf course”:{“relative link”:”theme/stephen-colbert”,”permanent link”:”https://www.News themezone.com/topic/stephen-colbert”,”mobileWebLink”:”https://www.News themezone.com/topic/stephen-colbert”},”department”:{“name”:”Entertainment”,”slug”:”entertainment”},”section”:{“qualification”:”Comedy”,”slug”:”comedy”},”issue”:{“qualification”:”Stephen Colbert”,”slug”:”stephen colbert”,”overrides section tag”:FAKE},”URL”:”https://www.News themezone.com/entertainment/topic/stephen-colbert”},{“name”:”Joe Scarborough”,”slug”:”joe scarborough”,”golf course”:{“relative link”:”theme/joe-scarborough”,”permanent link”:”https://www.News themezone.com/topic/joe-scarborough”,”mobileWebLink”:”https://www.News themezone.com/topic/joe-scarborough”},”department”:{“name”:”Latest news”,”slug”:”news-politics”},”section”:{“qualification”:”Media”,”slug”:”media”},”issue”:{“qualification”:”Joe Scarborough”,”slug”:”joe scarborough”,”overrides section tag”:FAKE},”URL”:”https://www.News themezone.com/news/topic/joe-scarborough”},{“name”:”Elections 2026″,”slug”:”elections 2026″,”golf course”:{“relative link”:”topic/2026-elections”,”permanent link”:”https://www.News themezone.com/topic/2026-elections”,”mobileWebLink”:”https://www.News themezone.com/topic/2026-elections”},”department”:{“name”:”Latest news”,”slug”:”news-politics”},”section”:{“qualification”:”Policy”,”slug”:”policy”},”issue”:{“qualification”:”Elections 2026″,”slug”:”2026-elections”,”overrides section tag”:FAKE},”URL”:”https://www.News themezone.com/news/topic/2026-elections”},{“name”:”James Talarico”,”slug”:”james-talarico”,”golf course”:{“relative link”:”theme/james-talarico”,”permanent link”:”https://www.News themezone.com/topic/james-talarico”,”mobileWebLink”:”https://www.News themezone.com/topic/james-talarico”},”URL”:”https://www.News themezone.com/topic/james-talarico”}],”enLiveblogLive”:null,”enLiveblog”:FAKE,”Login URL”:”https://login.News themezone.com/login?dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.News themezone.com%2Fentry%2Fjoe-scarborough-james-talarico-won-texas-because-gop-pulled-1-stupid-move_n_69a87150e4b0b7f2ce60e165%3Fhp_auth_done%3D1″,”cet unit”:”body_buzz”,”enableIncontentPlayer”:FAKE,”bodyAds”:[[“
rnrn”,”
rnrn”,”
rnrn”],”ad count”:0,”midArticleAdPartner”:null},”enCollectionEmbed”:false}”>
C.B.S. denied Talarico and Colbert’s allegation over the interview spiked, saying the show received legal guidance that airing Talarico’s interview could “trigger the FCC’s equal time rule,” meaning Colbert could also have to interview the other candidates involved in the Texas Senate primary race if he aired Talarico’s.

News Photo Archive via Getty Images
Crockett, whose profile has increased significantly thanks to some very memorable moments at the Congressmay have seen the writing on the wall regarding his Senate primary ambitions after Talarico gained a lot of public interest after his interview with Colbert was pulled. After his opponent accused the FCC and News of horseplay, Crockett made his point clear. tell the press the same thing as News he said about the situation.
Crockett said he received information suggesting that News did not air the interview “for fear that the FCC would tell them something, and that maybe they would have advised them to include me and then they could clear it up. My understanding is that someone, somewhere, decided we just don’t want to do that.”
He added that while he has “no love for the current FCC,” he did think “there are additional layers at play here.”
Related


