On Tuesday afternoon, as public interest in the story grew, CBS issued a written statement insisting that Colbert was not prohibited from airing the Talarico interview. Rather, the network said the CBS lawyers “provided legal guidance,” which included “options for how the equal time for other candidates could be fulfilled.”
Soon after, while the host filmed Tuesday night’s show, Colbert referred to CBS’ statement as “crap” and picked up a copy of the statement in a dog waste bag. “I’m just so surprised that this giant global corporation would not stand up to these bullies,” he added.
The state legislator, who accused the FCC of “colluding” with CBS, told supporters at a rally in Austin, Texas, on Tuesday, “I think it’s safe to say that their plan backfired. 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.”
Interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiTJ7Pz_59A
I did watch it. Honestly the church-and-state bit was far from compelling. Not because I don’t believe in an ironclad separation, but because that feels like the minimum? It’s an easy win for the base and doesn’t feel differentiating.
But maybe I’m being too cynical, especially hearing it from a white guy who, again, came across to me as inauthentically polished when a chunk of the interview was also devoted to claims about disparaging comments he is alleged to have made.