Tags: brandon gill | james talarico | texas | stephen colbert

Rep. Gill to Newsmax: Talarico Being Propped Up by Dems

By    |   Wednesday, 18 February 2026 09:04 PM EST

Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, told Newsmax on Wednesday that James Talarico, a Democrat who is running for Senate in Texas, is the biggest beneficiary of the controversy involving his interview with Stephen Colbert.

Colbert said Monday that the network's lawyers barred him from airing an interview with Talarico, a Texas state representative. "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" was reportedly not prohibited from airing an interview with Talarico, but was advised the broadcast could violate Federal Communications Commission equal-time rules.

"It's amazing how good of a fundraiser Stephen Colbert is," Gill said on "Rob Schmitt Tonight." "This whole deal was a massive fundraising stunt."

Gill pointed out they weren't demanding Colbert interview any of the Republicans running for Senate, but were demanding he give equal time to Talarico's primary opponent, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas.

"This was an internecine Democrat war that Stephen Colbert wanted to put his thumb on the scale on," Gill said. "Talarico was able to make a big stink out of this with Colbert's help and raise $2.5 million within 24 hours of this pseudo scandal."

"I mean, it's really grotesque," Gill added. "It shows how just absolutely dishonest these people are."

Gill said Talarico is another candidate being propped up by the Democrat elite.

"He's like a straight Pete Buttigieg," Gill said. "He's very articulate but not very appealing to most Americans. But the Democrat elite have been propping him up. And yet most people don't like him. They don't find him appealing. And when we dig in just a little bit more deeply, you realize how absolutely, insanely leftist this guy is."

"This is a guy who has comments on the record referring to God as non-binary," Gill continued. "Whether it's Talarico, whether it's Jasmine Crockett, whoever it is who wins the Democrat primary, Republicans are going to win in November."

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Sam Barron

Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.

© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.


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Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, told Newsmax on Wednesday that James Talarico, a Democrat who is running for Senate in Texas, is the biggest beneficiary of the controversy involving his interview with Stephen Colbert.
brandon gill, james talarico, texas, stephen colbert
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2026-04-18
Wednesday, 18 February 2026 09:04 PM
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