After Colbert-CBS Rift, Interview With Texas Senate Candidate James Talarico Draws 85M Views Across YouTube & Social
Stephen Colbert and guest Rep. James TalaricoScott Kowalchyk/CBS
EXCLUSIVE – An interview by Stephen Colbert with U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico intended for broadcast on CBS but instead posted only online has now drawn 85 million views across YouTube and social media.
Stats on online viewing were provided to Deadline by measurement firm Tubular Labs. Over the past 72 hours, the company said, 1,320 video uploads featuring Colbert and Talarico have been registered across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook. The videos have generated more than 8 million engagements, with the 85 million figure stemming from any viewing session lasting at least two seconds.
The most-watched individual clip, notably, is the full 15-minute interview. It has collected more than 7.5 million views, more than twice the daily average viewing level of Colbert’s YouTube channel.
The video player is currently playing an ad. You can skip the ad in 5 sec with a mouse or keyboard
On YouTube, Colbert’s own page has accounted for 39% of views related to the interview. On TikTok, where the show leaned into promotion, the share hit 53%.
On Tuesday, Colbert voiced objections to what he says was pressure by CBS lawyers to not air the interview with Talarico, who is running in the Democratic Senate primary in Texas. Network lawyers later insisted that they had not told Colbert he couldn’t air the segment.
The backdrop of the clash is a series of moves by CBS parent Paramount, which paid a settlement to President Trump last summer to resolve a lawsuit he had filed over a 60 Minutes segment. Legal analysts unanimously felt there was no merit to the suit. Soon after the $16 million settlement was paid, the merger of Skydance and Paramount gained approval from federal regulators. Paramount is now battling to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery and a similar regulatory dance is under way as the media company looks to elbow out Netflix, which has an accepted offer in palce.
Pressure is also mounting on talk shows in multiple dayparts to adhere to long-un-enforced federal rules stipulating “equal time” between political parties featured on the public airwaves. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has made the rule a key priority, confirming this week that an enforcement action is underway at ABC’s The View. NBC also drew criticism from Carr in the fall of 2024 (before he became commissioner of the FCC) over a sketch featuring Kamala Harris on Saturday Night Live.
Along with the groundswell of online viewing, Talarico’s campaign raised $2.5 million in the wake of the clash between Colbert and CBS.
News
A QUIET AFTERNOON TURNED DEADLY — WHO WAS REALLY TARGETED? Three people killed, a fourth fighting for his life. On April 17, 2026, gunmen opened fire on a group standing outside a barbershop. Authorities say it was a targeted attack, but nothing adds up. What were the real motives behind this broad daylight tragedy? 📌 Full story in the comments below 👇
THEY WERE JUST STANDING OUTSIDE — THEN GUNFIRE ERUPTED AND THREE LIVES WERE GONE IN SECONDS THEY WERE JUST STANDING OUTSIDE — THEN GUNFIRE ERUPTED AND THREE LIVES WERE GONE IN SECONDS It was an ordinary Friday afternoon. The kind of moment that blends into everyday life. People outside. Conversations happening. Cars passing by. […]
THE UNTOLD STORY OF CJ CROXTON JR. – A LIFE HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT CJ Croxton Jr. should have been surrounded by joy, love, and safety. Instead, his life was a terrifying secret, one that no one ever thought to uncover. What authorities discovered after his tragic death will haunt you—uncovering the chilling reality of a life lived in the shadows. What really happened behind closed doors? 📌 Full story in the comments
Toxic Childhood: A Life Surrounded by Drugs, Reptiles, and Neglect A heartbreaking tragedy has unfolded that paints a horrifying picture of a child’s life surrounded by danger, neglect, and substances no child should ever encounter. Two-year-old CJ Croxton Jr. died under circumstances that have stunned authorities and the public alike. The toxic cocktail of neglect, […]
“UNANSWERED QUESTIONS: WHY DID A TEACHER MURDER A FAMILY DURING A HIKING TRIP?” A family outing to enjoy nature ended in terror. Clinton and Cristen Brink were murdered by 28-year-old teacher Andrew James McGann, leaving their daughters to survive. Now, as the death penalty looms, the question remains: what led to this brutal act of violence? 📌 Full story in the comments
Teacher Faces Death Penalty as Court Confirms Capital Murder Case Involving Brutal Stabbing of Parents During Family Hike While Children Miraculously Survive A judge has ruled that prosecutors may pursue the death penalty against 28-year-old Andrew James McGann, accused of murdering Clinton David Brink, 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, while they were hiking with […]
A NAME BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT… AND PEOPLE ARE ASKING WHY. The Idaho Four case is making waves again as Kaylee Goncalves’ ex-boyfriend, Jack D., is being discussed across social media. 😨 Kaylee’s family has publicly spoken in his defense, saying they believe he had no involvement. But at the same time, one thing continues to raise questions for many following the case — the lack of clear, updated information about his official status. ⚖️ That gap is now fueling intense online debate. Some are pointing to past statements, others to recent reactions, trying to piece together what it all means. But so far, authorities have not announced anything new tying him to the investigation. And that’s where the tension lies — between what’s being said publicly… and what hasn’t been confirmed. Because in a case like this, silence can sometimes raise as many questions as answers. 📌 👉 Read more in the comments below…
MOSCOW, IDAHO Jack D Splits Kaylee’s Family|Dad Won’t Declare Jack’s Innocence In a 𝓈𝒽𝓸𝒸𝓀𝒾𝓃𝑔 twist in the ongoing investigation surrounding the tragic deaths of the Idaho Four, Kaylee Goncalves’ family has publicly defended her ex-boyfriend, Jack D, while raising eyebrows about the lack of clarity surrounding his status as a suspect. Despite the family’s unwavering […]
SHE WAS JUST PLAYING OUTSIDE… AND THEN EVERYTHING CHANGED. Sequoya had no idea about the argument, the tension, or the anger building somewhere else. She was just a little girl enjoying a normal moment. 😢 But that conflict didn’t stay where it started. According to reports, what began as an online dispute escalated into something far more dangerous — until it spilled into real life. And in seconds, the sound of gunfire replaced what should have been a quiet day. 🚨 Witnesses say chaos followed. People ran. And Sequoya… tried to get away. She never had a chance. Her mother’s scream came moments later — a sound no parent should ever have to make. 💔 A life taken, not because of who she was… but because of choices made far beyond her world. Now, her story is forcing people to confront a painful reality: how quickly anger can spread… and who it can ultimately reach. 📌 👉 Read more in the comments below…
A Life Taken Too Soon: How a Social Media Dispute Turned Into a Tragedy That Claimed 9-Year-Old Sequoya Bacon-Jones It was an ordinary day in a neighborhood where children often played outside, their laughter echoing through the courtyard as families went about their routines. For 9-year-old Sequoya Bacon-Jones, it was just another moment of childhood, […]
FROM A NORMAL NIGHT… TO UNTHINKABLE LOSS BY MORNING. A case unfolding in Louisiana is leaving people searching for answers after 8 children were killed in a series of shootings. 😨💔 Authorities have identified the suspect as 31-year-old Shamar Elkins, who allegedly carried out the attacks across three homes before being stopped by police. The ages of the victims — some as young as 1 year old — have only deepened the heartbreak surrounding the case. ⚰️ Two women were also shot, one left in critical condition, as the situation escalated rapidly. Now, attention is turning to what happened before it all unfolded — including a social media post shared just hours earlier that is now raising unsettling questions. 📌 👉 Read more in the comments below…
BEHIND THE UNIFORM: THE PSYCHOLOGICAL DECAY OF SHAMAR ELKINS! THE DARKEST EASTER AFTERMATH: The “Model Father” and the Rooftop Secret SHREVEPORT, LA — The white picket fence on West 79th Street used to symbolize a bustling, growing family. Today, it stands as a silent witness to an event so harrowing that even veteran investigators are being […]
End of content
No more pages to load
