Stephen Colbert's attempt to broadcast an interview with Texas Democratic state representative, James Talarico, has sparked controversy about the state of freedom of speech in America. Colbert claims CBS forced him to remove him from "The Late Show" due to federal “equal opportunities” rules against political candidates on broadcast TV without providing equal time to opponents. The Federal Communications Commission suggested that the equal time exemption, granted by the Bush administration to Jay Leno 20 years ago, no longer applies to late-night entertainment shows. CBS' parent company, Paramount Global, has decided to cancel the show after more than three decades. Polling in 2025 suggested that three-fourths of Americans believe the right to freely express themselves is headed in the wrong direction.