Stephen Colbert’s Unaired James Talarico Interview Hits 5.3 Million YouTube Views and Results in $2.5 Million Raised for Talarico’s Campaign in 24 Hours

“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” was blocked on Monday by CBS from broadcasting its interview with Texas State Rep. James Talarico — fearing retribution from the FCC. So, instead the conversation was posted on YouTube and other social media platforms, where at last count, the clip had been viewed more than 5.3 million times. Talarico also revealed on X that his campaign raised $2.5 million in the 24 hours after Colbert revealed he was barred from airing the interview.

That’s an astounding number for a video that has been up for less than 48 hours — and already puts it among the top political interviews that have ever been posted by “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” since its launch in 2015. It’s also easily the most-watched YouTube clip so far this year for “The Late Show” — and its most-watched Colbert clip since one in September, where the host celebrated the return of fellow…