The Charlie Kirk Show

Episode: "Stephen Colbert's FCC Hoax and Virginia's Democrat Power Grab"
Date: February 20, 2026
Host: Charlie Kirk
Guests: Glenn Sturtevant (Virginia State Senator), Brendan Carr (FCC Chairman), others

Episode Overview

In this episode, Charlie Kirk and co-hosts dive into two headline-grabbing stories:

1. Virginia’s Democrat-led redistricting "power grab"—focusing on constitutional and legal battles over proposed changes to the state’s congressional map.
2. The Stephen Colbert/FCC "hoax"—addressing viral claims that the FCC censored a Colbert show interview with political candidate James Talarico, and untangling misinformation.

Additional discussions include the economic and cultural consequences of political decisions in Virginia and Illinois (highlighted by sports franchise moves), critiques of the ESPN programming shift, recent Olympic and sports patriotism, and a segment on Trump’s new international "Board of Peace" coalition.

The tone is unapologetically conservative, combative, and laced with signature Kirk humor and skepticism about Democratic motives and legacy media narratives.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Virginia’s Redistricting Battle: Allegations of a “Power Grab”

[01:09 – 09:41]

The Story

• Virginia Democrats are accused of jamming through a constitutional amendment to reclaim gerrymandering powers, reversing a 5-year-old nonpartisan redistricting system.
• The plan would make Virginia’s congressional split 10-1 Democrat-Republican in a state that was only D+6 in the 2024 presidential election.
• Legal challenges are ongoing; a trial court found Democrats violated constitutional protocols, but the Virginia Supreme Court is deferring a decision until after an April 21 referendum.

Notable Quotes

• Blake: "They're getting the courts to sign, the Supreme Court to sign off on things that are incredibly suspect. Basically, for the sake of pure power politics." [01:28]
• Glenn Sturtevant: "...we prevailed in the trial court. The judge...found that Democrats had violated the constitution and several provisions of Virginia law..." [04:28]
• Blake: "There's this insanity to it because you just know...then the Supreme Court has this excuse, well, we can't roll back this referendum and overturn the will of the voters." [05:40]
• Glenn Sturtevant: "Most fair minded people...recognize that...the judicial branch exists for cases like this." [07:20]

Insights

• The Democrat-led General Assembly is portrayed as exploiting procedural loopholes and misleading ballot language (e.g., promising to “restore fairness”).
• The Supreme Court’s decision to postpone intervention, Charlie says, allows the process to become “irrevocable” if the referendum passes.
• Republican-controlled courts and Democrat-controlled legislatures’ roles are examined, with worries about long-term precedent.

2. Economic Fallout: Boeing Leaves Virginia, Chicago Bears Eye Move

[10:51 – 17:24]

Main Points

• Boeing: Announces plans to move its defense headquarters out of Virginia post-election of Democratic Governor Abigail Spamberger, citing “anti-business tax regulatory burdens.” [11:05]
• Chicago Bears: Considering a move from Illinois to Indiana due to regulatory and political challenges in Chicago, echoing common complaints about Democratic governance disincentivizing business and growth. [12:06–14:32]

Notable Quotes

• Charlie Kirk: "If you want to compete, you gotta compete—this is the problem with Democrats in general is they're not willing to think business first." [15:43]

Insights

• These examples are held up as "real-world consequences" of progressive, regulatory policies: jobs lost, cities unable to modernize, and major sports franchises seeking friendlier environments.

3. ESPN and the Shift in Sports Culture

[17:38 – 18:43]

• ESPN is criticized for replacing Sunday Night Baseball with Women’s Sports Sundays, ridiculed as a move that will “voluntarily lose money and ratings.”
• The segment plays into wider culture war themes: media catering to political correctness at the expense of traditional American pastimes.

Quotes

• Blake: "I have a better nickname for it. Which is ESPN's lowest ratings ever Sunday." [17:48]
• Charlie Kirk: "The ESPN used to be appointment viewing for young men...now you're just getting like, feminism, drivel." [18:43]

4. The Colbert FCC “Hoax” Explained

[20:51 – 30:18]

The Viral Claim

• Politician James Talarico claimed the FCC prevented CBS/Colbert from airing an interview with him—a story propelled by Colbert, media figures, and fundraising appeals.

The FCC’s Reality Check

• Brendan Carr (FCC Chairman) clearly denies any FCC involvement: "The FCC had allegedly refused to air an interview which simply did not happen...I learned about this completely, totally after the fact." [20:58]
• Clarifies the “equal time rule”: only requires that all legally qualified candidates in the same race (e.g., Talarico and Jasmine Crockett) receive comparable opportunity, not exclusion or censorship. [23:18–25:09]
• CBS/Colbert could have aired the interview, provided they extended an invitation to the rival candidate. Most networks have always claimed the “bona fide news” exemption to bypass the rule, but the FCC says that's not automatically true.
• The blowup is described as “Dem on Dem violence”—intra-party jockeying turned into a viral media story.

Notable Quotes

• Brendan Carr: "This is Dem on Dem violence...that they're just trying to merchandise as having something to do with Trump or the fcc. And again, it had zero to do with us." [21:49]
• Charlie Kirk: "They are turning it into like World War Three over here that you guys are the biggest, baddest bullies." [25:09]
• Brendan Carr: "The whole point of the rule was that Congress came in and said we don't want media elites, media gatekeepers, deciding the outcomes...We want the people to do it." [28:30]

Timestamps for Notable Segments

• [20:51] – Kirk introduces Brendan Carr and asks for explanation
• [21:49] – Carr’s summary: “Dem on Dem violence”
• [23:18] – Carr details the equal time rule mechanics
• [25:09] – Kirk on media feeding the hoax
• [28:30] – Carr on Congressional intent behind equal time

Insights

• The hoax story spread because it fit “legacy media” and social media biases.
• The episode is used to illustrate declining trust in mainstream media and increasing manipulation for political/viral fundraising gains.

5. Sports Patriotism and Olympic Contrasts

[31:43 – 35:56]

Main Points

• The US hockey team’s Olympic success and Quinn Hughes’ patriotic remarks are celebrated as examples of proper “country-loving” athletes.
• Contrasted with other athletes (e.g., Eileen Gu), who are cast as opportunistically “woke” or apolitical depending on the market.

Quotes

• Quinn Hughes (Athlete): "I mean, you know, I love the US and it's the greatest country in the world. So happy to represent it here with these guys." [32:48]
• Charlie Kirk (agreeing): "Greatest country in the world. Happy to represent it here with these guys. It's really special." [33:01]

Insights

• The press is criticized for baiting athletes into political controversy when “most just want to play.”
• The contrast of American athletes with foreign-born athletes representing other countries is used to highlight the alleged cultural and moral strengths (or failings) of the US sports landscape.

6. Trump’s “Board of Peace” and International Diplomacy

[36:38 – 39:21]

Main Points

• Donald Trump hosts a new, alternative multinational diplomatic forum—the “Board of Peace”—with global figures (including Javier Milei, Tony Blair, etc.), seen as a deliberate snub to the UN.
• The move is portrayed as both a boon to American economic interests and a challenge to the global diplomatic order.

Notable Quotes

• Donald Trump (statement): "This creates incredible prosperity for the American people...the countries represented here represent trillions of dollars of investment..." [37:06]
• Blake: "Imagine leaders competing to see who can end the most wars." [38:59]
• Charlie Kirk: "He has a great track record ending wars. So let's hope, let's pray for peace." [38:59]

Insights

• The coalition is celebrated as a “coalition of the willing,” sidestepping what Kirk sees as ineffective international organizations.
• The segment concludes with an explicit call for peace and trust in elected leaders.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• On the Virginia redistricting: "It's a Democrat playbook." [01:18]
• On ESPN changes: "I have a better nickname for it...ESPN's lowest ratings ever Sunday." [17:48]
• On Colbert/FCC hoax: "This is Dem on Dem violence...they're just trying to merchandise as having something to do with Trump or the FCC." [21:49, Brendan Carr]
• On US Olympic athletes: "Greatest country in the world. Happy to represent it here with these guys. It's really special." [33:01, Charlie Kirk echoing Quinn Hughes]
• On Trump’s “Board of Peace”: "Imagine leaders competing to see who can end the most wars." [38:59, Blake]

Important Timestamps

• Virginia redistricting deep dive: [01:09–09:41]
• Sports business and politics (Boeing, Bears): [10:51–17:24]
• ESPN, sports programming discussion: [17:38–18:43]
• Brendan Carr debunks FCC/Colbert hoax: [20:51–30:18]
• Olympics, patriotism, and the media: [31:43–35:56]
• Trump’s “Board of Peace” and closing remarks: [36:38–39:21]

Summary for New Listeners

This episode blends deep policy dives (redistricting, FCC law), media skepticism, humor, and patriotic storytelling. The biggest takeaways are a detailed review of legal/political maneuvers in Virginia—a microcosm of wider national battles—and a clear debunking of media-fueled FCC “censorship” hysteria. In all, it’s a rallying call for grassroots activism, rigorous skepticism of progressive narratives, and firm support for “America First” principles, within and beyond US borders.