Democrat James Talarico is running for the U.S. Senate in Texas, but thanks to an act of presidential bullying and corporate kowtowing, his important message echoed across the land this week.

Fearing the sanction of President Donald Trump’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC) police, on Monday pigeon-hearted CBS executives killed Talarico’s interview with Stephen Colbert. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is already scheduled to go off the air in May — purely a “financial decision,” you understand — but this wasn’t designed as a test run. It was blatant censorship.

Wielding the FCC like a cudgel, the president continues to intimidate comedians and news networks. As Trump’s popularity slides and midterm elections approach, he doesn’t have to strain to see MAGA-red Texas losing steam and the Republicans’ hold on their majority in Congress slipping. And yet too often his attempts to bully the networks have worked.

Trump cowed CBS again but didn’t deter Colbert. He interviewed Talarico on his show’s YouTube channel. By Tuesday, the interview was ricocheting like a pinball on social media and racked up more than 3 million views in 19 hours, with unconfirmed estimates as high as 40 million. Talarico’s straight talk on the First Amendment and the rise of Christian nationalism was easier to find than a commercial for those hard-to-spell Big Pharma miracle cures. He also made international news.

In essence, Talarico’s message was simple: The First Amendment belongs to everyone and God doesn’t wear a MAGA cap. The deity is nonpartisan and Jesus is not a registered voter. With Trump fueling the fire, Christian nationalists have greatly expanded their influence in the Republican Party. They veil their racism and bigotry behind cross and flag. With their pinched political worldview, their disdain for those who differ is palpable. They’re doing real harm to the country they profess to love and the president adores them.

Seeking the Democratic nomination in the race to oust four-term incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), Talarico is an eighth-generation Texan, a state representative and the grandson of a Baptist preacher. He’s also a Presbyterian seminarian. In other words, he hasn’t just posed with the Bible, he’s actually read it.

He began by reminding us that Trump’s efforts to censor critics are real and dangerous.

“This is the party that ran against cancel culture, and now they’re trying to control what we watch, what we say, what we read,” he said. “And this is the most dangerous kind of cancel culture, the kind that comes from the top. They went after The View because I went on there. They went after Jimmy Kimmel for telling a joke they didn’t like. They went after you (Colbert), for telling the truth about Paramount’s bribe to Donald Trump.

“Corporate media executives are selling out the First Amendment to curry favor with corrupt politicians. A threat to any of our First Amendment rights is a threat to all of our First Amendment rights.”

Then the grandson of a preacher did a little preaching himself.

“Jesus in Matthew 25 tells us exactly how you and I and all of our fellow believers are going to be judged and how we’re going to be saved: By feeding the hungry, by healing the sick, by welcoming the stranger,” he said. “Nothing about going to church, nothing about voting Republican. It’s all about how you treat other people. I’ve said before, don’t tell me what you believe, show me how you treat other people and I’ll tell you what you believe.”

Another gem related to him from his grandfather: “When I was little, he told me that Christianity was a simple religion — not an easy religion, he would always clarify — but a simple religion because Jesus gave us two commandments: Love God and love neighbor — and there was no exception to that second commandment. Love thy neighbor regardless of race or gender, or sexual orientation or immigration status or religious affiliation.”

And then there’s something that puts the dangerous rise of Christian nationalism in our country into its proper perspective:

“When the church gets too cozy with political power, it loses its prophetic voice, its ability to speak truth to power, its ability to imagine a completely different world. And so, this separation between church and state is something we have to safeguard. It’s something we have to fight for, and I think we need someone in the U.S. Senate who is going to confront Christian nationalism and tell the truth, which is that there’s nothing Christian about Christian nationalism. It is the worship of power in the name of Christ and it is a betrayal of Jesus of Nazareth. …

“What you’ve got is people baptizing their partisanship and calling it Christianity. When in reality your politics should grow out of your faith, not the other way around.”

By Wednesday, the outwardly humble Talarico was crowing on social media about the $2.5 million his campaign raised in the previous 24 hours. Although it fed the fever of those who would demand equal time according to Trump’s version of the FCC’s doctrine, it was an even greater reminder that attempts at censorship often backfire on those who seek to control the First Amendment.

After listening to Talarico’s powerful message, it’s no wonder one of the most powerful men in the world tried to stop him from delivering it.

John L. Smith is an author and longtime columnist. He was born in Henderson and his family’s Nevada roots go back to 1881. His stories have appeared in New Lines, Time, Reader’s Digest, Rolling Stone, The Daily Beast, Reuters and Desert Companion, among others.