This is the Feb.19, 2026, edition of “The Tea, Spilled by Morning Joe” newsletter. Subscribe hereto get it delivered straight to your inbox every Monday through Friday.
There are two systems of justice in America — one for Democrats, another for Republicans.
Democrats get prosecuted. Republicans get protected.
President Donald Trump’s apparatchiks try to indict U.S. senators while giving a free pass to GOP members of the Epstein class. Sen. Mark Kelly is hauled before a D.C. grand jury, yet Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick gets to keep his job.
A former president out of office for a quarter century is ordered to testify before Congress, while the current president avoids comparable scrutiny — despite his long association with Jeffrey Epstein.
Republicans are gleefully dragging Hillary Clinton before the House Oversight Committee, even though her interactions with Epstein were minimal. But not one Republican showed up yesterday for the deposition of a man who helped turn Epstein into a power broker.
“Without Les Wexner, there would have been no Rape Island or Lolita Express,” Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia told reporters afterward.
What does that mean to Trump Republicans?
Nothing.
After all, the billionaire donated $250,000 to the Republican National Committee in October and gave another $100,000 to Jon Husted, the Republican U.S. senator from Ohio facing a competitive race this year.
Sen. Husted then voted to block the Epstein files’ release.
Just as Attorney General Pam Bondi continues to block the release of additional Epstein documents.
Just as Republicans show once again that loyalty to Trump determines who faces scrutiny — and who does not.
“The law must take its course.”
— King Charles on the arrest of his brother Andrew
A CONVERSATION WITH REP. JAMES TALARICO
Texas state Rep. James Talarico said his campaign raised $2.5 million in the 24 hours after CBS pulled his planned appearance on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” — marking his biggest fundraising day yet. A clip from the unaired segment quickly went viral, drawing millions of views and driving a surge of donations. CBS denied Colbert’s accusation that the network had prohibited him from airing the interview
Talarico joined “Morning Joe” to discuss the CBS decision, the response that followed, and whether he can win a senate seat in Texas.
JS: When did you learn that your interview on CBS was going to be scrapped?
JT: We scheduled the interview with “The Late Show” weeks ago. Then, a few days beforehand, they informed us that CBS wasn’t going to allow it to air and that it would be on YouTube.
I was proud of Stephen Colbert and “The Late Show” for talking about that decision on the air and alerting Americans — because a threat to any of our First Amendment rights is a threat to all of our First Amendment rights.
I’m glad that so many Americans, Democrats and Republicans alike, are speaking out against this kind of government censorship.
JS: How many more people got to see that interview because of the controversy surrounding it?
JT: Many millions more than likely would have seen it otherwise. And that matters because this issue is so much bigger than our race or one television appearance.
You mentioned the fundraising number, but what I find most encouraging is that 2,000 people signed up to volunteer for our campaign within 24 hours of the interview’s release. So people are ready to fight back. They’re ready to stand up against this corruption and extremism.
JS: Representative, Texas has long been considered political fool’s gold for Democrats. Why do you think your campaign this year can be different?
JT: I’m an eighth-generation Texan. My family has been in our state since it was Mexico, and there’s a clear and growing frustration with government that I’m hearing from voters statewide.
I have been traveling all over Texas — to red areas and blue ones, to big cities and small towns. Thousands of Texans show up to rally with us. And I can’t tell you how many folks come up to me at the end of these events and whisper, “I’m not a Democrat,” like it’s some kind of secret.
We are bringing folks into this tent, into this coalition, because this is a lot bigger than the Democratic Party. It’s a lot bigger than the Republican Party. This is about whether or not we can save this American experiment in self-governance.
Statewide elections here have become more competitive over the past two decades. The trend line is clear. And this year, given what’s happening in this country, I think we’re going to shock a lot of people on election night in November.
ON THIS DATE
On this day in 1963, Betty Friedan released the book “The Feminine Mystique,” which launched the second-wave feminism of the late 1960s and 1970s. It is considered one of the most influential nonfiction books of the 20th century.
LEGAL BATTLE KICKS OFF OVER EPA CLIMATE DECISION
The Environmental Protection Agency is facing legal action after its decision last week to rescind its endangerment finding, the Obama-era scientific determination that greenhouse gases endanger public health.
That finding – backed by decades of science – served as the legal backbone for the pollution safeguards that followed.
Now, more than a dozen public health and environmental organizations are suing the agency.
“We’ve brought this case because of the impacts that this action will have on people’s everyday lives,” said Peter Zalzal of the Environmental Defense Fund, one of the groups challenging the move.
In a statement to MS NOW, the EPA said it had re-evaluated the Clean Air Act and concluded that the law does not authorize the agency to regulate vehicle emissions on the basis of climate concerns – a determination the agency says renders the endangerment finding invalid.
TWO SCOOPS OF SAD 😔
Nestle is going cold on ice cream.
The world’s biggest food company is selling its ice cream divisions after years of sluggish earnings.
On a recent call, CEO Philipp Navratil described the company’s six ice cream brands as a “distraction” from its broader portfolio.
Nestle isn’t alone in cleaning out its freezer. Unilever separated from its ice cream business last year, spinning off brands like Ben & Jerry’s, Klondike, and Breyers.
Our hearts are melting 🫠.
ONE MORE SHOT
As Fat Tuesday turns to Ash Wednesday, a man prays with ashes on his forehead as part of an Ash Wednesday service in Guadalajara, Mexico.
CATCH UP ON MORNING JOE
Former Rep. Joe Scarborough, R-Fla., is co-host of MS NOW's "Morning Joe" alongside Mika Brzezinski — a show that Time magazine calls "revolutionary." In addition to his career in television, Joe is a two-time New York Times best-selling author. His most recent book is "The Right Path: From Ike to Reagan, How Republicans Once Mastered Politics — and Can Again."