Maher’s Sneaky Question to Schiff on Military Action

On a recent episode of “Real Time,” host Bill Maher invited Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) to discuss the U.S. attack on Iran. As the conversation unfolded, Maher seemed to set a trap regarding military strikes, aiming to challenge Schiff’s understanding of presidential authority.

Initially, Maher quoted a statement asserting that “the president had the constitutional authority to direct the use of military force,” suggesting this was tied to national interest. He asked Schiff if he thought this reasoning was too vague.

Schiff replied, perhaps a bit naively, “I’m completely vague,” assuming the quote originated from the Trump administration.

Then Maher revealed the surprise twist: “Okay, that’s from Obama about Libya,” catching Schiff off guard. This commentary was part of the legal justification used during the Obama administration’s involvement in NATO’s military action in Libya back in 2011.

Unaware that he had been quoting Obama, Schiff focused on justifying those words, shifting the discussion to a previous Obama-era debate concerning potential military action in Syria. He pointed out that Obama hesitated to act against Assad, despite acknowledging his regime’s brutality, worried it would cost him support in Congress.

While Schiff advocated for Congress to reclaim its constitutional power regarding war declarations—a stance he felt was neglected under Trump—he avoided criticizing Obama’s actions directly.

“We are undoubtedly at war now,” Schiff remarked, referencing the Founding Fathers’ intent to limit presidential war powers, which Hamilton discussed. He cautioned that allowing presidents to act unilaterally could prove dangerous for the nation.

Schiff concluded with a warning about how presidents might increasingly sidestep Congress in matters of military engagement, threatening to create a scenario where they could declare war for any reason at any time.