A tense exchange on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher drew attention after Sen. Adam Schiff criticized a statement about presidential war powers—before learning the quote actually came from the Obama administration. The moment highlighted the ongoing debate in Washington about whether U.S. presidents should be able to authorize military action without approval from Congress.
Bill Maher Challenges Adam Schiff on War Powers
During Friday’s episode of Real Time, host Bill Maher read a statement about presidential authority to use military force and asked Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., if he believed the language was too vague.
Maher quoted the statement:
“The president had the constitutional authority to direct the use of military force because he could reasonably determine that such use of force was in the national interest.”
Schiff immediately responded that the language was “totally vague.”
Maher then interrupted him and revealed the statement actually came from the Obama administration’s legal justification for military action in Libya in 2011, not from the Trump administration.
The quote originated from an April 1, 2011 opinion by the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel, which argued that President Barack Obama had constitutional authority to direct the use of military force in Libya because it served U.S. national interests.
Schiff Responds After the Reveal
After learning the quote came from the Obama administration, Schiff did not retract his criticism but shifted the discussion to the broader issue of presidential war powers.
He noted that during the Obama presidency, there was debate about whether the president could launch military action in Syria without congressional authorization. Schiff said that he and other lawmakers pushed back at the time.
According to Schiff, Obama ultimately decided not to move forward with strikes against Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad after realizing Congress might not support the action.
He said he respected that decision because the lack of congressional backing influenced the final outcome.
Debate Over Trump’s Military Action in Iran
The conversation then turned to President Donald Trump’s military strikes related to Iran. Schiff argued that the United States is effectively at war and warned that the Constitution gives Congress—not the president—the authority to declare war.
He cited Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, who warned that presidents might become “too fond of making war” if they could launch military action without congressional approval.
Schiff argued that if Congress does not assert its authority, presidents could increasingly use military force anywhere in the world without legislative oversight.
House Vote on Military Authority
The discussion comes as Congress debates the scope of presidential war powers in connection with U.S. military operations against Iran.
A bipartisan resolution introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., aimed to block Trump from continuing a joint U.S.–Israeli operation known as Operation Epic Fury without congressional approval.
However, the measure failed in the House of Representatives by a 212-219 vote, after several Democrats joined most Republicans in opposing it.
Supporters of the Trump administration argue that the president is acting within his authority as commander in chief and that limited military operations do not require a formal declaration of war.
