A discussion about presidential war powers on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher took a sharp turn Friday night when host Bill Maher presented Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) with a statement defending executive authority to use military force — before revealing it came from the Obama administration.
The exchange came during a panel discussion about recent U.S. military actions against Iran under President Donald Trump, including strikes tied to escalating tensions and reports of operations targeting Iranian leadership.
Maher read a statement defending presidential authority to deploy force and asked Schiff whether he found the justification acceptable.
“This statement from the administration: ‘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.’ That’s too vague for you?” Maher asked.
Schiff replied, “Totally vague.”
Maher then delivered the reveal: “Okay. Because that’s from Obama about Libya.”
Adam Schiff falls right into Bill Maher’s trap as he criticizes a statement he thought was from Trump but was actually from Obama.
MAHER: “This statement from the administration: ‘The president had the constitutional authority to direct the use of military force because he could… pic.twitter.com/5jg3wpdAQZ
— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) March 7, 2026
Schiff then attempted to spin the difference in the situations, arguing that the Obama administration faced congressional pressure when considering potential military action in Syria and that lawmakers raised concerns about the scope of presidential authority. He said congressional opposition influenced the administration’s decisions in certain cases.
What Schiff did not mention is that the Libya intervention itself triggered a fierce debate in Congress over presidential war powers and the limits of the War Powers Resolution. The senator, who was serving in the House of Representatives at the time, voted against a 2011 War Powers Resolution that sought to curtail U.S. involvement in Libya.
The quote Maher cited refers to the legal justification offered by the Obama administration during the 2011 Libya intervention. In that operation, the United States joined NATO airstrikes to enforce a no-fly zone and protect civilians during Libya’s civil war.
The military action began without prior congressional authorization. The Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel concluded at the time that the president could order limited military operations when they served U.S. national interests and did not rise to the level of a constitutional “war.” But, like everything else Democrats do, the real difference is whether or not they’re the ones doing it.
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