Bill Maher attempted to hit top Democratic lawmaker Adam Schiff with a “gotcha” moment while discussing Donald Trump’s military operations in Iran.
“This statement from the administration,” Maher said. “‘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?”
“Totally vague,” the California Senator replied, before Maher revealed that the quote had actually been taken from a 2011 release by Barack Obama’s administration over military operations in Libya.
In response to Maher’s setup, Schiff replied that though Obama had also authorized the military action without congressional approval, he and other lawmakers had pushed back on the decision, and that the operations had been halted.
It comes as U.S. military operations continue to escalate, with Trump boasting that Iran was being “beaten to hell" and warning the country “will be hit hard today” in a message on Truth Social Saturday.
The president has reportedly expressed serious interest in deploying a limited force of U.S. troops on the ground to fight Iran.
Both Democrats and Republicans have pushed back against the decision to begin the bombardment campaign, named Operation Epic Fury, which has been underway for just over a week and has killed more than 1,200 Iranians, according to the Iranian government.
It has also killed six U.S. service members.
Likewise, Obama’s decision to bypass Congress in 2011 was heavily criticized, and by June that year, the House passed a resolution calling for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the region and demanding an explanation for the decision.
“I and many others pushed back on that argument,” Schiff recalled of the time. “Ultimately, [Obama] did not go forward with going after Assad, even though Assad was gassing his own people, because he thought he might lose the vote in Congress.
“But I respect the fact that was important to him, and the fact that he did not have the support of Congress meant that we weren't going to go forward.”
However, a bill to limit Trump's war powers, forcing him to seek congressional approval to continue military action, was voted down in the House by 212 to 219. The resolution also failed in the Senate.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has also denied that the U.S. is at war with Iran, saying the military action is "limited in its scope."
Despite this, in his Saturday Truth Social post, Trump threatened to escalate the conflict further.
“Iran, which is being beat to HELL, has apologized and surrendered to its Middle East neighbors, and promised that it will not shoot at them anymore. This promise was only made because of the relentless U.S. and Israeli attack. They were looking to take over and rule the Middle East,” the president wrote.
“It is the first time that Iran has ever lost, in thousands of years, to surrounding Middle Eastern Countries. They have said, ‘Thank you President Trump.’ I have said, ‘You’re welcome!’ Iran is no longer the ‘Bully of the Middle East,’ they are, instead, ‘THE LOSER OF THE MIDDLE EAST,’ and will be for many decades until they surrender or, more likely, completely collapse!
“Today Iran will be hit very hard! Under serious consideration for complete destruction and certain death, because of Iran’s bad behavior, are areas and groups of people that were not considered for targeting up until this moment in time.”
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