‘A**holes’ — Adam Schiff Shares Story of Retail Worker Venting About Democrats
During Friday’s episode of HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, California Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff shared a revealing story that highlighted his growing concerns about his party’s standing.
Schiff — a central figure in promoting the now-debunked "Trump-Russia collusion" claims — admitted that even in reliably Democratic California, his party could be losing ground. A recent poll showed that 50% of Californians would consider electing a Republican governor in 2026.
Citing crime as a major issue, Schiff distanced himself from the progressive criminal justice reforms he’s long supported.
“We’re going to have to change how we do business in California. We’re going to have to address people’s legitimate concerns about crime,” Schiff said, despite his past backing of so-called "soft on crime" initiatives.
He recounted an experience from two years ago in South San Francisco when his luggage was stolen from his car — a scenario he admitted is a common cautionary tale for locals. “They tell you don’t ever leave your luggage in the car. I never do until the one time I did. And of course it got stolen,” Schiff recalled.
Organized theft operations, similar to flash mobs, have surged in California after the state lowered penalties for stealing goods valued under $950.
Reflecting on the incident, Schiff recounted a visit to a local Target store, during which Maher teased, “You went there by yourself, not an assistant?”
“I uh… I think I went there… well yes, I had somebody drop me off at the store,” Schiff admitted, prompting laughter from the audience.
“Well, he was honest in admitting it, right?” Maher joked.
Schiff explained that even finding a cashier proved difficult, especially since everyday items like shampoo were locked behind barriers. “So that’s one thing. And then I get to the cashier. The cashier asked me if I wanted one of those Target bags with a little bullseye on it. And I said, ‘yes, that Target bag is going to be my luggage for the next two days,’” Schiff recounted.
When the cashier asked about the situation, Schiff told her about the theft. “She basically said in not so many words that Democrats are a***oles,” he said.
Schiff reflected on the exchange: “And I thought, you know, if the cashier in South San Francisco at 10 o’clock at night believes that Democrats are a***oles because the shampoo is locked up and my stuff got stolen out of the trunk, we’ve got a major problem that we have to address.”
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Earlier this month, Schiff also criticized his own party’s response to former President Donald Trump during an interview with ABC’s Jonathan Karl, expressing disappointment at what he described as a missed opportunity.
“I think the lack of a coordinated response in the State of the Union was a mistake, and frankly, it took the focus off of where it should have been, which is on the fact that the president spoke for an hour and 40 minutes and had nothing to say about what he would do to bring down costs for American families that were watching that lengthy address, sitting at the kitchen table hoping he would offer something to help them afford a new home or pay their rent, afford health care, or afford child care,” Schiff said.
He also weighed in on criticism from Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, who described the Democratic Party’s current woes as “a sad cavalcade of self-owns and unhinged petulance.”
“They’re destroying the economy, and they’re making it harder and harder for Americans to afford things. That’s where we need to keep the focus, that’s why we lost the last election, because we weren’t laser-focused on the high cost of living and what they’re doing now is just making it so much worse,” Schiff claimed — a statement that conflicts with the latest economic data.