Schiff Says Dems Must Change Strategy In Age Of Trump, GOP Dominance
During an appearance Friday on HBO’s “Real Time” with Bill Maher, California Democrat Sen. Adam Schiff shared a startling story about when he realized his party could be facing serious challenges.
The prominent figure known for pushing the ‘Trump-Russia collusion’ narrative admitted that even in deep blue California, Democrats might be at risk of losing their grip on power. A recent poll revealed that 50 percent of respondents would be open to voting for a Republican candidate for governor in 2026.
Schiff pointed to widespread crime as a major concern, attempting to separate himself from the lenient-on-crime policies he had previously supported.
“So 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 history of backing controversial bail reform initiatives.
He recounted an incident in South San Francisco two years ago when his car was broken into and his luggage was stolen — a situation he noted is all too familiar to many residents.
“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,” he recalled.
In California, organized retail theft rings and flash mobs have surged, partly due to reduced penalties for theft under $950, making such crimes far more common.
Schiff also spoke about a conversation he had with a Target cashier, which occurred during a shopping trip Maher joked about: “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 quipped in response.
Schiff described how even basic items like shampoo were locked up, and that it was “hard to find” a cashier to assist him.
Eventually, he said he made it to the register, where the cashier asked if he wanted “one of those Target bags with a little bullseye on it.” Schiff responded, “yes, that Target bag is going to be my luggage for the next two days.”
When he explained what had happened, he said the cashier bluntly suggested — though not in so many words — that “Democrats are a***oles.”
Reflecting on the encounter, Schiff said, “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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Despite this admission, earlier this month Schiff expressed dissatisfaction with the Democratic Party’s lack of a “coordinated response” to President Donald Trump during an interview with ABC’s Jonathan Karl.
“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 responded to Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman’s critical comments, where Fetterman described the Democrats’ struggles as “a sad cavalcade of self-owns and unhinged petulance.”
Schiff asserted, “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.” However, these claims are contradicted by the latest economic data.