Schiff Urges Democrats to Rethink Strategy Amid Trump Era and GOP Momentum
During an appearance on HBO’s “Real Time” with Bill Maher Friday night, California Democrat Sen. Adam Schiff shared a startling realization about his party’s vulnerabilities.
The prominent figure behind the ‘Trump-Russia collusion’ narrative conceded that Democrats could even lose influence in heavily liberal California, citing a recent poll indicating that 50 percent of respondents would consider voting for a Republican candidate for governor in 2026.
Schiff pointed to rising crime rates as a major concern, attempting to separate himself from the lenient-on-crime policies he has long 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,” he admitted, despite his history of backing controversial bail reforms.
Recalling a personal experience, Schiff described an incident two years ago in South San Francisco where his luggage was stolen from his car — an event he admitted is a common occurrence.
“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 shared.
In California, organized retail thefts — including flash mobs looting stores — have surged, exacerbated by laws that reduced penalties for stealing items valued under $950.
Reflecting on this reality, Schiff recounted a conversation he had at a Target store, leading to a humorous exchange with Maher. When the host joked, “You went there by yourself, not an assistant?” Schiff responded, laughing, “I uh… I think I went there… well yes, I had somebody drop me off at the store,” prompting more laughs from the audience.
“Well, he was honest in admitting it, right?” Maher quipped.
Schiff described the difficulty of even finding a cashier to unlock basic items like shampoo.
“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,’” he said.
After explaining why he needed the bag, Schiff recalled, “She basically said in not so many words that Democrats are a***oles.”
Realizing the gravity of the situation, 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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Earlier in April, Schiff also voiced his dissatisfaction with the Democratic Party’s lack of a unified strategy against 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 argued.
He also addressed criticisms from Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, who had described the Democrats’ struggles 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 said — a claim contradicted by the latest economic reports.