WATCH: Bill Maher tricks Adam Schiff into trashing Obama's justification for war



In the wake of the U.S. strikes on Iran, host Bill Maher welcomed Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) to Friday's episode of "Real Time." During the panel discussion, the topic turned to the strikes. That's when Maher seemed to set a trap for the California senator.

Reading from a Department of Justice memorandum opinion on presidential authorization to use military force, Maher began, "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."

Maher then revealed the source of the quote.

Maher then asked Schiff whether the reasoning was sufficient.

"That's too vague for you?" Maher asked.

"Totally vague," Schiff responded, seemingly still thinking this was a quote from the Trump administration

Maher then revealed the source of the quote.

"OK, because that’s from Obama about Libya," Maher said, catching Schiff off guard after using a trick question.

RELATED: Shock NBC poll reveals American voters' true feelings about ICE and Democrats

The statement referred to the legal justification used by the Obama administration when the U.S. joined NATO military operations in Libya in 2011. However, Schiff didn't know Maher was quoting Obama but assumed the words came from Trump after the recent attacks on Iran.

When Schiff realized the words weren't Trump's, he justified Obama's words and shifted by discussing another debate during the Obama presidency over potential U.S. military action in Syria.

"Well, Obama made the argument initially that he could go into Syria without authorization. I and many others pushed back on that argument. Ultimately, he 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," Schiff said.

RELATED: Trump says war against Iran is nearly over — and gives regime warning 'not to try anything cute'

Photo by MEGA/Getty Images

The senator argued that Congress must reassert its constitutional authority over decisions to go to war during Trump's administration but never criticized the statement Obama made.

"We are unquestionably at war now. The founders made an extraordinary decision at the time, which was not to give that power to the president but to give it to the Congress because they were worried, as Hamilton said, that a president would grow too fond of making war," Schiff said.

Schiff doubled down, warning that presidents could increasingly bypass Congress when authorizing military action.

"After Venezuela, after the earlier Iran conflict, after bombing Nigeria and Iraq and Syria, he's grown too fond of this. And Congress ... needs to step up, assert its role, or it is going to be gone for good. And then, any time a president, for any reason, anywhere in the world, for any length of time, will feel free to make war. And that would be hugely dangerous for the country," Schiff said

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2A win: Appeals court in DC strikes down high-capacity magazine restrictions



Second Amendment advocates are celebrating after a D.C. appeals court struck down a local ban on high-capacity magazines.

On Thursday, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals handed down a 2-1 decision in Tyree Benson v. United States and the District of Columbia, ruling that a local law banning gun magazines that can contain more than 10 rounds is unconstitutional.

'We agree with Benson and the United States that the District’s outright ban on them violates the Second Amendment.'

Appellant Tyree Benson was arrested in October 2022 on multiple charges related to possession of a Glock 45 9mm caliber handgun with a high-capacity magazine that could hold 30 rounds of ammunition.

The opinion argued that the ubiquity of high-capacity magazines makes enforcing or justifying an outright ban extremely difficult.

Magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition are ubiquitous in our country, numbering in the hundreds of millions, accounting for about half of the magazines in the hands of our citizenry, and they come standard with the most popular firearms sold in America today. Because these magazines are arms in common and ubiquitous use by law-abiding citizens across this country, we agree with Benson and the United States that the District’s outright ban on them violates the Second Amendment.

RELATED: Want a machine gun? These states might soon make buying one easier

Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images

The opinion of the court was written by Trump appointee Associate Judge Joshua Deahl, who was joined by Obama appointee Catharine Friend Easterly.

In her dissent, Chief Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby argued in part that the majority's argument failed to address the unusually high capacity in this case, whereas many gun owners have guns with 11-, 15-, or 17-round magazines. Additionally, she defended the law by applying the historical legal standard of banning "dangerous and unusual" weapons, though that standard is controversial.

The District of Columbia, which upholds the ban and is another party in the suit, could appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court or request that a larger panel from the local appeals court reconsider it, the New York Times reported.

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Most viral State of the Union moments of ALL time



While the State of the Union address is meant to showcase the presidential agenda, sometimes the moments that live on have little to do with policy. And according to BlazeTV host Liz Wheeler, some of the most memorable come from other politicians stealing the spotlight themselves.

“This one I place in the gold medal position here is Nancy Pelosi ripping up President Trump’s speech,” says Wheeler.

In a clip from Trump’s past State of the Union address, Pelosi stands behind Trump as he takes in the applause from the crowd, ripping up a copy of his address.

“This was not an impromptu action that Nancy Pelosi took. This was not something that she did in the heat of the moment. This was not an unscripted emotional outburst. This was something Nancy Pelosi deliberately planned to do, knowing that it would be broadcast in the background internationally,” Wheeler explains.


“This was her response to President Trump. Nothing of substance, no alternative vision, just ripping him up,” she says, pointing out that the Democrats aren’t the only party to have had a politician throw a tantrum at a State of the Union address.

“When Barack Obama was president and he was attempting to debunk a Republican talking about Obamacare … Representative Joe Wilson, in, I think … the first public heckling of a president during the State of the Union address, shouted from the floor of Congress ‘You lie!’ at Barack Obama in 2009,” Wheeler explains.

Wheeler points out that in the video of Obama being heckled by Wilson, Pelosi’s “jaw actually drops.”

“‘You lie’ wins our silver medal for top moments from past State of the Union addresses. And coming in third, the bronze medal, we have to give to Marco Rubio,” she says.

This bronze medal is in honor of Rubio’s “very first meme.”

“This was back in 2013, so over a decade ago, he gave the Republican rebuttal to President Obama,” Wheeler says.

In his rebuttal, Rubio is clearly thirsty and awkwardly bends down to take a swig from a tiny water bottle.

“And that, of course, that moment eclipsed anything else that the president said or didn’t say,” Wheeler adds.

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‘This is crazy’: Glenn Beck questions Obama alien claim and Trump's response



Last week, Barack Obama sent a shock wave through the public when he acknowledged the existence of alien life. During a podcast interview with Brian Tyler Cohen, the former president answered, “Yes, they’re real,” when Cohen point blank asked, “Are aliens real?”

Obama followed up his admission, however, with, “But I haven't seen them,” which he reiterated in greater detail the following day on social media.

President Trump then responded to the viral comment by accusing Obama of improperly disclosing classified information, calling it a "big mistake,” while stating he personally doesn't know if aliens are real. He then announced that he would direct federal agencies and the Pentagon to begin releasing government files on UFOs, UAPs, extraterrestrial life, and related matters due to "tremendous interest" in the topic.

“This is crazy,” says Glenn Beck.

“You wouldn't be breaking the classified information rule if you were saying they didn't exist and they didn't exist. That's not classified information. Why would you classify that they didn't exist?” he asks.

What’s really going on with this sequence of high-profile comments on alien life? Is full disclosure finally here, or is something else at play?

On this episode of “The Glenn Beck Program,” Glenn, his chief researcher Jason Buttrill, and executive producer Rikki Ratliff-Fellman address this hot-button question.

Glenn and Jason aren't convinced that these recent events will lead to genuine disclosure. They speculate that the establishment bracing for massive fallout is a sign the hype might be engineered.

For example, just last month, Helen McCaw, a former senior analyst at the Bank of England, wrote an urgent letter to its governor, warning that any official White House confirmation of extraterrestrial life could unleash immediate financial catastrophe.

Glenn reads from a New York Post article that addressed the controversy: “If such a disclosure comes from the White House, Cambridge-educated McCaw projected in her letter, the revelation will send shockwaves through financial markets and the banking system — and inspire general unrest amongst Earthlings.”

“Are we really that fragile?” Glenn asks skeptically, noting that his church attendance and stock investments wouldn’t be rocked by the revelation that alien life is real.

In fact, he believes that the probability of alien life is rather high.

“As Carl Sagan used to say, what a horrible waste of space if we are alone. I mean, think of the vastness of space. All of this was created, and we're the only forms of intelligent life? That makes no sense whatsoever,” he declares.

But is the exchange between Obama and Trump really leading us toward an answer?

Although the prospect of finding out the truth about aliens makes him “kind of excited,” Glenn and Jason aren’t hopeful that genuine disclosure is on the horizon.

“It does seem very, very convenient that every time a major story is going on, we get a new disclosure hint,” says Jason.

“I think this whole thing is much more likely a psyop,” Glenn agrees. “I mean, what would be the one thing that would unite everybody on Earth? People in space coming to get you.”

“So what is the psyop? Are they trying to distract us from ... war with Iran? The economy?” asks Rikki.

Glenn’s answer?

Epstein.

“This is all happening the week of Epstein,” he says.

To hear more of the panel’s conversation, watch the video above.

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Are we finally getting the truth about aliens?



The alien debate has taken a turn after former president Barack Obama casually stated in an interview with Brian Tyler Cohen that aliens are “real” — but they’re not where the public may believe them to be.

“Are aliens real?” Cohen asked Obama on “No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen.”

“They’re real, but I haven’t seen them,” Obama told Cohen, before adding that “they’re not being kept in ... Area 51.”

“There’s no underground facility, unless there’s this enormous conspiracy and they hid it from the president of the United States,” he said.


However, while Obama confirmed the existence of aliens, President Donald Trump went on to criticize the former president’s admission.

“He gave classified information. He’s not supposed to be doing that, you know. I don’t know if they’re real or not. I can tell you he gave classified information. He’s not supposed to be doing that. He made a big mistake,” Trump replied when asked about Obama’s claims by a reporter.

While Trump’s initial reaction was not to discuss Obama’s admission, he then went on to announce on Truth Social that he would be releasing government files on aliens to the public.

“Based on the tremendous interest shown, I will be directing the Secretary of War, and other relevant Departments and Agencies, to begin the process of identifying and releasing Government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters,” Trump wrote in his post.

BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales is thrilled that both Obama and Trump seem to be alluding to the existence of aliens as a fact — and that the public may soon finally know what’s really out there.

“We now have a former president who has said, ‘Yes, aliens are real, but they’re not at Area 51.’ And now we have a current president saying, ‘Oh, you shouldn’t have shared that; that’s classified information.’ It feels like we now have two presidents, two people who would know, admitting that aliens exist,” Gonzales comments.

“It feels a whole lot like Donald Trump let it slip,” she adds.

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Drill, baby, drill: Oil tech expert reveals why Trump's toughness on the industry is actually good



Liberal leadership often leads to higher gas prices and higher profit margins for oil merchants, a digging expert is saying.

With oil prices once again dropping, it may surprise many to know that while Democrats traditionally are harsher on the oil industry, they actually end up making those companies more money, while the average American's pocket gets lighter.

'The left always is looking to punish.'

Dan Doyle, president of fracking company Reliance Well Services, said that when pipelines and other drilling technology are limited by Democrats, it is the consumer who suffers.

"Profitability is a little bit better under Democrats than Republicans," Doyle told Return in an exclusive interview. "Trump is very tough on oil prices, you know, because he's using them this time to get gas prices lower. So he's really pressuring to bring those oil prices down."

President Biden shutting down the Keystone XL pipeline his first day in office was just one example of Democrat-led moves that increased the cost of daily living for Americans, Doyle explained.

"You shut the pipelines down, it just makes it more expensive. Now you're bringing it over the roads," he asserted. "Now you're putting this stuff over the road or in train cars."

Doyle referred to the Lac-Mégantic train disaster in Canada in 2013, when a runaway train carrying crude oil derailed and killed 47 people in an explosion.

Comparing that to pipeline safety, Doyle said, "There could be a leak, but let me tell you, if there's a leak, you know it immediately and it gets cleaned up."

RELATED: America won’t beat China without Alaska

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Doyle asked readers to simply check out the oil prices under Democrat leadership versus Republican.

"Under Obama back in [2013-2014] and, I believe, later, oil was routinely at $100. So you take CPI and you adjust it for inflation. ... That's twice what it is right now."

Doyle was actually estimating conservatively. According to data from the Energy Information Association, a government agency, the price per barrel was $98.99 under Obama in January 2012; when adjusted for inflation using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index inflation calculator, that equates to $142 per barrel in January 2026.

Under President Trump, oil prices have never gone over $73.15 (January 2025), whereas the previous three presidents have peaked at far higher prices. President George W. Bush had prices skyrocket to $128.08 in July 2008. President Obama's top price was $108.80 in April 2011, while President Biden's peak price was in June 2022 at $113.77.

As of November 2025, the U.S. crude oil purchase price was just $58.13.

"People that are a bit marginalized or either struggling, you know, two jobs, three jobs, they don't need to be paying these artificially or politically — not necessarily artificially, but politically — [inflated] costly bills."

RELATED: Inside China's plan to beat the US at big tech forever

Photo courtesy Dan Doyle

Doyle spoke at a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, for then-candidate Vice President JD Vance in 2024. During that speech, the oil entrepreneur argued against claims that his industry is causing environmental damage and spoke on the "war on fracking" that started under President Obama's administration.

Doyle explained that this was the start of the "punishment" his industry has received under Democratic Party rule. Doyle laughed about that punishment in his interview with Return, but got very serious when it came to who actually suffers.

"The left always is looking to punish. ... They care more about punishing with the pricing, and all that ends up doing, really, is driving the price up for the consumer, whereas, you know, the people at the top are just taking a little bit of a hit on their profit margin. So it's actually tougher for the oil billionaires under Republicans."

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'He Made a BIG Mistake': Trump's Explosive Claim — Obama Spilled Classified Info? | 2/20/26
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'He Made a BIG Mistake': Trump's Explosive Claim — Obama Spilled Classified Info? | 2/20/26

Trump makes major move toward extraterrestrial disclosure after Obama's slip of the tongue



In the latest development for UFO enthusiasts, President Donald Trump has made an enormous promise after a recent back-and-forth about comments from former President Barack Obama.

On Thursday, President Trump signaled his support for beginning the process of disclosure surrounding UFOs, aliens, and more.

'Begin the process of identifying and releasing Government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life.'

"Based on the tremendous interest shown, I will be directing the Secretary of War, and other relevant Departments and Agencies, to begin the process of identifying and releasing Government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters. GOD BLESS AMERICA!" Trump wrote on Truth Social.

RELATED: 'He made a big mistake': Trump accuses Obama of revealing classified information on aliens

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

This evening announcement came shortly after Trump fielded questions about some comments former President Obama made during a "speed round" interview in which he suggested that aliens are "real." Obama later walked those remarks back a bit on social media.

When asked by Fox News' Peter Doocy about Obama's comments, Trump suggested that Obama "gave classified information. He’s not supposed to be doing that.”

"So aliens are real?" Doocy asked.

"I don’t know if they’re real or not," Trump responded. "I can tell you he gave classified information. He’s not supposed to be doing that. He made a big mistake. He took it out of classified information."

"I may get him out of trouble by declassifying," Trump joked.

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'Force of nature': President Trump responds to the death of Jesse Jackson



Jesse Jackson, a giant in the civil rights movement and founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, died Tuesday morning at age 84.

President Trump took a moment to recall Jackson's achievements and their surprisingly close working relationship.

'He had much to do with the Election, without acknowledgment or credit, of Barack Hussein Obama, a man who Jesse could not stand.'

On Tuesday morning, Trump posted a message on Truth Social remembering the civil rights leader as a "good man" with "street smarts."

"The Reverend Jesse Jackson is Dead at 84. I knew him well, long before becoming President. He was a good man, with lots of personality, grit, and 'street smarts.' He was very gregarious — Someone who truly loved people! Despite the fact that I am falsely and consistently called a Racist by the Scoundrels and Lunatics on the Radical Left, Democrats ALL, it was always my pleasure to help Jesse along the way," Trump said.

RELATED: Judge orders Trump administration to restore slavery exhibits to presidential home site

Photo by Antonio Dickey/Getty Images

Trump detailed the ways that he helped Jackson throughout the years, especially as president.

"I provided office space for him and his Rainbow Coalition, for years, in the Trump Building at 40 Wall Street; Responded to his request for help in getting CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM passed and signed, when no other President would even try; Single handedly pushed and passed long term funding for Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs), which Jesse loved, but also, which other Presidents would not do; Responded to Jesse’s support for Opportunity Zones, the single most successful economic development package yet approved for Black business men/women, and much more," he continued.

"Jesse was a force of nature like few others before him. He had much to do with the Election, without acknowledgment or credit, of Barack Hussein Obama, a man who Jesse could not stand. He loved his family greatly, and to them I send my deepest sympathies and condolences. Jesse will be missed!"

Jackson is widely regarded as Martin Luther King Jr.'s successor in the civil rights movement. He was also a presidential candidate in 1984 and 1988.

The announcement of his "peaceful" death was published Tuesday morning on the Rainbow Coalition's website.

"Our father was a servant leader — not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world,” said the Jackson family. “We shared him with the world, and in return, the world became part of our extended family. His unwavering belief in justice, equality, and love uplifted millions, and we ask you to honor his memory by continuing the fight for the values he lived by.”

Reverend Jackson is survived by his wife, Jacqueline, their children — Santita, Jesse Jr., Jonathan, Yusef, and Jacqueline — daughter Ashley Jackson, and grandchildren, according to the announcement. Ashley Jackson was born out of wedlock in 1999 to Jackson and Karin Stanford as a result of a four-year affair, according to Primetimer.

Public observances will be held in Chicago; final arrangements for his celebration of life will be announced on the Rainbow PUSH Coalition website.

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'They're real': Obama makes shocking statement about aliens — then tries to walk it back



In a recent interview with Bryan Tyler Cohen, former President Barack Obama was asked about the existence of aliens during a "speed round" of questions, and Obama made a shocking statement.

“They’re real,” Obama told Cohen quickly.

The clip quickly went viral, sparking renewed questions about what the former president knows and what he has previously said about UFOs and extraterrestrial life.

'Statistically, the universe is so vast that the odds are good there’s life out there.'

Obama clarified to Cohen that he has never actually “seen them” himself and dismissed long-running Area 51 conspiracy theories, saying that the government is not actively hiding aliens, unless agents somehow managed to conceal that information from the president of the United States.

But this was not the first time Obama publicly addressed the issue.

RELATED: 'Who put them there?' Scientists struggle to explain UFO-like objects captured in 1950s astronomy photos.

Image credit: YouTube screenshot

In 2021, during an appearance on "The Late Late Show with James Corden," Obama was pressed about UFOs.

“There are some things I just can’t tell you on air,” Obama said.

Though the exchange began lightheartedly, Obama shifted to a more serious tone.

“What is true, and I’m actually being serious here, is that there’s footage and records of objects in the skies that we don’t know exactly what they are,” Obama said. “We can’t explain how they moved, their trajectory. They did not have an easily explainable pattern. And so, you know, I think that people still take seriously trying to investigate and figure out what that is.”

President Donald Trump has also fielded questions about aliens on multiple occasions, including during an interview with podcast host Joe Rogan.

“I interviewed jet pilots that were solid people — perfect, great pilots, great everything. And they said, ‘We saw things, sir, that were very strange, like a round ball, but it wasn’t a comet or a meteor,’” Trump said. “‘It was something, and it was going four times faster than an F-22.’”

“There’s no reason not to think that Mars and all these planets don’t have life,” Trump added.

These previous statements from both presidents are notably similar in tone, acknowledging unexplained aerial phenomena while stopping short of confirming extraterrestrial life, making Obama's comment to Cohen all the more noteworthy.

However, Obama has since attempted to give more context to his declaration that aliens are "real."

RELATED: Pentagon psyop exposed: Military reportedly cooked up tales of alien technology in weapons cover-up

Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images

A day after the interview, Obama made a clarifying post on Instagram, saying he was "trying to stick with the spirit of the speed round."

Obama then delivered a gut punch to the community of UFO believers, saying, "Statistically, the universe is so vast that the odds are good there’s life out there. But the distances between solar systems are so great that the chances we’ve been visited by aliens is low, and I saw no evidence during my presidency that extraterrestrials have made contact with us. Really!"

Studies show that the American people remain curious about the UFO phenomenon. A 2025 poll from NewsNation/Decision Desk HQ surveyed 521 Republicans, 559 Democrats, 349 independents, and 18 “other” voters and found that 44% of Americans believe the government is concealing UFO information. Twenty-eight percent disagree, while another 28% remain unsure.

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