Overtime – Episode #693: Sen. Adam Schiff, Bret Stephens

Summary

Real Time with Bill Maher: Overtime – Episode #693 Summary

Release Date: April 29, 2025
Guests:

• Sen. Adam Schiff – Democratic Senator from California
• Bret Stephens – New York Times Opinion Columnist

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1. President Biden’s Preemptive Pardons (01:02 - 02:46)

The episode opens with a critical discussion on President Joe Biden’s unprecedented use of preemptive pardons. Senator Adam Schiff brings up the topic, highlighting that Biden pardoned him and others he anticipated Trump might target.

Sen. Adam Schiff (01:02):
"Right before he left office, Joe Biden pardoned you and a number of people who he thought Trump would go after."

Bret Stephens (01:40):
"No, I take the opposite view. I don't think he should have given the pardons at all."

Stephens elaborates, expressing concern that such pardons set a dangerous precedent, granting the president excessive leeway to pardon associates and potentially enabling lawless actions.

Bret Stephens (02:46):
"The abuse of the pardon power essentially gives him an opportunity to tell everyone around him, then when I'm on the way out the door, I've got your back."

This segment underscores fears about the erosion of legal accountability and the implications of expanding presidential pardoning powers.

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2. Arrest of a Judge in Milwaukee (04:16 - 05:26)

Senator Schiff introduces a troubling report about a judge in Milwaukee allegedly orchestrating the escape of an illegal immigrant from an ICE hearing, leading to the judge’s arrest by the FBI. The credibility and implications of this incident become a point of contention.

Sen. Adam Schiff (04:16):
"There was a judge in Milwaukee... ICE people came in to arrest this person and apparently the judge spirited the person out the back door."

Bret Stephens (05:03):
"I think I'm not going to comment on something I don't know more about than what you've just told me."

The discussion highlights concerns over judicial misconduct and the broader implications for the integrity of the legal system.

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3. Film and TV Industry Migration from California (05:26 - 09:34)

A significant portion of the conversation centers on the exodus of the film and television industry from California to other states and countries offering lucrative tax incentives. The panelists debate the causes and potential consequences of this trend.

Bret Stephens (05:52):
"They're leaving because they're getting richer incentives in other states and other countries, and we haven't kept pace with that."

Stephens emphasizes the need for federal incentives to retain the industry, arguing that without competitive benefits, California risks losing one of its most vital economic and cultural drivers.

Ezra Klein (Though not listed as a guest, contributes significantly to this segment):
"California... has become exhibit A in progressive misgovernance... you’re going to create an example of what Americans don't want from the left."
Timestamp: [05:30]

He attributes the migration to high taxes, stringent regulations, and the unaffordability of living in the state, suggesting that these factors are pushing both businesses and residents away.

Bret Stephens (08:54):
"The cost of living is too high. Most particularly the cost of housing is too high. People can't afford to live here."

The panelists agree that addressing the high cost of housing and creating a more business-friendly environment are crucial steps to reversing the trend of industry migration.

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4. UK’s Social Media Curfew for Kids (09:30 - 12:39)

The discussion shifts to the UK’s proposal to impose a social media curfew for children, exploring its feasibility and potential impact.

Ezra Klein (10:25):
"Being the father of three kids, getting them off social media is the single most important thing you can do as a parent."

He criticizes social media as a divisive tool that harms the mental health of young people, advocating for stricter controls to mitigate its negative effects.

Bret Stephens (10:36):
"I like the fact that schools are increasingly taking phones out of the classroom. I think that makes a lot of sense."

Stephens supports measures to limit children's access to social media, citing the importance of maintaining focus and fostering healthier interpersonal relationships.

Sen. Adam Schiff (11:12):
"Every movie and TV show that has a teenager in it cannot be mischaracterizing this... It starts with the phone."

Schiff echoes the sentiment, linking the overuse of smartphones to broader issues of parental authority and youth behavior, and humorously suggests opening his own "Catholic School" to enforce discipline and traditional values.

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Conclusion

Episode #693 of Real Time with Bill Maher offers a dynamic and thought-provoking conversation between Sen. Adam Schiff and Bret Stephens. Key topics include the controversial use of presidential pardons, judicial misconduct, the migration of the entertainment industry from California, and the proposed social media regulations for children in the UK. The panelists provide incisive critiques and diverse perspectives on these pressing issues, encouraging viewers to reflect on governance, accountability, economic competitiveness, and the influence of technology on youth.

Notable Quote:

Sen. Adam Schiff (12:17):
"We just gotta make it friendlier... That's a Beach Boys song."

This lighthearted remark encapsulates the blend of serious discourse and relatable commentary that characterizes the episode.

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For those interested in the full discussion, catch all new episodes of Real Time with Bill Maher every Friday night at 10 PM or watch them anytime on HBO on Demand. More information is available at hbo.com.

Transcript

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[Bill Maher]

Welcome to an HBO podcast from the HBO late night series Real Time with Bill Maher.

[Adam Schiff]

All right, here we are with the Democratic senator from California, Adam Schiff, and the New York Times opinion columnist, Brett Stevens. Okay, here are the questions from the people. Senator Schiff, given the ongoing political tensions and Trump's actions toward his critics, do you think President Biden's preemptive pardons turned out to be more important than initially expected? Let's first tell people what that means. Preemptive pardons. That was pretty unprecedented. Right before he left office, Joe Biden pardoned you and a number of people who he thought Trump would go after.

[Brett Stevens]

No, I take the opposite view. I don't think he should have given the pardons at all.

[Adam Schiff]

Really?

[Brett Stevens]

No, I don't think he should have. And I was vocal about that at the time.

[Adam Schiff]

Can you refuse a pardon that's less clear?

[Brett Stevens]

Because in the case of the January 6 committee, he pardoned essentially the whole committee. I see. But I didn't like it, both because we were enormously proud of our work on the January 6th committee. But more than that, establishing a precedent that on the way out the door, you're going to pardon any number of people, gave him even greater latitude on his way out of the door to pardon everyone around him. Chief Justice Roberts, in that immunity decision, I think, which will go down in infamy, already gave this president permission to be lawless. But the abuse of the pardon power essentially gives him an opportunity to tell everyone around him, then when I'm on the way out the door, I've got your back. And so I think part of why you see such willingness among the people around him to engage in lawless action is they're confident they'll get a pardon on the way out the door.

[Adam Schiff]

Shh.

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[Adam Schiff]

Did you read about the judge today that was arrested by. I mean, it's such a new story. I didn't want to bring it up during the show because I don't know enough about it, but there was a judge in Milwaukee. I guess it was a hearing for an illegal immigrant, definitely an illegal immigrant. And the ICE people came in to arrest this person and apparently the judge spirited the person out the back door. That's what I read. Don't know if it's true because I don't trust anybody until I do a full vetting of it. But if this is the. And so the FBI came in and arrested the judge. Now, I haven't heard that. I haven't. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think I've ever read Arrested a Judge. So is this significant?

[Ezra Klein]

Well, I think I'm not going to comment on something I don't know more about than what you've just told me.

[Adam Schiff]

You read about it too?

[Ezra Klein]

Yeah, I mean, I read about it, but I don't know.

[Adam Schiff]

So you don't trust anything either and you work for the New York Times?

[Brett Stevens]

Well.

[Ezra Klein]

When the New York Times does its full reporting, I will trust that.

[Adam Schiff]

Okay. Okay. All right. If filman. If film And TV productions continue to move out of California due to tax incentives in other states. What might the future look for Los Angeles? Is there a risk of it becoming the next Detroit? Well, there's no need to shit on Detroit in the question. Detroit's a fine city. Detroit.

[Ezra Klein]

The central part of that question is that California, I'm sorry to say this, a beautiful state, has become exhibit A in progressive misgovernance. And if you're going to tax industries straight out of the country, if you're going to continue to lose, I don't know, 100,000, 200,000 people every year who have to leave here because it's unaffordable, because housing is unaffordable, you're going to create an example of what Americans don't want from the left. So Democrats, and, you know, my colleague Ezra Klein is doing this, are taking a good hard look at California and saying, we're not that we need to be a party that's from some other model.

[Brett Stevens]

Well, you know, I don't disagree that we've got to do a lot to improve governance in California, but I don't agree with the diagnosis of why the film industry is leaving. They're leaving because they're getting richer incentives in other states and other countries, and we haven't kept pace with that. So if you want a film in the United Kingdom, you're going to get a tremendous tax break. And our motion picture industry has left the country. If you want to film in New York or Georgia, there are generous tax incentives. If we want to keep the industry here, we're going to have to compete with tax incentives. California has started to do that, but on a federal level. I think the United States is also going to have to offer incentives to keep this industry here and to compete around the world. It didn't used to be necessary, but they're successfully wooing away this, you know, prize economic and cultural driver of the United States. So I have a deep personal interest, both because I represent this area for a long time in the house. And I love this industry. I love going out to the movies. I love watching great TV like your program. But I think it's more that we're being outraged.

[Ezra Klein]

But why should it just be for Hollywood? It should be for normal people. It should be for any kind of entrepreneur, not just celebrities that you. Whose pictures and whose faces, you know, I mean, that's the problem. It shouldn't just simply be a favored industry. Oh, we can't lose our movie stars every year. California loses people because they are being Driven away by a high tax, high regulation state where public services don't reach the standards that they should. That should be a signal that, that we shouldn't have one favored industry or another. We should have a favored state. California should be competitive.

[Adam Schiff]

Well.

[Ezra Klein]

A great argument for old school.

[Brett Stevens]

Republicanism, by the way, and I certainly concur. We need to be competing for business with the rest of the country and we need to not be complacent about whether people are going to locate here because of a business climate. We certainly can't expect that. But I think what's driving. And the question was about the film industry, which is why I made my answer about the film industry. But I think a lot of what is driving people out of California is the cost of living is too high.

[Adam Schiff]

Yeah.

[Brett Stevens]

And most particularly the cost of housing is too high. People can't afford to live here, which is why I think in so many central ways, housing is really key. More housing is key to the affordability problem in California. More housing is key to the homeless problem in California. But you're absolutely right. Creating a more welcoming business environment, a more regulatory friendly environment. Making sure that the ethos is how do we help you get this done? Not how do we put more obstacles in the way. I haven't forgotten about your roof. All of that is important.

[Adam Schiff]

And my pop star.

[Brett Stevens]

Right.

[Adam Schiff]

And the, the pot store, the woods that I own with Woody Harrelson. The biggest problem we had was the government of California.

[Brett Stevens]

I imagine your producers are saying, oh, God, I can't believe Schiff brought up his roof.

[Adam Schiff]

Yeah. I mean, we want, we love it here. We want to live here. This. I mean, we, you know, the west coast has the sunshine and the girls all get so tanned. I don't know how I could. But we just gotta make it friendlier. All right. That's a, It's a Beach Boys song. Kids, if you didn't know, does the panel agree with the UK's proposal to impose a social media curfew for kids? How realistic is it to enforce? I'm not familiar with what the specifics of the UK doing that, but the UK has been doing some interesting things lately.

[Ezra Klein]

First pass answer. Absolutely, yes. Being the father of three kids, getting them off social media is the single most important thing you can do as a parent.

[Adam Schiff]

I mean.

[Brett Stevens]

I, I don't know enough about what Britain is doing, but I like the fact that schools are increasingly taking phones out of the classroom. I think that makes a lot of sense.

[Ezra Klein]

Social media, it's a misnomer. It should be called antisocial media. It is a tool for dividing people, putting people into silos, making people feel insecure, making people feel inadequate in every single metric. Social media has destroyed the inner lives of younger people.

[Adam Schiff]

I apropos to the Pope's passing, perhaps I did a bid here one night suggesting I was going to open a place called Bill Maher's Catholic School. Let me finish. Because Catholic schools are popular now, even with people who aren't Catholic. But it's the last place you can send your kid to get an old school education. And they just tell the kids, you know, forget about the Jesus stuff. Just, you know, to them, that's okay indoctrination, as opposed to some of the other indoctrination that goes on. And also, the Catholics don't put up with bullshit. They take your phone, you have to learn your P's and q's and your grammar and all this kind of stuff. And that's what I just don't understand, that parents don't. They don't have the whip hand anymore. Not that you should actually use a whip. And I don't have kids, so I don't know that firsthand. But every movie and TV show that has a teenager in it cannot be mischaracterizing this. And the kids just. They don't listen to their parents. They turn their back on them, they walk out of the room. Things that would just get me shut down when I was a kid. And I think it starts with the phone.

[Brett Stevens]

So I don't know that I would have been ready to send my kids to Catholic school. But I will tell you that I.

[Adam Schiff]

Bill Maher's Catholic School, it's different.

[Brett Stevens]

I thought the Pope was such a great Pope, it made me want to be a lapsed Catholic. I wasn't ready to go the Full Monty, but I wanted to be a lapsed Catholic.

[Adam Schiff]

All right, thank you, guys. Thank you, honey.

[Bill Maher]

Catch all new episodes of Real Time with Bill Maher every Friday night at 10 or watch him anytime on HBO on Demand. For more information, log on to hbo.com.