Maher panel rips into Trump for encouraging Devin Nunes and Steve King to be blatant 'a**holes'

In the "Overtime" segment of HBO's Real Time, host Bill Maher and his panelists -- including conservatives -- took shots at President Donald Trump for creating an atmosphere that has allowed lawmakers like Reps. Steve King (R-IA) and Devin Nunes (R-CA) to let out their inner "a**hole."

Addressing the topic of King's embrace of white nationalism, Maher asked conservative gadfly Erick Erickson about King, and Erickson was unsparing in his criticism of the Republican lawmaker.

According to Erickson, Republicans waited too long to speak out against King, but he also accused Trump of creating a toxic atmosphere that emboldened King.

"It's symptomatic of thei presidential administration making people feel comfortable being a**holes," the conservative explained. "They didn't necessarily do that in the past."

With Washington Post columnist Catherine Rampell jumping in to say that King has always made racist comments, Maher brought Nunes into the mix, saying at one time the California lawmaker seemed reasonable.

"Devin Nunes had some pretty smart quotes, I swear to God, I read them on this show," Maher recalled. "Now he became this person. It happens a lot. I think it's Fox News, I think they get sucked in by Fox."

Watch the video below via HBO: