MSNBC host Ari Melber said President Donald Trump’s defense got off to a rough start at his impeachment trial on Monday.

“This was a disaster for Republicans,” Melber said. “A total, unmitigated legal and Constitutional disaster.”

Melber singled out Ken Starr for failing to reconcile “his own hypocritical history” with impeachment. When Starr played a key role in the 1998-99 impeachment proceedings against then-President Bill Clinton, he argued that Clinton had abused his power. Now, Trump’s defense team claims that abuse of power is not an impeachable offense.

“Ken Starr is Mr. Abuse of Power,” Melber said.

That history, Melber added, meant that Starr’s real opponent was essentially himself and his own arguments from the past.

“He was out there shadow-boxing with himself,” Melber said. “Constitutionally, we watched Ken Starr punch himself in the face and then walk off the floor.”

Melber also cited a passage from Starr’s book which referred to the potential abuse of power argument against Clinton as the “capstone” of the impeachment case. He read: “Abuse of power stood at the center of the president’s behavior.”

Melber also summed up Starr in a tweet:

Shorter Ken Starr:



Take MY word for it, you should do the opposite of WHAT I DID. — Ari Melber (@AriMelber) January 27, 2020

See more of his takedown above.