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, Trumps 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 Starrs 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 Starrs 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 presidents behavior.

Melber also summed up Starr in a tweet:

See more of his takedown above.