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Ken Starr, a conservative pundit and frequent Fox News guest, is best known for his dogged attacks to find impeachable offenses by President Bill Clinton during a multi-year investigation into every aspect of the Clinton family's lives.
In the end, Starr found an extramarital affair which was used to impeach Clinton and that Clinton lied under oath about his personal life.
But since the House of Representatives began the process of President Donald Trump's impeachment, Starr is singing a different tune. Brought on as the White House defense lawyer, Starr still sees no issue with his own attacks on Clinton, yet claims that Trump's actions don't merit impeachment or any rebuke whatsoever, for that matter.
Starr said of the President's actions:
"Significantly, in this particular juncture of America's history, the Senate is being called to sit as the high court of impeachment all too frequently. Indeed, we are living in what I think can aptly be described as the Age of Impeachment."
The last presidential impeachment that faced a Senate trial was the one Starr himself instigated.
The irony is lost on no one familiar with Starr.
The former independent counsel's remarks before the Senate on Monday, decrying Trump's impeachment were soundly mocked by many. Others found them laughable to the point that someone altered the soundtrack of his testimony slightly.
Vox journalist Aaron Rupar shared the altered video on Twitter with the caption:
"Ken Starr unironically lamenting that impeachments are happening 'all too frequently' is so much better with a laugh track."
Ken Starr unironically lamenting that impeachments are happening "all too frequently" is so much better with a laug… https://t.co/SfdyVnSmze— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1580149681.0
Ken Starr lamenting impeachments happening “all too frequently" is the death of irony https://t.co/aNDkKXrfwd
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 27, 2020
MSNBC contributor Ari Melber said of the performance sans laugh track:
"Constitutionally, we just watched Ken Starr punch himself in the face."
.@AriMelber: 'Constitutionally, we just watched Ken Starr punch himself in the face' https://t.co/EFiz95pQHp— TheBeat w/Ari Melber (@TheBeat w/Ari Melber) 1580159014.0
.@AriMelber calls Ken Starr's defense of President Trump "a disaster for Republicans. A total, unmitigated, legal,… https://t.co/myywmpKewv— MSNBC (@MSNBC) 1580159768.0
Melber, like many, referenced Starr's own book where he defended his role in impeaching President Clinton.
As Ken Starr speaks, recall what he wrote *last year* about his case for impeaching Clinton: "Abuse of power.. our… https://t.co/pmAuuXL0FY— Ari Melber (@Ari Melber) 1580152195.0
Starr writes "abuse of power" was important to include, because it "created the conceptual link to Watergate..." "… https://t.co/5Ood2pJmjD— Ari Melber (@Ari Melber) 1580152404.0
Ken Starr on his case for impeaching Clinton: 10 counts of perjury and obstruction building "to what we viewed as… https://t.co/qYn41hM6eW— Ari Melber (@Ari Melber) 1580152561.0
Hypocrisy was the word many used to describe Starr's double speak.
@AriMelber Thank for pointing out more hypocrisy oozing from the infected Republican Party. @GOPSenate and… https://t.co/pT8fl0ngIR— TheRvrChik (@TheRvrChik) 1580152602.0
Old Gas Bag! GOP hounded the clintons to find some type of dirt on them, Whitewater, murder, and finally settling on perjury and a sexual affair. And then inflated it to make it look as though it was very important for impeachment. Trump's Caper is much worse.
— Edward G. Gowan (@GriffenBurkes) January 27, 2020
What a hypocrite!
— Mary MMM (@angry_gram) January 27, 2020
I mean, he TOTES felt this way during the Clinton impeachment.
Right? Wait...
— Steely Jan (@Woman_on_Pause) January 27, 2020
@Woman_on_Pause @atrupar I can remember watching him during Clinton impeachment and thinking what a slimy a$$hole.— KarenG (@KarenG) 1580155105.0
Others examined Starr's claim of the "age of impeachment" and argument that impeachments occurred too often.
Yup, 231 years since Washington was first president, and only 3 presidential impeachments in the history 243 years of the country. Whoooooa boy we better slow it down folks.
— OceanGirl🌍🌎🌏🇺🇸🇦🇺🇬🇧🇮🇪 (@Salacia_sea) January 27, 2020
So
1. Every couple decades is too often.
2. “This happens too often so we shouldn't bother with it anymore" is quite a defense. Maybe we can finally let all those non violent drug offenders go.
— donkey_kong_rap.mp3 (@dkrapdotmp3) January 27, 2020
To be fair, there have been 2 impeachment trials in the past 150 years and he likely remembers them both.
— Addison Shaw (@AddisonShaw8) January 27, 2020
The Senate trial of President Donald Trump continues. So far his defense has not converted the public as hoped.