John Oliver has criticised former US president Donald Trump’s defence during his recent impeachment trial in the senate.
Trump was acquitted last week of inciting the insurrection which led to the violent storming of the US Capitol Hill building just over a month ago, despite seven Republicans voting to convict.
The impeachment movement was unable to amass the two-thirds senate majority needed to convict the president, who had already been impeached by the House of Representatives.
Speaking on his HBO topical comedy series Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Oliver said: “Democrats put on a compelling, forensic case about Trump’s clear role as instigator of the 6 January riots.
“In response, [Trump’s] attorney’s mounted a defence that could be charitably characterised as ‘incoherent’ with lowlights ranging from one attorney reminiscing about his childhood record collection to another subjecting the senate to an 11-minute video of Democrats simply using the word ‘fight’.”
Read more: John Oliver’s 10 best Donald Trump jokes and insults
The British-American comedian added: “It might have seemed they weren’t trying very hard but that might be because they didn’t really have to.”
He then showed a clip of an interview with Ted Cruz, in which the Republican senator suggested the impeachment trial was redundant, as more than two-thirds of the senate had already decided to acquit.
“The thing is, he was right,” said Oliver. “What a truly inspiring glimpse that is into the world’s foremost deliberative body. ‘I said to them, you’ve got to remember, the outcome’s predetermined, nothing means anything and this entire process is a complete charade.’
“The fact the Republicans were going to acquit the former president no matter what is a pretty depressing sign of just how deep Trumpism runs in their party.”
Last Week Tonight airs in the US on HBO.
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