'They're trying to impeach the son of a b****': Trump jokes with football team ahead of Senate trial

Members of the LSU Tigers look on as Donald Trump makes jokes at a reception for them in the East Room of the White House to reward their victory in the college football playoff final: Getty Images
Members of the LSU Tigers look on as Donald Trump makes jokes at a reception for them in the East Room of the White House to reward their victory in the college football playoff final: Getty Images

Donald Trump joked about his own impeachment in front of a college football team as the Senate prepares for his impeachment trial, the third in US history.

The president revelled in his celebrity during a reception for LSU at the White House recognising the team's win against the Clemson Tigers in Monday's national college championship game.

He invited the team to the Oval Office to visit the Resolute Desk, where "a lot of presidents, some good, some not so good" have worked, he said.​

"But you've got a good one now", Mr Trump said. "Even though they're trying to impeach the son of a b****."

He then turned his attention to 23-year-old LSU quarterback and Heisman Trophy recipient Joe Burrow, saying: "Can you believe that? We got the greatest economy we ever had, Joe. We got the greatest military. We rebuilt it. We took out those terrorists like your football team would've taken out those terrorists, right?"

The president was impeached by the House on 18 December. The Senate trial will begin 21 January. The president is charged with abuse of power for pressuring Ukraine to announce an investigation into his political rivals in an effort to use potentially damaging information against his political rivals in the 2020 election.

He also is charged with obstructing the congressional investigation into his administration's dealings with Ukraine by repeatedly refusing to provide relevant documents or allow members of his administration to testify.

Members of the LSU Tigers look on as Donald Trump makes jokes at a reception for them in the East Room of the White House to reward their victory in the college football playoff final (Getty Images)
Members of the LSU Tigers look on as Donald Trump makes jokes at a reception for them in the East Room of the White House to reward their victory in the college football playoff final (Getty Images)

New members of his legal team announced on Friday include Ken Starr, who he previously has called a "lunatic" and a "freak" during the impeachment of Bill Clinton, as well as Alan Dershowitz, who has represented Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein.

During the White House reception, Mr Trump told Mr Burrow that he's "going to be so rich".

The quarterback presented Mr Trump with a No. 45 LSU jersey with "Trump" on the back.

The president said: "I thought he was giving me the Heisman Trophy. He's just giving me a jersey."