Barack Obama: “We can't wait until another election before we start acting on some of the ideas.”

It is a basic principle of American democracy that the government can’t selectively target individuals simply because of their political beliefs or what they say.

People need to “rediscover what’s the story we tell about how we’re going to live together, and see each other, and recognise each other, and disagree, and yet, still care for each other”.

The effort, he said, “should outrage all Americans, regardless of how they feel about Congresswoman Omar’s political views.”

The full weight of the federal government is being brought down on a law-abiding elected official because she has dared to criticize the president.