Barack Obama: “Roger F. Wicker, of Mississippi, to be a Representative of the United States of America to the Sixty-fifth Session of…”

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”.

I think when we act on that basis, it doesn't always work out, but over time things do get better.

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.

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.