Barack Obama: “No change in the conditions out of which the disputes arose shall be made by the parties to the controversy, except by…”

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.

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”.

When we choose, when we make that decision, I do believe – and there is evidence for this – that the world gets incrementally better, and that is a worthy goal and it’s worth fighting for.

Because if this becomes the new normal, there’s no reason to believe it will stop with her — or that future presidents, in either party, won’t do the same.