Barack Obama: “We are going to stand with the people of New York, stand with the people of New Jersey, stand with the people of…”

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”.

It is a decision about how do we face and embrace this finite amount of time we have on the planet.

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.