Barack Obama: “We could shrink our deficits and still invest in our families, our health, our schools, science, technology.”

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.”

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.

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.