He is callout culture’s most prominent cry-bully. This particular callout is deeply irresponsible, especially coming from a president. It is certain to incite upset, anger, and animosity, at the very least, as the vast majority of people who see it will never take time to watch the whole of Omar’s speech and appreciate the totally different impression one gets watching the words in context.

What’s more, even if Omar’s words weren’t defensible, what kind of president uses the bully pulpit to push out video of a national trauma, forcing millions to relive its horrors, so that he can score cheap points against a member of Congress?

Civic conversation in America is dysfunctional in part because we have so many such outrage exhibitionists. These folks strip inartfully phrased remarks of context, ignoring the speaker’s intentions and imputing the least charitable possible meaning. This sets them up to display umbrage with the ostentation of a peacock.