Barack Obama said the line on 1 August 2014 at a White House press conference while discussing Central Intelligence Agency interrogation practices after the September 11 attacks. The phrasing drew wide attention because folks sounded informal for such a grave subject, and news clips and transcripts circulated the quote quickly. It was repeated in commentary, parodies and meme edits for years afterward, often detached from the original briefing. The clip survives because the wording is instantly recognisable and can be reused whenever someone casually admits to doing something severe.