[Bruce isn't trying to make Sam feel like an idiot at least. (Though it's sometimes just an inadvertent thing he does.) Rather, he was attempting to judge whether or not he would be useful to him, concerning this whole Ngazi business. But he'd need someone more fluent in the art of subtlety, and he's not sure what he's learned about the teen really... qualifies.
And so, instead:] Add it to the list of things for us to work on.
no subject
And so, instead:] Add it to the list of things for us to work on.