* “I AM AN INNOCENT MAN.”–The multi-count, federally indicted Donald Trump, who hasn’t been “innocent” since helping father Fred red-line New York real estate.
* Trump, of course, is entitled to a jury of his peers. Sounds scary.
* Document bottom line: Not so much what is taken, but what is kept.
* “Trump without the charm.”–How Nikki Haley’s campaign spokesman referred to Ron DeSantis. Too bad the reference couldn’t have been: Trump without the authoritative arrogance.
* Merriam-Webster.com reported that 2017’s most looked up word was “emolument.”
* “Personality transplant”:What DeSantis needs, according–ironically–to Trump.
* “DeSedative”: DeSantis nickname, courtesy of his one-time ally, Matt Gaetz.
* “For four years, we had a close working relationship. It did not end well.”–Mike Pence.
* Iowa will be critically important—from credibility to fund-raising—for GOP presidential-candidate Ron DeSantis. Recall that Trump, for all his early, media-enamored-and-enabled performances at cult rallies, didn’t carry Iowa in 2016. Ted Cruz did.
* “(Trump’s) a guy whose thoughts are often just six fireflies beeping randomly in a jar.”–David Brooks, New York Times.
* “I don’t think Trump can win a general election.”–Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La.
* “Our party is on a collision course toward electoral irrelevance without significant corrective action.”–New Hampshire Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, who had considered running for president.
* For the record, former President Trump once backed raising the retirement age to 70 and called for privatizing Social Security, which he labeled a “Ponzi scheme.” We’ll hear that again.