Trump gets a trial date for his second indictment as his legal problems get worse. A pair of Iowa and South Carolina polls show Trump still crushing the field and officially qualifying multiple candidates for the first debate. The DeSantis campaign has finally landed on a “Let Ron Be Ron” strategy. Joe Biden’s campaign builds an unconventional operation to take on the Republican nominee. And later, New York Congressman Dan Goldman stops by to talk about prosecuting Donald Trump and the latest Republican antics around Hunter Biden and RFK Jr.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

SHOW NOTES 

Trump Crimes

• WaPo: Judge Cannon schedules Trump’s classified documents trial for May 2024 
• WaPo: Trump’s trial date conjures GOP’s nightmare scenario 
• The New Republic – If This Trump Propaganda Poster Doesn’t Terrify You, You’re Sleepwalking 
• CNN: How Trump maneuvered his GOP rivals into a tortured position on his legal battles
• The Hill – Trump rages over legal problems on Truth Social
• Real Clear Politics: Trump: “It Would Be Very Dangerous” To Put Me In Jail, I Have A “Tremendously Passionate Group Of Voters”
• CNN: Trump lawyer says there’s ‘no need’ to appear before grand jury in special counsel’s 2020 election probe
• CNN: Trump’s legal team continues effort to disqualify Georgia DA as possible state indictments loom
• WaPo: Before Jan. 6, Mark Meadows joked about Trump’s election claims 
• Politico: The numbers behind Trump’s confidence the Jan. 6 indictment won’t matter
• WaPo: Fox News hosts are pushing Trump to join the Fox News GOP debate
• Daily Beast: The Standoff Between Trump and Joe Rogan Over a Podcast Invite 

Mess America

• WSJ: GOP Splits Over Jan. 6 Deepen as Trump Indictment Looms 
• NBC News: Mike Pence says he’s not convinced Trump’s Jan. 6 actions were criminal
• NYT: Ron DeSantis Tells Russell Brand That Jan. 6 ‘Was Not an Insurrection’
• WMUR: Tim Scott says rioters, not former President Donald Trump, responsible for Jan. 6 Capitol attack
• Face the Nation: Chris Christie says some Republicans who defend Trump’s Jan. 6 actions are “afraid of Donald Trump”
• Axio: GOP’s uncomfortable Trump defense
• NBC News: How the 2024 Republicans boxed themselves in on Trump and Jan. 6 
• CNN: Trump strategizes with Hill allies to go on offense against January 6 criminal probe Fox: Trump leads in Iowa, as DeSantis and Scott round out the top 3 
• Fox: Trump has commanding lead in South Carolina GOP primary
• ABC: As Trump seems likely to skip primary debate amid polling lead, opponents claim he’s ‘afraid’
• WSJ: Notable & Quotable: Trump, Christie and GOP Debates
• Politico: Get Ready for the Vivek Ramaswamy Moment
• LAT: Why no one should ever debate Trump or RFK Jr. 
• NBC News: DeSantis is planning a campaign reboot as he struggles to close the gap with Trump
• NYT: A ‘Leaner-Meaner’ DeSantis Campaign Faces a Reboot and a Reckoning 
• Politico: DeSantis camp briefs donors, pledges to ‘Let Ron be Ron’
• Newsweek: Outrage as DeSantis Staffer ‘Retweets’ Nazi Symbol Video: ‘Disgusting’
• WaPo: DeSantis seeks to whitewash slavery in Florida’s curriculum 
• NYT: Rebooting Ron
• Tampa Bay: Advice for Ron DeSantis from a Florida Democrat

Biden

• WaPo: Inside Biden’s hidden campaign
• Politico: Biden looks to put North Carolina on ’24 map
• NPR: Biden plans a big push in the elusive state of North Carolina in 2024. Here’s why (From May) 
• WaPo: Biden team aims to compete in North Carolina, test ground in Florida
• WaPo: Biden campaign beefs up its data operation
• Axios: GOP’s crumbling case against Biden on crime, immigration and inflation
• Playbook PM: Biden threatens veto on GOP spending bills
• AP: Biden chooses a longtime Hill aide respected by Republicans as his new legislative affairs director
• West Wing Playbook: Analyzing Joe Biden’s drip
• CNN: Democratic worries bubble up over Cornel West’s Green Party run as Biden campaign takes hands-off approach
• NBC: Note cards and shorter stairs: How Biden’s campaign is addressing his age
• Politico: ‘This is a problem’: Biden faces looming strikes that could rock economy
• NPR: Biden will designate a national monument honoring Emmett Till and his mother
• CBS: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott defies Biden administration threat to sue over floating border barriers