In other words, the Georgia case may be the most durable, most threatening, and most important headache facing Trump because he can’t pay a fine or pardon himself. Georgia’s alleged crimes are beyond the scope of federal pardons, and they may set up a collision course over whether state laws can compel a President to face the music, even if he’s busy prosecuting wars, negotiating trade deals, or just trying to keep Americans’ national security safe. America has never faced a scenario of asking whether someone in the clink can also have the nuclear codes or have visiting hours limited by local wardens. This is no longer some academic exercise. Voters—especially GOP primary voters—would do well to just take a beat with that remote possibility.

In typical fashion, Trump blew off the news and unleashed a personal screed against prosecutors in Georgia and beyond—even before the indictments were unsealed in Fulton County. If history is any guide, Trump will have a bumper few days of fundraising. But there are signs of fatigue; Trump’s second indictment day proved less profitable than the first. And his rivals for the nomination are growing ever so slightly more bold.

[Legally, this is probably true. Politically, I’m not convinced it matters. I’ve written at length on both contexts this morning on the main blog. — Ed]