Zelensky, Trump have most-notable quotations in 2022

A quip from Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelensky, a call to “terminate” parts of the Constitution from former President Trump and comedian Chris Rock’s reaction to a slap from actor Will Smith are among the most notable quotations this year.

Fred Shapiro, a Yale Law school librarian and editor of The New Yale Book of Quotations, released his top 10 most notable quotations list for 2022 to the Associated Press.

He said that these quotes best encapsulate the year.

“The items on this list are not necessarily eloquent or admirable quotations, rather they have been picked because they are famous or important or particularly revealing of the spirit of our times,” Shapiro said.

No. 1 on the list: “I need ammunition, not a ride.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s response to a U.S. offer of safe transportation, just two days after Russia invaded Ukraine.

No. 2: “Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution.”

Trump responding Dec. 3 on Truth Social to internal documents released by Twitter owner Elon Musk about the social media company blocking a damaging story on Hunter Biden for two days in October 2020.

No. 3: “Roe was egregiously wrong from the start.” 

A quote from U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito in the majority opinion overturning Roe v. Wade and the nearly 50-year constitutional right to abortion in June.

Other notable quotations include:

“Will Smith just smacked the s— out of me.”

Chris Rock, responding on March 27 at the Academy Awards to the infamous slap he received from Will Smith after he made a joke about his wife.

“Jackie, are you here? Where’s Jackie?”

President Biden when he called out for the late Rep. Jackie Walorski (D) during a White House conference on ending world hunger.

“If you’re the President of the United States, you can declassify just by saying ‘It’s declassified,’ even by thinking about it.”

Trump in a September Fox News interview, discussing a Department of Justice investigation into his alleged mishandling of classified documents he was supposed to return when he left the White House.