Trump:
"He should have stayed in the basement all day. But I think today he is staying in the basement to talk to his lawyers. They caught him cold."
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catch (one) cold
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To surprise someone with something. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is always used between "catch" and "cold." News that I'd gotten the promotion really caught me cold—I didn't think they were seriously considering me for it!
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To surprise an opponent in order to gain an advantage. If we can catch their defense cold, we should be able to tie the game.