correspondent. thank you, both, for being here. mary, i'm gonna start with you. you were a federal prosecutor, you worked at the highest levels of the justice department. how might that microscope of jack smith and his team -- because there's a team of lawyers working on this, how might they be affected by the microscope and the scrutiny that they are under right now? how does it affect the decision-making? >> i think that they are more affected in their decision-making by understanding the significance of potentially bringing not one, because they have already brought one, but a second criminal indictment against the former president, particularly during the actual election season while he is the front runner. from my own experience when i was at the department, both in the u.s. attorney's office in d.c., and what we call name justice and the national security division, is i was so busy all day every day into the wee hours. i wasn't consuming all the news where people are pontificating