the fact you've had an attorney for the former president of the united states making the argument that a president should be shielded from prosecution even for doing something like attempting to assassinate a political enemy simply because he was the president of the united states. i don't understand how you don't reckon with that on this debate stage. so to your point about that phantom, it's not just speaking about donald trump because he is the front-runner. it's not just speaking about donald trump because he himself is on the debate stage, it's speaking about donald trump because his very candidacy challenges our democracy and our rule of law. and it would seem impossible to vy for the presidency of the united states without reckoning with that core reality. >> and i thinkre that's the poi chris christie wass making because the four of us experienced his speech and his dropout together this afternoon. it was clearge that dropout cam at that point so he could if not be on the stage, at least steer