it is saturday, november 4th. i m ali velshi. we begin this morning with a split screen image that perfectly represents this moment of american politics. with democracy hanging in the balance, donald trump on the campaign trail, and on trial. trail, on one side we see a disgraced, twice impeached, multiply that former president raging at the system as the walls close in on him. on the other, the seemingly untouchable front runner for the republican nomination giving his supporters and the rest of the country a preview of his return to power. what it will look like. in the eyes of the backup base, trump is barreling towards the white house in 2024, despite witch hunts on all sides. as he continues to lead his republican competitors by a long shot, he is also continue to undermine and disregard key elements of what it means to be in a democracy. and how democratic processes work. he is refusing to attend the third republican debate. instead he will hold a counter programming