>> we know that the gen, the qods force has been a powerful tool of the iranian regime to sow conflict. >> reporter: trump's gop opponents were quick to pounce. >> you can't flippantly say i'll high the best people. you have to have a sense of what's at risk. >> if you don't know the answers to those questions, you can't serve as commander in chief. >> reporter: here's ben carson earlier this year. >> should we have that sort of commitment that if putin makes a move on the baltic states, we would go to war? >> well, if we have them involved in nato, we need to -- we need to convince them to get involved in nato and strengthen nato. >> well, they are in nato. >> reporter: no one could argue ben carson, a ped tick neurosurgeon is not bright.