Thursday during the very first question. The charges, however, were not directed between the candidates, but between former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and debate moderator John King.
King asked Gingrich to respond to allegations by his ex-wife that in 1999, Gingrich asked her to have an open marriage with him.
"Would you like to take some time to respond to that?" asked King.
"No, but I will," responded Gingrich, receiving loud, sustained applause from the audience.
"I think the destructive, vicious, negative nature of much of the news media makes it harder to govern this country, harder to attract decent people to run for public office. And I am appalled that you would begin a presidential debate on a topic like that," he said.
The audience gave Gingrich a standing ovation.
