♪ ♪ howard: the iowa caucuses are finally here. the voting is tomorrow with most pundits conceding the republican front-runner is going to win big. but this image really captures

the coverage. the new yorker cover with donald trump portray thed as a metal-wearing, goose-stepping nazi e soldier. trump continues to dominate the coverage as he did by doing an iowa town hall with fox news overshadowing at the same hour the ron desantis-nikki haley slug fest on cnn. and the former president generated wall the wall coverage by showing up in washington on his claim of immunity for actions in office; namely, challenging the last election. >> trump's presence in that courtroom which took him off the campaign trail just days before the iowa caucuses underscored the vindictiveness of the lawfare if being waged against him. >> why's he in court instead of campaigning? because donald trump being in court is the greatest bully pulpit for him where he can plaw fake. howard: trump wasn't required to be in court then or on thursday when he denounced the judge in his new york civil fraud trial,

but he drew attention from his rivals whose iowa events are being buried by snow. one opponent did briefly breakthrough the static, chris christie, dropping out of the race. i'm howard kurtz and this is "mediabuzz." ♪ ♪ howard: and we'll talk to martha maccallum in iowa about moderating that town hall with donald trump. and hunter biden's latest stunt, storming in and out of his own house contempt hearing. the appellate panel was openly skeptical of the trump team's argument that he couldn't be criminally charged unless he was first impeached and convicted. the judges' question whether a president could order the military to murder an opponent just resigned before impeachment. if. >> but if precedent is overturned and the constitution's ignored, every president once they leave office is vulnerable to be indicted by their successor.

>> do trump's lawyers really think that the courts will buy an argument that he can shoot someone on fifth avenue as president and just get away with it? howard: when the ex-president was speaking to reporters outside the d.c. courthouse, cnn and msnbc cut away. >> there'll be bedlam in the country, it's a very bad thing. it's a very bad precedent -- >> a few fact check es and reality statements on what you're hearing there. there is no evidence of voter fraud if. howard: donald trump still wants the media to carry his immunity argument including unsubstantiated alleges. >> -- allegations. >> a president of the united states has weaponized the department of justice as though we were a third world country or a banana republic, and if i don't get it, then joe biden doesn't get it. and his list of crimes is too long to talk about. howard: joining us now to analyze the coverage, ben domenech, editor at large at the spectator, and kevin corke, fox

news senior national correspondent. ben, how much is it helping donald trump who's already got a big lead in iowa, 48% in today's final des moines register poll, to be using these courtroom appearances to drive the news agenda? >> well, i think it's been helpful all the way up until this point, you know, which is to say the reason that he, you know, has such a strong lead within the republican nominating field is because of, directly because, i believe, of this kind of assault that's been going on through lawfare on him and his character and his business dealings. the real question though is at what point does that stop benefit fitting him; namely, if he becomes the nominee, does this havety publishing return for him trying to win back an electorate that's very different than the one he's currently competing for? he's running away with the nomination when it comes to a state like iowa. iowa has 3.1 million people, about 185,000 of them participated in the nominating

battle back in -- howard: not massive numbers. >> not massive numbers when you're trying to win statements that have much bigger numbers, what does this look like. howard: and, kevin, as i said, cnn kept cutting away from trump in both new york and washington and say he's lying, but since the network spends mitch of -- much of each day talking about trump often critically, why couldn't they let him have his say and then come in with facts? >> that's precisely how you're supposed to handle it. going back to the early days of our careers, at least there was an appearance of impartiality. i've been a coordinating producer before, so i've been in the booth. i can't imagine with cutting away is the responsible decision. what you're supposed to do in this business, in my opinion, is you're supposed to let him have his say. if you want to fact check after, do it. it is newsworthy what a he had to say, and that is the standard. we saw a journalistic dereliction of duty. howard: it is news, what a he

has to say. ben, there was, of course, chris christie's withdrawal, and let's take a look at what he said and then his comments about nickihill lay -- nikki haley being caught on a hot mic. >> i would rather lose by telling the truth than lie in order to win. she's going to get smoked, and you and i both know it. she's not up to this. howard: so christie had told me before he got in the race that by the winter if he didn't see a path to victory, he would drop out. but does his non-presence now give nikki haley a boost in new hampshire? >> i think it absolutely does. and i think that that late stage interview that was done with, by my friend hugh hewitt with chris christie where he explicitly asked him multiple times to justify staying in the race -- howard: right. >> -- given that fact, given that he was taking away votes, people who might vote for her in new hampshire, you know, essentially supporting the former president of who he's been so critical, i think that

probably played a factor since he was going to have to explain why he stayed in and took what could end up being, you know, essentially a margin of victory. but the question i think also becomes where do those voters actually go. do they even actually stay within the republican cohort given the fact that he built his entire campaign off of criticizing the former president. howard: you know, the media con consensus is -- [inaudible] in new hampshire, but let's see what the weather is. [laughter] kevin, obviously, christie not endorsing, he called his rivals cowards, not directly criticizing donald trump, but at the same time there's some media chatter that the hot mic section of nikki haley wasn't accidental. >> you know, i don't think it was accidental at all. [laughter] i've been around the block a bi- howard: and so has christie. >> i think that was intentional, and i think he's laying the groundwork to say she will not be the one to do this, we all know this, and eventually he believes, i think, that the gop

non-trump gop could coalesce behind ron desantis. the problem is ron desantis finish the governor's a great governor in the state of florida, his popularity is not equal to that of the former president, and that's regardless of what happens in both iowa and new hampshire. we'll see how it all plays out, but i think going long on this everyone does know pretty much barring some wild event that takes donald trump off the playing field, it is extremely unlikely nikki haley, as chris christie said, will be able to surmount that mountain. howard: right. vest interestingly, trump and his campaign have been lowering expectations in iowa, even attacking vivek ramaswamy who's been his most loyal supporter, and they no longer say heir going to win in a landslide, they just need to win. so is, ben, the pundit cans, legal experts in that appeals court hearing almost universally mocking trump's defense that where the judges said, well, could a president use seal team six to murder his opponents,

that didn't sound like a winning argument. >> no, i don't think it was. but i also think that, you know, getting into the areas of hypotheticals around, you know, what a president could or couldn't do is a pretty dangerous path toward the interpretation if of the actual law in these cases. you have, i think, a verier respond approach to the conversation around this -- very very irresponsible approach, because a lot of people are trying to find a path to get where they want to go as opposed to looking at the law and what's required of it in terms of the context at the time and what was meant by actual insurrection at the time of the 14th amendment. i think that's something that's too important to skip over, and it's one of the reasons why i believe we're going to see the supreme court weigh in on this and a number of key questions before the actual election happens. howard: right. i will be stunned if the supreme court allows donald trump to be kicked off of ballots in colorado and any other state. but, kevin, as some news outlets have noted, trump's lawyers say he can't be criminally charged unless he's first impeached and

convicted. but his attorney said quite the opposite in his last impeachment trial saying, well, this is the a political process, but he could certainly be pursued by law enforcement. so which is it? [laughter] >> well, that's a good question. [laughter] lawyers can find a way. there you go. listen, ultimately they're make a strong argument which is unless you really want -- and you heard jessie say it in your montage, unless you want to open up pandora's box, be super careful about what you can charge a former president is. it is to say be careful what you wish for as we've seen play out i think of the old harry reid, you know, 51 versus 60, be careful. decisions made today can have lasting impact, and i think the courts will probably consider that. howard: right. there is a legitimate debate about setting a precedent for future presidents. you know, the other, the civil fraud trial hearing in new york, trump did get to speak, and he insulted the judge to his face.

and then he came out and did a presser on friday. i mean, he's just been in the news every single day. and he did a fist pump because he was pretty pumped up. so i don't think there's much question that you're going to say politically these indictments rile up his supporters -- >> yes. howard: -- who think he's being unfairly persecuted. >> and i think that that's what he understands that he has to continue to do in order to lock up this nomination and make suring you know, it's not something that has anything go wrong where. but one of the key aspects of this which you alluded to earlier is, you know, he has dominated so much in all of this, and i think that there is still this underlying threat in the back of his head that basically says i actually hasn't had a -- haven't had an assessment of my support in a while. the votes are the things that matters. he understands, he feels like in the past he was lied to about the way iowa was going to turn out with ted cruz ultimately

narrowly winning it. he feels like he can't necessarily trust these numbers, so as much as he touts them, i think this is really the point where the rubber meets the road and he gets to see how much support and how dedicated the supporters really are. howard: yeah. especially in the face of this expected monster blizzard and 15 crees below today in des moines. so, kevin, "the new york times" says the republican primary race increasingly feels like a contest for second place. if that's true, are the pundits increasingly rooting for nikki haley? if obviously, they are going very negative about desantis, can he last past iowa and all that, as their last hope of overtaking donald trump? >> yeah, i don't think there's any if question. they're hoping with all vision gore that somehow, some way nikki haley -- and, listen, it could happen. i think ben's right, we've seen iowa throw curveballs year after year after year -- howard: absolutely. mike huckabee, rick santorum. >> there you go.

didn't pat -- >> pat robertson -- >> absolutely. that's right. that's right. my point being it would be great, i think, for journalists if she head a -- made a strong push or pulled off the upset. howard: it would be great for journalists to have a race to cover as opposed to it ending within ten days. ahead, the coverage of lloyd austin and his e prostate cancer cover-up. but when he come back, the media proclaiming winter in the ron desantis versus nikki haley showdown. ♪

[sneeze] dude you coming? ♪ alka-seltzer plus powermax gels cold & flu relief with more concentrated power because the only thing dripping should be your style. plop plop fizz fizz winter warriors with alka-seltzer plus. ♪(song in french)♪ (♪) book in the hotels.com app to find your perfect somewhere. sleep more deeply. and wake up rejuvenated. purple mattresses exclusive gelflex grid draws away heat, relieves pressure and instantly adapts. sleep better, live purple. right now, save up to $800 dollars off mattress sets at purple. visit purple.com or a store near you today.

howard: it was the an unprecedented television showdown, ron desantis and nikki haley facing off in a heated cnn candidate debate while donald trump tried to upstage them with a fox town hall. >> can you say tonight that

political violence is never acceptable? >> well, of course that's right. and, of course, i'm the one that had very little of it. i think bedlam is joe biden. i think that he's using this. this is just a political ploy. trump is a dictator. and the press picks it up. so i said i'm going to be a dictator for one day. they cut it. they go, i'm going to be a dictator. but they cut the rest of the sentence. >> how much a second term of a donald trump presidency, second term, would be about retribution and looking backwards and grievances, and how much would be booking -- looking forward? >> we're going to make this country so successful again, i'm not going to have time for retribution. [cheers and applause] howard: the tone was far different on cnn as the other two candidates traded insults. >> when you need someone to stand and fight for you, don't look for nikki haley. you won't be able to find her if you had a search warrant. >> he's spent more time trying to lie about me than he is about telling the truth about himself. you've got $150 million, you've gone down in the polls in iowa.

why should we think you can manage or do anything in this country? [applause] >> shooting herself in the foot every other day -- [applause] saying things that now she doesn't even take questions from hemo. from people. howard: and the ratings were 4.5 million viewers for trump on fox and just under 2.7 million viewers on cnn. then i thought trump clearly won the night. he was disciplined, he was relaxed. but don't take my word for it. pretty -- politico, it could hardly have gone better for donald trump. new york times, the winner of the haley-desantis collision? trump. >> one of the things we have to expect about this is going forward the media is not going to be as nice, nice -- [laughter] with trump as they are when they're saying things like that. instead, i think that, you know, within the context of this republican fight they're going to lean into, you know, every moment where trump has a good performance, every moment where he's stronger than desantis or haley. but as soon as he potentially locks up the nomination, i think that the tune is going to shift

back to where it was over the past couple of years which was sort of do we even have an obligation to coffer him. do we have to, you know, give him the kind of attention that he deserves. obviously, as a former president and, you know, potentially the nominee of one of the two major parties which is, of course, a ludicrous statement, but it's what they really operated from all the way up until this primary began. howard: yeah. i think the debate about exposure or is a horrible idea with. i think that ship has sailed. kevin, desantis and haley spent so much time trash thing each other other their records that it just got swallowed up -- >> you know, i watched it very carefully, howie, and i felt like they missed an opportunity to sort of say this is my vision for america moving forward. i know that they have talking points, i get all that. but they spent so much time in the muck and the mire and not enough time, in my opinion, to say this is what separates me from donald trump. this is my positive vision. he was all right. if you feel that way, go for him. but i'm different, i'm better.

i felt like they were going at each other so much it made it almost unseemly to sort of sit there and feel, like, this is my choice? howard: nikki haley, how many times did she go to desantis lies tom? it was like watching two downing victims to see who was going to get the last gasp of air. by contrast, the town hall was a friendly forum because it was mostly trump supporters in the audience and asking a number of questions. but bret baier and martha that maccallum asked him about retribution, bedlam, seeming to root for a stock market crash this year. your take on the town hall. >> i actually thought one of the more interesting moments came from a question from the audience on the issue of abortion where you see, obviously, the former president having been successful in, you know, from the perspective of pro-life americans and husband supporters when it came to the roe v. wade issue, but ever since that the decision came down, he's really shied away

from it, worried about what impact it would have prettily, you know, a worry that's shared by a lot of republicans. and i think that whoo to -- what you saw was him trying to navigate this weird environment which is one where i don't think he's settled on what he's doing to -- going to say yet. and there are a lot of pro-life people who voted for him in 2020 who this time around may need some more reassurance from him going forward that they're not going to be left aside. howard: right. but even now some of the pro-life groups have made their peace. we happen to have the sound bite on this very topic talking, when the former president was asked about the end of roe v. wade, which he took credit for, obviously, by appointing three scotus justices. let's take a look. >> you have to win elections, you know, if you talk five or six weeks, a lot of women don't know they're pregnant in fife or six weeks. howard: and that's the clear reference to ron desantis

passing a 6-week abortion in florida, and it's interesting he took the softer line. >> smart, smart, smart. first of all, throughout most of europe, i think, is 15 weeks anyway. whether you fall on i'm for the right to have an abortion or if you're against abortion in general, i think he's trying to thread the needle here, howie, because he recognizes that for suburban women the voting pattern back in 2020, that was a major issue. he wants to soften. i think he's getting good advice politically, and i think if you're honest about it, donald trump has never been a real strident personality on this issue anyway. he wants to sort of step back. and i'll say this, when people talk about race in these debates and they ask these questions about race or they ask these questions about abortion, i just don't think that moves the needle for me as a voter, and i think most voters or are like that. what they really want to talk about is what's happening with the economy. i don't want to know what happens in your personal life, and i think too often people get bogged down on that issue. howard: it's a bigger issue on

the democratic side, obviously finish. >> that's true. howard: got half a minute here. what's -- were these more reasonable answers, just a detour? on friday he he had a presser and said my league issues, every one of them, are set up by crooked joe biden, biden and the thugs around him which, certainly, joe biden could dispute. >> you know, i think it's up to the former president how much he wants to a make this coming campaign about those personal if issues and how much he wants to make them about the concerns of americans -- americans. not just the economy, but what we see happening on the border, around the world. and i think that decision is going to play a major factor in terms of how those potential independent voters view him as a force for chaos and retribution or as someone they would like to see back in the office. howard: and we find out tomorrow at least the partial answer in oh. ben.com flesh -- ben.com nfl, kevin corke, thanks for stopping by. up next, the press corps

ripping the biden white house as we found out about the nature of defense secretary austin's illness. (♪) your ancestry is so much more than names and dates. (♪) c'mon! it's the story of your family - then and now. a story that made your name mean something. a story you're still writing. so discover your heritage. preserve your traditions. represent all that makes you, you. (♪)

as someone living with type 2 diabetes, i want to keep it real and talk about some risks. with type 2 diabetes you have up to 4 times greater risk of stroke, heart attack, or death. even at your a1c goal, you're still at risk ...which if ignored could bring you here... ...may put you in one of those... ...or even worse. too much? that's the point. get real about your risks and do something about it. talk to your health care provider about ways to lower your risk of stroke, heart attack, or death. learn more at getrealaboutdiabetes.com

howard: it took more ttwo weeks after lloyd austin secretly checked into the hospital not telling the press or the white house where he was going. now, we found out why the pentagon chief was there. >> and in early december 2023 identified prostate cancer which required treatment treatment. >> it e seems, frankly, like you were deceived by telling everyone that it was an elective medical procedure. >> we've acknowledged there were some shortfalls. >> if this not fireable, nothing is. you should be fired, and you should resign as soon as you get out of your hospital bed. >> we learned just today that the president didn't even know why he was in the hospital. i mean, i don't think he can be trusted. howard: joining us now, jacqui heinrich, fox news white house correspondent. even after there was a media tour if record over lloyd austin being m.i.a., we still didn't learn until just the other day that he has prostate cancer. does that make this an even

bigger story? >> i think what makes it bigger is that the day that we all found out was the same day the president found out. howard: yeah. >> even though his, you know, secretary of defense spoke to the president that saturday, the day after lloyd austin sent out a memo saying, look, i take responsibility for not letting people know, i pledge to do better, then he has a call with the president and doesn't say, hey, mr. president, i have prostate cancer. so that is a little bit concerning. howard: what has been the reaction at the white house where president biden, as you alluded to, didn't know for days? the defense secretary, of course, is part of the nuclear chain of command and the drip, drip, drip of disclosure is how badly this was botched? >> i think it's going over worse at the pentagon because you have two people who are really in charge of managing secretary of defense, and one of those people, the chief of staff, it's her responsibility to notify the white house, national security adviser, congress -- howard: oh, but he was ill. >> but she had the flu, and she

didn't delegate her responsibilities to anyone else. so when she haunched this investigation, it's being looked at internally at the pentagon as an effort to the cover her own butt because she's the one who really didn't follow through with her job, and also the senior military assistant lieutenant general louis vuitton clark also -- ron clark also didn't pick up those duties while she was ill. so it's an effort to shirk blame, pass it on to military personnel. howard: that's a really important point. meanwhile, lloyd austin remains in the hospital. in fact, doctors say he may need additional care. at a time when not only two wars are are going on, but the retaliatory strikes that president biden ordered against the houthis who have been attacking our own seamen and commercial ships in the red sea brings into question of a wider war. so, obviously, we wish the general a speedy recovery. but with these wars going on, with the attacks in the red sea, does it hook like biden doesn't hold anyone accountable? he was asked about whether this

was a lapse in general on the secretary's part, and he gave the shortest possible answer, yes. >> well, we'll see what the inspector general's investigation shows. if there's some gross misconduct that is found in that probe, he's going to have to take some action. but at the same time, the president's not going to broadcast to the world that his confidence in the secretary of defense has been utterly shaken at a time when u.s. troops are under fire overseas. he's just not going to do that. at the same time the though, there are questions about remaining how kathleen hicks, deputy secretary of defense, was given partial duties while she's on vacation in puerto rico, but she was never given the full authority including the day he was under general anesthesia, lights out, january 1st-5th while he's in the hospital having complications. howard: right. so very briefly, would you describe white house officials as being frustrated by this whole thing? >> absolutely is. howard: and pentagon officials according to your reporting. >> especially those who had to answer questions and they

themselves, general ryder. howard: yeah, he goes out out and says what he was told. >> technically it was, it was scheduled, not emergency, you think of like removing a mole -- howard: yeah. minor procedure. and it turns out even the procedure you referred to is considered major surgery. we just keep finding out more. >> he's still in the hospital, two weeks later. howard: see you a little later. next on "mediabuzz," martha maccallum weighs in from des moines. ♪ ♪

my psoriasis was all over. i couldn't get my nails done. then psoriatic arthritis. cosentyx works on both for me. people with psoriasis on their nails have a 3x higher risk for psoriatic arthritis. serious allergic reactions, severe skin reactions that look like eczema, and increased risk of infections, some fatal, have occurred. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms, have had a vaccine or plan to or if ibd symptoms develop or worsen. cosentyx... still workin' for me. ♪ see me ♪ i'm jonathan lawson, here to tell you about life insurance through the colonial penn program. if you're age 50 to 85 and looking to buy life insurance on a fixed budget, remember the three p's. what are the three p's? the three p's of life insurance on a fixed budget are price, price, and price. a price you can afford, a price that can't increase, and a price that fits your budget.

i'm 54. what's my price? you can get coverage for $9.95 a month. i'm 65 and take medications. what's my price? also $9.95 a month. i just turned 80. what's my price? $9.95 a month for you too. if you're age 50 to 85, call now about the #1 most popular whole life insurance plan available through the colonial penn program. options start at $9.95 a month. no medical exam, no health questions. your acceptance is guaranteed. and this plan has a guaranteed lifetime rate-lock, so your rate can never go up for any reason. so call now for free information, and you'll also get this free beneficiary planner. and it's yours free just for calling, so call now for free information.

♪ ♪ finish. howard: managing a town hall is no easy task. joining us now from des moines, martha maccallum, anchor of "the story," who moderated the session with donald trump along with bret baier. hope you're faring well with 15 below -- [laughter] but now that you've been on the ground in iowa for a week, what's e the feel, what's the

texture of the campaign that you wouldn't have known from your new york studio? >> you know, this is no substitute for getting out and going to these campaign events, howie, and talking to voters on the ground, you know? and any one of them that you're at a, i've been to desantis events and haley events, and we've talked to a lot of voters across this state over the last week and, you know, there's clearly a lot of enthusiasm for the former president. there is no doubt about it. but you do see the kind of passion and conversation around haley and desantis as well. they have worked really hard here, desantis has been to all 99 counties. so we'll see what happens tomorrow night, you know? we've got the last des moines register poll last night. that's always a significant moment in this process in iowa, and it showed a very strong lead for president trump. but, you know, one of the things i want to mention to you is how small these numbers are. and you guys touched on this earlier, right? maybe in this kind of weather environment you get 150,000 people in a state of 3 million iowa residents --

howard: and yet the media goes crazy about this. >> absolutely. it's almost like the caucus is a poll where people show up and weigh in. it's a small vivid of -- sliver of the population of iowa that will have some sort of deciding element for the whole process of the nomination along the way, howie. howard: since you mentioned "the des moines register" poll, second place went to 234eubg key haley with to %. d can 20%. at your town hall donald trump really seemed to soften his e rhetoric when asked about political violent or being a dick around toy -- dictator. did that surprise you. >> it kind of did, howie, and when i look back on it,ty -- i think that's the most important takeaway. we pressed him on whether it would be bedlam, whether it would all be about grievance and retribution, all of these issues. and in each one of those cases, and in particular if i thought in his abortion answer which i know ben mentioned a little while ago on your program, it is

so career that he is making -- clear that he is making an effort to be more palatable, more acceptable to people who are concerned about chaos. so that's a direct outreach to haley voters, i think, in a very big way because that's something she's been talking about a lot. he's trying to moderate -- he did not mention anything about a rigged election, howie, in an entire hour. i think that may be a first. [laughter] so, you know, i'm not sure, it was not incumbent upon us to bring it up if he is not even mentioning it at that point. so i think that's an interesting issue. so he was clearly trying to present a slightly different version of donald trump. and i think it's going to be interesting whether or not he keeps it up depending on the environment he's in in different places. howard: that is always the question, is it just a temporary detour. >> exactly. howard: i do think that was the biggest takeaway, by far. >> i agree. howard: some of the anti-trump networks are saying the interview was too soft, but

let's come back to this question about retribution. take a look at what the former president said in the debate and what he said about 10 months ago. >> i'm not going to have time for retribution. and for those who have been wronged and betrayed -- [applause] i am your rest retribution. [cheers and applause] howard: is that something that you and bret could have followed up on? >> possibly, howie. i think that, you know, it was very interesting to see what the questions were from the audience as well. howard: yes. >> this was not a one-on-one interview, and it's not a debate. we're there to really facilitate the questions that the audience wants to ask. and i would also note that there were zero questions that came in about that issue. zero people who, you know, submitted questions saying, you know, i'm very concerned that it's all going to be about retribution or whatever word you want to say. what they asked about was the economy. they asked about -- a few of them asked about abortion, not a lot. i think we'll see more of that in other states, probably new

hampshire. but really the focus was on the future of the country, their concerns about that, foreign policy, the economy. so that's where the people in this town hall wanted the conversation to be. and it's a function of, you know, speaking to iowa voters in this situation. next week we'll talk to new hampshire voters when we get out there. and it's just step one along the process. but that's where the tenor was that night, and that's where with he was which i thought was very interesting. howard: yeah. i think it's important to note as you did that this is not an interview where you might go back on the same question three or four times so you had to make time for questions asked by the iowa audience. i know you were busy at that particular hour, but nikki haley and ron desantis spent two hours trashing each other, calling each other liars on. >> cnn. they barely mentioned trump, and when they were asked about the former -- former president, they stuck to policy. even insight into why even at this late date, one day to go,

they still didn't go after the overthemming front-runner? >> you know what? i think they have been -- i think they might have benefited from putting more focus on that, howie. and one of the things i think is interesting in that des moines register poll is the enthusiasm gauge. ann seltzer, who we all know is a longtime lead pollster for the des moines register, she called the hack of enthusiasm for haley jaw-dropping in these numbers. and, you know, there is obviously enthusiasm when you go to these different events for these candidates. they're both very solid, you know, very solid candidates and potential nominees. howard: yeah. >> but there is nothing like being in a room where the whole room is very supportive of trump. he gets a different level of enthusiasm, a different level of passion from his voters. and i think that's kind of what we're picking up here in this des moines register poll. but, of course, the ultimate move happens tomorrow night. howard: and all the candidates, including trump, will have the challenge of getting their voters out.

martha maccallum, thanks so much for joining us from iowa. after the break, joe biden's team spinning journal is about the coverage of trump, and later, hunter biden walks out of a house contempt hearing. ♪ ♪ automated voice: please insert your parking ticket. it's going to take a lot more than a little ticket to get out of here. and if you have cut rate car insurance, this could leave you all bent out of shape. no...ahhh! so, get allstate and be better protected from mayhem... yeah...like me. uh, someone! that's broken to pal... hahaha. automated voice: please insert your parking ticket. (vo) sail through the heart of historic cities and unforgettable scenery with viking. unpack once, and get closer to iconic landmarks, local life, and cultural treasures.

because when you experience europe on a viking longship, you'll spend less time getting there and more time being there. viking. exploring the world in comfort.

howard: the biden campaign is bringing media big shots to its wilmington headquarters to, among other things, complain about donald trump's coverage.

jacqui heinrich is back to help us sort it out. the biden campaign's take is they've been swamped by requests from journalists to go to wilmington, meet the top campaign brass and that complaints about the trump coverage are only a small fraction of what goes on. there are going to be more meetings, fox is on the list are. is this different than every other campaign working the reps? >> i think it's a little bit more important this time because you're seeing it bubble up on their twitter accounts, you know, people affiliated with the campaign being pretty vocal about wanting the media to do the work for them in reminding voters that, you know, the election in november is their first chance to really respond to january 6th, 2021. and you heard, you know, campaign staff theres, even white house officials describing, for instance, a "usa today" article that described the split between biden and trump over january 6th at gaslighting america, really taking it to the media in terms of what they want to see, more sober descriptions of what happened to compel voters to vote for this serious -- howard: a senior campaign

adviser told me we are grateful so many folks have reached out expressing interest in visiting our headquarters. democracy and freedom are on the line as well as freedom of an independent press. but compared to president biden, doesn't donald trump get horribly negative coverage most of the time? >> well, yeah. and also that's not lost on the campaign. i don't know if you saw that cnn report a couple of weeks ago where internally they're weighing, you know, the right time to go full hitler, as they described it, not just couching, you know, their descriptions of trump in saying he likened, you know, his speech was like hitler's, but making a direct comparison. this is something that they are gaming out internally, when do you, you know, liken trump to the nazi leader. howard: well, speaking of that, let me play some sound for you in which both sides are talking about this whole business. >> he talks about the blood of america as being poisoned.

echoing the same exact language used in gnats she germany. >> hence, the speech on friday where the president went full hitler that trump is the worst thing ever, troy the country. will destroy the country. howard: so the remarkable thing about hitter being tossed back and forth is that it's january. what are these candidates going to say in october about each other assuming they're the nominees? >> assuming they're the nominees, i think we're going to hear more and more and more of this. it has been their plan since the beginning. you're also going to see the campaign really try to get additional media attention on any republicans who are criticizing trump and also more criticism of the media a in its polling coverage. they're, you know, saying right now why aren't polls showing biden in the lead getting as much attention, you know, as a hale hi gets a -- can getting -- haley getting a surge or -- howard: because there haven't been that many polls showing biden in the lead.

you mentioned the twitter war. deputy press secretary andrew bates saying how are the mainstream outlets still helping him gaslight their readers and viewers? i don't know if that moves the needle or not, everyone thinks twitter's the real world. but finally, there's been a shift in campaign strategy, at least that's what people are telling you, about how joe biden presents himself to the world. >> and we saw that for the first time really on friday. it was my first time seeing the president go to a state for a campaign event and not deliver an official speech from a teleprompter wearing a student and tie. and this has apparently been planned out. they're going to do fewer of those, fewer rose garden remarks and more of these this, you know, rope line interaction with biden in a controlled environment talking to supporters to get a couple of sound bites out that can sort of reverberate across the internet and give voters the feeling that biden still the has it at the ripe young age of 81 years old. [laughter] he doesn't do well, you know, typically on those big stages -- speeches. it's rare that you have a very,

very strong performance from the president -- howard: right. he's not a great orator. a lot of people love his amtrak joe personality, but we'll see how that works. if the campaign's not working, you try something different. jacqui heinrich, great to see you again. went aaron rodgers was on an espn show, he said a late night comedian was worried about being named as a pal of jeffrey epstein. >> a lot of people, including jimmy kimmel, are really hoping -- howard: jimmy kimmel annihilated him in his a a bc monologue. >> i've never met jeffrey epstein, i am not on a list, i was not on a plane or an island or anything ever. he decided to insinuate that i am a pedophile. you don't like trump, you're a ped final aaron got two as on his report card, they were both in the word aaron. howard: really can't blame kimmel for punching back. espn has apologized for making

up fake names to emmy awards and giving them to on-air talent. recipients who didn't know of the fraud have to give them back. still to come, has hunter biden's capitol hill stunt actually backfired? ♪ ♪ the day you get your clearchoice dental implants makes every day... a "let's dig in" day... mm. ...a "chow down" day... a "take a big bite" day... a "perfectly delicious" day... - mm. [ chuckles ] - ...a "love my new teeth" day.

because your clearchoice day is the day everything is back on the menu. a clearchoice day changes every day. schedule a free consultation.

howard: hunter biden crashed his own house contempt the hearing as democrat jared moskowitz proclaimed the republicans only want to enforce subpoenas against his party, and republicans hit back. >> hunter biden should be arrested right here, right now and go straight to jail. howard: that was quick. the president's son then stood up and walked out prompting mary taylor greene to say this -- >> hunter biden is terrifieded of strong, conservative republican women because he can't even face my words.

howard: all three cable news networks abruptly switched as you see there to the holloway where hunter's lawyer abbe lowell said his client would only testify in public. >> republicans have sought to use him as a sur gate to attack his father. howard: the panel then backed a contempt finding on a party line vote is. joining us now, alex hoff, fox news if correspondent. i have never if seen such a scene walking in, walking out. unlike last month when the president's son spoke in front of the capitol, this time he said nothing. so what did he get out of it? >> i think the motivation's really interesting here because this is a subject that the white house, certainly hunter biden's father has not wanted more chaos surrounding it, so to have him sitting there essentially in the audience nodding, causing the kind of uprising that you just saw with some of the republicans there, i don't know the motivation behind it because it didn't seem to solve any of hunter biden's problems here. this vote came through to

proceed with this contempt of congress charge, and now republicans are saying, house republicans are saying we are going to do a full house vote next week on this. howard: right. but late friday a curveball that surprised a lot of us, hunter biden put out the word that he will do the closed door deposition, exactly what he had been fighting against. andy mccarthy, among others, saying they think he's going to plead the fifth because he's got this criminal case he doesn't want to endanger. so, alec, the white house must be frustrated every time he stages one of these spectacles because it pits the media spot lithe -- puts the media spotlight on his shady business practices and the impeachment inquiry into the president. >> yeah, and he is at the center of this, obviously. howard: yeah. >> looking at the president's potential financial benefits he may have reaped from his son's overseas business dealings. yeah. the white house when they've been asked about this have largely said he's a private citizen, hunter biden. we have no control over what he

says, we know he's going to tell the truth. howard: biden says he's part of the family. >> that's exactly right. i think the white house might look at this as if they don't believe it's going to sway any of the president's base right now. i think they think he's likely being treated unfair fairly the same way former president trump's base thinks he's being treated unfairly. howard: jill biden telling msnbc that the republicans are being cruel to her son. finally, the next day hunter biden goes to l. l.a. and pleads not guilty in an arraignment on these felony tax evasion charges. how much do you think this might hurt his father's campaign? or is this public sympathy for him as a ever covering ad district? >> that's interesting. i find it most fascinating when you look at the contempt of congress charge that's potentially going to happen, that's small beans compared to these tax charges out in california. those are three felonies. i don't know that he wants this on top of what he's dealing with in california. the white house has said though

if the justice department proceeds with any charges against hunter biden, that the president will not pardon his own son. howard: right. and that could well happen. and at the same time, he could be -- he's facing jail time. we can't lose sight of that fact. great to see you, alex hoff. thank you. that's it for this edition of "mediabuzz." i'm howard kurtz. you can describe to my daily podcast, "media buzzmeter." join the millions who have downloaded it where we have a good time. i'm going to keep talking at length, so many stories we would like to get to, but iowa is the big one, donald trump. we'll see what happens tomorrow. back here next sunday, 11 eastern, with the only media analysis show on national television. ♪ ♪ [sneeze] dude you coming?

because the only thing dripping should be your style. plop plop fizz fizz with alka-seltzer plus cold & flu relief. also try for fizzy fast cough relief. when you stay at a vrbo you always get the whole home because is it really a vacation home if you have to share a house with a host? ♪ only with vrbo aah, it's a good day to cough. oh, no!

bye, bye cough. later chest congestion. hello 12 hours of relief. 12 hours?! hmmm, ok. not coughing at yoga. antiquing not coughing? not coughing at the movies?! hashtag still not coughing?! aaah. oww! mucinex dm gives you 12 hours of relief from chest congestion and any type of cough, day or night. it's not cough season. it's always comeback season.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪