each night right after sean. see you tomorrow night right here 7 p.m. eastern. good night. go to facebook and gretawire. see you tomorrow night. ♪ ♪ hi, i'm eric bolling in for bill o'reilly. thanks for watching us. and we begin tonight with the dramatic new turn in the race for the white house. as hillary clinton attacks donald trump during the democratic debate. >> he is becoming isis's best recruiter. they are going to people, showing videos of donald trump insulting islam and muslims in order to recruit more radical jihadiists. >> i will demand an apology from hillary. she should apologize. she lies about emails, she lies about white water. she lies about everything.

>> tampa bay times deeming hillary clinton's comments false. should she'd apologize. republican strategist a.b. slapp and richard good stein former advisor to the hillary clinton campaign. richard, i'm going to start with with you. she is making this stuff up as she goes along? >> so, donald trump accusing hillary clinton of being a liar, if there is no more pristine case of the pot calling the kettle black in politics, there is none. look, his whole campaign. >> no, no, stay on her, richard. just stay on hillary. she made it up. >> no, no, no, no. >> richard, i spent a lot of time on the internet and watch tv nonstop throughout the day. i have not seen one isis video. i have seen a lot of them blaming donald trump. >> unless you know how to speak arabic, eric, i bet you are not watching cnn arabic or al jazeera in arabic. i bet you are not watching bbc arabic. go watch those channels.

you will see donald trump is all over them. this is actually not in dispute. >> you know what's all over them, richard, obama's face is all over them. you had an isis, a jihadiist beheading an american journalist and then coming out and saying had obama's arrogant foreign policy, the one that's causing. this so to say that trump. >> meaning what we should hold back and not take on isis? that's what they are saying, mercedes, they are saying if we don't fight isis we will leave you alone. >> she lied about the fact that it would be isis recruitment tool. here is the deal for isis. this is a war against western civilization. this is a war against americans and europeans and those who do not believe in radical islam. that is why to say that donald trump is going to be an isis recruitment tool is outrageous. they are already using everything that's american and everything european and everything that's anti- >> listen, donald trump was asked yesterday on meet the press, if you knew that your language was inspiring isis, would you change it? his answer, no.

>> hold on, mercedes. hold on. that's not the point. the point is that hillary clinton had a democratic debate said that donald trump's rhetoric, his what he is saying is that a recruitment tool for isis. now, isis we know has recruitment tools. we have seen the videos and high glossy, high produced videos. they blame a lot of things. they blame western culture. yet have we seen them blame donald trump. that's the point. county american people trust what she she says there are already a lot of questions whether or not she lied about -- whether she lied about her emails. whether she has lied about what she knew surrounding benghazi. now we have another one. >> eric, donald trump is the master of, you know that thing that you just happened? it didn't. remember he mocked that "new york times" reporter, when he said you should see this guy, hold on a second, and then he said a day later after saying you should see this guy i never saw him. come on. >> that's not the point. the point was what hillary said. with what she accused donald trump of. it has nothing to too what

she said to do with reality. >> i guarantee you listen to the tape. >> she also said something else. she thinks we are right in the right place to defeat isis, listen. >> we now finally are where we need to be. we have a strategy and a commitment to go after isis, which is a danger to us as well as the region. and we final solid have a u.n. security council resolution bringing the world together to go after a political transition in syria. >> now, mercedes, are we where we need to be to defeat isis and what is that strategy? >> absolutely not. you don't have a executed paris attack what we saw in san bernardino. obviously isis has taken over so much of the region in the middle east. they are now in a very strategic locations in libya, which is chaotic mess because of hillary clinton and president obama did is very clear that president obama's strategy of just throwing these bombs out

there, 20% of them that missed their targets is not working. the fact that he hasn't been really able to build a strong coalition to take out isis and is really been more on the defense than on the offense. i'm sorry, this is exactly the same strategy that hillary clinton has been promoting. >> hold on, mercedes, not only promoting, richard. >> part of it. >> this strategy for years. >> listen, what you are taking out of context and twisting a little bit is the fact that hillary clinton has laid out in the council foreign relations, at a speech last auto week in minneapolis, a 360-degree strategy toward isis. some of which is being followed. some of which is not. it's air campaign for no-fly zone. >> richard, again, i have to do this to you. that's not -- we didn't take anything out of context. we rolled her words at the debate where she said we have -- exact right place to defeat isis. we didn't make that up. we are not taking anything out of context. >> as regards getting a u.n. security council resolution she is saying we are finally

there. again, as she has said. >> please, richard. >> one second, mercedes, this coalition that they have got which mercedes poo poos includes france, germany, canada, all of these arabic countries like saudi arabia and so forth none of which were included in the coalition of the willing that george bush put together when he fought a war in iraq. >> mercedes, i have the former -- i'm sorry we have james comey who says there is hundred open investigations in all 50 states. jay jeh johnson saying we need to infiltrate refugee program. ash carter the defense department saying no, no, isis isn't contained. it doesn't seem like we have them where we want them. >> no, we don't. to suggest that syrian president assad is going to listen to united nations security council resolution, when have we ever heard of a dictator do that. remember, this is the same president who basically, president obama along with

secretary clinton out there basically saying to the syrian presidents if you use chemical weapons, you are going to cross that red line. they crossed the red line and our administration did nothing. and if we had had taken out assad, isis would control all of syria. >> american people to disprove of how the president is handling foreign policy. on how the president is handling terrorism and very reflective. >> i have to leave it right there. mercedes and richard thank you very much. next on the rundown, the war of words between jeb bush and donald trump escalates. we will tell you just how ugly things are getting. the factor coming right back. rush relief to your tough symptoms. to put you back in control. [doorbell] woman: coming! alka-seltzer plus sinus.

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♪i am everyday people. yeah. yeah.♪ ask your doctor if farxiga is right for you and visit farxiga.com to learn how you can get it for free. in the personal story segment tonight, one of the nasaest feuds in mr. politics right now jeb bush versus donald trump. over the weekend the former g.o.p. frontrunner bush and the current frontrunner

trump unleashed on each other. >> he is an embarrassment to the bush family and, in fact, he doesn't even want to use the bush name which is interesting. jeb is an embarrassment to himself and to his family. >> i have got to get this off my chest. donald trump is a jerk. >> fighting words from both sides joining me now from washington david, the chairman of go pac and from grass valley california mark, the president of citizens for self-governance. start with you, mark, your thoughts on this. they are upping the rhetoric now. donald trump how he speaks and where is with trump it's a losing game for him. he is playing outside of his personality, outlines of his formal game and it doesn't work for him. when you are inside someone's ed head. you usually own them and usually win seems like trump is inside bush's head right now. >> back and forth of personal attacks geerch governor bush and donald

trump are opening the door for ted cruz and marco rubio. history is littered with elections where the two frontrunners have gone at each other with personal attacks. it opens the door for someone to come up the middle with a good, conservative message that can unite people. but which is what we need to do to beat hillary clinton. unite different coalitions within the party. and as we get closer and closer to have the first vote being counted in iowa. donald trump has now been the frontrunner for since june or july i is the one who most can't afford a loss in iowa. if you are looking at where the stakes are highest and who has the highest stakes in iowa right now it's mr. trump. >> the the thought is if you are ahead don't do anything that would ruin that lead. like, you know, stepped up rhetoric are. that might not be the case with donald trump though. it seems like the more he does, the more he leads. >> i think we have seen that before. we watched our last candidate. we watched mitt romney do great in that first debate.

he really kicked some butt and then he sat back. he thinks he has got the lead and plays it safe. that's traditional old school g.o.p. politics. it's loser politics, quite frankly. if i were trump, i would keep doing what he is doing. it's working phenomenally well every time he goes into the fight. his numbers go up. and we talked about if fight between frontrunners, bush is almost not ran at this point. he is not a frontrunner. >> let's talk about that for a second is. you brought that up. we have a sound bite of something that shocked me over the weekend. jeb bush saying he didn't like being the frontrunner. listen. >> six months ago, people thought you were the frontrunner. your campaign. >> i hated that. >> you mated being the frontrunner. >> yeah, i feel much better being back here. >> i don't know anyone that would rather be at 3 or 5 or 41. >> you deal with the cards dealt you i suppose. right now that's where governor bush is if governor bush is going to be the follow knee. he has to get ahead of who

is currently the frontrunner. right now that is mr. trump and senator cruz and in many polls senator rubio are ahead of jeb. he has got to do something to propel himself and probably why today you saw his new ad out that actually attacks all three of them. and tries to make the case for why he would be the strongest commander and chief. >> marc, talk a little bit about the money that jeb has spent. somewhere between 30 and $35 million so far. at some point does he say all right, i tried, we went for it and we spent a money. >> i think he should it's nothing but arrogance and huberoous that keeps him going. the attacks is not working. at some point it's time to throw in the towel. his comments that he likes to be at the back. that's called a lie and people read it it's what politicians do and they are sick of it. >> i'm surprised he went

with it. i like to be in the back. i can't imagine anyone believes that if you are looking for a commander and chief ha has isis to con teneld with and aggressive china to contend with. that has an aggressive china and putin to con tend with i'm not sure leading from behind. we gave president obama a hard time for saying he want to leave from behind. what people want is they want confidence can. that's what they like will trump. there is plenty of stuff not to like about trump. i understand why people find him offensive sometimes. what they like is supremely confident and country that seems to be lacking confidence at historic proportion people are frustrated. people are down trodden. they want a confident leader. that's what they are getting from donald trump right now. that's why people find him so appealing. >> luments. there are four viable establishment candidates still running for candidates. they are splitting the establishment vote. they are splitting the non-donald trump, ben

carson, ted cruz vote. what they believe is that three of them fall out and get all their support behind one? >> losing will start doing that eric at this point there is very little reason short of being honorable and having their campaign go in to debt there is no reason to drop out until the first vote starts occurring. once the first votes start occurring, it's a natural weakening process. candidates will start dropping out. here is the good news as national security continues to be a major concern for voters, it's now the number one issue on most voters' minds. by and large people favor republicans overwhelmingly to democrats. no matter who our nominee is we have a lot of good qualified then and women who could potentially be our nominee. every one of them will stack up very well against hillary clinton if the number one issue is national security.

>> which one the best? right now the most recent pew poll said 57% of the people disagree of the job president obama is doing on terror. which one looks like, feels like the most opposite of president obama very quickly, mark, you first. straight up opposite has got to be donald trump. you have strong candidates in cruz and rubio. they have a command in foreign policy that would make them good commanders and chiefs. >> david, your thoughts? >> all of them, eric, every one of them would be dramatically different than what we have gotten out of president obama. the worse thing for hillary clinton is now she is parroting all the same messages he has said. the worse thing for hillary clinton the president made that speech from the oval office a few weeks ago. she is saying all the same things he said that night. >> i have got to leave it right there, gentlemen. thank you very much. directly ahead. did president obama play the raise card against donald trump? we'll telling you what the president said and how it is playing out up ahead.

president obama's year end interview with npr was chock full of controversy. >> i think somebody like mr. trump has taken advantage of that that is what he is exploiting during the course of his campaign. >> that wasn't all. the president also threw down the race card when asked why some americans fear him. >> are there certain circumstances around being the first african-american

president that might not have confronted a previous president? absolutely. >> joining us now the factor's dynamic duo juan williams in new york and mary katharine ham in washington. first go to you first. wow, the race card? on the year end summary with npr? >> you don't think that's true, eric? of course it's true. the guy is a muslim, the guy is the other. he has never fully accepted. you look at the reality and the elections in 2008 and 2012, he loses white men, especially the white southern states overwhelmingly. you get barron, now ryan,. >> this is what he wants to talk about. it's the year end summary. >> the question is has race been a factor? he would have been a liar had he said oh no race is not a problem in america. >> his own sort of way that race may have had something to do with the success of the economy when he talks about policy. wages, income, i don't know,

it just feels weird to be doing that now. >> well, i think it's a bit of scapegoat and it's an excuse that doesn't speak to the actual failures of policy. juan is right but, sure, america has not entirely buried its racial concerns. that is the case. but that's also a useless comment like he actually needs to address what's going on here and by the way you when it comes to unprecedented treatment of barack obama, i remind everybody that republicans impeach affidavit white southern dude in the 90's if we all remember that it's not exactly relegated to just this issue. >> juan, do you think it's helpful or divisive when you bring up the race card, when you play the race card on a year end summary of what's going on in the world and look forward to 2016? >> i think he was asked a question and he answered honestly. ma catherine makes a point let's talk about the difference in policies. you will talk about different gem gratifications different needs. obama, i think, has been

afraid to deal with race for most of his tenure for fear that he would be called the black president. he has insisted that he is the president of all the people. you will get comments, eric from the black community saying this guy has not delivered. in fact, when o'reilly is sitting there he oftentimes says to me do you know what the black unemployment rate is it is double white especially why isn't your president doing something about it? >> mary katharine, he wants to ignore race as juan points out. >> i think also there have been times when it comes to sensitive racial issues, i have used ferguson as an example where he could have been a calming force, he sort of jumped to conclusions, got ahead of his own department of justice on the facts of that case and i think that can cause a problem and actually exacerbate things. he has not always ignored race or not wanted to be part of it. he has jumped to conclusions and made things more inflamed. >> that's something that has been guilty of part of the racial equation of this country as well. >> do you know what else i have heard a lot of be juan;

it's not my faulted. it's media's fault. we didn't watch enough cable television to really understand the anxiety of americans. he is good at placing blame elsewhere. >> well, i think what he did was taking responsibility for the fact at that press conference when he talked about well, i have got a strategy. we have got a plan. and didn't reflect the kind of anxiety and fear that's in the american atmosphere right now. i think he understood that he screwed up. >> he screwed up, mary katharine ham or tongue in cheek saying i should have watch more cable news, ha ha. >> he always makes a mistake of saying is that all of his failures, such that they are are just perception of failure. i don't think that's the case. there are actual problems in the economy that he promised to fixed that he had not. he promised the moan and he didn't deliver. he fell very, very short. people do have real issues with that it's not just fear it's frustration about realities on the ground can noe cannot be all written off as fear and racism that's where he makes a

mistake. he owned up to a bit of that but not much. >> you look back on this and look at the economy. the fed had to raise the interest rates, you look at the paris peace accord and iraq deal and france pacific deal. some successes and yet here we are bumming on the guy. >> the reason why i'm pointing this out is because during this interview, he literally said, you know, the media hyper blames -- blows things up, makes them bigger than they should be. ie radical islamic terror. saying it's not as bad as the media is making out to be. meanwhile, he is willing to talk about gun control and mass shootings quite often. >> how do you think more people die in the country from terrorism or from guns and mass shootings. >> more gang related mass shootings. but more gun control is not going to help any one of those things. my point is he is overblowing the terror threat because the media is doing it for ratings, his words for ration. meanwhile if there is a mass

shooting he will go out and talk about it three or four days at a time. who is overblowing a threat? >> go ahead, mary katharine. >> the left is more than happy to complain about fear among imerring on the right and use fear mongering for climate change or republican guntle or gone control willy-nilly as soon as something happens. there is a a little bit on the both sides and has been guilty of it many times. >> we hear today that isis stole tens of thousands of blank passports. inmean, it's worse and worse. but if you listen to president obama, no we have this all -- we have them where we want them. >> we have a strategy. dewon't have them where we want them but do you want to put troops on the ground? the president's point is this threat is not deserving of the loss of tens of thousands of american guys. >> you are a football guy, right? it's the fourth quarter, we are down by 20 and the teach coach is running the ball you trying to figure out when is he going to start

blowing. >> we are the strongest in the miller and strongest military those guys are flee fleas. >> down by 20, three hail mary passes we can still win by one. >> the problem is we are in the red zone, people, and americans. you to address it with urgency as if we are in the end zone. >> go georgia. >> thank you. plenty more aas the factor moves ahead this evening. president obama continues to down play the danger of isis even as he admits that some of the criticism against him is fair. plus, two prirls for the price of one. is "saturday night live" helping or hurting the clinton campaign? we hope you stay tuned to those reports.

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donald trump: well, i watch the shows. i mean, i really see a lot of great, you know, when you watch your show and all of the other shows... jeb bush: i don't know if that's saturday morning, or sunday morning. donald, you're not going to be able to insult your way to the presidency. that's not going to happen. if i'm president, i'll be a commander-in-chief, not an agitator-in-chief or a divider-in-chief... that i will lead this country in a way that will create greater security and greater safety. announcer: right to rise usa is responsible for the content of this message. when i went on to ancestry, i just put in the name yes, we are twins. of my parents and my grandparents. i was getting all these leaves and i was going back generation after generation. you start to see documents and you see signatures of people that you've never met. i mean, you don't know these people, but you feel like you do. you get connected to them. i wish that i could get into a time machine and go back 100 years, 200 years and just meet these people. being on ancestry just made me feel like i belonged somewhere. discover your story. start searching for free now at ancestry.com. i built my business with passion.

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motivated terrorist actions have killed at least as many americansen american soil as those who are promoted by jihadiists. >> however, the president did admit that because of social media isis has evolved and may even inspire more attacks. joining us now from washington, david, a former obama state department official and nile gardner. director of the margaret thatcher center for freedom at the heritage foundation. david, i'm going to start with you. every time i hear president obama down playing the threat of domestic terror of isis, i shake my head going why? why would you do this? you are inspiring the more angst. well, i just got back from iraq on saturday. here's the situation. iraq-isis has been degraded a little bit in iraq. they have lost territory and air strikes are working to a certain is extent however, they remain very strong in

the city that they still hold like mosul. there is not a plan to take back mosul imminently. because they hold these territories, they gain strength from the territory. they recruit people within these cities like mosul. they gain money from taxes from selling oil. they continue to be a very significant threat. with respect to president obama's comment, he said many times in the interview that we need to take ice seriously. is he technically correct that isis does not pose a threat continue to vaghtd invading the united states like the soviet union could have done in the cold war like could have happened in world war world war ii. >> i'm sure the people in san bernardino don't care what existential threat isis poses. nile, what we should worry about is who is radicalizing at home. >> absolutely, eric. president obama referred to the san bernardino attack and a paris attack as small scale attacks. these are major terrorist atrocities on western soil and with very good reason.

the issue of terrorism is is the the number one priority for american voters at this time. and i think there is real concern here in the united states that president obama simply isn't leading in the global war against islamist terrorism. in fact, president obama doesn't even acknowledge that we are at war against the islamists. this is a president who really looks like a deer in the headlights at the moment in the face of the islamist threat and this simply is not good enough. >> david, the year ago the jobs and economy are the number one things on americans' minds. people things were most concerned about. fast forward a year now it's national security, terrorism. but the president, aa cording to him, don't worry about it, isis, we have got this. >> again, that's not what the president said. he said we need to take isis seriously. >> actually, david, he told us no, in the past six months or year he said they are the jv team, they were contained and they are not nothing to worry about. when is he going to step up the alarm. if he steps up everyone around him will step up and everyone in america will

step up and say if i do see something i will say something. >> isis remains a threat to american interests both in the united states and abroad. isis can attack us here and attack american tourists overseas it can attack american installations overseas and the u.s. has been very vigilant about that president obama is also trying to calm the country. we have to put this in perspective. isis cannot invade the united states. isis cannot bomb the united states. isis cannot drop a nuclear bomb on the united states. that's what obama is saying. he is saying let's be calm but to approach this in a technical, logical way and let's secure america and fight isis where they are inner is is i can't and iraq. he has key graded isis some and as places they control of. >> should we worry as james comey points out 900 investigations in all 50 states in it just feels like, you you know, it's a matter of time. that's what the american people hear. >> we should be concerned

and 75 attempted islamist terror plots in the united states since 9/11. and we needs to be aware of the fact that we are engaged in a global war against emergency. president obama is under estimating the scale of the threat. is he not projecting any kind of leadership. president obama is no winston churchill and no ronald reagan or margaret thatcher and no even jimmy carter. this is a president who is in denial. he is living in a sort of delusional, fantasy land i think with regard to his overviews in the face of the islamist threat. we need strong bold robust leadership coming from the leader of the free world. we are simply not about getting that at this time from the white house. >> what do you think they feel? what do you think they hear when they hear president obama saying don't worry, they are not a threat? >> oh are they are probably insulted. isis wants to be known as vicious, as strong, as capable, of taking over the world. they are a caliphate. >> insulted as known as

bully and bad guy what do you do? you step it up, right? >> of course, the u.s. needs to step it up. >> i'm not talking about us. i'm talking about isis if they hear president obama nobody, not existential threat to us. they prove it could be a threat whether it's from the outside or from within. >> eric, my guess is they are doing everything to attack the u.s. regardless of what obama says. from the ventriclinging we knew we continue to be a target. i don't think there isening the presidential says on attacks us more. >> so, nothing that he says is going to make them want to attack us more. will closing gitmo make them want to attack us less? >> look. they want a tack us, regardless. the only thing that's going to stop them from attacking us is us securing the country and taking the fight to them in iraq and in syria. that's what we should be

focusing on. >> nothing to do with president obama ban muslims from coming into the country. they want to leave. got to leave it right there. when we come right back, which g.o.p. candidate is causing the most worry for hillary clinton? a factor analysis moments away. flush .

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thanks for staying with us, i'm eric bolling filling in for bill o'reilly tonight. and in the election 2016 segment, the herd is thinning in the g.o.p. presidential poll. south carolina senator lindsey graham threw in the towel today. meantime some interesting frults a new cbs poll from the battleground states in iowa. republican likely caucus voters were asked which candidate they are most likely to vote for in the caucus, ted cruz 40%, donald trump 31%, marco rubio 12%, ben carson 6%. everyone else 2% or below. in new hampshire, trump was back on top with likely republican primary voters with 32%. cruz 14%, rubio 13%. christie 11%, kasich 8%.

so who is the biggest threat to the hillary clinton campaign? with us now fox news chief white house correspondent ed henry. so, ed, who is team clinton most worried about? >> well, in private, what they say is some combination of john kasich and marco rubio. you mention them at the end there in terms of the new hampshire poll. they are seen as more moderate within the party, especially compared to someone like ted cruz. they have neither have been at the top of the heap, neither rubio or kasich. rubio doing better than kasich nationally in most polls. the fear in the clinton camp at least what they came is some combination of ohio and florida, two states that republican vs to have but also in kasich, for example, you have a governor with a real record, cut taxes, balance budgets not just in ohio, by the way, but as house budget chairman a republican who worked with, who? democratic president bill clinton. that's something on a debate stage that would be difficult for hillary clinton to answer. however, i think this could be misdirection, obviously.

this could be clinton camp whispering about people, you know, like kasich, like rubio, and pretend iting they are not scared about donald trump. because, if you heard in that debate over the weekend, in new hampshire, hillary clinton mentioned donald trump almost as much as she mentioned bernie sanders or any of her democratic opponents. the idea become she thinks he would be easy picks in a general election. let's remember, every time the pundits have predicted the demise of donald trump he has only gotten stronger. the clinton camp may suggest he would be easy pickings in a general we don't know if that would be true. >> she mentioned him nine times. by the way we are sports guys. worry about the guy with the 41 versus the guy with the 8. >> right. >> they probably, the clinton camp probably has a pile of opposition research on jeb bush this high collecting some dust? >> sure. they do. because it's unlikely to be used based on where he is he barely registered if at all a in the polls you just mentioned a moment moment ago. people have to vote.

we will see if jeb bush makes some sort of a last stand. the bottom line there clinton camp has felt for a long time that yes jeb bush might have some more moderate appeal with independent voters in a general election and that might be something to be worried about. but they feel very confident as well in the clinton camp, however, that if it's bush vs. clinton two old names they think the first female president would have a shot -- better shot than the third bush president. they could be wrong but that's their feeling. >> all right. a quick thought on the last democratic debate. held on a saturday night. it was saturday night of the weekend that "star wars" was released. happened to be an nfl football game on a saturday night up against it as well and the ratings proved it out. there is probably -- i think it was the lowest rated debate on either side. what are they doing here dnc? >> it's very obvious that the dnc put this together on such a way that it would be on weekends with broadcast networks where people are not expecting to see a big political debate or news on a weekend rather than the week night ones that on the

fox news channel and elsewhere have gotten over 20 million viewers. this time on abc it was something like 6.7 million viewers. obviously part of that is also less drama on the democratic side to be fair that there is a a lot more republican candidates and the trump factor and all the other factors that we talk about. here is the bottom line, eric, the next democratic debate when you ask what's at work here the dnc says we are not trying to help or coddle hillary clinton the frontrunner. next debate any january not on a saturday but a sunday not when there is one nfl game there is two nfl games and by the way they are playoff games. >> playoff football games. i mean, there has to be the strategy. and they know these schedules in advance. they know any must in advance what these weekends are going to look like. we will take the one on "star wars" weekend with the end of the season implications and straight in the middle of nfl playoffs. unbelievable how blatant these are, ed, quick thought? >> sure. they deny that they are trying to help north hillary

clinton. it when you are putting a debate up against the nfl playoffs who is going to win and who is going to watch. there is a gaffe in the democratic debate, it's going to get overshadowed. >> take the lead. play defense on that one. leave it right there. up next, the ghost of clinton past. "saturday night live" delivers a double dose of hillary. will that help her in a race for the white house? right back with that. nexium 24hr is the new #1 selling frequent heartburn brand in america. i hope you like it spicy! get complete protection with the purple pill. the new leader in frequent heartburn. that's nexium level protection.

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runner. >> on christmas eve, 2007, i was cocky, too. and then someone named barack obama stumbled out of the soup kich within a basketball and a cigarette and stole my life. [ laughter ] >> i remember. i remember, but it's different this time, i am returned against bernie "they have heard of him" sanders. >> he's a great senator. >> he's a human birkenstock. momma's got this presidency in the bag. so we'll pound to that. >> what? >> that's how i have to talk in 2015. not enough to just work hard, we have to be cool but tough. soft but strong. sweet old lady but a sweet old lady that says -- >> hold on, hillary. even if you beat bernie, aren't you worried about the republican. who's their front-runner. [ laughter ] >> i will tell you, but only if

you grab onto something to brace yourself, because you're going to hit the "f"-ing floor. >> just tell me. >> you need to hold on to something. >> just tell me. >> donald trump! i told you. >> oh, my god, we're going to be president! [ applause ] >> that's fun, but can we focus, because i'm running for president again and i'm getting advice from the smartest woman i know, me. >> i should be the one giving you advice, because in 2008, i got a heck of a lot closer to the white house than this gal did. hillary, we should let you get back to some sleep. >> yes, i need to get back to 2008 and send a bunch of e-mails. >> no! [ applause ]

>> hillary, my secrets. >> trust me, you'll thank me later. >> so do skits like that help or hurt hillary? joining me now is dana perino. we talk about this a lot on "the five," whether the comedy humanizes or brings out things they don't want to hear about. >> i think "saturday night live" makes hillary look fun. i think it absolutely helps her. she's got a bathrobe on, and before she sees the clinton of the past and says i'm going to slip into my pajamas, and she takes off the robe and she has her suit on. it makes us think that she's actually funny. >> and the line, the 2008 clinton says to the '16 clinton who are you going to run against and she says trump and falls on the floor.

>> you have to imagine in rehearsals it was hilarious. she did it so well on the live show. i think that this is "saturday night live" making a decision. we all can figure out where "saturday night live" viewers will be and the writers of the show. we know where they're going to be on the election. when sarah palin has to make an appearance to bolster hillary clinton, you know they think they probably have a little bit of a problem. i think what will be interesting to see is what does "saturday night live" decide to do if it

does come down between hillary and trump? because they love having trump on and they think he's funny and can put him in a good setting and he had record ratings for them. but when it came down to it who would they choose?

>> i would love to see both come on. can you imagine the ratings of that show? hillary came on and she did a segment, i think she did a skit, she was a bar tender. remember that one? then trump did an hour and a half of the show. they may have a lot of material written for them. >> that's true. in a way, trump is naturally funny and an entertainer and the camera doesn't take him pull back. a lot of politicians it does. people used to ask me why isn't the george w. bush you see on camera the same one you see off? sometime it is you're the staffer, there's no way that you can help them break that barrier. so "saturday night live" helps hillary clinton a lot. >> she can't seem to do that for herself, she has to do it on nbc. chel out? >> i would never suggest that. >> did they go 40 weeks back? >> she's not going to be born in december. >> dana, we know the dnc timed those democratic debates for the nfl weekend and star wars. who knows, they're good at timing on the left. >> they've got that down. >> dana, thank you so much. up ahead, bill's christmas message to our viewers in a moment. to put you back in control. [doorbell] woman: coming! alka-seltzer plus sinus.

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before we go tonight, bill has a special christmas message for you. >> o'reilly here. i'm goofing off. this is taped, not live. but i want to remind you that tickets for the who wants to be president tour starring miller and me make great christmas gifts. in 2016, we'll see everybody in los angeles, fairfax, virginia, connecticut at the mohegan sun.

>> and that's it for us tonight. thank you for watching. i'm eric boling in for bill o'reilly. please remember, the spin stops here because we're looking out for you. ♪ breaking tonight, president obama goes on the attack, placing blame on american's fears about terrorism, in part, on how the media is covering the threat. welcome to "the kelly file," everybody. i'm in tonight for megyn kelly. shortly before the president took off for his vacation, he sat down with npr to discuss a wide range of issues, including the 2016 race and the threat posed by islamic extremists. while the president admitted he's not done a good enough job to communicate his strategy to defeat isis, he also suggested that the media is to blame for