people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth." this is a fox news extreme weather alert. folks in the dallas area on alert as tornadoes hit the area. tornadoes being reported in the towns of ovilla garland and damage in parts of el less county. police confirms at least four are dead, killed on a highway that stretches between garland and roulette. people are being told to seek shelter and avoid the roads if they can. joining us now on the phone is nicholas legrassa, an emergency management specialist with the

city of dallas. nicholas, thanks for helping us keep the public informed. can you confirm the number of dead? there have been conflicting reports. >> we're looking at six dead right now. four from the overpass in garland, and two from a collapsed gas station to the north of dallas. >> ridoriginally we were hearin four, but now you're saying six. but four were killed on the highway? >> that's correct. it's at the intersection of i-30 and the turnpike. what happened is these cars attempted to drive through the storm and were flipped off the overpass onto their top end. >> obviously, people's well-being is most important when these storms hit. can you tell us if people are currently trapped? >> i cannot confirm the people are trapped at this time.

>> how about the number of injured? >> again, i can't confirm that information at this time. >> okay. i know this is obviously a very fluid situation, a lot still going on. can you tell us how large of an area has been impacted, and even the number of tornadoes? because there seems to be some conflicting reports about that, as well. >> again, we're working with nws and trying to figure out how many tornadoes there were at this time. i can't confirm the area of damage, but i do know it was extensive. >> you're obviously with the city of dallas, an emergency specialist manager. do you have people already on the ground in places like ovilla, roulette and garland? >> yes, we're actually converging regionals a sets from all over the north central txz area to garland and roulette because of the extent of the damage. >> now, from what i understand

and from local reports, i hear that tornado sirens did go off. do we know how much lead time people had? >> i can't confirm that information a t this time, but i know working with our nws partners, we're able to usually give five minutes of lead time. >> in your own estimation, is that enough time to take cover? >> absolutely. >> now, understandably, and i had the opportunity to watch some of the local fox coverage out of dallas. it appears that people in roulette are trying to go back to their homes already to look for dogs and cats, their belongings, family members, things of that nature. is it a bad idea for people to return to these areas considering the extent oh of the damage and the infrastructure right now? >> the number one thing we want to tell people in these areas is

stay out of the way, let the first responders do their job. if you're insistent on helping out, contact red cross and they'll direct you where you can help out. >> there's calls for more bad weather tomorrow. what is your advice to people who could be in harm's way yet again? >> you know, listening to the local weather and radio, stay informed, keep your information at the ready, and make sure that when stuff happens, that you're ready for it. >> i can tell you from firsthand experience living in washington and being up here in new york, it's been in the 70s the last couple of days. here in new york city, in the 60s. very unusual weather. how strange is it for you to be getting these types of tornadoes, this tornadic activity a day after christmas? >> this is the first time in my life that we've had a weather

event like this at this time of the year. >> i know you have to get back to things. i'm also hearing that there's a lot of potentially heavy rain coming from the west of texas, moving northeast, which potentially could cause flash flooding. again, your advice to people who want to get in their cars and drive through this weather? >> absolutely not. you're going to want to stay in one location. if you can't stay at home, find a relative, find another safe place. but stay hunkered down as long as possible. there's a saying that the national weather service has, turn around, don't drown. that's one thing we want to impress upon people as this passes through the area. >> great words to heed, don't drown, turn around. thank you so much, nicholas legrassa. i know it's the day after christmas, but a day you won't soon forget. we appreciate it very much.

>> have a good day. >> again, if you're just joining us, folks in the dallas area on alert tonight, as deadly tornadoes hit the area. tornadoes being reported in the towns of ovilla, roulette and garland and damage in parts of ellis county. fox news confirming at least six people are dead. four killed on a highway, and two other deaths were north of dallas. many homes destroyed or damaged. people are being told to seek shelter and avoid the roads if they can. of course, we'll be sure to update you on this developing story throughout the evening. i'm joel waldman. this has been a fox news extreme weather alert. now back to "a factor special" already in progress. it has not delivered. him being at the helm did not change, and that's the difference in leadership. but i would say, just like with lincoln, no matter who the leader is -- and i think people are yearning for somebody who's

honest with them and who's strong in character -- we're gonna be fighting because there are two deeply opposed views. >> so, americans -- most of them are not ideological, all right? they want performance. and the problem with president obama -- and lincoln had it before the first -- look, in the last 2 weeks of lincoln's life, he was winning. grant was chasing lee, and we write about that. and lincoln was right there in virginia. he didn't stay in washington. he was right there on the gunboats, watching grant chase lee, okay? so that he knew he was gonna win, lincoln was gonna win. obama doesn't know he's gonna win. obama's losing, and it looks like it's getting worse, juan. >> right now, when you ask about delivering the goods -- and, remember, as you said, you know, lincoln -- he seemed to know that something was going on, but he couldn't be sure. obama, by comparison, you know, he said "we're gonna end the wars, and the economy doesn't look good." >> no. is it the performance? but lincoln had dark days, too. go ahead, mary katharine. wrap it up for us. >> well, it's not just a failure

of sort of faith in obama. i think a lot of these polls -- the gallup poll's showing 81% not having faith in the government, thinking that 51 cents of every dollar is wasted, or 49% thinking the government is so big and clumsy that it actually threatens freedom. i think obama and the economy as it is right now have illustrated a failure in the actual institutions. and that's what people are responding to. so when you're obama and you're still running on the fact that you, at the helm of this institution, is gonna change your life as head of the government, i don't think it works. and that's what people do not have faith in. >> well, it's not working, and he's not pivoting, as lincoln did. lincoln made the adjustments he had to make when they almost lost the war at gettysburg. all right, i got to run. juan, thanks for reading the book, even through it was free. mary katharine, thanks for very much. coming up, the "killing lincoln" whirlwind tour. wait till you see me with imus. i wrote this book so even bernie could read it. it's for... >> that ain't right. bernie's a lot smarter than i am. >> it's for high-school dropouts, but it's exciting. also, later on, watters quizzing the folks about president lincoln.

>> emancipation proclamation. >> emancipation proclamation. >> say that five times fast. >> emancipation proclamation. empa-- mancipation -- >> i was just kidding. >> all right. sorry. ♪ i built my business with passion. but i keep it growing by making every dollar count. that's why i have the spark cash card from capital one. i earn unlimited 2% cash back on everything i buy for my studio. ♪ and that unlimited 2% cash back from spark means thousands of dollars each year going back into my business... that's huge for my bottom line. what's in your wallet?

lincoln: a factor special." when the book first came out, it seemed like everyone wanted to talk to me about it, including my colleague at the fox business network, don imus. >> tell me about, you know -- tell me about "killing lincoln." but let me make this observation first. there have been 16-- this is accurate figure. there have been 16,000 books written about lincoln. >> right. >> and this is another one. >> that's right. >> "killing lincoln." >> but the reason that i wrote this book is because nobody read the other 16,000. >> all right. i'll tell you what i read. what did i read, bernie? what's that guy's name? >> james swanson. he had "manhunt" and "bloody crimes." >> and those are good books. >> those are pretty good books, aren't they? >> they were written in a history way, all right? i wrote this book so even bernie could read it.

it's for -- >> that ain't right. bernie's a lot smarter than i am. >> it's for high-school dropouts, but it's exciting. and it's a thriller. it's the last 2 weeks of lincoln's life. and the stuff that happened is amazing. john wilkes booth almost got away with it. and the only reason he didn't was because stanton, who some believe was involved in a conspiracy to hurt lincoln, called this crazy detective in new york city, lafayette baker, and brought him down to d.c. to find booth. if he hadn't done that, booth would have gotten away. >> kind of like bo dietl. >> there's a -- yeah, he was the bo dietl of the mid-19th century, which is not something you want on your tombstone. but, anyway, this is a book that will keep you up nights. it's not -- and i particularly wrote it this time because we need leadership in america desperately, and abraham lincoln is the gold standard for the presidency. he was, without a doubt, the best president the country's ever had. >> you know what i thought was cool? i read in -- i think it was "bloody crimes" -- and you may have in your book, which i haven't read yet because i'm battling cancer

and i haven't had time. >> is that an excuse? >> it's one i'm gonna try to use with you. i'll see if it works. >> let me just say one thing. before you die, you want read "killing lincoln." >> okay. >> okay? >> but what i found fascinating was that in that final 2 weeks of his life, he went to richmond and actually sat in jefferson davis' chair. >> absolutely. >> so this must have been president davis' chair. >> it was a fascinating tidbit, wasn't it? >> lincoln when grant was chasing lee. and we write about that. he wasn't in d.c. he was down on a gunship, all right? watching the final battles of the civil war, which were unbelievably bloody, by the way.

>> [ whistles ] >> window. >> thank god i have lived to see this day. >> the bloodiest battle in the civil war wasn't gettysburg. it was a place called sailor's creek, where people actually -- they ran out of ammo, and they were gouging each other's eyes out. and that's how bad it was. but abraham lincoln suffered immensely for his country. and you see that. but he put his country above himself. and that's what we need today. it's relevant to today because we just don't have the leadership in america right now that we need. >> you write in his -- you write that lincoln knew he was gonna be assassinated? >> he knew. and we prove it in the book. abraham lincoln knew he was going to be killed, yet he didn't even increase his security, which is one question i'd like to ask lincoln if i ever get to heaven. he certainly is there. "why didn't you do that? because you knew you were gonna die." he had a premonition, a dream,

which he related to his wife and some other people in the white house. it was very, very vivid. and it corresponded almost perfectly to what happened to him. >> do you think of all these presidents, though, are worried about that? they have to be, i mean. >> um, yeah. i think it's in the back of their mind. but secret service is so good now. they're so good that, you know, it's a whole different ballgame for presidents. and back in lincoln's time, you could actually go to the white house and walk around. you could walk around. and if you saw abe, you could say, "hey, mr. lincoln, mr. president, come over here. i want this." there were people -- there were goats walking around the white house. it was crazy. that's what the time was. >> martin dugard was a -- >> he's a historian. he's written a couple of best-sellers, "king tut, "stanley and livingstone." he's, i think, the best researcher in the country. and he did this tremendous research. let me just give you one tidbit. >> sure. >> dugard finds out that john wilkes booth was engaged to lucy hale, which everybody knows. what everybody doesn't know is -- at the same time they're engaged, lucy hale

was stepping out on booth with robert todd lincoln, abraham's son. we believe that john wilkes booth found out about that, and that drove some of his hatred toward the president. i didn't know that. i've never seen it before. i think it's around someplace. but dugard took it out. >> had you read some of these more popular lincoln books? >> some of them. but i wanted to start on a clean slate. i had a vision here of telling americans exactly who the man was and why he was a tremendous leader. that's my vision. i didn't want to get polluted by a whole bunch of other things. but, certainly, i've read a lot about him. i have a history degree. i'm a former history teacher. but, i mean, what i learned researching and writing this book -- it's amazing. >> so, would you say one of the reasons you wrote this was because abe was one of the last great leaders in the country and that we need somebody like that? >> president lincoln was the greatest president. and now we have a divided nation, as we had back then with him. we're divided. and the division is getting wider.

we need somebody like president lincoln. but we need somebody to put the country instead of themself in -- "the country is more important than myself." that's what lincoln did. >> do you pick sides anymore or did you ever? >> i don't endorse any candidates. i do pick sides when i feel that somebody is doing something wrong. >> sure. >> i'm looking, as an american citizen, for the best possible person next time around. i have an open mind. i'm a registered independent. i think president obama has gone desperately wrong. i don't think his economic policies are working at any level. i was hoping he would pivot, like bill clinton did. he hasn't. that is deficit, for my opinion of president obama's performance. i like him as a guy. i think he tries. i can't understand why he can't see that this big-government, quasi-socialistic system isn't working. i don't know why he doesn't see that. >> i hope your book does well. >> thank you. and i appreciate you having me on. i hope you read it, 'cause i think you're gonna like it. >> bill o'reilly here on the "imus in the morning" program.

>> up next, a "factor" exclusive. my co-author, martin dugard, and i talk about the magic behind our new york times mega-seller, "killing lincoln." >> what most people don't know is -- i'll get a text at like 10:00 my time, which means it's 1:00 in the morning here. and you'll say something like, "do you want to work?" it's like, "uh, sure." ♪ it was the best day -[ laughing ] -yeah! ♪ it was the best day ♪ it was the best day yeah! ♪ it was the best day ♪ 'cause of you we make a great pair. -[echoing] great pair. -huh? progressive and the great outdoors! we make a great pair. right. totally.

uh, that's what i was thinking. hmm. covering the things that make the outdoors great. now, that's progressive. call or click today.

tand that's what we're doings to chat xfinity.rself, we are challenging ourselves to improve every aspect of your experience. and this includes our commitment to being on time. every time. that's why if we're ever late for an appointment, we'll credit your account $20. it's our promise to you. we're doing everything we can to give you the best experience possible. because we should fit into your life. not the other way around.

>> in the "personal story" segment tonight, the behind-the-scenes process of creating "killing lincoln." martin dugard has collaborated with me on all of my history books in the "killing" series, and many of you have asked how that collaboration works. tonight, marty joins me to reveal our secrets. so, think back to early 2011. you get a call from eric simonoff, the literary agent to the stars.

all right? and he asks you if you want to write a book with me. >> yep. >> now, you got to be honest, dugard. you don't know me. you've never met me. what was the first thing that popped into your mind? >> i need to watch "the factor" and see who this guy is. >> you didn't know who i was? >> well, i knew who you were, but i'd never really watched "the factor." and, so, then i got in my car and i drove all the way -- i was in mammoth mountain. i was 4 hours from the nearest airport. i drove through the night to get the plane, got to new york the next morning, and went to lunch. and then the best trip i ever made. >> okay. so, you knew who i was, but you weren't a regular viewer of the program, so you didn't know how obnoxious i was. >> right, yeah. >> or how bombastic or -- whatever. so, you decide to help us write the book. and you're primarily the researcher, all right? and that's why i signed on to hire you. when you research a project like "lincoln" -- one of the reasons that i did the book

was because i really wanted to know him as a guy. you know, as a guy, not just a mythological figure. how do you do that? how do you research? >> well, you use that term a lot when we talk about "inside baseball." so, i start looking for the quirks and the details people have. so i'll read an overview of the story. and, so, you'll come in at the start and you'll say, "this is what the book's about. this is the structure. this is a chapter." you research chapter by chapter. so i'll go in. i'll look. i'll get the overview of the story. and then i'll break it down sentence by sentence and i'll see what people were at the time, what they ate for breakfast, how they spent their days. and with lincoln, for instance, you know, who was allowed in the white house and what the white house was like at the time. >> so, you were doing the micro, not the macro research, the real details. and what do i always say? "put the reader in the room." put the reader right next to lincoln. and you're able to do that by finding out little things that people don't know or they've never heard in the history classroom. now, why history? i mean, you wrote a whole bunch of books on your own --

"king tut," the african explorers, and all that. what is it about that that makes you -- >> you know, i had a history minor in college. and what bothered me was -- i love history. i love the characters in history. and i think that history is even larger than life than most fiction, but most history books are written in a way that puts you to sleep. i mean, too many footnotes, a really dry, academic style. >> 800 pages. you can't get through it. >> and i think history should rise up off the page. it should be three-dimensional. >> right. so, you had to research so even i understood it, which, you know, you really had to come down, all right? fourth-, fifth-grade level. >> yeah. >> now, once you saw how, we shape the material -- all right? -- 'cause you've got the research and you put it in narrative form. you send it to me. i do my writing. i send it back to you. and it's a collaboration. but you're in orange county, california. i'm in new york. and it goes back and forth. was there ever a time when you said, "this o'reilly -- he's crazy. i mean, he's just off the chart. i mean, i can't be doing this stuff," 'cause i would call you in the middle

of the night and say, "hey, i want to know what color slippers he's wearing. what color slippers is he wearing?" >> now, what most people don't know is i'll get a text at like 10:00 my time, which means it's 1:00 in the morning here, and you'll say something like, "do you want to work?" it's like, "uh, sure. i'm just watching 'the voice,' bill, so let's work." >> well, i hired you 'cause you're a boring guy. you're always sitting around doing nothing. >> yeah. and then, so you're at my disposal. now, when you saw the success of "lincoln" -- 79 weeks on the new york times list. and that's got to torque them off over there. and, by the way, your reputation is now ruined because you're associated with me. >> yeah. >> how has that played out? >> i'm aware of that. >> you are? [ both laugh ] >> no, the funny thing is -- people talk to me all the time and say, "can you talk to bill about this?" it's like i'm this conduit to information. >> but did any of your friends in orange county, in the swell precinct, say, you know, "what are you doing with this barbarian o'reilly?" did you get any of that? >> well, you got to remember, orange county is extremely conservative. >> it's conservative, but where you live, in laguna, you know, you got a lot of swells in there. >> a little touchy-feely. i get a little bit of ambivalence. but here's the thing.

the people that read the books, because the books aren't about politics -- and when you and i talk, we have never once talked politics. >> no. there's no ideology in the books. >> so when people read the books, all of a sudden, they're hooked. if they read one, they start reading all of them. >> what did you think, as a veteran writer, when "lincoln" hits number 1 and is on the list for 79 weeks? what went through your mind? >> well, i was shocked, because, you know, i thought it was kind of a one-off, like, we were just gonna do this one book, and i was thrilled to do it. and then i had actually signed a contract to write another book on my own. and then it hits. and 2 days after i signed the contract, you're calling me and you're saying, "we're gonna do 'killing kennedy.'" and i literally had to call the other publisher and say, "i'm not gonna write this book for a long time." and then that's what began the whole progression. >> all right. martin dugard, everybody. >> all right, bill. >> next up, glenn beck has some questions about lincoln's final days. i'll visit with him. >> "very few history books are written this way, in a story form, so you actually feel like you know what the story is." >> you're there. >> you care, yeah.

>> we try to put you there. >> also, a "watters' world" original. it's the lincoln quiz. how did lincoln die? >> oh, he was shot. >> by who? >> george booth. [ buzzer ] james booth. >> the name is james bond. [ buzzer ] james bond. [ buzzer ] >> right back with it.

deadly tornadoes slamming texas, bringing the death toll in the south to 24. tornadoes being reported in the towns of rowlett, garland and ovilla. many homes have been damaged or

destroyed. people being told to seek shelter. the panhandle of texas and oklahoma preparing for a historic blizzard. heavy snow and ice are all expected. some areas could see as much as 24 inches of snow. this system is expected to stay in the area until monday. now back to "a factor special, killing lincoln." lincoln: an o'reilly factor special." one of my many stops on the original "killing lincoln" book tour was glenn beck's tv show. beck loves history, and you could tell by the questions he asked. >> i want to introduce you to an older gentleman who has -- who i'm just kind of dragging along, 'cause i kind of feel bad for him. he's got a little show. i don't know if you've ever heard of it. it's called "the o'reilly factor." and it is on the fox news c and, bill, i have to tell you --

i have you on the radio program. and you know, because i've had you on and we've talked about your book before. and, you know, sometimes, i read books. sometimes, i don't read books. and i'm always very squirrelly with you on books that i haven't read. i'll be like, "oh, mm, it was -- oh." i've read this. it is great. i'm halfway through. it is great. it is worth every penny, up to $5 or whatever you're charging for it. it is -- no, seriously, it is really good. it is -- we were talking -- the audience and i were talking before the show, and i said, "very few history books are written this way, in a story form, so you actually feel like you know what the story is." >> you're there. >> you care. >> we try to put you there. >> it's not about dates and places. i find it fascinating how much i didn't know about john wilkes booth. let's start with him. he was a leonardo dicaprio of our day. >> yeah, he was a flamboyant guy that was well-known on the east coast in particular, 'cause he starred in a lot

of plays in new york and in d.c. and philadelphia. and he was a racist. and he was so angry that the south had lost the war, that lee had surrendered, that he and his little conspiracy group feel they would "decapitate," in his words, the federal government, starting with lincoln and then getting the other -- johnson, the vice president, secretary of state seward, down the line, that the south would rise again. that's what the big, grand plan was. and he could operate -- >> at first, they were gonna try to kidnap him, right? >> first, they were gonna kidnap him, which was, you know, ridiculous. but they felt that they could kidnap him, bring him down south, try him as a war criminal or whatever. but you got to remember that none of this was real well thought-out. i mean, these guys were ne'er-do-wells except for booth. booth was a successful guy, and he had access. he could go around. people never thought he would do anything like this. >> going back and looking at history,

it's always a communist, anarchist, radical revolutionary who's always assassinating. i mean, look at them. >> booth was driven by -- all of these assassins throughout american history are driven by something. he was driven by a hatred of blacks. he really hated blacks. now, why? hard to say. we delve into his relationship with his father, who pretty much ignored him. his father left the family, ran off with some 17-year-old girl. he had a tough upbringing, competing with his brother, who was a successful actor, as well. but it was this black thing that drove him and his madness, because he was truly mad, even though he almost got away with it. they almost got away, booth and his compatriot. >> you bring up -- you know, i remember, when i was younger and i first learned where -- you know, "your name will be mud in this town."

>> yeah, samuel mudd. >> right. where that came from. mudd was cleared. you dragged him back into the mud again. >> he was sentenced to the dry tortugas, where you vacation down in florida, right off florida, key west. and he spent time in prison down there. they were pardoned. >> no, no. i mean --what was it? this administration -- or, i mean, the last administration or the administration before that. either bush or clinton -- right? -- pardoned mudd. >> well, whatever they did, mudd was guilty. i don't even remember that. mudd helped set booth's leg and didn't try to get him -- look, mudd was part of this crew with mary surratt and these other people who were confederate sympathizers. and they had safe houses where booth and his little conspiracy guys could meet. and they had guns and food and all of that stuff. >> and most of the people, though -- because the south surrenders and booth is crazy -- he's just crazy about killing -- at first, it's kidnapping, and then, he's like, "you know what? that's not enough.

i'll get him." >> we have, all of us, conspired together. >> to capture? yeah. to kidnap one man, not to murder. >> this is an act of war. >> and it's a great scene in the book where he's at, you know, the range and he's just firing the guns. and he's realizing, "i'm gonna kill him." >> "i'm gonna get him." >> and -- go ahead. >> and it was basically, a hate-driven plot. coming up, a "watters' world" original. jesse hits the streets to find out what people know about abraham lincoln. >> do you ever watch "watters' world"? >> watch what? >> i'm watters, and this is my world right here. >> oh! we're in "watters' world"!

lilly baker is preparing for college. she'll use that education to get a job. she'll use that job to buy a home.

this is lilly baker. her mom just refinanced their home and is putting an extra $312 a month toward lilly's tuition. lilly is about to take over the world. who's with her? buy in. quickenloans/home buy. refi. power.

the number-1 cable news show for 14 years running.

>> welcome back to "killing lincoln: a factor special." as most of you know, i send jesse watters out to talk to the folks about a variety of things. tonight, in a "watters' world" original, jesse finds out what americans really know about abraham lincoln and his final days. >> abraham lincoln. >> yeah. >> why is he so important, do you think? >> civil rights? >> you like you him? >> i love him. >> you love lincoln? >> i would venture to say i'm obsessed with lincoln. >> i think he just craved a little affection. >> when was lincoln president? >> 1850. >> civil war era? 1830-something? 1840? [ buzzer ] '50? [ buzzer ] '60? >> all of that. that's plenty. that is a lot. >> 1850s? [ buzzer ] >> the '60s. >> 1860s. yes! >> 1886? >> around when was

lincoln president? >> 1860s. >> he freed the slaves. >> he did free the slaves. >> emancipation proclamation. he freed the slaves. say that five times fast. >> emancipation proclamation. empan-- mancipation -- >> i was just kidding. >> all right. sorry. >> well, i ain't laughing. what about you, billy? >> hell no. >> i read the declaration of independence. [ buzzer ] >> that wasn't lincoln. >> who was that? thomas jefferson. yes. >> now, how did lincoln free the slaves? [ crickets chirping ] remember that? >> in some parts of the universe, it's considered cool to know what's going on in the world. >> do you think he's the best president? >> uh, no. >> you guys fans of lincoln? no? do you admire him? >> yeah, as much as any, you know, power-hungry madman. >> is lincoln a republican or democrat? >> he was liberal. [ buzzer ] democrat. [ buzzer ] >> republican. >> republican. >> i believe that he was a

democrat. >> he was a republican. >> oh, he was republican? wow. >> does that surprise you? >> no, it didn't. >> republican? >> are you sure? >> no. >> you were right. >> i was? oh. >> trust your instincts, man. >> snap out of it. >> he was a republican, but the parties were completely different than they are now, so that doesn't really mean anything. >> ooh. sounds like you don't like republicans. was lincoln a republican or democrat? >> republican. >> nailed it. >> he was a democrat. he was a republican. wow. i didn't know that. >> that surprises you, doesn't it? >> yes. >> where was he from? >> was he from the south? [ buzzer ] >> he was from st. louis, missouri, right? [ buzzer ] >> the land of lincoln. >> missouri. [ buzzer ] >> so close. >> ohio? [ buzzer ] >> you're going to the moon! >> what's considered the land of lincoln? >> this area. [ buzzer ] >> no. who won the civil war? the north or the south?

>> the north. >> excellent. >> wasn't he from, like, down south, i want to say. maybe tennessee? >> tennessee? >> yeah. >> come on, man. >> who won the civil war? >> the northern people. >> bingo! >> how did lincoln die? >> he was assassinated by john wilkes booth at the -- i don't know. some theater. >> now, who shot lincoln? >> ruth. >> ruth? not ruth. >> all: babe ruth! >> oh, my god! you mean that's the same guy?! [ buzzer ] >> oh, william booth. [ buzzer ] >> james booth. [ buzzer ] george booth. [ buzzer ] booth. is it a booth? [ laughing ] okay. >> john wilkes booth, i believe. >> excellent answer. nasty assassin, wasn't he? >> eh, he was, like, an actor. i mean, he was just kind of an eccentric guy. >> when lincoln was assassinated, his vice president at the time became president.

who was that? >> i don't know. >> andrew churchill? [ buzzer ] >> i'm gonna just take a guess. adams? [ buzzer ] >> rhymes with ronson. >> johnson. [ ding ] >> what are you suggesting, my dear man? >> and they stole his body. >> they stole whose body? >> lincoln's body, you know? >> they did? >> yeah. >> where did they take it? >> it's an unsolved mystery, you know? >> do you ever watch bill o'reilly on fox news? >> um...sometimes. >> that's a "no." [ both laugh ] you seem like a huge "factor" fan. >> no. >> not too crazy about bill o'reilly. >> really? what about me? >> i think you're nice. >> thank you. >> i take care of myself. are you a big fox news fan?

[ chuckles ] o'reilly wrote a book called "killing lincoln." >> oh, wow. >> big best-seller. maybe check it out over at the barnes & noble. i don't want to see you guys walking this way. i want to see you guys walking that way, okay? all right? it's on sale. do you ever watch "watters' world"? >> watch what? do you ever watch "watters' world"? >> yeah, with kevin costner? >> i've never seen it. >> do you know who i am? >> no. >> i'm watters. >> from? >> and this is my world right here. >> oh! we're in "watters' world"! >> those things tight? >> oh, yeah. >> look a little tight. >> get out! >> ahead, more from the whirlwind "lincoln" book tour. >> lincoln actually had a dream -- and it's documented -- where he saw his own death. >> who is dead in the white house?

>> the president. he was killed. sure, tv has evolved over the years.

it's gotten squarer. brighter. bigger. thinner. even curvier. but what's next? for all binge watchers. movie geeks. sports freaks. x1 from xfinity will change the way you experience tv.

ok, wehere's dad. mom. the twins. aunt alice... you didn't tell me aunt alice was coming. of course. don't forget grandpa. can the test drive be over now? maybe just head back to the dealership? don't you want to meet my family? yep, totally. it's practically yours, but we still need your signature. the volkswagen sign then drive event. zero due at signing, zero down, zero deposit, and zero first months payment on a new jetta and other select models.

>> "back of the book" segment tonight, some very entertaining stops on my "killing lincoln" book tour. one of which was letterman. >> this book, by the way, is fascinating. it's about the death, the assassination, and supposed plots about the assassination of abraham lincoln. and if you look back on it now, considering the times he was president, it's no wonder somebody decided to kill him. and it was fairly known that he was gonna get killed. i mean, he was worried about it, wasn't he? >> the thing that startled me in the book -- and i'm a former history teacher and i have a very strong interest in history -- was that lincoln actually had a dream -- and it's documented -- where he saw his own death. he didn't see

himself getting killed. he saw himself lying on a bed. and he recounted the dream to his wife, mary, and a bunch of people in the white house about a week before he was -- and they got so spookedout he s. it wasn't me." and we have the transcript of what he said that night. and it's in the book. he knew he was gonna be killed. >> well, a controversial presidency at the time, and security next to nothing, really, right? >> and it was at his own request that it was next to nothing. he wanted the people to be accessible to him. this is amazing. at that time in history, anyone could go to the white house and walk in. lincoln would come downstairs in the morning, and there would be, lenny saying, "hey, i need this." that actually happened. >> and what was it that john wilkes booth supposedly was an agent for? he had a theory. he was concerned about the slaves being freed -- >> yeah, booth was a racist, a hard-core racist. and he was so angry that the south had lost the war

that he put together these ne'er-do-wells. and he wanted to kill not only lincoln but three other top government officials. and he said, if he can do that, the south would rise again. that was the genesis of the conspiracy. and they did do big damage to seward, who was secretary of state. and booth got lincoln. >> yes. and the president then became -- was it johnson? >> johnson, right. >> and regarded not well as a president. >> no, because one of the things we have in the book that's fascinating is -- at the second inaugural address, johnson spoke first, before lincoln. >> mm-hmm. >> and he was blasted. he was drunk. >> oh, that's right. the man had a drinking problem. >> he was drunk at giving the inaugur-- and lincoln's going... [ laughter ] absolutely true. so, we weren't exactly, you know, well-served by andrew johnson. >> did you -- now, it seems like every time you're on, every couple of months, you have a new book. now, bill... [ laughter ] >> it's just that time goes so fast. one a year. >> are you actually writing these books or are your people writing them? >> no, no, no. no, no.

i write the books. you know that. i write all the copy for "the factor." >> oh, "the factor." [ cheers and applause ] >> i write the books. you know that. >> and they always come out at number 1 on the new york times. >> yeah, it's a fix. we got that fixed. [ laughter ] it's this show, letterman. you know that. >> now, have you ever done your show drunk, speaking of -- >> all the time. [ laughter ] in fact, i remember last week, in a monologue, you said, "it was fox's 15th anniversary, and o'reilly got so drunk, he actually said something that made sense." >> that's right. [ laughter, applause ] >> may the good lord bless and keep you safe, master lincoln. >> you are a free citizen of this republic. kneel to god only and thank him for the liberty that is yours.

>> what lessons can president obama learn from reading your book? >> it's not just about president obama, who likes lincoln, by the way. president obama, after the super bowl interview, he actually took me to the lincoln bedroom and showed me the gettysburg address that lincoln wrote out in his hand. it's amazing. it's amazing. but no matter who the next president of the united states is, they have to put the country above themselves. they have to stop the ideology, the craziness, and say, "i have to do tough things to get this economy back on track. i have to do tough things." that means you have to cut. people are gonna be mad at you, all right? but that's what's necessary, and that's what lincoln did. >> with firmness in the right as god gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds. >> look, lincoln had a vision for the country, and that was to win the civil war, to make sure that slavery

never happened again, and then to unite the south and the north once again. and he paid for it with his life. but he suffered immensely. but, today, what the presidents and politicians don't do is -- they don't put their country above themselves. look, half the stuff we hear politicians from both parties say we know is b.s. it's not gonna happen. we know, when president obama says, "i'm gonna make the economy work for every single american," that's impossible. it's not gonna happen. if you're an alcoholic or a heroin addict, the economy's not gonna work for you, okay? we need somebody like lincoln, who basically told the truth. coming up, the making of the movie "killing lincoln," a behind-the-scenes look when we come right back. ♪ i built my business with passion. but i keep it growing by making every dollar count. that's why i have the spark cash card from capital one.

i earn unlimited 2% cash back on everything i buy for my studio. ♪ and that unlimited 2% cash back from spark means thousands of dollars each year going back into my business... that's huge for my bottom line. what's in your wallet? hey! i like your ride. i just wanted to let you know... you can save a ton by switching to progressive, just like squirrel here. we offer great discounts, like responsible rider, paid in full, and homeowners. making us number one in motorcycle insurance.

isn't this romantic. it was. going the distance to save you more. now, that's progressive. ♪

♪ [ music ] ♪ [ music ] ñi ♪ [ music ] bhap ♪ [ music ] >> that is it for us tonight. thank you for watching this special edition of "the factor." coming up next, the film based on my book "killing lincoln."

i'm bill o'reilly. and please remember the spin stops here. we're definitely looking out for you. harry ford: hello, john. john wilkes booth: [humming]. murcott: i am harmless except to myself.