i'll see you tomorrow on the fox business network. \s the two leading republican candidates, donald trump and ted cruz sit down with me. trump hitting back. your reaction? >> sarah is smart, and she cunning, and she's a good person. >> what about the media attack? >> they can attack. in the meantime she has one of the best records -- i will tell you ted cruz wanted her so badly, he almost cried. he's a nervous wreck. >> and a boast about himself and

barack obama. cruz denouncing members of the media as out-and-out partisan. >> there's a reason they don't like the mainstream they're partisan liberals. >> every single journalist? >> they have an agenda. new york values, the birthers flap and the way they're covered. "national review" calls trump a hubs terr. plus the press says hillary clinton is in trouble. weren't the pun debts just telling us she was inevitable? i'm howard curtis. and this is "mediabuzz." just back from las vegas where i went to the trump hotel

and interviewed donald trump, a 17-point lead in new hampshire and fox news polls just out this morning making him still the republican candidate to beat. after months of attacking the press as dishonest and slimy, you seem mostly to be toning it down a bit. have you gone from nuclear to low-level war fare? >> you know, i started out of because ofly with zero, and now i'm up at 42. i think i'm probably a bit different. you have to change a little bit. i think i'm a little different. i do very well. >> are journalists treating you with new respect, because they think you may win? >> not all, but some of them. "wall street journal" has changed their views, and i've gained respect. some of the other have changed their views, and rightfully so. i'm not saying it from smile standpoint, but we've done a good job. "time" won one of the most

beautiful cover stories i've ever had, the one from last week, where i'm talking to a crowd, but they're talking about this whole campaign. so, yeah, i think there's been a big change in mode and mood. >> yet, after sarah palin endorsed you, this cover -- "i'm with stupid." your reaction? >> first sarah is smart, she's cunning, she's a good person. >> what about the media attack? >> well, they can attack. in the meantime she has one of the best records -- ted cruz wanted her so badly, he's a nervous wreck. >> joe scarborough said you should send her home to deal with her family's problems. >> maybe he's not a fan of sarah. that's okay. i will say this. if you look at the people she's endorsed over the years, including ted cruz, who was like 2%, and then she endorsed him,

and you know the feeling. he wanted her desperately more than anybody else. >> she's a good woman, a great person. i've known her for a long time and she said i want to go with you. this is a movement. it's not about me. it's what we're saying. we're like led by people who don't have a clue. we're led by incompetent people. the voters are getting it. i just left a rally -- we're in las vegas today, but i left a rally in oklahoma, we had to send away 5,000 people. we had 20,000 people. i just left one in nevada, where we had thousands and thousands. it's a moeismt. >> as we get closer to iowa and new hampshire, you ratcheted it up against cruz. i know you say he started it, but he hasn't used that language. >> he started it, and it sort of started during the debate. i said, whoa, whoa, what do we have here? he's a good debater, but not a

good talker. if he's one on one with a person, he can't relate, he can't talk. that's not what we need. he was born in canada. he was a citizen of canada until 15 months ago, a lot of people say, and legal scholars have come out -- i'm not only talking about the wonderful professor from harvard, i'm talking about other lawyers have come out very strongly and said he cannot run. so there's a about ig doubt over his whole candidacy and rhoer his didn't file hi loans. >> he says that's a paperwork error. you said for days you were only raising cruz's issue of birthplace, because "the washington post" asked you. that was true. other journalists asked you, that was true, but c'mon, you know how to deflect a question. you were trying to make a major surety. "the washington post" asked me that question among others. i haven't given it very much

thought, to be honest. i said there is a problem, because there is a substantial doubt. a lot of people think there's not a doubt. >> you started out saying you were helping -- >> in a way i am helping him, but you know who i really am helping? the republican party. he's all right got two lawsuits that just got filed. the first thing the democrats will sue him and sue the party, because he's not allowed to run, okay? how can you have a cant that has a cloud sort of in real estate they call it a cloud of title. he's got a cloud of title. he has a cloud over his head. he probably or possibly is no -- >> many lawyers would disagree. >> some lawyers dispute it. >> but you're the one who made an issue, not the press. >> it hasn't been decided. it depends on the court. that's a big problem. do you agree that that's a problem? >> it's a potential problem. >> it doesn't seem to be a problem until you brought it up. >> how do you have a person

running for your party that maybe isn't allow to do run for the party. >> you're from queens, i'm from brooklyn, you effectively brought up the response to 9/11 when cruz raised the point in debate. you did an interview in 1999, i'm a new yorker and very pro-choice. i'm a new yorker and -- >> i hate the whole concept of abortion. i said that strongly. i hate the conaccepts, i'm pro-choice, but that was a long time ago. i will say this. ronald reagan was a pretty liberal democrat when he was younger, okay, and he switched over to a fairly conservativcon. he was pretty good, and he turned out to be a great president. people change. people change, but if you remember that comment, it says and very strongly, and i give them credit for leaving that part in, i hate that concept of abortion. i said that strongly. >> you were a businessman in new york, you had to get along with

democratic politician in a democratic city, i understand that, but can you understand how some republican voters would have doubts because of your past positions that you are a true-blue republican. >> they said i was a world-class businessman, and i did, i built a fantastic company. i'm going to use that same -- my kids will do fine, and i'm going to do the same to do for our country. i feel like i said to be so greedy for the country. i want the money pouring in, we're going to save social security. i will tell you as a world-class businessman, you have to get along with politicians. you have to get along with democrats and republicans. it's standard. you can't have half the people out there as enemies. i was able to get along with klinen, reagan, are. that's a very good thing. by the way, one of the problems i have with our country, we're at gridlock in washington. everybody hates each other.

>> but on this point senator cruz says you're not becoming the establishment candidate, that the establishment is embracing you, because you may deals that he won't. >> the problem with cruz is everybody hates him. think of it. you have all these republican senators. he doesn't have one that's endorsing him. then senator dole. >> he's a maverick. >> bob dole is a great person, with an incredible wife. he came out so strongly against cruz and he was very nice to me, which i appreciate, but these are great people. they aren't bad people. these are great people. you have to get along a bit. you can be stuff -- i'm a deal maker. >> you don't take that as an insult? >> no, i think that's a great thing. you knee what i'm really going to do? you look at china, japan, mexico, they are killing us. a guy like ted is not a deal maker. >> as you know, mark levine, he

questioned whether your -- rush limbaugh was critical, and i know you care about what they think. last time we talked, you said that influenced you to back away from some earlier criticismic. >> rush has not said that. he made a point, but said you've got to do what you've got to do. i like mark a lot the but i think he's for ted. that's okay. i have a lot of respect for mark levine, but i think he's been for ted. that's why we have thenus in restaurants, you make different choices, right? but i'd like to have mark on mice side, but i guess he didn't like this, but if you remember, ted cruz started it. >> it's a campaign. >> it's okay, but i have to hit back. if you look like lindsey graham

and perry, graham hits me all the time and then supports jeb bush, who has no chance. less chance than you and i'm not running. >> i'm not running. >> you would do better. more from our conversation later in the program, along with my sit-down with ted cruz. but when we come back "national review" rallies the conservative intellectuals, but can the

the rnc has booted "national review" from co-sponsoring a debate next month as the magazine assembled a group with the goal of stopping donald trump. >> it's up to conservatives who

think that donald trump, whatever his virtues are, doesn't truly understand the ideas and principles that make this country great. it's up to those conserves tiffs to say no, sorry, we oppose. >> the circulation is way down. not very many people read it anymore. people don't even think about "national review." so i get they want some publicity. mercedes schlapp joining me. you saw trump hitting back "national review" but it's influential. is this campaign against trump as a menace to the movement a problem for him? >> i don't think so necessarily. you have to understand the trump supporter. they are getting their cues from rush limbaugh, sean hannity, mark levin who have giving a

fairly analysis. >> or more sympathetic? >> i would say probably both. they not got on the outright attack we have seen with these very respectful conservative editors, the thinkers that have come out in the magazine. >> if they represent, for lack of a better phrase, the intellectual wing, and perhaps the talk radio people and some of the web sites or radio is more populist, was almost planned as a campaign. >> there is a disconnect between these conservative think es, many who live in new york and washington, d.c. and the rest of america. >> in a bubble? >> i think to a certain extent they are. certain thinkers wrote and do appeal to the grass-roots

activists, but a lot of these thinkers have endorsed a candidate. glenn beck just came out for senator cruz, who basically said i would prefer to vote for sanders over trump. i think you can't be a conservative in you're thinking about voting for sanders over trump. >> for me this is the heart of the battle you have crawhammer, george will, steve hays, then tough on trump. and trump wants to dismiss them as unfair to him, criticizing them personally, but you seem to be saying a lot of people -- hasn't "marble review" been the leader of the movement on the right? >> they're focus the odd conservative ideology, but then i have filly schaff ly schaffle "the national review" is not --

>> it's a civil war. >> at the end. if trump is the nominees or cruz, can the conservatives rallies behind one candidate? and that is going to be key. the fact is you have candidates coming owl saying these would support a hillary clinton or not vote because of trump as basically giving hillary clinton another eight years. >> just briefly, do you have any problem with the republic national committee booting them from the -- >> i think it s the right now. as rich lowery said, national review has made a moral decree said, and i think it's a fairness, it's okay for the rnc to disinvite them it would have been wiser to have bo sides. a focus group was asked on our behalf what they think of the media coverage. >> why haven't they been fair? >> they've targeted him, taking

his words and pulled it out of context, which the media is very good for. >> i think steven more than fair. it's the donald trump show all the time every day. >> 100% fair for the media to abuse you when you're running for the presidency. it gives us a chance to see how you're going to handle it. >> it's unfair to -- >> i think abuse is a strong word. i think tough questions, absolutely, but what donald trump has done, he's used social media to his advance, delivered the narrative. guess what? the media is asking the questions, his's accessible, not afraid to answer any of the questions, howie. >> one of the reasons he gets airtime is he's willing to come on the sunday shows and late night shows, but to finish up on "national review" he's not running as a true blue conservative, so he doesn't have to pass that litmus test.

to say he's not a real conservative would be harmful. >> based on your interview, what is he running as? a deal maker. there's gridlock in washington, and the fact is senator cruz didn't work friendly with the other senators, trump says he can come in as a deal maker. >> if i was asked him as a establishment candidate, he didn't deflect it at all. >> i think he's willing to embrace that hat. his goal is he wants to win the primary. he wants all those different lanes. can he do? that's the big question. ahead my interview with ted cruz. he has strong things to say about media and his chief rival, but first the media knives are out against after sarah palin after her trump endorsement. is the criticism fair?

ted cruz has emerged as donald trump's leading rival after a remarkable surge that has also intensified his media coverage. i sat down with the senator here in washington. >> thank you for being here. >> thank you. now as a leading candidate, don't you need to be able to withstand tough media scrutiny?

>> sure. that goes with the territory, but any republican who is running should not be confused and think that the mainstream media are our friends. they are part sans. they wake up every day fighting for liberal political agendas. "new york times" wants hillary clinton to be president. every day they're going to push stories advancing that. that's the reality, the world we live in. the answer is not to whine and complain, but do what reagan did. go over the head of the media, go straight to the american people. that's why we're running a great-roots campaigns. >> you accuse "new york times" of a hit piece, that you didn't properly disclose a loan for your 2012 senate campaign, but you didn't deny any of the specifics in the article. >> look, they breathlessly reported this horrible scandal that, when i was running for office, i was running against someone worth about $it 00

million, all of the establishment, all of the lobbyists were against is, and my wife and i we took or life savings, spending and selling stocks and assets and taking out loans against the rye mainer and put all of that into a loan we gave the campaign. the entire basis of the "new york times" story, the loans we took we disclosed on one form, but not the other. both of those forms are public, both before the election both of those were disclosed. >> and that information was included in the piece. why a hit piece? >> because it's a total nothing. >> i'm going to leave aside the fact that i'm from new york. i know you say that donald trump sort of started it and you're using that against him, and you described new york values as socially liberal, focus around

money and the media. trump, of course, brought up 9/11, but are you using new york city as a sort of caricature to appeal to -- >> the characterization didn't come from me. >> you certainly seized on it. >> but it was how he explained his values. when he was do an interview, and tim was asking him, all right, what are your views? he said i'm very pro-choice. i support partial birth abortion, and he said i'm from new york, i'm from manhattan. that's what we believe in new york. he says he's open to gay marriage, very pro-choice, supports partial birth, and the entire explanation is those are new york values. he's the one that draws thor distinction. that's what we believe in new york, so it's curious to see him all upset that i'm repeating his own words explaining why he believes what he believes. >> i would point out that the media reported on his more

liberal views in the '90s doesn't seem to have hurt him. let me move on toed so-called birther stories. i was surprised. i thought it would about el a two-day flap. you were asked about it every day for a week by reporters everywhere you went. what did you make of that? >> look. that's just the nature of reporters. they like to as i mentioneder they're democrats at the end of the day. erser reporters like conflict, and do recall believe he drove the agenda. >> he drives the reporters' agenda. we were in the midst of a bus tour. 26 counties in six days, enormous enthusiasm, but from what you look, looking at the media, it was a great field test. we would do at pretty much every event a press gaggle. by the way, a lot of other candidates don't do press gaggles. i take questions all the time.

half to two thirds of the questions from the reporters would be about donald trump and the latest attack, the latest tweet, and you go into the town hall, one county, 7,000 people in the county, we had 700 people. 10% of the county came out. another town with 600 people, 150 came -- >> you don't like being asked about donald trump, but now you're mixing it up -- >> but here's my point, howie. when we do town has and actual voters would ask questions, nobody would ask about the silly birther attack. they ask about the real problems facing this country. how do we defeat isis? how do we stop iran from getting nook lard weapons? how do we protect our second amendment or religious liberty? how do we get more jobs? touch a special focus group. if trump wakes up in the morning andy sends a wild tweet, every reporter asks, did you see the

latest tweet? the american people are more substantive. they're interested in who is ready to be the next commander in chief. >> a piece last month said you are not very likable, that you seemed to be taking an almost academic approach. and can seal to be calibrated. what do you make of that line of media analysis of your candidacy? >> look, it's a perfect example of the kind of hit piece the "new york times" does. if i was a democrat, don't look at the store that "new york times" wrote about barack obama. you could write the same story about have you seen where 10% of a rural county came to our event? that 25% of a small town came -- >> certainly true you're not the most popular guy in the senate. >> but let's be clear why that is. it's not because of how i treat people. >> that's why i'm asking. >> my entire time i've treated

everyone with civility and respect. what is problematic in the senate from other senators' perspectives is speaking the truth, what is going on. we just passed a trillion dollar omnibus bill that funded the entirety of -- funned executive amnesty, the iran deal, funded obama's indefensible plan to bring syrian refugees to america. the unpardonable sin that i committed is i actually speak the truthings why is railroad her -- by the way, chuck schumer and nancy pelosi said the same thing. >> when you batch the media, and you've been treated unfairly at times, but isn't that in your interesting to do that? your base loves that. they don't like the mainstream media. >> there's a reason. they're pardon san liberal democrats. >> almost without exception.

they have a partisan agenda, and yes we understand -- less's take a substantive issues, police officer, if you have one police officer somewhere wh does something he shouldn't have, the press will breathlessly report on this terrible, horrible police officers and all the democratic politicians jump in and demonize and vilify the cops. let me ask you something -- how come the press doesn't tell story of heroism, but the great news is we don't live anymore in a world of three networks that have a stranglehold on information. we've got the internet, we've got talk radio, social media, the ability to go directly around and directly to the people. >> senator cruz, thank you very much for joining us. >> my conversation with ted cruz. after the break i ask donald trump about the general election strategy if he gets that far and wait until you hear what he says about himself and

barack obama. and the -- right as media are focusing on the sanders surge.

when i sat down with donald trump, i asked him about nikki haley taking a swipe at him. you want in the last debate you

embraced the mantle about -- >> i am an optimistic candidate. making america great is a positive thing. i like nikki haley. she said i'm a friend of hers. she does ain the speeches there's great anger out there, but you go to my rallies yesterday in oklahoma i filled up a stadium. today in las vegas, the ballroom was parked. no mar where i go, the people are angry. they really want to see our country -- maim i am. i have to be doing m everybody says, no, no, i'm angry. i'm angry at the iran deals.

i'm angry at our deals with japan. where we do nothing about it, and we have to take care of everybody. i'm angry about all these things, but i'll be very happy when i change it. >> if you're the nominee will you tone down your receipt req? >> absolutely. >> i think i'll do great. if you look at minorities. how is it no -- i'm going to do great with the african-americans. i think el'll do great with the his spanx. >> do you mean absolutely are going to take different approaches? >> i don't know if you want to change so much. the african-americans love me. like at what happened as an example with african-american

youth. they don't even no it's so high. they can't get jobs. look at african-american people in their prime, 30s, 40s and 50s, they want jobs. they're going to like me better than obama. the truth is obama has done nothing for them. >> did you just say asp kafr americans will like you better than the first african-american president? >> i think relatively speaking -- he does have a slight advantage. i think they will absolutely love donald trump. i'm going to create wealth for the country. people will partake. we're going to take jobs from china, japan, all these countries, and african americans will benefit these are great people. they want jobs. >> if you are the nominee, will

you continue to do so many interviews, offer -- >> i think i'm not going to change too much. i have to do the fair shows, but you have always treated me very fairly. i will do the shows. the last month of the campaign, president was all over the play. i would call up romney's people and would say why isn't he campaigning? that was a big mistake, no, i'm not disappearing. >> thank you very much. he's been saying megyn kelly shoop be one of the moderator fox news say megyn kellie has no conflict of interest.

donald trump is just trying to build up the audience for thursday's debate for which we thank him. next, with bernie sanders threatening to win iowa and new hampshire, is the

fees from goldman sachs. >> he has voted with the nra, with the gun lobby, russ times. he voted against the brady bill

five times. he votedor for the charleston loopho loophole. >> utterly under played the sanders phenomenon for year, not unlike many missing the trump phenomenon. are the media overdoing it? >> i think they're kalz r coming to the realization that sanders could be a real contender that he's really -- it's not just an organic movement but the fact that you have so many of these democrats, a lot small donors, when they're looking at the last quarter, $26 million bernie sanders earned. >> he could win iowa and new hampshire, imagine mao crazy the press would go over the clinton campaign. the one thing i think sanders didn't get as much coverage that he might have although trump overshadowed everyone. he refused to personally attack clinton. he scolded reporters when asking him to do it. now he's doing it somewhat, coverage is ramping up.

>> i think sanders is taking a page out of trump's political book which, is i've been attacked by hillary clinton and i'm attacking back. he says he's not prized that the media is supporting clinton. this is after the "des moines register" endorsement yesterday. it's fascinating that sanders has decided, she's going after me and hiem not going to stay quiet. i have to attack back. >> "new york times" had a story this past week about bill clinton's sex scandals and how many young women who didn't live through the monica lewinsky era are turned over of hillary in her role of fighting back. how important is that story? >> i think it's very important. remember when we had this discussion two weeks ago about society evolving. this is after the bill cosby sexual allegations that came out, the fact that our society is very aware of what's happening with victims of sexual

assault, even hillary clinton is talking about every voice of women who have been raped or sexually assaulted should be listened. this story is listening. why? a percentage of the population didn't know who monica lewinsky was. these young feminists are like, she's supposed to be defending women, wait. >> i think donald trump is the reason it hit the mainstream media. not that it wasn't mentioned before. but there was the debate, is this fair game? >> we agree it was fair game. >> now the new york time has kind of certified it. let's go back to the interviews. you saw my interview with donald trump. he said african-american voters will like him than president obama. >> i think that might be tough. but tavis smiley came out, african-american, and said, if you're black or brown, what would be the three good reasons to come out and vote this time? there is a sense of disappointment in the african-american community. is trump the solution? that's questionable. a lot of coalition building it

will take. even republicans have struggle in the past. i think it will be be interesti interesting for trump to win the minority vote . >> he doesn't shy away from bringing these bold statements. ted cruz said to me as you saw, element without exception, members of the mainstream media, journalists are partisan democrats. if that is true, how would he explain the fact that he said that journalists are letting trump drive the agenda, why would partisan democrats be nice to donald trump? >> that's worked for ted cruz, the media is the enemy. with that being said, you have trump having the mantle offager, cruz trying to own the mantle of convict turf timpf. i think that's why he's saying the media is favoring trump over me. he's playing his game that way. >> nobody likes the press these days. such a big issue in this campaign. still to come, wre digging our way, just starting to, of this

monster blizzard here in d.c. and along the east coast. the thoughts of the media and extreme weather coverage, next. you won't see these folks at the post office. they have businesses to run. they have passions to pursue. how do they avoid trips to the post office? stamps.com mail letters, ship packages, all the services of the post office right on your computer. get a 4 week trial, plus $100 in extras including postage and a digital scale. go to stamps.com/tv and never go to the post office again.

well as we start digging this monster snowstorm in d.c., 25 inches of snow, i'm lucky i got here. i scrambled on to the red eye in las vegas after the interview with trump. we didn't know if you would make it. >> my nephew jason is stuck here from wichita, kansas, with his high school. my husband had to try to save a neighbor, my daughter had to walk a mile to get home yesterday. it has been eventful here in washington, d.c. >> during this whole thing, you see intrepid car respondents out in the snow in the middle of the blizzard falling into snowbanks. we're looking at some of the pictures. i confess i have made fun of this in the past because, why aren't they inside and just

showing us the pictures. but at the same time this is a story if you live on the east coast that touched everybody. i guess everybody want tosz see what it feels like. >> that's right. i think these journalists out there, they're the snow warriors for this big snowstorm. >> is this kind of like going o off to a war zone that you can prove you're not just someone who sits in a climate controlled studio? >> that's right. you have to be out there with the snow, doing the snow angels. if they could go sledding that would be good. >> and the media provides important information for example, d.c. airports are shut down. it's good to know that. but it's good for ratings. >> true. stay inside. stay warm. make yourself a cup of hot cocoa. >> listen to mercedes. that is it for this edition of "media buzz." i'm howard kurtz. glad we were able to make it. check out our facebook page. give us a like. we post a lot of origin arl conte content. next week we're going to iowa

for the big debate. we'll come to you live from des moines for next week's "media buzz." we'll be in iowa, center of the political universe, the 12 republicans and three democrats running for president on the ground in iowa and new hampshire at this hour pressing voters to make up their minds. but first, official contests and primary season is one week from tomorrow. i'm harris faulkner, this is the "fox report." marco rubio, donald trump and bernie sanders are all in iowa. brand new fox polling giving us a fresh snapshot of where the republicans stand ahead of iowa. take a look, donald trump in the lead with 34% among likely republican caucus go