final gop debate before the iowa caucus the thursday at 9:00 p.m. here on fox news. bret, chris and i will be there for you asking tough but fair questions. not everyone is showing up. we hope you will. good night. and welcome to iowa and this is a fox news alert. 2016 republican presidential front-runner donald trump now says he will not participate in thursday's fox news channel gop debate. now, senator ted cruz is now slamming donald trump for the move. he'll be with us in a few moments and going on the campaign trail today with senator marco rubio and dr. ben carson, also former governor huckabee is here and joining us live here in des moines, iowa, breaking news on the republican debate, campaign carl cameron. never a dull moment, carl. >> reporter: extraordinary events for a very out of the ordinary candidate. donald trump called a news

conference immediately before the town hall-style meeting tonight in marshaltown, iowa. at that news conference, he made began to suggest i should say that he might not come to the debate. now, it's an official. he is not. here's how he first put it. >> most likely i won't be doing the debate. see, the point is that with me they're dealing with somebody that's a little bit different. they can't toy with me like they toy with everybody else. so let them have their debate and let's see how they do with the ratings. >> reporter: with only minute -- within minutes of that news conference ending and trump's event starting, his aides fanned out across the press and i talked with the campaign manager and the communications director. they both said that the boss made a decision and it was time. he won't be coming on thursday. it hasn't taken very long for trump's rivals to weigh in. ted cruz at an event tonight speaking directly to a big you made it clear that he thinks that donald trump is afraid and

showing that he's not up to the task. watch. >> i think anyone running for president of the united states owes it to the people of iowa to have the humility to come in front of you. to make the case to answer the hard questions, to look you in the eyes. this is a job interview. the president of the united states works for each and every one of you. >> reporter: cruz is now challenging trump to head to head debate without a moderator at any place trump wants to come between now and the iowa caucuses and chris christie making essentially the same point that cruz was that if donald trump wants to be commander in chief he can't be scared by moderators and should be participating in order to help inform voters. sean? >> all right. thanks, campaign carl. joining us on the phone is texas

senator ted cruz. how are you, sir? >> sean, always great to be with you. good evening. >> all right. i guess i got to get your reaction. we had the issue back in august and the first debate with megyn kelly and donald trump. donald trump is bowing out of this debate. what is your reaction to this in terms of, you know, why is he holding on to something that's now five months old? >> well, look. i think any candidate for president owes it to the voters to go and stand in front of them, to answer the hard questions. i mean, it is a matter of basic respect to the men and women of iowa. you know, we are in the middle of the completing what's called the full grassley. we'll have gone to all 99 counties in iowa. standing if front of the men and women of iowa, answering their questions. this is a job interview and if you want a job interview, the first thing to do to get the job is show up at the interview. and i think it's really remarkable that donald trump thinks so little of the men and women of iowa that he is willing

to skip the debate altogether. he doesn't think he should have any questions on his record and it's really quite astonishing that don sald apparently so afraid of megyn kelly. lock. you know, journalists ask tough questions. this is -- you know, i promise you. anyone president of the united states if you're afraid of megyn kelly, you're afraid of hillary clinton an afraid of vladimir putin. if you're afraid to have anyone ask a question, that does not bode well for what kind of commander in chief you'd make. >> can i ask you what -- what does this tell the voters? should they be looking at this from a temperament point of view? in other words, does -- what does this tell you? do you think this goes to whether or not he has the temperament to be president? a question i've asked him and he's dismissed but should this be looked at more deeply? >> of course it does. the most important determination the voters are making is who's prepared to be commander in

chief. who has the experience and knowledge and judgment and temperament and clearty of vision and strength of resolve to keep this country safe. we don't need a president that sees the poll numbers dip and goes into a twitter frenzy. we don't need a president who is miffed at something that was said five months ago and storms out. you know, this is an effort, you know, and the reality is the reason donald is doing this, i actually don't think it's because of megyn. he is afraid to defend his record. he knows he can't defend his record and trying to hide from the voters of iowa. he is not willing to stand up and explain why he supports a bernie sanders-style full-on socialized medicine, expanding obamacare so the federal government is in charge of our health care. he can't explain why he supports taxpayer funding for planned parenthood and supported stimulus plan and t.a.r.p. bailout of the big banks.

he doesn't want to answer the questions and refuses to show up. >> you were on with our mutual friend mark levin and you made it clear that you think he's afraid to debate and that he thinks that he would not do well against you and you offered to debate him pretty much on mark's show, rush's show. tell me what your position is here. >> well, that is exactly right. if he is so terrified of megyn kelly, the iowa caucus is six days away. donald and i are tied in iowa. we are neck and neck. the voters of iowa deserve to have a comparison of the records and vision of both candidates so i am happy to debate donald any time anyplace here in iowa and if he's so scared of megyn you can moderate it or glenn beck or if he's terrified of all of you, we'll just do it one on one 90

minutes donald and me. he told people publicly he thinks i'm stupid. so if i'm so stupid it ought to be an easy debate for him. but at the end of the day the fact he's terrified of showing up to defend his record suggests that he's not going to accept this debate invitation. >> let me, you know, senator, i have noticed that there were many people that you share a constituency, if you will. in other words, i've had a lot of people say they're torn between you and donald trump in terms of this primary. people i have met here in iowa. we are in i want to. >> yeah. >> what do you say to them tonight in terms of your closing arguments which we have sort of been asking all the candidates about? >> look. for anyone who's deciding between me and donald, one candidate is here in iowa asking for the support, showing the humility to submit yourself to the voters to answer your questions and the other is hiding from the voters, hiding from any fair contest and i'll

tell you what. if donald is terrified of any moderators, he and i can debate one on one with an iowa town hall. invite half the people of iowa. i'll invite half the people of iowa and answer the questions from real live citizens, people who will vote in the caucus. let's say anyone who agrees that donald should not be ducking this debate should go to ducking donald.com. duckingdonald.com. a website we have set up to encourage donald not to duck the debate but stand up and show the respect of the men and women of iowa that they deserve and any person who wants the job, skips the job interview, i'll tell you the answer they get from the potential employer and it is you're fired. >> senator, i can tell you that on this program we have been fair to every candidate. we have been fair to mr. trump. >> absolutely. >> given him an opportunity. he's come on the airwaves and attacked you hard on a number of occasions so you're laying out a challenge that in the next five days you want to debate with

donald trump. you'll do it on this show, mark levin's show, rush's show or in a town hall? and if he doesn't accept your final answer, we have 30 seconds. >> look. if he doesn't accept he's telling the men and women of iowa he's not willing and can't defend the record. he's admitting he cannot stand the scrutiny and this means he's not up to the job of being commander in chief. anyone scared of megyn kelly is not able to stand up to hillary clinton or vladimir putin. and we need a strong principled conservative president. >> all right. senator, if we can get an answer, we'll get back to you as soon as we can. we'll be on the trail with you tomorrow and we really do appreciate your time tonight. senator ted cruz, thank you. >> see you tomorrow. i look forward to it. all right. up next, 2016 candidate former governor mike huckabee is here with us in way to react to donald trump saying he is not going to participate in thursday's debate and then later we caught up with senator marco

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welcome back to account hannity" live in des moines, iowa. 2016 republican president front-runner donald trump says he is not going to participate in thursday's gop debate. here's reaction 2016 republican president candidate former arkansas governor mike huckabee. how are you? you like this state. this state's been good to you. >> it has. i love iowa. great people. they're just down to earth. >> you won this primary back in what? 2008. >> 2008. most votes of any person

participated in the iowa caucus ice let's ask you the obvious question. donald trump. you heard ted cruz. he says, you know what? bad move. why is he going back five months and reacting this way to megyn kelly? seems a little absurd to me. >> well, sean, first of all, let me make an offer tonight. i'll take donald trump's podium on the stage thursday night. generous as i am, i'll take that spot. >> there's an opening. >> there's an opening. i'll be happy to take it. i'll do it on behalf of all the people i have met in this state who are not on any stage. they're not on the undercard. they're not on the big stage. they're being pummeled by the policies of this administration. and they're hurting. i talked to a guy in davenport last week, sean. makes $59,000 a year. you know his obamacare costs in 2016 annually? $28,000. that's half the income. >> nationally on average obamacare premiums, saving $2,500 keep the doctors and the

insurance. >> right. >> on average at least 35% a year. and some people are seeing double their rates from last year. >> nobody can pay half their income just for health care coverage and only he and his wife. no children at home. they don't have any special illnesses. and this is what's happening to people and these are people who are barely hanging on to jobs. all over this country. i met a guy, just the other day, he lost his job in a manufacturing plant here in iowa. he's in his 50s. he hasn't found work in two years. >> governor, i repeat every day not because i like to hear myself talk, 94.5 million americans out of the labor force. 50 million in poverty. 50 million on food stamps. median income down seven years and doubled the debt under this president. things are not good economically and i haven't mentioned the mullahs in iran. here's the question. so then donald trump i have used the phrase he's defied conventional political gravity. you know, i'll shoot somebody in the middle of fifth avenue and still vote for me. my supporters are so loyal.

he's been able to overcome past controversies. where does this take him? in other words, how's this going to be viewed by the public? >> well, i think ordinarily we would say, well, it will be a real deal killer. look. nothing has been. and i think that what happens is -- >> why though? >> he's so amazingly manipulated the media in a way no one ever has. i have to congratulate him for that. look. even right now we are talking about him. we're not talking about the people of iowa. we are not talking about the economy. >> in fairness, he is the front-runner. >> he is. >> i care. there's people in iowa watching way back there. i care. i don't want to see fellow americans suffering. i believe that's why you're in the race. is this maybe a tipping point, though? in other words, does this show something about temperament that people maybe like him and support him paying attention to because, you know, he's going to be dealing with mullahs in iran, dealing with vladimir putin?

>> i don't know. it's hard for me to understand. i'm just out there trying to campaign across this state. and talk to people and listen to them. but the one thing i am absolutely sure of is that the iowa caucuses about meeting people, going out to every county, every town, listening to them, meeting them in small groups. if this is the year that a person can win the iowa caucuses by just raising money and then blasting with tv and radio ads, i think it could be the end of the iowa caucus as we know it. >> that's not trump. >> no. that's a lot of other candidates getting the corporate funding from the same wall street bankers and the same big banks and hedge fund managers in new york and then they come and run radio and tv. >> what you're describing is a situation -- i mean, i've used description about hillary, bill clinton or president obama. we can catch them on video. >> yeah. >> robbing a bank, shooting the bank teller and they'll defend

it. >> yeah. >> it is unexplicable to me. >> one thing donald trump said. i said this eight years ago and got the same sort of beating by people like the national review and wall street journal that he gets and that the trade deals we have are not fair. >> horrible. >> they're killing jobs in this country. we have lost 5 million manufacturing jobs since the year 2000. i was in newton, iowa, they lost a big maytag plant. every job went to mexico. i think what people don't understand is that the seething rage of the american voter this year is real. >> see, i have loved the idea that this is an insurgency year. >> yeah. >> when you have a poll showing 60% of republicans feel betrayed by washington -- >> because they are being betrayed by washington. >> governors did great jobs in their state ice balance budgets. build roads. make schools. that's exactly right. >> washington republicans, john boehner added $4.1 trillion to

the debt as speaker. that is not conservative to me. >> the december deal they funded planned parenthood, syrian refugee relocation, obamacare. >> right. >> the iran deal and republicans just said, wait a minute. what did we work so hard to get you elected if you give the democrats everything they want and republicans got a lump of coal in the stocking. this is a time that republicans -- >> you're right. >> -- have to decide. we didn't send you to do obama's agenda. >> why don't you fight? what was the big fear about using the power of the purse? i would argue and correct me if i'm wrong one of the reasons cruz is so popular is he was the one guy that said i'll use every means to keep my promise on repealing and replacing obamacare. >> the problem is you have to be able -- if you throw that rock, you have to know that you can win it. ted cruz said a lot of things in iowa different than the things he said in new york and that's one of the reasons donald trump is doing better. >> but if every republican would

have stood with him -- >> they still would have lost. >> why? >> because it required 60 votes and it was cruz's maneuver that took it from a 1 51-vote simple majority and required a filibuster. >> fund everything but this? >> this is kind of deep in the weeds but if it had been the original process which would have been a simple 51-vote majority you might have gotten a couple of democrats to go but if you moved it to get 11 democrats, no way that was going to happen. >> i don't see any moderate democrats anymore. >> there aren't any. >> thank you for stopping by. >> thank you. good to to be here. we were on the train with marco rubio and ben carson today and playing that for you and their reaction to the big news tonight about donald trump bailing out of the debate and then later tucker carlson and geraldo rivera and getting reaction to all of the big news and much more as we continue in des moines in light of the caucus it is an are coming up one week from yesterday. six days from today.

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get in the know. welcome back to "hannity." six days away from the iowa caucuses. we met up with florida senator marco rubio out campaigning. take a look at this. >> all right. we are here at marco rubio's event. by the way, any rubio fans here tonight? [ applause and cheering ] your fourth stop today, right? >> fourth town hall today. >> how many more between now and we got six days to the iowa cauc caucuses? >> one a day or multiple a day. i have a great time. i can't wait to talk to these folks and meet every one of them in person. >> do you do that every stop? >> yeah. we shake everyone's hands. betake a lot of pictures. >> have you figured out the selfie and switch it around and make it work? >> yeah. most people want to take their

picture and they'll do it themselves, too. that's good, yeah. >> a big debate on thursday a. fox debate. trump threatening to pull out. >> yeah. >> thoughts. >> he'll make a decision on what he wants to do. i'll be there. if someone else is not there, there's time for everybody else but -- >> good thing? >> i don't know what donald's decision would be. i've heard that in the press, as well. you know, i'm going to focus on us. >> let's talk about the campaign. there's been i read as much as $22 million thrown at you. >> oh yeah. jeb bush's superpac is attacking me. >> i thought you were friends. >> i guess. but the bottom -- you have to ask him about that. a million dollars a day. attacking me on an attack charlie crist used. but bottom line is i think they have felt that maybe things haven't gone the way they planned and taking me down is what they're going to do and told me this. getting into the race a lot of

people in the establishment told me if i ran, wasn't my turn and do what they needed to do to stop me. this is a part of that. i feel good anyway. >> who are the establishment people? >> big donors, people in the establishment of the party. people to call me and send e-mails and say you shouldn't run. after, we know people that supported jeb telling people that they were going to do what's happening now. >> are you saying that jeb bush if he can't win doesn't want you to win? >> you have to ask them. spending a million dollars a day attacking me. in a way it's good because you don't attack someone if they're not doing well or attack someone not making progress so it's fine. honestly. part of the process. i'm okay with it. we'll continue to move forward. >> you have kind of formed your own niche. you have risen in the polls and sort of left the pack behind. trump, cruz and there you are. maybe that's a toughest position to be in because the guys on top are afraid of you and guys on bottom want to be where you are. >> i feel good about the long term of it. not a single vote counted in

iowa. they will have a caucus on monday night and the first state to start to decide what comes after barack obama. if this party nominates me, they have a solid conservative to grow the conservative movement and beat hillary clinton or bernie sanders. i cannot imagine waking up first wednesday in november to the news we have a president bernie sanders or president hillary clinton for that matter. >> what would this mean for you, a president bernie sanders? hillary clinton? i think they agree with you. what's that? >> will be in prison. >> oh, okay. let's talk about where -- how you get to that point. what would be success in iowa? you know what i have stayed away? i'm not a consultant or pundit. i'm running for the president of united states. i focus on telling people realistic about this country faces which are extraordinary challenges after seven years of barack obama. but then i tell them like i will tonight what i'm going to do if elected president and this

country can be better than it's ever been. we have to explain to the kids why we grew up in the greatest country in the world and they inherit a diminished world. >> some say that america is not great. i don't hear that from you or other candidate and talking about america in decline. i can give you the labor statistics, number of people, millions more in poverty, food stamps, housing starts lower. i can give you those statistics and then the mullahs in iran or vladimir putin. >> america is a great country. america is not a government. the people, the churches, the communities but america is a country, a great country, in decline because of barack obama. we're not a weak country or a weak president. we'll fix that this year. >> talking 2004, '08 and '12. polls are off dramatically. when you see a crowd this size and meeting the people, do you

think the polls are off like they have been in the last three cycles? >> i don't know. people in iowa and told me this going into the caucus place and cast their votes, it oftentimes is for someone they weren't supporting 48 hours before and said some of the polls up to 40% of the people making up their minds and working as hard as ever. we're reaching new people every day. this is fourth event today. all of the events have 200, 300 people at a time. >> let's talk about marco rubio becomes president of the united states. you talk about america becoming greater. walk me through on the economy. walk me through the first 100 days. how drastically different. >> day one, repeal every one of barack obama's unconstitutional executive orders. [ applause ] >> they like that. using taxpayer money to pay for abortions overseas. i cancel the deal with iran on the first day in office. >> thank god. >> i'll mean the oath of office an unan attorney general that

defends the second amendment. we'll have an attorney general to support religious liberty and then reembrace free industry. a lot -- make it the best place in the world to rebuild our military. >> let's ask you about hillary and the revelation. an inspector general for the intelligence community and outlined dozens of e-mails beyond top secret. you have been on the intelligence committee. isn't that the top level of -- >> i'm on the intelligence committee now. the information that from what i understand the information that was on that e-mail server is the -- almost the highest level of classification you could have and the fact of a private server, you know, if a staff member had done that, they would have been fired and prosecuted. we'll see. i have confidence the fbi finds what happened here. i don't have confidence the obama justice department does

anything about it. when i'm president, no one is above the law. >> it is illegal to have special access programs on a private e-mail serve. illegal. >> to remove any classified information from a secure setting, the writing or e-mail and an insecure setting. you get fired, prosecuted. >> people's lives at risk because of this? >> i believe they could be. absolutely. because look when intelligence information is revealed, it's not just the information how you found it which means sources are compromised and sometimes the sources are people. >> yeah. all right. senator, great to see you. >> thank you. >> iowa, great to see you. [ applause ] coming up, dr. ben carson is trying to recapture his momentum here in iowa. we caught up with him earlier today on the campaign trail. also tonight, tucker carlson, geraldo rivera they'll react to donald trump saying he won't participate. why? because of something that happened five months ago? that and more as we continue that and more as we continue live from iowa. this is how lenders saw me.

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welcome back to accou"hanni" dr. ben carson saw a rise in the polls but with just days to go until the iowa caucuses, support waned a little bit. earlier, i met up with him on the campaign trail to discuss how he plans to deliver a huge come bas back here in iowa. take a look. >> all right. we are at ben carson rally at the assembly of god church you said, right? yes? give a hand for you candidate, right? [ applause ] >> indeed. thank you. >> a nice crowd. you have been all over iowa now. you've restarted the campaign. good news for you is you are in double digits in iowa. so, you're expecting big things in six days. >> well, we see a lot of movement occurring and what i'm

just trying to do is get out of in front of a lot of people changing people's minds because a lot of their perceptions have been derived from the mainstream media. and who are not anxious to portray me in a positive light. so when people get a chance to actually hear you and hear you in depth and onunderstand what you're about, it makes a huge difference. >> i said to you after almost every debate you have had, i said i don't judge you on debate. your life experience is so different. but you say you apply principles to solve problems. in other words, the principles that you learned in medicine. can you detail -- give us more details on that? >> well, the concept of using evidence as opposed to ideology to solve problems. so we know what kind of things work. for instance, you go over to the middle east and you look at sinjar. sinjar had been taken by isis and, you know, they were very

happy about that. what did we do? we worked with the kurds. put our special ops people in with them. shut off the supply routes to sinjar. softened the target. then went in with the kurds and special forces, followed by the air force and it was relatively easy to take. that's evidence. >> you also i have agreed with you on the idea of safe zones and you went to the safe zones in jordan and america brould vid some military assistance with other nations, food, water, medicine, sup ploys. >> right. >> and take care of those refugees. but not risk isis infiltrating the population coming her. >> that's what they want. i actually went over there and did something that seems to be pretty radical. just ask the people themselves. rather than come up with these false choices and that's what we seem to like to do. with iran, go to war with them or we accept this asinine deal. but there was another

possibility. and there's always another possibility but this is why it's so important for the american people to be informed and to think for themselves. >> apply that to an economy where 94.5 million americans out of work and millions more in poverty in seven years, millions more on food stamps, median income down. and the cbo said today that they expect within the next decade our debt $30 trillion, not inl colluding unfunded liabilities. >> it is incredible. they call it the new normal. there is nothing normaln't it. it's very abnormal to spend more money than you have. and to borrow from the future. and but these are all thing that is are fixable. we have the most powerful and dynamic engine the world has ever known. last year, we added 81,000 pages of regulations. >> seriously? >> 81,000 pages last year. >> i'm learning from the

candidate. >> and the cost of compliance almost $2 trillion. break it down per family, $24,000 for a family of 4. that also happens to be the poverty level for a family of 4. you want to get rid of poverty, get rid of the regulations. >> it would be nice to get americans back to work again. it would be nice to get americans out of poverty and their piece of the american dream coming true. >> exactly. >> okay. news earlier tonight, donald trump, your friend in the debates, you guys have gotten along seemingly pretty well. >> if i'm not close to him in the poll numbers we're fine. >> things change then. it appears he may not be going to the debate on thursday night. your reaction? >> it really doesn't matter because the debate is about the dissemination of information to the people. so really doesn't matter when's on the stage. >> basically saying more time for me? >> basically saying it doesn't matter whether he's there or not. i would be surprised if he's not there, though.

>> do you think he'll show up in the end? >> i think so. >> you said to me before the last debate you weren't be as polite and more pep in your step. >> i did. i interrupted a few times. next time i may actually bring a bat or a stick or something. >> really? walk softly, carry a big stick? you know, this does bring up an issue. you -- i have known you for years now, long before you got in the race and interviewed you with a whole hour on the tv show. you are by nature not a politician. extremely soft spoken. >> i never want to be one. >> you're running for a job that actually would make you one. >> no. actually disagree. politicians do what is politically expedient. it's time that we have somebody who does when's right. >> okay. fair enough. worse thing to call somebody is a politician. i remembered that. but in other words, you are thoughtful. you are slower in your approach.

you are -- you seem to like to deliberate before making a decision. explain why that would be so effective as a president. >> although bear in mind d deliberation can be quick. i have had 2:00 a.m. calls on life and death situations of everybody else combined and you have to gather information quickly. frequently from people who don't know what they're talking about because they're interns or residents. >> if i have a brain issue at 2:00 a.m., i would find you and call you. you all having fun with dr. carson? you probably want me to leave so he can talk, right? she is like your biggest fan. like a super fan. >> she is cool. >> you want to -- all the things that you have said about him, you know the background and life? >> yeah. >> you are his number -- >> amazing. >> humble. >> i hope you'll tell the story tonight about your mom, the tv, reading, keeping you -- >> honor of you i'll tell that

story tonight. >> great to see you. give it up for dr. carson. [ applause ] >> thank you, sean. all right. coming up, tucker carlson, geraldo rivera, they are here to respond to donald trump's decision not to participate in the republican debate. all of that and much more as we continue live tonight from iowa. you totaled your brand new car. nobody's hurt, but there will still be pain. it comes when your insurance company says they'll only pay three quarters of what it takes to replace it. what are you supposed to do? drive three quarters of a car? now if you had liberty mutual new car replacement, you'd get your whole car back. i guess they don't want you driving around on three wheels. smart. with liberty mutual new car replacement, we'll replace the full value of your car. see car insurance in a whole new light. liberty mutual insurance.

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this is a fox news alert. 2016 republican president front-runner donald trump announced he's bowing out and he will not participate in this thursday's gop debate right here on the fox news channel. joining us with reaction, contributor tucker carlson, correspondent geraldo rivera. geraldo, look, i have had donald trump on this program. and given him, like, every other candidate, fair time to get his views out. this is an issue that goes back five months now. why is he focused on one moderator and why would he expect that he gets to pick and choose who the moderators in a debate format are going to be and what's it say to the people of iowa? >> there is no doubt, sean, you are absolutely correct. fox news is right. donald trump as much as i love

him has no authority or right or privilege to dictate to us who we assign to a certain story. he's absolutely gone beyond the pale. i totally get that. but i also think that this is a lose-lose. this is an awful development. i wish it never happened. this is like a bar fight between brothers. you know, all this glass is broken. when the bartender is sweeping up the glass and your mom is bailing you out, you say what the hell was that about? i just think that it was absolutely unnecessary. i think the democrats are giving themselves high fives right now. instead of listening to the substance of the issue. >> i don't think so. >> all we're talking about is this bailing out of donald trump. the fracturing of the gop. >> i don't see it that way. tucker, i wonder if this is going to impact. because i know a lot of people that have been torn between cruz and trump. a lot of people. >> right. >> is this going to now maybe push some of those people to cruz and say, why aren't you

debating? why aren't you showing up? this happened five months ago. >> right. >> you know what i mean? why are you hanging on to this? >> let's say how much i deeply appreciate geraldo analogies. >> broken bar glasses? >> glass in the face. this is a huge roll of the dice i think for everybody. trump has been a gambler since the very beginning. only candidate i've seen in the iowa caucus attack the voters of iowa from the stage and then go up so who knows? i do think, though, it's distressing as someone that works in tv to see us being called unfair. i mean, compared to what? compared to the treatment he gets at every other channel by every other publication calling him racist. we have him on "fox & friends" all the time. it is a nice and i think totally above board and straightforward relationship and nothing for him to cam plain about so i do think

maybe his fire's aimed in the wrong direction. adds for cruz i would say the risk, of course, is coming off as an opportunist and the wrap of cruz certainly from the colleagues in the senate you have ted cruz by my count, and i checked with a fox news statement tonight. he's been on the air waves 132 times. we've had him on a lot on this program. we enjoy having him on the program. and now, ted cruz is out there saying he's afraid to debate that? >> that is ridiculous. it's not fear that motivates. it's pride, it's pride. >> what is he obsessed about this for? five months ago. >> why he is upset, that is for his shrink and his wife to discern with donald, who some day, i have no idea why he's

still upset. >> is he going to act this way towards the mullahs in iraq? >> who is -- was it abc had the union leader, that endorsed chris christie, had them on the panel, trump complained they were gone. he's used to getting his way. what you have here is an irresistible object -- >> have i been fair to donald trump? >> you have been, i must say, i love you, but you have been beyond fair. you have been fair to every candidate. i just sat through -- interviews with ben carson. you know, ben carson, people are saying isn't he the doctor from -- they've forgotten. you're fair to everyone. what donald did is make this line in the sand, which is

preposterous for him to do over megyn kelly. it's ridiculous. >> so he's going to ignore the appearances on fox and friends and other shows, fox business head work. i'm disappointed. i mean, i'm not and there are a lot of people to be mad at in this world. there are people that deserve, i would say, our forum. we're number 4,000 on the roster of bad guys. in my view, i worked in a lot of places. this is the fairest place i've ever worked and i mean that, especially fair to trump. how is this going to play out? i find it hard to see. the number of times in this campaign you've said boy this, is not going to work. yet, the opposite has come true. i don't know what is going to

happen. >> i have to say the story now is trump versus fox news. it's so unnecessary. it's dominating the air waves. nobody is talking about bundy. there is a guy shot and killed in oregon. they arrested a half dozen of the militants out there. we're not talking about that. we're talking about trump. every network is talking about trump. this is was ill-considered move. it's unnecessary, and awful. and i just -- i wish that when i can make peace and stop it. >> one thing here, he's still invited to show up. he's still invited to participate. you know, look, i've been on the ground one day here in iowa and many times before. i ti the people of iowa want him there. they want to hear what he has to say and compare his views on the economy, foreign policy with other candidates. this would be the final opportunity to see them, all of the candidates before they go the caucus.

it's a big loss for them. >> you know what trump thinks. there has never been a candidate that has done more media than donald trump. so the question is -- do they think that he's picked the wrong enemy? that is part of the economy. >> he has picked the wrong enemy. i've got to run, guys. i'm on a hard break. apologize. apologize. more and i'm still struggling with my diabetes. i do my best to manage.

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see you in that debate on thursday night. i urge you to reconsider. fox's door, wide open. we'll see you back here tomorrow night from iowa. thanks for being with us. tonight "on the record" the fight for iowa continues. the big iowa caucus just six days away and it's anybody's race. donald trump and senator ted cruz locked in a bitter battle in the hawkeye state. senator cruz is lighting the flames and throwing gas on the fire against trump. igniting the feud over new york's values. >> i mean, hey, i lived in new york city and manhattan all my life. my views are a little bit different than if i lived in iowa. >> they are different, like on abortion. >> would president trump ban partial birth abortion. >> i am pro-choice in every respect. >> what does trump think about iowa? >> how stupid are the people of iowa? >> donald trump, new york vales, not ours. >> you know, if