p.t. barnum. any of those you consider a compliment? >> p.t. barnum. >> you'll take the p.t. eople call you names. we need p.t. barnum a little bit because we have to build up the image of our country. we have to be a cheerleader for our country. we don't have a cheerleader. i thought obama when he got elected would be a good cheerleader. i said he'll unify the country, whether it's african-american and white and all -- he'll unify. he's not unifying. it's -- he's been a great divider. on top of that -- >> he's been the divider? what about the republican party? >> no, no, i think -- >> you don't think this has been a two-way street? >> chuck, he hasn't brought us together. >> that's on him? not on both parties? >> i think it's on everybody, but he's the leader. he's the leader. he could have been a great cheerleader and he hasn't been, and that's too bad. >> what do you tell conservatives about '90s trump, you liked the clintons, you were pro-choice, you were even for some gun control, you wondered why the nra wouldn't be for some limitations, some restrictions. 2016 trump, yo

the annie oakley to trump's p.t. barnum move the needle in iowa. political fire brand, meet political fire brand. sarah palin made it tonight. there has long been chatter of a sarah palin-trump endorsement. their and they have similar attention gathering styles and they seem to like each other. back rumors of a sailin presidential campaign, trump left the door open to running as her vice president.he didn't ask me. she came up as a terrific woman. >> reporter: earlier in the campaign trump has no kind words for r john mccain who picked sarah palin to bibe his running mate, catapulting here to national fame. >> he was a war because he was captured. >>> >> reporter: and adored by the disa be a fit for cruz. she endorsed his 2012 senate run and he credited her with his win. >> i love sarah palin.h palin is fantastic. without her friendship and support, i wouldn't be in the senate today. >> this just might be supports donald trump but wasn't sure if they would go out and caucus on a cold night. >> reporter: it all d bad news for cruz as terry branstad

the annie oakley to trump's p.t. barnum but whether this will move the needle in iowa. political fire brand, meet political fire brand. sarah palin made it official tonight. there has long been chatter of a sarah palin-trump endorsement. their politics overlap and they have similar attention gathering styles and they seem to like each other. back in 2011, amid rumors of a sailin presidential campaign, trump left the door open to running as her vice president. >> she didn't ask me. she came up as a friend and she is a terrific woman. >> reporter: earlier in the campaign trump has no kind words for who picked sarah palin to bibe his running mate, catapulting here to national fame. >> he was a war hero because he was captured. >>> >> reporter: despised by the elite and adored by the disaffected she could be a fit for cruz. she endorsed his 2012 senate run and he credited her with his win. >> i love sarah palin. fantastic. without her friendship and support, i senate today. >> this just might be the kind of move that excites someone that supports donald trump but wasn't sur

on us, because this iss donald trump is the best manipulator of media and conversatition since p.t. barnum. we do this every week, he finds something outrageous to say, someone new to pick on and attention is his prime directive and i don't think voterss really care about this. she's going to fire up her base and he's going to fire up his. i don't think this is a big issue. few months, "the new york times" looked back at old polls. those who led in iowa have lost as often as they have won. so, any predictions of a shakeup, i want to start with you, matt, just look at the races and what you think we'll see in the next couple of months. >> i would never make a prediction here. >> never expect that of you. >> i wouldn't at this point. >> don't predict the outcome? tell uswhat's going to happen. >> i was there in iowa this week, it's cold and i predict it will stay that way. this is a fluid race. one of the key numbers here, 60%-plus of the republican electorate has identified with an extreme outsider like a ted cruz, donald trump or a ben carson. the governing wing of the party, even if they

as we go into 2016, shame on us,e st manipulator of media and conversation since p.t. barnum. somebody new to pick on -- attention is his prime directive and i don't think voters really care about this. she's going to fire up her base and he's going to fire up his. i don't think this is a big issue. >> let me move on to the next few months, "the new york times" this week looked back through old polls and it turned out that candidates who led in iowa or new hampshire with just one month to go have lost as often as they have won. so, any predictions of a shakeup, i want to start with you, matt, just look at the months. >> i would never make a prediction here. >> we'd never expect that of you. >> no, i wouldn't at this point. >> don't predict the outcome. tell us what's going to happen. >> i was there in iowa this week, i can tell you it's cold and i predict it will stay that way. this is a fluid race to me. one of the key numbers here, no matter how you divide it up, 60%-plus of the republican electorate has identified with an extreme outsider like a ted cruz, or a donald trump,

the fact he's more p.t. barnum than commander in chief.i don't know what this event is but certainly has nothing do to do with veterans other than they serve his public relations interest. >> jeff, why do you think it's needed to have an event that he says is for veterans that's, as far as we know, we don't know who else is coming. maybe he'll have veterans speaking. it seems like it's going to be donald trump speaking. his whole family will be there. i y put it under the mantel of veterans? >> i assume he wanted to make a point here and do something for veterans. again, the quarterback. david's point about the quarterback. i think that we got into this situation with fox. he wanted an alternative and his first thought was a good one. let's do something to help veterans. i don't think he should be criticized for that. president obama didn't serve in the military. president clinton was accused repeatedly of being a quote/unquote draft dodger. hillary clinton didn't serve. ted cruz i don't believe has served in the military. we have presiden

he's willing to take risks, and he considers being called p.t. barnum a compliment.ve got to be willing to lose big if you want to win big. and also trump is a survivor. his ability to reinvent himself and remain relevant is one thing that has defined him over four decades in the spotlight. he constantly knows how to reinvent himself. earlier i spoke to michael dantonio, he's got a new biography about donald trump. started by asking him what trump's experience in atlantic city can tell us about him as a potential president. >> he's a fellow who sees his opportunities and grabs them. in most of the examples we talk about in atlantic city with trump, he swooped in when other people had started casinos and he took over the deal and he always got a better deal for himself than anybody else got. you can ask the people who were left holding the bag when he went bankrupt four times. but the thing you might take from that, when it comes to politics, is that in negotiations with people on the hill or maybe even in negotiations with foreign leaders, he would come out on top as

is there any danger for him in making this analogy i think it was p.t. barnum no publicity is bad publicity, something like that? >> it sounds a little bit awkward comment but plays well with some of the voters he's doing so well. yeah, there's a chance to go too far with these things obviously there aren't going to be any spank to go see hillary clinton -- spankings to hillary clinton. yeah, while it is edgy and a little bit out there, it's not a terribly awful thing that happened. >> tom: i believe it was a week or so ago we were talking about ted cruz's lead in iowa and i believe it was -- it was right around 10 points then and now according to the latest fox news poll it's down in the low single digits. what's that tell you. >> it's going to be a fight down to the wire it will be either ted cruz or donald trump. although some other candidates have snuck up in the past, but, you know, ted cruz plays really well in iowa with evangelicals, he's hitting that right pitch right now with those voters. a lot of people think he's a little bit more electable than don

if bernie's people show up tonight and raise a little hell up there tonight, start a fight, p.t. barnum said if you want a crowd, start a fight. bernie's people should show up, trump shouts them down, he has his people, thugs, bouncers, whatever, haul them out of the room. everybody loves it. this is the way it's ab working. video all day tomorrow and tonight. i got to thank trump, i guess, because every time he pulls one of these numbers he does it at 7:00 eastern when "hardball's t "on. every moment tonight our executive producers, when do we go to him and when do we say this is just a shtick and when do we go when he's actually talking about substance. when he starts talking about cruz being an anchor baby from canada or some other formulat n formulation, we're going to cover that because that's his number one opponent in iowa and if he can raise questions about the guy's constitutional appropriateness or legality to run for president, he may be knocking off enough of that guy's supporters to beat him in iowa. and going after bill clinton's past is always good fun for his critics. >>

. >> and so, this is kind of annie oakley meeting p.t. barnum in some ways.ably the best move that i've seen in the political season. >> you know, over the last couple of weeks, it is -- ten days let's say, ted cruz has been saying you know that donald trump, he doesn't -- he represents new york values. because he's from new york. >> right. >> if there's anybody out there on the republican side who does not represent new york values eu the woman from alaska. >> absolutely right. that's why i was making that loving reference to donny and marie, a little bit country, a little bit rock 'n' roll. americans understand that. and as much washington and los angeles and new york likes to make fun of sarah palin, make fun of the way she talks, make fun of the words she uses, people like her, they respect her, they believe person of integrity, and donald trump does, as well. so when the two of these are fused in this campaign it's terrific for both of them, as well. the governor of iowa, terry branstad yesterday said that ted cruz is bad for the people of iowa, doesn't