Bret Baier: If Donald Trump shows up, we'll be ready
Fox News moderator previews Thursday's GOP debate in Iowa
This is a rush transcript from "The Five," January 27, 2016. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
KIMBERLY GUILFOYLE, CO-HOST: Hello, everyone. I'm Kimberly Guilfoyle along with Juan Williams, Eric Bolling, Dana Perino and Jesse Watters. It is 5 o'clock in New York City and this is "The Five."
We are 24 hours away from the final GOP debate before Monday's vote in Iowa and there's a little bit of news that broke after the lineup was set. Did you hear? There will only be seven candidates on the stage instead of eight, because the frontrunner of the republican race, Donald Trump, has pulled out. He objected to Megyn Kelly, being one of the moderators following questioning, he felt wasn't fair at the first debate, but fox wouldn't cave. As you can imagine, the candidates who will be attending tomorrow night have a lot to say about Trump's pullout. Ted Cruz issued this challenge for him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TED CRUZ, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The Iowa caucus is six days away. Donald and I are tied in Iowa. We are neck in neck. The voters of Iowa deserve to have a comparison of the records and vision of both candidates, though, I am happy to debate Donald any time and any place here in Iowa between now and the caucuses.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GUILFOYLE: Here's how some of his other opponents are responding.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MARCO RUBIO, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If other people want to focus on Ted Cruz talking about mano-y-mano debates, it's get an interesting side show, interesting theatrics, but it has nothing to do with the future of the United States of America.
GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I didn't whine, I didn't cry and I did not show up. I went behind the podium of the microphone. I put my views out to the American people. And that's what you do and that's what you were when you're a governor.
SEN. RAND PAUL, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The IQ of the debate went up a couple dozen points, I would say. And I think it's probably a good thing for the party. It shows sort of his delusions of grandeur that he didn't see as to dictate everything. He thinks he's already elected himself, king. So I would say good riddance and I would say we're going to have a much better debate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GUILFOYLE: All right. So that's a little bit of the takeaway, kind of the reaction coming out of this announcement on the, you know, the debate tonight. So let's see what's the reaction around the table, Bolling, I'll start with you. Are you surprised? And do you think is it a good idea?
ERIC BOLLING, CO-HOST: Yeah, I'm surprised. It is a good idea for Trump to pull. I think it's -- I wish he wouldn't, let's put it that way. He -- this is feels just, just feels -- look, fiercely loyal to Fox, fiercely loyal to Roger Ailes myself. I also know Donald Trump for a long time and I hate to say that. I hate to see it going back and forth. I would love for something to happen between now and 26 or 27 hours from now. Where Donald Trump changes his mind, he comes to the debate, too. I think it would be good for both or good for Donald Trump, too. Because he does well -- in my opinion, and all people differ, I think he does well on the debate stage. He says he gets attacked. But that gives him the opportunity to do what he does best and fight back. And I think it's what Americans have really flocked to Donald Trump for is his ability to fight back. And if he wants to fight back, he can. So the people are even moderators, so be it, but do it because it has worked for him. A last-minute pulling out of this, I hope he reconsiders. Let's put it that way.
GUILFOYLE: Right. I think people generally would love to see him at the debates. They rate very well. There's always, you know, a newsmaker for certain, especially with Iowa coming up. I'm sure the Iowans would love to be able to hear him especially, just in advance of this, you know, very important setting the stage vote and caucusing that's about to happen. And as Bolling mentions, Dana, he does do very well at the debates. It's a great forum for him.
DANA PERINO, CO-HOST: Extremely well. And he had a chance to go the Charleston debate and I was there. It is different when you have a chance to be there in the arena and feel the energy live. And he got some boos, but he punched back. Remember, that's where he had his great point about New York values and actually that carries him to take back over the lead in Iowa against Ted Cruz. But I got to tell you, I've worked here for a several years since I left the White House and I've always been proud to work at Fox News. But I think today is one of the times I am most proud to work at Fox. And I admire Roger Ailes and the team for sticking up for journalistic integrity, because never should any news organization negotiate with a candidate who wants to be president of the United States about who should moderate their debates, and so I'm really proud about that. I have a chance to appear on "The Kelly File" later tonight, and so - - and I get the chance to do it every week. And to me, having been skeptic about the Donald Trump approach to his campaigns, since June 16 of 2015, I think that, at this point, remember, I've said I'm for addition, not subtraction. When Megyn Kelly asked him the question in August, she was quoting things that he had said before about women and about how he would handle the inevitable attacks on Hillary Clinton about the war on women. Frankly, I've always been surprised that Donald Trump was not prepared for a question like that from any moderator, but that it has bothered him so much. Also tells me he that he has got a lot of work to do if he wants to actually win the general election.
GUILFOYLE: Uh-huh. All right, Jesse. What's your take on it?
JESSE WATTERS, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: I really want to see Trump tomorrow night debating. I think everybody at this table does, everybody in Iowa, and everybody across the country. I think the Trump strategy is, "I can win without Fox, but Fox can't win without me." He was obviously very stung by Megyn Kelly's question, took it personally, and then tried to roll her off the stage. Fox stuck to their guns, so he bailed. He's thinking, eye for an eye. You're not going to take advantage of me. I'm not going to let my brand suffer. So he goes to a painful place. Let's hit Fox where accounts in the ratings. Ratings are gonna go down if he's not there. He's gonna try on inflict pain. He's gonna probably say, "I'm going to get hurt a little bit by this too, but not as much as Fox News. So I'll weather it. I'll spin it and I'll probably win Iowa, hopefully."
Now he comes out of this the rebel, and I think that helps him to a certain extent. And people are chomping at his tail and things like that. But this whole campaign in Iowa has been a spectacle. Remember, he had the helicopter ride with the kids at first and he kicked Jorge Ramos out of there, and you know he's got the Palin endorsement. He's fighting with the payment. Now he's blowing up the debate. This is a late breaking caucus situation. I don't know which way this is gonna spin, but I just want to see him on the stage tomorrow night. And you know, maybe, anything could happen.
GUILFOYLE: Yeah, but what about that? Wouldn't that be kind of -- because it's kind of, do your debate prep based on who's gonna be on the stage, who you gonna probably take some hits at. Kind of point, you know, counter points you're gonna bring up, Juan. What if, all of a sudden, Trump enters the room, shows up for the debate last minute?
JUAN WILLIAMS, CO-HOST: Well, I think everybody is prepared for Trump to be there. The question is how do you handle if Trump is not there? And especially that's the case for lower ranking republicans right now, the so-called the establishment lane. I think they would, especially with Rubio versus people like Christie, Kasich who has been coming on. You're going to have reconsider, how do you go at each other, knowing that the number one ranked candidate is not on the stage? Let me say, though. I think this is far more interesting, because remember, this is really about how conservatives view American media. And boy, I mean, Trump has enough power that he got "National Review" after "National Review" said, you know, Trump is not one of us. He got them knocked out of the debate that was supposed to be held in February, think back when CNN was having debate and he was threatening to pull out unless they donated some of the money. Trump sees himself as a wheeler dealer, you'll be art of the deal and here is the art of the deal. He's got leverage and as Jesse's said he's gonna knock down the ratings a little bit, right. So he thinks he has power. And I also think part of it is -- he thinks he's got Iowa locked up.
BOLLING: Can I throw one more thing? And Donald, if you're listening, hopefully he is listening. You are a dealmaker, make a deal. Make a last- minute deal. And this is what you prided your whole campaign on. You have the most successful business book, art of the deal. Make a deal. I'm sure that people are -- there are people around would -- who will be willing to entertain the deal. Make a deal. It will be good for everybody.
PERINO: But what like -- like what would you deal?
BOLLING: I don't know. Figure it out. Because you see, you know, that's why he is running for president. I'm just (inaudible).
WILLIAMS: No. But you know what? Fox News shouldn't make a deal on this. I mean, look. If you let politicians start telling us what to do.
BOLLING: HE got Megyn.
(CROSSTALK)
WILLIAMS: Then democracy is in trouble
BOLLING: You don't make a deal that's good for just Donald Trump. Make a good deal with --
(CROSSTALK)
WILLIAMS: There's no deal that's good on journalistic principle, Eric.
BOLLING: Do you know what a good deal would be? For the American people just to get another look at Donald Trump, right, before they make some decisions in Iowa and New Hampshire, and (inaudible).
WILLIAMS: Yeah, but there's no saying that he -- that we won't get another look at him down the road. But what I'm saying is right now, and I hope for all time that people like our bosses here at Fox, do not make deals with politicians. I don't care what you feel about how he was treated the first debate. Whether you think it was fair, unfair, over the line. Look, you can't have journalists being told, this is the deal --
(CROSSTALK)
BOLLING: Again, a deal would be good for everybody including the viewer and the American people.
WILLIAMS: OK.
GUILFOYLE: All right. Trump wants to knock republicans for declining to attend the debate. He was planning to moderate a few years ago. Take a look at this tape from 2011 where he also praised Megyn Kelly's moderating skills.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MEGYN KELLY, "THE KELLY FILE" SHOW HOST: Let's talk on this debate that's coming up that you're going on moderate for Newsmax -- with Newsmax. So far only Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum have a green (ph). Are you still --
DONALD TRUMP, 2016 GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're not seeing a lot of courage here, are we?
KELLY: I don't -- not so far.
TRUMP: Not -- lots of courage. You know these republicans.
KELLY: Are you still going to do it?
TRUMP: Are such to be brave.
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: Well, we'll have to see what happens.
KELLY: Do you really think that you're a better moderator than I am?
TRUMP: No. I could never beat you. That wouldn't even be close, so be no contest. You have done a great job by the way, and I mean it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GUILFOYLE: All right. After Michele Bachmann dropped out of the 2012 race, Trump tweeted that by not doing the Newsmax debate, it showed great, quote, "disloyalty" and people rejected her. In another tweet, he asked why the GOP establishment felt so threatened by the Newsmax debate saying, "More debate is always better." Jesse.
WATTERS: Well, Trump has always been kind of going back and forth. What he said, he was obviously buttering up. Ms. Megyn, as she's called -- and I think he did a pretty good job over there. To what Eric was saying about this, even if a deal doesn't happen and he doesn't do this debate, let's just keep this into perspective here. Trump's doing what's best, he thinks for the Trump campaign. He is trying on win Iowa and New Hampshire. Fox News is doing what Fox News does. Trying to get ratings, we're trying to host a great debate. We're trying to be fair and balanced. If those things don't intersect, fine. The long primary, I'm sure Fox is gonna get great ratings this year. I'm sure Donald Trump is gonna come back on Fox. This is a bump in the road. I expect cooler heads to prevail and everybody is gonna come together. And it's gonna be great campaign season. So I don't think.
(CROSSTALK)
WATTERS: It's Armageddon right now?
WILLIAMS: No. You don't --
WATTERS: I think people are gonna, you know, (inaudible).
WILLIAMS: Don't put a happy face on this, from my perspective. Because literally, from what I've read, you know, I've been talking to our executives. From what I've read, you have Trump's campaign manager threatening, basically threatening Megyn Kelly, saying, "Oh, if Megyn Kelly is there, we're gonna put her through the ringer on the other end after. We would hate to see her go through that again." I mean, what are you doing here? Basically, you're saying, we're going on run Fox News.
WATTERS: Yeah, so he crossed a line and that's obvious. But it sees the campaign manager, you'll get past that. Trump's, if he's the nominee, we're not gonna have him on the network, come on.
WILLIAMS: No, we have him on the network.
(CROSSTALK)
WILLIAMS: But that's his, oh -- come on, Jesse.
WATTERS: In the grand scheme of things? We're going to get past it. I'm not worried about it.
PERINO: Can I jump in here.
GUILFOYLE: Yes.
PERINO: Just for to make a comment? So, if you look at what Trump was saying to Megyn Kelly, contrast that with today, it's not that he just thinks she's unfair. He actually does what he typically does, when he disagrees with somebody, which is to attack them personally whether on their looks or today, he called Megyn Kelly a bimbo. Again, I go back to -- Barack Obama beat Mitt Romney by 10 percentage points with women. You cannot afford to, in a general election to alienate most of the women in the country by saying someone is a bimbo. In addition, he is a great businessman. And I would just -- I think a good question to ask him in an upcoming debate would be, "so if someone on the other side of the deal disagrees with something that your daughter or another woman on your team is doing, would you dump her, as part of that deal?" And I would hope that he would say, "of course not." I remember when the Israelis tried to get Condi Rice, booed it out of the peace talks because they didn't like her and went straight to President Bush. And the first thing he did was call the media with every together and say, "she speaks for me." That is how executive should stick by women, in my opinion.
GUILFOYLE: All right. Well, let's get the band back together. Everybody show up for the debate and let's get after it, right? Lots of --
WATTERS: Yeah.
GUILFOYLE: A lot of work to do in this country like.
PERINO: kind of bandwagon.
GUILFOYLE: Taking the White House back. Coming up, Greg joins us from Iowa. Plus, we're going to be joined by one of the moderators of tomorrow night's debate, Bret Baier will be here. So please, don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BOLLING: All right, back now with tomorrow's big GOP debate, let's bring in one of the moderators, "Special Report" anchor, Bret Baier joins us live from Iowa. But Bret, as of right now, it still seven will be appearing tomorrow night with you, maybe eight, who knows. You never know how this things play out. But, let's assume it's seven. The seven people who are, who aren't Trump now, do you think they're happy that they'll have a little extra face time or upset that they won't be able to confront the frontrunner, face to face?
BRET BAIER, "SPECIAL REPORT" ANCHOR: Hey, guys. Eric, it's a great question. I don't -- I haven't talked directly to the campaigns since the development. I've heard what some of these candidates have said on the stump. But I think that's, you know, listen. We're going to get into the same policy questions, the same substance and contrast differences with candidates, and I'm sure the candidates on the stage. If Mr. Trump is not on that stage or going to make the contrast with him even if he is not there, because he is leading in the latest polls here. And whether he comes or not, we'll be ready either way.
BOLLING: All right, Dana?
PERINO: So Bret, we're in -- I think this is the eighth or ninth debate with these candidates. And to me, I and it went -- I feel like many of the same questions have been asked several times and the candidates are actually quite practiced in giving their answer. And so, how do you, Megyn and Chris Wallace plan to mix it up a little bit? Give us something a little bit new, maybe dig a little bit deeper, so that voters have more information?
BAIER: Yeah. So we have these huge binders, Dana, huge. That are -- to quote Mr. Trump, "huge".
(CROSSTALK)
BAIER: That binders of transcripts that are, of all the debates that have happened so far every topic, every question, every candidates. And so we know what has been said. We obviously watched all of those every minute. There will be, you know, policy topics that have been covered before, but not asked in the way that we're asking these questions. And there will be some new issues that have not come up before. So I think we'll be able to balance that out. And as you know, the real deal is to try to get them off the talking points and to phrase the questions in a way that they don't have an exit ramp to get back on their stump speech from the campaign trail.
BOLLING: All right, Juan.
WILLIAMS: So Bret, what do you make of this controversy with Trump?
BAIER: You know I don't know what to make of it. I think, you know, I think it's a shame, overall, but I do think that's we're going to be ready either way. We're obviously restacking things and changing things if he does not show up. But there will be a podium if he does.
WILLIAMS: You mean you're gonna leave an empty podium?
BAIER: Oh, I don't know what the plan is, but there will be a podium in the room.
(LAUGHTER)
WILLIAMS: OK.
BAIER: If he walks in the door, we'll be ready for him.
PERINO: Clint Eastwood might show up.
WILLIAMS: Yeah -- oh.
(LAUGHTER)
BOLLING: All right. Jesse has a question for you.
WATTERS: Bret, I'm curious how you feel, Cruz is gonna be able to capitalize off the fact if Trump is not there, because I think the other day he was out there warning supporters. If Trump wins Iowa, this guy is gonna run the table. And I know, you know, he peaked the couple weeks ago and then Trump kind of gained the momentum. I'm curious to hear how you feel Trump -- Cruz stands right now.
BAIER: Yeah. That's a great question. I mean, organizationally, here in Iowa, the Cruz people are seem like they're projecting confidence, but based on their organization. But those polls tell a different story, that Trump has gained significant points here in Iowa and obviously, in New Hampshire. I think not having Trump on the stage takes away a swing, you know, a counter punch that Donald Trump effectively did at the last FBN debate.
WATTERS: Yeah.
BAIER: And he really provided a couple of hits to Cruz, that I think stuck in the minds of some. So in that sense, he's free up a little bit, but he also doesn't land any punches if Donald Trump is not that stage.
WATTERS: Right.
GUILFOYLE: All right. Who do you think has the most to gain tomorrow night in terms of trying to capture some audience, you know, momentum and voting momentum going into these crucial Iowa caucuses?
BAIER: Well I think, Kimberly, any of those candidates who are not Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, I think they're all fighting here in Iowa for third, if you believe the polls, and they're kind of crabbing each other out. They'll get more time to go into some of the policy issues that they talk about. And also, I bet, I have some fireworks with others on the stage. If we do our job, we'll be able to get in to the some of the substantive differences so that voters, by Monday, will have a better sense of either staying with the guy or a woman they have, choosing somebody different or illuminating some policy that they didn't think about.
BOLLING: All right. Bret, we're all looking forward to it. We can't wait. Bret, thank you very much. We're gonna even watching tomorrow night at 9:00 p.m. eastern. And we, "The Five" will be joining you guys in Iowa soon. "The Five" broadcast live from Des Moines this Friday, Saturday, a special show Saturday, and Monday at 5:00 p.m. eastern. We hope you'll all join us. Greg Gutfeld has already made his way out there and he's going to be joining us, coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WATTERS: Today, I am sitting in Greg Gutfeld's chair, it's pretty roomy. And that's because he's out Iowa, we're going to bring him in now to get us some behind the scenes of what's happening there. So Gutfeld, are they giving you a hard time out there? Are they treating you like royalty? What's the lay to land?
GREG GUTFELD, CO-HOST: Iowa is a lovely, lovely place. I couldn't be happier. The food is fantastic. The people are great. I just avoid Sean Hannity, whenever I see him.
WATTERS: I know you have a lot of dietary restrictions. You sure the food is up to your satisfaction?
GUTFELD: Yes. I just had a burger without a bun, but with some onion rings, and it was delicious.
WATTERS: OK, good. So have called --
GUTFELD: Almost as delicious -- go ahead.
WATTERS: Have you talked to any normal people out there? Or are you just hold up in the hotel by yourself the whole day? Have you gone out in the crowds?
GUTFELD: Yes. I'm, you know, I'm a man of the people. And of course, the big conversation out here is Trump, Trump, Trump.
WATTERS: Right.
GUTFELD: But to me, I don't think it is about Donald Trump at all. I don't even think it is about the debate. I met with Juan Williams on this 100 percent. This is about a threat made against someone in the media. Corey Lewandowski made a threat. Basically saying that, "hey, Megyn Kelly, you don't want to see what happens to you again, what happened after that debate." I mean that's -- this is no longer a campaign, it's a sopranos in khakis. I mean, this is nuts. It is like saying, hey, Megyn, you got a nice gig going. It would be a real shame if something were to happen to you. And this is grotesque to me. And it's not about Fox News it's about ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN. What if their anchor was faced with a threat because they didn't kiss the ring of a petulant king? This is a big problem. Because once you start bowing to someone because you don't please them, because you're scared, then you lose. You're no longer a journalist. And if you don't think this is a big deal that she was threatened, if you don't think this is a big deal, you do not belong in this profession. Go do infomercials selling (inaudible), because that's where you belong.
WATTERS: Yeah. I could see that. I definitely think Megyn is a big girl. She can definitely take care of herself. In politics --
GUTFELD: Well, apparently --
(CROSSTALK)
GUTFELD: Donald Trump is scared of her.
WATTERS: Yeah, he obviously went over the line there. But you know what? I don't want the main stream media rallying to our side. You know what? We don't need them, Gutfeld. They can go, you know, lob soft balls at President Obama. They can go on stage, you know, the forums with the democrats. If we let them do their things, we don't need their help.
PERINO: I have a question --
GUTFELD: Yeah, a good point. It's a good point. Sure, go ahead.
PERINO: I was just to ask you about like, just moving on, just a little bit, but on the kind of on the same subject. So, you wrote a book called "How to be Persuasively Right." So now you have seven candidates who are, if Donald Trump doesn't come to the debate. You have seven candidates who have an opportunity to try to make their mark. So if you were to give them any advice, do you have suggestions?
GUTFELD: Well, clearly, you now have more time. And you were able to distinguish yourself from everybody else. And I think it is important to be as clear and as jargon-free as possible. What you can learn from Trump is you speak in plain language. You don't use the terminology that other politicians use. But you also deal with specifics. Because right now we're enter a serious phase, where it's time to come loaded with fact and not feeling. And one thing that I'm critical about the left is that they traffic in emotion and it is time to traffic in fact.
PERINO: All right.
GUILFOYLE: OK, I got something. I'm just staring at this screen with your face and those two ferns. Are you between two ferns? Did you, on purpose? Did you do that with the plants in the background?
GUTFELD: Those are giants -- those are giant pineapples. I travel everywhere with giant pineapples. After this segment, I'm going to eat them.
GUILFOYLE: OK, perfect.
GUTFELD: They're quite delicious.
GUILFOYLE: They look a little bit bigger than you, so that will be interesting. Now I also want to know, I gave you some assignments. So I want to know.
GUTFELD: Yes.
GUILFOYLE: Because I'm very interested in being the Pork Queen, and I want to know.
GUTFELD: OK.
GUILFOYLE: If you went in to submit me as the write-in candidate. I want to know kind of where I'm standing. Because Dana and I are going to stay up all night, making posters for my candidacy.
GUTFELD: Well, I have to warn you. It's an interesting smell around the pork -- pork state fair. It is very, very pungent. But I think you have any competition. I think you are -- I think you're leading the pack. And but you're going to have to eat a lot of pork. Trust me. They're having - - pork is their vegetable.
GUILFOYLE: Yes, it's my vegetable, too. Have you heard of it? It's called bacon. I love it with everything.
GUTFELD: I've seen you eat it. It is quite arousing.
GUILFOYLE: All right. I'm serious and excited about that, but I think I might be missing it, maybe, by a day. I don't know. Yes, I don't know. He's supposed to do the advance team work on this.
WATTERS: Bolling is heading out, and he's very concerned about where the bars are. That's all he's been talking about the whole day. Have you done any leg work? Bolling is very curious.
What did you find?
GUTFELD: This is very important. There's a microbrewery across the road. There is an interesting alternative bar that we may have to go to later. I won't get in depth.
BOLLING: Alternative. Alternative?
Someone pulled that trigger on me once before. "Meet me at the alternative bar." I walked in, I go, I don't think this is a bar that I would normally frequent.
GUILFOYLE: Juan is all in.
GUTFELD: We should go together.
PERINO: There you go.
GUTFELD: Go together. Right.
PERINO: The buddy system.
BOLLING: I asked you, have you seen our set yet? Is it amazing?
GUTFELD: It's pretty nice. I'm actually at the set. I'm alone here. We are right in the lobby. Look at this. Isn't it beautiful? It's beautiful.
BOLLING: You're sitting in your own seat, too, I see.
GUTFELD: Yes. Exactly. And like at "The Five," my feet do not touch the ground.
GUILFOYLE: Oh, my God. Well, it looks like I'll be able to wear pants, because I'm not seeing a suitable shot for me there.
GUTFELD: But it's a great place. This hotel is great. The food is delicious. You're -- you've got a lot of signs. And you've got a bar. You've got a bar over there.
BOLLING: We're good. We're all good.
GUILFOYLE: Can you talk to them about keeping it open a little bit later instead of shutting it down early?
GUTFELD: The concierge said, because FOX News is coming, the bar is staying open much longer. And he said it with a concerned look on his face.
WILLIAMS: You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to make sure that you get some ethanol. I'm going to make sure that you understand the value of ethanol, young fellow.
Do you know what I was curious about?
GUTFELD: I already have gas.
WILLIAMS: Yes. But this will be ecologically more sustainable. I was going to ask you...
GUTFELD: That's true.
WILLIAMS: I was going to ask you about the fact that you're going to have Mr. Gilmore on the news, the 7 p.m. debate. And I thought, I bet Greg's got something to say about the idea that Gilmore, Santorum, are now back in the game.
GUTFELD: I believe -- and correct me if I'm wrong. He is the only military veteran who is currently running for president. Am I right?
WILLIAMS: I think that -- you're right. I think you're right.
GUTFELD: It is good to see him there. And you know, I don't know. I honestly can't remember what he was like. It's been a while. It's been a while.
WILLIAMS: He was the party chair, you know. He was the chair of the Republican Party at one point. I mean, I'm amazed that he made it. 1 percent.
PERINO: His name is Gilmore. Not Gil-less.
WILLIAMS: Oh!
GUTFELD: Ooh.
WATTERS: Greg, we'll see you tomorrow. Have fun out there, looking for the bars that are very alternative.
Campaign Carl joins us next. Don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PERINO: Welcome back. We want to return to Iowa now, because Campaign Carl is back with us today. He did not get enough of "The Five" yesterday. He's in Des Moines.
And Campaign Carl, one of the things we've been talking about this month is that a lot of people in Iowa, a significant number, actually wait until after the last debate, which is taking place tomorrow night, before they make their final decision.
How are the number of undecideds playing out there?
CARL CAMERON, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Big. While actually, the polls say there aren't a lot of undecided. But what they do say is between 30 and 40 percent of Republicans going to the caucuses come Monday, are likely to change their minds sometime between then and now.
And Rick Santorum, who was the 2012 winner, has been sort of testifying to that ever since 2012 when he pulled off a late come-from-behind win against Mitt Romney and found out in the exit polls that 50 percent of his vote came in on the last weekend.
PERINO: Kimberly.
GUILFOYLE: All right. So what about the enthusiasm level there? Are you seeing that more people are getting excited about it? And what's kind of the thoughts on the ground about people making up their minds last minute or wavering or narrowing it down to two candidates?
CAMERON: Well, when you come to candidate events, there's a lot of enthusiasm.
When you walk out into the street in Iowa, it's cold and a very, very small sliver of the population actually takes place -- takes part in the caucuses. There's over 3 million people in Iowa, and the sum total between Democrats and Republicans will be right around 500,000.
So about a sixth of the population takes part. But it's a big long cold Monday night, and it's a heck of an effort.
So the people who are coming here have been organized. They've been getting phone calls and e-mails and direct mail and knocks on the door. And they're not just going to vote. They're actually supporters. When you commit to the caucuses, it means you'll dial the phones. And they've some Rubio supporters in the back there with their lists and phones, calling while they wait for the candidate here.
GUILFOYLE: All right. Eric.
BOLLING: Carl, you just mentioned 500 total caucus goers. If I'm not mistaken, there are less than 200,000 on the Republican side. And the reason why that's so relevant is, Iowa is so important. It kicks off the campaign. It kicks off the voting. It leads into New Hampshire and then to South Carolina. You're talking 40,000 or 50,000 people can literally dictate direction of the GOP race for the next few months.
No mat here the candidates are at the top of the polls on Sunday afternoon, it is a pretty fair bet that the gap between the top one and five candidates will only be a few thousand votes. It may even be a few hundred between Cruz and Trump, if the polls continue to tighten like this. It is a very, very small number.
By contrast, the Nevada caucuses have only about 7 percent turnout. and it is because it is just Republicans and just Democrats. No independents can participate here, and it takes an awful lot of work. There's no question that the amount of effort put into this is way disproportionate to the number of people who actually show up at the caucuses.
PERINO: All right. Juan Williams.
WILLIAMS: So Carol, what are you seeing from people that we haven't mentioned? You know, I'm very interested in what's going on with Ben Carson, Marco Rubio who I hear has a so-called 3-2-1 strategy. Third in Iowa, second in New Hampshire, and then a win in South Carolina. I'm very interested in how that back end of the field is playing right now?
CAMERON: Sure. Ben Carson, more than a year and a half ago, had representatives and people willing to commit and be his caucus and precinct in all 99 counties. He has some very, very effective organizers. A kid named Ryan Rhodes who was one of the first Tea Partiers here in Iowa back in 2010.
And in talking with the Carson campaign. You know, he was leading in the polls about three months ago in Iowa. And then Donald Trump attacked him and said his personal history and his faith and some of the violence that he got over, when he found Christ, was all a made up story. And Carson's numbers took dive.
But in talking to his organizers, they say they've got about 40,000 committed caucus goers. And as someone said earlier, that's a big number. You could win with that.
PERINO: All right. Jesse.
WATTERS: Tell me about the evangelical voters. They're a real swing block. And late deciders could break either way for Cruz or Trump. I know Cruz is ahead a little bit with evangelicals just recently, and now there's just a lot of drama going on. Where do you see the evangelicals breaking last minute?
CAMERON: In the past, to organize evangelicals and home schoolers in Iowa, they sort of almost move hand in hand. About 60 percent of caucus goers in the past on the Republican side have been self-described evangelicals. That's about 90 million nationwide, and any candidate who in the past two cycles won had mailing lists, email lists here in Iowa of tens of thousands of evangelicals and/or home schoolers. Carson's got that. Huckabee has got that. Santorum's got that.
These are people who have understood that the evangelical vote is very, very important. Now, we've got a lot of candidates who changed their positions on this. Donald Trump was pro-choice. Now he's pro-life. And yet, he's got a lot of evangelicals who have embraced him. A lot of evangelicals say they don't mind what his religion is. They just like him for who he is.
The Ted Cruz evangelicals expect scripture quoted accurately, and most Iowa caucus goers do. There are a lot more of them who aren't going to show up. But the evangelicals who caucus, they can tell the difference between somebody who actually walks it versus talks it.
PERINO: I have a question for you. First of all, an observation. There is an impressive amount of drinking going on at 4:43 p.m. in the afternoon behind you. I don't know where you are, but it looks like a party that Bolling and Gutfeld might want to join a little bit later tomorrow.
I wanted to ask you about Rand Paul.
CAMERON: I thought you were going to say it was the New York green room versus the D.C. green room. Doing well for Rubio.
PERINO: I wanted to ask you about Rand Paul, the senator from Kentucky, because he was not on the previous debate, of the undercard debate in Charleston that FOX business held. Yet you see some stories that he actually has more support and enthusiastic support in Iowa than people think. So could he actually be a surprise, have a surprise placement on Monday night?
CAMERON: Sure. So Rand Paul has a strong support across the country in the university campuses. He's visited dozens of them is Iowa. His father, Ron Paul, ran here three times; twice in the Republican Party and, of course, one time he was running as a libertarian, so they didn't have a primary, per se.
His father has a big organization here in Iowa. And though we referred to Rick Santorum having won the 2008 Iowa caucuses, that victory was overturned by the Iowa state Republican Party at a convention a few months later, and Ron Paul was the guy who went to the 2012 convention with all the delegates at first. So Rand Paul does have some forces here, although he remains a pretty big long shadow in the shadow of Trump.
PERINO: All right. Thanks, Carol.
As the presidential race heats up, some of the candidates are lightening up and in some unconventional new campaign ads. You're going to see them when we come back, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (singing): Oh, Iowa caucus night...
GRAPHIC: Hillary: Huck, I miss Arkansas. Seriously, I do.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (singing): We've called and knocked a thousand times to say this, lectured (ph), all gone insane. Huckabee's honest, hard to board this train today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Williams: Oh, my, another candidate has turned to Adele to help boost his presidential bid. As you just saw, Mike Huckabee put out a parody of the singer's mega hit, "Hello." He calls his version, "Hello Huck."
We're seeing a lot of the candidates putting out videos that perhaps appeal to younger voters. Marco Rubio, for example, has a new one that makes fun of his infamous football fumble when he accidentally threw a ball and hit a child in the face last year.
GUILFOYLE: Oh, my God.
WILLIAMS: Even Bernie Sanders is courting the millennial vote, using Snapchat to get their attention with some "feel the Bern" images.
GUILFOYLE: Oh, my goodness.
WILLIAMS: So, you know, K.G., this is an effort to get the use of a vote to energize to that.
GUILFOYLE: What was that? Feel the Bern? And then the whole...
BOLLING: Feel the chafe.
GUILFOYLE: I don't know. I just don't want to be Snapchatting back and forth. Bernie, don't send me anything, Bolling.
WILLIAMS: I don't know.
BOLLING: I take all the Snapchatters, all the Snapchatters.
GUILFOYLE: I know.
BOLLING: Take them all.
PERINO: I'm done with the Snapchat. I'm done.
GUILFOYLE: You keep Snapchatting me eating food.
BOLLING: Honestly, they really need to fix that for a lot of reasons.
This is amazing. I love this stuff. The Super Bowl ad. They're all good. Marco Rubio's ad is hilarious; it's funny. Huckabee's ad, you know, she was a little pitchy. She clearly wasn't Adele singing the song.
WATTERS: That wasn't Adele?
BOLLING: No.
WATTERS: That wasn't Adele?
GUILFOYLE: Jesse didn't know also what Snapchat was.
WILLIAMS: But Dana, so there are other candidates. They're doing the same thing. Jeb Bush has this where he's playing D.J. Khalid (ph).
BOLLING: Khalid.
GUILFOYLE: Oh, my God. Juan! He's so white.
(CROSSTALK)
WILLIAMS: Yes, yes, yes. I don't know.
Look, what about that? What do you think that's effective for Jeb?
PERINO: I think that millennials is so smart. You look at what President Obama was able to do. He brought new voters and younger voters and they're enthusiastic.
And now they're a lot older than they were in 2012, meaning four years older. But that brought a lot more people into the potential voter rolls. Because they're over 18.
WILLIAMS: What about -- what about your favorite, Hillary Clinton doing the Ne-Ne? Remember that one?
WATTERS: Yes, the Ne-Ne, Juan. That's my dance.
I liked Rubio's ad, because I was actually in it. If you rerack it. I make a little cameo in the Rubio ad, so I think it is a fantastic ad, just on that alone.
So anything...
WILLIAMS: You are so -- There he is, there he is.
WATTERS: He wants to use my image.
I'm sitting in your seat! You should have been in the ad.
BOLLING: You picked the one day that -- I take, like, no days. I took one day off.
WATTERS: Jesse can't sleep.
WILLIAMS: All right. My favorite is Rubio's boot thing.
"One More Thing" up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GUILFOYLE: It's time now for "One More Thing" -- Dana.
PERINO: All right. You want to join my book club?
WATTERS: Sure.
PERINO: I have a recommendation. It is called "The Industries of the Future." It is by Alex Ross.
This book is really good. I had a sneak peek at it. It comes out February 2.
It's basically answering the questions that a lot of us have, especially parents, about how are you going to prepare your children for the future? It's coming. Especially robotics.
One of the things Alex tweeted today in response to a Q and A that I have up on FOXNews.com, was that it's not the strongest who survive or the most intelligent but those who are most adaptable to change. And I recommend this book for everybody. If you own a business, if you're in government and policy planning, but especially if you're a parent.
And this finally from "The Drudge Report" today. I saw this picture. It is called Soft Banks Pepper the Robot. This robot is going to replace all employees at a store where you can go in and buy a mobile phone. So this is happening. So you can prepare yourself by reading that book.
GUILFOYLE: All right. Who's in on that book club? Come on.
OK, OK, OK. I'm in, I'm in. Bring good snacks.
All right. So how long did it take for someone to recognize Martin O'Malley? This is so funny. Jimmy Kimmel, take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Excuse me, who's this?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Who's this?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not for sure.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. Hi, who is this?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Al Gore?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
Who's this?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have no idea.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's his name?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gary Coleman.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GUILFOYLE: All right, Juan.
Well, some people come in and out of your life, and you don't know what you've got until they're gone.
Connie Picoletto (ph), as I knew her, Conchita, was always in Lafayette Park demonstrating for peace or against nuclear proliferation. Her protest vigil is considered the longest in U.S. history, since 1981. She was a fixture out there and often called the president's closest neighbor. That even got her into some movies. She was there when I covered Reagan, George H.W., Clinton, George W., as well as Obama. There all the time. She died Monday in Washington.
And you know what? You can tell the town has a heart on some level, because there was an outpouring of sympathy for Connie. Rest in peace.
GUILFOYLE: Very sweet. She was friends with Greta Van Susteren, as well in the video Monday when she had -- when she had passed away, so obviously, an iconic figure.
BOLLING: Thirty-five years. A long time.
OK. So tomorrow night after the big debates, make sure you logon to FOXNews.com. There's going to be, after both of the debates, the earlier and the later. There's going to be an hour hosted by Melissa Francis, Kennedy, Charles Paine, Meghan McCain and Tom Shillue and produced by our wonderful "The Five" staff. They're going to put it together. So make sure you tune in to both of those for post-debate discussion. Or watch TV.
GUILFOYLE: I thought you were going to give Porter a big compliment.
BOLLING: Porter's in Iowa. Porter -- Porter, love you, brother.
GUILFOYLE: Exactly. Fantastic.
Jesse.
WATTERS: A television event takes place this Saturday night. It's not "COPS." It's "Watters' World," the most talked-about show of 2016. Even the critics love it. So tune in Saturday night. You guys got a lot going on. So "Watters' World." Be there.
PERINO: After the alternative bar or before the alternative bar?
WATTERS: After a few drinks.
BOLLING: Can you give us one of these?
WILLIAMS: Where is Watters' world?
GUILFOYLE: OK. We're excited about the debate. Let's get aid (ph) for the debate. Make it happen. FOX News Channel is the best. Amazing. Never miss an episode of "The Five."
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