and that is it for us, we want to give a special salute to our troops on this holiday. many are deployed right now and away for your families, thank you for your service and your sacrifice, we hope all of you have a very nice holiday. it doesn't look or feel a lot like christmas in much of america tonight. unless you're at an airport. rushing to make flights, dodging storms on christmas eve. this "special report." good evening, welcome to waesh, i'm ed henry. this is a very unusual christmas eve. americans in the eastern half of the country, usually skiing or shoveling snow are jogging in actual shorts. there's a sense of relative normalcy at the airports, with the typical holiday insanity. correspondent peter doocy reports tonight from reagan national airport outside washington. >> this christmas, people may not get to pick between a full

body scan or a pat-down when they get to the airport the way they could in the past. instead of considering passenger preference, the tsa now gets to decide how flyers are screened. that's because the feds found pat-downs and human hands aren't as effective at catching weapons or bombs as advanced imaging technology scanners. the same ones some fear take too revealing a snapshot of travelers under their clothes. moving forward, tsa agents will determine who can opt out of a scan and who can't. based on quote security considerations. but without a good excuse, everyone else is putting their hands up for a scan like it or not. still, most folks traveling today say they're unbothered by beefed-up airport security. >> i flew right after 9/11 and that was a little scarey. but this i would say, i'm feeling pretty comfortable with. >> others say they're still hitting the skies this christmas, despite a belief that terrorists may eventually outsmart the tsa.

>> i don't think that there's an effective screening procedure for somebody who is determined. but i feel safe in that statistically, it's very unlikely. >> more people are traveling this week than any christmas before. aaa predicts 100.5 million people will celebrate christmas away from home. with 41% of washington, d.c. residents leaving to open presents more than 50 miles away. just because one in three people in this country are skipping town for the holidays, doesn't mean people are packing into airports and dealing with new tsa security protocols. since gas is so cheap right now, 90% of all americans leaving town this week are driving. >> it's obviously we're seeing an improvement in the labor market. we're seeing rising incomes and lower i lowering costs. fuel is the main catalyst. >> flyers are something else to worry about when they land. like this family with their minds already on a drive in florida -- minutes after arriving to the airport in virginia.

>> are you more worried about the flight and potential security problems or the drive. >> the drive. >> the interstate is more dangerous. >> so it's not terror, but traffic that has most travelers we spoke to most concerned this christmas eve. the thing most marvelled at today by the way? the temperature. it was 71 degrees outside dca. for one christmas eve, people get to trade in their snow shovels for short-sleeved shirts. ed? >> peter doocy looking casual tonight. merry christmas, hope you get sometime with your family as well. >> merry christmas. the calendar says christmas eve. but the weather is more like easter. and that means spring-like thunderstorms and tornadoes. conditions have been particularly dangerous in the south. 11 confirmed fatalities, at least seven died in mississippi alone when tornadoes destroyed 20 homes in clarksdale. a 7-year-old boy was among the dead. mississippi's governor has declared a state of emergency.

severe weather came through highland, arkansas, damaging several homes and a church as well. and a tornado ripped through perry county, tennessee. three people there were killed. in the atlanta area, the ground is saturated and there are concerns about flooding. much of the region under a flood watch this hour. and temperature records are being shattered right here on the east coast. but there are some places where there will still be a write christmas. senior correspondent rick leventhal there in new york city with that part of the story. good evening, rick. >> good evening, ed. this is not one of the places expecting a white christmas. it's a balmy 72 degrees right now here on sixth avenue. in fact if it hadn't rained earlier, this would have been a beach day. but things are far worse down south. this tornado that touched down near clarksdale, mississippi, left a wide path of wreckage. flipping planes at a nearby airport. part of a wave of wicked weather bringing tragedy to the southern states. powerful storms left dozens of

cars and structures severely damaged or destroyed. killing at least 11 people and injuring scores more. leaving rattled survivors surveying the havoc on christmas eve. >> we didn't hear anything. we opened the door and the house was gone. it was the biggest shock of my life it took my breath away. >> it snapped off a pine tree by my truck. i slammed my seat belt on and said lord, let me survive this. >> christmas week has been unseasonably warm, 30 to 40 degrees above average in some spots in the east. bad news for ski resorts. shelling out big money to make snow, which can require millions of gallons of water. some ski areas in pennsylvania and new york had zero trails in operation because of the unsuitable conditions. >> the mercury in the 70s in midtown manhattan, smaching the old high of 63 set in 1996, allowing skaters to wear t-shirts on the ice in bryant park. other expected record highs include 76 in raleigh. 62 in louisville.

72 in atlanta and 70 in little rock. no room for traditional picture-perfect holiday on this side of the nation. >> temperatures will be well above average, well above freezing. if anything we're going to have a wet, green christmas from the gulf coast, northeastward to the mid-atlantic and up towards the big cities. >> you can visit government camp oregon, 60 miles east of portland where the powder is knee to chip-deep in spots. >> it is fantastic. we haven't had season like this in years. and it is perfect conditions. >> temperatures topped 70 degrees today in the past 1200 miles long from south florida to southern new england. even buffalo will be 60 at midnight. so ed, if you see santa this year, he might be in shorts. >> looking forward to that, rick leventhal. thanks for being on tonight from new york city, merry christmas. >> merry christmas to you as well. >> let's get the latest on what to expect from christmas weekend from meteorologist rick

reickmuth. >> a really rough couple of days across much of the eastern half of the country. still dealing with the rain showers. especially heavy across parts of the southeast. but the other big story has been the heat. we shattered records across much of the eastern seaboard today with high temperatures, tomorrow we remain warm. not as warm. 59 in boston for christmas day. 63 in new york. we remain in the 70s across much of the south and going into saturday, still warm here. and then we go to sunday. we warm up a little bit again. back to 61 in boston. finally monday we will cool down. but you'll notice all of the cold air is across the west. which is where it's been for quite a while. storm system blowing onshore tonight and tomorrow will continue to bring us more snow. we have snow advisories, winter storm warnings in effect. maybe another two feet of snow across the sierra nevadas. el paso, texas under winter storm watches. this is the future radar, i would expect to see the storm play out.

you will notice we remain unsettled here across parts of the west by saturday. but then we're going to start to watch some very heavy rain saturday/sunday fill in across the central part of the country. we'll see rain over the next few days, bringing us flooding and big snow moving in across new mexico, and western texas saturday night into sunday. oklahoma could be looking at blizzard conditions, some spots seeing over a foot of snow. ed? >> some snow, a lot of rain, rick reichmuth. an argument started between two groups of people in police are describing it as an officer-involved shooting in north carolina. officials say this was not an active shooter situation. and indication there were no armed suspects that were on the loose. several people were taken to the hospital for nonlife-threatening issues. now to chicago tonight where last-minute christmas shopping in one of the nation's high-end

districts is being interrupted. correspondent mike tobin is live in chicago to tell us what's happening on the ground. good evening, mike. >> good evening, ed. the demonstrations have now wrapped up for the evening. but there was some pushing and shoving about 2:00 or a little after that when the whole thing became leaderless. it became leaderless because the older organizers of the demonstrators got on the megaphone and announced people should go home and be with their families. the young people in the crowd chanted hell no, we won't go. they took off along michigan avenue blocking the stores. wouldn't let people in or out. wouldn't allow them in the river north neighborhood with, the stated goal of disrupting holiday shopping. >> the people are saying look, if you shut down our schools, shut down our hospitals, we'll shut down your stores. because that's the only thing that seems that the mayor will listen to. because the administration values profit over people. he has to go. >> by blocking people that have an opportunity to celebrate the special time of year, and what

it means to us all socially, and culturally. probably doesn't come off right. >> now this as audio has been released from police radio calls the night laquan mcdonald was shot. in these radio calls you can very clearly hear police asking for nonlethal weaponry. >> help with a 15 robber confirmed taser, with a knife. shots fired by the police. shots fired by the police. >> now as the demonstrators continue to take to the streets, front and center in their demands is the resignation or the ouster of chicago mayor rahm emanual. there is no law on the books at the moment that would provide for the removal of a chicago mayor. but one law has been proposed down in springfield, that would create provisions for a recall. without that law, mayor emanuel

has three years until he faces re-election. he's currently on vacation in cuba. ed? >> a lot of pressure on mayor emanuel, mike tobin, thank you for joining us. is president obama getting tough on illegal immigrants? here's what some fox affiliates all around the country are covering tonight. let's stay in chicago. fox 32, where the illinois attorney general says daily fantasy sports betting is illegal gambling. lisa madigan says the debate over the popular contest involves skill or luck is ill irrelevant since illinois outlaws both. detroit waiving late fees on outstanding traffic tickets next monday and tuesday only. you'll still have to pay your original fine. and this is a live look at seattle, from q 13 fox. the big story there tonight -- an apology from washington state prison system chief, dan pechulte over a mistake that allowed thousands of inmates to

be released early. it happened because of a computer glitch over a 13-year period. the chief says some of those improperly freed are actually violent criminals. that's tonight's live look outside the beltway from "special report." we'll be back with a lot more news.

holiday gatherings in some households tonight will have a new element of dread. the obama administration says it's coming for illegal immigrants in the new year and intends do send them home. republican donald trump tweeted because of pressure from him, isis finally acting. chief washington correspondent james rosen on a curious move at a curious time. >> officials at u.s. immigration customs inforcement did not dispute a story that the agency is planning to deport hundreds of central american family who is crossed the board anywhere

the last 24 months. >> they're going to target hundreds. that number is fluid with these kinds of raids, based on intelligence, a lot of people might have moved or changed their address. it could be in the hundreds. it could possibly be more. >> a spokesperson for i.c.e. told fox news, our border is not open to illegal immigration. if individuals come here illegally, do not qualify for asylum or other relief and have final orders of removal. they will be sent back. consistent with our laws and values. republican congressman steve king of iowa who sits on the immigration subcommittee, told fox news the move was uncharacteristic of the obama administration in nature. but not in scope. >> it's a very small initiative. a few hundred when we have a few million here in the country illegally. i think it is an authorized leak. so i have to ask what is the motive. do they hope to affect the presidential race in some way by taking this position? >> republican presidential candidate donald trump has made illegal immigration the centerpiece of front-running

campaign. as has his closest competitor, texas senator ted cruz. on the democratic side, vermont senator bernie sanders says he's disturbed by the report adding we need to take steps to protect children and families seeking refuge here, not cast them out. former maryland governor, martin o'malley tweeted that a christmas round-up sounds like something that donald trump would concoct. a spokesperson said the former secretary of state has concerns about the plan. >> we are casa, an advocate group for immigrant community says the obama administration needs to stop speaking of the targeted group as border crossers, rather than asylum speakers. adding the i.c.e. action would add another stain on america's global reputation. a senior iraqi military commander said the effort to retake the city of ramadi from isis terrorists is being hampered by suicide bombers, snipers and booby traps.

iraqi forces reported progress in recapturing some areas of ramadi from the militants who control about a third of iraq and neighboring syria. the u.s.-backed coalition of rebels in syria has captured several areas in the country's north from isis. one rebel spokesman calls the situation on the ground excellent. we're learning how complicated and at times contrary the administration has been in dealing with the syrian crisis. correspondent kevin corke is traveling with president obama on vacation in hawaii. >> as the war against isis in syria raged on with thousands of u.s. forces in harm's way, the obama administration spent years secretly pursuing communication with elements of the syrian regime in an effort to broker a transition from power, from dictator bashar al assad. the talks date back to 2011 were extremely limited in scope and the u.s. would use the russians and iranians as intermediaries to reach leaders in damascus. white house officials say a similar approach was with a used

to get iran to the bargaining table on the nuclear deal. and with cuba, ending a decades-long stalemate. >> the president believes we don't only negotiate with our friends and partners. sometimes we have to engage with part countries we don't see eye to eye with. >> the syrian effort was limited and failed to gain momentum and while the administration's core message that assad must go, never wavered, some believe the covert communications may have failed his sense of legitimacy. >> they grossly underestimated what bashar al assad is all about and the strength of his regime. because of that they thought they could talk him down. when in fact he had no intentions of leaving. >> a decision bolstered by the russians who continue to prop up the regime politically and militarily. also in the report, a refation that the administration would on occasion inform the syrians about some u.s. air operations, even the troop movements of u.s.-backed syrian rebels. calling it an effort to

deconflict the hot zone. a senior administration official said it wore irresponsible not to warn the regime against interfering with our air ops. >> we're giving the assad administration information and wondering why they're getting decimated. it's insane. >> u.n. ambassador samantha power will sometimes help facilitate communication between washington and damascus. as you probably also know, it's not direct. what typically happens is she'll dispatch a deputy who will then reach out to a syrian envoy. by the way, we heard from white house officials today who tell us despite an apparent lack of success, the back-channel communication lines remain open at all times. >> kevin corke, merry christmas. good seeing you. >> take care. still ahead, our series on candidates and the issues with the focus on jobs and the economy. but first, a day of violence

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christmas season that is supposed to be about love is unfortunately now about hate and violence in and around the city where jesus was born. it's been a deadly day across

the west bank. as thousands flock to bethlehem. correspondent john huddy reports from our middle east news room. ♪ >> the marching bands played on in bethlehem despite the ongoing violence in the west bank and israel. parading through manger square, where thousands of tourists, christian pilgrims and locals crowded together, joining in the celebration. the latin patriarch of jerusalem who leads the annual procession to the church of nativity. said hopefully this will be a holiday season of peace, love and mercy for everyone. but the festivities were scaled back this year in bethlehem because of the violence and ongoing political tensions. before the celebrations began, israeli security forces shot to death three palestinians during separate attacks on israelis in the west bank. it's been a violent three months in the west bank in israel fuelled by the political unrest

between palestinians and israelis. in october protesters fought with police in bethlehem the. not far from manger square. tonight, though, the sound of church bells ringing and music was heard instead of the wailing of sirens or the crackling of gunfire. for now there is peace in bethlehem. and the celebration culminated with the midnight mass at the church of the nativity. as you just saw. and as you just heard, so that would make it officially christmas here in the holy city. so merry christmas to you. of course to all our viewers. >> what a beautiful sight. i've had a chance to work with your sister in new york on "fox and friends" merry christmas to the entire huddy family. >> i appreciate that. thank you. our next story has a somewhat familiar set-up. a baby in a manger.

but this is not the one you're thinking of, warren greene in new york city with the 21st century. at holy child jesus church in queens, new york, the nativity encompasses the parish's very identity. the birth of another babe a few weeks ago brought the church an updated version of its namesake. >> there's no such thing as a coincidence with god. >> baby boy barely two hours old was left in the church's manger. his single mother, who told reporters she was unable to care for him, placed him here in god's hands. >> the manger was set, that the doors were open. that you know, there was no one in the church at that time. so she could come anonymously and drop her child. >> from the moment the child appeared, he began to change the lives of those around him. for handyman who say moran who found him, it's a whole-hearted belief in divine intervention. >> it's a miracle in the sense that the timing in that the manger was just built. it was just there for a couple

hours. >> for this young priest. a new vision of life. the real moment as the nurse from the parish school attended him. >> to watch her tying the umbilical cord. again, something that i have never seen. >> the baby left in the manger has not only transformed lives here at holy child jesus church. but the modern-day christmas story miracle has touched hearts and minds across the country and across the world. cards, emails and donations have poured into the church. many people also asking to adopt the infant. and the event itself says the father has inspired a bounty of christmas sermons as priests and pastors around the country see the similarities between today's story and one more than 2,000 years ago. >> the humility of our savior to come as this helpless infant. which would come to save the world. >> the baby is now in foster care. state authorities will decide who adopts him. but he already has a home in the

hearts of thousands. in queens, new york. lauren greene, fox news. what a wonderful story. when we come back, where the presidential candidates agree and disagree on the economy. what it means for your wallet. t. good thing geico offers affordable renters insurance. with great coverage it protects my personal belongings should they get damaged, stolen or destroyed. [doorbell] uh, excuse me. delivery. hey. lo mein, szechwan chicken, chopsticks, soy sauce and you got some fortune cookies. have a good one. ah, these small new york apartments... protect your belongings. let geico help you with renters insurance.

is there are no public events on the campaign calendar this christmas eve. truly rare, one of the few such nights in the next ten months before the election. tonight senior national

correspondent john roberts continues his study of the candidates, their positions on issues and tonight it's all about jobs and the economy. >> i will be the greatest jobs president that god ever created. i tell you. >> in every election cycle, every presidential candidate promises to grow the economy and create jobs. >> if i'm elected president, we will bring back jobs and growth and opportunity. >> the top republican candidates for 2016 are no different than their predecessors. but how would they make good on their promises? >> as president helping the economy move forward begins by recognizing that presidents don't create jobs. governors don't create jobs, senators don't create jobs. jobs are created by the private sector. >> one way the candidates are pledging to inspire the private sector, all are imposing dramatic reforms to the tax code, but there's stark differences. donald trump would lower the top personal tax bracket to 25%. jeb bush, 28%. and marco rubio, 35%.

ted cruz and ben carson favor flat taxes. cruz 10%. carson, 15. trump would lower the corporate tax rate to 15%. bush, 20%. rubio, 25. cruz would cap it at 16%. while carson favors the 15% flat tax. on repatriating. rubio would cut even further to 6. cruz would levy a 10% tax on overseas earnings, while carson propose as six-month tax holiday if corporations spend 10% of the money on creating jobs. >> it would be the biggest stimulus since fdr's new deal and it wouldn't cost the taxpayers one penny. >> all candidates would eliminate the tax on estates. there's big differences in deductions.

trump would keep the mortgage interest deduction as is. bush would cap it at 2% of adjusted gross income. rubio would leave it alone. cruz would cap it at $500,000 in principal. while carson would eliminate it all together. on abolishing the irs, cruz is the only top candidate to definitively say eid do it though carson says under his plan there would be no need for the irs. reforming the tax code, the candidates insist, would make the u.s. more competitive globally. but the other piece they say is the need to reform tens of thousands of regulations that increase the cost of doing business. >> if we continue to raise the cost of doing business in america, you will see less jobs created, you will see wages remain stagnant and you will see millions of americans continue to be left behind. >> taken together, the candidates insist the changes will naturally create jobs and increase wages. all reject federal mandates to raised minimum wage, except carson who has said it probably

should be higher than now. there is one economic issue where trump stands above the other candidates -- american jobs moving overseas. >> i refuse to eat oreos any more. they're moving their plant to mexico. >> trump promises he would get tough with ceos who want to ship jobs out of the country. citing ford's plans to build a plant in mexico. >> if you do it, you're not going to have any cars coming across the border unless you pay a 35% tax, that's it. >> the candidates say there needs to be a national focus on reforming education. to et abouter equip americans for the jobs of tomorrow. but they all agree that the federal government should play no role in dictating curriculum or standards. in atlanta, john roberts, fox news. thank you, john. mike huckabee said he will end his campaign if he does not finish in the top three in iowa. huckabee made the comment on a local radio show last night. the winner of the 2008 caucuses is now polling at around 2%. in iowa.

no holiday bump on wall street, the dow lost 50, the s&p 500 fell three, the nasdaq was up 2.5. good numbers for the abbreviated week. the dow and the nasdaq grew 2.5% and the s&p 500 was up 2.75. faith under fire tonight in florida. the sheriff in one county is digging in against protesters upset with a certain phrase on his patrol cars. correspondent steve harrigan with the latest from walton county. >> the use of "in god we trust" stickers on law enforcement vehicles has spread across florida, texas, kentucky, north carolina, missouri. during a summer when many police departments have felt under siege. >> i have it right on the back of my car. >> walton county sheriff michael atkinson says the stickers will remain as long as he's sheriff. >> this is a very conservative area. very supportive of law enforcement. we've had zero problems with the local folks not being happy with it in fact quite the contrary.

if anything the overwhelming support has been really heartwarming. >> the freedom from religion foundation has written to 60 police departments, requesting the stickers be removed. some of the sheriffs replies have gotten attention online. >> no. >> go fly a kite. >> there's a growing movement nationally to make law enforcement a profession we have to apologize for choosing. and an equally disturbing movement that has portrayed the open declaration of faith in god as being something we have to apologize for. opponents say the stickers violate the constitution. >> it's careerly a religious saying that's being put on public property. that's against the first amendment. against the basic founding principle of the united states. "in god we trust" became the official u.s. motto in 1956 and is on u.s. currency. sheriff atkinson said he was going to pay for the stickers out of his own money until a local business donated them. in florida, steve harrigan, fox

news. well, the candidates may be laying low, but there's no off day for politics here on "special report." we'll take a christmas eve look at the 2016 race, when the panel, including charles joins me after a quick time-out. ♪ no matter where you look, you won't find another small commercial van that can fit more, carry more weight, and yet go farther on a tank of gas

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i think the "washington post" quite frankly had their story already written before they talked to me. and they were convinced that i was going to fire everybody and that we were going to just go in a completely different direction. and that's absolutely not true. will we over the course of time add more people? will we make some changes and alterations? of course we will. because we always are going to adjust with the circumstances. >> adjusting with the circumstances. let's bring in our panel, charles hurt political columnist for the "washington times" david drucker, for the washington examiner and syndicated columnist charles krauthammer. what in the world is going on

with ben carson? >> what we heard are the death rattles of his campaign. sitting in his basement in maryland giving a couple of interviews to major outlets. making pretty firm statements about -- >> we're going to kick this thing up. >> staffers being overpaid and staffers needing to be replaced and not doing things right. after it gets out there. he tries to take it all back. you can't take those things back. you know he's -- shed what, 15 points in the national polls? since he peaked in late november. is doing even worse if you look at the iowa polls. and you know ultimately he failed the commander-in-chief test. wasn't helped by the terrorist attacks. also wasn't helped by i think the attacks from donald trump. the commander-in-chief question is the thing that i think really -- >> david what do you see happening on the republican side of this race? it's been seen by many as the year of the outsider, trump,

carson, fiorina. we've seen fiorina and carson sort of fade. trump still rising in the polls. is there room for others? >> i think there is and i think january going to be a very interesting month. i think there are two ways we have to understand the race. donald trump is the undespited national front-runner in the race. the trends are clear. but in the states we have completely different trends. ted cruz is beating him in iowa. he tied him in a recent poll in south carolina. marco rubio is close to him in new hampshire. close enough. and i think what that tells us is that donald trump is vulnerable and is beatable. he's not going to fade. he's not going to go away of his own accord. i don't think so and anybody that thinks so, i think you're smarter than me. is he beatable? do i think somebody can take him out over the next six weeks? yes. i think there's one very important thing that's a little different than any other candidate. he's built the aura of his campaign around winning. for him, losing iowa would be a

much bigger deal than anybody else. because he's all about winning and the minute he is not winning i think that impacts him for every race down the line. >> charles is interested in getting in here. i want everyone to hear mike huckabee who had something interesting to say this morning. listen. >> if we can't come within striking distance of the victory or win it. then i think we recognize that its going to be hard to take that onto the other states. i think that if i win iowa, or come very close to it. people are going to see that it was nothing short of a miracle. >> charles? christmas miracle? >> i'm not sure it carries over. christmas doesn't carry over to february. i don't think he has a chance. i think he knows that i think he's acknowledging it and sort of setting himself up for a degreesf graceful exit. iowa is where he won in 2008. iowa is his strength. it's where you have the strong

evangelical vote. that's his constituency. this year it's been taken away first by carson. and as carson's support has diminished, it's gone over to ted cruz. not his year. i think he knows it. and i think he's being >> charl in on some other candidates. we've got the real clear politics average of polls around the country right now. we were talking about trump, at the top of the heap. cruz close, rubio, 35, 18, 11. carson at 10, paul, fiorina, kasich, all around 2%. there's a survey in new hampshire suggesting, charles, that kasich is now at about 12% or 13% in new hampshire only. not nationally. christie has also been doing well on the ground in new hampshire. is there room for a surprise from someone like christie, kasich in a state like new hampshire? >> i think so. and if it happens, it will happen. exactly as you say in new hampshire. it's not going to happen in iowa. i think it looks as if cruz has a very, very good chance.

of winning iowa. there's a wild card festival in new hampshire. as you say, it could be a a rubio win. it could be a kasich win or at least a close second. or if it's a win. and trump loses the first two, i think it really is going to be a difficult slog after that. again because as we heard, he built himself up as the winner, he's not a loser. as he said, i don't lose, so we'll see. but new hampshire is the place where you can get the surprise. that's what everybody is waiting for. >> speaking of donald trump. he was tweeting as he likes to, do here we are christmas eve. this was yesterday, i should be clear. a couple of them quote it is hard to believe i'm winning by so much. when i'm treated so badly by the media. amazing in all categories, 21-point lead. but then this one -- hillary, when you complain about a penchant for sexism, who are you referring to? i have great respect for women. all caps, exclamation point, be

careful. is that a warning about bill clinton? >> without a doubt. look, this is what donald trump likes to do he likes to start fights. if he starts a fight over bill clinton with hillary. that would make hillary clinton very happy. it would keep hillary and donald trump in the news. the good thing about that for democrats is that every day that he owns the media, is another day that the other republican candidates, a few that could actually beat her are, kept out of the spotlight. that's the way trump wants it. that's the way hillary wants it. i would add one thing, i think the media has treated donald trump extraordinarily well. he gets more air time than anybody else. he can say things over candidates won't won't because he's a celebrity. he's given deference. if anybody is being mistreated by the media, it's not donald trump. >> is donald trump sucking most of the oxygen out of other republicans getting a chance to rise to the top? >> i think there's a reason it's called earned media. the guy does earn it. he goes out there and he says things that are sort of

outlandish in political circles. he is daring and he owns what he says. so i think it's more than just people treating him well, he's earned it. the question in iowa and in new hampshire going forward, the big question is, donald trump appeals to a new group of people. will they come out and vote? and if they come out and vote, it's going to be a very, very rough night for establishment republicans. >> you can weigh in on that. i would like to hear, you wrote searingly about the clinton impeachment trauma. is that a warning shot from donald trump, about bill clinton to hillary? and what role might we see with bill clinton and his past in this race? >> very early in the race, when rand paul was on the cover of "time" magazine as the most interesting politician in america. he tried to raise that issue. and either he shied away. there's always a temptation to want to go into that. the one guy who i think would

actually do it is trump. i can't see anybody else doing it. because it's too toxic. and in a way, i think it probably will back-fire. on anybody who tries it. he wants to send out a warning, perhaps. but in the end, if anything i think it would generate sympathy. in the same way that when bill clinton got a little bit wild in the south carolina race in 2008. >> against obama? >> against obama and cue sending out signals, it hurt. and i think that's a lesson other people have learned. if you want to do it, it's extremely high stakes. trump is a guy who will do high stakes. i can't see anyone else who does it. but what's wonderful is in that tweet, it's amazing how he never ceases to amaze himself. that's unique. >> david, donald trump, does he cease to amaze himself? >> no. and there's nobody that likes donald more than donald.

>> charlie? >> yeah. i mean -- i think it's so intriguing that he's turned away from the primary at this point and is going after hillary clinton directly and i think we're probably not going to hear them go after any of his fellow republicans again for the rest of the primary season. >> we've got more including hillary clinton on immigration. an interesting development. next up, the president's new deportation initiative. is it for real or for show? and why is hillary clinton in some hot water now with hispanic voters? that next.

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incompetent people, they allow these people to come into our country. it's a disgrace. it's a disgrace. >> even as we are a nation of immigrants, we are also a

nation of laws. undocumented workers broke our immigration laws. and i believe that they must be held accountable. especially those who may be dangerous. >> we're going to keep focusing enforcement resources to our national security security. felons, not families. >> we're back with our panel. you heard a little earlier james rosen reporting that maybe after the first of the year dhs, department of homeland security is talking about deporting some illegal immigrants, folks saying this is inhumane over the holidays. others wondering whether the obama administration is trying to set up immigration reform and wants to increase deportations there were a series of tweets today in statements. hillary clinton says she has concerns about this. bernie sanders says i'm disturbed by this. martin it o'malley if you look at this treat. a christmas refugee roundup sounds like something at real trump would concoct. remember jesus was a refugee

child who fled deaf gangs. >> i'm not an expert on that. >> wait a second is. we found something you are not an expert. >> why do you think i'm on the panel on christmas eve. [ laughter ] but it's interesting, you know, it was announced going to be conducting raids, roundups in the beginning of the year. well, that's the way to get the element of surprise on your side. announcing in advance. look, i can't discern the nefarious political reason here. if it is a three cushion shot. i will take it at face value. the number of families coming in illegally, this autumn is triple what it was last year. i think jeh johnson who i think is actually serious about enforcing some of the law thinks that this might be a way, particularly if it's really telegenic rage that gets attention and covered in central america, it could be a way to deter other immigrants and to prevent a huge influx which could happen if it goes

undeterred. a huge influx in an election year. so, if you are looking for a political angle, i would put it that way or you could say johnson is serious about the law. >> david, right before the show donald trump again was back on twitter saying shocking. shockingly, this is because of pressure from me. serious point there though. he has been the one in this campaign. who has put pressure on the administration and all the other candidates to talk about illegal imgrans congratulation. >> he will with look, i think there is no doubt that nobody has been more of a hardliner on illegal immigration than donald trump. he has talked about it as often as he has needed to to keep himself dominating thed i can't coverage, ted cruz for a lot longer period of time, what about a stall wart are that has been pushing to stop illegal immigration. mitt romney who lost after 2012 called idiot being so mean to hispanics scaring them away. i think the interesting thing about this is it gives hillary clinton a way to get to the left of obama she

tries to put together the obama coalition which needs a lot of hispanics and other minorities and by saying -- by having the opportunity to say that she opposes something that president obama's administration is doing, it could work out well for her in the long term. >> charlie, i want you to jump in on something else, the clinton campaign on the other side of this case put a blog post out there saying after chelsea clinton said she is having another baby. a wonderful event. everyone congratulated her. seven reasons why hillary clinton is like your grandmother in spanish. all of a sudden twitter blows up tweeting #not my abuela. pretty sure mine doesn't fly in private jet. #not my abuela mine values human life from conception to death. this isn't exactly what the clinton camp was ordering up, was it? >> this is right out of their playbook. they are always doing this kind of pandering.

and the big difference with hillary is that bill clinton was very good at it. hillary is not very good at it. and that's why i think that people who think that she is a guarantee walk-in, you know, if they pick donald trump or ted cruz, i think she is imminently beatable. >> charles, i learned a new word this week. hispandering. if that's what she is doing she is not succeeding. i would accuse her of cultural appropriation. reaching the level of donald trump appropriating, you know, a vulgar yiddishism. it's now becoming epidemic. and we ought -- everybody ought to stick to its own ethnic cage. i think that's exactly what the demonstrators are telling us and we ought to listen to the wisdom of the young on campus. >> that sounds like a wonderful christmas eve message, charles. that's it for the panel. but stay tuned for special holiday goodbye for bret

baier. ♪ i built my business with passion. but i keep it growing by making every dollar count. that's why i have the spark cash card from capital one. i earn unlimited 2% cash back on everything i buy for my studio. ♪

and that unlimited 2% cash back from spark means thousands of dollars each year going back into my business... that's huge for my bottom line. what's in your wallet? just serve classy snacks and bew a gracious host,iday party. no matter who shows up. [cricket sound] richard. didn't think you were going to make it. hey sorry about last weekend, i don't know what got into me. well forgive and forget... kind of. i don't think so! do you like nuts?

that's it for us tonight. merry christmas to you and all of your loved ones, thanks for watching "special report." i will be back here for another live show tomorrow

night. i'm ed henry. gretchen carlson has the west point holiday schedule next. we will leave you now with a very special christmas message from bret baier and his family. >> everybody, merry christmas. every year for the past seven years i have brought my family here to wish you a merry christmas and happy new year. 8-year-old paul, a-year-old daniel, i'm not going to tell you how old my lovely wife amy is but, paul, what do you say? >> merry christmas and a happy new year. >> daniel? >> merry christmas. >> wishing you a beautiful christmas and a happy 2016. >> we have big plans for 2016. hopefully healthy as amy mentioned what are you planning for 2016. >> spend time with my family. >> good answer. >> to play ice hockey. >> play ice hockey. >> take a vacation and quality time with family. >> all right. so we're going to end it up here after seven years. we have got the tag line, right, guys? >> yep. >> happy new year, merry christmas, fair, balanced

and unafraid. ♪ ♪ welcome to it west point holiday, i'm gretchen carlson. i'm on the military academy at west point, new york. tonight we will explore the rich history of west point, get a rare glimpse of the living traditions of the united states military and most of all get to enjoy the music of the army's oldest band. ♪ ♪ >> the west point band is one of america's finest military musical organizations. throughout the next hour, we're going to hear them on the fields, in the hall, and on stage as they perform for the public. ♪ giddy up, gid