"First, a brief recap of last night's debate. Trump dominated the conversation afterward because of his testy exchanges with Jeb Bush. Those who liked Trump going in still like him, and those who found him lacking still do. Bush was more feisty than usual, but with nine folks on the stage, his time was limited and he will most likely not see too much benefit. Ben Carson did not score many points and his descent in the polls will probably continue. The Cruz-Rubio back-and-forth was interesting. Cruz is more conservative, but Rubio is a bigger threat to Hillary Clinton should he get the nomination. Chris Christie scored points on fighting terrorism and that should help his numbers in New Hampshire. Carly Fiorina, Rand Paul and John Kasich were fine, but none of them did enough to move their poll numbers. After the debate Charles Krauthammer and I had our own back-and-forth over Trump. Charles believes the man is unqualified to be president and says some of Trump's statements are 'nonsensical.' I see it differently. Donald Trump understands the anger sweeping America and is tapping into that. He is not concerned that much with policy, he is running on emotion. His strategy has been brilliant, but if you take what he says literally he can be a frightening guy. I see many of his statements as over-the-top rhetoric designed to get him votes, not necessarily written-in-stone policy pronouncements. Talking Points does not endorse candidates, does not root, does not promote. I am a registered independent who watches all powerful people and holds them to account. Trump has brought politics center-stage by sheer force of personality and that is a good thing. Whether or not he would be a good president is quite something else. And that is for you to decide."

Donald Trump joined The Factor and explained his harsh criticism of Jeb Bush. "He's doing very badly," Trump said of Bush, "and I don't even know if he can continue. He's spent like $50-million and I've spent nothing. I don't like saying bad things about Jeb Bush, I feel a little bad for him, but he struck first. His whole thing was about going after me and I thought it was inappropriate." Trump also reaffirmed his claim that it will be legally permissible to ban Muslim immigrants from entering America. "We're not talking about our citizens, we are talking about people coming from outside, some of whom are not looking at us in a very positive manner. It's a subject that should be discussed." Trump added, "I know more about policy than just about anybody, I'm doing the right thing and I bring up subjects that are important."

Returning for a second segment, Donald Trump opined on whether he is receiving fair media coverage. "I thought the debate was good," he said, "but I thought what CNN was doing was unfair. Every question was, 'Donald Trump said this and Donald Trump said that.' If you watched the early debate, it was unfair where so many questions were about me." Trump specifically groused about how he is treated by the folks at Fox News. "I think I get better coverage from CNN than Fox, and when people say untrue things I don't like it." The Factor reminded Trump that he has to get used to criticism from the media and his rivals: "You want power and it's our job to vet you the best way we can. You are too thin-skinned!"

Former Bush adviser Karl Rove, generally considered an establishment Republican, evaluated the debate and the GOP race. "The impressions that have been formed in these debates and by the conduct of the candidates on the campaign trail," he said, "will begin to have a cumulative effect on the people's perception of the candidates. People are beginning to lock in on their choices and last night was the last chance everyone had to make their final pitch before people tune out for the holidays." The Factor asked Rove to explain the widespread anger within his party. "This anger is principally directed at what President Obama has done to the country," Rove replied, "and some people don't understand why having a Republican House and Senate has not been able to stop the president. But the executive branch has enormous power and this president has greatly abused some of his power in an extra-constitutional way."

The Democratic Party will hold another debate Saturday night when it is likely to be seen by very few people. FNC correspondent Ed Henry, who has been covering the Hillary Clinton campaign, contended that the timing is no accident. "The Democratic National Committee set it up this way," he surmised, "and they are protecting Hillary Clinton. These debates are being buried, the last one was on a Saturday night during college football season when the University of Iowa was playing." The Factor contended that Hillary Clinton's nomination is a lock, saying, "She knows she'll be the nominee, although Bernie Sanders may carry Havana."

The Factor turned Dennis Miller loose on the GOP candidates the state of the union. "I would vote for any of them over Hillary," he declared, "except for George Pataki and Lindsey Graham. To say that Hillary lies like a rug is to forget that during a tornado a rug might get airborne. She is a serial liar and a breakfast cereal liar because she starts lying the moment she opens her eyes. I missed most of the debate because I had the option of being water boarded, so I did that instead. But when they start saying Trump is 'insane,' I remind you that John Kerry just said there was at least a rationale for the Charlie Hebdo massacre. That's insane to me, not Trump! I think the country is in deep trouble and I don't know if anybody can bring it back."

Former ABC newsman Ted Koppel has hammered Donald Trump, comparing him to former Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini. The Factor invited him to elaborate. "Trump and Mussolini," Koppel said, "have an arrogant approach in which they say very little in the way of substance, but the manner in which they say it gets the crowds excited." Koppel also contended that politicians are overstating the threat from the Islamic State. "We are scaring ourselves to death with this ISIS threat. ISIS is more of a threat in what it can do with a cyber attack, but I don't think we need to worry about invasions of hostile Muslims." The Factor countered that Americans have legitimate reasons to be angry and frightened: "The economy is frustrating working Americans and ISIS can psychologically debilitate this with a series of attacks. I think President Obama is a weak president, particularly on foreign policy."

Robert Haberkon, Orland Park, IL: "Trump might not turn out to be president, but he has successfully spotlighted that our government is out of control. For that, he is a hero."

Paul Neakrase, Washington, IL: "What happens when Trump loses to Hillary? He goes back to his millions while the GOP is destroyed."

John Frock, San Angelo, TX: "O'Reilly, thought your analysis about Trump was spot on. His bombastic style clearly appeals to the anger voters have with the dysfunction and corruption in Washington."

Penny Huck, Yakima, WA: "I agree with Krauthammer's analysis of Trump. He is making a mockery of our democratic process."

What can you do when you receive a hideous gift. First, graciously thank the giver and then consider donating the present to a worthy charity where it would be appreciated.