Krauthammer and O'Reilly Clash Over Proposed 'Mercenary Army' to Battle the Islamic State: 'You've Gone From Out of the Box to Off the Wall

Conservative commentator Charles Krauthammer clashed with Fox News host Bill O'Reilly Tuesday night over O'Reilly's claim that a mercenary army comprised of elite and well-paid fighters would be effective at stopping the Islamic State and other terror entities.

O'Reilly recently proposed that the 25,000-person army, which would be recruited by the United States and trained by special forces, would have the central goal of combatting terrorism around the globe.

Led by American and NATO officers, the U.S. would provide logistical support, as the international coalition battles the Islamic State and other militant groups.

But, while O'Reilly defended his plan, Krauthammer said that it isn't plausible, telling the TV host, "You've gone from out of the box to off the wall."

Krauthammer said that the plan wouldn't necessarily allow the U.S. to get around the issue of Americans being war wearing and tired of losing men and women overseas.

Since Americans would still be involved in this hypothetical mercenary force, the conservative commentator said this morale issue wouldn't be solved.

"If we lose them … we're not going to suffer less," Krauthammer said, later adding, "We will inevitably suffer American losses … it still demoralizes us."

But O'Reilly doubled down, arguing that the U.S.-led war against terrorism has taken a toll on America and that it's not fair for the U.S. to be forced to bear the brunt of the battle on its own.

"It's ruining our treasury, it's ruining our national morale," he said. "And we need to have an alternative to that."

Krauthammer also questioned the types of foreign members the army would attract, claiming that their drive and motivation likely wouldn't compete with members of the Islamic State.

"Do you really want to be running around the world responsible for a band of desperadoes? That's essentially who you're going to get," he said. "Do you think they are going to fight against — on the one hand you're going to have ISIS people who believe in something — on the other hand you have people who are there just for the money. Who do you think wins?"

Watch the debate below: