nightly news begins right now. announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is nbc nightly news with lester holt. good evening. as he laid out the ground today for a major battle with senate republicans over a supreme court nomination, president obama also waded deep into the race for president at a news conference late this afternoon taking on donald trump and other republican candidates saying being president is a serious job. it s not hosting a reality show. his remarks come just four days away from the next major test in the race for president with trump maintaining his national lead among republicans in our new nbc news survey monkey poll and jeb bush lagging behind, some wondering if south carolina could be his last stand, and for democrats the focus remains on winning over african-american voters. we have all sides covered starting with nbc s peter alexander in columbia, south carolina. reporter: hey, good evening to you, lester. tonight the
how people are going around their insurance companies and saving big money. and the fur is flying. the competition is fierce, and we re behind the scenes as the best on four legs compete for best in show. nightly news begins right now. announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is nbc nightly news with lester holt. good evening. as he laid out the ground today for a major battle with senate republicans over a supreme court nomination, president obama also waded deep into the race for president at a news conference late this afternoon taking on donald trump and other republican candidates saying being president is a serious job. it s not hosting a reality show. his remarks come just four days away from the next major test in the race for president with trump maintaining his national lead among republicans in our new nbc news survey monkey poll and jeb bush lagging behind, could be his last stand, and for democrats the focus remains on winning over
over 9/11 jeb recalled an iconic moments from weeks over the attack. my vision of my brother is sitting on the mound in yankee stadium throwing high heat. i can t imagine donald trump do it. reporter: jeb s team is split between the campaign and the right to rise superpac spending tens of millions of dollars on bush s behalf with little return. if the right to rise soupe pac has taught us anything you can spend hundreds of millions on tv but it won t get you to top. reporter: finishing six in this iowa and fourth in new hampshire he admits he needs to beat his rivals here. how is finishing this state something you can celebrate as a victory? i will beat expectations? reporter: when do you win a state? i can t tell that you. reporter: this afternoon bush sent us this picture, adding am nation to a bitter fight. peter alexander, nbc news, south carolina. voters are the focus today, hillary clinton courting black endorsement from reverend al sharpton. only yo
respond. you re lucky i didn t run last time when romney ran because you would have been a one-term president. new this morning, fresh polls from south carolina and nevada, away. we ll hear from mr. trump when he joins us live. in a rare expression of anger, pope francis visibly frustrated, scolding eager followers tugging on his arm, causing him to topple over a man in a wheelchair. and it s a dog beats dog world. best in show dog tonight in pointer. c.j. snatches the title, best in show at the famed westminster kennel dog club, beating out more than 2700 dogs to have his day today, wednesday, february 17th, 2016. announcer: from nbc news, and savannah guthrie live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. good morning, everybody, welcome on a wednesday morning. we have willie in for matt. a lot to talk about today. minute. he s taking fire in this campaign a sitting president. and his rivals. lots to talk about in politics, fresh polls as well. top story, t
away from the next major test in the race for president with trump maintaining his national lead among republicans in our new nbc news survey monkey poll and jeb bush lagging behind, some wondering if south carolina could be his last stand, and for democrats the focus remains on winning over african-american voters. we have all sides covered starting with nbc s peter alexander in columbia, south carolina. hello, peter. reporter: hey, good evening to you, lester. tonight the president is weighing in on the republican race toucceed hihi dismissing the party front-runner. here in south carolina donald trump is favored to win and jeb is desperate for a comeback. so much for southern charm. the leading republicans today in another ferocious round of fighting. then bush, poor bush. reporter: even president obama piled on. being president is a serious job. it s not hosting a talk show or it s not promotion. it s not marketing. it s hard. in any other year south carolina sh