Columbia, South Carolina (CNN) Donald Trump acknowledged Thursday that he "could have" signaled support for invading Iraq during a 2002 interview with Howard Stern. 
 
 "It was probably the first time I was asked that question," the GOP presidential front-runner told CNN's Anderson Cooper during a South Carolina town hall. "By the time the war started, I was against the war." 
 
 He also noted he "wasn't a politician" at the time of the interview. 
 
 Ahead of Saturday's South Carolina Republican primary, Trump has repeatedly blasted former President George W. Bush for launching the war. 
 
 But Buzzfeed posted Thursday Trump's interview with Stern, given on the first anniversary following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. When asked whether he would support an invasion, Trump responded: "Yeah, I guess so." 
 
 "You know, I wish the first time it was done correctly," he added in the interview. 
 
 Trump's criticism of the war could be a risky move in this military-dominated state. One man in the audience confronted Trump for saying that Bush had lied about the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. 
 
 "I would probably say that something was going on," Trump said. "I don't know why he went in" to Iraq. 
 
 Trump vs. Pope Francis 
 
 Trump called Pope Francis a "wonderful guy" after the pontiff said Thursday the candidate is "not Christian" if he wants to deport undocumented immigrants and build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. 
 
 "I don't think this is a fight," Trump said. "I think he said something much softer than was originally reported by the media." 
 
 Trump added he would meet with the Pope "anytime he wants." 
 
 JUST WATCHED Donald Trump rips Pope Francis: I'm a Christian Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Donald Trump rips Pope Francis: I'm a Christian 00:53 
 
 Earlier at the town hall, Jeb Bush and John Kasich refused to be drawn into the debate between Trump and the Pope. 
 
 Kasich simply said he was "pro-Pope." 
 
 "This man has brought more sense of hope and more about the do's in life than the don'ts," Kasich said, referring to the Pope. "This guy has been so humble." 
 
 Bush, who is a devout Catholic, didn't criticize the Pope's comments. But he said he personally wouldn't "question people's Christianity." 
 
 "I think that's a relationship they have with their Lord and savior and themselves. So I just don't think it's appropriate to question Donald Trump's faith," Bush said. "He knows what his faith is." 
 
 Dominating South Carolina 
 
 Trump, who is dominating most South Carolina polls, continued to pound his closest competitor: Ted Cruz. 
 
 The billionaire businessman said the Texas senator "has a problem with the truth." 
 
 Trump appeared to side with Marco Rubio after the Florida senator's campaign accused Cruz's team earlier Thursday of photoshopping an image to make it appear as though Rubio is shaking hands with President Barack Obama. 
 
 "Oh, it was totally photoshopped," Trump said. 
 
 "They even made Marco a lot shorter than he is," Trump said, adding that this was "probably the thing that bothered him the most." 
 
 He quipped that other tactics the Cruz campaign has used in this election were "disgusting." 
 
 Trump has confounded many political observers with his propensity for colorful, unfiltered and inflammatory language as a candidate. When Cooper asked whether he would take on a different tone as president, Trump suggested he could easily switch back and forth between being politically correct -- and not. 
 
 "I can be more politically correct than anybody you've ever interviewed," Trump said. 
 
 He added: "I can do whatever I want. ...I deal with society. Society loves me." 
 
 Trump also shed light on his habits on the road, including his propensity to consume fast food from big chains like McDonald's and Burger King. 
 
 "I'm a very clean person. I like cleanliness," he said. "And I think you're better off going there than maybe some place where you have no idea where the food is coming from." 
 
 He said he recently ate Kentucky Fried Chicken. His verdict: "Not the worst thing in the world." 
 
 John Kasich 
 
 Kasich opened the CNN event by reflecting on a campaign trail moment that's quickly gone viral. At a forum in Clemson earlier in the day, a tearful young man confessed to Kasich that after suffering personal losses, he had gone through a very dark period in life. Now, he had found hope in the message that Kasich was taking to voters, he said, prompting the governor to hug the man. 
 
 "There are a lot of people out there who are lonely," Kasich told Cooper. "Could you believe that young man?" 
 
 He expressed frustration with the frenetic pace of presidential politics and noted how important it is to "slow down" and listen to people in need. 
 
 JUST WATCHED Kasich: Be present for others' wins and losses Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Kasich: Be present for others' wins and losses 01:36 
 
 "We've got to slow down," Kasich told Cooper. "You've got to celebrate other people's wins, and sometimes you've got to sit with them and cry." 
 
 Kasich is coming off a strong second-place showing in New Hampshire last week, but with his moderate message, there is little expectation that he will have a strong performance here during Saturday's GOP primary. 
 
 When one woman in the audience asked whether he would consider appointing any of his fellow White House hopefuls to his Cabinet, Kasich lightheartedly reminded her that it was much too early in the race. 
 
 "Well, look. I'm not going to be measuring like, the drapes. I've got a long way to go. We're really, really early," Kasich said. 
 
 He did, however, call one former candidate a "terrific guy" whom he would consider appointing to his administration: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. 
 
 "I like him very much," Kasich said, before saying about the rest of the field: "They all deserve an awful lot of respect. I don't want to fight with them." 
 
 JUST WATCHED Kasich: Losing parents to drunk driver changed my life Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Kasich: Losing parents to drunk driver changed my life 01:05 
 
 At the conclusion of his time at the CNN event, Kasich opened up about how losing his parents in a car accident forever shaped his outlook on life. 
 
 "They were at the Burger King because they got the second cup of coffee for free. That's the way the mailman and Mrs. Kasich lived," Kasich said about the day his parents died. "I went into a black hole." 
 
 He soon found God, Kasich said, though "the pain still comes." 
 
 "As a result of my parents' accident, it's allowed me to hug that boy," he added. 
 
 Jeb Bush 
 
 Bush shrugged off South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley's decision this week to endorse Rubio. 
 
 "I'm marking her down as neutral," Bush quipped. 
 
 Pressed by Cooper on how he can still convince voters here that he has momentum, Bush insisted that the momentum is there. 
 
 "I do have momentum if you look at the polls and if you look at the crowd sizes of our town hall meetings," Bush said. He pointed to the endorsement he won from South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham as a sign of his readiness to be president. 
 
 JUST WATCHED Jeb Bush: Embed U.S. troops to stop ISIS Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Jeb Bush: Embed U.S. troops to stop ISIS 01:38 
 
 "He could have supported two of his colleagues, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio," Bush said. "He chose me because he believes that I would be ready to serve on day one as commander in chief and as leader of the free world." 
 
 A University of South Carolina student told Bush that it seemed to him marijuana was one of the most frequently used drugs on campus, and asked the ex-governor for his stance on legalization. 
 
 Bush said he took issue with the term "recreational drug." 
 
 "The terminology is probably a little misleading," Bush said, "because of the potency of this generation of marijuana. It has major impacts -- neurological impacts." 
 
 He briefly mentioned his daughter's struggles with addiction, and said he believes the government should "focus a little bit more on treatment and a little less on punishment" of individuals convicted on drug-related charges. 
 
 One of the more personally revealing moments for Bush came when a questioner asked him to describe how his wife, Columba, has shaped him as a leader. Bush turned to his wife, who was sitting in the audience next to former first lady Barbara Bush, and said, "Sweetie, this is going to be your anniversary present." 
 
 He recalled meeting his wife as a young man in Mexico. 
 
 "Five o'clock. I can remember exactly where I was on the town square. I can remember exactly what she looked like to this day," Bush said. 
 
 The experience of falling for Columba -- "the most beautiful girl I had ever met in my life" -- Bush said, was like being hit with a "lightning bolt." ||||| (CNN) Thrusting himself into the combative 2016 presidential campaign, Pope Francis said Thursday that GOP front-runner Donald Trump "is not Christian" if he calls for the deportation of undocumented immigrants and pledges to build a wall between the United States and Mexico. 
 
 The Pope, who was traveling back to Rome from Mexico, where he urged the United States to address the "humanitarian crisis" on its southern border, did not tell American Catholics not to vote for Trump. 
 
 But Francis left little doubt where he stood on the polarizing issue of immigration reform. 
 
 "A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. This is not the gospel," the Pope told journalists who asked his opinion on Trump's proposals to halt illegal immigration. 
 
 Trump immediately fired back, calling Francis' comments "disgraceful." 
 
 "No leader, especially a religious leader, should have the right to question another man's religion or faith," he said in statement. Trump added that the government in Mexico, where Francis spent the past five days, has "made many disparaging remarks about me to the Pope." 
 
 "If and when the Vatican is attacked by ISIS, which as everyone knows is ISIS's ultimate trophy, I can promise you that the Pope would have only wished and prayed that Donald Trump would have been president," Trump said. 
 
 By Thursday evening, the GOP candidate had softened his tone. 
 
 "I don't like fighting with the Pope," Trump said at a GOP town hall debate in South Carolina hosted by CNN. "I like his personality; I like what he represents." 
 
 He added that he thinks Francis' remarks were "much nicer" than the media reported and that the Pope had been misled by Mexican officials. 
 
 Trump also said that the Pope has an "awfully big wall" himself at the Vatican. 
 
 That may be true, Catholic priests said, but Vatican City also has an awfully big door. 
 
 The tussle between Trump and Francis -- two outsized personalities who seldom shy from speaking their minds -- seems to have been building for some time. Before the Pope traveled to Mexico, Trump cast the pontiff as a political naif who "doesn't understand the dangers" at the U.S.-Mexican border. 
 
 Trump social media director Dan Scavino suggested the pontiff's comments were hypocritical. "Amazing comments from the Pope- considering Vatican City is 100% surrounded by massive walls," he tweeted. 
 
 Amazing comments from the Pope- considering Vatican City is 100% surrounded by massive walls. pic.twitter.com/g3iVLDVGe5 — Dan Scavino (@DanScavino) February 18, 2016 
 
 During the wide-ranging press conference aboard the papal plane, Francis also seemed to suggest that contraception may be used to prevent the transmission of the Zika virus and praised Saint John Paul II's "holy friendship" with a Polish woman 
 
 But it was his comments on Trump that seem sure to dominate the political conversation, perhaps handing a gift to Trump's GOP opponents and opening Francis to criticism that his papacy is too partisan and his policies too liberal. Polls indicate that while Democrats adore the Pope , Republicans view him a little less favorably. 
 
 Asked whether American Catholics should vote for Trump, Francis demurred. 
 
 "As far as what you said about whether I would advise to vote or not to vote, I am not going to get involved in that. I say only that this man is not Christian if he has said things like that." 
 
 The Pope appeared somewhat unaware of Trump's exact stance on illegal immigration, though, saying that he would give him "the benefit of the doubt" until he had heard exactly what the billionaire businessman had said. 
 
 The Rev. Federico Lombardi, a Vatican spokesman, said Tuesday that the Pope knows "Trump expresses himself in an expressive way," but "is not always up to date on the latest statements." 
 
 Trump has pledged to build an $8 billion wall along the United States' southern border and says he will force Mexico to pay the tab. Trump has also said that, if elected president, he would eject some 11 million undocumented immigrants from the country. 
 
 "You have people coming in, and I'm not just saying Mexicans -- I'm talking about people that are from all over that are killers and rapists, and they're coming into this country," Trump told CNN's Jake Tapper last June. 
 
 JUST WATCHED What it would take to build Trump's border wall Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH What it would take to build Trump's border wall 02:34 
 
 Before the Pope left for Mexico, Trump called Francis "a very political person" and suggested that the pontiff, who celebrated Mass Wednesday near the U.S.-Mexican border, was a pawn of the Mexican government. 
 
 The Pope made light of Trump's accusations. 
 
 "Thank God he said I was a politician because Aristotle defined the human person as 'animal politicus.' So at least I am a human person," he said. "As to whether I am a pawn, well, maybe, I don't know. I'll leave that up to your judgment and that of the people." 
 
 The White House weighs in 
 
 White House spokesman Josh Earnest, asked about Pope Francis' comments on Donald Trump, referred back to President Barack Obama's remarks last month at the National Prayer Breakfast. 
 
 He said Obama "talked about how his own personal Christian faith informed his view of the values and priorities that he has chosen to champion in the White House." 
 
 "A number of those values and priorities are not shared by Mr. Trump," Earnest said, before taking a jab at Trump's questioning of Obama's Christian faith. 
 
 "I will however extend to Mr. Trump the courtesy he has not extended to the President and not use this opportunity to call into question the kind of private personal conversations he is having with his God," Earnest said. 
 
 The Pope in Mexico 
 
 The Pope's comments on Trump came on his way home from an emotional trip to Mexico, where the first Latin American pontiff was greeted by boisterous crowds that often burst into songs or tears as he approached. 
 
 Celebrating Mass on Wednesday in Ciudad Juarez , a city just across the border from the United States, Francis delivered a stinging critique of leaders on both sides of the fence, calling the "forced migration" of thousands of Central Americans a "human tragedy" and "humanitarian crisis." 
 
 "Being faced with so many legal vacuums," the Pope said during his homily before a congregation of more than 200,000 people, "they get caught up in a web that ensnares and always destroys the poorest." 
 
 As he prepared to leave, Francis thanked Mexicans for opening their doors and their lives to him. "At times, I felt like weeping to see so much hope in a people who are suffering so much." ||||| From the beginning of his candidacy last June, he pledged to run with "joy" and adopted a tortoise-and-the-hare strategy, earnestly believing that he would prevail in the end despite a crowded field of candidates. 
 
 Even as his chances became grim over the past eight months, he started handing out tiny toy turtles from his pockets to children, telling them that "slow and steady wins the race." 
 
 But in 2016, "slow and steady" was the opposite of what the country wanted. 
 
 JUST WATCHED Jeb Bush suspends campaign: What went wrong? Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Jeb Bush suspends campaign: What went wrong? 01:51 
 
 There's plenty of blame to go around for Bush's fall, but the central theme is the failure to read the mood of the GOP electorate that was angry and wanted change. Voters responded to Donald Trump, who Bush both underestimated and whose appeal he didn't understand. 
 
 Photos: Who's running for president? Photos: Who's running for president? Ted Cruz, Donald Trump, John Kasich, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, Hide Caption 1 of 6 Photos: Who's running for president? 
 
 
 
 "So, ladies and gentlemen, I am officially running for president of the United States, and we are going to make our country great again," Trump told the crowd at his announcement. Businessman Donald Trump announced June 16 at his Trump Tower in New York City that he is seeking the Republican presidential nomination. This ends more than two decades of flirting with the idea of running for the White House."So, ladies and gentlemen, I am officially running for president of the United States, and we are going to make our country great again," Trump told the crowd at his announcement. Hide Caption 2 of 6 Photos: Who's running for president? 
 
 
 
 "These are all of our stories," Cruz told the audience at Liberty University in Virginia. "These are who we are as Americans. And yet for so many Americans, the promise of America seems more and more distant." Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas has made a name for himself in the Senate, solidifying his brand as a conservative firebrand willing to take on the GOP's establishment. He announced he was seeking the Republican presidential nomination in a speech on March 23."These are all of our stories," Cruz told the audience at Liberty University in Virginia. "These are who we are as Americans. And yet for so many Americans, the promise of America seems more and more distant." Hide Caption 3 of 6 Photos: Who's running for president? Ohio Gov. John Kasich joined the Republican field July 21 as he formally announced his White House bid. 
 
 
 
 "I am here to ask you for your prayers, for your support ... because I have decided to run for president of the United States," Kasich told his kickoff rally at the Ohio State University. Hide Caption 4 of 6 Photos: Who's running for president? 
 
 
 
 "Everyday Americans need a champion, and I want to be that champion -- so you can do more than just get by -- you can get ahead. And stay ahead," she said in her announcement video. "Because when families are strong, America is strong. So I'm hitting the road to earn your vote, because it's your time. And I hope you'll join me on this journey." Hillary Clinton launched her presidential bid on April 12 through a video message on social media. The former first lady, senator and secretary of state is considered the front-runner among possible Democratic candidates."Everyday Americans need a champion, and I want to be that champion -- so you can do more than just get by -- you can get ahead. And stay ahead," she said in her announcement video. "Because when families are strong, America is strong. So I'm hitting the road to earn your vote, because it's your time. And I hope you'll join me on this journey." Hide Caption 5 of 6 Photos: Who's running for president? 
 
 
 
 "This great nation and its government belong to all of the people and not to a handful of billionaires, their super PACs and their lobbyists," Sanders said at a rally in Vermont on May 26. Sen. Bernie Sanders , an independent from Vermont who caucuses with Democrats, announced his run in an email to supporters on April 30. He has said the United States needs a "political revolution" of working-class Americans to take back control of the government from billionaires."This great nation and its government belong to all of the people and not to a handful of billionaires, their super PACs and their lobbyists," Sanders said at a rally in Vermont on May 26. Hide Caption 6 of 6 
 
 Bush was out of practice on the campaign trail, something evidenced by his early stumbles answering questions on his stance on the war in Iraq -- a question that should have been anticipated with an answer ready. He declared early he was his "own man," but also highlighted his connection to his father and brother, presidents both. And he raised over $100 million between his campaign and super PAC, but it didn't scare anyone out of the race. 
 
 In the final few days before the South Carolina primary, Bush started to realize that his White House bid might be coming to an end. He talked with less certitude about moving on to other states and appeared almost wistful at times. 
 
 JUST WATCHED Jeb Bush: 'I would repeal Obamacare' Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Jeb Bush: 'I would repeal Obamacare' 00:58 
 
 But it wasn't until late Saturday afternoon that he knew that he likely wouldn't be moving forward, according to campaign aides. Many staffers were told of his final decision just five minutes before he took the stage at the Hilton in Columbia. 
 
 "In this campaign I've stood my ground refusing to bend to the political winds," Bush said Saturday night. "We put forward detailed, innovative conservative plans to address the mounting challenges that we face. Because despite what you might have heard, ideas matter ... policy matters." 
 
 Bush spent much of his campaign focusing on his experience as governor of Florida and policy, consistently rolling out new initiatives and plans. But 2016 was simply a different era from the last time he ran for office -- in 2002. 
 
 Bush adviser Sally Bradshaw told CNN Saturday night that 2016 simply "was not his year." 
 
 "Look, this was a year that was bigger than a lot of the candidates in this race," Bradshaw said. Bush "didn't equivocate, and he took on Donald Trump and he showed us what is best about our party and what is best about our country." 
 
 As CNN's embedded reporter with the Bush campaign, I followed the former Florida governor from the lofty moments, early in 2015 when he was preparing for his presidential run, to the final days when he acknowledged that he would not be the third Bush to work in the Oval Office. I covered him at more than 100 events in 14 states over 11 months and this story is based on that experience. 
 
 On paper, an ideal candidate 
 
 Bush, who turned 63 last week, never placed above 18% as a candidate in the polls, but he remained the front-runner in the GOP field for the first month of his campaign. 
 
 He was a candidate who fulfilled what Republicans thought they needed after the 2012 election loss: an experienced governor from a swing state who could help expand the Republican base by appealing to Latinos and craft a narrative of a more compassionate party. 
 
 By the middle of the year, his campaign and allies at the super PAC Right to Rise USA, had raised more than $100 million, far more than any other candidate. The haul was meant to send the message that Bush could dominate the field and be a formidable general election candidate. 
 
 But instead, 2016 appeared to be the election no one said no to running. From Bush's one-time protégé from Florida Marco Rubio to Govs. Chris Christie, Bobby Jindal and Scott Walker and former Govs. Mike Huckabee and Rick Perry, Bush's cash scared no one. And it turned out to be for good reason. 
 
 JUST WATCHED Jeb Bush impersonates Donald Trump Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Jeb Bush impersonates Donald Trump 00:41 
 
 Then, a perceived sideshow candidate named Donald Trump -- who labeled undocumented immigrants as "rapists" in his announcement speech -- stole the show. He started to gain traction and within weeks became not only the front-runner, but took the lead and ran away with it. 
 
 The surge revealed a Republican electorate that was more angry than joyful, surprising the Washington political class and upending the Republican primary narrative. With every insult hurled, Trump's anti-establishment, verbose persona became more popular. It was clear that Bush would face an uphill battle. 
 
 And Trump had his sights set on the former governor. He quickly began mocking Bush as an "unhappy person" with "low energy." Like many of the other candidates, Bush's campaign tried to stay above the fray and not engage with the reality TV star. 
 
 In Henderson, Nevada, in late July -- one of the first times Bush was asked to respond to Trump's "rapists" comment -- the candidate simply said: "I disagree with him." Pressed for more, he replied curtly: "I think he's wrong. 
 
 A couple of weeks later, in Carson City, Nevada, when Bush was asked if he wanted to respond to Trump accusing him of promising favors to his donors, Bush looked this reporter in the eye and said: "No." 
 
 Bush didn't start hitting back at Trump's accusations that Bush was "low energy" until mid-September, but by then it was too late. The label had stuck. 
 
 Aides, advisers and even Bush, himself, have quietly acknowledged that the popularity and influence of Trump was underestimated at the beginning. 
 
 "People probably thought they could just let (Trump's) comments go into the ether, not take the bait," one adviser said. "This campaign probably felt for some time that it was best to let Trump hang out there and make a fool of himself." 
 
 Messages didn't stick 
 
 Bush, from the start, had high name recognition, but the campaign felt that people didn't know his conservative record as the two-term governor of Florida. 
 
 But those messages couldn't drown out the barrage of attacks coming his way from Trump, especially the "low energy" brand that quickly became the meme of Bush's candidacy. 
 
 "I believe it hurt a lot," the adviser said. 
 
 It was especially frustrating for the campaign because, Bush, in fact, was anything but low energy. He campaigned tirelessly from the start of his bid and voters were routinely impressed and surprised by his passion when they saw him at his town halls. 
 
 But, having been out of campaign politics for more than a decade, Bush struggled early on to command the stage at debates and appeared awkward on TV, versus the looser, comfortable-in-his-own skin Bush that voters saw in person. 
 
 Over that time, Bush gradually stepped up his attacks against Trump, and at a debate in December, Bush tore into the front-runner repeatedly, solidifying himself as the "anti-Trump" candidate. Trump's locker-room language irritated Bush so much that the former governor started calling Trump a "loser" and a "jerk," and painted him as a disparager of Hispanics, women, people with disabilities and prisoners of war. 
 
 Photos: The week in politics Photos: The week in politics Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton arrives gives a victory speech at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on Saturday, February 20, after edging out Bernie Sanders in Nevada's Democratic caucuses. Hide Caption 1 of 14 Photos: The week in politics 
 
 Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush announces that he is suspending his campaign in Columbia, South Carolina, on Saturday, February 20. Bush struggled for months to make inroads against Donald Trump, who constantly mocked the former Florida governor's "low energy" and for spending tens of millions of dollars on his campaign. Hide Caption 2 of 14 Photos: The week in politics Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump celebrates winning the South Carolina primary in Spartanburg on Saturday, February 20. Hide Caption 3 of 14 Photos: The week in politics U.S. Supreme Court justices attend a private ceremony in the court's Great Hall as the body of Justice Antonin Scalia lies in repose on Friday, February 19. Facing the camera, from right, are justices Sonia Sotomayor, Stephen Breyer, Clarence Thomas, John Roberts, Anthony Kennedy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Samuel Alito and Elena Kagan. Hide Caption 4 of 14 Photos: The week in politics A woman wears a campaign sticker for U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican presidential candidate, ahead of a campaign rally in Aiken, South Carolina, on Monday, February 15. Hide Caption 5 of 14 Photos: The week in politics U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders meets a 3-month-old dressed like him at a campaign rally in Las Vegas on Sunday, February 14. Sanders is seeking the Democratic Party's nomination for President. Hide Caption 6 of 14 Photos: The week in politics People in Livonia, Michigan, wait for Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican presidential candidate, to arrive at a town-hall meeting on Tuesday, February 16. Hide Caption 7 of 14 Photos: The week in politics Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson has makeup applied during a commercial break of the CNN town-hall event held Wednesday, February 17, in Greenville, South Carolina. Hide Caption 8 of 14 Photos: The week in politics South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley campaigns with U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, whom she endorsed Thursday, February 18, in Chapin, South Carolina. Hide Caption 9 of 14 Photos: The week in politics A Donald Trump supporter holds up a sign as former U.S. President Bill Clinton stumps for his wife in Riviera Beach, Florida, on Monday, February 15. The Trump supporter yelled to Clinton, "You took his money!" meaning Trump. "I certainly did," Clinton responded. "I took his money for my foundation, where I used it better than he's using it now." Hide Caption 10 of 14 Photos: The week in politics U.S. President Barack Obama shows off the lifetime parking pass he received as gift from Chicago Blackhawks owner John McDonough on Thursday, February 18. McDonough and the Blackhawks were being honored at the White House for winning the NHL's Stanley Cup last season. Hide Caption 11 of 14 Photos: The week in politics New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie gestures as he delivers his budget at the Statehouse in Trenton, New Jersey, on Tuesday, February 16. Christie recently suspended his campaign for the presidency. Hide Caption 12 of 14 Photos: The week in politics John Mew photographs his wife Amy, and daughters Ireland, 6, left, and Sailor, 4, after voting in the South Carolina Republican presidential primary Saturday, February 20 at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in West Columbia, South Carolina. Hide Caption 13 of 14 Photos: The week in politics Philanthropist David Rubenstein tours the Lincoln Memorial in Washington on Monday, February 15. The National Park Service announced that Rubenstein, who has already donated tens of millions of dollars to refurbish the Washington Monument and other icons, is giving $18.5 million to fix up the Lincoln Memorial. The money will go to repairing damaged masonry, cleaning the memorial and conserving murals inside. Hide Caption 14 of 14 
 
 Even though Bush had fallen so far behind in the national polls -- he's been in the single digits since October -- Trump continued to pillory Bush, and their feud manifested itself in daily attacks in stump speeches and over Twitter. 
 
 Meanwhile, fingers started pointing. As Bush's campaign continued to struggle before the primary season started, donors and supporters were already starting to blame the super PAC and its chief, Bush confidant Mike Murphy, for not focusing hard enough on Trump and targeting other rivals like Rubio, instead. 
 
 Bush himself never denounced the ads put out by the super PAC but tried to keep as much distance possible from the group that he spent the first half of 2015 raising money for. During his campaign, he expressed frustration over the super PAC process and blamed the Citizens United ruling for making campaign finance so complicated -- not because too much money was being spent, but because it meant so much was out of the control of the actual candidates. 
 
 Bush eventually saw more and more support for his offensive against Trump. At his last event in South Carolina, he received a standing ovation when Sen. Lindsey Graham, who campaigned for Bush in the final month, thanked Bush for "standing up for just being decent." 
 
 Early stumbles on Iraq 
 
 Advisers, donors and Republican strategists say Trump wasn't the only factor that led to Bush's decline. 
 
 JUST WATCHED Jeb Bush flip-flops on Iraq war opinion Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Jeb Bush flip-flops on Iraq war opinion 02:21 
 
 He stumbled even before he was a candidate when he failed to answer a question about the Iraq war last May -- a blunder that took Bush a week and multiple attempts to get right. 
 
 The episode alarmed donors and highlighted a level of Bush fatigue that the country was still feeling. While the campaign earnestly believed that Bush would have plenty of time to define himself and distinguish his candidacy from that of his brother or father, that never fully happened. 
 
 JUST WATCHED Wolfowitz: Jeb Bush "is his own man" Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Wolfowitz: Jeb Bush "is his own man" 03:39 
 
 But he then went the other way, bringing himself closer to his family and started using his "front row seat" to the presidencies of his brother and father as "unique" foreign policy credential. Nothing seemed to quell the concerns of a third Bush presidency, which voters continued to raise at town halls even until the end. 
 
 "What we're seeing right now on both sides of the aisle is the country is not rushing to have a repeat of Bush vs. Clinton," said Leslie Sanchez, who served in the George W. Bush administration but is not affiliated with any candidate. "There's nothing he could have done to overcome that national sentiment." 
 
 After Rubio attack, a return to wonkishness 
 
 JUST WATCHED Bush jabs Rubio over leadership experience Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Bush jabs Rubio over leadership experience 00:59 
 
 Another pivotal moment came in October when Bush tried to attack Rubio on the debate stage for abandoning his day job and missing votes in the Senate to campaign. But the carefully planned attack -- which Bush had been telegraphing for days -- backfired when Rubio skillfully deflected, saying Bush never took issue with Sen. John McCain missing votes when he was running for president. 
 
 "The only reason you're doing it now is because we're running for the same position," Rubio said. "Someone has convinced you that attacking me is going to help you." 
 
 The awkward encounter was embarrassing for Bush and the governor failed to mount a counterpunch. One day later, Bush was already facing questions about whether his campaign was over. 
 
 "It's not on life support," he insisted, facing a massive scrum of reporters and cameras in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. 
 
 JUST WATCHED Jeb Bush: 'People need to show up for work' Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Jeb Bush: 'People need to show up for work' 01:35 
 
 In the following months, Bush would lighten his attacks against Rubio, training his fire more on Trump instead. All the while, Bush kept a heavy commitment to rolling out policy plans nearly every week on a range of issues -- from entitlements to managing western public lands. 
 
 While Bush's wonkish side impressed voters at his town halls, it never broke through as a winning profile in an election year where bluster, bombast and soaring rhetoric was more appealing to an angry and frustrated electorate. 
 
 Bush regularly bristled at the idea that he needed to change stylistically or put on a "performance" at the all-important debates. But after the Rubio flap, his team hired a debate coach in November and tried to reset his campaign with a "Jeb Can Fix It" bus tour that zeroed in on his experience as governor. It coincided with the launch of his e-book, "Reply All," that used his emails to tell the story of what he calls his "servant leader's heart" when he was governor. 
 
 JUST WATCHED Bush's debate performance panned as Rubio rises Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Bush's debate performance panned as Rubio rises 03:51 
 
 His stump speech became more compelling and he spoke with more alluring cadence. As he did before, Bush continued to woo voters at his town hall by his seeming ability to answer any question thrown his way. And he showed charm, compassion and accessibility as he took selfies and talked to any voter who wanted to meet him after his town halls. 
 
 "Every time he spoke at an event, he won hearts and minds," said David Oman, a senior adviser who worked on Bush's Iowa campaign. "I wish we could have had more." 
 
 South Carolina: One last family run 
 
 JUST WATCHED Jeb Bush supporter: 'South Carolina is Bush country' Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Jeb Bush supporter: 'South Carolina is Bush country' 02:45 
 
 In New Hampshire and South Carolina, Bush dramatically shook up his stump speech and directly tried to take on Rubio and Cruz for being first-term senators, comparing them to then-Sen. Barack Obama in 2008 and calling them a "risky bet." 
 
 It appeared Bush was on the verge of a mild comeback after the New Hampshire primary where he placed fourth, ahead of Rubio. It gave Bush enough to keep him afloat heading into South Carolina, but it still wasn't the resounding victory he was hoping for. 
 
 When Bush landed in Hilton Head, South Carolina, the next morning after the primary, he was greeted to hundreds of voters in a retirement community in Bluffton, and a strategy to further embrace his family name kicked off immediately. 
 
 "South Carolina has been good to the Bushes in the past, and I'm hoping and praying it will be good again," he said. Indeed the state catapulted the 2000 presidential bid of his brother, George W. Bush, and handed George H.W. Bush a victory in 1988. 
 
 Bush told reporters that morning that the New Hampshire primary "pushed the pause button" on the race and erased Rubio's "coronation." 
 
 His campaign had two main strategies as he prepared to barnstorm the state of South Carolina: focus on the military and capitalize on the Bush name fanfare. 
 
 JUST WATCHED George W. Bush: 'Strongest is not the loudest' Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH George W. Bush: 'Strongest is not the loudest' 02:09 
 
 Graham, the state's senior senator and an expert on the military and foreign policy issues, campaigned for Bush at nearly every event in South Carolina the past 10 days, warming up the crowds with his Southern wit and playing the role of attack dog by lambasting Trump and Rubio. 
 
 The senator became so passionate that he grabbed the microphone from Bush again at the end of a town hall in Columbia last week to deliver yet another speech --- this time a fiery closing argument that angrily ripped into Trump for attacking Bush's brother in the most recent debate. 
 
 "I will never vote for a man who says that George W. Bush is a liar. You're not a Republican if you're asking Nancy Pelosi to impeach President Bush," he said. "Any man who says what Donald Trump said about George W. Bush is not a Republican worthy of your support. That's crazy talk." 
 
 For the first time, the campaign trotted out the 43rd President on the trail, where he headlined a rally with his brother in North Charleston on Monday. The event drew hundreds more voters than a normal Jeb Bush event, and it provided the campaign a full day of positive headlines. His brother offered veiled swipes at Bush's more dramatic opponents and tried to underwrite his brother's credentials to be commander-in-chief. 
 
 JUST WATCHED The Bush family and Iraq Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH The Bush family and Iraq 01:44 
 
 "Strength is not empty rhetoric. It is not bluster. It is not theatrics. Real strength, strength of purpose, comes from integrity and character. And in my experience, the strongest person usually isn't the loudest one in the room," the former President said to applause. "I've seen in my brother a quiet conviction and a core of conscience that cannot be shaken. And my hope is that the people of South Carolina will see this as well. This is a serious election for a serious job." 
 
 But two days later came a devastating blow. The state's popular governor, Nikki Haley, who Bush campaigned for in 2010 and helped advise her on policy, announced she was endorsing Rubio. 
 
 The news came just as Bush was about to hold yet another town hall in Summerville, one of 22 cities in South Carolina that the candidate publicly campaigned in during the past week and a half. 
 
 "I'm disappointed," Bush told reporters at the time, but still took the high road. "She's a very good governor and should I win the nomination there will be a role for her in the campaign, trust me, she's a great person." 
 
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 The positive coverage quickly dwindled and poll numbers showed no noticeable improvement after George W. Bush's appearance. Bush's campaign continued with the family name strategy and brought former first lady Barbara Bush, 90, back on the campaign trail Thursday through Saturday. She helped generate buzz for her son in New Hampshire, and it was assumed she would be met with even more fanfare in South Carolina, where she attended high school at Ashley Hall in Charleston. 
 
 "He's done the most amazing things as governor. He's a great son. He's a great father. He's a great husband. He's a great friend. He's loyal," she said, while introducing her son at his final South Carolina town hall in the town of Central on Friday night. "And ladies and gentlemen, my boy, Jeb." 
 
 Also in attendance were his two brothers, Marvin and Neil, his wife Columba, and his son, Jeb, Jr., as well as a hoard of campaign staffers and volunteers -- some of whom appeared reflective in the wake of uncertainty surrounding Bush's campaign. 
 
 And in a moment that raised eyebrows, Bush thanked his audience at the end of his stump speech, saying, "Thank you very much for allowing us to close out our campaign here at your high school." 
 
 JUST WATCHED Donald Trump: Ted Cruz a liar, Bush lied about Iraq Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Donald Trump: Ted Cruz a liar, Bush lied about Iraq 03:50 
 
 His staff quickly assured reporters he was only talking about his South Carolina campaign, but the quote nonetheless underscored a sense of finality that was previously lacking in Bush's rhetoric. 
 
 Yet it would only be 24 hours later when Bush would give his actual closing speech. 
 
 "I'm proud of the campaign that we have run to unify the country. And to advocate for conservative solutions that would give more Americans the opportunity to rise up and reach their God-given potential. But the people of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina have spoken," he said. "I respect their decision." 
 
 After his brief speech, he shook hands with supporters for a few minutes before immediately leaving the hotel to go back to Miami with his wife, making some emotional goodbyes as he got in his car.
– Donald Trump is softening his rhetoric on Pope Francis after blasting the leader of the Catholic Church for suggesting the billionaire businessman's plan to build a wall along the US-Mexico border made him "not Christian." Trump said during a town hall event on CNN that he now believes the pope's remarks were "probably a little bit nicer" than first reported. Trump said he believes the pope has only heard one side of the story, as told by the Mexican government, and isn't aware of the problems Trump claims are caused by a porous border. Trump also said he has great respect for Pope Francis. Still, he couldn't help but offer a dig, noting that, "He's got an awfully big wall at the Vatican." During the University of South Carolina town hall, Trump, who has long claimed to have opposed the invasion of Iraq, was also asked about BuzzFeed's unearthing of a 2002 interview in which Howard Stern asked him whether he supported the invasion. "Yeah, I guess so," he responded at the time, according to the audio. "I wish the first time in was done correctly." At the town hall, he told Anderson Cooper he didn't remember the conversation, but he said, "I mean, I could have said that. ... It was probably the first time anybody asked me that question," adding that his opposition was early, "even if it was a little bit after the war." More from the town hall: Trump said that if he's elected to the White House, he plans to send cease-and-desist letters or similar threats to countries he believes are giving the US raw deals. He said he would send letters "to China to stop ripping us off. I would be sending them to other countries to stop ripping us off. I'd send them to Mexico." John Kasich described how his life had been shaped by the day his parents were killed by a drunk driver. "They were at the Burger King because they got the second cup of coffee for free. That's the way the mailman and Mrs. Kasich lived," he said. "I went into a black hole" after they died in 1987, he added, but he recovered and soon found God. Jeb Bush insisted that he still has momentum "if you look at the polls and if you look at the crowd sizes of our town hall meetings," and he said the endorsement from Sen. Lindsey Graham signals that he's ready to serve from Day 1 as "commander in chief and as leader of the free world."