The body of Justice Antonin Scalia is lying in repose Friday at the Supreme Court where he spent nearly three decades as one of its most conservative and influential members.

Scalia’s casket arrived at the Supreme Court at 9:29 a.m., ahead of a private ceremony in the Great Hall. Supreme Court police officers served as pallbearers.

Scalia’s former law clerks served as honorary pallbearers and will take tus standing vigil by their former boss throughout the day and night in a tradition most recently observed after the 2005 death of former Chief Justice William Rehnquist.

The casket is being placed on the Lincoln Catafalque, which was loaned to the court by Congress for the ceremony, and a 2007 portrait of Scalia by Nelson Shanks will be displayed.

A private ceremony including family, friends and justices started at the court at 9:30 a.m. Scalia's casket will be on public view from 10:30 a.m. until 8 p.m.

President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama plaed to pay their respects at the court on Friday, while Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden were to attend Scalia's funeral Mass on Saturday.

The funeral Mass open to family and friends will take place Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington. Burial plans have not been released.

In a departure from tradition, the court's current and former justices won't be lining the marble steps outside the court as the casket is carried through the main entrance. They will instead be waiting inside.

Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg did not explain the reason for the change.

Scalia's sudden death complicated an already tumultuous election year. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McCoell says a replacement should not be named until the next president takes office. Obama pledged to pick a replacement "in due time" and challenged Republicans to hold a vote on his nominee.

Scalia was found dead on Saturday in his room at a remote Texas hunting resort. The 79-year-old jurist was appointed to the court in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan.

He is survived by his wife, Maureen, nine children and 36 grandchildren.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

U.S. warplanes carried out airstrikes Friday that targeted an ISIS base and a senior militant believed to be behind two deadly attacks against Weste tourists in Tunisia last year.

A senior U.S. official told Fox News that the target of the airstrike was Noureddine Chouchane, a senior ISIS figure in Libya. A defense official speaking to The Associated Press said Chouchane was "likely killed."

The airstrike on the base in Sabratha, west of Tripoli, was carried out by F-15s.

Local reports initially suggested that more than 30 people had been killed. However, it was not immediately clear how many ISIS terrorists were among the dead.

Chouchane is thought to have directed the March 18 attack on the Bardo Museum in Tunis, in which 24 people were killed, many of them foreign tourists. He is also believed to have some coection to the June 26 attack on a resort hotel near the Tunisian city of Sousse, where an ISIS gunman killed 38 people.

President Barack Obama last week directed his national security team to bolster counterterrorism efforts in Libya while also pursuing diplomatic possibilities for solving its political crisis and forming a govement of national unity. While ISIS has emerged in other places, including Afghanistan, Libya is seen as its key focus outside of Syria and Iraq.

The U.S. military has been closely monitoring ISIS movements in Libya, and small teams of U.S. military persoel have moved in and out of the country over a period of months. British, French and Italian special forces also have been in Libya helping with aerial surveillance, mapping and intelligence gathering in several cities, including Benghazi in the east and Zintan in the west, according to two Libyan military officials who are coordinating with them. The Libyan officials spoke on condition of anonymity recently with The Associated Press on this matter because they were not authorized to speak to the press.

U.S. officials predicted early this month that it would be weeks or longer before U.S. special forces would be sent, citing the need for more consultations with European allies. Additional intelligence would help refine targets for any sort of military strikes, but surveillance drones are in high demand elsewhere, including in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Adding to the conce in Washington and Europe is evidence that the number of ISIS fighters in Libya is increasing - now believed to be up from about 2,000 to 5,000 - even as the group's numbers in Syria and Iraq are shrinking under more unrelenting U.S. and coalition airstrikes.

Fox News Chael's Jeifer Griffin and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The body of Justice Antonin Scalia is lying in repose Friday at the Supreme Court where he spent nearly three decades as one of its most conservative and influential members.

Scalia’s casket arrived at the Supreme Court at 9:29 a.m., ahead of a private ceremony in the Great Hall. Supreme Court police officers served as pallbearers.

Scalia’s former law clerks served as honorary pallbearers and will take tus standing vigil by their former boss throughout the day and night in a tradition most recently observed after the 2005 death of former Chief Justice William Rehnquist.

The casket is being placed on the Lincoln Catafalque, which was loaned to the court by Congress for the ceremony, and a 2007 portrait of Scalia by Nelson Shanks will be displayed.

A private ceremony including family, friends and justices started at the court at 9:30 a.m. Scalia's casket will be on public view from 10:30 a.m. until 8 p.m.

President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama plaed to pay their respects at the court on Friday, while Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden were to attend Scalia's funeral Mass on Saturday.

The funeral Mass open to family and friends will take place Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington. Burial plans have not been released.

In a departure from tradition, the court's current and former justices won't be lining the marble steps outside the court as the casket is carried through the main entrance. They will instead be waiting inside.

Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg did not explain the reason for the change.

Scalia's sudden death complicated an already tumultuous election year. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McCoell says a replacement should not be named until the next president takes office. Obama pledged to pick a replacement "in due time" and challenged Republicans to hold a vote on his nominee.

Scalia was found dead on Saturday in his room at a remote Texas hunting resort. The 79-year-old jurist was appointed to the court in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan.

He is survived by his wife, Maureen, nine children and 36 grandchildren.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

U.S. warplanes carried out airstrikes Friday that targeted an ISIS base and a senior militant believed to be behind two deadly attacks against Weste tourists in Tunisia last year.

A senior U.S. official told Fox News that the target of the airstrike was Noureddine Chouchane, a senior ISIS figure in Libya. A defense official speaking to The Associated Press said Chouchane was "likely killed."

The airstrike on the base in Sabratha, west of Tripoli, was carried out by F-15s.

Local reports initially suggested that more than 30 people had been killed. However, it was not immediately clear how many ISIS terrorists were among the dead.

Chouchane is thought to have directed the March 18 attack on the Bardo Museum in Tunis, in which 24 people were killed, many of them foreign tourists. He is also believed to have some coection to the June 26 attack on a resort hotel near the Tunisian city of Sousse, where an ISIS gunman killed 38 people.

President Barack Obama last week directed his national security team to bolster counterterrorism efforts in Libya while also pursuing diplomatic possibilities for solving its political crisis and forming a govement of national unity. While ISIS has emerged in other places, including Afghanistan, Libya is seen as its key focus outside of Syria and Iraq.

The U.S. military has been closely monitoring ISIS movements in Libya, and small teams of U.S. military persoel have moved in and out of the country over a period of months. British, French and Italian special forces also have been in Libya helping with aerial surveillance, mapping and intelligence gathering in several cities, including Benghazi in the east and Zintan in the west, according to two Libyan military officials who are coordinating with them. The Libyan officials spoke on condition of anonymity recently with The Associated Press on this matter because they were not authorized to speak to the press.

U.S. officials predicted early this month that it would be weeks or longer before U.S. special forces would be sent, citing the need for more consultations with European allies. Additional intelligence would help refine targets for any sort of military strikes, but surveillance drones are in high demand elsewhere, including in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Adding to the conce in Washington and Europe is evidence that the number of ISIS fighters in Libya is increasing - now believed to be up from about 2,000 to 5,000 - even as the group's numbers in Syria and Iraq are shrinking under more unrelenting U.S. and coalition airstrikes.

Fox News Chael's Jeifer Griffin and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Donald Trump continues to dominate the race for the Republican nomination, according to a new Fox News national poll of registered voters.

Trump leads with 36 percent among self-identified GOP primary voters. Ted Cruz captures 19 percent and Marco Rubio receives 15 percent.

CLICK TO READ THE POLL RESULTS

Jeb Bush and Ben Carson get nine percent a piece, and John Kasich gets eight percent.

The poll, released Thursday, was conducted Monday through Wednesday evenings -- after a heated Republican debate Saturday in South Carolina (and also after Valentine’s Day Sunday).

Trump’s success is due to his ability to make in-roads with core elements of the GOP base.

For example, white evangelical Christians voting in the GOP primary favor Trump (28 percent) and Cruz (26 percent) over Rubio (15 percent) and Carson (15 percent).

Cruz has a slim one-point edge over Trump among those who identify as “very” conservative (29-28 percent). Another 16 percent back Rubio.

Men (40 percent) are more likely than women (32 percent) to make Trump their first choice. Still, he’s the favorite for each.

Nearly six in 10 Republicans want the next president to be someone from outside the political establishment -- and those voters go heavily for Trump (55 percent vs. 15 percent for Cruz and 11 percent Carson).

Meanwhile, Trump is the candidate Republican voters trust to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Thirty-nine percent would put Trump in the room with Putin -- that’s more than double the 18 percent who say Cruz. Fourteen percent say Rubio and 10 percent Bush.

For those pundits who thought the Republican faithful would fall back in line when faced with the possibility of Trump making Supreme Court appointments, consider this: Trump ties Cruz as the candidate GOP primary voters think would do the best job handling nominations to the high court (26 percent each).

Taking into consideration that this is an election year, 62 percent of all voters say it is the responsibility of current leaders, President Obama and the Senate, to act to fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by Justice Scalia’s recent death. Compare that to 34 percent who think the president shouldn’t get to nominate someone for a life-time appointment this late in his term.

Despite Trump’s strengths in the primary race, he’s the weakest of the GOP candidates in hypothetical matchups against Clinton. Rubio (+4) and Kasich (+3) perform best against Clinton. Cruz and Bush each top Clinton by just one point.

Trump trails the Democrat by five points: Clinton 47 percent vs. Trump 42 percent. Sanders trounces Trump by 53-38 percent.

By a slim 49-48 percent, Republicans think Trump “has the temperament” to serve effectively as president, while voters overall say he doesn’t by 67-30.

Republicans say by 62-31 percent that Rubio “has the toughness” to serve effectively. By comparison, most voters aren’t so sure: 43 percent say he does, while 46 percent disagree.

Is Cruz likeable enough to do the job? By two-to-one most Republicans say he has the “personality” to serve effectively as president (65-30). Overall, voters are more likely to say no (44 percent yes vs. 49 percent no).

Who could kids look up to in the White House? GOP primary voters think Carson (26 percent) is the best role model for children today, while nearly half say Trump is the worst (49 percent).

Pollpourri

The president is on television -- a lot. Voters say they would “most dread” watching Trump (40 percent) and Clinton (31 percent) on television for the next four years. Democrats are more likely to say Trump (56 percent) than Republicans are to say Clinton (50 percent).

Independents? They would dread watching Trump the most (40 percent), followed by Clinton (27 percent).

The Fox News poll is based on landline and cellphone interviews with 1,031 randomly chosen registered voters nationwide and was conducted under the joint direction of Anderson Robbins Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R) from February 15-17, 2016. The poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points for all registered voters, and 4.5 points for the Republican primary voter sample (404).

Police in Washington state are asking for the public's help in locating a Seattle man who has been missing for two weeks.

Richard Aeson, 62, was reported missing on Feb. 5 after he failed to show up for work. A conceed neigbor went to Aeson's apartment and found the back door open. Police who were called to the scene found no sign of foul play.

KOMO reported that later that same day, the neighbor received a text from Aeson that said simply, "my luck has run out." The missing man has not been seen or heard from since.

Authorities say Aeson has been known to frequent walking trails in West Seattle and Rainier Valley, which is located southeast of downtown.

Anyone with information about Aeson's whereabouts is asked to contact Seattle Police at (206) 684-5007.

Click for more from KOMONews.com.

U.S. warplanes carried out airstrikes Friday that targeted an ISIS base and a senior militant believed to be behind two deadly attacks against Weste tourists in Tunisia last year.

A senior U.S. official told Fox News that the target of the airstrike was Noureddine Chouchane, a senior ISIS figure in Libya. A defense official speaking to The Associated Press said Chouchane was "likely killed."

The airstrike on the base in Sabratha, west of Tripoli, was carried out by F-15s.

Local reports initially suggested that more than 30 people had been killed. However, it was not immediately clear how many ISIS terrorists were among the dead.

Chouchane is thought to have directed the March 18 attack on the Bardo Museum in Tunis, in which 24 people were killed, many of them foreign tourists. He is also believed to have some coection to the June 26 attack on a resort hotel near the Tunisian city of Sousse, where an ISIS gunman killed 38 people.

President Barack Obama last week directed his national security team to bolster counterterrorism efforts in Libya while also pursuing diplomatic possibilities for solving its political crisis and forming a govement of national unity. While ISIS has emerged in other places, including Afghanistan, Libya is seen as its key focus outside of Syria and Iraq.

The U.S. military has been closely monitoring ISIS movements in Libya, and small teams of U.S. military persoel have moved in and out of the country over a period of months. British, French and Italian special forces also have been in Libya helping with aerial surveillance, mapping and intelligence gathering in several cities, including Benghazi in the east and Zintan in the west, according to two Libyan military officials who are coordinating with them. The Libyan officials spoke on condition of anonymity recently with The Associated Press on this matter because they were not authorized to speak to the press.

U.S. officials predicted early this month that it would be weeks or longer before U.S. special forces would be sent, citing the need for more consultations with European allies. Additional intelligence would help refine targets for any sort of military strikes, but surveillance drones are in high demand elsewhere, including in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Adding to the conce in Washington and Europe is evidence that the number of ISIS fighters in Libya is increasing - now believed to be up from about 2,000 to 5,000 - even as the group's numbers in Syria and Iraq are shrinking under more unrelenting U.S. and coalition airstrikes.

Fox News Chael's Jeifer Griffin and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump tepidly endorsed invading Iraq in September 2002, contradicting his earlier insistence that he opposed the war before the March 2003 invasion.

Trump was asked about a possible war with Iraq during a five-minute phone interview with radio host Howard Ste on Sept. 11, 2002. In between Trump's recollections of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attack on the World Trade Center and his thoughts on rebuilding the Twin Towers, Ste asked the billionaire real estate developer, "Are you for invading Iraq?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Trump responded. "You know, I wish the first time it was done correctly," an apparent reference to the Gulf War. A month after the interview, Congress passed a joint resolution authorizing military action against Iraq.

The audio was first reported late Thursday by Buzzfeed News.

For months, Trump has cited his opposition to the Iraq War as evidence of his foreign policy judgement. When asked about the statement during a CNN town hall in South Carolina Thursday, Trump initially said he did not remember making the statement, but added, "I could have said that. Nobody asked me- I wasn't a politician. It was probably the first time anybody asked me that question.

"By the time the war started, I was against it," Trump added. "And shortly thereafter, I was really against it."

In an interview with Fox News' Sean Haity Thursday, Trump restated his opposition to the war, saying "We attacked Iraq, but Iraq didn’t knock down the World Trade Center." Trump also said that he would declassify the entire 9/11 Commission Report, telling Haity "When that’s open, I think you’ll find out that Saudi Arabia had a lot to do with the ripping down of the World Trade Center."

The Iraq War issue first flared up in Saturday's Republican debate, when Trump clashed with former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush over Middle East policy.

Trump repeatedly slammed former President George W. Bush, Jeb's brother, saying his administration "lied" about Iraq having weapons of mass destruction. At Thursday's town hall, Trump refused to say whether he stood by that charge.

Trump also invoked the 9/11 attacks in response to Jeb Bush's claim that his brother kept the U.S. safe, saying "The World Trade Center came down … That’s not keeping us safe."

During the town hall, Trump also eased off Idea he had made earlier in the day about Pope Francis. Retuing to Rome from a five-day trip to Mexico, Francis had said that Trump's pledge to build a wall along the entire length of the border and expel millions of illegal immigrants was "not Christian".

Trump, a Presbyterian, initially responded by saying, "For a religious leader to question a person's faith is disgraceful. I am proud to be a Christian, and as president I will not allow Christianity to be consistently attacked and weakened."

However, on Thursday night, Trump said "I don't like fighting with the Pope, actually. I don't think this is a fight. I think he said something much softer than was originally reported by the media. I think that he heard one side of the story, which is probably by the Mexican govement."

A would-be robber was left beaten and bruised by a bystander -- who happened to be a state boxing champion -- at a Florida Walgreens on Valentine's Day, police said.

Bradenton Police said Anthony Nemeth, dressed in a hoodie, covered his face when he walked into a neighborhood Walgreens and tried to rob the store, Fox13News.com reported.

“He jumped up onto the counter, demanding all of their Oxycodone 30 milligram,” police said. At first, the store clerk couldn’t believe a robbery was occurring, but Nemeth assured him it was and that he had a gun, police said.

David West, a 25-year-old who reportedly holds two state boxing titles, overheard the demands and jumped into action.

It took the boxer four punches to knock the suspect out cold, he told ABC 13.

West, who was visting his girlfriend, said he wasn't trying to hurt anyone, but wanted to protect his significant other. He said he told the suspect to "use this as a tuing point."

Nemeth has been charged with attempted armed robbery and is currently being held in Manatee County Jail on a $15,000 bond.

“Normally, I would say don’t get involved, especially when there is a weapon they can see, but apparently the citizen didn’t see or felt he had a weapon,” Lt. James Racky told Fox13News.com.

Click for more from Fox 13.

Donald Trump continues to dominate the race for the Republican nomination, according to a new Fox News national poll of registered voters.

Trump leads with 36 percent among self-identified GOP primary voters. Ted Cruz captures 19 percent and Marco Rubio receives 15 percent.

CLICK TO READ THE POLL RESULTS

Jeb Bush and Ben Carson get nine percent a piece, and John Kasich gets eight percent.

The poll, released Thursday, was conducted Monday through Wednesday evenings -- after a heated Republican debate Saturday in South Carolina (and also after Valentine’s Day Sunday).

Trump’s success is due to his ability to make in-roads with core elements of the GOP base.

For example, white evangelical Christians voting in the GOP primary favor Trump (28 percent) and Cruz (26 percent) over Rubio (15 percent) and Carson (15 percent).

Cruz has a slim one-point edge over Trump among those who identify as “very” conservative (29-28 percent). Another 16 percent back Rubio.

Men (40 percent) are more likely than women (32 percent) to make Trump their first choice. Still, he’s the favorite for each.

Nearly six in 10 Republicans want the next president to be someone from outside the political establishment -- and those voters go heavily for Trump (55 percent vs. 15 percent for Cruz and 11 percent Carson).

Meanwhile, Trump is the candidate Republican voters trust to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Thirty-nine percent would put Trump in the room with Putin -- that’s more than double the 18 percent who say Cruz. Fourteen percent say Rubio and 10 percent Bush.

For those pundits who thought the Republican faithful would fall back in line when faced with the possibility of Trump making Supreme Court appointments, consider this: Trump ties Cruz as the candidate GOP primary voters think would do the best job handling nominations to the high court (26 percent each).

Taking into consideration that this is an election year, 62 percent of all voters say it is the responsibility of current leaders, President Obama and the Senate, to act to fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by Justice Scalia’s recent death. Compare that to 34 percent who think the president shouldn’t get to nominate someone for a life-time appointment this late in his term.

Despite Trump’s strengths in the primary race, he’s the weakest of the GOP candidates in hypothetical matchups against Clinton. Rubio (+4) and Kasich (+3) perform best against Clinton. Cruz and Bush each top Clinton by just one point.

Trump trails the Democrat by five points: Clinton 47 percent vs. Trump 42 percent. Sanders trounces Trump by 53-38 percent.

By a slim 49-48 percent, Republicans think Trump “has the temperament” to serve effectively as president, while voters overall say he doesn’t by 67-30.

Republicans say by 62-31 percent that Rubio “has the toughness” to serve effectively. By comparison, most voters aren’t so sure: 43 percent say he does, while 46 percent disagree.

Is Cruz likeable enough to do the job? By two-to-one most Republicans say he has the “personality” to serve effectively as president (65-30). Overall, voters are more likely to say no (44 percent yes vs. 49 percent no).

Who could kids look up to in the White House? GOP primary voters think Carson (26 percent) is the best role model for children today, while nearly half say Trump is the worst (49 percent).

Pollpourri

The president is on television -- a lot. Voters say they would “most dread” watching Trump (40 percent) and Clinton (31 percent) on television for the next four years. Democrats are more likely to say Trump (56 percent) than Republicans are to say Clinton (50 percent).

Independents? They would dread watching Trump the most (40 percent), followed by Clinton (27 percent).

The Fox News poll is based on landline and cellphone interviews with 1,031 randomly chosen registered voters nationwide and was conducted under the joint direction of Anderson Robbins Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R) from February 15-17, 2016. The poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points for all registered voters, and 4.5 points for the Republican primary voter sample (404).

A would-be robber was left beaten and bruised by a bystander -- who happened to be a state boxing champion -- at a Florida Walgreens on Valentine's Day, police said.

Bradenton Police said Anthony Nemeth, dressed in a hoodie, covered his face when he walked into a neighborhood Walgreens and tried to rob the store, Fox13News.com reported.

“He jumped up onto the counter, demanding all of their Oxycodone 30 milligram,” police said. At first, the store clerk couldn’t believe a robbery was occurring, but Nemeth assured him it was and that he had a gun, police said.

David West, a 25-year-old who reportedly holds two state boxing titles, overheard the demands and jumped into action.

It took the boxer four punches to knock the suspect out cold, he told ABC 13.

West, who was visting his girlfriend, said he wasn't trying to hurt anyone, but wanted to protect his significant other. He said he told the suspect to "use this as a tuing point."

Nemeth has been charged with attempted armed robbery and is currently being held in Manatee County Jail on a $15,000 bond.

“Normally, I would say don’t get involved, especially when there is a weapon they can see, but apparently the citizen didn’t see or felt he had a weapon,” Lt. James Racky told Fox13News.com.

Click for more from Fox 13.

Donald Trump continues to dominate the race for the Republican nomination, according to a new Fox News national poll of registered voters.

Trump leads with 36 percent among self-identified GOP primary voters. Ted Cruz captures 19 percent and Marco Rubio receives 15 percent.

CLICK TO READ THE POLL RESULTS

Jeb Bush and Ben Carson get nine percent a piece, and John Kasich gets eight percent.

The poll, released Thursday, was conducted Monday through Wednesday evenings -- after a heated Republican debate Saturday in South Carolina (and also after Valentine’s Day Sunday).

Trump’s success is due to his ability to make in-roads with core elements of the GOP base.

For example, white evangelical Christians voting in the GOP primary favor Trump (28 percent) and Cruz (26 percent) over Rubio (15 percent) and Carson (15 percent).

Cruz has a slim one-point edge over Trump among those who identify as “very” conservative (29-28 percent). Another 16 percent back Rubio.

Men (40 percent) are more likely than women (32 percent) to make Trump their first choice. Still, he’s the favorite for each.

Nearly six in 10 Republicans want the next president to be someone from outside the political establishment -- and those voters go heavily for Trump (55 percent vs. 15 percent for Cruz and 11 percent Carson).

Meanwhile, Trump is the candidate Republican voters trust to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Thirty-nine percent would put Trump in the room with Putin -- that’s more than double the 18 percent who say Cruz. Fourteen percent say Rubio and 10 percent Bush.

For those pundits who thought the Republican faithful would fall back in line when faced with the possibility of Trump making Supreme Court appointments, consider this: Trump ties Cruz as the candidate GOP primary voters think would do the best job handling nominations to the high court (26 percent each).

Taking into consideration that this is an election year, 62 percent of all voters say it is the responsibility of current leaders, President Obama and the Senate, to act to fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by Justice Scalia’s recent death. Compare that to 34 percent who think the president shouldn’t get to nominate someone for a life-time appointment this late in his term.

Despite Trump’s strengths in the primary race, he’s the weakest of the GOP candidates in hypothetical matchups against Clinton. Rubio (+4) and Kasich (+3) perform best against Clinton. Cruz and Bush each top Clinton by just one point.

Trump trails the Democrat by five points: Clinton 47 percent vs. Trump 42 percent. Sanders trounces Trump by 53-38 percent.

By a slim 49-48 percent, Republicans think Trump “has the temperament” to serve effectively as president, while voters overall say he doesn’t by 67-30.

Republicans say by 62-31 percent that Rubio “has the toughness” to serve effectively. By comparison, most voters aren’t so sure: 43 percent say he does, while 46 percent disagree.

Is Cruz likeable enough to do the job? By two-to-one most Republicans say he has the “personality” to serve effectively as president (65-30). Overall, voters are more likely to say no (44 percent yes vs. 49 percent no).

Who could kids look up to in the White House? GOP primary voters think Carson (26 percent) is the best role model for children today, while nearly half say Trump is the worst (49 percent).

Pollpourri

The president is on television -- a lot. Voters say they would “most dread” watching Trump (40 percent) and Clinton (31 percent) on television for the next four years. Democrats are more likely to say Trump (56 percent) than Republicans are to say Clinton (50 percent).

Independents? They would dread watching Trump the most (40 percent), followed by Clinton (27 percent).

The Fox News poll is based on landline and cellphone interviews with 1,031 randomly chosen registered voters nationwide and was conducted under the joint direction of Anderson Robbins Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R) from February 15-17, 2016. The poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points for all registered voters, and 4.5 points for the Republican primary voter sample (404).

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump tepidly endorsed invading Iraq in September 2002, contradicting his earlier insistence that he opposed the war before the March 2003 invasion.

Trump was asked about a possible war with Iraq during a five-minute phone interview with radio host Howard Ste on Sept. 11, 2002. In between Trump's recollections of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attack on the World Trade Center and his thoughts on rebuilding the Twin Towers, Ste asked the billionaire real estate developer, "Are you for invading Iraq?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Trump responded. "You know, I wish the first time it was done correctly," an apparent reference to the Gulf War. A month after the interview, Congress passed a joint resolution authorizing military action against Iraq.

The audio was first reported late Thursday by Buzzfeed News.

For months, Trump has cited his opposition to the Iraq War as evidence of his foreign policy judgement. When asked about the statement during a CNN town hall in South Carolina Thursday, Trump initially said he did not remember making the statement, but added, "I could have said that. Nobody asked me- I wasn't a politician. It was probably the first time anybody asked me that question.

"By the time the war started, I was against it," Trump added. "And shortly thereafter, I was really against it."

In an interview with Fox News' Sean Haity Thursday, Trump restated his opposition to the war, saying "We attacked Iraq, but Iraq didn’t knock down the World Trade Center." Trump also said that he would declassify the entire 9/11 Commission Report, telling Haity "When that’s open, I think you’ll find out that Saudi Arabia had a lot to do with the ripping down of the World Trade Center."

The Iraq War issue first flared up in Saturday's Republican debate, when Trump clashed with former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush over Middle East policy.

Trump repeatedly slammed former President George W. Bush, Jeb's brother, saying his administration "lied" about Iraq having weapons of mass destruction. At Thursday's town hall, Trump refused to say whether he stood by that charge.

Trump also invoked the 9/11 attacks in response to Jeb Bush's claim that his brother kept the U.S. safe, saying "The World Trade Center came down … That’s not keeping us safe."

During the town hall, Trump also eased off Idea he had made earlier in the day about Pope Francis. Retuing to Rome from a five-day trip to Mexico, Francis had said that Trump's pledge to build a wall along the entire length of the border and expel millions of illegal immigrants was "not Christian".

Trump, a Presbyterian, initially responded by saying, "For a religious leader to question a person's faith is disgraceful. I am proud to be a Christian, and as president I will not allow Christianity to be consistently attacked and weakened."

However, on Thursday night, Trump said "I don't like fighting with the Pope, actually. I don't think this is a fight. I think he said something much softer than was originally reported by the media. I think that he heard one side of the story, which is probably by the Mexican govement."

Let’s be honest. Hollywood does not exactly have the best track record when it comes to producing accurate faith-based movies. Remember the giant rock creatures from “Noah”?

So when I heard that Sony Pictures was about to release a faith-based film called “Risen”, I was a bit skeptical. Typically faith-based movies are faith-bashing movies.

Click here to get Todd’s American Dispatch – a must-read for conservatives.

And when “Risen” eaed three-and-a-half stars from the left wingers at the Seattle Times, I was incredulous.

But when I saw the film’s trailer, I was astonished – Hollywood got it right.

“Risen” is a powerful telling of the aftermath of the resurrection of Jesus told from the perspective of a non-believer – a Roman military officer.

Joseph Fiees plays Clavius, assigned to investigate the disappearance of Jesus’ body. It’s like an old school detective noir story – think C.S.I. Jerusalem.

PODCAST: Listen to Todd’s interview with “Risen” star Joseph Fiees.

“It’s a movie that sees the resurrection through the eyes of a non-believer," Fiees told me. “It’s a wonderful, fresh way in seeing the story of Christ unfold through the eyes of a skeptic.”

Fiees is well aware of Hollywood’s past attempts to bring Bible stories to the big screen. Anybody choke on their popco during “Noah” and “Exodus: God and Kings”?

The ever-diplomatic Fiees did not name names, but he did refer to “revisionist films” that “polarized a lot of people.” On the other hand there are the cinephiles who took issue with “preachy and conservative and low production value Christian films” that did not speak to them.

That’s why Affirm Films and Sony Pictures went the extra mile to make sure they got “Risen” right.

“We strived very hard in getting the balance between cinema and Scripture,” Fiees said. “Working with the church communities in the process of making the film has allowed us to stay as true as possible to Scripture.”

At the same time, they were also tasked with producing a solid work of art.

“It’s a film and we want people to have a great cinematic experience,” Fiees told me.

In other words – it’s a night at the movies – not a Sunday moing church service.

“We are not selling religion or pushing religion,” he said. “We are pushing for great cinema and great story telling and I believe we got the balance right.”

And so do many evangelical Christian leaders – most notably revered media critic Ted Baehr, chairman of the Christian Film and Television Commission.

“It is a very powerful dramatic movie,” Baehr said in a video posted on his website. “It’s a powerful heart-rending story. I recommend it for every Christian to take their friends to see Risen.”

The film was also endorsed by a group of prominent Christian leaders and ministers.

“It’s a movie that makes you think,” said Chris Williamson, pastor of Strong Tower Bible Church. “It’s not your typical Christian-themed movie – even though it’s dominated with Christian themes. If you are an atheist, a new believer, an unbeliever – I think you can find yourself in this film.”

Renowned Christian leader Rick White attended a screening of the film in Teessee. He said the film demonstrates that “it’s okay to ask the hard questions” on your spiritual jouey.

Mr. Fiees and Affirm Films and Sony Pictures have demonstrated a deep respect for the Christian faith. And in doing, so they have produced a film that will encourage and challenge and entertain a very diverse audience.

So as a fellow believer, I’d like to share these words with Sony Pictures --- thank you.

He is Risen. He is Risen Indeed!

Todd Staes is host of Fox News & Commentary, heard on hundreds of radio stations. His latest book is "God Less America: Real Stories From the Front Lines of the Attack on Traditional Values." Follow Todd on Twitter@ToddStaes and find him on Facebook.

Cracks are starting to appear in the Republican wall of opposition to President Obama nominating the next Supreme Court justice, as several prominent senators signal that a hearing -- at least -- could be allowed.

Those lawmakers include Sen. John Coyn, R-Texas, who would not rule out a Judiciary Committee hearing on the president’s forthcoming nomination to replace Justice Antonin Scalia, who died suddenly during a retreat at a Texas resort on Saturday.

He was joined by Nevada Sen. Dean Heller, who appeared to welcome the debate in Idea Wednesday, but nonetheless encouraged Obama to “put the will of the people ahead of advancing a liberal agenda” with his pick.

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, who as chairman of the Judiciary Committee would be the one to put a confirmation hearing on the schedule, has said he would wait to see who is the pick before ruling it out completely, as suggested by his colleague, Majority Leader Mitch McCoell, R-Ky.

Further, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, also on the committee, said he would not support a filibuster to prevent a vote, as other Republicans have suggested.

The hard line in the sand drawn by McCoell came shortly after Scalia’s death. As majority leader, McCoell has discretion over whether to schedule a full senate vote. “The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice,” he said in a statement Saturday. “Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president.”

This was followed by equally strong assertions during that night's GOP debate in South Carolina. Several candidates said they wanted the nomination to be delayed until the next president takes office, as others suggested that in the event of a nomination, Obama's nominee be thwarted in the Senate.

Obama declared that as sitting president, it’s his right to nominate Scalia’s replacement, despite the fact that it is his last year in office and Capitol Hill is in the throes of a politically charged election cycle. “There’s no unwritten law that says that it can only be done in off years,” Obama said on Tuesday. “That’s not in the constitutional text.”

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid bolstered the president’s argument Wednesday and predicted Republicans would eventually “cave in.”

Obama has also faced accusations of hypocrisy, since he tried to filibuster Justice Samuel Alito's nomination in 2006. The White House says he now regrets that decision.

Vice President Biden said Obama should be able to nominate, but acknowledged it is up to the Senate to confirm it. Because of that, the former Delaware senator told Miesota Public Radio on Thursday, “the president is not going to be able to go out -- nor would it be his instinct, anyway -- to pick the most liberal jurist in the nation and put them on the court. “

“There are plenty of judges (who) are on high courts already who have had unanimous support of the Republicans.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Donald Trump continues to dominate the race for the Republican nomination, according to a new Fox News national poll of registered voters.

Trump leads with 36 percent among self-identified GOP primary voters. Ted Cruz captures 19 percent and Marco Rubio receives 15 percent.

CLICK TO READ THE POLL RESULTS

Jeb Bush and Ben Carson get nine percent a piece, and John Kasich gets eight percent.

The poll, released Thursday, was conducted Monday through Wednesday evenings -- after a heated Republican debate Saturday in South Carolina (and also after Valentine’s Day Sunday).

Trump’s success is due to his ability to make in-roads with core elements of the GOP base.

For example, white evangelical Christians voting in the GOP primary favor Trump (28 percent) and Cruz (26 percent) over Rubio (15 percent) and Carson (15 percent).

Cruz has a slim one-point edge over Trump among those who identify as “very” conservative (29-28 percent). Another 16 percent back Rubio.

Men (40 percent) are more likely than women (32 percent) to make Trump their first choice. Still, he’s the favorite for each.

Nearly six in 10 Republicans want the next president to be someone from outside the political establishment -- and those voters go heavily for Trump (55 percent vs. 15 percent for Cruz and 11 percent Carson).

Meanwhile, Trump is the candidate Republican voters trust to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Thirty-nine percent would put Trump in the room with Putin -- that’s more than double the 18 percent who say Cruz. Fourteen percent say Rubio and 10 percent Bush.

For those pundits who thought the Republican faithful would fall back in line when faced with the possibility of Trump making Supreme Court appointments, consider this: Trump ties Cruz as the candidate GOP primary voters think would do the best job handling nominations to the high court (26 percent each).

Taking into consideration that this is an election year, 62 percent of all voters say it is the responsibility of current leaders, President Obama and the Senate, to act to fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by Justice Scalia’s recent death. Compare that to 34 percent who think the president shouldn’t get to nominate someone for a life-time appointment this late in his term.

Despite Trump’s strengths in the primary race, he’s the weakest of the GOP candidates in hypothetical matchups against Clinton. Rubio (+4) and Kasich (+3) perform best against Clinton. Cruz and Bush each top Clinton by just one point.

Trump trails the Democrat by five points: Clinton 47 percent vs. Trump 42 percent. Sanders trounces Trump by 53-38 percent.

By a slim 49-48 percent, Republicans think Trump “has the temperament” to serve effectively as president, while voters overall say he doesn’t by 67-30.

Republicans say by 62-31 percent that Rubio “has the toughness” to serve effectively. By comparison, most voters aren’t so sure: 43 percent say he does, while 46 percent disagree.

Is Cruz likeable enough to do the job? By two-to-one most Republicans say he has the “personality” to serve effectively as president (65-30). Overall, voters are more likely to say no (44 percent yes vs. 49 percent no).

Who could kids look up to in the White House? GOP primary voters think Carson (26 percent) is the best role model for children today, while nearly half say Trump is the worst (49 percent).

Pollpourri

The president is on television -- a lot. Voters say they would “most dread” watching Trump (40 percent) and Clinton (31 percent) on television for the next four years. Democrats are more likely to say Trump (56 percent) than Republicans are to say Clinton (50 percent).

Independents? They would dread watching Trump the most (40 percent), followed by Clinton (27 percent).

The Fox News poll is based on landline and cellphone interviews with 1,031 randomly chosen registered voters nationwide and was conducted under the joint direction of Anderson Robbins Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R) from February 15-17, 2016. The poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points for all registered voters, and 4.5 points for the Republican primary voter sample (404).

Donald Trump continues to dominate the race for the Republican nomination, according to a new Fox News national poll of registered voters.

Trump leads with 36 percent among self-identified GOP primary voters. Ted Cruz captures 19 percent and Marco Rubio receives 15 percent.

CLICK TO READ THE POLL RESULTS

Jeb Bush and Ben Carson get nine percent a piece, and John Kasich gets eight percent.

The poll, released Thursday, was conducted Monday through Wednesday evenings -- after a heated Republican debate Saturday in South Carolina (and also after Valentine’s Day Sunday).

Trump’s success is due to his ability to make in-roads with core elements of the GOP base.

For example, white evangelical Christians voting in the GOP primary favor Trump (28 percent) and Cruz (26 percent) over Rubio (15 percent) and Carson (15 percent).

Cruz has a slim one-point edge over Trump among those who identify as “very” conservative (29-28 percent). Another 16 percent back Rubio.

Men (40 percent) are more likely than women (32 percent) to make Trump their first choice. Still, he’s the favorite for each.

Nearly six in 10 Republicans want the next president to be someone from outside the political establishment -- and those voters go heavily for Trump (55 percent vs. 15 percent for Cruz and 11 percent Carson).

Meanwhile, Trump is the candidate Republican voters trust to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Thirty-nine percent would put Trump in the room with Putin -- that’s more than double the 18 percent who say Cruz. Fourteen percent say Rubio and 10 percent Bush.

For those pundits who thought the Republican faithful would fall back in line when faced with the possibility of Trump making Supreme Court appointments, consider this: Trump ties Cruz as the candidate GOP primary voters think would do the best job handling nominations to the high court (26 percent each).

Taking into consideration that this is an election year, 62 percent of all voters say it is the responsibility of current leaders, President Obama and the Senate, to act to fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by Justice Scalia’s recent death. Compare that to 34 percent who think the president shouldn’t get to nominate someone for a life-time appointment this late in his term.

Despite Trump’s strengths in the primary race, he’s the weakest of the GOP candidates in hypothetical matchups against Clinton. Rubio (+4) and Kasich (+3) perform best against Clinton. Cruz and Bush each top Clinton by just one point.

Trump trails the Democrat by five points: Clinton 47 percent vs. Trump 42 percent. Sanders trounces Trump by 53-38 percent.

By a slim 49-48 percent, Republicans think Trump “has the temperament” to serve effectively as president, while voters overall say he doesn’t by 67-30.

Republicans say by 62-31 percent that Rubio “has the toughness” to serve effectively. By comparison, most voters aren’t so sure: 43 percent say he does, while 46 percent disagree.

Is Cruz likeable enough to do the job? By two-to-one most Republicans say he has the “personality” to serve effectively as president (65-30). Overall, voters are more likely to say no (44 percent yes vs. 49 percent no).

Who could kids look up to in the White House? GOP primary voters think Carson (26 percent) is the best role model for children today, while nearly half say Trump is the worst (49 percent).

Pollpourri

The president is on television -- a lot. Voters say they would “most dread” watching Trump (40 percent) and Clinton (31 percent) on television for the next four years. Democrats are more likely to say Trump (56 percent) than Republicans are to say Clinton (50 percent).

Independents? They would dread watching Trump the most (40 percent), followed by Clinton (27 percent).

The Fox News poll is based on landline and cellphone interviews with 1,031 randomly chosen registered voters nationwide and was conducted under the joint direction of Anderson Robbins Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R) from February 15-17, 2016. The poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points for all registered voters, and 4.5 points for the Republican primary voter sample (404).

Police in Washington, D.C., Thursday released surveillance video of the alleged weekend robbery and beating of a decorated former Marine outside a city McDonald's.

The video was released Thursday afteoon.

Christopher Marquez, 30, an Iraq War vet, told the Washington Post he was eating in a back coer of the restaurant when a group of teens and young men approached his table.

"I'm telling this to everybody because it's been happening a lot around here and across our country," Marquez told "Fox & Friends." "It was a hate crime. They targeted me because of my skin color. So, we're seeing a lot of these events of people being attacked because they're white. And I'm thinking we have to speak up more about this because it's just going to continue to happen."

Marquez said he left the McDonald's, but was knocked unconscious by a blow to his head. When he came to, his pants were ripped and his wallet, which contained $400 in cash, three credit cards and VA medical card among other items, was missing.

According to the Daily Caller, which first reported the incident, Marquez was able to take a cab back to his apartment, where building employees called police. He was treated at George Washington University Hospital for head trauma.

Marquez served in the Marine Corps from 2003 to 2011. He was awarded the Bronze Star with combat distinguishing device for valor during the battle for Fallujah, Iraq, in November 2004. Marquez is one of two Marines depicted carrying then-1st Sgt. Bradley Kasal out of the so-called "Hell House" in a famous photograph.

He made an unsuccessful 2014 run for Congress as a Democrat in Califoia. He currently studies at American University in Washington, D.C.

Cracks are starting to appear in the Republican wall of opposition to President Obama nominating the next Supreme Court justice, as several prominent senators signal that a hearing -- at least -- could be allowed.

Those lawmakers include Sen. John Coyn, R-Texas, who would not rule out a Judiciary Committee hearing on the president’s forthcoming nomination to replace Justice Antonin Scalia, who died suddenly during a retreat at a Texas resort on Saturday.

He was joined by Nevada Sen. Dean Heller, who appeared to welcome the debate in Idea Wednesday, but nonetheless encouraged Obama to “put the will of the people ahead of advancing a liberal agenda” with his pick.

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, who as chairman of the Judiciary Committee would be the one to put a confirmation hearing on the schedule, has said he would wait to see who is the pick before ruling it out completely, as suggested by his colleague, Majority Leader Mitch McCoell, R-Ky.

Further, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, also on the committee, said he would not support a filibuster to prevent a vote, as other Republicans have suggested.

The hard line in the sand drawn by McCoell came shortly after Scalia’s death. As majority leader, McCoell has discretion over whether to schedule a full senate vote. “The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice,” he said in a statement Saturday. “Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president.”

This was followed by equally strong assertions during that night's GOP debate in South Carolina. Several candidates said they wanted the nomination to be delayed until the next president takes office, as others suggested that in the event of a nomination, Obama's nominee be thwarted in the Senate.

Obama declared that as sitting president, it’s his right to nominate Scalia’s replacement, despite the fact that it is his last year in office and Capitol Hill is in the throes of a politically charged election cycle. “There’s no unwritten law that says that it can only be done in off years,” Obama said on Tuesday. “That’s not in the constitutional text.”

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid bolstered the president’s argument Wednesday and predicted Republicans would eventually “cave in.”

Obama has also faced accusations of hypocrisy, since he tried to filibuster Justice Samuel Alito's nomination in 2006. The White House says he now regrets that decision.

Vice President Biden said Obama should be able to nominate, but acknowledged it is up to the Senate to confirm it. Because of that, the former Delaware senator told Miesota Public Radio on Thursday, “the president is not going to be able to go out -- nor would it be his instinct, anyway -- to pick the most liberal jurist in the nation and put them on the court. “

“There are plenty of judges (who) are on high courts already who have had unanimous support of the Republicans.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A Delaware school district is sorry if it hurt anyone’s feelings by mistakenly sending an email home to parents that ridiculed “whiners” and “wimps.”

The “Hurt Feelings Report,” an Inteet meme that sarcastically solicits complaints from aggrieved parties, was attached by mistake to an email the Brandywine School District sent home to parents as part of a promotion for an “Exercise Your Brain” event, according to The News Joual.

“How long did you whine?”and “Which feelings were hurt?” asks the form, which includes boxes for the “whiner’s name” and the “date feelings were hurt.” One portion provides check boxes for reasons like “I am a wimp,” “I want my mommy” and “Two beers is not enough.” Another provides space to “Tell us in your own sissy words how your feelings were hurt, as if anyone cared.”

Variations of the form have circulated on the Inteet for years. A district spokeswoman told the newspaper that an uamed employee had screwed up.

"This was an embarrassing mistake, but it was just that – a mistake," Alexis said. "It should not have happened, and we apologize for the error."

A parent who alerted The News Joual to the memo called it "completely offensive and mocks children who are bullied in schools."

But other parents took the email attachment in stride.

"If the children didn't see it, what is the problem?" one father told the paper. "It was a dumb prank, but I don't think it was malicious."

Aa Mendez, of the San Clemente, Calif.,-based National Association of People Against Bullying, said the Brandywine School District should consider additional anti-bullying education and counseling in light of the document being sent out.

Beie Sanders now tops Hillary Clinton in the race for the Democratic nomination.

The latest Fox News national poll finds 47 percent of Democratic primary voters now back the Vermont senator, up from 37 percent in January. Clinton gets 44 percent, down from 49 percent a month ago.

CLICK TO READ THE POLL RESULTS

This is the first time Sanders has been ahead of Clinton, who not long ago was regularly described as the “presumptive Democratic nominee.”

Clinton led Sanders in the Fox poll by as many as 46 points last summer, and had a 22-point lead as recently as two months ago.

“One thing that is clear from our poll -- and others -- is that Clinton has been losing support and Sanders has been gaining,” says Democratic pollster Chris Anderson. “And this process appears to have accelerated since the contests in Iowa and New Hampshire.”

The timing of Sanders’ surge doesn’t surprise Republican pollster Daron Shaw: “Historically, lesser-known candidates beating establishment candidates in early contests have seen the biggest boost in their national support.” Shaw and Anderson jointly conduct the Fox News Poll.

The last two Fox News polls show Clinton’s drop-off has been most striking among women (she has gone from 28 points ahead of Sanders to just 3 points up, for a shift of minus 25 points), whites (-13 points), and regular Democrats (-14 points). She has mostly held constant among black voters and those with a college degree.

Shaw says a detailed comparison of the polls suggests, “Blue-collar, white Democrats have been a major source of Clinton’s defection.”

Sanders outperforms Clinton in a hypothetical matchup against Republican front-ruer Donald Trump. He leads Trump by 53-38 percent. Clinton has a narrower five-point edge over Trump: 47-42 percent.

One reason Sanders has a larger lead over Trump than Clinton is independents are more likely to go for Sanders over Trump (54 vs. 33) than for her (43 vs. 39).

Sanders also does better against Trump in a potential three-way matchup if former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg were to jump into the race. Under that scenario, it’s Sanders 46 percent vs. Trump at 35 percent with Bloomberg taking 12 percent. If the Democratic candidate is Clinton, she gets 39 to Trump’s 37 percent and Bloomberg receives 17 percent.

And there’s more:

Three in 10 voters nationally would feel either extremely or very satisfied if Sanders wins the presidency (30 percent). That’s more than say the same about Clinton (24 percent satisfied), Trump (21 percent satisfied), and Jeb Bush (15 percent satisfied).

On the flip side, Sanders has the smallest number -- 37 percent -- saying they would be “not at all” satisfied if he wins the White House. Fifty-five percent would feel “not at all” satisfied if Trump wins, 49 percent for Clinton, and 45 percent for Bush.

Many see Sanders’ promises of free college and universal health care as pie-in-the-sky, but 72 percent of Democrats say he is “realistic enough” to serve effectively as president. Overall, however, views are more mixed: 48 percent say Sanders is realistic enough, while 47 percent disagree. Among independents, it’s 48-44 percent.

Clinton’s Achilles’ heel may be trustworthiness. While Democrats think by 75-22 percent that Clinton “has the integrity” to serve effectively as president, a 55-percent majority of voters overall say she doesn’t. That includes 64 percent of independents.

The poll also confirms dynasty fatigue: 52 percent of voters say they are “tired of Clintons ruing for president” and 59 percent feel that way about the Bush family.

Meanwhile, Clinton’s close ties to the Obama administration could work to her disadvantage relative to the economy.

By a 45-42 percent margin, voters say it feels like the economy is getting worse -- not better.

President Obama’s approval rating currently stands at 49 percent, up from 45 percent last month. Forty-seven percent of voters disapprove of the job he’s doing.

When voters are asked who they think will be the next president, the largest number says Clinton (28 percent). She’s closely followed by Trump (25 percent). Another 17 percent say it will be Sanders, up from five percent who named him last September. Of course, the electorate’s crystal ball is often foggy. Back in March 2008, almost exactly eight years ago, voters said McCain would be the next president (35 percent) -- Barack Obama came in second (26 percent).

Pollpourri

A new batch of Clinton emails were released Saturday by the State Department, including 81 that have now been marked “classified.”

Sixty percent of voters think Clinton put national security at risk by mishandling classified emails while she was secretary of state, up from 54 percent in August.

If Clinton escapes indictment for mishandling classified information, half of voters, 50 percent, think it will be mainly because the Obama administration is protecting her. Forty-one percent say it will be because there isn’t proof she committed a crime.

A third of Democrats (33 percent), 59 percent of independents, and 89 percent of Republicans believe national security was put at risk due to Clinton’s actions.

The Fox News poll is based on landline and cellphone interviews with 1,031 randomly chosen registered voters nationwide and was conducted under the joint direction of Anderson Robbins Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R) from February 15-17, 2016. The poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points for all registered voters, and 4.5 points for the Democratic primary voter sample (429).

A top spiritual leader in the Palestinian territory of Gaza told a television audience last week how and when men can beat their wives, advising not to hit them in a way that “makes the face ugly.”

The shocking interview with Hassan Al-Laham, who holds the title “mufti of Gaza,” came during a weekly Palestinian Authority TV program on social issues. Explaining that divorce must be a last resort in Islam, Al-Laham laid out the four steps that should come first.

"Allah said: Wa them [the wives], and separate from them, and hit them, and bring an arbitrator from his family and an arbitrator from her family," he said.

Al-Laham, whose title makes him the top spiritual leader appointed by the Palestinian Authority, then went into detail about how a husband should hit a wife.

"Not hitting that will bring the police, and break her hand and cause bleeding, or hitting that makes the face ugly," he said.

The hitting should "be like a joke," even reinforcing "the love and friendship" between the couple, he said.

The segment was flagged by the nonprofit watchdog Palestinian Media Watch. Director Itamar Marcus noted that the Palestinian Authority, which appointed Al-Laham and is responsible for the television programming which is beamed by satellite throughout the Arab world, is viewed as more moderate than Hamas, the terrorist group that goves Gaza.

“They actually think this is a moderate message – that it is okay to beat your wife,” Marcus told FoxNews.com. “This is their perception.”

Pope Francis questioned Donald Trump's Christianity Thursday over the Republican presidential hopeful's plan to build a wall on the Mexican border, but the pontiff himself lives behind massive stone walls.

Speaking from Mexico as he departed from a weeklong tour in which he spoke before millions, His Holiness took a direct shot at Trump, who has made his plan to build a wall and make Mexico pay for it a centerpiece of his campaign.

"A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian," Pope Francis said. "This is not in the Gospel."

Trump supporters quickly took to the Inteet, noting the irony of the pope's comment.

Amazing Idea from the Pope- considering Vatican City is 100% surrounded by massive walls. pic.twitter.com/g3iVLDVGe5

— Dan Scavino (@DanScavino) February 18, 2016

One tweet read: '"People who build walls are not Christians," said Pope Francis, who lives in Vatican City, which is essentially a giant fortress."

The pope said he'd “give the benefit of the doubt” since he hasn't heard Trump's plan himself, according to AP, adding, “I say only that this man is not Christian if he has said things like that.”

Trump has proposed the border wall to combat illegal immigration. The developer, who is Presbyterian, shot back at the pope after having his faith questioned.

“For a religious leader to question a person’s faith is disgraceful,” Trump said in a statement. “I am proud to be a Christian and, as president, I will not allow Christianity to be consistently attacked and weakened, unlike what is happening now, with our current president.”

The Vatican's walls, which do not completely surround the enclave, date back more than 1,000 years, to the time of Pope Leo IV, who commissioned the construction of what is known as the Leonine Wall following the sacking of Old St. Peter's Basilica by Islamic Saracens in 846.

A top spiritual leader in the Palestinian territory of Gaza told a television audience last week how and when men can beat their wives, advising not to hit them in a way that “makes the face ugly.”

The shocking interview with Hassan Al-Laham, who holds the title “mufti of Gaza,” came during a weekly Palestinian Authority TV program on social issues. Explaining that divorce must be a last resort in Islam, Al-Laham laid out the four steps that should come first.

"Allah said: Wa them [the wives], and separate from them, and hit them, and bring an arbitrator from his family and an arbitrator from her family," he said.

Al-Laham, whose title makes him the top spiritual leader appointed by the Palestinian Authority, then went into detail about how a husband should hit a wife.

"Not hitting that will bring the police, and break her hand and cause bleeding, or hitting that makes the face ugly," he said.

The hitting should "be like a joke," even reinforcing "the love and friendship" between the couple, he said.

The segment was flagged by the nonprofit watchdog Palestinian Media Watch. Director Itamar Marcus noted that the Palestinian Authority, which appointed Al-Laham and is responsible for the television programming which is beamed by satellite throughout the Arab world, is viewed as more moderate than Hamas, the terrorist group that goves Gaza.

“They actually think this is a moderate message – that it is okay to beat your wife,” Marcus told FoxNews.com. “This is their perception.”

The White House is not confirming whether President Obama will attend the funeral Saturday for the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, raising the possibility -- and criticism -- that he'll skip the service.

White House Press Secretary Josh Eaest revealed to reporters Wednesday that the president and first lady Michelle Obama plan to pay “respects” at the Supreme Court on Friday, where Scalia will lie in repose.

But as for Saturday’s funeral, he said, “Vice President Biden and Dr. Jill Biden will attend.”

While Eaest has not said definitively what Obama’s plans are for Saturday, the expectation that the Bidens – and not the Obamas -- will represent the White House at the funeral was met with bipartisan criticism.

“Refusing to attend the funeral does more than insult the memory of a life-long public servant. It is a failure to perform a basic presidential duty. Obama has shirked his responsibility to all of us,” Charles Lipson, professor of political science at the University of Chicago, said in a column for Real Clear Politics Thursday.

It is rare for a sitting Supreme Court justice to die during any administration. But in recent history, the sitting president has attended these funerals.

George W. Bush attended the funeral of Chief Justice William Rehnquist in 2005, and Dwight Eisenhower did the same for Chief Justice Fred Vinson in 1953.

Asked Thursday to clarify why Biden will be attending Scalia’s funeral, Eaest said the Bidens had a personal relationship with Scalia and his family. He explained the White House “settled on a respectful and appropriate arrangement” to pay tribute to Scalia’s service to the nation.

Eaest would not offer details Wednesday on what the president’s plans are for Saturday.

Asked if he could rule out the possibility of golf, Eaest said, “I don’t have a sense of what the president’s plans are for Saturday.” He said the White House would have “some more details” about the president’s plans for Friday and Saturday later.

“The president obviously believes it’s important for the institution of the presidency to pay his respects to somebody who dedicated three decades of his life to the institution of the Supreme Court,” he added. “And the president gave some pretty thoughtful words in discussing Justice Scalia’s service on the Supreme Court, not just Saturday night but also yesterday in his news conference. And Friday will be an important opportunity for the president and the first lady to pay their respects to Justice Scalia.”

Even from MSNBC, the decision raised eyebrows.

Chris Hayes, host of MSNBC’s “All In with Chris Hayes,” tweeted: “Some amazing advice my mom gave me once: ‘If you’re wondering whether you should to go the funeral, you should go to the funeral.’”

Jeb Bush spokesman Tim Miller responded, “Same.”

If Obama does not attend, the president also potentially risks angering Republicans whom he will need to help confirm his eventual nominee to succeed Scalia.

Los Angeles Times opinion writer Michael McGough raised this possibility in calling the decision a “dumb political move.”

“By attending the funeral Obama would have underscored the importance of nonpartisanship when it comes to the court. That could only have helped him make the case that the Republican-controlled Senate has a duty to give fair consideration to the person he nominates to succeed Scalia,” he wrote.

Scalia will lie in repose on Friday at the Supreme Court where a public viewing will take place from 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m., following a private ceremony early Friday moing.

A top spiritual leader in the Palestinian territory of Gaza told a television audience last week how and when men can beat their wives, advising not to hit them in a way that “makes the face ugly.”

The shocking interview with Hassan Al-Laham, who holds the title “mufti of Gaza,” came during a weekly Palestinian Authority TV program on social issues. Explaining that divorce must be a last resort in Islam, Al-Laham laid out the four steps that should come first.

"Allah said: Wa them [the wives], and separate from them, and hit them, and bring an arbitrator from his family and an arbitrator from her family," he said.

Al-Laham, whose title makes him the top spiritual leader appointed by the Palestinian Authority, then went into detail about how a husband should hit a wife.

"Not hitting that will bring the police, and break her hand and cause bleeding, or hitting that makes the face ugly," he said.

The hitting should "be like a joke," even reinforcing "the love and friendship" between the couple, he said.

The segment was flagged by the nonprofit watchdog Palestinian Media Watch. Director Itamar Marcus noted that the Palestinian Authority, which appointed Al-Laham and is responsible for the television programming which is beamed by satellite throughout the Arab world, is viewed as more moderate than Hamas, the terrorist group that goves Gaza.

“They actually think this is a moderate message – that it is okay to beat your wife,” Marcus told FoxNews.com. “This is their perception.”

Just when it seemed the 2016 presidential race could not get any stranger, it took another sharp tu on Thursday as Pope Francis questioned Donald Trump’s Christian faith during a flight home from Mexico – and the GOP candidate fired back, calling the pope's Idea “disgraceful.”

The pope, responding to a question aboard the papal plane about Trump’s promise to build a U.S.-Mexico border wall, said: "A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. This is not in the Gospel."

Trump immediately responded: “For a religious leader to question a person’s faith is disgraceful,” he said.

Pope Francis weighed in just hours after he prayed at the Mexico-U.S. border for migrants who died trying to reach the United States. The pope did not definitively say Trump is not a Christian. Not having heard Trump's border plans independently, Francis said he'd "give him the benefit of the doubt."

But he said: "I'd just say that this man is not Christian if he said it this way."

The Idea dramatically escalated what had been an otherwise cordial dispute between the two in recent days over immigration policy.

Trump said in response he is a “proud” Christian and accused the Mexican govement of using the pontiff for its own purposes.

“The pope only heard one side of the story -- he didn’t see the crime, the drug trafficking and the negative economic impact the current policies have on the United States. He doesn’t see how Mexican leadership is outsmarting President Obama and our leadership in every aspect of negotiation,” he said. “…They are using the pope as a pawn and they should be ashamed of themselves for doing so, especially when so many lives are involved and when illegal immigration is so rampant.”

Trump also said that “if and when the Vatican is attacked by ISIS … I can promise you that the Pope would have only wished and prayed that Donald Trump would have been president because this would not have happened.”

Trump has had heated and high-profile feuds with several of his GOP rivals on the primary campaign trail, including Ted Cruz, Jeb Bush and former candidate Rand Paul.

But the fight with the Vatican is something entirely different.

It started on a more subdued note. Last week, Trump told Fox Business Network that he did not believe Pope Francis understood what he called "the danger of the open border we have with Mexico."

The Vatican responded through a spokesman at the time, saying, "The pope always talks about migration problems all around the world, of the duties we have to solve these problems in a humane maer, of hosting those who come from other countries in search of a life of dignity and peace."

Trump has repeatedly vowed to build a wall along the entire border with Mexico – and make Mexico pay for it. All along, he's made combating illegal immigration a centerpiece of his presidential campaign, claiming credit for kickstarting the debate which now features heavily in the GOP primary race.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A top spiritual leader in the Palestinian territory of Gaza told a television audience last week how and when men can beat their wives, advising not to hit them in a way that “makes the face ugly.”

The shocking interview with Hassan Al-Laham, who holds the title “mufti of Gaza,” came during a weekly Palestinian Authority TV program on social issues. Explaining that divorce must be a last resort in Islam, Al-Laham laid out the four steps that should come first.

"Allah said: Wa them [the wives], and separate from them, and hit them, and bring an arbitrator from his family and an arbitrator from her family," he said.

Al-Laham, whose title makes him the top spiritual leader appointed by the Palestinian Authority, then went into detail about how a husband should hit a wife.

"Not hitting that will bring the police, and break her hand and cause bleeding, or hitting that makes the face ugly," he said.

The hitting should "be like a joke," even reinforcing "the love and friendship" between the couple, he said.

The segment was flagged by the nonprofit watchdog Palestinian Media Watch. Director Itamar Marcus noted that the Palestinian Authority, which appointed Al-Laham and is responsible for the television programming which is beamed by satellite throughout the Arab world, is viewed as more moderate than Hamas, the terrorist group that goves Gaza.

“They actually think this is a moderate message – that it is okay to beat your wife,” Marcus told FoxNews.com. “This is their perception.”

Donald Trump still leads in the race for the Republican nomination in South Carolina, according to a new Fox News poll.

Trump captures 32 percent among South Carolina likely Republican primary voters. Ted Cruz gets 19 percent to Marco Rubio’s 15 percent. These are the only three candidates eaing double-digit support.

Jeb Bush and Ben Carson tie at nine percent each, and John Kasich gets six percent.

There’s little difference among only those who say they will “definitely” vote in the GOP primary: Trump gaers 34 percent, Cruz 20 percent, Rubio 15 percent, Bush 8 percent, Carson 7 percent, and Kasich 6 percent.

Some support could still shift, as 25 percent of these GOP likely voters say they could change their mind.

CLICK TO READ THE POLL RESULTS.

Trump has more supporters (83 percent) who feel “certain” they will vote for him than Cruz (73 percent) or Rubio (71 percent).

The race remains consistent when first and second vote choices are combined: Trump 41 percent, Cruz 35 percent, Rubio 32 percent, Bush and Carson 20 percent each, and Kasich 16 percent.

The poll, released Thursday, was conducted Monday through Wednesday evenings. Many political observers felt the Republican faithful might abandon the front-ruer after the rowdy February 13 GOP debate in Greenville, where Trump said President George W. Bush’s administration lied to push the U.S. into the Iraq war and Plaed Parenthood “does wonderful things” for women’s health.

Even so, the performance didn’t hurt Trump with his backers. Support for Trump is mostly unchanged since early December when he received 35 percent. At that time, Carson had 15 percent support, and Cruz and Rubio were tied at 14 percent.

About 6 in 10 Palmetto State Republicans identify as evangelical Christian, while 4 in 10 are “very” conservative, and nearly 2 in 10 have served in the military.

Among evangelical Christians voting in the GOP primary, Trump tops Cruz by eight points: Trump 31 vs. Cruz 23 percent. Rubio receives 17 percent and Bush 10 percent.

Cruz is the top pick among “very” conservatives -- but just barely. He receives 31 percent, Trump 29 percent, and Rubio 14 percent.

Veterans, a small subgroup of voters, back Trump (37 percent), over Cruz (22 percent), Rubio (15 percent), and Bush (9 percent).

Whites with a college degree go for Trump (30 percent), and put Rubio in second (19 percent) over Cruz (15 percent). Whites without a degree put Trump over Cruz by nine points (34-25), with Rubio in third (11 percent).

Trump is the favorite for both men (35 percent) and women (28 percent) voting in the GOP primary.

Meanwhile, nearly four in 10 South Carolina Republicans say they would “never” support Trump (39 percent). That’s up from 24 percent who felt that way in December.

Some 21 percent would “never” vote for Bush, 19 percent Cruz, and 11 percent Kasich and Rubio.

Trump also grabs the (dubious) title when voters are asked which GOP candidate has made unfair attacks against fellow Republicans.

Nearly half, 47 percent, feel Trump has attacked other Republicans unfairly. Another 28 percent say the same of Cruz, 19 percent feel Rubio has attacked unfairly, and 17 percent say Bush. Carson (10 percent) and Kasich (12 percent) perform best on this measure, as fewer say they have attacked fellow Republicans unfairly. (Multiple responses were accepted.)

The Fox News Poll is conducted under the joint direction of Anderson Robbins Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R). The telephone poll (landline and cellphone) was conducted February 15-17, 2016 with live interviewers among a random sample of 1,401 South Carolina voters selected from a statewide voter file. Results for the 759 likely Republican primary voters have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

The White House is not confirming whether President Obama will attend the funeral Saturday for the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, raising the possibility -- and criticism -- that he'll skip the service.

White House Press Secretary Josh Eaest revealed to reporters Wednesday that the president and first lady Michelle Obama plan to pay “respects” at the Supreme Court on Friday, where Scalia will lie in repose.

But as for Saturday’s funeral, he said, “Vice President Biden and Dr. Jill Biden will attend.”

While Eaest has not said definitively what Obama’s plans are for Saturday, the expectation that the Bidens – and not the Obamas -- will represent the White House at the funeral was met with bipartisan criticism.

“Refusing to attend the funeral does more than insult the memory of a life-long public servant. It is a failure to perform a basic presidential duty. Obama has shirked his responsibility to all of us,” Charles Lipson, professor of political science at the University of Chicago, said in a column for Real Clear Politics Thursday.

It is rare for a sitting Supreme Court justice to die during any administration. But in recent history, the sitting president has attended these funerals.

George W. Bush attended the funeral of Chief Justice William Rehnquist in 2005, and Dwight Eisenhower did the same for Chief Justice Fred Vinson in 1953.

Eaest would not offer details Wednesday on what the president’s plans are for Saturday.

Asked if he could rule out the possibility of golf, Eaest said, “I don’t have a sense of what the president’s plans are for Saturday.” He said the White House would have “some more details” about the president’s plans for Friday and Saturday later.

“The president obviously believes it’s important for the institution of the presidency to pay his respects to somebody who dedicated three decades of his life to the institution of the Supreme Court,” he added. “And the president gave some pretty thoughtful words in discussing Justice Scalia’s service on the Supreme Court, not just Saturday night but also yesterday in his news conference. And Friday will be an important opportunity for the president and the first lady to pay their respects to Justice Scalia.”

Even from MSNBC, the decision raised eyebrows.

Chris Hayes, host of MSNBC’s “All In with Chris Hayes,” tweeted: “Some amazing advice my mom gave me once: ‘If you’re wondering whether you should to go the funeral, you should go to the funeral.’”

Jeb Bush spokesman Tim Miller responded, “Same.”

If Obama does not attend, the president also potentially risks angering Republicans whom he will need to help confirm his eventual nominee to succeed Scalia.

Los Angeles Times opinion writer Michael McGough raised this possibility in calling the decision a “dumb political move.”

“By attending the funeral Obama would have underscored the importance of nonpartisanship when it comes to the court. That could only have helped him make the case that the Republican-controlled Senate has a duty to give fair consideration to the person he nominates to succeed Scalia,” he wrote.

Scalia will lie in repose on Friday at the Supreme Court where a public viewing will take place from 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m., following a private ceremony early Friday moing.