IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

Tales from the trail: Hillary Clinton just can't avoid 'Scandal'

Paging Olivia Pope.
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton looks on at a campaign rally at the Clark County Government Center in Las Vegas, Nev., Feb. 19, 2016. (Photo by David Becker/Reuters)
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton looks on at a campaign rally at the Clark County Government Center in Las Vegas, Nev., Feb. 19, 2016.

Want to know what the NBC News Embeds saw? Follow their daily journey to the inside of the 2016 presidential campaign here:

Hillary Clinton Just Can't Avoid 'Scandal'

LOS ANGELES - Paging Olivia Pope.

Real-life presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton stopped by the set of ABC's hit political drama "Scandal" Monday night, capping off a two-day fundraising swing through California.

The show's two stars, Kerry Washington and Tony Goldwyn, are some of Clinton's biggest Hollywood supporters.

Goldwyn, who plays the fictional president on the program, even stumped for Clinton in Iowa leading up to the caucuses there.

A good friend came by set today. Proud to say... #imwithher

A photo posted by Kerry Washington (@kerrywashington) on

Though the former secretary of state did not tape a cameo, according to aides, she did pose for a bunch of photos with the cast and crew.

Washington posted an Instagram saying "a good friend came by set today," adding the campaign hashtag: #imwithher.

No word yet on her feelings about the latest "Scandal" story line involving a former First Lady's pursuit of a White House bid.

-- Monica Alba covering the Clinton campaign

John Kasich Challenged to 'Take the Gloves Off'

KENNESAW, Ga. - Ohio Gov. John Kasich has been running a notoriously positive campaign for the last several weeks, going out of his way to avoid mentioning the names of his Republican rivals and living on what his advisors call the "sunny side of the street"

But as momentum builds around Marco Rubio as the GOP's top establishment-backed choice to take on Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, Kasich was challenged Tuesday afternoon by multiple people who were concerned he wasn't doing enough to garner the attention and media coverage they felt he deserved.

One woman at his Kennesaw State University town hall told him she worried about the large crowds Trump attracted compared to his because the Republican frontrunner "really captured our imagination because he knows our emotion. And your campaign has not captured the imagination of the American people that's why you're where you're at."

And a man told Kasich he needed to step up and go on the attack. "My question to you is, John Kasich, when are you going to live out your purpose," Jeff Wood of Woodstock, Georgia told him. "Thursday night, when you have that national stage, what are you going to do to stick it to Trump, stick it to Rubio and live out your purpose? Just like you mentioned--it's time to take the gloves off and be the top competitor in your sport."

"I know how a lot of people feel," Kasich acknowledged. "First of all, I don't know if my purpose is to be president. My purpose is to be out here doing what I think I need to be doing and we'll see where it ends up."

"In terms of sticking it to somebody, I ain't gonna do that, OK?" he later continued.

"I have never been big on buying products from companies that are trashing their competitor because I don't think that's the way to sell and you know, I'm not going down that rabbit hole. I mean, I hope not. I mean something could happen and push me off in a certain way but I just think it's time to end all the negative campaigning and all the dirt in politics."

Although Wood supports Kasich, he said he wasn't very satisfied with the governor's answer. "I'm not sure that he understood exactly what I was getting at," he told NBC News after the event.

"The establishment wants to back behind Rubio, and Cruz is going to self-destruct and lie to everybody, and the Evangelical vote -- he's not getting enough of it. Trump is on a roll," Wood said. "John Kasich needs to take the gloves off in this next debate when he has a chance to gain more donor support because time and money are running low. And if he doesn't make a move now that the other governors, Bush and Christie are out of the race, it's not going to happen. He's got to make a move now."

"Like he said, he came out of nowhere," Wood continued. "What better way to do that then come out swinging a little bit?"

-- Kailani Koenig covering the Kasich campaign