The Note: Jeb Bush Goes Mano a Mano vs. Donald Trump

— -- NOTABLES

--JEB BUSH SAYS DONALD TRUMP IS TRYING TO 'INSULT HIS WAY INTO THE PRESIDENCY': GOP presidential candidate Jeb Bush hit fellow Republican Donald Trump today on Good Morning America, saying he thinks "Trump is trying to insult his way into the presidency," he told ABC's GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS. "He wants to tear us apart," Bush said. "He doesn't believe in tolerance. He doesn't believe in the things that have created the greatness of this country," Bush continued, in response to Trump's comments on Wednesday that Bush should speak English while in the United States. Bush said when he first heard Trump's comments he "laughed." "I mean this is a joke," Bush said, adding answering questions in both English and Spanish is the "reality of America" and "the kind of America we want." He went on to say that the comments are "bizarre" but also "hurtful for a lot of people," ABC's SHUSHANNAH WALSHE reports. Still, Bush said that he would "of course" support Trump if he were the nominee. http://abcn.ws/1Xk0OgU

--DONALD TRUMP SAYS JEB BUSH SHOULD 'REALLY SET THE EXAMPLE BY SPEAKING ENGLISH' IN THE U.S. Jeb's attacks came in response to frontrunner Donald Trump's comments on Wednesday. He said fellow Republican Jeb Bush should speak English in the United States, another comment likely to spark controversy in light of the millions of U.S. citizens who speak dozens of other languages nationwide. "I like Jeb; he's a nice man," the real estate mogul told Breitbart News on Wednesday, which has been confirmed by ABC News. "But he should really set the example by speaking English while in the United States." Trump has been under fire for controversial comments about immigrants from Mexico throughout the duration of his campaign. The comments also came the same day as a newly released ABC News/Washington Post poll shows that 82 percent of Hispanics have an unfavorable view of Trump, ABC's CANDACE SMITH, RYAN STRUYK and VERONICA STRACQUALURSI report. http://abcn.ws/1hV2Nbl

--TIME TO PICK A SIDE: TRUMP EXPECTED TO SIGN RNC'S NEW LOYALTY PLEDGE. Donald Trump is expected to sign a pledge today to support the Republican Party's eventual nominee, essentially ruling out a third party bid for the presidency, a source familiar with the conservations between Trump and the RNC tells ABC's JONATHAN KARL. Still, Trump has not directly told GOP leaders what he will do. "Mr. Trump will make a decision today," Trump spokesperson Hope Hicks told ABC News this morning. "No word on what that will be as of yet." According to sources in two different campaigns, the pledge asks candidates to "affirm that if I do not win the 2016 Republican nomination for president of the United States I will endorse the 2016 Republican presidential nominee regardless of who it is. I further pledge that I will not seek to run as an independent or write-in candidate nor will I seek or accept the nomination for president of any other party." Trump meeting with RNC Chair Priebus at Trump Tower this afternoon, according to ABC's JOHN SANTUCCI. The pledge is designed to force Trump to rule out a third-party run, but this is a pledge to support the nominee "regardless of who it is." So -- it is also putting all the other candidates on record saying they will support Trump if he wins.

--FORMER STATE STAFFER WILL PLEAD THE FIFTH TO BENGHAZI COMMITTEE: Facing a subpoena from the House Select Committee on Benghazi, former Clinton State Department staffer Bryan Pagliano will plead the fifth to avoid incriminating himself before the committee, according to an August 31 letter from his attorney to Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-SC, the chairman of the committee. Gowdy declined to comment on Pagliano's decision Thursday morning, ahead of the committee's interview of Clinton aide Cheryl Mills, ABC's BENJAMIN SIEGEL reports. The Clinton campaign told ABC's LIZ KREUTZ that the former Secretary of State did not send or receive anything marked classified. "She has made every effort to answer questions and be as helpful as possible, and has encouraged her aides, current and former, to do the same, including Bryan Pagliano," the aide said.

--ANALYSIS: ABC's RICK KLEIN: Donald Trump's latest was calculated to offend Jeb Bush, and to appeal to Trump's own anti-immigrant base with a plea for Jeb Bush to "set the example" and speak English. In the process, though, he may have offended tens of millions of Americans for whom English isn't a first or a primary language. In that sense, Trump did more than take a swipe at Bush -- he insulted the idea of America, and the idea of the Republican Party, that Bush is championing and has lived for decades. That's what makes this a big moment for Jeb Bush. Standing up for his concept of the nation's future means calling out, as Bush did on "Good Morning America" Thursday, for comments that are "hurtful to a lot of people. "Mr. Trump knows this," he quickly added. Bush clearly won't win a game of insults with Trump. But he might win a battle for the future of the GOP that is expansive rather than narrow, "optimistic" -- in Jeb's term -- rather than dour, and that Bush has lived more than just talked about.

--PRESIDENT OBAMA'S IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL OFFICIALLY UNSTOPPABLE IN CONGRESS. President Obama's landmark Iran nuclear agreement will survive congressional review. ABC's ALI WEINBERG and BENJAMIN SIEGEL report that Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., has announced her support for the Iran nuclear deal, becoming the 34th Democratic senator to back the president, and giving Obama the numbers in the upper chamber to sustain his promised veto of the resolution of disapproval of the deal. "No deal is perfect, especially one negotiated with the Iranian regime. I have concluded that this Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is the best option available to block Iran from having a nuclear bomb. For these reasons, I will vote in favor of this deal. However, Congress must also reaffirm our commitment to the safety and security of Israel," Mikulski said in a statement. http://abcn.ws/1L50gSR

TODAY ON THE TRAIL with ABC's SHUSHANNAH WALSHE

It's a busy day on the campaign trail. After his exclusive interview on Good Morning America from Manchester, New Hampshire today, Jeb Bush will hold two town halls in the first primary state. Chris Christie and Lindsey Graham are also in the Granite State. As for Iowa, Bernie Sanders has three events in the state and Bobby Jindal will be in Dubuque, Iowa this evening. Donald Trump is in New York City where he will hold a 2 p.m. press conference with RNC chairman Reince Priebus outside of Trump Tower. It will follow a private meeting the two are having where they are expected to discuss the RNC's loyalty pledge.

Hillary Clinton is still on vacation in the Hamptons and off the trail. But her aides from the state department, Cheryl Mills and Jake Sullivan, are scheduled to be on Capitol Hill to testify before the House's Benghazi Committee today. Mike Huckabee is making three stops in South Carolina while Ted Cruz is on home turf in Texas holding three rallies. Marco Rubio is in Tennessee--an SEC primary state--holding an afternoon rally in Chattanooga. Joe Biden is still in the South Florida area. He isn't a candidate, but we're still closely watching his events. Last night at a private Democratic fundraiser he complimented Bernie Sanders, but apparently made no mention of his 2016 plans. Today, he will speak to Jewish leaders in Davie, Florida, as well as at a synagogue in Atlanta trying to sell the Iran deal.

THE BUZZ with ABC's VERONICA STRACQUALURSI

WATCH PRESIDENT OBAMA DO A NATIVE ALASKAN DANCE WITH KIDS. President Obama's been known to bust a move now and then -- and he's not a bad dancer. Today, he had the opportunity to show off his moves on the last day of his three-day trip to Alaska. Obama stopped at Dillingham Middle School and was treated to a cultural performance by the school kids, featuring native dances and songs. After the kids had finished performing a number of dances, POTUS joined in, ABC's VERONICA STRACQUALURSI writes. "I've been practicing," Obama said. Along with the children dressed in colorful native clothing, Obama waved his hands to the beat. WATCH: http://abcn.ws/1N3UxB9

SENATOR SAYS CONGRESS' WORK ON IRAN WILL CONTINUE AFTER DEAL VOTE. Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey told ABC News that Congress' work on the Iran nuclear agreement is far from over, even as the deal's success was essentially secured Wednesday as it received enough Senate support to move forward. "The agreement will be moving forward. In some ways that's when our work just begins," Casey said in a phone interview. The senior senator from Pennsylvania became on Tuesday the 32nd Democratic senator to support the deal, writing a lengthy memo that explained his decision-making process but also laid out his concerns, including the belief that the Obama administration should use more direct language in explaining the consequences if Iran violates portions of the deal. http://abcn.ws/1hUATfF

MEET DONALD TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN MANAGER, COREY LEWANDOWSKI. Donald Trump is no stranger to the spotlight, but the relatively small group of aides who run his presidential campaign is not nearly as visible. This may change. Lately, Trump's campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, has stepped out of the shadows. The 40-year-old father of four known for his anti-establishment enthusiasm has had a colorful career. A Massachusetts native and current New Hampshire resident, he ran, and lost, for a state representative position while still a student at UMass, Lowell, according to the Lowell Sun. He briefly worked for the Republican National Committee, and most notably, spent almost seven years at the Koch brothers-backed Americans for Prosperity. He was also the executive director of the New England Seafood Producers Association and the director of public affairs at a PR firm. Lewandowski is a New Hampshire Police Academy graduate, guest lecturer, licensed real estate agent and notary. ABC's LOUISE SIMPSON has more. http://abcn.ws/1KHRWMM

RICK PERRY LOSES STAFF IN GRANITE STATE. Things are looking even worse for Rick Perry, if possible. Mike Dennehy, the top adviser for Rick Perry in New Hampshire, confirms there are no paid staffers left in the state, adding any reports that he has left the campaign aren't true. "I have not left the campaign, but the fact of the matter is there is no New Hampshire campaign. I have not seen or talked to Governor Perry since he left Aug. 4^th, and the campaign has not sought my advice. So it's disingenuous to call me an advisor or staffer for the campaign," former senior advisor to Rick Perry Mike Dennehy tells ABC's BRAD MIELKE. He said he would remain a steadfast supporter of Rick Perry, and that he would not endorse or campaign for anyone else this election cycle. Is the campaign in trouble? "Of course the campaign is in trouble, the campaign is broke!" Asked what Perry should do, he said "my unsolicited advice was to camp out in Iowa. If there's any hope to resuscitate this campaign, it's in Iowa."

VEEP WATCH: BIDEN TRAVELS TO FLORIDA AMID 2016 BUZZ. Vice President Joe Biden was down in Miami on Wednesday for official events -- but the 2016 undertones are hard to ignore as he visits the critical battleground state of Florida. In a 35 minute speech at Miami Dade College, the word 2016 never crossed the VP's lips (at least in public) though he made a sly reference to all the attention he's receiving these days. "Their interest in community college has impressed me greatly," Biden said to laughter, referring to the nearly two dozen cameras and reporters assembled for his speech. Biden ignored questions at the end of the speech about whether he is running for president in 2016. This week's events are among his first official outings since the speculation about a 2016 run ramped up last month. Today, he makes the sell on the Iran deal when he speaks to Jewish leaders in Davie, Florida and in a separate lecture at a synagogue in Atlanta, ABC's ARLETTE SAENZ reports.

SEN. WARREN ON HER 'LONG CONVERSATION' WITH BIDEN. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren talked briefly on Wednesday about her meeting with Vice President Joe Biden in Washington in late August at a "Political Happy Hour" event sponsored by the Boston Globe. "He called. He called me twice. Called me once, called me twice and invited me down. We had lunch and we talked about policy," she said, adding that they talked about America's middle class, the direction of the country, and "the capture of this country by those who've got money and power." "It was good, long, rambly policy conversation," she added. Asked what she ate for lunch, she jokingly said, "it was a chopped salad thing. I was never entirely sure what it was." In a follow-up question, the reporter asked whether Biden asked about a joint ticket -- even jokingly. "It was a long conversation," was all she would say, with a laugh. ABC's ALI WEINBERG notes that Warren was also asked whether she'd be endorsing a Democratic primary candidate: "Yeah, I imagine. Right now that's not where we are. But I imagine that's what I'll do."

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: JEB BUSH PUTS OUT QUIZ SLAMMING DONALD TRUMP. As with any good political feud, the attacks between Republican candidates Jeb Bush and Donald Trump are becoming more personal, ABC's CANDACE SMITH notes. The Bush campaign Wednesday put out a quiz asking "Which Candidate Are You?" that's designed to highlight the differences between Bush's positions and Trump's. The quiz is live on the campaign's Facebook page and takes voters to a page with a series of questions that range from the serious to the strange, all choices lead to either Bush or Trump. While many of the questions are policy-based, asking about stances of abortion, healthcare, guns, tax reform, etc, one is a more personal...and a little odd. The last question on the quiz reads: "Would you rather support a candidate who strives to shake every hand everywhere or is a germophobe when it comes to shaking hands?" http://abcn.ws/1JNkyz9

WHO'S TWEETING?

@wpjenna: Scott Walker's confusing comments on birthright and a northern wall are now being blamed on a "tic" of nodding and saying "yeah" too much.

@jeffzeleny: Wonder what @realDonaldTrump thinks of this front-page @MiamiHerald headline today: 'Habla Ingles' to @JebBush?

@DannyLopezDiaz: .@realDonaldTrump against Spanish? Says Reagan not conservative? Looks like one man mission to kill GOP: #AllInForJeb

@CandaceSmith_: Jeb adds that he would "of course" support Trump if he were the nominee. Says the party needs unity. @GMA @ABCPolitics

@gdebenedetti: New overnight--Team Hillary preps a long-planned NH escalation as Bernie leads, but some backers wonder: is it enough? http://politi.co/1LN6OIq