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Sanders Vows to Stay in Race; Prince Autopsy Complete, Body Released to Family; Prince Kept Low Profile on Philanthropic Efforts; North Korean Missile Launch; Honor Roll Sophomore Dies After Bathroom Brawl; RNC Searches for Unity at Spring Meeting; Cruz Slam Trump over Transgender Bathroom Laws; Prince Fought Record Label for Artistic Freedom; Sports World Mourns Loss of Music Icon. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired April 23, 2016 - 16:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

PAMELA BROWN, ANCHOR, CNN NEWS ROOM: -- both are speaking across the Northeast today. Bernie Sanders is holding a rally in Delaware, his second stop and state of the day. And in just about 30 minutes from now, Hillary Clinton will make her case to voters in Rhode Island. And earlier, she held an event in Connecticut.

CNN's Chris Frates joins me now.

So Chris, Sanders' attacks against Clinton seemed to die down a little bit after that heated New York race. But it appears they're making a comeback.

CHRIS FRATES, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Yes, that's exactly right, Pam. Bernie Sanders kind of really dialing up the attacks on Hillary Clinton today. He was hitting her on trade, fracking and really no surprise here, her big money donors.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BERNIE SANDERS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: One of the differences between Secretary Clinton and myself, and it's a profound difference, is how we have chosen to raise money for our campaigns.

If we understand that super PACs are the vehicle by which Wall Street and billionaires are able to buy elections, you're damn right. We don't need a super PAC. We don't want a super PAC.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FRATES: So that was Sanders addressing a rally of thousands of supporters in Baltimore this afternoon. Clinton, meanwhile, well, she campaigned on a smaller scale today, holding a conversation with workers in Connecticut.

And in recent days, she's largely avoided hitting Sanders, and she's focusing her fire instead on Donald Trump. Today, she released a video urging voters to remember all his controversial positions as he really starts to pivot toward the general election. And that followed a shot she took at Trump yesterday in Pennsylvania where she criticized his proposal to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the country. Both Sanders and Clinton spent Friday crisscrossing that key Keystone

State, which has the most delegates up for grabs on Tuesday when voters in five states are going to go to the polls. Sanders is behind Clinton in Pennsylvania by almost 30 points, according to a new poll there, and he spent the day campaigning in Maryland and Delaware. Clinton was in Connecticut and Rhode Island. And Pam, those are all states that vote on Tuesday.

BROWN: Of course. And you pointed out some differences in the kind of events Clinton and Sanders are holding. What's behind those differences?

FFRATES: You know, I think it's a question of strategy. Bernie Sanders trying to get people out to the polls, trying keep them excited. Hillary Clinton leading in a lot of these states and really kind of trying to show and demonstrate her softer side, connecting with voters.

She spent, you know, more than an hour in a small venue in Connecticut today talking with workers, health care workers, hearing about their concerns, trying to kind of show off that she's listening to voters. And that's part of how she'll lead.

Bernie Sanders still trying to, you know, make sure people will get excited, come out to the polls and help him, you know, kind of make up some of these deficits that he has in the polling against Hillary Clinton. So you're seeing two different styles.

And also, you know, Hillary Clinton trying to pivot a little bit away to the general election and not focus so much on Bernie Sanders. And when she does these kinds of events with actual voters, she's not doing a rally. She's not having to talk to too much about Bernie Sanders, and she can focus on the voters themselves.

You know, Bernie Sanders, of course, you know, is still trying to draw those distinctions to try to get Democrats out for him, Pam.

BROWN: All right, Chris Frates, thank you for that.

And as we lead up to Super Tuesday, the big question remains. Does Sanders have a path to victory? The candidate certainly believes he doe,s and his campaign says it involves flipping super delegates to their side.

But CNN political commentator Charles Blow doesn't think that strategy will work. Writing in a "New York Times" op-ed, he says, "...barring something unforeseen and unimaginable, there is no way I can see that this strategy stands a gnat's chance in hell of coming to fruition. It's a fairy tale written in pixie dust."

Tell us how you really feel, Charlie. The man behind that piece, Charles Blow, joins me now as well as CNN political commentator and Washington correspondent for "The New Yorker" Ryan Lizza.

All right, so Charles, just going to what you said, obviously you think that you said job, it's a long shot and that Sanders has zero shot. Why wouldn't this strategy of trying to pull in super delegates work for him?

CHARLES BLOW, POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, CNN: Listen, he has the option. You know, he has the chance of pulling in super delegates from states he wants. He could probably make a strong case to them that you should follow the voice of the people in your state.

But here's the problem. At the end of the day, he will -- if trends continue, he will have won fewer states and he will have won smaller states with fewer superdelegates. So the idea of him taking a strategy where they would try to flip more superdelegates than in states than they actually even won is insane.

There is no argument to be made there, if Clinton continues to win the way that she is winning, which is to win most of the popular vote, most of the states and most of the pledged delegates. So what would be your argument if that is your strategy? There is no way that is going to happen. And he knows that as well as everybody else who is paying attention to this race.

BROWN: And Ryan, Sanders critics, most notably, Hillary Clinton herself, have questioned whether his proposals are realistic. But in a "New York Times" interview, the Vice President, Biden, is defending Sanders. And he says this. He says, "I don't think any Democrat's ever won saying, 'We can't think that big - we ought to really downsize here because it's not realistic'...C'mon man, this I the Democratic Party! I'm not part of a party that says, 'Well, we can't do it.'"

This is not the first time Biden has kind of praised Sanders in a way. Do you think he's "Feelin' the Bern" here?

RYAN LIZZA, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: A little bit. I thought those comments were very interesting, because that is not at all the argument that Hillary Clinton has been making, obviously. Right? She has been saying, look, this is, you know -- this is pie in the sky, left wing liberalism, and you just can't get that kind of agenda through a divided Congress.

And I think all Democratic leaders, Biden, the President, President Obama, Hillary Clinton, they are sort of grappling with how to handle Sanders and his movement. Right? On the one hand, I think, look, he's winning millennials 70 percent to 30 percent if you add up all the exit polls. Right? That is literally the future of the Democratic party.

Those young people are the -- it's the Millennial generation is the largest generation in American history. It's bigger than the Baby Boom generation. They are to the left of where Hillary Clinton is, to the left of where the Obama administration has been, and they are the future of the party. And if you alienate that huge segment of young people, that has consequences for the future.

So I think everyone in the party, the leadership, is trying to figure out how do you handle Sanders. How do you get him to sort of bring those people inside the party once this race is over? And I think that's a little bit of what's going on with Biden. BROWN: So it's interesting, because, you know, you point out, and

Charles, you pointed this out in your article, that Sanders really has energized millennials, young people. And there have been people who have made the argument that, you know, why would he drop out? He's having -- he's bringing some good to the Democratic race.

And even if Charles, he, you know, doesn't win any of these five states that are up for grabs on Tuesday, where there's 384 delegates, do you think it might be worthwhile for Sanders to stay in this race whatever the results?

BLOW: Listen, there's two different arguments here. Right? One is stay in or drop out. I say he stays in as long as he wants to, as long as he has the money to.

The second argument --

BROWN: But why is that? Why do you think that?

BLOW: Well, because he's giving a voice to people, a large segment of the population. They are giving him their money. That is speaking with even more than even just a vote. That is speaking with your pocketbook. That means that, you know, he's tapped into something and he has to, I believe, kind of ride that out just because -- to show them that he is going to be their advocate even at the convention to make sure that part of what he's saying is part of the Democratic platform.

So I think he wants to have as much influence on that platform as possible once it arrives there. That is a separate argument from whether or not you should try to flip the superdelegates to your favor against the popular vote. That's still two different things.

But also, on what Ryan was saying, I think that there's -- it's not simply an alienation, not alienation issue. I think it's -- part of it is how do you peg the horizon. Right? These -- a lot of what Sanders is saying, some Democrats believe are generational changes. They're not administration changes, meaning you can't achieve these sorts of changes in four years or eight years, but you should definitely try to aim to achieve those sorts of changes in a generation.

If you -- if you kind of aim it that way, structure it that way, articulate it that way, then you're not actually alienating this generation. You're saying that in your lifetime, what you want now will probably come to fruition, and we will fight for it. It's just that we don't believe that we can do it in four years.

BROWN: All right, Ryan Lizza, Charles Blow, thank you.

LIZZA: Thanks, Pam.

BROWN: Appreciate your perspective.

And turning to Prince. He was famous for giving brazen and electric performances on stage. And off stage, there was another kind of giving going on quietly. More on his large donations to charity and his philanthropic efforts when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: We want to take you right to the growing memorial outside Paisley Park where fans have been gathering all day to celebrate the musical genius of Prince, the legendary artist who blended soaring guitars, funk and flamboyant dance moves. And as those tributes continue to pour in, we're learning more about his final days. An official cause of death, though, could take weeks as authorities await the results of an autopsy.

CNN's Ryan Young joins me right outside Paisley Park. So what's it like out there, Ryan?

RYAN YOUNG, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Well, you know, we've seen continuing, hundreds of people still gathering here. If you look behind us, this has been the steady flow since Thursday. That has continued ever since the news came out here.

We talked to so many people who've decided to drive more than 12 hours just to be a part of this. So many people wanted to go inside Paisley Park, but obviously this is as far as they're going to get. And they're standing here. They're talking. They're sharing stories together. They're writing messages up there. As you can look, there's posters where people have brought signs where they're talking.

Now, we actually have been seeing some sort of gathering going on right now, maybe with family and friends. Because as we look beyond the gates, they've been opening and closing a lot this afternoon. More than 12 cars have arrived. This is the most activity that we've seen in the last few days here park at Paisley Park.

Not sure what exactly is going on, but that group has gone inside. In fact, our Van Jones is part of the group that went inside Paisley Park.

But talking to people who have been here for several days about the experiences they've had with Prince, we talked to one record store owner who says he'll never forget his encounters with the artist.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AARON MEYERRING, CO-OWNER, ELECTRIC FETUS: It does something when you -- not just because it's Prince and he's such a huge worldwide star, but when you shake another human being's hand and less than five days later they're not with you anymore, it just does something to you. You know, it really makes you think about life.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

YOUNG: Now, look, a lot of people have been asking about the investigation that's been going on. They've been asking us do we have more information not only about when the memorial service would happen but if there's any more information from the sheriff's office. Look, that hasn't happened right now. So right now, the focus here on this. And we know that a little later on tonight, they will be playing

"Purple Rain" at Twins Park. So we think thousands of people will probably gather to watch that movie.

The party that went on here last night, the dance party, didn't stop until 7:00 a.m. So you can obviously understand people are still celebrating his life.

BROWN: I am not surprised by that. Ryan Young, thank you so much. And Prince, by the way, was a notoriously private superstar, many of us know, who did not boast about his many generous gifts to charity. Only a few people intimately knew about Prince's focus on philanthropy.

Prince believed young African-Americans needed to fully understand technology in order to compete in today's digital world. And he wanted to do something about it.

My next guest got to know the real Prince, a man who was passionate about helping African-American children learned to write computer code, former national director of #YesWeCode, Kwame Anku joins me now to discuss more.

Kwame, thank you so much for coming on. First of all, tell me why this issue was so close to Prince's heart. I think some people may hear that and may not have known that about Prince.

KWAME ANKU, FORMER NATIONAL DIRECTOR, #YESWECODE: Yes, absolutely, and it's a very powerful story. In essence, you know, CNN commentator Van Jones was actually with Prince in his home watching the footage after the George Zimmerman acquittal in the murder of Trayvon Martin. And Prince was just distraught about that whole situation.

And, you know, he asked the question, why is it that when we see these young African-American males wearing hoodies, the assumption is they're a thug or a criminal. But we could see a young white kid wearing a hoodie and think that's Mark Zuckerberg.

And, you know, Van said, well, I think that's because of racism. And Prince said, well, no, I think it's because we haven't put a concerted effort in creating more black Mark Zuckerbergs. We need to do something about that. Put attention, focus, limelight and resources to help train and lift up a generation of young people, you know, youth of color, African-American youth from distressed communities so that they can see themselves as being, you know, the innovators of the tech innovation economy.

And then he went to work, and I was very honored and privileged to spend time with him and one-on-one time and work with #YesWeCode to help to make that vision a reality.

BROWN: This is more of a recent endeavor and just in the last few years. Tell us how Prince helped promote this #YesWeCode effort.

ANKU: Well, the biggest thing, Pamela, was simply that Prince, you know -- keep in mind that Prince has never put his name with any other organization, entity, product his entire professional career.

And so what he did was he partnered up with the Essence Festival in New Orleans, and he made a condition. He said I will headline this concert, but there has to be a well-publicized hack-a-thon for young African-American young people. And I'll headline the concert so that we can bring attention to this concept of #YesWeCode.

And I'd like to say that, you know, # YesWeCode is an organization, but it's also a clarion call. It's a mantra to shine light. There's hundreds of organizations across the country focusing on teaching youth of color the coding skills, the tech innovation skills, the entrepreneurial skills.

And Prince knew that if he put his hand on it, if he blessed this particular organization and that clarion call and that mantra mantra, it would then put focus so that philanthropists and foundations and private folks would then -- and then the media would pay attention to it and shine a light on it to help to grow it and make it flourish.

BROWN: You know, a lot of people didn't realize all of the philanthropic work he did and charity work, because, as you point out, he didn't always like to attach his name to it. Did you ever ask him why that was?

ANKU: You know, I didn't, but it's because I actually knew why. You know, he other side of Prince, which is, you know, not discussed as much, too, is his spiritual background. As a Jehovah's Witness, that was part of the tenets of his faith was to not to call attention to philanthropic work.

And this goes way back to the early days. I mean, back in the '80s when he was touring. I recently saw an interview with Sheila E, and she said almost every city they went to, they would go to a place -- a home for kids or disadvantaged children or deaf children and just hang out with them. That was a part of his ethos.

You know, you think today there's people in Oakland, California, who have green homes, smart homes, solar panels on their house and don't know Prince paid for those solar panels. He was saying that programs in Oakland where youth of color were able to learn how to put solar panels and retrofit buildings. And he was sending money anonymously to be able to support and pay.

So there's so many people, so many families, so many organizations that have been helped by this extraordinary human being for decades that today don't even know, but he was the one who made it happen.

BROWN: Really incredible. And you say that Prince gave you a black history lesson on YouTube. Tell us about that.

ANKU: Yes. You know, it was one of the most amazing and surreal experiences. It was the first night I was with him. He flew me out to his home and we got to spend time together. And after eating dinner and watching the Pacers game together, he said come upstairs, I want to show you something. And we sat down in his office, literally next to one another in front

of a computer, and he took me through an hour and a half on YouTube just looking at clips of the extraordinary accomplishments of African- Americans in music. And we watched Sammy Davis, Jr. to Ike and Tina Turner to James Brown back in 1971.

And his whole thing was he wanted to show me how back in the day there was a way that people performed and a way the production was done. And he wanted to bring that back. And I was very fortunate to get to work with him and do some production work and direction with him as well.

BROWN: Wow, that must have been surreal just sitting there with him for this hour and a half history lesson.

ANKU: Yes.

BROWN: Kwame Anku, thank you so much for that.

ANKU: It's my honor.

BROWN: Appreciate you sharing your experiences --

ANKU: Thank you.

BROWN: -- with us.

Well, high school fights happen, but not like this. An honor roll student beaten to death. Her principal says it happened on campus during school hours. How could this have happened?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

Well, tensions on the Korean peninsula are reaching a new level. That's after the North reportedly fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile. Officials in South Korea say the missile flew about 19 miles before dropping into the sea. And for it to be considered a true threat, the missile needed to reach 185 miles.

Still, one U.S. official said they are watching this very closely and, quote, "North Korea's sub launch capability has gone from a joke to something very serious."

Well, there are still lots of questions surrounding the death of a 16- year-old honor roll student in Wilmington, Delaware. The school principal says it happened on campus early Thursday. A fight in the girl's bathroom that left one of the girls so badly hurt that she later died.

Our Rachel Crane is following the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RACHEL CRANE, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: A community still reeling after the death of 16-year-old Amy Joyner Francis, assaulted in her high school bathroom. REV. MARGARET GUY, COMMUNITY MEMBER: It seem like every time we have

to come out like this, somebody's lost a child. Somebody's lost a loved one. You know, it's just too much. You know? It's entirely too much.

CRANE: The incident happened Thursday morning as classes began at Howard High School of Technology in Delaware, according to officials. Investigators say a fight broke out between Amy and another student, and others quickly joined in.

Amy was air lifted to a local children's hospital where she was pronounced dead. Her family and friends are trying to make sense of their loss.

SHERRY DORSEY, FAMILY SPOKESPERSON: She was a wonderful young lady. And the fact that she's gone, it really affects us tremendously. She made a huge difference in society, and we need more young people like that.

CRANE: According to police, two people were brought in for questioning. Authorities do not believe weapons were involved. The case is still under investigation. But that brings little comfort to Amy's family.

DORSEY: This is not a young lady who was involved in street activity. This is an honor roll student, manager of the wrestling team, whose mother and father were very engaged in her life as well as her siblings.

CRANE: Some students say the fight was over a boy, but the exact cause of the deadly altercation is still a mystery.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CRANE: Now, there was a vigil held in her honor on Thursday evening. And this outpouring of love and grieving and support is not just isolated to this community. The hash tag #justiceforamy has had thousands of posts on Twitter, on Instagram and on Facebook. Pamela?

BROWN: Such a disturbing story. Rachel Crane, thank you for that.

And coming up on this Saturday afternoon, the race for the White House is all coming down to delegates. And with just three days before the next Super Tuesday, Republican candidates are scrambling for every last one.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: Well, after weeks of attacks from Donald Trump, members of a somewhat bruised Republican Party spent the better part of a week at a Florida resort, gathering, regrouping and preparing for what could likely be a contested convention.

At those meetings, Reince Priebus, chairman of the RNC, made it absolutely clear the Party would support whomever is nominated.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

REINCE PRIEBUS, CHAIRMAN, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE: It's essential to victory in November that we all support our candidate. This goes for everyone, whether you're a county party chairman, an RNC member or a presidential candidate. Politics is a team sport, and we can't win unless we rally around whoever becomes our nominee.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: And let's be clear here. While this meeting was at a fancy Florida resort, it was anything but a vacation.

CNN was there for everything, even the stuff we weren't invited to. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have a system that's rigged. We have a system that's crooked. We have this delegate system which is a sham.

CHRIS MOODY, SENIOR DIGITAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: The GOP has been under siege by the front-runner, Donald Trump. The Republican establishment wants to show they're in tune with the grass roots. So they're throwing a party on a luxury yacht. The press is not invited.

So we got our own boat. Hi, Republicans. What are you going to do about Donald Trump?

Trump, Kasich or Cruz?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Kasich.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you guys stalking us or what?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You think we're going to tell you?

MOODY: We're in Hollywood, Florida, for a meeting of the GOP establishment. This is the final National Republican Committee meeting before the convention in Cleveland. They're meeting at a luxury resort just north of Miami. Beautiful pools, right on the beach. Not a bad place to rest up before what's going to be an insane convention.

It sounds like you've come to terms with the possibility of a Trump nomination if it comes to that.

BOB KABEL, NATIONAL COMMITTEEMAN, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Well, yes, I mean I'm realistic. You know, I mean, obviously it's been kind of a -- it's a different year. And --

MOODY: That's a nice way of saying it.

KABEL: -- yes. I mean it's been challenging, but, you know, it is what it is. MOODY: Donald Trump has been calling the delegate system unfair or

even corrupt. So we talked to a bunch of members of the actual GOP establishment, and they say it's not corrupt at all. The rules have been there for a long time. Donald Trump just has to read the instruction manual.

CYNTHIA HENRY, NATIONAL COMMITTEEWOMAN, ALASKA: it isn't rigged. You know, and it's a little bit complicated. We're allowed to make the rules. So people who say it isn't fair don't have any credibility with me.

NICOLE AMBROSE, NATIONAL COMMITTEEWOMAN, MARYLAND: My advice to Mr. Trump is be Mr. Art of the Deal. It is up to you to go out there and win those delegate votes, vote by vote, and fight for them.

HENRY BARBOUR, NATIONAL COMMITTEEMAN, MISSISSIPPI: He's an insurgent candidate. He's trying to appeal on a populous level. I, you know, don't take it that he really means it.

MOODY: Usually at this point in the contest, we kind of know who the nominee is going to be, and the party starts to rally around that person. But that is not happening now. You've got Donald Trump, John Kasich, Ted Cruz, all fighting it out for delegates.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why are you here in Hollywood, Florida?

SEN. TED CRUZ (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: To meet with elected delegates and leaders of the party across the country.

GOV. JOHN KASICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And I'm going to be the nominee when it's all said and done. Thank you.

MOODY: John Kasich and Ted Cruz both came here to this week to talk to RNC members, trying to get a couple more delegates before the convention possibly.

CRUZ: I do not believe Donald has any path to winning a majority.

MOODY: Donald Trump is not coming himself, but he's dispatched his staff to do the same thing.

This meeting comes at a crucial time. The convention is just a couple months away.

HENRY: The candidate has to have 1,237 votes. And, you know, it's like going down a football field. If you're, you know, three feet away from the goal line, you don't get the points.

KABEL: So you have to play by the rules. There's nothing rigged about that. It's a very open process.

MOODY: So what do you say the strain that calls themselves "Never Trump," who won't support him if he's the nominee?

BARBOUR: Two words, Hillary Clinton.

MOODY: Does this canal connect to Cleveland?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: All right, let's bring in CNN political commentator and Trump supporter Jeffrey Lord. Also, CNN political reporter Tom Lobianco to discuss all of this, what we saw in that piece there and everything else that's going on in this race.

Jeffrey, to you first. You heard those RNC members there telling Trump flat out earn it. As one of them said, be Mr. Art of the Deal. They think he has the same chance as everyone else, clearly. But Cruz has been very successful, picking up delegates at these state conventions. Do you think Trump has had a fair shot?

JEFFREY LORD, TRUMP SUPPORTER: Well, I think -- I think he's winning, obviously, and I think he's going to get to 1,237 or get very close to it and then the art of the deal will kick in. In my experience, I was at the 1976 Republican Convention where President Ford was ahead, and some of the Reagan people, as I recall, abandoned ship and went to President Ford and put him over the top. In other words, people like to be with a winner.

So I do think that we're getting there. And one other thing, Pam. I've gone back and looked at all the nominees of both parties since 1960, and in every single case, the person who was far enough ahead eventually won the nomination.

BROWN: So it's interesting, Tom, because just hearing Cruz speak there and elsewhere, he's really banking on Donald Trump not making it to that 1,237 before the convention. But then on the other hand, you hear the Trump camp, including Trump supporter here, Jeffrey Lord, saying he thinks he will reach that 1,237.

What are the -- why are there such opposing views of this? And what's sort of going on behind the scenes?

TOM LOBIANCO, POLITICS REPORTER, CNN: I think the thing that happened this week is that the Republican Party chairman Reince Priebus really made it clear that 1,237 is the number that you need to get. Now, how you get there is the big question.

Whether you need 1,237 in pledged delegates or whether you can get in line with these people who are kind of free agents, we'll call them unbound delegates, and this is why -- this helped explain why there is so much anger (inaudible) Wyoming in particular, because when Cruz won there, he took away those unbound delegates from Trump. Really he shrunk the margin that Trump can play with.

So hypothetically, if Trump were to walk in with 1,100 delegates (inaudible), then he has to get another 137 over that. And what Cruz has been doing is really shrinking that that he has to work with. And that -- you know, that really explains a lot of politics here. With every successful election, it gets harder and there's less to play with.

BROWN: And Jeffrey, on that note, you know, Donald Trump is insisting that his supporters will never leave him. And he said this at a rally earlier. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TRUMP: They had people on the other day, "We'll never leave Trump." They said -- you know, one of dishonest media people, the most -- the world's most dishonest people. What would it take to get you to leave Donald Trump?

A woman, great woman. I just wanted to hug that television set. What would it get -- I was watching. She had 10 of her friends behind her. What would it get for you to drop Donald Trump and go to another candidate?

And she goes, listen, stop talking. We're never dropping him. There's nothing he can do. There's nothing. It's true.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: All right, so Jeffrey, honestly, flat out, is there any risk of this trademark Trump confidence can become overconfidence?

LORD: No. I'll tell you. There's a delegate candidate right here in my own congressional district that I've met, and he more or less said the same thing as that woman. He's for Donald Trump on the first, second, third, fourth and 105th ballots and beyond. So I don't think these people are going to be moved.

Where we do have a problem, and Gary Tuchman from CNN had an interesting report the other night, is people who are elected where their district mandates they be for Trump on the first ballot, but really they're for Cruz, there's where you get a bit of a rub. They're really not Trump people. They're just being forced by the laws of their state.

BROWN: And then you have places like Pennsylvania coming up where, correct me if I'm wrong, the can -- they're not bound to any candidate, and they can vote --

LORD: That is correct.

BROWN: -- for who they want come convention time.

LORD: I will be voting on Tuesday. I will be voting here in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, and I will be making sure that I know exactly, because it's only their name on the ballot. It doesn't say what candidate they support.

BROWN: Right.

LORD: So it's my job to know going in which ones are the Trump delegates. There will be -- I think, we have as many as 10, if not more, candidates on the ballot. We only have three slots, so I have to know going in who those three Trump people are and cast my vote accordingly.

BROWN: Who's for Trump, who's for Cruz. Obviously, Tuesday is a big day with all these states.

And I just want to talk quickly about this issue that Trump and Cruz are clearly divided on, and it's the LGBT rights. They most recently sparred over the transgender bathroom laws passed in several states. Let's listen to what Cruz said moments ago in Plainfield, Indiana.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CRUZ: It doesn't make any sense at all to have a grown adult man, a stranger, alone in a bathroom with a little girl. And I got to say, the fact that Donald would give in to the PC police, the very same people that had ESPN fire Curt Schilling for making that common sense observation, well, it illustrates what Donald told us a couple months ago, that he could be the most politically correct person on the face of the planet.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's crazy Donald.

CRUZ: But I think it is time -- it is crazy Donald, and it's phony Donald, too.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: So, Tom, the big question now is, are Republicans going to support Donald Trump as the nominee if he is seen on deviating on these sorts of social issues?

LOBIANCO: Well, I -- you know (inaudible) Indiana, because what's going on here is that the Cruz people have really kind of set this as a ball wrecker. They really think if they put a lot of time and effort into Indiana, and this LGBT issue is really critical out there.

You know, when I was working at the AC (inaudible) "Indy Star" there, religious freedom fight and this gay marriage fight (inaudible) it happened in the state legislature really prefaced a lot of this. And, you know, I'm not sure that's the type of thing where an issue like that might play better for Trump in the Northeast. But in the heartland, the capital of the crossroads of America, as we call it there in Indiana, that's not a very popular stance (inaudible).

He's put so much into Indiana (inaudible) blocking him from getting to the 1,237 before the convention.

BROWN: Right. And so many people are saying Indiana to be crucial when it comes to this delegate fight, so I guess it's no surprise he's so focused there.

Tom Lobianco, Jeffrey Lord, pleasure as always. Thank you very much.

LOBIANCO: Thank, Pam. Bye.

BROWN: And coming up on this Saturday, Prince, the businessman, his career-long battle with the music industry and how he inspired other artists to take control of their brands.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(ON SCREEN)

7 Songs You Didn't Know Prince Wrote

Prince wrote the Bangle's first hit song "Manic Monday." Prince first recorded this song with his side project Apollonia 6.

Stevie Nicks and Prince co-wrote Nicks' 1984 hit song "Stand Back." Nicks has said "Stand Back" was inspired by Prince's song "Little Red Corvette."

Prince originally recorded "Nothing Compares 2 U" with his side project "The Family." Irish singer Sinead O'Connor made the ballad famous with her 1990 cover.

In 1989, Madonna & Prince co-wrote the track "Love Song." In 2009, Madonna used the lyrics from that track for her hit single "Hung Up."

Cyndi Lauper covered Prince's song "When You Were Mine" on her debut album "She's So Unusual." The song was originally written and released by Prince on his 1980 album "Dirty Mind."

"The Glamorous Life" was Sheila E's first single. The song was originally written by Prince for his side project Apollonia 6.

"I Feel for You" was written and released by Prince for his second album. Chaka Khan remade the song in 1984 with its own distinctive vibe.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: All songs that Prince either wrote or influenced. And since he passed away on Thursday, people have been celebrating his many hits like this one.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(MUSIC) All I ever wanted to do. I want to be your lover. I want to be the only one.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: And if you try to punch up Prince videos on YouTube or try to stream "Purple Rain" on Spotify or Apple music, well, you're out of luck. You already know this. Prince's legacy isn't his music. It's also his fierce conviction to protect it.

And here to talk about that, Frank Pollotta, media reporter for "CNN Money."

So Frank, you know, Prince's arguably the most effective artist to take on a music label. In '93 he famously changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol to protest Warner Brothers. And he was relentless in protecting his art. How so? FRANK PALLOTTA, MEDIA REPORTER, CNN MONEY: Well, he was in control of

it from pretty much beginning to end, and you can see that. You spoke about YouTube, and it's not on there. It's not on Apple music. It's not on Spotify. That's a great example of currently how he did it in the later years of his career.

He didn't really trust technology. He had a distaste for digital music. He said albums still matter, and he pulled all of his music off of YouTube, and he went exclusively to title. So -- and why did he do that? It's because they gave him more artistic control. They allowed him to be able to have more hands in the production of the music. Not to mention, you know, they probably paid a little better. So that was another reason why he kind of did that, but that was a great example.

BROWN: And let's talk about that a little bit more. Because he not only controlled his music, it was also about his brand. Right?

PALLOTTA: Yes. Yes, definitely. That's why right now more than anything, when we think of Prince, we think of two things. We think of royalty, and we think of this artist.

It's because no one is ever going to be like Prince again. And that was one of the greatest legacies that he's given today's artists.

Before Prince, there was never an artist that went from A to Z in terms of putting the music out there, performing and being in such control. Now, we see people like Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Kanye West, who are identities. You can separate their identities from their music, and that really starts at the root for Prince.

BROWN: And I want to get your thoughts on this statement from contributing editor for "Rolling Stone" who says that artists today, even those who sound nothing like Prince, should thank the legend for their artistic freedom. What do you think about that?

PALLOTTA: That's definitely true. One of the things about Prince is that he went beyond genre. He went beyond gender. And basically for Prince to kind of push back against Warner Brothers back in the early '90s and say, I'm going to become an unpronounceable symbol because you don't own me, I'm not a slave to you -- that's why he had the slave on his face when he used to perform -- it was kind of a big revolutionary thing that artists today are still doing, that are still producing, that are still making themselves more identities and artists rather than just cookie cutter musicians.

BROWN: Something you told me earlier I found fascinating was, you know, he fiercely protected the music that he did release, but also --

PALLOTTA: Yes.

BROWN: -- there's all this music he hasn't released. Right?

PALLOTTA: Right. Like I said earlier, about 70 percent of the music that Prince has produced has reportedly never been even released. Think about how prolific that is. This is a guy that had so many albums, multiplatinum albums, and one of the most famous albums of all time in "Purple Rain," and yet we haven't even scratched the surface of the type of music he was doing and the type of experimentation he might have been doing.

BROWN: Really remarkable. Frank Pollotta, thank you so much for that.

PALLOTTA: Thank you.

BROWN: And one thing you may not have known about Prince, he was a huge basketball fan. Coming up, hear how Lebron James is remembering the music icon.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: Well, from Niagara Falls to the Eiffel Tower, we're seeing plenty of tributes to Prince, who died on Thursday. And now the sports world is showing love for the man whose music impacted so many people for so many years.

Coy Wire has more. Coy?

COY WIRE, CNN: Pamela, Prince loved sports, and the sports world loved him, too. That's why after the news of his passing, there were tributes from teams and tweets from athletes showing respect. But yesterday, before their playoff win over the Pistons, LeBron James took some time to reflect and show some love for Prince.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEBRON JAMES, CLEVELAND CAVALIERS PLAYER: He's someone I'll always listen to for sure. You know, "Purple Rain" is obviously one of my favorite movies, which is funny. I love that movie. I watch it a lot. Every time it's on television, I always catch it. So, you know, like it said, it's just unfortunate, you know, that we continue to lose some of our heroes so young in age.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WIRE: So many Prince tributes from the sports world, Pamela. But remember this? A few months ago, King James dressed as Prince and put on a show for his teammates. This was awesome.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(MUSIC)

Purple rain, purple rain. I only want to see you --

I would die for you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WIRE: Now, Pamela, we've all heard of Prince's eccentric taste. Right? Well, this next story from ESPN definitely highlights that aspect of the legend. Prince once rented a Beverly Hills mansion from NBA veteran Carlos

Boozer. Supposedly Prince completely redecorated the place while he was there. He put a Prince sign out on the front gate, knocked down walls, changed the master bedroom into a hair salon.

And Boozer didn't know about any of this ahead of time, so he was mad. And Pamela, when Boozer arrived at the house to confront Prince about it, Prince handed him a check for a million bucks and said, here you go, this should take care of getting everything changed back to where it needs to be.

BROWN: Wow. Great stories there. Coy Wire, thank you so much.

And coming up in the next hour, we'll talk to a music industry executive who, as a long-time fan -- was a longtime fan of the artist before she got the chance to work for him. Her take on the legacy Prince leaves behind.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: 5:00 Eastern. You're in the "CNN Newsroom" on this Saturday. I'm Pamela Brown in Atlanta in for Poppy Harlow.

And we begin with the race for the White House and the countdown to the next Super Tuesday. Republicans Donald Trump, John Kasich and Ted Cruz are on the campaign trail making last-minute pleas to voters --