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Hillary Clinton's New Message; Charles Koch Endorses Hillary Clinton; President Obama Pushing Trade Deal Overseas; ; Remembering Prince; Trump Jr. On His Dad: It's Not An Act; Clinton Working To Get Out The Vote Ahead Of Primaries; Manhunt Underway For "Executive Style" Killer Of Eight; Ripa Skips "Live" After News Of Strahan's Exit. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired April 24, 2016 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:13] FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello, everyone. And thanks so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

Hillary Clinton is rolling out a new message on the campaign trail today, just two days away from Super Tuesday. She is issuing a warning call against the quote "dangerous extreme makeover of Donald Trump." This week the Trump campaign told Republican Party leaders Trump would be softening his tone and portray a more presidential image. But at a fiery campaign rally last night and a powerful new campaign web video, Clinton says quote "if we buy it, shame on us."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Hello, Rhode Island.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: At the right time I will be so presidential you will be so bored. They are bringing drugs, they are bringing crime and they are rapists. I will use the word (INAUDIBLE), a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.

What do you think? I said it is fine. And if he want to go stronger, I could go stronger too. I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose any voters.

CLINTON: One of my personal heroines, Mya Angelou said, when someone shows you who they are, believe them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITEFIELD: All right. Let's bring in our Chris Frates.

Chris, OK. Well, she is pivoting the focus not just against Bernie Sanders who is going to get the Democratic nomination. But now clearly she's got her eyeballs set on the general election.

CHRIS FRATES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's exactly right, Fred. She is pivoting to the general election. And it's largely because she's on very, very friendly turf. Take a look where we're going to go, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Delaware, those are all places where she is expected to do well when voters go to the polls there on Tuesday. And Bernie Sanders, well, he is trying to cut into her lead and he has taken a couple of different approaches over the last couple of days.

Yesterday, for instance, he was taking on Clinton very directly. But today in Rhode Island, he barely mentioned her, taking a veiled shot at her ties to Wall Street.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This campaign is doing well and will win because we are listening to --

CROWD: Bernie, Bernie! Bernie! Bernie! Bernie!

SANDERS: Because we are listening to ordinary people and not spending half of my life with the billionaires trying to hustle campaign contributions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRATES: Now Sanders also picked up the endorsement of the united electrical workers union today, but has a lot of ground to make up against Clinton. He is trailing her by double digits in Maryland and Pennsylvania according to recent polls. And Clinton, well, she spent the morning campaigning among one of her key constituencies, visiting African-American churches in Philly. And her strength among the African-American community is a big reason she is leading Sanders. In fact, Sanders, he now needs to win more than 80 percent, 80 percent of the remaining delegates at stake to win the nomination. Clinton, she needs just about 30 percent. And that's part of the reason why we're starting to see her pivot to the general election by taking on Donald Trump. In addition to that anti-Trump video we just saw, Clinton has been hammering the billionaire on the stump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: Trump keeps saying things like, you know, I didn't really mean it. It was all part of my reality TV show. Running for president will be on your screen. Well, you know what, if we buy that, shame on us because he's already showed us what he believes and he's already said what he wants to do. And he wants to go after every one of the rights we have.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRATES: So Clinton keeping an eye on November while trying to sew up five big wins on Tuesday, Fred.

WHITEFIELD: All right. Big day indeed. Thanks so much, Chris Frates. We will check back with you.

All right, this morning, Clinton almost received an influential endorsement that she probably never expected and flips the notion of party loyalty on its head. Billionaire businessman Charles Koch, one of the two Koch Brothers told ABC News that Clinton may be a better choice for president than any Republican running. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So is it possible another Clinton could be better than another Republican?

CHARLES KOCH, CEO, KOCH INDUSTRIES: It's possibility. It's possible.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You couldn't see yourself supporting Hillary Clinton, could you?

KOCH: Well, her -- we would have to believe her actions would be quite different than her rhetoric. Let me put it that way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[14:05:09] WHITEFIELD: So Clinton has repeatedly condemned the Koch brothers and their influence own stalling progress for addressing climate change, for instance.

Let's talk more about this with Republican strategist Brian Morgenstern and political columnist Ellis Henican. Good to see both of you.

That's a big wow. What -- let's rewind that. Did I hear that correctly?

So Brian, you know, is this sending like shock waves particularly throughout the Republican Party?

BRIAN MORGENSTERN, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Yes. But I mean, welcome to 2016, right? To quote the great scientist and ghost buster, Peter Bankman (ph), dogs and cats living together, it's mass hysteria up there. We don't know what to expect.

But in terms of the Koch brothers, you know, they have a lot of flak for being reliable conservatives. They are really more libertarian than anything else. They are not exactly stalwart, you know, party people. And so, therefore, whichever candidate they believe will be friendly to the business community in terms of having fewer taxes, fewer regulations and they are really more policy than politics.

And so you know, they like many voters out there are grasping for something, some candidate that they can sort of believe in. And this election is shaping up to have the most popular campaign be none of the above. And so, that wasn't exactly a ringing endorsement but it's like, you know, they are grasping for something and apparently Trump is not in.

WHITEFIELD: And so, Ellis, you know, the Koch brothers, I mean, are usually very intentional in and what did you interpret by those comments?

ELLIS HENICAN, POLITICAL COLUMNIST: Well, I hear a couple of things here. One is you have to understand, they have been fleeced by the Republicans, right. I mean, they spent hundreds and millions of dollars over the past few cycles and they have almost nothing to show for it, right, except a lot of fat and happy consultants and disappointed candidates.

But honestly, my heart goes out to Hillary a little bit. Like what is she supposed to do? Is this an endorsement you want? Do you say, hey terrific? Do you say, no thank you, Mr. Koch, I don't think I'll be taking that. It does throw things on its head.

WHITEFIELD: OK. Meantime, let's talk about the Sanders camp and he has his own controversial comments coming from a public figure, yet another supporter in a very public way saying something. So let's play a little bit of a sound from actress Rosario Dawson and then Sanders reaction to it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROSARIO DAWSON, ACTRESS: We're really fending for ourselves right now, we're literally under attack for not just supporting the other candidate. Now I'm with Monica Lewinsky with this. Bullying is bad. She is actually dedicated her life now to talking about that. And now as a campaign strategy, we are being bullied.

SANDERS: Rosario is a great actress. She is doing a great job for us. And she has been a passionate fighter to see that we increase the voter turnout that we fight for racial economic environmental justice. What our job right now is the contrast our views compared to Secretary Clinton. That's what a campaign is about. What I will doing in this campaign is in an issue oriented way, not by personal attacks, but by contrasting our view to Secretary Clinton.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITEFIELD: All right. So Brian, what happens here, you know, when a candidate says I love the support that I'm getting especially if you got, you know, big headliners, people who turn heads, et cetera and they say something that the candidate themselves have to then say, well, there's some distance between what was said and the support that I love from them and who I am and what I represent. Do voters see a difference or see it all as one big representation of that candidate?

MORGENSTERN: I think voters generally will give a candidate a little bit of slack for something their surrogate says because he didn't say it. But in my view, this is a line of attack that Bernie, you know, could take up, I mean, like the email scandal he could take up the line of attack that the Clintons have, you know, gone after, Bill's former mistresses and accusers and this is indicative of their character. I mean, it's a line of attack --

WHITEFIELD: And there is already a feeling that Donald Trump if it comes down to Trump versus Hillary Clinton that he is going there.

MORGENSTERN: He absolutely will. And you know what, it may be effective. It's weird to me that Bernie is leaving cards on the table, that is declining to pursue every line of attack that he could but you know, I guess that's endearing in a sense but he's leaving political capital for the taking.

WHITEFIELD: Except a few things, Ellis. I mean, it was Bernie Sanders who said he didn't want to lead a negative campaign. But at the same time there are two issues here. He doesn't want to lead a negative campaign even though some things, you know, some people categorized as being rather negative, you know, recently. And at the same time, this is an area that Donald Trump is almost kind of promised, a direction in which he'll go if she is the nominee.

[14:10:16] HENICAN: Go for it. I mean, it's not going to work. These are some moldy old cards, Brian. I mean, 20-year-old -- I mean, my God, seriously, if Republicans want to run against Hillary on Bill's ancient mistress, you know, it's just not going to work.

I would say this, though, politicians who put out celebrities as if they are some kind of political experts or foreign policy advisers deserve the stupid thing the celebrities say. Do you think Rosario has any insightful things to y about the political system? No. She's there because she's famous and that's it.

WHITEFIELD: Boy, you're going to get a call or tweet or email or something from her soon.

HENICAN: You don't know that.

WHITEFIELD: OK, Well, I don't know about that. All right, we are going to talk again soon.

Thanks so much Brian, Ellis. Appreciate it.

All right. Tuesday, well, it's the big day, five states hold primaries and CNN will have complete coverage all day starting at "NEW DAY" at 6:00 a.m. eastern time.

Also still ahead, President Obama selling a controversial trade deal overseas, what this could do for jobs in America.

And Prince remembered. You see people continue to stream outside of Paisley Park there celebrating his life, his legacy, his music and there's our reporter, Ryan Young who we'll be checking in with momentarily.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:15:04] WHITEFIELD: All right. Europeans are getting the hard sell from President Barack Obama today telling allies to get on board with a controversial new trade deal. He's in Germany meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel imploring Germans to support a free trade accord which could bring some $100 billion to each country.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: With respect to trade, I think what you're seeing around the world is people are unsettled by globalization. And although trade has brought enormous benefits to many of our countries that have been engaged in trade, although typically jobs that are produced from exports have higher wages and better benefits than those that are not involved with the export market, people visibly see a plant moving and jobs lost and the narrative develops that this is weakening rather than strengthening the position of ordinary people and ordinary workers. And it's forcing them to compete with low wage labor. And that I think is what drives a lot of suspicion understandably of these trade deals.

If you look at the benefits to the United States or to Germany of free trade around the world, it is indisputable it has made our economy stronger and made sure that our businesses are the most competitive in the world. And as you see other markets like China beginning develop and Asia beginning to develop and Africa growing fast. We have got to make sure our businesses can compete there because at least in the United States, 95 percent of the world's markets are outside of our borders. And if we're not there, present, we're going to have problems.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITEFIELD: CNN's Athena Jones joins us from Germany. She has been traveling with the president.

So Germany is one of America's most powerful allies in Europe. Why is there such a hard sell on this trade deal?

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fred.

Well, you heard the president layout some of the reasons that trade is a hard sell, not just in Germany but in some of the other European Union countries. And also back home in the U.S., there's a lot of skepticism about trade deals looking at some of the past deals that people believed helped big corporations at the expense of ordinary folks, shipping jobs overseas.

The president argues, look, free trade is indisputably good for the economy, good for the economies of the countries that take part. It will create this deal would create millions of jobs, generate billions of dollars in trade and economic activity between the U.S. and European Union. But there's still a lot of people who feel like, look, I'm not so sure that it's going to be good for me. And so, that's why we have seen some 30,000 people taking to the streets of Hanover to protest this deal.

And I should tell you the president acknowledged that there's still some work to be done in negotiating this deal between the U.S. and the EU. He hopes to have it done by the end of the year. But he said time is not on their side and the fact of the matter is the political winds aren't so good next year in 2017 because you have political change elections in France and Germany. Of course, there will be new president in the United States. We don't know who that will be. And so, his goal is to push this trade deal, which he believes will help the U.S. economy and to get it done this year, Fred.

WHITEFIELD: All right, Athena Jones. Thanks so much. Appreciate it.

All right coming up, we will return to Paisley Park where the life and legacy of prince is being remembered. Ryan Young is there.

RYAN YOUNG, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And people are still feeling the pain and you can see them lining up despite the wet conditions here. They have been coming by the hundreds if not by the thousands to pay respects to someone they consider a community member, someone they love and someone they were cherishing all weekend long since his loss. That story coming up in a live report.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:22:50] WHITEFIELD: All right. Despite the rain people are still pouring out and attending the Paisley Park tribute, there is a few days now after the death of an incredible musical genius. Flowers, balloons, notes in memory of Prince are all being left there. The music icon died last week on Thursday at the age of 56 -- 57 in fact. The cause of death still unknown.

Here's what we do know. Yesterday his family and friends honored his life in a private ceremony. His remains were also cremated.

Ryan Young has been there since Thursday. Ryan, how are people there remembering Prince?

YOUNG: Well, it's been pretty amazing, Fred. You know, sometimes you get caught up trying to report all the facts and talk about what's going on here. But I think sometimes you just have to look at it from just a human perspective and to see the outpouring of love that is coming from this community.

I mean, we talked to a guy who flew from Japan wanted to be there because prince meant so much to his life. You can understand someone jumped on the plane to get here from Japan yesterday who wanted to be here because he said Prince meant so much to his life. So you can understand someone jumped on the plane to be here from Japan. One guy came from Australia. So those are too far different place that you just cannot imagine.

You look behind me now, this is a rainy, soggy day here but people are still coming out in a steady flow doing things they've been doing over the last few days which is look, they have just been standing at that fence. Some of them bringing notes, some of them bringing balloons and flowers. We even had one woman walking around with a boom-box playing "Purple Rain." That is a song that we heard over and over again because that's what people have been discussing in terms of the music and how much he meant to their life. So you can understand the impact this man had.

Look. He lived a private life here. There are people who say they would see him in the grocery store. They wouldn't even stop him because they understood how much he loved his privacy and just to think last Saturday, he had a mini sort of party here and some people showed up. Some people telling us they were so upset they didn't decide to come here. Then there was a memorial service yesterday why all of the people were streaming down the street, had no clue that this memorial service was going on with 20 or so of closest friends and band mates, all going on and the singer of course being cremated.

People still have questions about why. But that doesn't mean it's going to get answered right now. I think what other people are talking about the impact he had on the community and maybe that silent hand that he had where he was helping people and they didn't know it.

We did talk to someone who owned a local business here. And sometimes would tweet out things in support of that business to make sure that people in the community kept going to that record store called the electric (INAUDIBLE). These were things that friends were doing behind the scenes helping community members that they say will remember for quite some time because obviously he can live anywhere. But this is the place they know. And the love the fact that even the family members walked out with boxes yesterday and started handing them out to community members and just saying, here is a box. Here is something to remember Prince by. And that's what a lot of people are leaving here with, something a little closer to their hearts, which is something nice to see, Fred.

WHITEFIELD: So nice these gestures of generosity from somebody who many people say just like you learned there represents generosity. We are going to talk more about that from some people who know firsthand as well.

Ryan Young, thanks so much. We will check back with you there from Paisley Park.

And we will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:29:20] WHITEFIELD: All right. Welcome back. I'm Fredricka Whitefield.

Donald Trump Jr. accusing Senator Ted Cruz of trying to buy delegates. This morning on "State Of The Union" with Jake Tapper, Trump's son, Donald Jr., said his dad is not putting on an act which he says controversial things on the campaign trail. He says it's just his dad's way of getting people to talk about issues that no one else is talking about. Trump Jr. also had some harsh words for Ted Cruz and the GOP.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP JR., TRUMP'S SON: If you look at any of the issues he's spoken about, he'll talk about them in a way to a certain level and guess what, issue that was taboo or no one wanted to talk, all of a sudden people are actually talking about it. So it's not that it's an act but sometimes he does have to talk about things in a certain way to be able to draw the requisite attention that that topic actually needs. No one else will touch it if he hasn't done that.

So I think for him this is a very natural evolution. He is switching over and getting focused on the general election where he's going to have to talk to the broader audience. It's a very natural progression.

Ted Cruz has no chance of winning this without bribing the delegates. That's his game at some point. From day one he's not an appealing candidate to the general election voter. He'll try to get there and lose more states than Mitt Romney because I can't name a single state that Mitt lost that Ted can possibly win.

So I think at this point the Republican establishment would much rather hand the things over to Hillary and hand the reigns over to her and let her run it because there's no accountability in the party.

You lose, it doesn't matter. You win, OK, great. Everyone is in on the same thing. All of the job to do is to protect the little cliques that they formed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right, that's Donald Trump Jr., meantime Donald Trump Sr. is holding a rally at around 4:00 Eastern Time in Maryland, one of the states holding primaries on Tuesday.

That's where we find CNN's Jason Carroll. So Jason, we heard Trump's son say that his dad will make a natural evolution to the general election and that he's going to continue to be himself. What are people expecting there in Hagerstown?

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think we can expect more of the same. Also in that interview that Donald Trump Jr. gave to Jake Tapper in the "STATE OF THE UNION," we also remember an answer to her question, expect a little bit more of that rhetorical flourish that we've seen here on the campaign trail, translation, again, Trump will continue to be Trump.

Also, Trump even said not too long ago he would act more, quote/unquote, "presidential" once Cruz and Kasich got out of the race. Neither one of them are getting out of the race so expect Trump to keep acting way he's acting all along.

In fact, yesterday when we attended a really in Bridgeport, Connecticut, you'll remember he sort of some ways made fun of being presidential.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If I was presidential, first of all, I would have a teleprompter, ever see crooked Hillary Clinton, she walks in, good afternoon, Bridgeport. How are you? This is crooked Hillary Clinton then people start yawning and leaving the whole thing is a disaster. She'll be a disaster as president.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: So what you just saw there right there, Fredricka, that is what appeals to the people who come out to his rallies. That's what they want to see and that's what they want to hear at least for now -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: OK. We'll check back with you, Jason Carroll there in Hagerstown, Maryland. We're about an hour and a half or so Donald Trump is expected to arrive.

So is this race for the White House, it all comes down to math but Bernie Sanders is not giving up. Coming up, we'll talk with the Hillary Clinton supporter about how Sanders relentlessness could affect the race overall.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BERNIE SANDERS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We do have a path to victory. I think we have come a very, very long way in the last year and we're going to fight for every last vote until California and the D.C. primary.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, happening right now, Hillary is holding is a get out the vote rally in Bridgeport, Connecticut. We'll have much more on the countdown to Tuesday's critical five-state primary.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:37:22]

WHITFIELD: Campaigning a few days five-state primary, big day for Republicans and Democrats on Tuesday. This is Bernie Sanders wrapping up an event in Providence, Rhode Island. He lost big in New York state and been behind in the polls in most states. So Sanders says he's still not ready to give up, however.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANDERS: The idea that we should not vigorously contest this election when the law just state in the United States of America, California has not yet voted, nine other states will not have voted after Tuesday.

Of course we're going to give the people in every state in this country the right to determine who they want to see president of the United States.

Also, there are a lot of delegates out there looking at the general match-up and what they are seeing in polls is that Bernie Sanders is running a lot stronger against Donald Trump than is Hillary Clinton because we can appeal to a lot of independents and people not just Democrats.

So I think we do have a path to victory and have come a very, long way in the last year. We're going to fight for every last vote until California and the D.C. primary.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, I want to bring in Senator Ben Cardin, a Democrat from Maryland and a Hillary Clinton supporter. Good to see you. There are a lot of delegates up for grabs for Democrats in Maryland, 118 and for Republicans, 38.

You are throwing your support behind Hillary Clinton. Do you feel like she has a certain advantage going into Tuesday's primary? SEN. BEN CARDIN (D), MARYLAND: Well, I know Marylanders are anxious to vote on Tuesday. This is a consequential election. When we started the process, I don't know if we thought when it got to Maryland it would still be an important primary but it is. So I expect to have a large turnout and I think Hillary Clinton will do very well in Maryland.

WHITFIELD: Maryland is a very unique state, you know, given its proximity, the whole Delmarva area, you've got industrial areas there, have particular concerns and agricultural and Maryland bordering Washington, D.C. You've got concerns about how government is working. What do you suppose is driving the support for any or all of the candidates in that area?

CARDIN: Well, first, it's been an exciting campaign on the Democratic side. We're proud of our candidates. They've articulated issues. There's not a lot of difference between where they stand on major issues, but it's energized a lot of new people into the Democratic primaries.

[14:40:01]So we think it's very exciting. Unlike the Republicans, which have been very divisive, the Democratic primaries have been very energizing. We think our nominee, who I believe will be Hillary Clinton will be a lot stronger as a result of it.

The difference between Hillary Clinton and any of the Republicans is just dramatic. So that energizes us and really gets us excited about this November election.

WHITFIELD: So while there may be a lot of people who support the notion of the Democrats being very energizing as a recent, it too is being described as being a divisive similar to how we've seen in the Republicans, are you afraid that's going to turn off some people from voting for either Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders given that now it's become a lot more tenuous intense?

CARDIN: When you look at the Democratic primaries and compare it to what's happening on the Republican side, I think we feel very fortunate that we're going to be united in November. We believe that we're going to have a strong base going into November elections.

What the Republican candidates have been saying is just not what this country represents. Hillary Clinton is the most qualified to be president. Her commitment to equality, her commitment to gender issues and commitment to global knowledge, all of those issues will be critically important in November election. We're very optimistic about November.

WHITFIELD: Can I ask you a little bit more on the whole unity thing? Because there have been -- a lot of concerns expressed by Democratic leaders that perhaps it's not looking so unified particularly between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton.

And Bernie Sanders saying Hillary Clinton is unqualified to be president and Donald Trump has used that language, that of Bernie Sanders to also underscore his belief that Hillary Clinton is unqualified for the White House.

CARDIN: That's not exactly what Senator Sanders said. He can put it in context and qualified it dramatically the day after, saying of course, she's qualified to be president of the United States.

I don't think anyone has run with the type of qualifications she has, a former United States senator, a former secretary of state, her commitment in private practice to help families, her entire career has been devoted towards public service and delivered incredibly well on these issues.

I think it is clear when you listen to both candidates during their debates their respect for each other on the issues and competency is just no comparison between our views in these Democratic primaries to which you've seen on the Republican side.

On the Republican side statements made by their potential nominees very much against the values of America, not what this country believes in. Things that have been said are outrageous. I hear about that all over the world.

So we feel very comfortable that we'll be united, obviously campaigns can be divisive and things said during campaigns can be divisive, but we think on the Democratic side, our nominating process will give us a stronger nominee. We believe that will be Hillary Clinton and we believe she will win in November.

WHITFIELD: All right, Senator Ben Cardin, thanks so much for your time. Appreciate it.

CARDIN: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, meantime, a manhunt is under way for a killer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I cannot believe how anyone could kill a mother with her 4-day-old baby in her arms.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: We'll hear from someone who knew the family killed execution style and tell you about the latest efforts to find whoever committed these horrific crimes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:47:22]

WHITFIELD: All right, chilling 911 calls have been released of a woman in shock after finding members of her own family killed execution style. A total of eight family members were shot dead in and around the rural town of Piketon, Ohio, and now an intense manhunt is under way for the person or persons responsible for the gruesome murders. Our Nick Valencia has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CALLER: Yes, I need a deputy at 40 --

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is difficult to hear.

CALLER: I think my brother-in-law is dead.

VALENCIA: The sound of agony as a relatives discovers members of her family have been murdered in cold blood.

OPERATOR: Ma'am, you got to tell me what's going on.

CALLER: There is blood all over the house. My brother-in-law is in the bedroom. It looks like they beat the hell out of him.

VALENCIA: The ruthless killings apparently calculated attacks in four separate homes. Police tells CNN, they believe the suspect or suspects were familiar with the victims. The seven adults and one 16- year-old apparent targets, but why?

Police have not release a motive or named a suspect. For this tiny town of about 2,000 people in Southern Ohio, the senseless nature of the slayings is simply too much to understand.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is just unbelievable, really this has taken place.

VALENCIA: Phil Fulton was pastor to some of the victims.

(on camera): I think maybe the most disturbing detail in all of this is the fact that one of the victims was killed next to her 4-day old baby.

PHIL FULTON, VICTIMS' PASTOR: I cannot believe how anyone can kill a mother with her 4-day old baby in her arms. It's -- that's out of my realm of thinking that anyone could do that. How heartless.

VALENCIA (voice-over): With no official leads, late Saturday, an Ohio businessman offered $25,000 of his own money to help catch the killer or killers. Jeff Ruby has no connection to the family, but says that he wanted to get the word out to find the person or people responsible for this.

OPERATOR: OK, just stay out of the house. Don't let anybody go in there, OK?

CALLER: Yes.

OPERATOR: All right. We have deputies on the way, OK.

CALLER: All right, thank you.

OPERATOR: You're welcome.

VALENCIA: Nick Valencia, CNN, Pike County, Ohio. (END VIDEOTAPE)

VALENCIA: That's just chilling audio still really difficult to hear. Even after this killing happened on Friday, just days ago. I spoke to a neighbor of the Rhoden's who was home at the time of the shootings. He said he didn't hear the gunshots.

I asked him if he was scared with the killer or killers still on the loose, he said he's not scared, but the remaining relatives of Rhodens should be.

[14:50:05]Everyone here in the tiny town of about 2,000 people has a theory about what happened. We spoke yesterday, Fred, about the drug issue, heroin and methamphetamine in this area.

I talked to the best friend of the Rhodens. I asked them directly, did the Rhodens have involvement with drugs? She tells me everyone has skeletons in their closet even the Rhodens, but that overall they were good people -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Nick Valencia, thank you so much.

All right, meantime, a brand-new series of reports kicking off on "NEW DAY" tomorrow on CNN, right on the heels of her heartbreaking reporting on the girls kidnapped by the terror group, Boko Haram, our Nima Elbagir follows the story of how the Nigerian government is slowly gaining ground in its fight against Boko Haram.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Two years ago when we visited Chibuk after the mass abduction of the Chibuk school girls, parents described to us how they followed the trail of their daughters to the front gates, to the entry point of the forest and were unable to move any further.

This is the Sambisa, the Nigerian government has been able to stop (inaudible) back territory here from Boko Haram, the territory right in center, that is still where they are moving towards.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Extraordinary reporting and there's so much more. CNN's new report tomorrow starting at 6:00 a.m., Eastern Time on "NEW DAY" only right here on CNN. We'll be right back.

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[14:55:12]

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WHITFIELD: Kelly Ripa will reclaim her spot next to Michael Strahan for the first time in nearly a week on Tuesday and will it be as chummy and cozy. The talk show tension began last week when ABC announced that Strahan would leave "Live" and join "Good Morning America" full-time later on in the year.

Furious at being kept in the dark, Ripa skipped work on Wednesday and Thursday before leaving on a scheduled vacation Friday. Ripa e-mailed her team late Friday saying in part, "I wanted to thank you all for giving me the time to process this new information. We are a family and I look forward to seeing you all on Tuesday."

We're joined now by CNN senior media correspondent and host of "RELIABLE SOURCES," Brian Stelter. So Brian, I can't imagine what the tension or how uncomfortable it could be this week when the two reunite.

What are you hearing about whether she really is pretty hot about it, upset, whether this time off kind of means that they will be kumbaya again? What?

BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: She was beyond angry according to one of my sources when she was first notified about this move of Strahan to GMA. She was furious because she only got 30 minutes heads up and because it does affect her show in a big way.

She feels like her show is belittled while "Good Morning America" gets all the attention. I think in some ways this is so relatable because we all have bosses and we all want to feel like we're in the loop.

We don't want to feel like we're kept in the dark about anything. In some ways this is relatable. On other hand we're talking about multimillionaires so it's fun to look at this and say what's the big deal?

There's an interesting gender dynamic at play here. Another female TV star mismanaged, mistreated by mostly male TV executives. There is some of that going on here.

And I think all people are wondering and all of her fans are wondering, what will she say on Tuesday when she's back at work with Michael Strahan, what will she say?

What I've been told by people close to her, she doesn't have any big beef with Strahan. She can make that work. That's like a marriage. Even if you go through a rocky time, you make the marriage work. The issues with ABC may continue for a while. There'll be intrigue about that.

WHITFIELD: Interesting she's very quick witted. So you know, I imagine she'll have a couple zingers in there and maybe some subliminal messages whether it be to the network or otherwise.

So in the story that you wrote for CNN Money, you say situation has been festering for a couple years, right, because it was a couple of years ago that he started to doing a little part-time with "GMA" and she was kind of expressing then. What could potentially happen, you're not going to steal him, right?

STELTER: Yes, that's exactly right. This is about talent management. All of TV is about talent management. We really like to watch people, Good Morning America lost a couple of people in 2014 so they bought on Michael Strahan part-time to try to improve the show.

It probably helped but it might not have been enough. So now ABC is moving him over full-time and that's what made Ripa so frustrated and so furious about the situation.

It was her being kept out of the loop, though, that made it even worse and ultimately this is about trying to make sure one of the superstars knows what's going on and is comfortable with what's going on, which again, sort of TV 101.

WHITFIELD: And it's a tricky one, too, because you've got to be happy for him and you know, his rising star. And I guess because of their relationship, maybe she felt like she should have been clued in sooner since it was a ten-month period to grab him. There was such an audition and big production out in the open and then your guy slips between your fingers.

STELTER: These shows have a lot of fun with their on air tryouts. You know, back in 2011, 2012, they tried out a lot of people, Michael Strahan eventually was picked. The ratings actually went up during that period.

We'll see if that happens again when Kelly Ripa and her producers are trying out another co-host. These shows are special because they are so relatable, even though these hosts are richly paid people think they know them very well. We've seen a lot of women rally to Kelly Ripa's defense because they don't like how she was treated in this case.

WHITFIELD: All right, Brian Stelter, thanks so much. You can watch brain on "RELIABLE SOURCES" Sundays 11 a.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

Our coverage of the very sad departure of the great purple one, Prince, that continues throughout the day on CNN. Coming up at 5:00 p.m. Eastern, Kiss founder and front man, Gene Simmons joining us with his memories of music legend.

I'll also be joined the next hour also by the daughter of James Brown. The next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.

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