Return to Transcripts main page

Wolf

Press Conference On Death Of Prince; Son On Life-Saving Mission; Interview With Hillary Clinton Coming Up; Kasich To Suspend Presidential Campaign. Aired 1-1:30p ET

Aired May 04, 2016 - 13:00   ET

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

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE.)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't have any information. I have no information on that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As a pre-med student, did he try to do any CPR or any resuscitation on Prince while he (INAUDIBLE.)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, he called -- he called 911. And people --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But he's trained to do those types of things.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And did he attempt it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't believe so. The paramedics were on their way and arrived in a couple minutes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. I can't see around your cell phone.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE)?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. That's what defense lawyers do. I have -- I have talked to him many times.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I really don't have any information on that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE.)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He said he was unconscious. Wasn't making a medical assessment. He did the right thing in that situation which is to call 911 and get some paramedics there. The paramedics arrived in a couple of minutes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) a local doctor (INAUDIBLE)?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I won't. I won't.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) local doctor was (INAUDIBLE) or somewhere else?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At the doctor's office on Thursday morning.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And (INAUDIBLE) doctors (INAUDIBLE) or any direct contact?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No direct contact. No. Andrew was there Thursday morning to initiate that contact and talk about the recovery program.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE)?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, whether they went there together or not, he was in touch with a local Minnesota doctor. And would --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE.)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, that was the thought, yes. That was the thought.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As a pre-med student, did anything (INAUDIBLE)?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I -- you know, I'm really not going to comment on that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Last question.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, last question.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What was the hope to bring Prince to California for extensive treatment?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The hope was to get him stabilized in Minnesota and convince him to come to recovery without walls in Mill Valley. That was the plan.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thanks.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right? Good. Thank you. All right. Bye.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: So, what you're watching, it's a little confusing but I'm going to try to put the linear story together from William Mousey who is the attorney in Minneapolis who was just speaking out to reporters regarding the sequence of events that led to Prince's death.

And what we have learned, that was reported earlier in the "Minneapolis Star Tribune," was that representatives of Prince's had called out to California to a renowned doctor asking for help. Asking for, effectively, an emergency intervention because of a drug addiction. That doctor was called the day before Prince died. No one was to know what was to happen the next day. The doctor's schedule was jammed but he made time for Prince on Friday. Two days later. But, just to be certain, he sent his son, who's also an expert on an overnight flight, right away, landing in Minneapolis on Thursday morning, going straight to the compound where Prince was located. Knocking on the door.

Again, this is Thursday. Only to find, from Prince's associates, they couldn't find him. They looked throughout the compound. With that gentleman at the door, his name, Andrew Kornfeld, his father, the renowned doctor, Dr. Howard Kornfeld, and it was discovered right away that Prince was dead in the elevator. This is such a proximate connection that it was actually Andrew Kornfeld who had just gotten off the plane from California, who dialed 911 to report that this was going on at the Paisley compound.

And what's intriguing was that everybody, he said, was so distraught, and this according to the "Minneapolis Star Tribune," he said this quote to the 911 operators. "The people are just distraught. We're in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and we're at the home of Prince." He couldn't even give an actual address. This was all unfolding as he was there for an emergency intervention. It was the next day Friday that Dr. Howard Kornfeld was expected to arrive to help with this emergency intervention.

One of the legal issues that is sure to come of this was what was in the backpack of Andrew Kornfeld, the son of the doctor who had come out overnight, trying to be there during this emergency? And what's intriguing is that this attorney, who's the attorney for this renowned physician in California, said that the physician's son is protected by statutory immunity of a statute in the state of -- where Prince lives of Minnesota that 911 callers are guaranteed immunity. This is very fascinating.

[13:05:18] I want to bring in Joey Jackson, our Legal Analyst, to talk a little bit more about this. First of all, it's just so distressing to hear how quick Prince's representatives were in trying to get help for Prince and how close it was. If they'd only been able to get there a day before, that Prince might have been able to be saved.

But this statutory immunity that was given, and, clearly, this -- Andrew Kornfeld was interrogated as well. He was interviewed by police. He will not be facing any kinds of charges for whatever might have been in his backpack for whatever reason.

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: You know, two issues, Ashleigh, and the issue number one, obviously, is the essence of time, right? I mean, time we take -- it's so much we take for granted. And the fact is, as we learned now, that there was an underlying issue. A deep issue. An issue which was going to be addressed.

But, as a result of the exigency of the circumstance, the emergency, the immediate attention he needed and the time it took to get him that attention, unfortunately, it wasn't timely. And, again, unfortunately, he met his demise. The second issue, in terms of 911 and immunity, that's what you want. You want someone to be in a position not to worry about, what's my liability? Will I be in trouble? What are my issues? What problems could I face? You want someone to focus on the person in distress. The person needing assistance. The person who really needs to be provided for.

And that's why you have such a statute that says, we're not worried about you. We're concerned that you provide the help to the person in need. But, as we know, Ashleigh, it was, you know, a little too late for that to take place.

BANFIELD: All right, Joey Jackson, stand by. Stephanie Elam, CNN's Correspondent, on the scene joins us now with a little bit more about this news that we are learning.

Stephanie, that was just an extraordinary news conference where that attorney laid out in detail the moment by moment effort to do this emergency intervention, something called a life-saving mission in the hours, literally the hours, before Prince was found dead. Just a remarkable series of events.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It really is and it just shows you that -- it kind of fills in some of what we've been hearing, the fact -- about the fact that he had been discovered with these opioid pills on him and in his house. Then, learning that this was an intervention that was staged by people in Prince's camp, thinking that this is serious enough that we need to get help now.

So, that call coming in the night before. The doctor not being able to make it here. This was an intervention that -- according to the lawyer, on behalf of Prince by people in his camp to try to help him. When he didn't show up for the doctor Thursday morning, that was a tip-off. The doctor here, a local doctor, was supposed to stabilize Prince's health, according to the lawyer.

And then, they were going to work to transition Prince out to California, to northern California, where he could work off the pain med addiction, according to this lawyer what was happening here. But it fills in a lot of detail about the fact that the son was the one to call 911 and it was two people that were with him as well from Prince's camp -- Ashleigh.

BANFIELD: And that local doctor, Stephanie, that you just mentioned, through this attorney who gave this live news conference, saying he had cleared his entire morning schedule, the morning Thursday, April 21st, fully expecting that that expert, that doctor from California who sent his son, that the son would bring Prince to him. And, of course, that was the morning where Prince was found dead.

Where does this go from here, just in terms of the investigation? I can only imagine, while this is tragic, it changes not a whit about the effort by the DEA to track down where Prince was getting all of the dope.

ELAM: I can't see that it changes anything. If anything, it confirms more of a line here. What has to happen is still -- waiting for that autopsy results and also the toxicology report. And that's still a couple more weeks out.

What we're getting though, instead of a dotted line, is a more solid line of what may have happened to Prince and that it became dire enough, to the people in Prince's camp, that they said, we need help as soon as possible to help him. And that the doctor felt like it was a life-saving mission and was doing his best to get here from Mill Valley, California. It just didn't happen in time -- Ashleigh.

BANFIELD: I just didn't happen in time. I think that's going to be the headline of this story, that no matter how fast flights can get there, no matter who got there, nobody could get there in time. They couldn't get there fast enough.

Stephanie Elam, thank you for that.

We're going to -- we're going to wrap our coverage of the story of Prince. We're going to continue, of course, CNN's coverage on what happens next in that story.

But, right now, I want to return you to the breaking news in the race for the White House. Sources saying John Kasich is going to drop out of this presidential race and that makes Donald Trump, officially, the last man standing on the Republican side. Back after a quick break.

[13:10:14]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Jim Sciutto. Wolf Blitzer is on assignment.

Anderson Cooper is sitting down with Hillary Clinton for a live interview. That is next hour. But first, our breaking news this hour. A change of heart and the last domino falling in the Republican race for the president. Later today, Ohio Senator John Kasich is expected to follow Ted Cruz's lead and suspend his presidential campaign, clearing the way for Donald Trump to claim the Republican nomination unopposed.

[13:15:05] CNN political reporter Sara Murray joining me now live from New York.

So, Sara, another surprise. Kasich, he was hoping to hold on until the Republican convention. That, of course, being in his home state. Why the change of heart now?

SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: Well, Jim, it's amazing because the change of heart happened so quickly. I mean last night his aides were insisting that he was going to stay in till Cleveland or until someone had 1,237 delegates. Trump had 1,237 bound delegates. And they were actually at the airport. They were on the plane. They were going to be headed to D.C. this morning and John Kasich had a change of heart and he just realized that he was no longer able to get his message of sort of hope and unity, what he was hoping to push through his candidacy, across as a presidential candidate. Now they're sort of trying to figure out how they can continue to fuel that message once he's out of the race. And I think when he makes his statement at 5:00 p.m., we're going to start to see how he begins to navigate it.

And as you pointed out, this is particularly awkward because the Republican Convention is in John Kasich's home state. He is the sitting governor of Ohio. The convention will be in Cleveland, where Donald Trump officially will become the Republican nominee. And so that's another thing he and his aides are going to have to grapple with is how they're going to deal with Donald Trump in this convention.

SCIUTTO: No more drama over the contested convention.

Sara Murray in New York.

Joining me now here in Washington, CNN chief political analyst Gloria Borger and CNN political analyst and host of the David Gregory show podcast, David Gregory.

Gloria, you've been involved in this reporting from the very beginning. So it was just last night he made this decision.

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: Right. Well, no, this morning, 8:00. Like he was -- he was on a private plane. They were heading into -- into D.C. and he had the plane turn around, I'm told, and he called four of his closest, oldest buddies and told them, my heart's not in it, and asked them what he should do. And each of them, I'm told, said to him, if your heart's not in it, don't do it.

And as Sara was saying, all of us were getting the signals last night that Kasich was staying in it. You know, I heard from a top Kasich advisor who said there was too much to fight for, the soul of the Republican Party and the future of America. That's pretty big. And then the candidate, you know, this morning, had a real change of heart. And, you know, it was a surprise to everybody.

He was ready to hold a national security team meeting. One of his advisers was talking to donors today about the path forward. But, you know, when the candidate says his heart's not in it --

SCIUTTO: Right.

BORGER: You've got to go -- you've got to go with the candidate.

SCIUTTO: And this surprised even his own staff, right, based on those comments.

BORGER: Absolutely.

DAVID GREGORY, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, maybe on the timing. But let's be honest, you know, this was long overdue for John Kasich, who ran a good campaign but not his year. Look, when the race went to the northeast, he promised that he'd do much better. He got blown away by Donald Trump. He entered into, kind of reluctantly, but entered into this agreement, this pact with Ted Cruz where he'd stay out of Indiana, where he might have had some game around Indianapolis and in more moderate part of the state as a neighboring governor and he was going to campaign out west. Cruz didn't uphold his end of the bargain. He got blown away by Trump.

And then, you know, what's there left to do if you're John Kasich? You have no chance of winning. It's quite clear that I think the party, not a majority of the party, but certainly enough to get Trump to become the presumptive nominee, had moved into a position leaving Kasich behind. And then you had the GOP chairman --

BORGER: Right.

GREGORY: Reince Priebus saying, it's over. That Trump is the presumptive nominee. So it really just choked off that air supply, I think.

BORGER: And there's a lot of pressure, I would add, on Kasich. Not only Reince Priebus' tweets from last night saying you've got to rally around the presumptive nominee, but also people who have known Kasich for years were saying to him, you know, why are you still doing this?

SCIUTTO: Right.

BORGER: You don't want to be the spoiler. You want to be a positive impact on the party and you can't do that if you're -- if you're still fighting the nominee.

SCIUTTO: OK, so let's talk about -- I mean you have, in effect, a presumptive nominee on the Democratic side, just based purely on the numbers, of course. Bernie Sanders did have a win in Indiana, we should note that. but when you look at the national polls, and we'll throw some of the figures up here, when you show Hillary against Donald Trump, 13 point lead for Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump. And you see this as well on the issues, Hillary with the lead in everything really but handling of the economy. A 13 point lead is big. Is there precedent, Gloria Borger, for -- from May to November for closing that kind of difference?

BORGER: Sure. I mean after -- look at -- look at Michael -- you know, Michael Dukakis was ahead 17 points after his convention and he lost, right?

SCIUTTO: Right.

BORGER: So these things can change. This is really early. I think the economy number is an important number to look at because what they're talking about inside the Clinton campaign is an economic plan that they have to produce that will show, and they want to highlight the fact that Donald Trump's economic plan would -- would, you know, encourage, you know, tax cuts for the wealthy. And so this is something they are going to be talking about. They're going to get their economic plan together, point out to how Trump's economic plan, you know, helps the rich.

[13:20:10] And I think, by the way, they're then going to do what Obama did to Mitt Romney on Bain Capital. They're going to go after Trump on his business background to prove that it's not what it's cracked up to be.

GREGORY: But they both have very high negatives.

SCIUTTO: Right. Final thought.

GREGORY: They both have very high negatives. They are going to try to destroy each other. I think we're in for something that's going to be really unpleasant in the course of this general election.

BORGER: Oh, yes.

GREGORY: To each try to drive up those negatives. So it may not be so much about, can Trump get the voters who are eluding him, can he prevent her from turning out those voters in large numbers because they're not feeling very satisfied with her? We have a long way to go here.

SCIUTTO: No question, and it starts right now. No question.

GREGORY: Yes.

SCIUTTO: Gloria Borger, David Gregory, thanks very much.

Let's turn now to the Democratic race for president. Joel Benenson, he's chief strategist for Hillary for America. He joins us now live from New York.

So we're going to be hearing from Hillary Clinton coming up on 2:00 p.m. Eastern here on CNN, a live interview with our Anderson Cooper. So, Joel, John Kasich, he polled well against Hillary Clinton in a general election. Of course, Donald Trump, at least based on those latest numbers, not polling as well. From your perspective, is this the opponent you wanted in the general?

JOEL BENENSON, CHIEF STRATEGIST, HILLARY FOR AMERICA: Well, I think it's -- you have to face the opponent that you -- that you have to face. And it's clear after last night he's going to be the nominee. I think that was clear before Governor Kasich announced he was stepping down. And we've been thinking of Trump as the nominee for some time. He's an unconventional candidate to be certain, but everything about his poses risks to the people of America at a time where they are looking for a president who can really make a difference in their lives. And Donald --

SCIUTTO: But let me ask you this, Joel, because it was a longer -- and, listen, it's still going on. Bernie Sanders is still in the race. He had a surprising win in Indiana just yesterday. Some warning signs, no question, in this Democratic primary for Hillary Clinton. She is having -- she has high negatives, as David Gregory mentioned. She's having trouble mobilizing particularly young Democratic voters. I want to ask you this, did Hillary Clinton learn something, has she learned something from this primary process so far that's going to lead to a change in the general?

BENENSON: Well, Jim, first of all, you know, respectfully, take a look at the poll you just put up on the screen. She's beating Mr. Trump by almost two to one among young voters. She has won 3 million more votes than Senator Sanders through our primaries. She's done that by laying out a clear vision of how she will keep America safe, how she will improve the economic lives of working Americans with real plans that will produce real results in their lives. And I think when we get to the general election against Mr. Trump, there's going to be a very clear contrast there because he is posing a risk when it comes to foreign affairs, which has been called out by military and foreign policy experts because he wants more nuclear armament in the world, he's alienated our allies. And when it comes to people's economic lives, he's actually said we shouldn't raise the minimum wage in America because wages are too high. I can't think of a stance that's more out of touch with where working Americans are in this country and I think those are contrasts we're going to engage on willingly and aggressively with Mr. Trump.

SCIUTTO: Well, Joel, let's talk about a place where the latest polls show Hillary Clinton still struggling. Exit polls from Indiana, a struggle with independent voters, 72 percent, you see there for Sanders, 28 for Clinton. That's a big gap. What does she need to do now to close that gap?

BENENSON: Look, Jim, Jim, I've been saying this for months, you cannot translate results in a primary to a general election. If you look at your own CNN poll this morning, she's beating Mr. Trump among independent voters by double digits. Look, in a Democratic primary those Democratic --

SCIUTTO: She is (INAUDIBLE). But, Joel, but to be fair, those high negatives -- those high negatives are very -- and, granted, Donald Trump has higher negatives, but her negatives are remarkably high. Really, no one's been that high, other than Donald Trump going this close to a general election as a -- you can't discount that challenge.

BENENSON: No, but Donald Trump's very unfavorable ratings are higher in your own poll than Hillary Clinton's combined unfavorable ratings. Look, elections are choices. The American people are going to be going to the polls to decide on who they want to be the next president of the United States and the leader of the free world. That's going to pose a very clear contrast on a woman who's been face to face with tough leaders like Vladimir Putin, whose summoned (ph) the world to impose sanctions on Iran, to bring them to the table and dismantle their nuclear weapons. And when it comes to people's economic lives and bringing this country together, Donald Trump's divisive, hateful language about Muslims, calling women pigs, making fun of disabled people with gestures on a television screen, there's going to be a very clear choice here between who people want to be the leader of the United States and the leader of the free world. And we're not going to take anything for granted here. We never have. But we're also, you know, not going to sit back and take any swipes from Mr. Trump. We've got plenty of differences here to call out during the course of this election.

[13:25:01] SCIUTTO: Let me ask you this, though, just in a different way. You've heard this criticism before, that Hillary Clinton, the candidate, and her campaign as well, don't respond well, don't adjust to negative information. And there are hard signs here. There have been consistent but -- you know, throughout the Democratic primary process with young voters, with independent voters. I just want to ask you, is the candidate, is the campaign willing and ready to make changes as they go to the general? Is there going to be a change in message? How are they going to appeal -- how are they going to draw over some of those young Sanders voters, some of whom say they're not ready to make that jump? What --

BENENSON: Look --

SCIUTTO: Is the message going to change at all to bring those people to her side and excited for the general?

BENENSON: The message isn't going to change because it's been a winning message in the primaries. As for these Sanders voters, we want to engage them. Hillary Clinton has talked about bringing them on board. The fact what -- what is -- what our differences are pale in comparison in the Democratic side to the Republican side. And, you know, historically, Jim, there were more Hillary Clinton voters in 2008 who said they wouldn't support Barack Obama at the end of that primary season then there are today Sanders voters who say they won't support Hillary Clinton.

Look, we want them in the party. We want to unite. Bernie Sanders said he wants to do everything to make sure Donald Trump doesn't become president. And, you know, he'll have a role to play in that as well. But, of course, we're reaching out to them but our message around climate change, around real immigration reform, embracing LGBT Americans and talking about their equality, not just in opportunity but in the way they're treated in fighting discrimination laws, we have much more in common with Bernie Sanders voters by far than they have in common with Mr. Trump, who's done nothing but divide Americans and pit people against each other since the day he got into this race.

SCIUTTO: Joel, at this stage of the race, even well before the convention, speculation, of course, already beginning on both sides about VP running mates and certainly with Hillary Clinton about who she would choose. It's picking up steam. A lot of buzz is about Virginia Senator Tim Cain, for instance. What will Clinton be looking for in a running mate and does Tim Cain fit the bill?

BENENSON: Look, I think the decision about running mate is certainly one that is very personal for Secretary Clinton. She has been close to two presidents. Her husband and President Obama. I believe she would say that the -- that the primary criteria is always picking someone who's ready to be president of the United States. And from there, she's got some time here. And I'm sure the process will work its way along for her to make the decision in time that suits her and vets properly the people that she's considering.

SCIUTTO: Joel Benenson, Hillary for America, thanks for joining us.

BENENSON: Thank you, Jim.

SCIUTTO: A reminder to our viewers, Hillary Clinton, she's going to be joining our Anderson Cooper live in the next hour. And coming up this hour, the Sanders campaign joining us to talk live

about his win in Indiana and how his supporters will never go to Donald Trump.

Plus, Wolf Blitzer sat down with Donald Trump just a short time ago. What does he have to say about John Kasich suspending his campaign? All of that coming up after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)