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Erin Burnett Outfront
Trump Refuses to Release Tax Returns; Paul Ryan Meets With Trump Supporters Ahead of Trump Meeting; Sanders Wins 19th State, Says He Can Beat Clinton; Sanders Says He Can Beat Clinton in Pledged Delegates; Prince Investigation Centers in Doctor & Inner Circle. Aired 7-8p ET
Aired May 11, 2016 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[19:00:10] ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: OUTFRONT next, Donald Trump tonight refusing to release his tax returns. Is he hiding a bombshell?
Plus, Bernie Sanders' huge win, his 19th states. He says he can get more delegates than Clinton. He is right. Our report.
And Trump -- insults their way but they say, he is a cool superstar. You've got to see this. Let's go OUTFRONT.
Good evening, I'm Erin Burnett. And OUTFRONT this evening, breaking news. A firestorm over Donald Trump's taxes tonight. Trump tonight still refusing to release his tax returns. But the presumptive nominee is on the defense, after the Associated Press reported that Trump did not expect to release his returns before November. So in a tweet late today, Trump responded, opening the door to releasing his returns earlier. Hillary Clinton seizing on the issue late today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And what about his taxes? My husband and I have released 33 years of tax returns. We've got eight years on our website right now. So you've got to ask yourself, why doesn't he want to release them?
Jim Acosta is OUTFRONT tonight. And Jim, Donald Trump is under a lot of pressure on this issue this evening.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Erin. Ahead of his big meeting tomorrow with House Speaker Paul Ryan, Donald Trump is trying to set the record straight on his tax returns, insisting they will be released but the last GOP, Mitt Romney is not buying it and is demanding that Trump release his returns, saying a failure to do so would be disqualifying.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA (voice-over): One day before his critical meeting with House Speaker Paul Ryan, Donald Trump just gave GOP lawmakers a new reason to worry. Defying campaign tradition in saying he will refuse to release his tax returns before the November election, citing an ongoing audit. Telling the Associated Press, there is nothing to learn from them. It's a shift from his earlier comments, when he seemed to leave the door open to making his tax information public.
TRUMP: I will absolutely give my returns. But I'm being audited now for two or three years. So I can't do it until the audit is finished. Obviously.
ACOSTA: But last week, Trump started to dig in his heels, suggesting the IRS could be out to get him.
TRUMP: I say to friend of mine, how often are you audited? Very wealthy people.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think it's political? They're aiming at you?
TRUMP: I would say yes. I would say yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The IRS is doing this?
TRUMP: I don't know.
ACOSTA: Trump has deflected the issue for years. Consider how he answered the question in 2011 when he was considering a White House run then.
TRUMP: I will look at -- maybe I'm going to do the tax returns when Obama does his birth certificate.
ACOSTA: But Trump is tweeting there is no controversy, saying, "I told AP that my taxes are under routine audit and I would release when audit is complete. Not after election." If he did wait until after November, Trump would become the first presidential candidate to fail to release his returns since 1976. Even Richard Nixon released his taxes while he was under audit. Mitt Romney, who faced pressure to make his tax information public four years ago, is demanding that Trump release his returns. Saying in a post, "Tear down that tax wall." An echo of his call to the likely GOP nominee back in March.
MITT ROMNEY (R), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I predict there are more bombshells in his tax returns.
ACOSTA: Democrats are pouncing with a progressive Super PAC launching the website, "Trump release your returns.com." Hillary Clinton has latched on to the issue with a preview of what she has in store for Trump.
CLINTON: My husband and I have released 33 years of tax returns. We've got eight years on our website right now. So you've got to ask yourself, why doesn't he want to release them? Yes, well, we're going to find out.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA: Now, as Mitt Romney noted on his Facebook page, an audit does not preclude Trump from releasing his returns, but one Trump aide told me, the campaign is not concerned, noting the real estate tycoon's business dealings are already well known, good and bad. But this controversy comes at a critical time, Erin, one day before that meeting with House Speaker Paul Ryan. As one Capitol Hill source told me earlier today, members are all over the place right now on whether to back Trump.
BURNETT: All right. Jim Acosta, thank you very much. And it is such a crucial question. Ahead of that meeting. One reason Trump's tax returns are such a big deal, they would give voters some insight, possibly, into how much Trump is actually worth. You don't get that in one year, but over time you can.
Phil Mattingly is OUTFRONT from a major conference in Las Vegas, where a lot of incredibly wealthy people, potential donor donors, potential backers, big Republicans are. Trump has been a big topic of conversation. And Phil, there, people are also discussing Trump's bank account.
PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, Erin. Probably one of the premier hedge fund conferences in the entire world. No shortage of skepticism. Maybe even a few chuckles when you asked the attendees about how much do you really think Donald Trump is worth. And it is not just among people who are uncomfortable with Trump's candidacy. It's his supporters, as well. Take a listen to one of his most recent. Billionaire energy magnet, T. Boone Pickens, who I spoke to just a little while ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
T. BOONE PICKENS, ENERGY INVESTOR, DONALD TRUMP SUPPORTER: He is successful. But not as big as Donald sees himself. But I think the guy is going to be president.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[19:05:24] MATTINGLY: And Erin, one of the interesting things with Boone Pickens is he said, one of the reasons he's actually backing Donald Trump, is not necessarily because of his business acumen but because of that temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States. Now, that's not necessarily a universal appealing policy here at this conference, but this is a conference with a lot more Republicans than Democrats. And the group of people that not unlike what Jim was talking about at Capitol Hill, that are just trying to get their head around what has happened over the last couple of weeks.
If anything, they expect to support Donald Trump. But massive endorsements, questions about his business practices, all of those things still very real here, still very much a part of the conversation. But Erin, as you noted, at this conference, with some of the more successful business people in the country, Donald Trump, the overarching theme of just about every conversation you're hearing.
BURNETT: I am sure. Phil Mattingly, thank you very much. Very significant when Phil talked there to T. Boone Pickens, one of the wealthiest, most well-known investors in the country, big political backer saying he will back Donald Trump at his quote, "that he doesn't think Donald Trump is as big as Donald sees himself when it comes to his finances." OUTFRONT tonight, executive Vice President of the Trump organization,
special counsel to Donald Trump, Michael Cohen and editor of "The Weekly Standard" Bill Kristol. To anyone who is following this campaign, they know where you both stand.
So, let me start with you, Michael. Mitt Romney tonight tweeting, Mr. Trump, tear down that wall. T. Boone Pickens, I'm going to support him but he's not as big as he sees himself when he talks about his finances. Why doesn't Donald Trump just release the returns?
MICHAEL COHEN, SPECIAL COUNSEL TO DONALD TRUMP: OK. So, Mr. Trump made it crystal clear that he is right now under an ordinary audit and he's been advised by counsel, and I'm thankful, being counsel, though not his tax counsel, that he takes advice. And he will not release it until the audit is concluded. Plain and simple.
BURNETT: So Bill Kristol, I did speak to a former special counsel for the Department of Justice tax division. He did say, by the way, he would give the same advice Donald Trump's lawyers are giving, he would advise not to release under audit. But others have given different advice, and of course, as you know, there is no law that precludes him from releasing, so he's running for president, he would be the first since 1976 not to release. So why not?
BILL KRISTOL, EDITOR, "THE WEEKLY STANDARD": Well, he should release, obviously. And he can release the older returns, if he doesn't want to release the last two or three years. But he's not released any tax returns. I don't believe he's going to. Because I don't know what's in them. I don't think it's about how much he's worth. That's just a silly parlor game among billionaires. But everyone has released their tax returns. Mitt Romney released his 2010 return in January of 2012. And then he waited until the 2011 return was completed and released that in September. I don't -- the delegates who ran as Trump delegates or other delegates all thought they were going to have a look at these returns to make sure there wasn't going to some nasty explosion in the fall. And now they're not going to know when they vote for him in July. I think that's a real problem.
BURNETT: And Michael, why can't he be more direct? So now he's opening the door that he might release, if the audit is finished.
COHEN: If the audit is done, Mr. Trump said that he will --
BURNETT: Okay. These audits, though, last three years. They can last up to ten, if the IRS gets extensions. So that seems a little bit disingenuous. Right? I mean, that doesn't sound like he's planning to release before the election.
COHEN: You know, what's interesting, is that when bill broad up about Mitt Romney, you know, great. So Mitt Romney goes out on his Twitter. He probably should have done that the last go-round. But instead he decides that he wants to be relevant now. Instead of actually backing the guy who backed him, so kind of tells you a little bit about Mitt Romney. But going back to these taxes, what doesn't make any sense is there's no constitutional requirement at all within which to turn around and to release your tax returns. This started back in the -- you know, 45 some odd years ago, 50 years ago.
You know, if there is one thing that Mr. Trump has shown, is that he's not going to play the establishment rules. He's going to play it the way he wants to. And no tax attorney worth anything who is not looking for a malpractice action is going to ever turn around and tell their client to release their tax returns, Bill, when they have an audit pending. No matter what you say or the Liberal media.
BURNETT: Bill, why do you think he's not --
KRISTOL: He can release -- I don't know. Why don't you ask Donald Trump? He won't say why he's not doing it. Their audits were completed on previous returns. He could release those. This is all ridiculous. I mean, he knew -- look, I totally agree. Donald Trump has every right not to release his tax returns. Other people have every right. Mitt Romney has a right --
COHEN: Mitt Romney got forced to do it. In all fairness.
KRISTOL: That's not true. Mitt Romney released his 2000 -- I'm sorry --
COHEN: Harry Reid put pressure on him.
KRISTOL: I'm sorry, that's not true. Mitt Romney --
(CROSSTALK)
Michael, Michael. If you would just -- if you would stop being -- if you -- I'm sorry. This is a fact. It's called a fact, Michael. Maybe you're aware of those things. Mitt Romney released his 2000 return in January of 2012. If you don't want to say he didn't -- say it. But I believe that's the case. That's what Mitt Romney says in his Facebook post. And unlike --
COHEN: Oh, my God, he said it on his Facebook post.
KRISTOL: Mitt Romney is an honest man. Mitt Romney is a man of character.
BURNETT: Now, Bill, he was under a lot of pressure. I mean, I recall leading this program many nights saying where are Mitt Romney's tax returns.
KRISTOL: I'm sorry, there was never an issue that the Republican nominee or the nominee of either party wouldn't release taxes. But look, Donald Trump is free not to do it and other people are free to say, gee, that's one of many, many, many worrisome things about Donald Trump.
[19:10:28] BURNETT: And Michael, to Bill's point, what about --
KRISTOL: And reliability.
BURNETT: Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton have released they say 33 years of tax returns. OK. The question is though, on a very, very simple level, OK, let's say that we give you -- you don't have to release the ones under audit. Is he being audited for every year of the past 20 years? I mean, he could release tax returns.
COHEN: Yes, but he at this point in time, as he said, while he's under audit, he is not going to do it. I don't know why the Liberal media --
BURNETT: Even if the years for which he is not under audit.
COHEN: There is no reason for him to do it. There is absolutely no reason for him to do it.
BURNETT: Except for every nominee --
COHEN: There's no constitutional requirement to release it. All right? The bottom-line is, you're not going to find out a guy's net worth. You're not going to see his charitable givings. It's a basic income versus expenses. That's what your tax return talks about. And all the liberal media wants out of this is something so that they can have more things to talk about so that they can bring on guys like Bill to sit there and to sort of, you know, comment about, you know, Mr. Trump. Let me tell you, millions of people --
KRISTOL: I'm not -- Michael, I'm not for Trump --
COHEN: We know you're not for Trump.
KRISTOL: I don't care.
BURNETT: I thought when you said -- but hold on one second. I just want to interrupt. Because his story on why --
COHEN: Wait, Erin. This tax return issue does absolutely nothing to help to put food on the table of the Americans that are left alone.
BURNETT: Okay. But his story on it -- his story on it, Michael --
COHEN: Are you saying Donald Trump is not rich?
BURNETT: All I'm saying -- now he's saying it's because of an audit. But before he's given different reasons and let me just play them for you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I have no objection to certainly showing tax returns.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Getting any closer to releasing your tax returns?
TRUMP: Well, I'm thinking about it. I'm thinking about, maybe when we find out the true story on Hillary's e-mail.
I can't do it until the audit is finished. Obviously.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: He has no problem. It's Hillary's e-mails. The audit. What is the real reason? I think the question people have --
COHEN: Right. So I'm going to say it to your audience. Look into the camera for you. Donald Trump is not going to release his tax returns because his counsel has advised him that he should not release it. Something that even as you said his gentleman -- the gentleman's name was, Bob Kovachev (ph) who you acknowledge is an expert. Says I would not ever advice --
KRISTOL: Michael --
COHEN: -- my client to release tax returns while under audit.
KRISTOL: Michael, counsel often advised people to take the Fifth Amendment. Counsel advise people to do lots of things. That doesn't mean that that's a good position to be in if you're running for president of the United States.
BURNETT: All right. We'll leave it there. Thank you both very much. Look forward to our viewers' opinions on this conversation. Of course, going to have many more times here as this does not get resolved.
OUTFRONT next, more breaking news. House Speaker Paul Ryan under increasing pressure to endorse Donald Trump, meeting tonight with Trump's supporters. The breaking details on that meeting after this.
And Bernie Sanders now winning 19 states against Hillary Clinton. Ahead, how he says he can still win the nomination. We've got the math.
And one of Donald Trump's top targets, China. Well, guess what? Went to Trump tower and we met some Chinese tourists. They're flocking to Trump Tower and saying things like this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think that Trump is nice to China. I think so.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:16:58] BURNETT: Breaking news. We are just hours away from that crucial meeting for the future of the Republican Party. Paul Ryan's face-to-face with Donald Trump. And we can confirm tonight that the House Speaker met with some of Trump's top supporters in the House tonight. The pressure building for Ryan to endorse the presumptive nominee. But Ryan insists he is in no rush.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. PAUL RYAN (R-WI), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: To pretend unified without actually unifying, then we go into the fall at half strength. This election is too important to go into an election at half strength.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Manu Raju is OUTFRONT. And Manu, Paul Ryan says, this is a necessary process. So, the GOP can unite in the fall. But you know, it's hard to have it both ways. I know you're hearing from lawmakers, you've been talking to, that Ryan's refusal to back Trump is making things worse.
MANU RAJU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, Erin. Actually today was the first day that Paul Ryan actually met with House Republicans since he made that announcement last week that he's not ready to support the presumptive nominee. Donald Trump. And in this closed door meeting, I'm told Paul Ryan made it very clear he does want the party to unite. But a lot of members said that look, the voters have chosen Donald Trump and it's time to get behind our presumptive nominee.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAJU: The Speakers -- endorsement. How much harder does that make the party to unite?
REP. MARK AMODEI (R), NEVADA: Well, it sure -- it sure doesn't make look like we're on the same page, does it? It's like, what's the matter with saying, hey, guess what, I disagree on this, this and that. But we're all wearing the same Jersey, so guess what, we want to win the game. And if we have a fight in the locker room occasionally, that's life.
RAJU: That's what bothers you that --
AMODEI: Yes. I guess.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RAJU: Now Ryan is making moves to try to show that the party will get -- be a united front in November. He did met with a handful of Trump supporters on Capitol Hill earlier today and I'm told that the meeting went particularly well, both sides came out feeling pretty confident that they could get to a place where there would be a comfort level between the Trump campaign and Ryan's office. The speaker wants to continue this dialogue going forward. He does not expect to make an endorsement tomorrow. But I think this is the beginning of a process in which both sides can work together and hopefully communicate united vision for their party.
BURNETT: All right. Manu, thank you very much.
And OUTFRONT now, Donald Trump supporter, Kayleigh McEnany. Republican strategist and former RNC Communications Director Doug Heye. And the executive editor of CNN Politics Mark Preston, good to have you all.
Doug, is it time for Paul Ryan to get on board and endorse Trump? You just heard Manu Raju talking to rank and file members. They're saying, OK, you can have disagreements. But ultimately, you guys have got to get in bed together. DOUG HEYE, FORMER RNC COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Sure. Look, well,
Congressman Amodei said, it's about disagreeing with that issue or that issue. I think for Paul Ryan, it's not about one issue or another, it's not necessarily about which position he takes on the minimum wage or on tax returns or whatever. It's more attitudinal. And what we have seen so often from Trump, are things that give a lot of Republican members pause. And that's why he wants to sit down, have a meeting. I'll tell you, I don't think there will be a lot of fireworks, I don't think there will be a lot of news out of the meeting.
BURNETT: So, what are you thinking about? This is about looking in the eye, this is about character --
HEYE: It's about character --
BURNETT: Emotion, this is personal.
HEYE: It's about how do we make amends with the party from such a divisive primary. How do we get conservatives back in the tent and feel that they've been shut out of this process? Trump isn't necessarily the biggest conservative that we have seen in this campaign. How do we get Ted Cruz back in this process? This is the beginning of a process where I think Paul Ryan is someone who can work to bring folks together.
BURNETT: So Kayleigh, should Donald Trump then negotiate, be humble?
KAYLEIGH MCENANY, DONALD TRUMP SUPPORTER: I think he has.
BURNETT: Apologize?
MCENANY: I think he signaled going into this meeting that he wants unity, that that's his intent, that's his goal going into it. I think that's going to happen coming out of it. And I think Paul Ryan will come to the center as well and do what Mitch McConnell has done and do what Dick Cheney has done and embrace Donald Trump. Because there are a lot of people, voters, there are a lot of congressmen on the hill who care far more about beating Hillary Clinton and stopping Donald Trump. There are a lot of these members who think that four more years of Obama is an unacceptable alternative and embracing Trump is the only way to stop that.
BURNETT: The thing is though, Mark, for a lot of Republicans, Trump is an anathema to them no. Right? It is not about a policy here or there, it is a deep-seated sense of who they are. You know, Donald Trump and Paul Ryan may not see eye-to-eye on a lot of issues. And according to issues, Paul Ryan says that doesn't matter at all. Right? So, here's how he puts it. That doesn't matter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RYAN: This is a big tent party. There is plenty of room for different policy disputes in this party. We come from different wings of the party. The goal here is to unify the various wings of the party around common principles so we can go forward unified. (END VIDEO CLIP)
[19:21:14] BURNETT: They don't even agree on the most basic things, right? Trump's tax plan, that's $10 trillion right there. Paul Ryan wants to cut debt, Paul Ryan wants to change Social Security. Donald Trump says he won't touch it. Really, how does Paul Ryan endorse him with a straight face?
MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICS EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Let's look at the situation we're in right now. Does this work for both of them? And here's the reason why, Donald Trump, this works for him because he's able to go out and say, I'm fighting the establishment. Let me tell you, the Trump guys are okay with going into this meeting and coming out tomorrow and not having that endorsement right away.
BURNETT: Right.
PRESTON: This play into your hand. For Paul Ryan who took the speakership on his own terms to go out and draw a line in the sand and say, I'm the speaker of the House. Remember, I'm third in line for the presidency. Remember, I run a coequal branch of government. This is how I'm going to do it. That helps Paul Ryan establish himself. And it also helps Republicans who have concern about Donald Trump have the safe haven to go into.
BURNETT: So, they're both winners?
PRESTON: They're both winners and guess what, he's going to back him in the end. He will be with Donald Trump.
BURNETT: Do you think he will back him in the end, though, Doug?
HEYE: At the end, I hope that that's where he gets. But I think Paul Ryan did something very smart.
BURNETT: Because you're the one who said on this show, your words, Donald Trump was like an abortion to the Republican Party.
HEYE: Yes, I think that's what the party will do.
BURNETT: But you're saying you hope that Paul Ryan to endorse?
HEYE: I hope Paul Ryan does what he thinks is in the best interest of the party. How I vote is the voters with totally different issue. But I think what Paul Ryan did over the past couple of weeks was very smart when he said, if Donald Trump wants me to step aside as a convention chair, I'll step aside. That removes as an important part of leverage that Donald Trump had. Remember Donald Trump said he better get along -- consequences or he removed one of those consequences. And if you talk to senators and you talk to members of Congress, they're concerned not about NAFTA or the wall or this or that. They're concerned with what we see every week coming out of Trump or his campaign this week in the hill. A headline that said Trump nominates white nationalist to be a delegate. We see these things all of the time. That's why, it's not about a particular issue. That's why so many people have real fears and concerns about Trump as a nominee.
BURNETT: Kayleigh?
MCENANY: I don't think those fears are really real. Because I look at someone like John McCain, who is completely opposite of Donald Trump. Ideologically, he was the subject of one of the disputes that Trump had in the very beginning. But John McCain, to his credit, came and said, we would be foolish as a party to not listen to the voters. They sent a very clear message. And every exit poll and every election, it showed that voters felt betrayed by the party. So, why don't people do what John McCain does and see that it would be foolish not to listen to the people.
HEYE: I think because they see John McCain getting attacked on the airwaves. You see Kelly Ayotte getting attacked on the airwaves. Republicans are being attacked throughout the country. Just for saying not they support Trump but they'll support the nominee. Even lukewarm statements like that hurt Republicans.
BURNETT: Quick final word to you in this context. Do you really think Paul Ryan is going to come out with a full-throated endorsement of Donald Trump?
PRESTON: Well, it depends what you think is a full-throated endorsement. Here's the deal.
BURNETT: Yes.
PRESTON: Donald Trump is going to be at the top of the ticket. If the Republicans don't get behind Donald Trump, he will drag down the ballot races from the Senate and the House. They do need to be united. They don't all have to be like Kumbayah, but they have to be united.
BURNETT: Yes.
PRESTON: Money has to go towards the party in order for Republicans to win down ballot -- in the White House.
BURNETT: All right. Thanks to all. Good to see you.
HEYE: Thank you.
BURNETT: And next, Donald Trump hammering China. Just about as often as he slams Hillary Clinton and some others. So why does he have so many admirers in the country? We have a report you just don't want to miss. Tonight on our show.
And Bernie Sanders, after winning his 19th state says he is still in it to win it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have an uphill climb ahead of us. But we are used to fighting uphill climbs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:28:57] BURNETT: Tonight, Bernie Sanders in it to win it. Coming off another win, beating Hillary Clinton by double digits in West Virginia. It is the 19th state Sanders has won so far. Now, Clinton is still ahead with delegates. But if Sanders wins 67 percent of the remaining delegates at stake, he will push past Clinton in pledged delegates before the convention. Now, those delegates, of course, are the ones determined by voters. Sanders says if that happens, those crucial super delegates now backing Hillary Clinton. But have a choice. Will then turn to him to back the voters' popular will.
Tom Foreman is OUTFRONT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Rapidly closing in on his party's nomination, Hillary Clinton clearly wants to steer toward the middle ground where general elections are won. But Bernie Sanders keeps yanking her left.
SANDERS: This is the future of America, the future of the Democratic Party.
FOREMAN: The Democratic socialist from Vermont has won 19 states to Clinton's 23, and he trails in delegates.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Show me what democracy looks like!
FOREMAN: But Liberals love him, prompting Donald Trump to tweet, "I don't want to hit crazy Bernie Sanders too hard yet, because I love watching what he is doing to crooked Hillary."
CLINTON: But I will do --
[19:30:09] FOREMAN: So, how is she counter punching? Sanders wants a nationwide increase of the minimum wage to $15 an hour.
CLINTON: I favor a $12 an hour --
FOREMAN: Last year, she was talking about $12 and encouraging some local governments to maybe make it more. But now listen.
CLINTON: I have supported the fight for $15. I am proud to have the endorsement of most of the unions that have led the fight for $15.
FOREMAN: Sanders has sharply criticized many trade deals that Clinton has supported, including the transpacific partnership. Now, she is dead set against the TPP.
CLINTON: And in looking at it, it didn't meet my standards.
FOREMAN: Sanders raged against the Keystone XL pipeline as a potential environmental disaster. Clinton stayed mum on it until the campaign heated up and then turned it down. And while Clinton has repeatedly said refining the Affordable Care Act
is the best plan for health care, Sanders has pushed for a government- backed single payer system. And just this week, she took a step his way.
CLINTON: I also am in favor of wt's called the public option so that people can buy into you know, Medicare, above a certain age.
FOREMAN: Exit polls show Sanders has significantly outperformed her in winning over white men and young people, suggesting in addition to her policies, she may need to adjust her approach to some voters.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOREMAN: Like it or not, all of this may just be smart politics. A study by Pew this year found that in the Democratic Party, people who call themselves moderates or conservatives for the past 15 years have been in retreat, and Democrats who self identify themselves as liberals now are the dominant faction in the party -- Erin.
ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Tom, thank you very much.
And OUTFRONT now, Sanders supporter Sally Kohn, Hillary Clinton supporter Maria Cardona, whose firm currently does work for a pro- Clinton super PAC. She's also a superdelegate. And our politics executive editor, Mark Preston, back with me.
All right. Maria, Reince Priebus, the RNC chairman, tweeted last night, "It is nothing short of embarrassing Hillary Clinton has been defeated 20 times by 74-year-old socialist from Vermont." Reince error, it's only 19 times.
Maria, 19 times is a lot of times.
MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: You know what, Reince has got to distract from the complete debacle going on in his party. I actually feel bad for him.
And by the way, Reince, be careful what he wishes for. That 74-year- old Democratic socialist from Vermont is actually cleaning Trump's clock on a lot of the polls we're seeing.
Now, going back to Bernie's win and he should be congratulated. It was a terrific win. He's run a terrific campaign. I have said always. I think it's great for the Democratic Party. It's been great for our debate and it's going to make the Democratic nominee stronger.
I happen to believe that that person will still be Hillary Clinton.
BURNETT: Sixteen double digits wins over Secretary Clinton, though. And yet everyone talks about her as already the de facto nominee.
CARDONA: Well, because they're looking at the numbers. The numbers that matter. The pledged delegates, she is ahead by 300. Three times more than what Barack Obama was ahead of her in 2008. She's also ahead by 3 million votes. So at the end of the day, it's -- that is what matters.
BURNETT: Sally, Donald Trump weighed in earlier today and I wanted to play it for you.
SALLY KOHN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Please do.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I just see he wins, wins, wins and then everybody sits around the stable of table saying he can't win.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BURNETT: Did I just find, Sally Kohn, something upon which you and Donald Trump agree?
KOHN: Oh, believe it or not, we can find a couple things, like trade deals. We both like taco bowls. I don't know.
So, listen -- here's the thing. First of all -- and I don't mean to like a broken record on this. But Bernie Sanders has already won. Not only on the fact that Hillary Clinton has been pulled to toward the populist part of the --
BURNETT: But he's saying if he wins 67 percent of the pledged delegates, he will go into the convention with more pledged delegates than Hillary Clinton, but I don't know if that's true.
KOHN: Right -- I want to say, first of all, he has won in other words, in moving the debate and shifting the debate and we see this on health care and that is right. And she is more in line not only with the Democratic base but with the majority of the country and where they want to move. So that's trade deals, so number one.
Number two, the fact we're having this conversation. I recall a few months ago when we would talk about the delegate count on the Democratic side, talk about the total and wouldn't make the distinction between pledged and superdelegate.
BURNETT: OK, fair.
KOHN: And now everyone in the media is careful to say, look, she's ahead by this many and that is important. And I think that whatever happens in this election, he is going to change the way the Democratic Party thinks about these superdelegates who really should be stupor delegates because they're in lock step with --
(CROSSTALK)
BURNETT: I want to ask about that.
KOHN: -- Clinton machine. But you know?
BURNETT: This whole question about Hillary Clinton, this kind of de facto assumption she's the nominee. Mark, exit polls from West Virginia. A third of Democrats there say they would support Donald Trump in November if Bernie Sanders is not the nominee. A protest vote.
And key swing states show that Bernie Sanders does better against Donald Trump than Hillary Clinton does.
[19:35:01] MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICS EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Does better in these swing states where they don't have a diverse coalition that has done very well, certainly for Hillary Clinton in the south. We have 11 more contests left.
Bernie Sanders has a very good chance of winning five of those 11 and I'm not counting California, OK? That is not going to change the delegate count. Bernie Sanders has no shot at get 67 percent of the delegates. That is not going to happen.
But what he does have a shot at is continuing to help control the agenda over the next couple months.
BURNETT: Now, Maria, Bernie Sanders is saying it's an outside shot, is the way he describes it. Mark saying he doesn't think it can happen. But if he does get 67 percent, if he does really well, as he says in New Jersey, in California, he gets there. He walks into the convention with one more pledge delegate than Hillary Clinton.
What to you do? You've been open about your support for Hillary Clinton. You are a superdelegate. Do you say then say the will of the people is Bernie Sanders, I switch?
CARDONA: Well, I think a lot of the super gats will have to take a look at that, because let's remember, for all the criticism that superdelegates have gotten, they have never overturned the will of the people. Now, if he walks in there with one more pledge delegate than Hillary Clinton, then I do think the superdelegates are going to have to take another look at that.
But right now, it's highly improbable that that is going to happen.
BURNETT: One final thing. Vice President Joe Biden today not doing any favors for Hillary Clinton. Here he is, Mark.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Look, I -- I had planned on running. It's an awful thing to say. I think I would have been the best president.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PRESTON: Here's the deal. I want to remove politics from this at all. I've known Joe Biden for a long time as have many of us. He is one of the nicest guys in politics. He has gone through a horrific -- incidents in his life.
And you know what? If he wants to say that he was going to be the best president, I think we just step back and let him say he deserves that.
And here's the thing about Joe Biden. This is not the Swan song for Joe Biden. Joe Biden still has many years left. He could still serve in an administration. He could serve in a Trump administration as an envoy on foreign policy matters, if that were the case.
BURNETT: Well, there you go. You just gave Donald Trump an idea. That would be fascinating.
CARDONA: He'll continue to be an important voice in the Democratic Party, or the country.
(CROSSTALK)
BURNETT: Thank you all very much.
And OUTFRONT next, Donald Trump on the attack.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL: China has absolutely -- it's been one of the great thefts of all-time what they have done to the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: But we found that does not stop some Chinese from living him. Our special report from Trump Tower and Beijing, next. You do not want to miss this one.
And breaking news, the focus of the investigation into the death of Prince now shifting to a doctor who treated the singer in his final days. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, OUTFRONT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:41:37] BURNETT: Donald Trump, as you know, constantly slams China on the campaign trail.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: What's going on with China is unbelievable. China has taken other jobs, our money, our base, you are our manufacturing.
China has been one of the great thefts and what they have done to the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: So why does Trump have such loyal Chinese fans?
Matt Rivers is "OUTFRONT."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TRUMP: We can't continue to allow China to rape our country. And that's what they're doing. It's the greatest theft in the history of the world.
MATT RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tough talk about trade from the Republican presumptive nominee against one of his top targets. Yet here in China, there is respect and even admiration for Donald Trump.
GU YU, CHINESE TECH ENTERPRENUER: I think Donald Trump has the guts to say everything that normal people in the rest of society feared to say.
RIVERS: Gu Yu is a young Chinese tech entrepreneur, part of a vocal group of Chinese fans of the billionaire businessman. One social media user on China's Twitter equivalent Weibo says Hillary Clinton just makes empty promises while Trump is the king of doing what he says. Another calls him sharp and pragmatic. One person even said they would vote for him because he is so handsome.
A face Chinese audiences got to know from his days on "Celebrity Apprentice", a hit here in China.
TRUMP: You're fired.
RIVERS (on camera): From TV to books, Trump's best seller "The Art of the Deal", in Mandarin, is found in bookstores across Beijing. His success as a businessman is no doubt part of his appeal as a politician. Some Chinese see a rich billionaire and want to be just like him.
(voice-over): Like the owner of Trump Consulting, a Chinese real estate firm named after the candidate himself. The irony? The owner tells CNN, "Donald Trump is a political clown. But I wouldn't change my company name for that. He's a real estate tycoon, after all."
His feelings on Trump the politician shared by the media here. In March, the state-run newspaper "The Global Times" called Trump a rich narcissist and a clown for statements like this.
TRUMP: Negotiating with China, when these people walk in the room, they don't say, "Oh, hello, how is the weather? So beautiful outside." They say, "We want deal!"
RIVERS: Even with all of the bluster, Trump Tower is still a popular destination for tourists from mainland China and Taiwan, visiting New York City.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's like a superstar, you know?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody like Trump. Yes, so I come to see. I wish that Trump would win.
RIVERS: Still, not everyone is a fan.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If he becomes the president, I am a little bit scared.
RIVERS: The Chinese, just like many Americans, with no shortage of opinions on Donald Trump.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BURNETT: It's amazing. I know we talked to a few more tourists, most all of them huge fans of Donald Trump.
And, Matt, I know in Beijing where you are, Donald Trump's daughter, Ivanka, also has a lot of fans.
RIVERS: That's right. Her jewelry line has actually been sold here in Beijing at a mall just a few blocks away from our bureau here. And her Chinese social media account just under 17,000 followers. So, when it comes to name recognition in China, Erin, for the Trumps, it is a family affair.
BURNETT: Incredible, and the books there in every bookstore. Matt, thank you very much.
And OUTFRONT next, authorities return to search Prince's compound.
[19:45:04] The singer's doctor now the focus of the investigation.
And Jeanne Moos on Hillary Clinton's fascination with UFOs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: There are enough stories out there that I don't think everybody is just sitting, you know, if their kitchen making them up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: Breaking news: new details about Prince's death tonight. Investigators looking closely at the doctor who treated Prince in his final days and was at his home the morning Prince died. We're also learning that authorities are focusing on the possibility of drug runners who may have been obtaining drugs for the performer.
Kyung Lah is OUTFRONT tonight in Minnesota.
And, Kyung, we are going to show now, this is an unrelated video, but it is the doctor we are talking about, Dr. Schulenberg. What more can you tell us about him?
KYUNG LAH, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: From what we have been able to find out, Dr. Schulenberg is a family medicine doctor. He does not have history of criminal complaints, there's no disciplinary record on him.
[19:50:01] What we have learned thanks to a search warrant that was executed at his office, the clinic he used to work at, his last day was Tuesday.
The search warrant details how he did have two visits with Prince in the weeks leading up to his death. He saw him twice. He conducted tests. He was here at Paisley Park the day that Prince was found unresponsive in the elevator.
The reason why is he was dropping off those test results. What investigators are trying to figure out is exactly how these opioid prescription pills made their way here to Paisley Park. There were pills found on the property after Prince died, they don't have a valid prescription yet. They're looking into the possibility of a relationship between this doctor, Prince, Prince's inner circle, trying to figure out, Erin, how those pills came into Prince's possession.
BURNETT: Right. Whether others were perhaps getting prescriptions in their name, procuring drugs for Prince.
I mean, what are you learning about Prince's possible addiction to painkillers, which of course seems like is likely the case?
LAH: Right. What the D.A. has done is tried to execute some search warrants here on the property. They want to figure out exactly how long, where, when, what pharmacies, what doctors.
And you're right, Erin, right now, it doesn't appear this was doctor shopping, but it may perhaps have been others getting it for him.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Kyung Lah.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta is OUTFRONT with me now. I mean, this is the breaking news, they're looking at the doctor, Prince's inner circle because they didn't have a valid prescription to get opioids. So, is it possible others were getting it for him?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: It's called diversion and it's something that happens. Look, there are different ways it happens. You mention doctor shopping, where you're going different doctors. Pharmacies can't always keep up with where you get pain pills from.
The other thing is that somebody else gets the pain pills and you take them from that person.
This is not surprising that the D.A. found this doctor. They're going to try to match the prescriptions to either Prince or other people around him. I think what will be interesting is to figure out was he actually getting these from this inner circle?
BURNETT: Right.
GUPTA: Was there a pattern of enabling happening? Because that's frightening.
BURNETT: And you know, what also is terrifying, when you look at this, you know, there was, of course, a week, few days before Prince was on a plane that had to do an emergency landing, there were reports that was to give him sort of a shot because of possible overdose.
Ninety-one percent of people apparently who survived an overdose are able to get another prescription often from the same doctor. GUPTA: It is -- it is a horrifying, shameful statistic. There's no
two ways about it, Erin.
I saw that. As much as we think we are trying to go in the right direction here because what we are talking about is the number one cause of preventable death in America today -- accidental overdoses from these opioids. And then to learn after someone survives an overdose, there's no mechanism in place to prevent that person getting more pills from the same doctor, it's crazy. It doesn't mean we are going in the right direction. It means that we're turning a blind eye to what's in front of us.
BURNETT: And 5 percent of Americans, 75 percent of prescription opioid users, something you know so much about.
GUPTA: We don't have 75 percent of the world's pain in this country, and yet we take that much, and we are paying the price dearly.
BURNETT: And tonight, Sanjay is going to be hosting a town hall, "Prescription Addiction: Made in the USA", tonight at 9:00 Eastern. As he said, the number one cause of preventable death in America, something you must see tonight on CNN.
And OUTFRONT next, Jeanne Moos, on why Hillary Clinton is being called the ET candidate.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:57:25] BURNETT: If there's life beyond planet earth, Hillary Clinton wants you to know about it.
Here is Jeanne Moos.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Since the 2016 campaign has seemed a little alien, you might as well discuss the UFO vote because UFOs and secretive Air Force base Area 51 keep coming up.
For instance, Wednesday's White House briefing.
JOSH EARNEST, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I have to admit I don't have a tab in my briefing book for Area 51 today.
MOOS: And Hillary Clinton has been answering UFO questions.
CLINTON: There are enough stories out there that I don't think everybody is in the kitchen making them up.
MOOS: Answering them so well, she's sounding like an expert.
CLINTON: And, you know, there's a new name, unexplained aerial phenomenon.
JIMMY KIMMEL, COMEDIAN: Unexplained aerial phenomenon, really?
CLINTON: Yes, UAP.
MOOS: Actually, it's unidentified aerial phenomena. UAP is mean to better described and put some distance between it and the sometimes ridiculed UFO.
Hillary said she would try to open government files. She told the "Conway, New Hampshire Sun", I think we may have been visited already, we don't know for sure.
So, for many UFO believers worldwide.
Who is the best candidate from your point of view?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hillary is definitely, no question. It's nice they're making the subject respectable, but I also know that presidents don't always gain access to stuff they're interested in.
MOOS: Many moons ago, "Weekly World News" mocked Hillary with alien baby cover, current campaign chairman John Podesta, is a long time proponent of opening government files.
JOHN PODESTA, CLINTON CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN: Well, the American people can handle the truth.
MOOS: Some self described ET hunters oppose Hillary.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My candidate is Donald Trump because he is not a politician.
MOOS: UFO-ologists, who prefer Hillary worry.
STANTON FRIEDMAN, NUCLEAR PHYSICIST, LECTURER AND UFO RESEARCHER: I'm waiting for Trump to get around to say, oh, Hillary is some kind of nut, she believes in flying saucers.
MOOS: Maybe aliens are looking for signs of intelligent life on our campaign trail.
Jeanne Moos, CNN --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you believe?
CLINTON: I don't know.
MOOS: -- New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BURNETT: I got to say, a lot of voters might really warm up to that. The professor thinks maybe they'll think she's crazy. There's a lot of people think we have been visited before than you might think.
Interesting to see how this all plays out. Thanks so much as always for joining us. Let's see back here tomorrow night. Same time, same place OUTFRONT.
Have a great night, until then,
"AC360" begins right now.
