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Autopsy Being Performed on Prince Today; Is Trump's Personality Just an Act; RNC Meets on GOP Convention Rules; A Look Inside Prince's Paisley Park Studio; Stevie Wonder Reacts to Prince's Death. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired April 22, 2016 - 13:30   ET

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


[13:30:00] JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: Dr. G., to be clear, when you gather a social history, these are through interviews with family, friends, colleagues? Is that how that works?

DR. JAN GARAVAGLIA, RETIRED CHIEF MEDICAL EXAMINER: Absolutely. Absolutely that's what you would interview. You would also get previous medical records to see what he's stated in the past were his problems. I think what's really interesting, as far as what's important in this case, I would also want to know the time line. We know the time line for days that he was on the 14th. He gave the concert and then stopped on the 15th. But being in an elevator and found dead at 10:00 in the morning or 9:00 in the morning is kind of unusual for any kind of overdose unless it's a stimulant that then created some natural disease process. Basically, this is still a sudden and unexpected death that will take all possibilities.

SCIUTTO: Dr. Gupta, this is very much the area of speculation here. I guess I'm just asking you, in your expertise, and Dr. G. mentioned these instances, two performances postponed by Prince in recent weeks as well of this emergency landing more recently. And there was talk of him suffering a flu. When you piece those things together, I'm not going to ask you to make a diagnosis, I'm just going to ask what warning signs you see there.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: First of all, there are some warning signs. This didn't take place just as a singular event. As you point out, it was two weeks ago from yesterday that he cancelled those shows. A week later, he performed. Whatever it was, he seemed to have improvement to the point where he could perform a week after cancelling those shows. That night after performing, he's flying back home and the plane makes an emergency landing for, again, flu-like symptoms. That's a vague way of describing things. But we know he was in the hospital for three hours and then flew back home from the emergency stop. The next day, he's performing again, a smaller show from there in Minnesota. He's riding his bike on Sunday.

The point, Jim, he seemed to have this up-and-down sort of thing. I think that's going to be a very important part of the puzzle, that Dr. G. was referring to, in terms of piecing what the autopsy will show, what the toxicology will show. That history is going to be important as well. SCIUTTO: I imagine, perhaps, this question is to both of you. In

previous cases like this, the information always comes out piecemeal. There's an initial read and you're waiting for the toxicology report and the people I imagine are going to jump to conclusions.

Dr. G. -- and, Sanjay, I'll ask you to follow up -- I imagine you've would caution we have to wait some time to know for sure.

GARAVAGLIA: Right. And you have to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. And what would be found at autopsy, it will be just as important with what will be found in toxicology and what is found under the microscope, and that takes time. I've got many cases that change on a dime that you were just so sure your hypothesis is one thing based on even all the information you gather and then it changes on a dime once you look under the microscope or you do the autopsy. So you really have to wait until all the pieces are together.

SCIUTTO: Sanjay, just a quick final thought to you.

GUPTA: This is going to take some time. I think people, when something like this happens, and now you hear about why it takes some time. There will be some initial findings from the autopsy today and findings in the next few days in the toxicology, but they've got to repeat those tests and they've got to make sure they were complete in their testing. And again, match it. Put the pieces of the puzzle together with all the things we're discussing. So it's just going to take some time.

SCIUTTO: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Dr. Garavaglia, thank you very much for helping begin to clear this up for us.

Coming up, a stunning revelation. Audio obtained by CNN of an advisor for presidential candidate and front runner, Donald Trump, saying that the candidate you have seen is just a character he's playing. The audio, and what the RNC thinks of this, right after the break.

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[13:36:07] SCIUTTO: Is Donald Trump's bombastic off-the-cuff personality just an act? That's what a senior advisor is saying behind closed doors. The admission coming in a new audio from a source who was in that room during a meeting of Republican Party leaders. It happened yesterday in Florida, where RNC members are meeting to discuss the party's upcoming convention. Have a listen.

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PAUL MANAFORT, DONALD TRUMP PRESIDENT CAMPAIGN CONVENTION MANAGER (voice-over): Trump is an outsider. Maybe you don't know but he's sitting in a room and talking group politics, it's a different persona. When he's out on the stage, he's projecting an image that's for that purpose. The part he's been playing is evolving into the part that you've been expecting but he wasn't ready for.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Joining me from the site of the RNC meeting is the chief strategist and communications director for the RNC, Sean Spicer.

So, Sean, you listened to that tape. That's a pretty remarkable definitive statement saying in so many words he's been playing a role just for public consumptions. Have voters been lied to by the Republican front-runner?

SEAN SPICER, CHIEF STRATEGIST & COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION: I don't think they've been lied to. I think all of the candidates we have talked to in their staffs and they know what a great job we're doing at the RNC to stay focused on the general election. Our job is to keep our head down and let them say what they have to say on the campaign trail to seek the nomination of --

(CROSSTALK)

SCIUTTO: Wait, wait. But we're talking about --

(CROSSTALK)

SCIUTTO: We're talking about his senior advisor who he just hired with the stated intention of making this race more serious. And after all, he is the Republican front-runner by a number of delegates. And that advisor is saying that it's a persona. That's just a persona he's using in public. In reality, the real Donald Trump is something different. Is that a problem for the Republican Party?

SPICER: No. Look, again, I'm going to let all the campaigns speak for themselves. We're honored they all came down here and shared with us their vision to seek the nomination of our party. We were down here focused on the business of the party to make sure we're ready for the general and I'll let each of the campaigns talk about their individual strategies.

SCIUTTO: Let me talk about what his advisors say specific to the RNC. In that same meeting, he said that the candidate is ready to work together with the RNC. However, as you know, as well as me, this is very different from what Trump says on the campaign trail.

Have a listen to what Trump said at a rally as the same day as the meeting.

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DONALD TRUMP, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & CEO, TRUMP ORGANIZATION: The system is rigged. The voting is rigged. The whole deal is crooked. 100 percent. And that's why you have a case where I go in and win with the vote and these guys go and they buy delegates. They buy them dinners. They send them to hotels. The whole thing is a sham.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: So I got to ask you. What's the sham? The party system or the claim by Trump he's willing to work with you a sham?

SPICER: Well, no. Like I said earlier, I think Donald Trump and governor Kasich and Senator Cruz all understand the important role the RNC plays in the general election and this RNC, in particular, Reince Priebus is the best-trained RNC in political history. That being said, candidates are going to say what they have to say on the campaign trail. I know that he believes the system is complicated. It's made up of our grassroots of state and territories around the country but it is the most representative system we have because it is that local grassroots that drives the system I each state and allows a place like Iowa to have a caucus and a place like Virginia to have a primary. That's the beauty of it. It's not a Washington-dictated top-down system. It's not like the Democrats have, full of super delegates, unelected party bosses that could undermine the will of the people. So --

(CROSSTALK)

[13:40:06] SCIUTTO: So let me just ask you a basic question.

SPICER: Hold on. Hold on.

(CROSSTALK)

SCIUTTO: I do want to talk about the rules. But do you believe that Donald Trump wants to work with the RNC?

SPICER: I know he does. Absolutely. As do all the candidates. Yes, I know it, 100 percent. They all understand the fabulous job we've done and continue to do. They know we can't win without a great nominee and they can't win without the great RNC that we have.

SCIUTTO: OK. Let's get to the other thing that came out of the meeting. The reason for this meeting was to decide whether to change convention rules. Of course, you know the committee decided against that, even though Trump said these things about it being rigged. How would you explain that decision to a voter, many voters, who are inspired by Trump and angry at the process?

SPICER: So let's go back and the meeting didn't exist for the rules committee. It existed because we meet every spring and do the business of the party. We talk about budgets, our upgraded ground game. One of the things that occurs is the RNC rules committee meets. What had happened is during that meeting, traditionally, the RNC makes recommendations simply that. A recommendation to the delegates at the convention on what we believe over the last four years that the rules should look like for the subsequent four years. This year, Chairman Reince Priebus asked the rules committee of the RNC because of the added scrutiny to do nothing so that all the decisions are left up to the delegates and there was no perception or idea that we were trying to tilt the game to one candidate or another. The committee followed his lead and we did nothing. We're going to make sure every decision is left up to the elected delegates chosen by grassroots from coast to coast.

SCIUTTO: So that means if there are going to be rule changes to the convention, that's got to happen at the convention, you're saying?

SPICER: That's right. And keep in mind, that that's the job. Every delegate that gets elected, their job is to update rules of the party, the platform. Choose the nominee and vice presidential nominee. That's happened every four years since 1856. We continue to follow the exact same process that we have since the founding of our party which ensures that the 2016 delegates that have been elected by the grassroots are allowed to institute a process for the 2016 convention. And the subsequent four years put changes into the platform that they wanted, the same way in 2012 those 2012 delegates largely belonging to Mitt Romney were able to update the platform and the rules in accordance of what they thought needed to happen. Same in 2008, 2004, 200, '96 and '92. I could go on and on, back to 1856, but you get the point.

SCIUTTO: I do get the point.

Sean Spicer, from sunny Florida, thank you.

SPICER: Thanks for joining us. Bye-bye.

SCIUTTO: A reminder. CNN will have all-day coverage of Super Tuesday with the results of the primaries in five states. That is this coming Tuesday right here on CNN.

And our other big story today, the tributes to Prince still pouring in. His fans remembering his remarkable legacy. His friends remembering simply who he was. And the spontaneous powerful moments celebrating his music over the last 24 hours. Like this. The cast of the Broadway show, "The Color Purple," led by Jennifer Hudson, singing "Purple Rain."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SINGING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SINGING)

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[13:48:11] SCIUTTO: Brings back memories.

Prince died inside his Paisley Park compound in Chanhassen, Minnesota. Paisley Park houses a recording studio, a nightclub and a performance arena open to the public for concerts. According to an article written in "Time" magazine in the 1990s, there is a basement full of gold and platinum albums. And next to those, quote, "almost like tablets in a tabernacle," are tapes of an estimated 100 unreleased songs. Built in the '90s, "Times" described a state-of-the-art recording studio with a private office with three beds, a couch, chairs, and a desk.

And one man who's been inside Paisley Park with Prince is "Daily Mirror" editor, Peter Willis, joining me now live.

Peter, thank you for coming on. It's great to have you on.

You interviewed Prince inside Paisley Park in 2010. If you can, just for the sake of our viewers who have only seen this place from the outside, take us inside the front door of the facility. Walk us through. What was it like?

PETER WILLIS, EDITOR, DAILY MIRROR: Hi, Jim. It was fantastic. It was extraordinary to be invited there by Prince. As soon as I arrived at the gate from my hotel, electric gate, which opened up. We drove up the entrance. And I was shown inside, like American 1950-style diner with a reception are. She asked me to wait. About a minute later, Prince suddenly he grabbed my wrist and said, no, no. This is a surprise for my fans. Don't take notes. And so he played me some of the tracks there. And the next moment he was saying to me, you know, come through here. I'll show you something. I followed him. He was a character where, you know, he was really in his element. And the walls I remember were all actually gold and platinum disks. They were kind of everywhere. They were kind of guitars, you know -- (INAUDIBLE) lining the walls. They were also various props kind of dotted around the place. You know, took me into a room where -- waiting for me by a grand piano. And it was a little -- there was a chair and he said, you know, kind of take a seat. And it was such an honor that he gave me a lone performance of a number of his tracks from the new album. (INAUDIBLE) playing for me. And then a special performance and kind of felt really kind of almost like -- I applauded at the end of each song. It was a brilliant experience. And then he said (INAUDIBLE) which was where he kept books. You know? (INAUDIBLE) actually he came to light talking about -- you know, genius. Ultimately talking about his -- (INAUDIBLE) and -- for all his books and magazines and kind of -- you know, kind of literature associated with his -- and I think it was also in that room he showed me a video which was essentially about how -- it was about how corporate America was damaging children in America. It was kind a strange video I have to say. Prince was standing there and kind of nodding as he did and showed me the kind of messages on it.

[13:53:09] SCIUTTO: What a remarkable view inside the life, the home of Prince.

Thank you, Peter Willis. Apologies to viewers for slight audio problems. As artist who truly lived him music.

President Obama's news conference with the U.K. Prime Minister Cameron was not all about the E.U. and fighting the war on terror. He also talked about how he feels now that Prince is gone.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I love Prince because he put out great music and he was a great performer. I didn't know him well. He came to perform at the White House last year, and was extraordinary and creative and original and full of energy. And so, it's a remarkable loss. And I'm staying at Winfield House, the U.S. ambassador's house. It so happens our ambassador has a turntable and so this morning "Purple Rain" and "Delirious," just to get warmed up before we got ready for important bilateral meetings like this.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: The two world leaders there who say they're fans of Prince, as well.

When Stevie Wonder says you inspire him, you have to be special. Stevie Wonder and Anderson Cooper talked about Prince here last night on CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVIE WONDER, SINGER: He was a great musician. He loved music. He loved playing his instrument and, you know, the times that we did jam together were amazing. With all the various people he would bring together and most of all he brought all the various cultures together. He could play classical music if he wanted to. He could play jazz or country if he wanted to. He played rock. You know? He played blues. He played pop and, you know, everything. He was just a great musician. And very cognizant of what his responsibility was as a musician and a human being.

[13:55:18] ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR, A.C. 360: Today, I was watching a recording of a concert you did in Paris in 2010. You were performing "Superstition" and Prince accompanying you on the guitar, and I think what is lost about Prince, not just great, you know, songwriter, he was a stellar guitar player and not just guitar, he played nearly all the instruments on the first five albums. That's incredible.

WONDER: Uh-huh. Yeah. It's amazing. You know, it's fun to do that because basically you're going inside you're giving people every single part of what you feel. It's what your soul is saying. This is how I want this to be played. And for the Natalie, I can and express myself. Like an artist painting a picture. He was a great artist of picture of sound picture and music. And so, this is an amazing day as we see so many things happening, the heart break is to see this man who's so talented be taken away from us. I know that, you know, the almighty God has far greater things for him to do eternally. So, I just hope --

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: That was Stevie Wonder there speaking to Anderson Cooper about Prince.

That's it for me today. Wolf is back on Monday.

And up next, for our domestic viewers, Brooke Baldwin is talking to Prince's engineer. He is the one that started Prince's remarkable vault of unreleased music.

The news continuing right after this break.

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SINGING)

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