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Obama And British Prime Minister Hold News Conference; Autopsy Being Performed Today On Prince. Aired 1:00-1:30p ET

Aired April 22, 2016 - 13:00   ET

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


CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: But the net benefit is so much that that is a relatively small price to pay. So, it was really, really very, very interesting on the Brexit question and, of course, on Syria, on Prince, the singer, and on the queen. He said, you know, I really came here to say good-bye, farewell, as president to her majesty, who's one of the people I love most in the world. Really, really interesting on that level as well.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, thank you, Christiane. Let's get to Fareed Zakaria right now. He's host of CNN's "FAREED ZAKARIA GPS." And, Fareed, the president, without taking on specifically what the mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said about him earlier which was that President Obama, because of his Kenyan ancestry, might hold a grudge against the British which President Obama suggested was nonsense.

And he then went into an explanation of why he did remove the Winston Churchill bust from the Oval Office while keeping a different Winston Churchill bust in the private residence of the White House. Obviously, trying to make it clear to the British people. He said, I love the guy, when talking about Winston Churchill.

FAREED ZAKARIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right and I think Boris Johnson misplayed his hand there very substantially. I think anyone -- look, I grew up in India, a former British colony. And I can tell you that people in Kenya and in India, all over the former British empire, have genuinely warm feelings about Britain.

Obviously, the legacy was a mixed one. But there's a very deep association with Britain. And as a result of that, people generally admire the great British leaders. I don't think there's any likelihood that it had anything to do with that.

Johns -- Boris Johnson, of course, was really upset that Obama came out as publicly and as forcefully as he did on the Brexit issue. And that was really what was motivating that rather nasty aside.

And I think Obama, as Christiane said, put it very clearly as something that America cares about, not for Britain's sake but for the United States' sake. The stakes are actually very high. You know, Winston Churchill urged the United States to fight -- to fight against Hitler. He was interfering in a very deep debate in the United States at the time.

The stakes are very high now. If Britain leaves Europe, the United States loses its closest ally that has the ability to influence Europe.

What does that mean? Sanctions against Russia. Sanctions against Iran. The broadening of the free market in Europe. The question of what the European foreign and defense policy is. What European economic policy is, whether it is more pro-American, pro-Atlantis, pro-free trade, whether it is tough on countries like Russia. All these issues have been ones on which Britain has been a for -- a progressive force, from the American point of view. It has furthered American ideas within the European Union.

If Britain were to leave, for the United States, that's a big deal. You have a Europe that is then run entirely by the French and the Germans. And while they're close allies, they do not share quite the same world view that Britain and the United States do.

TAPPER: All right. Thank you, Fareed Zakaria.

I'm joined now by CNN White House Correspondent Michelle Kosinski who's live in London. Also with me is CNN Chief National Security Correspondent Jim Sciutto, CNN International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson who's like in London, and CNN Contributor and co-author of "ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror," Michael Weiss.

Michelle, let me start with you. Some of the interesting things that came out of that press conference had to do with a warning that the British foreign office put out to members of the U.K. LGBT community when it comes to traveling in certain parts of the United States.

MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Right, and they -- neither side wanted to get too contentious on this. I mean, we heard first, President Obama respond to it. Even though the question was directed at the prime minister, President Obama wanted to jump in there and first defend these two states, saying how lovely and beautiful they are. And if British travelers went to these two states, that they would be treated well.

The prime minister also somewhat punted on this. You know, he glossed over the fact that he feels the way he feels on this, that he doesn't necessarily agree with those laws but clearly didn't want to get too critical.

I thought it was also interesting that after President Obama delivered this long, detailed opinion on the British upcoming referendum, I mean, going into pretty much every aspect of it. Even though he's saying he -- this is just an opinion and he doesn't have a vote.

When the prime minister was asked how he felt about the upcoming American elections, he completely punted on it. He didn't want to put his opinion on there. He did say, though, that the British watched the American election with a sense of awe -- Jake.

[13:05:01] TAPPER: That's right. He'd been very critical of Donald Trump, especially of Donald Trump's proposal to temporarily ban non- citizen Muslims from entering the United States. Very critical. But the prime minister, today, saying he no longer -- he did not want to add or subtract to his comments. Nic Robertson, let me go to you. A lot of our viewers might not be up to speed on what is being called Brexit, the idea of Britain leaving the European Union. But President Obama very strongly saying that he thinks it's a bad idea. The first question for the president, why should the British people care what you think, Mr. President?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: You know, and the interesting thing today, Jake, out on the streets here, we've been asking people. They've been able to read what the president has written so passionately in the telegraph newspaper. We've been asking them what they think about it. Is it OK for the American president to come here and to give his opinion? And, by and large, everyone we've talked to said, yes. He should give his opinion. We'll listen to it.

Some of them have made their minds up. Some of them haven't made their minds up yet. But they were very open to hear what, essentially, the most powerful politician in the world has to say. British people respect the office of the presidency and certainly respecting President Obama -- President Obama's right, if you will, to express his opinions, particularly as they're so carefully framed as we've heard here, in terms of national security and national interest of the United States.

But, you know, the debate, at the moment here in Britain, people now have two months to the referendum. And the question is, do they want to be inside the European Union or do they want to be outside? And those, like Boris Johnson, and others in others in Prime Minister David Cameron's cabinet say it's better to be out because we can negotiate better trade deals for ourselves. We're not under this umbrella of Europe that's imposing laws on us, imposing changes that we don't want. Diminishing, in some way, our nationality. Diminishing our interests and our right and our ability to exercise our rights internationally.

So, these are some very deep, passionate issues. But one on the things that we've talked to the people in the streets here that they find hard to grapple with is which politicians are telling them the truth? Which -- what are the facts and details based on an economic issue. It's one of those things that's coming to the fore (ph). Will Britain -- and I think this issue will become to dominate more. Will Britain be better off in or out? And people, some people, those that want to leave, saying that the government is scare mongering people when they say the company -- the country will be poorer if it leaves.

But we heard President Obama today saying the same thing. If Britain leaves, it will be -- it will be poorer. It will be better off economically if it stays in. And that may yet to be -- prove to be the pocketbook issue. The more -- most decisive issue as people go to vote -- Jake.

TAPPER: Indeed. Although, the President did also say that the emotional ties, the cultural and intellectual ties that the U.S. has with the U.K. will remain, of course.

Michael Weiss, CNN Contributor and Author of the book, "ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror." Let me ask you, what did you hear from the two leaders, when it comes to the fight against ISIS? When it comes to the stronghold ISIS is gaining in Libya?

MICHAEL WEISS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I think that the U.S. and Great Britain are the most aligned on this issue. You know, a lot of foreign fighters that have gone over to join ISIS have come from the United Kingdom. I lived there for three years. I've seen the problem that Britain has got with radicalization.

ISIS, in one of its latest propaganda videos, basically -- literally, actually, put a bull's eye or targeting site superimposed and above the head of David Cameron, in other words saying, you're next.

So, the U.S. has got a very, very integral role to play with the U.K. That said, look, it is a bit coy and a bit cute, I think, to say that, well, the Libyan intervention went well and we're working to rebuild that country. Libya is a failed state.

And that it's true that ISIS has been driven out of Derna as recently as this week. But they still have got a pretty sizable garrison there. I mean, that is -- it is considered to be either a fallback base, in the event that they lose Al Raqqah and Mosul. It puts them on a rather close trajectory to striking at Europe. I mean, they're about 500 miles away from the coast of Italy.

And this is part of a growing project that ISIS has now reemphasized in the wake of their spectacular terrorist attacks in Europe. They are looking to build these so-called rolyats (ph) or provinces outside of the realm of the caliphate which is to say Syria and Iraq. They have a franchise now in Afghanistan. They have won in the Sinai Peninsula. They see themselves as what I call the jihadi international.

And that's why creating these alliances and keeping Europe as a whole and they can actually, you know, negotiate how to best combat the threat of ISIS, both in the region and on its own soil, is so crucial to America's national security.

TAPPER: You know, what's interesting also, Michael, is just the idea that President Obama had been critical of Prime Minister Cameron in that interview --

[13:10:04] WEISS: Yes.

TAPPER: -- with Jeffrey Goldberg in "The Atlantic." When it comes to Libya policy, saying that the prime minister, quote, "became distracted by a range of other things" that didn't come up at the press conference. I would have liked to heard what David Cameron had to say about that. But thanks so much.

Let me go right now to Jim Scuitto who's here in the studio. I want to ask you, Jim, about -- specifically about the very, very strong criticism President Obama had about Vladimir Putin and about the role Putin is playing both in Ukraine and also in keeping alive and in control the murderous regime of Bashar Al Assad in Syria.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: It was a remarkable moment because you had the president there confronted with the sad fact that this cease-fire -- it is only a cease-fire in name. You have Russia with still enormous resources there. They've been moving piece -- military pieces and personnel into places they weren't before, defending the regime, as you say. He kind of defended himself by saying, his words were, you know, I'm always skeptical of Putin's intentions there, his motives.

And then he said, you know, it lasted longer than I expected which is weeks. I mean, that's pretty -- setting a pretty low bar to say that a cease-fire that was kind of a, you know, half way there and it lasted longer than he expected. So, why the enormous effort and investment in U.S. capital and, frankly, his own capital and credibility in this cease-fire, not to mention his secretary of state, John Kerry? Why that enormous investment, if, from the beginning, you always doubted Putin's motives? And you are surprised that it's lasted this long, which is, frankly, not that long.

But then he went on to say, to double down on that strategy, and he says, well, listen, there aren't great options. So, we're going to try again if it falls apart. I don't know who that gives confidence to. Does it give confidence to the moderate rebels on the ground? You know, does it give pause to Vladimir Putin who he said he spoke to on Monday to say that, well, we know you've broken this but, you know, we're going to give it another try? It was just an interesting kind of throwing up of the hands --

TAPPER: Yes.

SCIUTTO: -- on U.S.-Syria policy which is -- which is fairly remarkable.

I mean, the other point I would make, just about Libya, you know, there's been a lot of talk, recently, about how that's become, and they mentioned it here, a new power center for ISIS. In fact, this is where many of the European recruits are going now because it's hard to get to Iraq and Syria, not to mention a lot of bombs dropping on their heads. But saying, you know, no ground troops there. You know, eliminating that as a response to it which has been talked about in military circles as well.

So, there you have two major security challenges, the war in Syria and Libya growing as an ISIS' stronghold. But immediately taking a lot of options off the table.

TAPPER: Yes, very interesting. And it'll be food for thought for the next president of the United States, whoever it is. Jim Sciutto, thanks so much.

Our other big breaking news story, today, right now, the autopsy of music legend, Prince, is underway and the investigation into the cause of his death. That is right after this.

[13:12:46]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:16:37] JIM SCIUTTO, CNN HOST: Hello, I'm Jim Sciutto, in for Wolf Blitzer. I'd like to welcome our viewers around the United States and around the world as well. Up first now, how could a music legend be gone so soon and so suddenly? An autopsy is being performed today to determine what caused the death of the music superstar, Prince.

Of course, fans around the world are mourning his death and celebrating his music legacy as investigators try now to figure out exactly what happened. Paramedics were called to Prince's Paisley Park Studios yesterday after he was found unresponsive inside an elevator. They were unfortunately unable to revive him and he was pronounced dead at 10:07 am. As news of his death spread, fans took to the streets to remember. Spike Lee throwing an impromptu street party in Brooklyn. Landmarks in Minnesota and around the country were lit up to honor Prince, in purple, of course, and in a fitting scene, the Minnesota Twins' baseball park glowed in purple as well as the rain was falling yesterday. Denny Laufenburger, he is mayor of Chanhassen, Minnesota, that is home to Prince's Paisley Park studio complex. He joins us now live, and Mayor Chanhassen, I want to thank you for joining us today.

DENNY LAUFENBURGER, MAYOR, CHANHASSEN, MINNESOTA: Well, it's nice to be with you, Jim. And welcome to Chanhassen to CNN and to your fans around the world. Thank you.

SCIUTTO: Mr. Mayor, first of all, we know that the autopsy got underway this morning very quickly. Give us an update, if you can, on the investigation so far into Prince's death.

LAUFENBURGER: Well Jim, the investigation is being conducted in cooperation with the Carver County sheriff's office. That information has not been shared with me. I don't think it's been shared with anybody at this time. There will be a press conference at 3:00 Central Time this afternoon, and Sheriff (ph) Holsen will address the media regarding the death of Prince at that time.

SCIUTTO: Now, do you have any sense as to how quickly autopsy results would be out? You wouldn't expect them as soon as this afternoon, I imagine?

LAUFENBURGER: I am not familiar with that the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension uses, Jim, so I can really shed no light on that at all. That's independent of activities that are going on inside city hall.

SCIUTTO: OK, just to be clear to our viewers, we on CNN will certainly be following the results of that press conference, but mayor, I want to ask you more about Prince himself. In a statement, you said the following, that Prince, quote, helped to shape the character and quality of the community there. What was it like to have this music icon living there in Chanhassen?

LAUFENBURGER: Well amazingly, Jim, though Prince lived here, the community didn't treat him in the same way that people around the world did, and maybe that's something that he liked about Chanhassen, is that he could come here and he could be a neighbor. He could go to the local grocery store and buy his food and he would not be mobbed by people saying, oh, oh, that's Prince! Let's go there. So I think that he saw Chanhassen as the kind of community that he could perhaps escape from whatever busy music industry world that he was operating in for the most part. And he would come to Chanhassen. He had a wonderful studio that you see behind me.

[13:20:13] I think he saw Chanhassen in much of the same way that all of us in Minnesota see this area. This is a wonderful place to live, enjoy life, enjoy the amenities of the community. So I cannot know exactly what was inside Prince's head but based on the personal reports that people who live in Chanhassen, the people who have come to this memorial, they're sharing stories of very personal relationships with Prince. Not as somebody who's on a huge pedestal, but somebody who's right next door to them.

SCIUTTO: Mayor Laufenburger, we've seen fans leaving tributes, gathering outside Prince's studio there where you are as well as other places that were key to his career. You even had a small gathering, we heard, for fans after that healthcare scare he suffered last week. I'm just curious, are there any plans for a permanent memorial to honor him there?

LAUFENBURGER: Well Jim, I'm glad you asked that question. Prince owns a lot of property in Chanhassen, and we have no plans right now, or we have no understanding right now of what Prince, Paisley Park Enterprises has for the future of either the studio or the surrounding land, but I can assure you that the city council and the citizens of Chanhassen will spend a good deal of time thinking of, what is the best way for us to honor and memorialize this incredible icon who just happened to choose Chanhassen for his home?

SCIUTTO: Mayor Denny Laufenburger, thanks very much for taking the time, and of course, our thoughts for the community there for your loss.

LAUFENBURGER: Well, Jim, thank you very much. And I just want to say to all of your listeners and your watchers that Chanhassen is open. We would love to have people come for as long as they choose to to Paisley Park to pay their tribute. We'll have appropriate public safety personnel to ensure their safety and their safety while they're here and we just, we open up Chanhassen to the entire world. So please, come visit and pay your tribute to Prince. Thank you.

SCIUTTO: A big part of the world mourning as well. Coming up next, we'll talk about the cause of death investigation for Prince. What can this autopsy tell us? Before the break, we want to show a really rare moment. Here is James Brown in 1983 introducing Prince on stage for a special called James Brown and friends. Michael Jackson was there too. Have a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES BROWN, MUSICIAN: Give him a big round of applause because he's just existed. I've got to introduce Prince. Prince. Prince. All right. Prince, you got to do something.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:27:41] SCIUTTO: Welcome back. Newspapers around the world paying tribute to Prince from headlines like this one from "The Winnipeg Free Press", end of his purple reign. The full page covers with only the dates of his life and death. While these headlines span different countries, different cultures, the sentiment is very much the same. Each mourning the loss of one of the great artists of our time who appealed to so many. So what clues do we have now about what caused the death of Prince at just 57 years old? Joining us now is Dr. Jan Garavaglia. She's a retired chief medical examiner for the district 9 medical examiners office, that's in Orange and Osceola counties in Florida. She also hosts Discovery Health Channel's "Dr. G: Medical Examiner". We're also joined by chief medical respondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta. He's joining us from Atlanta. Dr. G, I wonder if I could start with you, because the statement from the medical examiner's office says the following, quote, as part of a complete exam, relevant information regarding Prince's medical and social history will be gathered. Anything which could be relevant to the investigation will be taken into consideration. In your experience, what does social history mean?

DOCTOR JAN GARAVAGLIA, FORMER CHIEF MEDICAL EXAMINER, ORANGE AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, FLORIDA: Yes, so that's taken prior to every autopsy. We never do an autopsy like this in a vacuum. So social history would be, what is his lifestyle? Does he do drugs? What kind of hobbies does he do? Those things would all be very pertinent to -- (technical difficulties)

SCIUTTO: I think we lost audio there. Oh, she's back. Dr. G, we lost the closing part of your thought there, but you were saying social history involves behavioral things including drug use, is that right?

GARAVAGLIA: That's absolutely correct. Everything they do that may impact their life and their death would be taken into consideration, and then you would use that information with what you find at autopsy and what you find at toxicology. I mean, you can have drugs in your system that necessarily does not mean that's what you died from. You have to put everything together.

SCIUTTO: And Dr. G, to be clear, when you gathering a social history like that, these are through interviews with family, friends, colleagues? Is that how that works?

GARAVAGLIA: Absolutely. Absolutely that's what, you would interview. You would also get previous medical records to see what he has stated in the past were his problems. I think what's really interesting as far as what's important in this case --