finland, today. perhaps he did not realize it is presidential palace where he was standing, five years ago, on that same stage, a very different scene played out. within 2018, as president trump stood next to russian president vladimir putin and sided with him, even though u.s. intelligence agencies had already told him that moscow interfered in the 2016 election. it was essentially a universe away from today's planet normal. >> there is no possibility of him winning the war in ukraine. putin has already lost the war. >> people came to me, dan coats came to me, and some others. they said, they think it is russia. i have president vladimir putin. he just said it is not russia. i will say this, i do not see any reason why it would be. >> one stage, two very different moments. thank you so much for joining us tonight. "cnn primetime" starts right now.

hi, laura. >> i'm surprised he forgot about that moment. because we are still wondering what the heck happened in helsinki. a lot has gone on since then. >> you think? how much time you got? kaitlan, thank you so much for a good evening, everyone. i am lara coates. did donald trump privately admit that he lost the election? tonight, we are running the special counsel that very question to his inner circle. trump setting a cappella with jared kushner, hope hicks, they have not testified before the grand jury. in jack smith's investigation to overturn the election. and by asking a question, it might show that prosecutors are interested in something in particular, whether trump acted with a corrupt intent? what he knew, when he knew it? and how he was acting on it? now kushner, according to the new york times, testified that he believed that trump truly believed the election was stolen. now, i should note of course, that that contradicts what other witnesses have claimed, including what cassidy hutchinson said that mark

meadows told her. we do a lot of times you will tell me that he lost but he want to keep fighting it. he thinks there might be enough to overturn the election, but he pretty much acknowledges that he has lost. >> separately tonight, and the classified documents indictment, the special counsel delivering a blistering response to trump office request to delay the trial. not for a week or a month, or even six months, but until after the 2024 election. prosecutors say the law requires that trial happens as soon as practical. it is worth noting they also called trump office arguments that the presidential records act gives him a defense, quote, borderline frivolous. let's unpack all of this and more with former trump white house lawyer, james scholz, and also, cnn contributor and former house gop investigative committee counsel sophia nelson.

glad to have you both here today. we begin with you, james. you are in the trump orbit. have you ever heard trump? or have you heard from others that he acknowledged that he actually did lose the election? >> no, that is not something i would have been privy to or heard from, but it is not surprising that at this point, you are seeing folks like the kushners and others that are in that orbit, coming into the grand jury at this juncture. your singing other high-profile folks coming into the grand jury i think that is largely crossing t's and dotting eyes from information they have gathered from other folks, right? i think it is also a signal that this thing is coming to a conclusion. >> do you think so? the idea of kushner and beyond. do you think it is interesting, the idea that you would not have privy to a conversation about something as foundational as whether he won an election

-- i am not criticizing you, of course, just the notion that of all the time has come up that he is fought against that notion, it is never been discussed? >> no, look, not to my knowledge, in terms of the orbit that i run in. but i can tell you this. he has been out there, constantly saying that he won the election. it is clear that he did not win the election. and what he said privately is going to be very, very important if you did in fact say, yes, i lost that election. that is going to be a key fact for the grand jury in terms of decisions that they have to make , and decisions that prosecutors have to make going forward. >> sophia, i see you nodding your head. let me turn right you on this issue. i wonder, the fact that he is denying, or he may have believed he says -- i see the face already turning. you do not believe that? i take it. i see it. i receive it. but, legally speaking, what would be the consequence of him

really believing that he won the election? >> look, you know this is a former prosecutor and i know this as an attorney. goes to the state of mind, right? that is what he is trying to probe. did he really believe this? did he lose his mind? because honestly, he would have had to not be in his right mind to believe that he won an election that he clearly lost, right? aides were telling him that he lost the election. you have texts from fox personalities and others going back and forth on january 6 about, he needs to shut this down. you open with cassidy hutchinson in her testimony, which i think was devastating, right? and mark meadows and how they felt about the president's state of mind before january 6. and otherwise, chris christie has talked about it, right? many times, on the campaign trail. i think there is no way that he believes that he won that election. i think he decided he was going to take the election and overturn it. and if you really go back and

look at trump office rhetoric, starting as early as before the conventions of 2020, he was leading up to that. well, i do not pledge to accept the results, i have to see. there was wishy-washy nest. wishy-washy nest. giving a plausible deniability. saying, i just box myself and like every other ordinary person who runs for president who says, yes, if i lose the election, i congratulate the other person and we do a transition and move forward. >> that is the word that i hone in on. plausible deniability. >> there it is. >> because in the law, one has to have some plausible basis to believe that statement, in terms of the intent. it is a very cool difficult thing to prove though. i wonder, jim talked about the fact that kushner and hope hicks have been pressured. does that lead us closer to the beginning of the end? >> laura, he would be derelict in his duties especially as a prosecutor if he did not go into that inner sanctum think taurean with people who would have had conversations with the

president on election night, after the election day, and get to his state of mind. so i think he is closing the loop. i agree with your earlier guess about that. that he is winding this down to bring an indictment, is what i expect. at the end of the day, i do not believe that donald trump thought he won that election. i think all of the evidence is to the contrary. i think donald trump wanted to overturn an election. he felt entitled to the election. and when he did not get his way after losing 60 cases, i believe it was that they brought, in different states around the country, they decided to do january 6 and cause an insurrection and overturn. >> we bring it back in here, jim, because i am curious about the calendar issue here. we are 488 so days away from the election. we know the department of justice without be interfering with an election. they do not want to get to the very 11th hour of things. but we are still significantly seeing time away from it. a couple of months or so away from the debate, of course.

they know in order to prosecute this case, they are going to need shy of a month. unlike the carroll case. that means removing them from the campaign trail. what you make of the fact that trump office of legal counsel is trying to postpone this past the election ? obviously, the speedy trial right belongs to the defendant, but there is limitations here, right? >> yes, there is a couple of things at play. i think first, they are trying to delay it because it is going to take them off the campaign trail, and i am sure the former president want to stay on the campaign trail. two, there is opportunity here if it gets delayed beyond and he ends up winning the election, winning the primary, and then winning the election, that creates an opportunity. he has already said in the past that he has the power to pardon himself. i'm sure that that is probably in the back of his mind if he is in fact convicted. lastly, if it happens after the fact, in his mind, if he ends up being president, he has been

in charge of the justice department once again. so i think they're looking to create opportunities and stretch this thing out. that being said, i think the judge in this case probably feels a little stung by some of her earlier decisions. likely wants to be -- appear impartial on this thing. want to make a decision that is in the best decision of the country on this thing. i think she is going to be hard- pressed to extend out beyond the election. i just do not see it. >> i guess the idea of, i guess, you ask for the world. if you give a mouse a cookie, and then you try to negotiate backwards from that -- i am not calling anyone a mouse. i talk about the election as a cookie. to be clear, i'm a mom, my kids have read these books all the time. but the real question is, you ask for everything come up at there is the political aspect of this. at the same token, when the doj does not want to be interfering with an election, is it one reasonable way to do that? think about look, we will handle it way before the

election? i want to do it quickly. that is not what he wants though but i recall, somewhere in 2016, about october, the justice department went after hillary clinton and announced that there was an investigation weeks before an election. so i'm a little bit remiss to say that the justice department will not be political in the sense of feeling that they have the power to pursue are not pursue something in the way that donald trump is trying to argue in these briefs. that somehow they have to wait afterwards. i think that they believe that they have the goods on him, they will go forward with an indictment. and it's going to happen sooner rather than later, because i do not want to delay. but we are yet. i do not believe he's going to bring an indictment soon. it is a follow on to the first one. and others to pick up. >> this is a twice indicted president. at the state and federal level. james schultz, thank you. sophia, stick around. everyone coming up next, who left cocaine at the white

house? that is actually question i am asking tonight. secret service says it has no clue. end of story. but is it? and should it be the end? really? plus, lisa marie presley's cause of death revealed tonight. and it involves a surgery she once had. and, a conversation about one song, two artists, three decades apart. and what it says about american culture. >> ♪ forester, outback, crosstrek, ascent, impreza, and legacy. it's easy to love a brand you can trust. it's easy to love a subaru. do you struggle with occasional nerve aches in your hands or feet? try nervive nerve relief

from the world's number one nerve care company. nervive contains ala to relieve nerve aches d b-complex vitamins to fortify healthy nerves. try nervive. and, try nervive pain relieving roll-on. ahhh! icy hot pro starts working instantly. with two max-strength pain relievers, so you can rise from pain like a pro. icy hot pro. my frequent heartburn had me taking antacid after antacid all day long but with prilosec otc just one pill a day blocks heartburn for a full 24 hours. for one and done heartburn relief, prilosec otc. one pill a day, 24 hours, zero heartburn. having diabetes can raise a lot of questions. like my morning ride, will it help lower my glucose? with the freestyle libre 2 system, you can know where your glucose level is and where it's headed without fingersticks. know what activities work for you. manage your diabetes with more confidence and lower your a1c.

ask your doctor about the freestyle libre 2 system. it's covered by medicare for those who qualify. visit freestylelibre.us/medicare to learn more. ♪ remember the things you loved... ...before asthma got in the way? fasenra is an add-on treatment for asthma driven by eosinophils. it's designed to target and remove them and helps prevent asthma attacks. fasenra is not for sudden breathing problems or other eosinophilic conditions. allergic reactions may occur. don't stop your asthma treatments without talking with your doctor. tell your doctor if your asthma worsens. headache and sore throat may occur. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. get back to better breathing. ask your doctor about fasenra.

if you struggle. and struggle. and struggle with cpap. you should check out inspire. no mask. no hose. just sleep. learn more and view important safety information at inspiresleep.com

the whodunit mystery at the white house will apparently remain unsolved. tonight, the secret service says that it has no idea who brought cocaine into the people's house. and that it is ending the investigation. so, poof, overcome a case is closed. no fingerprints, no dna, no leads, no video, and no suspects. which is pretty wild concerning it is the white house, after all. this all happened at the lower level entrance of the west wing. now, there are coveys there for visitors to drop off, say, their phones or bags. people come in there for tours that are led by white house staffers. there is also apparently a blind spot for video cameras that are actually near those copies, which are not far from the situation room. on the floor just above is everything from the oval office

to the roosevelt and cabinet rooms. let's take a look at this from an investigative lens, shall we? here are the big questions. what if the object had been a dangerous object? what if it was a piece of spy equipment? and how are their blind spots in white house surveillance? how could the fbi and all of its technology not be able to figure this out? how are visitors being vetted? is the building that houses the president of the united states truly secure? let's bring in larry pfeiffer, former senior director of the white house situation room and directed director of the hayden center at george university. and sophia nelson is also back with us now. i hate to belabor the point, larry, but just the notion that they do not know who brought in some thing like this, if it had been something else is cause for concern for many people. for a second, walk us through these companies that they are

talking about, where this is located, how they even came to be in the white house? >> there have always been cubbies, lockers to put phones and electronic devices in, before you go to a secure portion of the white house, like the situation room and some of the offices of the national security council. but at some point during the trump administration, these cubbies had been inside the doorways of the situation room. sometime during the trumpet ministration, they decided to put more of these cubbies on the outside of the situation room to try to encourage people to not bring them in even accidentally. it was reinforced after a barroso was caught using a recording device in the situation room to record, i think, when she was going to be fired. and they have been there for several years and the ideas people should voluntary be putting subsidies lockers to avoid accident having a phone in a secure space.

which can be a dangerous thing, for security. the phone could be surreptitiously hijacked by foreign intelligence service to pick up conversations in a room, for example. >> in the situation room, for example, is it satisfactory to have the answer, we do not know? >> well, it is kind of trite to say that we are talking about cocaine here. we are not talking about an electronic device. we are not talking anthrax, or some radiological device -- >> that is the point, right? we could be. >> i think the secret service has the capabilities and the focus to catch those kinds of substances. they have dogs that are trained to pick up the scent. there are other centers in place a pick up that material. they are probably not focus on catching cocaine or marijuana, or things are not going to be directly harming the president or any of the other protect these in the white house. >> so you're saying there still patrolling.

i did or something hanging in the white house, just unnoticed for stretches of time is not going to be the standard? >> correct. >> take us back from how this is devolving into the cocaine bear movie at some point in time. sophia, this is a talking point that will be secured in the white house. the white house being accused in other demonstrations as well as a sieve, a lot of leaks. the security. who has been at the white house since this may have been there? the site of diplomatic relations and meetings. will this haunt the administration? >> let's talk about the politics. over the last few weeks, this has become a story. there have been insinuations that perhaps it was found close to where the vice president parked, insinuating that maybe it was the vice president. of course, you know, person suspect number one is the president's son, hunter biden. in the right-wing echo chamber,

this is a big issue. it is a security breach, but really, it is a cover-up, right? and you have a lot of americans that believe that. i think the president of the united states, when he gets back from his business internationally, needs to direct the secret service to figure this out and reopen this. not only is it good domestic and national security, but it is also important, i think, for credibility that he says it is unacceptable that with all the technology that we have that this gentleman just explained so well, and is the one who covered the white house from 2010 to 2012 and been there many times, they have a lot of security in there. and there is a lot of things you cannot do. i find it incredulous that the member of the public or someone else just brought in illicit cocaine and left it somewhere. that is actually ridiculous. there has to be somebody who did this, whether that person worked there, is in the secret service, might have a great deal of respect, i do not know. it is unacceptable and not politically tenable for biden not to say they have to get an answer to this.

>> is there's a moment in history that has a parallel here? where president or a new ministration has to talk about a potential security risk of this kind? >> well, there have a security incident at the white house before. there have been circumstances, for example, when unclassified indications or unclassified emails were known to be targeted by foreign intelligence services. so they have had to tighten up the security around munication. we had the incident back in 2001 where actual anthrax was mailed to the white house. sadly, it killed some postal workers at a remote facility where the mail is first taken and gone through. but there have been instances. these are human beings. the secret service people, god bless them, they are working hard. they are underfunded and overworked. their primary mission is to protect the president and the

other people in that white house. i know they have done the best they can, but they are human, so they're going to make mistakes. and they're probably beating themselves up more than just about anybody else's right now. i guarantee you, somebody is purchasing cameras to put them there so that blind spot is no longer there because, again, cocaine itself is not going to threaten the president of the united states, but it is quite an embarrassment to have cocaine, and illicit substance, found meters away from the situation room and just downstairs in the oval office. >> and the fact it was in a blind spot tells me a lot. and i am no secret service agent. but somebody probably knew that was a blind spot. because if you're bringing cocaine into the white house, that was an intentional thing, whoever had it and spent their money on it, lost it or got rid of it. i do not know. >> there are a lot of questions, they are closing the investigation right now, but certainly one thing is true. if you're the president of the united states, coming back from the nato summit, and you've got the national defense agreements and budgets ahead of you, the last thing you want to be addressing back on american soil is a bag like this. nonetheless, here we are, everyone, larry, sophia, thank you so much.

everyone, next, lisa marie presley's cause of death has now been revealed. and involves complications from weight-loss surgery. dr. sanjay gupta joins me. plus, hollywood is crippled tonight. after his actors have joined the writers on strike. and this is shaping up to be a big, big fight. >> there is a level of expectation that they have that is just not realistic.

trelegy for copd. ♪ birds flyin' high, you know how i feel. ♪ ♪ breeze driftin' on... ♪ [coughing] ♪ ...by, you know how i feel. ♪ if you're tired of staring down your copd,... ♪ it's a new dawn, ♪ ♪ it's a new day... ♪ ...stop settling. ♪ ...and i'm feelin' good. ♪ start a new day with trelegy. no once-daily copd medicine has the power to treat copd in as many ways as trelegy. with three medicines in one inhaler, trelegy makes breathing easier for a full 24 hours, improves lung function, and helps prevent future flare-ups. trelegy won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. do not take trelegy more than prescribed. trelegy may increase your risk of thrush, pneumonia, and osteoporosis. call your doctor if worsened breathing, chest pain, mouth or tongue swelling, problems urinating, vision changes, or eye pain occur. take a stand, and start a new day with trelegy.

ask your doctor about once-daily trelegy, and save at trelegy.com sometimes jonah wrestles with falling asleep... ...so he takes zzzquil. the world's #1 sleep aid brand for a better night sleep. so now, he wakes up feeling like himself. the reigning family room middle-weight champion. better days start with zzzquil nights.

♪ ♪ ♪ new double chicken chopped salads. ♪ ♪

♪ new double chicken chopped salads. tonight, we now know the official cause of death of lisa marie presley. elvis presley's daughter, who died back in january at the young age of just 54. the l.a. medical examiner says that she died from a small bowel obstruction, which was caused by complications from weight- loss surgery that she had years ago. joining us to talk about more of this is cnn's chief medical correspondent, dr. sanjay gupta. i'm so glad you are here. it is so sad to think about this happening to anyone, but obstruction of the small

intestine might sound very surprising to people. in fact, deputy medical examiner in this case that it was likely related to surgery that she had years ago. what do you know about this sort of condition and potential side effect? >> there are certain parts of this, what happened to lisa marie presley , that sound pretty common. we know the sort of thing can happen after a previous operation. and some things that are more unusual -- let me sort of talk you through it. what we know is that she had an operation years ago. after you have an operation on your abdomen, you can develop scar tissue. these are called adhesions. inside the abdomen. and over time, they can develop and actually cause pressure and blockages. sort of locking off part of the small intestine. someone might have pain intermittently. those blockages may come and go. and it felt like maybe she had pain off and on. certainly, the more that she died, she had significant and of pain that she was taken to

the hospital. she was unresponsive, and subsequently, had died. now, we are getting the official cause of death, which they say was due to this regulation of the small bowel. dig about the scar tissue, sort of pushing on the small bowel, and that part of the small bowel not really getting adequate blood flow. and becoming completely blocked. that is what they are saying ultimately led to her dying. the first part of that, developing the scar tissue, developing adhesions after the operation. again, that is something that happens, laura. and sometimes, people have to have repeat operations to lift up that scar tissue. dying of this is a bit more unusual. it could be that the small bowel actually opens up, that strangling apart opens up, and someone develops a severe infection, sepsis. that could be the problem. sometimes, just the necrosis, the dead tissue of that small

bowel, that can lead to someone dying. but again, you know, i want to be clear, that is unusual. if someone goes to the hospital, oftentimes, they can have this treated. it sounds like by the time she got to the hospital, it was so far along that they simply could not do anything for her. >> sanjay, one more question. the report also listed therapeutic and not dangerous levels of oxycodone. can medications like this play a role in what happened? >> i think there are two parts the question here. one is this idea, could you take so many of these medications that someone could have an overdose? that they stop breathing and that leads to their death? and is helping but the medical examiner is saying is that that did not happen in this case. on the other hand, though, medications, like opiates, if you have a small bowel problem, they slow down the motility and the movement of the small bowel. even more so. so was it the cause of death? no, that is what the medical

examiner is saying. could it make things worse in a situation like this? perhaps. she is having pain, she takes opiates. that is the wrong thing to take when you have a small bowel obstruction because it can actually make that problem worse. >> dr. sanjay gupta, thank you so much for your expertise. it is just so sad to think about this happening. she leaves behind her children and relatives. it is really stunning to think about how this all has happened. thank you for your expertise. >> you've got it. thank you, laura. >> well, it is the summer of strikes. actors will now join writers on the picket line. i will speak with an actress on just what they are demanding. plus, he first made ways by suggesting that white nationalists are not racist. now, the highest levels of the military say that senator tommy turberville is putting national security at risk. we will talk with wolf blitzer who joins me next.

[music playing] subject 1: cancer is a long journey. it's overwhelming, but you just have to put your mind to it and fight. with other children. subject 3: as a parent, it is your job to protect your family. but here is something that i cannot do. i cannot fix this. i don't know if my daughter is going to be able to walk. i don't know if she's going to make it till tomorrow. [music playing] interviewer: you can join the battle to save lives by supporting st. jude children's research hospital. families never receive a bill from st. jude for treatment, travel, housing, or food so they can focus on helping their child live. subject 4: childhood cancer, there's no escaping it. but st. jude is doing the work, continually researching towards cures, giving more than just my child a chance at life.

interviewer: please, call or go online right now and become a st. jude partner in hope for only $19 a month. subject 5: those donations really matter because we're not going to give up. and when you see other people not giving up on your child, it makes all the difference in the world. interviewer: when you call or go online with your credit or debit card right now, we'll send you this st. jude t-shirt. you can wear to show your support to help st. jude save the lives of these children. subject 6: st. jude is hope. even today after losing a child, it's still about the hope of tomorrow, because. childhood cancer has to end. interviewer: please, call or go online right now. [music playing]

do you struggle with occasional nerve aches in your hands or feet? try nervive nerve relief from the world's number one nerve care company. nervive contains ala to relieve nerve aches, and b-complex vitamins to fortify healthy nerves. try nervive. and, try nervive pain relieving roll-on. the first time you connected your godaddy website and your store was also the first time you realized... well, we can do anything. cheesecake cookies? the chookie! manage all your sales from one place with a partner that always puts you first. (we did it) start today at godaddy.com ♪♪ alex! mateo, hey how's business? great. you know that loan has really worked wonders. that's what u.s. bank is for. and you're growing in california? -yup, socal, norcal... -monterey?

-all day. -a branch in ventura? that's for sure-ah. atms in fresno? fres-yes. encinitas? yes, indeed-us. anaheim? big time. more guacamole? i'm on a roll-ay. how about you? i'm just visiting. u.s. bank. ranked #1 in customer satisfaction with retail banking in california by j.d. power.

it is the summer of strikes, everyone. actors are now joining the writers on the picket lines as both unions demand more of the streaming pie. this marks the first time since 1960 that both actors and writers have been on strike together, and the first time since 1980 that the actors stopped work. just think about that. 43 years ago, caddy shack and cheech and chong ruled the box office. and some of the stars born that year were chris pine and kristen bell, and of course, yours truly, that same year. screen actors guild president, fran drescher, fleming the studios. >> i cannot believe it. quite frankly. how far apart we are on so many things. how they plead that they are losing money left and right,

when they are giving hundreds of millions of dollars to their ceos. it is disgusting. shame on them. they stand on the wrong side of history. >> however, disney ceo, bob iger, is pushing back on the strike, saying the union's expectations for he says, are just not realistic. >> there is a level of expectation that they have that is just not realistic. and they are adding to a set of challenges that this business is already facing that is, quite frankly, very disruptive. >> for more on this, i want to bring in actress and s.a.g. national bold board member, yvette nicole brown. you can catch her on, actor age, and she is rightly being honored this sunday with the pioneer of insulin award at the 2023 film festival. i am so happy to see you, i am such a fan of your work for so long and i've got to tell you,

when we think about what is happening right now. what s.a.g. actors demand. they include pay, benefits, and streaming residuals, and protections on a.i. why do you think studios are not meeting your demands? >> first of all, the love is mutual. i want to say that. it is funny to me, i want to go back to what was said before i came on. the idea of unrealistic expectations. those of us in this industry, whether it be writers or actors, we started this by dreaming. and having unrealistic expectations, right? so you are talking to the dreamers. we are continuing to dream that we can have a life in this industry and pay our bills at the same time. call us crazy. we would love to be able to do that. i don't know why they won't just allow us to make a living wage. i want to say over and over, i have been saying over and over, it is not about the movie stars and huge stars that you see. it is for the rank and file

actors and the rank-and-file writers who are just starting out and want to be able to build a career that will last for generations. you cannot get there when you're only working on six episodes and you have eight months to wait until you get your next shot. you cannot get there we have to pay for and be able to audition for a job. you cannot get there when they take away your residuals and you cannot live off of them. these are just basic things. you know what i mean? this is not hard but he when you say all of those things, it occurs to 70 people, that we see the final product. we are watching it, consuming it, enamored with it. but what goes into making it? when you see the list of credits that go at the end of any production, you see all of the blood, threat, sweat and tears of names who might not be on the marquee. but in the short term, what are the implications of the strikes for actors and writers? because, for the very reasons you just talked about, it is going to impact the rank and file especially. >> i mean, it is not just the writers and the actors. there are a lot of people to make the show work.

the crew, the people to bring your food every day, the people cleaning the studios. all of these people are out of work. makeup and hair people are out of work. this is everybody's problem right now and i am offended that they are acting as if the writers and the actors are fighting for is getting a fair wage and we are the bad guys. as president fran drescher said, we are on the right side of history. we are trying to fight this fight now so there is an industry left. we are working on contract that are outdated. this is the thing about the producers. they never move forward with a new thing until they know it is lucrative. so what they're saying about a.i., you know the a.i. is going to make a lot of money, and that is why you want to make sure that you control it. we have been chasing contracts. streaming is not lucrative. then you find out three or four years later by the time you're under contract that they are making millions and buying yacht. so we are trying to stop that process and not have to chase it. that is what this is about. so we can have an industry later. >> the leverage at issue, what you think about that, the powers that be that people

often think about. compared to those who are the most creative and yet relatively powerless. this is really a moment in time, it has been decades, literally, since it has happened. do you have any sense of how long you think this will last? is it that far away from any resolution? >> when you hear the producers talk about it, they're going to keep going until nobody has a home to live in. isn't that nice? that is how long they want to go. i am hoping that by doing interviews like this and more of us talking that the people who love entertainment will understand that we work hard and we deserve to make a living in the same way everyone deserves to make a living. this is like the summer of union labor people saying, enough. and we are part of that. we are working a vocation. everyone else is working a vocation. take the same and whatever you think it is, and we are just people working a job. and we would like to have healthcare, and we like to make sure that we can take care of our kids are in school. these are not hard things to

imagine. imagine if it were you. >> to your point, should these be dreams? you know? james schultz, thank you so much. i'm glad to see you and thank you for helping us to understand even more . >> thank you for having me. >> republican senator tommy tuberville, now ticking off both the president and the nation's top military leaders. wolf blitzer joined me next . also, the chart topping cover that is sparking quite a conversation. you hear it right now? tracy chapman "fast car". or is it luke combs ' now? that's next. >> ♪

here's how tommy lost 30 lbs on noom weight. i'm tom. noom helped him use psychology to lose weight. the mindful aspect made me feel more conscious about what i was eating and why i was eating it. it's actually working. lose weight and make it last with noom weight. how white do you think your teeth really are? let's try the tissue test. ooof, still yellow. whitening toothpaste can only do so much. there's toothpaste white, and there's crest 3d whitestrips white. so much whiter! crest. remember the things you loved... ...before asthma got in the way? fasenra is an add-on treatment for asthma driven by eosinophils.

it's designed to target and remove them and helps prevent asthma attacks. fasenra is not for sudden breathing problems or other eosinophilic conditions. allergic reactions may occur. don't stop your asthma treatments without talking with your doctor. tell your doctor if your asthma worsens. headache and sore throat may occur. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. get back to better breathing. ask your doctor about fasenra. sometimes jonah wrestles with falling asleep... ...so he takes zzzquil. the world's #1 sleep aid brand for a better night sleep. ( sfx: ding, ding, ding.) so now, he wakes up feeling like himself. ( sfx: crowd cheering ) the reigning family room middle-weight champion. ( ♪ ) get the rest to be your best with zzzquil. it's non-habit forming and powered by the makers of nyquil. better days start with zzzquil nights. and try zzzquil purezzzs melatonin gummies.

we all need fiber for our digestive health, but less than 10% of us get enough each day. good thing metamucil gummies are an easy way to get prebiotic, plant-based fiber. with the same amount of fiber as 2 cups of broccoli. metamucil gummies the easy way to get your daily fiber. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ wherever you go. wherever you stay. all you need is one key. earn and use rewards across expedia, hotels.com, and vrbo.

(swords clashing) -had enough? -no... arthritis. here. aspercreme arthritis. full prescription-strength? reduces inflammation? thank the gods. don't thank them too soon. kick pain in the aspercreme.

yvette nicole brown, thank you so much. i'm glad to see you and thank you for helping us to understand even more the senator tommy tuberville backlash at the highest levels of the military. defense secretary, lloyd austin, telling cnn's wolf blitzer that the republican senator hold on national security issue and is impacting military readiness. trinity takes issue with a pentagon policy that offers time off for service members and dependent seeking abortions. both joins in a moment. first, listen to president biden's take. is the idea we do not have a chairman and the joint chief of staff, the identity of all these promotions that are in advance for now, we do not know what could happen. the idea that we are injecting into fundamental foreign policy decisions, when in fact, as domestic social debate on social issues, is bizarre. i do not ever recall that

happening, ever. it is totally irresponsible in my view. >> i want to bring in wolf blitzer, jointly from lithuania where he has been covering this week's all-important nato summit. he also had an exclusive one-on- one interview with secretary austin. i'm so glad to see you, and is it to be that you have the secretary is so impactful it illuminating. what else did secretary austin say about senator tommy tuberville ? >> he is very unhappy with whatis trying to do. blocking these promotions of generals to star generals -- two sergeant is becoming three- star and four-star generals. he said it is undermining u.s. national security him and it is hard for him to believe that a u.s. senator is actually doing this, potentially send sending the wrong signals to u.s. adversaries around the world, whether russia or china or others. and he is not very happy about what senator tuberville is doing.

earlier today, we sat down for this exclusive interview , and we had this exchange on what senator tuberville is doing. listen to this . >> this is a national security issue. you know? we just talked about that on a couple of minutes ago, when a complex environment this is. around the world, quite frankly. we see the tough things that we are dealing with here in europe as we continue to provide support to ukraine and its efforts to defend its sovereign territory we are working hard to make sure we keep the right balance in the indo pacific. and strengthen our alliances. we need leaders to be able to do that. this is a national security issue. it is a readiness issue. we should not kid ourselves. i think any member of the armed services committee knows that.

>> senator tuberville said he is only spoken to about this once, back in february. when i have a conversation with him and get this resolved? >> i will, wolf. i will certainly continue to engage him. >> but you are not doing it right now. the last conversation was in february. >> it was in march. end of march. but yes, i will engage. >> you will talk to him? and your message to him will be? >> he needs to lift the holds. this is a national security issue. a readiness issue. >> a very significant national security issue, and i say that as a former pentagon correspondent myself. i do not remember a time when these promotions had been held back as a result of some policy difference between a member of the senate and the department of defense. it is a significant development. i will say this, laura, we ran that excerpt of the interview earlier today. i would like to think as a result of play that excerpt here on cnn that the two men,

senator tuberville and secretary austin, did have a phone conversation and began a dialogue on what to do and maybe they could resolve this. but i like to think that that exchange that i had with secretary austin played a role in convincing senator tuberville to go ahead you can't imagine what it would be like if they held up the -- for the u.s. marine corps, it would have very, very significant developments. let's see what happens, although they can work this out. >> wolf blitzer joined me earlier, thank you so much. up next a country start covers tracey chapman's 80s hit. it's box conversation about music and diversity. we are going to go there, next.

[♪] how you feel can be affected by the bacteria in your gut and how well you digest the food you eat. try new align probiotic bloating reef plus food digestion. just one capsule a day worknaturally with your gut to help relieve occasional oating and discomfort. it also contains vitamin b12 to help break down fats and proteins to aid digestion. help maintain a balanced gut so you can start feeling better with new align probiotic bloating relief plus food digestion. brand power, helping you buy better. scout is protected by simparica trio, and he's in it to win it. simparica trio is the first and only chew with triple protection. oh, fleas and ticks ♪ intestinal worms... wow heartworm disease,

no problem with simarica trio. this drug class has been associated with neurologic adverse reactions including seizures. use with caution in dogs with a history of these disorders. for winning protection. go with simparica trio.

one song, two artists, three decades, and a conversation about culture and diversity in the world of music. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> singer treaty chapman's popular single from 1988, fast car, is back in the spotlight after country star luke combs covered the song this year. 's version is currently number one on the billboard country charts.

and number two overall. for perspective, chapman's version went as high as number six. for more i want to bring in holly g, the founder and co-director of black aubrey, an organization for black country music singers and fans. holly g, i am so glad that you are here thank you for joining me this evening. from your perspective, why do you think that combs as version as it seen maybe more immediate success on the chart then tracey chapman's version? >> well, tracey chapman has never been acknowledged by the country music industry and the only reason her work is being celebrated now within the industry is because luke combs, it was a great artist, but he put a white face to the music and so he stripped the barriers that tracy would've faced in the industry and made it easier for it to be a hit because it's a really great song. >> it's an incredible song. the lyrics, the intonation of her voice, everything about it. but people, do they necessarily associate tracey chapman with

country music the way they do with luke combs, or is that just the way that we have, as a society, pigeonholed artists, particularly black artists, just just that if you are black artist you must be this and not xyz? >> i think you hit the nail on the head. a lot of fans of music, myself included, don't realize the genre, so much of marketing efforts. so one to see bill c a black woman with a guitar, it gets quoted as something else even though if you listen to the original version of fast car, luke did not change very much. and so he for him to be able to sing such a close to the original version and have a hit with it lets you know that there is absolutely prejudice and discrimination as far as what has been allowed in the genre. >> not to take anything away from his rendition, because it is a beautiful rendition, he has credited her and in terms of learning how to play the guitar with that song, as fond memories of his file -- childhood learning this music and certainly has i had a string of successful hits

adding this one to it. but it does also mean that fast car, because of combs's success, is going to make tracy chapman the first black woman to score a number one country song as a solo writer. what is your reaction to this? >> well, first of all, i want to make it clear that i am not angry, upset, or frustrated with luke combs. i think it is great that he did this and i am glad that it has the success that it has because now we get to have this conversation. as i said, i am a huge fan of his, so i hope he recognizes the opportunity that he has to really do something important and impactful with the success that he is created from kherson. this would be a perfect catalyst to sit down with that community and have a conversation, take a black woman on tour with him, or a queer artist, or whatever he can do to help level the playing field. on a sleeve that is why i came on this platform, because i want this message to get to

him. this is a huge opportunity for him to do the right thing. >> when we think about music and genre and just how confining, we, at times, are we are a world of remakes. whether it is a movie, a song, whose rendition was better -- but to do so? >> it is out there. >> so even neon is coming back, we could talk about that for other reasons. but thinking about with the way that some would say, this is not an opportunity, critics who will say that this is just music. there need don't be a moment to politicize or sociological eyes this and think about it as a call for diverse voices. isn't music the great unifier and common denominator. what do you say to those who would look at this and say this has nothing to do with her race or his, this is all about i like the song, i want it to remake it? >> we'll, if that were true,

then it would not have -- the billboard charts started back in 1929 and we are now in 2023 and it's the first time a black woman has ever topped the charts as a songwriter. if it was not about race, how did we get this far without black women seeing success and the genre? if there is some other explanation i'm happy to find it and we can figure out whatever to vote is and fix it and move forward, because the only thing is i wanted to get better. i think a lot of people are saying we want to call out or top down, but criticizing country music because i love it and i want to feel safe in it, and i want people like tracy chapman to have her own success without somebody else having to bring her to the top. >> it harkens back to james baldwin's famous quote, i love this country more than any other for that reason i reserve the right to perpetually criticize it. holly g, thank you so much, i appreciate it. cnn tonight starts right now with john berman. hey john, i have a new