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good morning, everyone. it's d.c. it's friday. we made it to friday. poppy's off this week. pamela brown is here with me once again. let's get started. five things to know for this friday, july 14, 2023. new overnight, culture war fights take center stage in a house vote for normally a bipartisan policy bill. late into the night after republican hardliners attacked several controversial amendments, including some that would end diversiity rules at te pentagon. sources telling cnn, hicks and kushner were questioned before a grand jury. actors joining writers on the picket line today. it's the first joint strike since 1960. tens of millions of americans under heat alerts from coast to coast. some areas could see records this weekend. some areas reaching 120 degrees

in some spots. and the world health organization warning that the widely used artificial sweetsweetener aspertane could cause cancer. cnn starts right now. ♪ good morning, everyone. i kind of froze when we started the show. i was, like, oh, it's friday. >> i know, right? i can't believe i made it this week on the show. i haven't woken up this early in many years. >> there's a ton of news, and the best part about this morning is once again there is a ton of news including last night late into the night on capitol hill. house republicans scrambling to try to get the votes together on a bill that serves as the cornerstone of defense policy. it's been a pillar of bipartisan agreement. now it's firmly at the center of america's culture wars. the authorization bill has

become the battleground after republicans passed a series of things last night that would eliminate conclusion programs. it includes restricting abortion access in the military, and hormone treatments for transgender troops. a controversial move led to a long night on the debate floor. >> i don't send my boys to school to receive indocketrinatn from the woke mob. the same can be said for our service members who are also parents sending their children to schools. >> you are completely eliminating any consideration of this nation's history in how we're going to recruit and retain members of the military. these amendments are terrible ideas for the national security of this country. >> we have spent more time ensuring that we can protect the homeland and less time on pronoun training and the rest of this nonsense.

>> what are you so afraid of? why do you keep bringing these divisive issues to the body of this floor? you are out of order. you are exhausting this. >> a woke military is a weak military. >> this morning, house lawmakers are set to return just a few hours from now to consider more amendments as those gop leaders continue to try to get the bill across the finish line. i want to start with congressional correspondent lauren fox, and lauren, look. i feel like we've spent the last six years texting and emailing back and forth in moments like this trying to break down the policy of the amendments themselves. there's 1,500 of them. i have no doubt you've probably read all of them and understand them, but i don't think it's about the individual amendments here. tell people based on your reporting and what you have seen, kind of the bigger picture of what this bill is, and what last night represents. >> this is a bill that has passed for more than 60 years with bipartisan support because at its core, it is about making sure the military, men and women in service, have everything they need to be successful on the battlefield to defend this

country, and for a long time, republicans and democrats put aside their partisan bickering on these topics because they knew that this was essential, and you never wanted to take a vote against the military, right? you sort of just nodded and kept your head down, did the work, and made sure that all these controversial amendments and issues didn't become part of the debate because everybody understood at the end of the day, they were standing up for something bigger than politics. that has all changed this week, and we should note that this bill passed out of committee with bipartisan support. this was a bipartisan bill, and over the course of the last week, over the course of the last 24 hours, that has changed because mccarthy had a calculation to make. he needed his right flank on his side for a reason. >> his calculation made throughout the period of his speakership at this point, what strikes me about this, the policy issues the issue themselves are not new. they enter a stage for a segment

of the party right now, more so with the house republicans since they have been in the majority, but when you connect this to what tommy tuberville is doing on abortion, holding up promotions for regular flag officers on account of an executive branch pentagon policy decision, i guess my question is, defense policy was always kind of third rail. you don't mess around with defense and bring this type of stuff and create these types of issues on defense policy. why is it changing? >> i think it's changing for a couple of reasons. there's a very small number of house republicans pushing to have these fights. we're talking 20 republicans probably at this point. it is not the majority of the republican conference, and if you talk to people privately, they will tell you, this is not the kind of thing that they want to be taking votes on on the house floor and this is certainly not the kind of issue that they want to alienate their democratic colleagues on, and i think what's changing is the fact that you have a group of people who have been told no, no, and then yes multiple times and they've learned that if they

throw a fit, they get their way, and we're going to see this play out over the entire course of the spending fight that is coming up this fall. >> such a good point. stay with us. we've got a lot more to talk about here. >> it really is just a preview. let's bring in laura coates and cnn anchor audi cornish. what do you make of these amen amendments? >> it's stunning to think about the idea of our military being used as a political pawn and knowing the preparedness that's required to have this sentiment, the morale that must be impacted knowing that when you hear from secretary lloyd austin and the ranks of the military suggest that diversity actually helps to prepare the military. it actually is beneficial. the notion that culture wars would infuse this conversation is really telling, but also it's a notion of telling how powerful this is across the country. it wouldn't be without a buy-in for the reason you're talking

about, the third rail. this would not have been politically palatable many years ago. it has been front and center into the hours of the morning trying to get this done, and it is successful. i wonder what impact it will have on the party more broadly as we're talking about what their platform will be attached to the military. >> let's talk about what the democrats are arguing that particularly with one of the most controversial amendments stripping the d.o.d. policy from reimbursing members of the military who may have to go to a different state because of dobbs. this is going to hurt service members and going to hurt recruitment. fewer women are going to want to join the military. what do you think about that argument. >> i think there's a broader conversation going on in which the military is a proxy, and you hear a lot on the right about the woke military, you know, the assistant secretary for defense readiness is the highest ranking trans official kind of in the pentagon. we know that they have been very

upset in general about diversity initiatives. so i think it's part of this, like, broader push to exert control in an area where they have control which is the power of the purse and spending. they can't complain to businesses about what they're doing when it comes to diversity. they can't stop businesses from maybe in the future carrying over-the-counter prescription birth control, but they can tell the military what to do through its spending. >> that's a good point, and i want to ask you about this because that's a critical point here. they're not doing anything wrong. they're not doing anything out of the realm of what's in their authority. nor is tommy tuberville. this is always power that a senator has had, that members of the house have had. that's the legality of it and there are no issues about it and a more strategic decision to move to this place and the why to some degree. i have a question about that. >> phil, for a second, just because it's legal doesn't make it right.

>> that's my point. >> it makes me think back to the conversations in the '40s about the integration of the military, the racial integration of the military and how that was going to harm readiness according to the people who were opposed. there's always this way that the u.s. government and particularly lawmakers can kind of make hay of any conversation around defense. >> but i think what's interesting about that, and i completely agree with the point that you are making, is that lauren's point is so critical here and i think underappreciated in a sense that this isn't vast majority privately, but publicly, this is a front and center issue on the policy bill that's passed on a bipartisan basis for 60 years because of the power they have within this conference at this point. is that a fair statement? >> matt gaetz got up and said -- he was one of the people, the clips you played, right?

he pushed an amendment to strip ukraine of security assistance. 70 republicans went on the record to vote for that. >> the frustration is -- i'm not in the military or a member of congress, surprise, surprise. however, this idea that there's a personal viewpoint and then a political front that is portrayed to people is something we keep seeing time and time again, and whether it's about an elected official and your alliance to that person or what you believe privately, there's a frustration among the electorate. we talk about the institutions and our government having less credibility, being viewed more skeptically. one of the reasons for that is because i can't believe what you say because i see what you do, right? this notion that there is going to be all this attention, but again, it's the power of the few who were able to be the most vocal, like, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, right? that is an example of this, and if it's not something that everyone buys into, i mean, lauren, the notion that it's

able to pass nonetheless is stunning. >> we should note this is going to be a really tough vote for some democrats. phil, there's probably going to be a handful of democrats that still support this even though they are appalled by some of the amendments that were added. >> it's a paradox because it's a defense bill they don't want to vote against. >> how do you say your constituents -- i was talking to jared connelly about this last night. he said, 25% of my economy is based on the military infrastructure in this country in my district. i'm having a thihard time squar how will i vote for this? it shows you the tension that some democrats are feeling about how to deal with this. >> it includes that 5% pay raises for military members. >> yes. >> some have to be on food stamps. they can't afford rent. this is really critical. >> no question about it. would note we got to go, but the senate will have a say here and likely the final say which is i think a critical piece of this. lauren fox, laura and audie,

stay with us. the film industry is at a grinding halt. actors went on strike hours ago. >> that means tv shows will likely be delayed even me than they were due to the writers' strike. that's in theaters and both on network streaming services. networks will likely run more reality shows and re-runs this fall unless they're able to reach a deal and according to union rule, members will not be able to promote current work. cnn's entertainment lawyer is here. what are the sticking points in negotiations? >> one of the sticking points is artificial intelligence and many, you know, the writers have been on strike for two months, and that has been something that they have taken issue with, and they have been holding out. now the actors are talking about ai, residuals and streaming. a lot of issues on the table. >> reporter: the actors of hollywood are on strike.

>> this is a moment of history that is a moment of truth. >> reporter: disrupting the industry in the midst of its critical summer movie season. the actors of the up and coming movie "oppemheimer" walking out of their premiere thursday. >> it's been a really, really intense few days for a lot of people. not just actors, but everybody in the industry who are going to be affected by this decision, and affected by a decision that is necessary. >> we know it's a critical time at this point in the industry, and the issues that are involved need to be addressed. it's a difficult conversation, and everybody is trying to get a fair deal. we'll support that. >> reporter: and the actors from the highly anticipated "barbie" movie voicing their support amidst their global tour. >> absolutely. i'm very much in support of all the unions and i'm apart of sag, so i would absolutely support that. >> i would support the actors. yeah. >> i love the unions. they've always protected all the artists i know, and i want them

to stand strong and win their fight. >> reporter: the union is fed up over compensation in the streaming era, enough to walk the line. >> we are being victimized by a very greedy entity. i am shocked by the way the people that we have been in business with are treating us. >> reporter: the strike crippling the tv and movie business. already limping during the writers' guild of america strike. sag actor reps around 160,000 entertainment professionals of all kinds. residuals for past work have dried up in the streaming era, and artificial intelligence. actors say ai threatens their future, and the guild claiming that studios want to use ai to replace background actors. >> they propose our background performers should be able to get scanned, get paid for one days'

pay, and the company should own that scan, their image, their likeness and be able to use it for the rest of eternity in any project they want with no consent and no compensation. >> reporter: studios say they've offered the highest percent increase in minimum pay in 35 years, and the actors aren't seeing reality. >> this is the worst time in the world to add to that disruption. >> reporter: disney ceo bob iger notes the decline in revenue from traditional platforms and the industry-wide struggle to make streaming a viable alternative. >> there's 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. >> how they plead poverty, that they're losing money left and right when given hundreds of millions of dollars to their ceos. it is disgusting. >> reporter: in just a few hours, you are going to see writers and actors both

picketing together both in los angeles in front of the big studios and streaming giants and also here in new york. you might also see some famous faces taking to the front lines with them. >> we'll be watching. thank you so much. jared kushner testified before the grand jury investigating trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election. we'll tell you the key thing prosecutors withere honing in o in a separate case, honing in on the push of the classified documents trial. that's all coming up next. ♪ a beach house, a treehouse, ♪ ♪ honestly i don't care ♪ find the perfect vacation rentatal for you bookoking.com, bookining. yeah. just between us, you know what's better than mopping?? anything! ugh. well, i switched to swiffer wetjet, and it's awesome. it's an all-in-one, that absorbs dirt and gre deep inside. and it helps prevent reaks and haze. wetjet is so worth it. love it, or youroney back.

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well, this morning, former president trump's son-in-law jared kushner becoming the latestin his inner circle to testify in the grand jury about his efforts to overturn the election results. it was about whether trump was told he lost the election. hope hicks also testified early last month. cnn's katelyn polantz joins us. this comes after a long list of important testimony, right? mark meadows, mike pence. this is just adding. >> yeah. there's two ways to look at it. it's more names that people recognize. jared kushner, hope hicks. people that are very close to donald trump going in and testifying, just showing how far reaching this probe has gone, and that they're bringing these

people not just in to talk to them, not just to look at their house testimony, but to bring them into the grand jury, but then on top of that, if you look at that, jared kushner, he was a person after the election who had -- he was involved in a lot of different things, right? he was talking to the campaign. he was in the white house, but hope hicks is actually a really interesting person because she wanted nothing to do what was happening by the time january 6th rolled around, and she was also very one-on-one with trump in hearing him say, we won the election. i don't care what else, and her response to him was, i don't see any fraud. no one sees any fraud. this is not what the facts are on the ground, and so her testimony would not necessarily be about all of these various tentacles that the investigation is looking at. >> right. >> her testimony would be about donald trump himself and what the messages were going to him directly. >> i remember she told the january 6th committee that he said to her, look.

people won't care about my legacy if i lose. i have to win. so presumably that was part of this. >> yeah. we'll say we won was one of the things she herd him say right after the election when it was quite clear he hadn't won. >> right. >> we'll bring back audie and laura. i have 150 legal questions for you. >> let's go. rapid fire. rapid fire. rapid fire. >> i want to start with you. don't attack me during the break again. >> i satw it, america. >> nobody believes that because it's not true. the idea that we've seen all these names. we know these investigations and they seem to be mushrooming to some degree as we get some idea of visibility into them. he's the leading candidate of the republican party by 30-plus points. do these things matter political for the former president? i ask you this every time we talk and every time you get really angry at me. >> i don't. i don't. in my mind, i go to another place. it is basically too early. a lot can happen between now and

election day, even for donald trump who to be honest, like, hasn't won recent elections so to speak. he didn't show his influence in the midterms was so outstanding. so it's not clear yet what his power is and where it stands. i have one other quick question because the thing i don't understand is what they will say different from what we heard in january 6th. >> that's a great question, and also the question about why do you need them in the grand jury? their testimony is under oath. jared kushner, hope hicks, they weren't declining to answer questions. if prosecutors are looking at a case right now, they have all of the facts already. this is not a fact-finding mission with jared kushner and hope hicks. >> yeah. i understand it's dante rungs closer to the story. why do they need that? will they hear anything different? >> it comes out of due diligence, right? there's a proprietary interest.

i don't know you asked all the questions i need answered unless i ask them myself, and also, people can change. they can change their tune. they can change their memory. they can change their intention to be truthful and they might have a shift and change of heart. i don't know if i interview you on day one and day 180, you feel differently about the person you were once loyal to, and now on 181, you want to tell me everything. so i have all these different factors going on, but remember, it has to be credible to a jury that you don't believe that you won the election. it just doesn't come down to me being able to come in, do a pseudolobotomy and dissect your brain and say, aha. the jury has to suggest with all the evidence out there, all the contextual clues, you're telling me that the ostrich's head was remaining in a sand in a reasonable way. >> does it matter? is it about whether the person believes it or whether what they know? meaning if this long parade of

people have told you over and over and over again the same thing, you lost, does a jury actually need to think that , well, because you believed you won, nothing else matters? >> ask yourself if you were a juror. we're all jurors in public opinion, but also if you think about it, if i said to you, hey. i am on the stand, a very crass example, i think it's appropriate to give drugs to a toddler. i believe that's the case, and everyone says, are you insane? everybody knows it's not the case, and i tell you, this is what i believe, there's not credibility in that, and you cannot escape this sort of liability you would have. in the end, it's more than just the semantics believe and no. it has to come down to what can i prove from the contextual clues and evidence about what you intended to do if we know what the case is? >> we're focusing on this because this is core to the case, right? they have to prove that he knew he lost, and this is why he was taking these actions.

>> we don't know that yet. we don't know if that's the case. >> this is what i'm going to say. what makes this complicated and why i think that they are so focused on asking these witnesses and focusing on these questions about him acknowledging he lost is because there are also other witnesses who we know have said they've told donald trump, right, that he won the election. that, no. this election was stolen from you. rudy giuliani, john eastman, and the list goes on. >> yeah. >> that also adds another element to this. >> that list you gave, so important. we have a tendency to focus and assume all the investigation is targeting one person. there are a lot of players, and you named just but a few of them who were so spiintimately invol in all of this. we don't know what jack smith's net might be. it might include trump and might not. >> that's true. >> i kind of want to just hang out. >> can we keep going? >> thanks. stick around. diet soda drinkers, you're going to want to watch this next

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aspartame should be put in the possibly carcinogenic to humans category. it is in gum from diet sodas. under the w.h.o. guidelines, someone weighing 184 pounds could safely drink up to 33 cans a day before breaking the safety threshold. sounds like a bad idea. you can count them. so cnn medical correspondent meg terrell is going to join us. should but drinking -- can we have a reality check here? the graphic is helpful. do people need to be changing how muche aspartame they're consuming? >> not based on this. that is from the w.h.o. itself actually, and so aspartame of course, we know, common sweetener used in thousands of different products like diet sodas like the 33 you just saw

on the screen, things like table top sweeteners, breakfast cereal, chewing gum, and even medicines like cough drops and vitamins. this has been a decades' long sort of project that scientists have been looking at, and dr. safety is not the major concern, potential effects have been describe thad need to be investigated by more and better studies, and so they are saying they want to see more studies of whether there is a potential cancer risk here, but they are not changing any of their guidelines based on this, and essentially they're putting it in the third of four categories of potential cancer risk. other things incde things like aloe vera, exposure to dry cleaning, and traditional asian pickled vegetables. so, you know, with the limit, they are actually a second group came out and said, we're not changing the limit of what we think is the safe level to

consume per day, and none of those calculations you did, it amounts to about 33 cans. that's what the industry tells us is the aspartame in those can. >> that's a lot. what has been the reaction to this? is the world health organization recommending regular soda as a potentially healthier choice? >> they definitely aren't. they are not recommending soda really at all. they say there's a third option there, and it's water and that's what they would recommend, but of course, you know, there's been a strong reaction to this particularly from the industry. american beverage, the industry association tells us there's a broad consensus in regulatory community that aspartame is safe and it's a conclusion that's been reached time and time again by food safety agencies around the world. so guys the w.h.o. is not saying drink 33 cans every day. they would rather we drink water, but right now they're not recommending any changes in the daily intake. >> all right. that was actually really helpful. important context.

thanks, meg. the secret service wraps up its investigation into cocaine found at the white house leaving major questions unanswered. what we are now learning about other drugs found in the west wing and at the white house. that's ahead. plus, the fiery exchange on the house floor that led to this response from a democratic con congresswoman. >> i find it offensive and very inappropriate. you founded your kayak company because you love the ocean- not spreadsheets. you need to hire. i need indeed. indeed you do. indeed insnt match instantly delivers quality candidates matching youjob description. visit indeed.com/hire how's thchicken? the prawns are delicious. oh, i have a shellfish allergy. one prawn. very good. did i say chicken wrong? tired of people not listening to what you want? it's truffle season! ah that's okay...

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a heated moment on the house floor during a long debate over a bill that was thrown into disarray by republicans targeting culture war issues. watch what eli crane said. >> my amendment has nothing to do with whether or not colored people or black people or anybody can serve, okay? it has nothing to do with the color of your skin, any of that stuff. >> mr. speaker. >> what we want to preserve and maintain is the fact that our military does not become a social experiment. we want the best of the best. we want to have standards that guide who's in what unit wharks t -- unit, what they do, and i'll tell you right now. the chinese, the iranians, the north koreans, they are not doing this because they want the strongest military possible. i hope my colleagues on the

other side can understand what we're doing. thank you so much. >> mr. speaker. may i be recognized to have the words colored people -- >> for what purpose do you seek recognition? >> i would like to be recognized to have the words colored people stricken from the record. i find it offensive -- >> inappropriate. >> -- and very inappropriate. >> cnn's laura coates and audie cor cornish join us. your reaction? >> this is why school is very important. eli crane has an esteemed military career. he doesn't know about history of military because he would know that inclusivity is very basic stuff. there's this concept that again, wokeness is new, and it must be fought under any circumstances. did i get that year right, truman?

i want to make sure. >> i didn't even get to that point because when you mentioned that -- you said 43. i'm also 43 years old now. i know. the notion that someone would not know it was inappropriate to say the phrase colored people in the year 2023 is not a matter of history. it's a matter of the present. this is a moment when we have to take a step back and really say or maybe a step forward to say, somebody who was asking to represent the people of the united states, a jurisdiction in arizona certainly, but legislation that happens really affects all of us, does not have the wherewithal to know that is an inappropriate term to use. i'm not talking about political correctness for the sake of political correctness. i'm talking about a term that is divisive, a term that is wrought with horror, a term that is one of those concepts that shows no evolution of thought let alone the idea that you are aware of

where we are soc societally. and i'm very glad there was a level of offense immediately taken from members of congress. >> had to strike it from the record. >> both those who were of color and those who were not who took offense because that should not be appropriate. they talk about other countries and what they tend to do in their ranks in the military, the united states of america has far more of a race-based diversity than many of the countries he named, and so the notion that, well, why isn't the chinese military in line with this notion of racial diversity? why isn't iran and other nations -- he really misses the mark, but i have to say before i can even get to a conversation about what eisenhower has done, this is a member of congress. you don't know better? you don't know better now? >> here's where i want to jump in because this is tip of the iceberg stuff in terms of the conversation about what's

happening around the military, and i feel like in conservative districts, there is a very deep concern that issues of diversity, transgender ideology, all of these things have been seized on, and they have become part of an ongoing conversation that says a multicultural society is diminishing our institutions. that is the actual line of thinking. so when someone gets on the floor and says something like that, it's not an accident so to speak. they are reflecting a percolating dialogue that they are bringing into the mainstream to the congressional record. >> yeah. i think this is a good point. people always give me a hard time because i would watch late night floor debates like this constant l constantly because i learned a lot about the lawmakers when they didn't think anybody was watching or they were tired and going back and forth and you learned things you didn't want to see and your elected legislators -- i want to ask you. the igation into cocaine at the white house, a small bag of cocaine.

it has wrapped up. the secret service was unable to fy a suspect or whoever may have brought it in there. lso cannot pinpoint when the substance was actually left. they found no dna, no fingerprints. they had no surveillance footage. how does this happen at the white house? >> that's the huge question here, right? there's a notion of there being some type of a blind spot in relation and close proximity to the situation and that's upsetting to a lot of people. we know there have been safety risks to the white house before. whether it's other substances that are sent to the white house, that have led to even postal workers having been killed in recent years as well, and so this is really one where we have to take stock in the security apparatus that is at the white house to ensure all those who are invited in, it's not taken lightly, but i will say, the secret service has likely done a phenomenal job in trying to investigate a number of issues and they've got a lot on their plate, but i am uncomfortable that this has not been solved.

>> i'll jump in with something very different. drug addiction is something this country is dealing with on a large scale if you look at what they call deaths of despair under the cdc. this is some -- it's not as though there are some places that are immune from the potential for drug abuse. >> right. >> i think everyone thinks it's a little bit of a joke to talk about it when it comes to the white house or indulging conspiracy theories, but the truth is you can see this in many communities, whether it's your actual house or the white house. >> that's a really important point. all right. thank you both. hollywood grinding to a halt. what the actors and writer strikes mean for the industry, and for audiences. they switched to google tools for education because there's never been a reported ransosomware attack on a chromebook.k. now they're focused onon learning knowing that theirir data is secure. ( ♪ )

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♪ fastsigns. make your statement. hollywood grinding to a halt this morning as over 150,000 members of the actors union join writers on the strike. sag, the union that represents tv actors and writers on strike this morning. it's the first time since 1960 that both writers and actors are on strike. joining us now is lisa france, a

senior writer for cnn's digital section. this is the first time they have had had a strike in over 40 years. >> no one can work on anything. you can't work on tv or movies unless it's an independent film that doesn't have any connection to a studio. nobody can work. so we're, you know, right now is the time that if this drags on, you're going to see a lot more reality tv and game shows, things that aren't tied to acting and writing, and that in the same way. >> i do have to note, cnn does have some stuff, and that includes new tv coming out this week. the second episode, explaining the history of black television. here's a look at the new episode. >> the biggest superstars in comedy have been black. >> the chappelle show redefines sketch comedy. >> set up for black comedians r

ahead of its time. >> bernie mack, steve harvey. >> it was a black comic's paradise. >> laughter purifies the air. >> and lisa, why i can't wait to watch this episode is comedy has given a lot of black creators to talk about taboo issues like race in a way they may not be able to talk about it in others ways, to be so honest. why is that important? >> it's important because historically back in the day, we used to have white performers appearing in blackface, and they made blacks feel like caricatures. that's how they were portrayed, and black performers have been able to have the last laugh by talking about race and history and politics, and making it funny. so if racism is the disease, then comedy is the medicine. laughter is the best medicine, they say, and it's been really important for black artists to

be able to -- since they have not taken seriously historically and sometimes even now, to be able to use comedy to have their say. >> all right, lisa. great to see you. thank you so much. >> thank you. >> the next episode of "see it loud:the history of black television" is here on cnn. jared kushner was the latest to testify in the grand jury probe into efforts to overturn the 2020 election. we'll have that ahead. and the houston police officer awarded with the president's medal of valor. incredible work he did to deserve it coming up next. >> at the end of the day, i just know, hey. i did my job that day. mission accomplished. subway's now slicing theieir meats fresh.

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a police sergeant in texas jumping into action, stopping a potential mass shooting at a mall while working a side job as a security guard, a move that may have saved a group of children getting ready to compete in a dance competition inside the building. cnn's rosa flores reports on how he went beyond the call of duty to save lives. >> reporter: kendrick simpo received the medal of valor. >> i think it's one of the hardest jobs in america. >> reporter: the highest award the president can bestow upon a public safety officer. he prevented a mass shooting at the largest shopping mall in texas while working security last year. >> this is what i signed up for. >> reporter: a 14-year veteran of the houston police

department, he says he heard over the radio that a man was inside the mall with a rifle. >> my training kicked in, and, you know, it was literally nothing but the kids from the dance competition inside. >> reporter: he was wearing a t-shirt with "the punisher" logo, a rifle in one hand, and a bible in the other. he didn't draw his weapon. >> i didn't want people to panic and as a cop, we have a split moment to make a decision and you got to go with that. >> reporter: he ran towards the suspect full speed and tackled him. >> my thing was grab the rifle from him. that was my main focus. i could somewhat hear people screaming. i literally just wrestle with him, and i noticed the gun that was pointing twaowards my leg. >> you were out-gunned. >> i'm already at a disadvantage, but he had two guns and i pinned him up against the wall holding the rifle until

hi help game. >> reporter: police recovered the rifle, a handgun, and more than 120 rounds of ammunition. herrera was later found guilty of displaying a firearm in a public place and was sentenced to 180 days in jail court documents show. not a single shot was fired thanks to this sergeant. >> i was able to actually go hands-on with him and i didn't have to fire one shot. >> it's one thing to be recognized outside of your home, but it's also important to be recognized at your home. >> reporter: to honor him in houston, mayor sylvester turner proclaimed may 23rd day as kendrick simpo day. >> he didn't hesitate to intervene. he ended up saving lives of people who he did not know. but that's what heroes do every single day. >> reporter: so the president of the united states thinks you're a hero. leadership in houston thinks you're a hero. do you think you're a hero?

>> at the end of the day, i just know, hey. i did my job that day. mission accomplished. >> reporter: rosa flores, cnn, houston. >> and cnn "this morning" continues right now. did donald trump privately admit that he lost the election? >> jared kushner before the grand jury. hope hicks before the grand jury. they were asked if they ever heard trump knew he lost the election. >> that's by far the hardest thing for a prosecutor to do. >> house republicans add restrictions on abortion access, but must pass a defense bill. >> if we want to show america we can come together, and we care about women, we need to stop being [ bleep ] to women. >> this does not support our troops. it's making women into political pawns so republicans can advance their extremist agda