Trump Rejects Lindsay Clancy Clemency Request
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Center 0%
Right 100%
0 left · 0 center · 2 right
What happened
Lindsay Clancy, a 36-year-old former nurse in Massachusetts, is charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the 2023 deaths of her children Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months; she later attempted suicide and was left paralyzed. Her lawyers argued she was not criminally responsible because of postpartum psychosis. After jurors deadlocked 11-1 following a week of deliberations, Judge William Sullivan declared a mistrial. Defense attorney Kevin Reddington then publicly asked President Donald Trump to pardon Clancy or pressure local prosecutors. Trump declined, saying the case is a “state situation, not a federal” one and that “there’s no winner there” because three children are dead.
Sourcing check · Fully on the record · 4 articles
4 of 4 articles cite a named source for the story. It was on the record from the first report.
What these terms mean and how they're counted
- On the record · names a source 4 of 4
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- Primary evidence · cites a document or data 0 of 4
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- How it developed
- When the first report landed and whether it named anyone; when the first named source and the first document appeared. Here: First report Sep 13, 19:58 UTC by Fox News, naming its source.
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ONE-SIDED THIS WEEK.
Only right-leaning outlets have covered this story in the last two days;
NBC News reported it on 2026-09-05.
Omitted — what each side leaves out
Unpacked
Left-leaning coverage has not reported the story at all. Right-leaning coverage reports that Trump refused a pardon request for Lindsay Clancy, a Massachusetts mother charged with killing her three children, and called the matter a state situation. Fox News and Daily Wire both have him saying there is no winner there. A reader of the silent side would miss that refusal, the mistrial that preceded it, and a defense lawyer asking the president to lean on a state prosecutor.
Right-leaning outlets split on the rest. One leads with jurors favoring a not-criminally-responsible finding by a count of 11 to 1. The other leads with Kevin Reddington telling NBC he wanted Trump to "bring some pressure" on the district attorney.
Has District Attorney Tim Cruz said whether he will retry Clancy?
Bottom line
If you read only left-leaning news, you would not know Trump declined to pardon Lindsay Clancy. Fox News is the outlet that also reported 11 jurors wanted her found insane.
The receipts — 5 facts one side's coverage lacks
- Trump said the Clancy case is a state situation, not a federal one
- Trump previously said Clancy would have to pay the price in a mental institution or jail
- After the children's deaths, Clancy attempted to kill herself and was left paralyzed from the injuries
- The jury consisted of nine women and three men
- Reddington said he does not believe this is a righteous prosecution
The Right View
Fox News, the Washington Examiner, and The Daily Wire reported that Trump rejected Reddington’s pardon plea, stressing that presidential pardons do not cover state charges. They quoted Trump calling the case “very sad,” praising Reddington as a “good attorney,” and saying the defense and prosecution “have to work it out” locally. Coverage noted Reddington had conceded Trump cannot pardon a state crime and instead asked him to lean on District Attorney Tim Cruz; Trump did not agree to that. Outlets also reported the 11-1 split favoring an insanity acquittal, Clancy’s suicide attempt, and Trump’s earlier remark that she would still “pay the price” in a mental institution or jail.
Our Take (balanced)
The story is substantive: named actors, specific charges, a recorded mistrial, and on-the-record statements from Trump and Reddington. Established facts are the 2023 killings and first-degree murder charges, the mistrial after an 11-1 deadlock, Reddington’s public request, and Trump’s refusal on the ground that this is a state case. Still alleged or unresolved are whether Clancy had postpartum psychosis and was not criminally responsible, and whether Massachusetts will retry her. No left-leaning outlet has reported this. Watch for a retrial decision, any response from DA Cruz, and court filings on the next proceeding.
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