Trump to pardon Lindsay Clancy? POTUS reacts to lawyer Kevin Reddington's plea, ‘I hope they can…’

Former President Donald Trump addressed the public on Sunday, September 13, following an explicit request from Lindsay Clancy's legal representative, who had made a public appeal for Trump's intervention in her case, including a request for a presidential pardon that falls outside the scope of presidential authority in state-level prosecutions.

Former President Trump discussed the request for a pardon in the Lindsay Clancy case, clarifying state law limitations. (AFP)Clancy's defense counsel, Kevin Reddington, made an appearance on Good Morning America on Tuesday, September 8, subsequent to the case being declared a mistrial, and issued a direct appeal to Trump.

“Mr. President, I would hope that you would consider this young lady the type of person she is, what she’s been through and consider a pardon,” Reddington made a statement regarding his client, who in 2023 caused the deaths of her three young children—Cora,5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months—through fatal strangulation.

A presidential pardon, which represents a constitutional power that Trump has exercised regularly throughout his second term, was not a viable option in this instance, as presidents possess the authority to grant clemency exclusively for federal crimes, whereas Clancy's prosecution occurred under Massachusetts state legislation.

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Trump recognized and articulated this factual circumstance during his comments to members of the press prior to his departure from Ireland on Sunday, following his attendance at the Irish Open held at one of his golf properties.

“It’s a very sad situation. I, I certainly heard that. But, look — it’s a very sad, there is no winner there,” Trump said.

“There’s no, there’s no win, no matter what you do. It’s — three children are dead, so I don’t know. But it’s actually a state situation, you know, not a federal," the POTUS added.

Trump was also questioned about Reddington's request that the president use his "awful lot of clout" to "reach out to" Republican Plymouth County district attorney Tim Cruz, who is presently debating whether or not to retry.

Trump stated that he has "heard from other people" that Reddington is "a very good attorney" and that he is grateful "that he feels that way," but he did not promise to get in touch with the district attorney.

On the tarmac in County Clare, Ireland, on Sunday night, Trump stated, “I hope they can work it out,” adding, “That’s something they have to work out. It’s a very sad — there is no win there.”

Before the mistrial announcement in the Oval Office, Trump characterized the murders as a "horrible tragedy" and stated that he maintained awareness of the proceedings due to their extensive television coverage, which made it difficult to avoid following the case.

“I assume there’s going to be another trial. It’s a terrible situation,” Trump said on Sept. 4. “Look, she did a horrible, horrible thing. Can’t be worse. But you’ll find out what the price to pay is. There’ll be a price. It’s going to be [a] mental institution or jail or something.”

Shweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics. She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk. She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events. Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives. She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics. In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team. She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World. Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work. Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC). She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi. If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh. She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family. She also enjoys spiritual activities.Read More