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The Situation Room

Lindsay Clancy Trial Continues; Concerns Grow Over Long Military Deployments; Interview With Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT). Aired 10:30a-11a ET

Aired August 14, 2026 - 10:30   ET

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

[10:30:01]

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: And I was able to speak to sailors and Marines who left port way back in November.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AVERY WINGER, U.S. NAVY: You wake up and you're like, this is like another day? It's like, oh, my God, again, you know?

BROWN: Does that feel like Groundhog Day?

WINGER: Yes, it's Groundhog Day literally every single day, same thing every day, yes.

RANDALL STONE, U.S. NAVY: I wish I could tell you it's a blast, but it's pretty repetitive work. so, it's hard, you know, it's hard on your mental state.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Now Democrats in Congress are demanding answers from the administration on the conditions and what action is being taken. We're going to talk to one of those lawmakers in a few minutes.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is downplaying the concerns.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE HEGSETH, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: Completely misrepresented. Listen, we make sure that every ship, every crew, every captain has everything we can provide them at every single moment.

Some deployments are longer than others, and I have more respect and gratitude for those sailors than anybody.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: The Lincoln has been at sea for more than 250 days and has not made regular port calls since it left port in November. It did stop at a couple of ports, but for a short time, not the typical amount of time.

And the carrier is not alone in being at sea for so long. I also boarded the USS Frank E. Petersen Jr., a guided missile destroyer protecting the Lincoln and the Arabian Sea. And I spoke with the commanding officer about the mental toll of such a long deployment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPT. CASEY MAHON, COMMANDER OFFICER, USS FRANK PETERSEN JR.: So the biggest challenge is the people, the sailors who haven't who haven't been home for a while.

We have been out here, very stressful situation, always on ready to go, always ready to take action. And that that's wearing on a person, a very honest, I think, assessment of it. And we try to really have ways to vent that.

We talked we have various behavior therapy groups, right? We have poll sessions. People can come in and say, this is how I feel. And we just try to really give everybody a chance to vent that feeling.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: With us now is the father of a U.S. service member who is serving on the USS Abraham Lincoln.

First of all, a huge thank you to them for their service and to your family for your sacrifice. I know this could be hard on families too.

So, when we spoke before this, you described your child as -- quote -- "proud of what they're doing out there," while simultaneously saying they're ready to come home. Tell us, how are they doing and how are you doing with the deployment?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, all of us parents miss our children very much, and I know we're all very proud of them.

As far as my particular child, I have heard pretty positive feedback about the conditions there, although I notice the sailors saying the work is repetitive. That is something that we hear a lot, and we understand that they're under a lot of mental stress and have nothing but sympathy and respect for the hardships and the stress that are inherent to the operation that they're conducting right now.

BROWN: Yes. And I think what you said is important because, as I have been noting, it's not a monolith, right?

You have got around 5,000 people on board that ship, and it's going to wear and tear on some people more than other people. You said you have heard positive feedback. Can you tell us a little bit more about what you have heard from your child?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, in some circumstances, they form friendships, they form camaraderie.

Yes, food quality apparently has gone up and down, and I understand that that's to be expected when you're in a combat situation. This -- I think there's a realization of the enormity of the operation they're conducting, and I think that really got driven home when they got deployed.

And so, as they have time to digest that and go through the day-to-day work, I think it's created some appreciation to the people around them and forming those human connections and also once again the enormity of the world around.

BROWN: I wonder what you think about this deployment being extended. It was supposed to be done in May. It's been extended several times. Has that been an issue for your child and has it been hard on you? Do you think the Navy was fully prepared in the way it should have been here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I mean, obviously, I want them to come home.

And I -- all of us as parents have some questions about the length of time that it's taken and the distribution of military assets. Obviously, I -- humbly, I cannot speak to that because I don't know anything about it, but we would love to see a situation where relief can come in a timely fashion and sailors can have rest and relief and put their feet on the ground and go on land and see a little bit of the world.

[10:35:00]

So, that's been concerning, yes.

BROWN: Just not having the -- sort of the port visits, right, that are expected. That's what I keep hearing from sailors I'm speaking to and family members. Just there's not -- there hasn't been the lengthy port visits or the frequency of port visits that you would typically get on deployment.

Are you hearing that sentiment?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely.

And I do know that that must be very essential for mental health and for morale.

BROWN: Yes.

I'm wondering. A U.S. official tells me that last month a sailor on the USS Abraham Lincoln went overboard. Actually, it was earlier this month. And that sailor was wearing a life vest. It was seen as a mental health incident, kind of a cry for help. We don't know the exact circumstances of everything around this.

But I wonder what your reaction is as a father when you heard that, and also these attempted man overboard events that has been reported by "The Military Times."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it's obviously terrifying. And because they're in a combat zone, communication is not regular. So you always wonder.

Every one of those sailors, and I didn't realize this, they kind of become like your own child. You think of them as a group. They survive as a group, and they work as a group. And you're concerned about every one of them, and we care about them.

And so that is grieving to hear that people were pushed to that limit mentally, and I think it makes us want to take a hard look at how this generation of sailors is being prepared. As time goes on, generations change. And perhaps we need to reanalyze how we're training or preparing them or the timeline for deploying them.

BROWN: You have a unique perspective because of your past profession. You worked with the younger generation.

Tell us more about that concern. And do you feel like your daughter was properly trained for a deployment like this?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, as far as my child, I don't know. They have the most formidable intelligence and strength of character and will that I have ever seen. I have taught high school for 27 years, so seen a lot of different kinds of children.

But this one, in particular, I know is strong. This generation particularly, we're pursuing different areas of education with them. We're strengthening them in different ways, and we're educating them in different ways. And I really feel that perhaps there need to be conversations after these sailors come home and we welcome them. And we're all very proud of them.

But there need to be conversations, and I'm sure that, honestly, the military is probably engaging in those right now.

BROWN: Has your child expressed any feelings of mental health strain? And do you know if your child feels that there are adequate resources to address that? I'm just wondering if you could give any more of an insight into that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have had very positive communications, but I do know the boredom, the heat that's been out there, and I can't imagine the humidity, has taken its toll.

I question about the supplies at the beginning. And we're hearing these reports, and this is the first time we're ever hearing these reports. And then it's hard to know what's what's true, what's exaggerated. And it's very worrisome, I will say, on the parents' end, because you hear these things.

Even if you know they're not true or they might be grossly exaggerated, it is an extra amount of stress when your loved ones are at sea, and you worry about them, because, yes, they're in a combat zone.

And -- but as far as my particular child, rations got a little rough for a while, and I know conditions can be a little rough. I have never been on a carrier, and they have, so I can't speak to that. But I got to say they're keeping their chin up on this one.

BROWN: Yes. Well, again, your child and all those sailors on board, I got to

witness it firsthand just the incredible work that they're doing and the sacrifices they're making. And they are being pushed to the limits here. And, like I said, there's really a spectrum in terms of how sailors are being impacted right now with this length of their deployment.

I'm wondering, if you were able to sit down with the naval secretary or the defense secretary, what would you ask them? What would you want to hear from them in this moment?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow, that would be an interesting conversation for sure.

And I do also thank you for your reporting you did on that ship. I was very happy to see that there were reporters out there last month and did some just excellent stories, and thank you for that.

BROWN: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If I were to sit down, I -- there would be conversations about defense dollars and about infrastructure.

[10:40:02]

Our military has always been noted for its infrastructure and its supply lines, because it's very easy to put assets in places. It's very hard to keep them there. And I understand that.

I want to -- and I just kind of want to know, are we really, really investing in that infrastructure, in that supply line, in those allies, in those harbors and ports and safe places for our ships to go and to get resupplied and to get some R&R?

And I don't know how that's going, and I don't hear too many people speak to that. It's the supply chain. It's not the asset itself.

BROWN: Yes.

As I have been reporting, I'm told by a U.S. official that the USS George Washington is en route. It is expected to relieve the Abraham Lincoln. Things can change. They have before, but that's the expectation.

Once your child and the other sailors come back on land, what do you want people to do? How do you want them to be embraced?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Those are our country's sons and daughters and wives and husbands and mothers and everyone you can imagine on these ships.

And I really, truly hope that, when they when they come home, that they're welcomed so strongly. No one really expected this to happen. And I know that my child's greatest fear was absolute boredom and nothing happening. And I know they definitely -- no one got that on this tour. That was that was not what happened at all. So, we need to welcome

them home and realize that they're our countrymen first, and they need love and support, and they have been through a lot of stress that will change them forever.

BROWN: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, let's see some welcoming home and some love and care, because we do love them.

BROWN: All right, thank you so much for joining us, and thank you again for all the sacrifices you and your child are making on behalf of this country. We appreciate it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

BROWN: And also this morning, Senate Democrat Richard Blumenthal, who sits on the Armed Services Committee, is voicing his concerns in a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the acting secretary of the Navy.

Quote: "There have been widespread reports of shortages of basic supplies, water contamination, plumbing issues, deteriorating mental health, deck safety concerns, and disruptions in the mail system, which have caused many care packages en route to the ship to be lost in transit for months. These reports warrant immediate attention" -- end quote.

Senator Blumenthal joins us now.

Thank you for being here, Senator. I know you have been tracking all of this very closely.

I just first want to start with, what is your reaction from what you just heard from the father of a sailor aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln?

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): Thanks for having me.

It is a truism that we repeat on the Armed Services Committee -- I have been a member for 15 years -- that our military is the greatest and strongest in the world because of the men and women who serve and sacrifice. They raise their right hand and they know they're going to encounter hardships, but they believe truly in the Pentagon's obligation to minimize those hardships, not increase them.

And what we see right now is in fact a lack of sufficient supplies, basic necessities like toothpaste, soap, clean water, and even food. That is a betrayal of trust by the top officials in our Department of Defense.

And I call on the secretary of defense -- he calls himself the secretary of war -- to pay attention and do your job. That's what I would say as a military dad, and I have been a military dad. Two of my sons have served, one as a Marine Corps infantry officer in Afghanistan, the other as a Navy SEAL. And I would be angry beyond words if my son or daughter were on that

ship without what they need to do their jobs. And let me just say, Pamela, because you know, you have been on that ship, the pilots, the mechanics, everybody involved in conducting the mission of that aircraft carrier is under incredible stress, doing jobs that require physical and mental stamina 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

And they have been out there for almost 250 days without putting feet on the ground, setting a record for the number of days continuously at sea. The Ford, USS Ford, set a record for the longest number of days at sea deployed, 326 days.

So, we are stretching these deployments beyond what we should be expecting of our sailors, and we're putting them at greater risk and danger because of it.

BROWN: The Navy has responded to the concerns that you laid out and says the sailors have all the resources they need.

[10:45:04]

Now, when I was on board, they did have enough food, maybe not the food that the sailors would have wanted, but they did get fruits and veggies and other food. And there was -- but that doesn't mean there wasn't a time when they were rationing food and they didn't have enough.

And the Navy says that's because there were supply chain glitches due to the active combat operations. They emphasize, look, this is a deployment, we had conflict, these things happen.

I wonder what you say to that.

BLUMENTHAL: "These things happen" is not a sufficient rationale or reason for failing to give these troops basic necessities.

They are sailors at sea. They deserve better than what they're receiving. The interruption, for example, of care packages and mail, that's a basic obligation of the Pentagon to fulfill, whether sailors are in combat or on bases or wherever they are, and the same is true of all our military services.

A care package with a stale cookie may be worth its weight in gold in terms of morale. And the mental stress here that's reflected by that sailor going overboard, sure, she was rescued, is very profoundly troubling.

And there's a larger strategic interest here at risk. The USS Washington is now heading to replace the Abraham Lincoln. It is leaving Japan. It is the forward most aircraft carrier group near to China. We are, in effect, undermining defense in that area by moving that aircraft carrier group away from the Far East.

China is watching. They are seeing how thinly stretched we are. Bottom line, America is less safe because of a war that has no strategic goals. None of the president's articulated plans or objectives have been accomplished. We are, again, depleting our resources, stretching them thin, moving them from parts of the world where we need them, and putting our sailors at greater stress and danger.

Toothpaste, soap may seem like maybe frivolous, but, in fact, to the morale and to the performance of sailors and soldiers and airmen and Marines, it's what we owe them. And we also owe them decent treatment in terms of the number of days they're deployed at sea.

BROWN: Senator, I want you to respond to critics within the Trump administration and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has said this has been misrepresented and that Democrats are seizing on this for political gain or a war that they just don't like. What do you say to that?

BLUMENTHAL: What I say is, providing our men and women in uniform with basic necessities they need to do their jobs is not partisan. It should not be political.

It's the basic job that Pentagon officials have, and they know that they are failing at it when they receive these reports. And it isn't just people in public office talking about it. CNN has been doing some incredibly accurate and important reporting. So has "Stars and Stripes" and "The Military Times."

We know about these problems not because the Pentagon has revealed them, but because of hard-hitting, accurate reporting and some of the complaints made by military families.

BROWN: Yes.

BLUMENTHAL: There was a session out in San Diego recently covered by "Stars and Stripes" where parents were talking about what they are hearing, the unvarnished truth.

You just had a military dad on, and he has to be concerned about what the ramifications may be for his daughter or son when he's in this kind of public setting. But what we're hearing privately, through the press and otherwise, is about the deteriorating and abhorrent conditions on that ship.

And I just say to...

BROWN: I mean, as I said, look, I have heard about that as well. I have I have heard a spectrum of complaints. I mean, I have been reporting on it. You noted CNN's been reporting on this. I have been reporting on it since last month, the psychological toll and how this is impacting sailors.

I'm wondering, what does accountability look like to you?

BLUMENTHAL: I hope my Republican colleagues will join me. There should be nothing red or blue about this issue. It should be nonpartisan.

And there's nothing red or blue about those families and their sons and daughters on the ship. We ought to have hearings. We ought to do an investigation. But there is a larger strategic interest here if we put our sailors at risk in this way, increasing the mental stress and the kinds of demands we're putting on them in terms of the extended length of deployments. That is a national defense issue.

[10:50:23]

If we are taking carriers, aircraft carriers, and the destroyers accompanying them away from other parts of the world and draining resources and diminishing our capacity there, that's a national defense issue. We need to have hearings, a serious inquiry into how we are using our sea assets, our undersea, as well as the aircraft carrier groups and destroyers.

BROWN: I'm glad you mentioned...

BLUMENTHAL: And that kind of hearing and reckoning has to come.

BROWN: I want to give some love to all those in the submarines, other destroyers as well, because they have been out at sea for many months, nine months, as well as this aircraft carrier. And they have not been getting as much recognition in all of this.

Senator Richard Blumenthal, thank you so much.

BLUMENTHAL: Thank you.

BROWN: Coming up: It's the case gripping the nation. And we have a panel of legal and health experts to answer your questions that you have about the Lindsay Clancy trial.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: Maternal mental health has become central to Lindsay Clancy's triple murder trial after giving birth to her third child.

Defense attorneys argue that she is not criminally responsible for strangling her three children because she was experiencing postpartum psychosis. Jurors this week heard some of her writings about depression and feeling resentment toward her oldest children after her youngest was born.

Joining us now to answer some of your questions are Dr. Noa Sterling, OB-GYN and founder of the Obi Pregnancy App. Also with us, criminal defense attorney Elyse Hershon.

Doctor, thank you so much for coming on.

But -- and I just want to just start with all of these questions we have been getting. A lot of them are around the symptoms. Can someone experience psychosis, also appear rational throughout the day? Can they dip in and dip out? How does it work?

DR. NOA STERLING, OBSTETRICIAN/GYNECOLOGIST: Certainly, somebody can appear rational even while they are actively psychotic. You may -- it depends, because psychosis doesn't always present the same way. But it really wouldn't be until you talk to them, if they're not -- if

they're not grossly confused, that you would realize that they're not in touch with reality. And, yes, somebody can go in and out of psychosis.

BROWN: Elyse, one of the questions is just about Massachusetts law and how that's relevant in this case for Lindsay Clancy.

ELYSE HERSHON, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: So, Massachusetts is a very unique state. In other states, the defense, if they want to raise criminal responsibility as a theory of their case, they have to prove it. It's not on the prosecution.

[10:55:05]

In Massachusetts, it's on the prosecution. So it actually adds an additional element on top of whatever the underlying crime is, which, here, first-degree murder times three.

So, not only does the prosecution have to prove premeditated, deliberate murder, but they also have to prove that her -- she was not overcome by mental illness, she could appreciate the wrongfulness of what she was doing and conform the behavior. In other words, she could have stopped and she knew what she was doing.

So Massachusetts, it's an affirmative defense, but it all lies on the prosecution to prove.

BROWN: Interesting.

Elyse, how important are the notes from Clancy's phone in revealing her mindset here?

HERSHON: Absolutely important. So, of course, the defendant has no requirement and in this case is very unlikely to testify.

So this is a peek into what her state of mind was leading up to the horrific deaths of her children, which her lawyer has conceded and admitted she did kill them, and then she attempted suicide, ending up in a wheelchair, of course, paralyzed from the waist down, horrific, gruesome, terrible, sad facts.

But I think the prosecution is playing for the sympathy a little bit more so. Is she responsible because they -- is she going to be responsible because they proved it, or are they going to find her responsible because they despise what she did? And the prosecution is hoping for the latter.

But they really have that burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt, and the judge will remind the jury of that when they get there.

BROWN: Dr. Sterling, another viewer asked -- and I have heard this from others -- that this trial has been triggering. What resources are available for moms who are struggling?

STERLING: So one of the best resources that there is, is Postpartum Support International.

The lovely thing about them is, this is a case that's being seen by people globally. It's not just in the United States, and Postpartum Support International is international. So they're a great resource.

And depending on where you live, there are emergency resources and warm lines. And getting in touch with your O.B. and being proactive, so you know -- if you're pregnant right now, if you're postpartum right now, identifying those resources beforehand is what I would recommend people do.

BROWN: All right, Dr. Noa Sterling, Elyse Hershon, thank you both.

HERSHON: Thank you.

BROWN: And help is available. If you or someone need support for suicidal thoughts or mental health struggles, counselors with a crisis lifeline are available 24/7. Just call or text 988.

We will have more news after a short break.

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