Bad Boy to Pardoned? Trump Talks About Diddy

Former President Donald Trump has added Sean “Diddy” Combs to the list of people he’s speculated to pardon. On Friday, August 1, Trump appeared on the Newsmax show Finnerty and was asked by the host if he would pardon the hip-hop mogul Combs in the wake of his last month’s conviction.

Sean Combs, better known by his stage name Diddy, was a rapper, record executive, and producer who founded the record label Bad Boy Records in 1993. In July, Combs was found guilty of a single federal offense of transportation with intent to engage in prostitution, according to court documents. The Bad Boy founder was acquitted of more serious charges that included sex trafficking and racketeering. The seven-week-long trial included testimony from singer Cassie Ventura, who alleged that she was abused and trafficked by Combs while they dated 15 years ago. The Bad Boy founder has repeatedly denied the allegations and has not admitted to any wrongdoing.

Trump, in his characteristic non-committal manner, while not directly ruling out the possibility of a pardon, gave some indication that he could pardon Sean Combs. “Well, he was essentially, I guess, sort of half-innocent,” he told the host. Trump added that Combs had been in jail when his team was allowed to celebrate. “He’s still in jail or something, but he was celebrating a victory. But I guess it wasn’t as good a victory.”

Trump also said that he and Combs used to be friends. “We were very friendly. I got along with him great,” he said. The former President, though, said their relationship took a downturn when he entered politics. “He used to like me a lot. I think when I ran for politics, that relationship busted up. … I would certainly look at the facts. If I think somebody was mistreated, whether they like me or don’t like me, it wouldn’t have any impact on me.”

Trump Had Previously Said He Would Look At Facts Before Granting Sean “Diddy” Combs a Pardon

Trump has previously said he was open to the possibility of pardoning Sean “Diddy” Combs. In May, while in the Oval Office, Trump had a press briefing with Fox News reporter Peter Doocy. In response to Doocy’s question about whether Trump would pardon Combs, Trump gave a similar response to the one he just gave on Newsmax’s Finnerty.

“The answer is I’m going to look at the facts,” Trump said in the May briefing. “I’m going to look at the facts and I’m going to decide, but I’m not going to be influenced, for sure, one way or the other, based on my relationship with somebody.”

He also said that he and Combs have not spoken in “years,” but added that he would not be bothered if Combs had any issues with him. “If I think somebody was mistreated, whether they like me or don’t like me, it wouldn’t have any impact on me,” he said.

Combs was charged last year by a federal grand jury in New York with eight sex trafficking, 10 narcotics, and 10 other federal charges following a months-long investigation. He was found guilty of one federal crime of transportation with intent to engage in prostitution in the latest trial. He was acquitted of the most serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. He is now facing a maximum of 20 years in prison for the offense for which he was convicted. Sentencing is currently set for October 3.

His case, and Trump’s subsequent speculation about a pardon, has again brought the issues of celebrity and the justice system, the power of presidential pardons, and how personal relations impact such clemency decisions to light. Trump’s further comments have thrown another development into the Combs story. His former friend has confirmed that he is yet again willing to look into the case and will give it some merit.

“He was celebrating a victory,” Trump also told Newsmax on Friday, adding, “But I guess it wasn’t as good o victory.”

Video of Trump’s full comments has been shared on X (formerly Twitter). Political commentators, fans of hip-hop, and legal experts are all now chiming in to discuss the subject. It remains to be seen whether Trump will officially pardon Sean Combs, but the idea has remained very much alive after Trump’s comments on Friday.

For now, the music mogul will have to wait until October for the sentencing to come, and before that comes the likely decision on whether Trump will make a move to pardon him.