Trump’s History With Diddy Resurfaces Amid Pardon Talk

President Donald Trump is once again speaking about the possibility of intervening in the case of Sean “Diddy” Combs. On Friday, August 1, Trump was asked during an interview on Newsmax’s Finnerty whether he would issue a pardon for the Bad Boy Records founder, who was convicted on one federal offense last month.

Sean Combs was found guilty on the lesser charge of transportation with intent to engage in prostitution in early July. He was, however, acquitted of the two counts of sex trafficking and one count of racketeering that he had been charged with in March, according to Rolling Stone. The seven-week trial, which involved the testimony of dozens of witnesses, was filled with drama. Singer Cassie Ventura, who is Combs’ former girlfriend, accused him of abusing and trafficking her years ago, which Combs has denied and continues to maintain that he is innocent of all charges.

In the Finnerty interview, the host asked Trump directly if he would pardon the rapper. The president was noncommittal but signaled that a pardon was not off the table. “Well, he was essentially, I guess, sort of half-innocent,” Trump replied. “He’s still in jail or something, but he was celebrating a victory. But I guess it wasn’t as good a victory.”

Trump went on to clarify that he was “friends” with Combs for years. “We were very friendly. I got along with him great,” the former president stated. “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.”

Comments, Pardons, and Past Remarks

This is not the first time that Trump has suggested that he could pardon Combs. Back in May, during a press briefing in the Oval Office, Trump was asked about the same question, but by Fox News reporter Peter Doocy. Trump had given a similar answer to Doocy, too, promising to “look at the facts.”

“I haven’t spoken to him in years,” the former president said of Combs. “But if I think somebody was mistreated, whether they like me or don’t like me, it wouldn’t have any impact on me.”

The sentencing for the felony charge Combs is facing could land him in prison for as much as 20 years. He was sentenced for that crime last month and could be sentenced on October 3.

For Combs, it was only a partial victory: while he was acquitted of the more serious charges, the ones that could have netted him decades in prison, the one that he was still convicted of a felony. While the case has allowed people to weigh in on everything from justice for celebrities to the extent of presidential power, Trump’s comments in the Newsmax interview have now once again added to the saga.

Trump and Combs were close at one point, the former president said during the Finnerty interview. He added that he “loved” Combs, but that things changed once Trump entered the political arena. “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.”

A portion of Trump’s full comments on the subject from the Newsmax video has been shared on X (formerly Twitter) since the August 1 interview. The potential for Trump to pardon Sean Combs may or may not come to fruition. But in the meantime, the former president will likely keep talking about it.

Stay tuned for more updates on Trump and the possibility of him pardoning Sean Combs. October is coming, and until the rapper’s sentencing, there will no doubt be further talk of presidential clemency and the case itself.