Politics Aside, Trump Says He’ll Review Diddy’s Case

Former President Donald Trump is back in the news regarding his potential interference in the legal proceedings of hip-hop icon Sean “Diddy” Combs. During his Friday, August 1, interview on Newsmax’s Finnerty, Trump was asked if he would be willing to pardon the music mogul following his July conviction.

Last month, Combs, the founder of Bad Boy Records, was found guilty on a federal charge, transportation with intent to engage in prostitution, while being acquitted on several other, more serious, charges, including sex trafficking and racketeering. Combs’ trial was the culmination of more than seven weeks of testimony, headlines, drama, and accusations. Singer Cassie Ventura took the stand in late June and alleged that Combs abused and trafficked her while they were in a relationship many years ago. Combs has maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings.

During the Newsmax interview, Finnerty asked Trump about the potential pardon. In his typically evasive way, Trump said he would not rule it out and seemed to express a degree of sympathy.

“Well, he was essentially, I guess, sort of half-innocent,” he said, while adding a little levity and familiarity. “He’s still in jail or something, but he was celebrating a victory. But I guess it wasn’t as good a victory.”

Trump then went on to say that he and Combs used to have a relationship that has since “gone bad.” The former president, a self-professed fan of Combs and his brand, said that the relationship between the two has changed since he got into politics.

“We were very friendly. I got along with him great,” he said. “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.”

Murky History and Mistaken Fame

Of course, Trump has not only previously addressed the topic of pardoning Combs but also was asked on the matter before, in a separate interview from May with Fox News reporter Peter Doocy.

In a question-and-answer portion of the press briefing at the White House Oval Office in May, Doocy broached the topic after quizzing Trump on related pardons. Trump said he would “look at the facts” when making the decision, similar to his Newsmax comments, while saying that Combs has not reached out to him for any reason.

“I haven’t spoken to him in years,” Trump told Doocy. Trump also made it clear that while he used to have a relationship with Combs, he has kept his “eyes wide open” when it comes to making decisions about celebrities or friends.

“If I think somebody was mistreated, whether they like me or don’t like me, it wouldn’t have any impact on me,” Trump said.

The case against Combs is still ongoing. Combs was convicted in a high-profile trial after months of drama, the aforementioned accusations from Cassie Ventura, and a federal racketeering indictment. Combs, who was acquitted of the most serious charges against him in the seven-week-long trial, was convicted on a charge of transportation with intent to engage in prostitution. Combs is scheduled for sentencing on October 3 and faces up to 20 years for the felony charge.

The severity of his sentence will depend, in large part, on the judge. Many are also looking to see whether Trump follows through on his musings to pardon Combs.

A video of Trump’s full comments from the Finnerty segment has now been uploaded to X (formerly Twitter), where the former president is still active, and has drawn comments from members of the political press, hip-hop heads, and legal analysts. While Trump has thrown the possibility of a pardon open to consideration, whether or not he makes that decision is still up in the air.

Until then, and until October, Combs’ sentencing and possible presidential pardon remain a source of discussion.