President Donald Trump, now 78, said he hasn’t dismissed the idea of pardoning Sean “Diddy” Combs.
During a press conference held in the Oval Office on Friday, May 30, Trump responded to a question from Fox News’ Peter Doocy by saying, “Well, nobody’s asked,” adding, “I know people are thinking about it.”
Diddy, 55, is currently facing trial in New York City on serious federal charges, including sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution, and racketeering conspiracy. He has pleaded not guilty and continues to deny all allegations.
Trump remarked, “First of all, I’d look at what’s happening,” and admitted that he hasn’t followed the case closely, though he acknowledged that “it’s certainly getting a lot of coverage.”
The two were reportedly on good terms in the past, but Trump said they haven’t spoken in years. “He used to really like me a lot, but I think when I ran for politics … that relationship busted up, from what I read,” he noted. “I don’t know — he didn’t tell me that, but I’d read some little bit nasty statements in the paper all of a sudden.”
Despite their past connection, Trump emphasized that it wouldn’t affect any decision he might make regarding a pardon. “I would certainly look at the facts,” he stated. “If I think somebody was mistreated, whether they like me or don’t like me, it wouldn’t have any impact on me.”
Diddy’s trial, which began on May 5 at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan U.S. Courthouse, is expected to run into early July. While Trump could issue a pardon after a verdict is reached, he also has the authority to grant a pardon before the trial concludes.
A similar move was made earlier this year by former President Joe Biden, who preemptively pardoned family members and Dr. Anthony Fauci to protect them from what he called “politically motivated prosecutions.”
The topic of Diddy’s potential pardon surfaced shortly after Trump pardoned reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley. The Chrisley Knows Best couple were convicted of fraud in 2022 after being indicted in 2019. Despite maintaining their innocence, Todd was sentenced to 12 years and Julie to 7. In 2024, both had their sentences reduced by nearly two years.
