After Donald Trump went on a clemency spree this week issuing pardons to several high-profile people, the president has answered the question on many people’s minds — would he pardon Sean “Diddy” Combs?
When asked if he’d consider pardoning the music mogul during a press briefing on Friday, Trump said that “nobody’s asked” quite yet. However, Trump said, “I know people are thinking about it” and “I think some people have been very close to asking,” adding that he would have to “look at what’s happening” in Diddy’s case as he hasn’t “been watching it too closely.”
“First of all, I’d look at what’s happening, and I haven’t been watching it too closely, although it’s certainly getting a lot of coverage,” the president said. “I would certainly look at the facts.”
Questions of whether Trump would consider pardoning Diddy were likely sparked both due to the president’s recent wave of pardons and his former friendship with the fallen mogul before Trump launched his political career.
When Trump was asked if he’d consider a pardon, the reporter also noted that he previously said on The Apprentice in 2012 that Diddy was a “good friend.” The president also responded to this tidbit, noting that their “relationship busted up” after he got into politics.
“I haven’t seen him, I haven’t spoken to him in years,” Trump said of Diddy. “He used to really like me a lot, but I think when I ran for politics, that relationship busted up from what I read. I don’t know, he didn’t tell me that, but I’d read some little bit nasty statements in the paper.”
In recent days, Trump has pardoned reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, who were serving years-long prison sentences after being convicted of federal bank fraud and tax evasion charges, and rapper NBA Youngboy who was sentenced to just under two years in prison on gun-related charges, among others.
The Bad Boy Records founder’s sex trafficking and racketeering trial began in early May, and has seen multiple witnesses take the stand with allegations of sexual and verbal abuse, non-consensual sex, violence and more. Notably, Diddy’s longtime former partner Cassie Ventura is among many key witnesses that have testified against him.