Diddy’s Conviction May Lead to Unlikely Trump Intervention

Former President Donald Trump may be known for his sporadic but often game-changing interference with justice, and this seems to be another one of those cases. During a recent interview on the Newsmax program, Finnerty, on Friday, August 1, Trump was asked if he would consider a presidential pardon for hip-hop executive Sean “Diddy” Combs. In July, Combs was found guilty on one federal charge after being accused of sex trafficking and other allegations.

Combs, the founder of the Bad Boy Records label, has recently been at the center of a seven-week-long trial in which he was accused of sex trafficking, racketeering, and other serious charges in a federal court. A star-studded jury, which included model Winnie Harlow and Jordan Chiles, an Olympic gold-medalist and Olympic National Team member from Kernersville, North Carolina, found Combs guilty of only one federal charge of transporting an individual “with the intent to engage in prostitution.” The two-star rap mogul was also acquitted of federal sex trafficking charges, which could have put him in prison for up to 20 years.

The trial involved testimonies and accusations of high-profile characters, such as the singer Cassie Ventura, who alleged that Combs abused her during a period when the two were involved in a romantic relationship. Combs, who has rejected the allegations and is maintaining his innocence, was found guilty after a seven-week-long trial in which he had to listen to the testimonies of the prosecution witnesses. While appearing on Finnerty on Friday, Trump was asked whether he would consider a presidential pardon for Combs, who has yet to be sentenced for the single federal charge.

The former president’s answer, while non-definitive, suggested that a presidential pardon for Combs could still be a possibility. “Well, he was essentially, I guess, sort of half-innocent,” he said during the Newsmax interview. “He’s still in jail or something, but he was celebrating a victory. But I guess it wasn’t as good a victory.”

Trump, who was visibly reluctant to give a straight answer to the question, then tried to play up a sense of familiarity with Combs. “We were very friendly. I got along with him great,” he said during the interview. “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 Again Comments On Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Trial

Trump has not always expressed similar sentiments about Combs, and this is not the first time he has been asked about a potential presidential pardon for the hip-hop mogul. Back in May, while still in the Oval Office, Trump had been asked the same question by Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy.

At the time, Trump had said pretty much the same thing, promising to “look at the facts” before making any decisions. In the Newsmax interview, which took place two months later, Trump seemed to want to change the narrative by claiming that the two of them used to be on better terms before he entered politics.

“I haven’t spoken to him in years,” Trump said while responding to a question by Fox News reporter Peter Doocy. “If I think somebody was mistreated, whether they like me or don’t like me, it wouldn’t have any impact on me.”

Combs was found guilty by a jury of the single federal count of transporting an individual with the “intent to engage in prostitution,” as we discussed above. He was found not guilty of racketeering, which would have left him facing a 20-year jail term in federal prison, but the sex trafficking charge carries a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

His sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 3, but it could be subject to a change by the judge in the case. As the former president keeps musing about the possibility of issuing a presidential pardon for Combs, fans of the rap mogul are left to wonder what the possible outcome of the case could be.