Trump Reflects on His Friendship With Diddy Amid Legal Drama

Former President Donald Trump was again asked if he would pardon Sean “Diddy” Combs this past Friday on the Newsmax program Finnerty.

The questioner asked if Trump would be willing to pardon Combs if he did not receive a fair trial. Combs was found guilty of one federal offense last month – transportation with intent to promote and engage in prostitution. He was found not guilty of sex trafficking, sex trafficking conspiracy, and racketeering conspiracy.

A trial that began in late May had a slew of bombshell testimony and even saw a former lover of the rapper, singer Cassie Ventura, testify that Combs had abused and trafficked her.

The seven-plus week trial may not be over for Combs as he is still to be sentenced. In a development that could cut short the potential for a long prison sentence, his attorneys are in talks for a possible appeal in the case.

Trump’s Reaction

Trump hedged the question of a pardon by acknowledging their relationship was friendly in the past, but not so much anymore. “We were very friendly. I got along with him great. He used to like me a lot,” Trump said, “I think when I ran for politics, that relationship busted up. But we were very friendly and I know him very well.”

“We’ll see what happens,” Trump said about the possibility of pardoning Combs after not speaking to him in years. “But I would certainly look at the facts,” he continued.

“In a way, he was sort of half-innocent, but I don’t know him for a long time,” Trump told Finnerty. “He was celebrating a victory. But I guess it wasn’t as good a victory,” Trump added. He did not answer directly to the question of whether he was considering a pardon, but there was speculation.

“Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs knows I am not a fan of the courts’ handling of his case, but we will see what happens!” Trump posted to X (formerly Twitter) shortly after the Finnerty interview.

It Was Asked Before

Trump was asked about Combs and the possibility of a pardon in May of this year. Fox News White House reporter Peter Doocy asked Trump about the possibility of pardoning Combs if he felt justice was not served during the former president’s time in the Oval Office.

Trump told Doocy he would “look at the facts” and “absolutely” would be open to granting a pardon. The former president went on to say he hasn’t spoken to Combs “in years,” but he would be “hard to resist” if there was a chance to help him.

“So Sean Diddy Combs is in a lot of trouble, and I’m not meaning that in a good way,” Trump told Doocy. “He could do a lot worse than to get help from me if he needs help, but I haven’t spoken to him in years.”

Reaction and Next Steps

Combs was not present at the Friday interview with Finnerty, and his legal team did not make any immediate comment on his potential sentencing or appeal.

Combs faces up to 20 years in prison on the charge for which he was convicted. The sentencing date is October 3. A decision to pursue an appeal of his case will be made soon, and Combs’ legal team says he is continuing to deny all charges.

A long-form clip of Trump’s full interview from the Finnerty interview has been posted to X (formerly Twitter), where users are giving their reactions.

Fox News has reached out to both Trump’s team and to the attorneys of Sean Combs. At this point, it is not known if an appeal will be sought and if so, how successful it will be. A plea agreement is also an option, though there is no word on whether negotiations are taking place.