Trump addresses pardon decision for Sean 'Diddy' Combs, says mogul was 'half-innocent'
In an interview that aired Aug. 1 on Newsmax with host Rob Finnerty, Trump discussed the possibility of presidential pardons for Combs, convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell and former Rep. George Santos.
"Sean 'Diddy' Combs. Would you consider pardoning him?" Finnerty asked. Trump said didn't answer directly but said that negative comments that Combs made about him would make it "more difficult."
On July 2, jurors found Combs not guilty of the most serious charges of racketeering and sex trafficking ex-girlfriends Casandra "Cassie" Ventura Fine and a woman known as "Jane" in his sweeping trial that nearly lasted two months. Prosecutors had accused him of coercing the women to participate in drug-fueled sex parties known as freak-offs that sometimes last for days.
Combs was convicted on two lesser charges of transportation to engage in prostitution.
President Trump: 'Well he was ... half-innocent'
"Well he was essentially, I guess sort of, half-innocent. I don't know what they do, he's still in jail or something," Trump said of Diddy. "He was celebrating a victory but I guess it wasn't as good of a victory."
USA TODAY reached out to reps for Combs for comment. During the interview, Trump said "probably..." before pausing and revealing to Finnerty, "You know, I was very friendly with him, I got along with him great, seemed like a nice guy. I didn't know him well, but when I ran for office he was very hostile." The Newsmax host noted then that "he said some not so nice things about you, sir."
"Yeah, and it's hard. You know, like you, we're human beings and we don't like to have things cloud our judgement, right?" Trump said. "But when you knew someone and you were fine and then you run for office and he made some terrible statements… so I don't know... it makes it more difficult to do."
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Then, Trump replied, "I'd say so," when Finnerty clarified by asking if it was "more likely a no for (pardoning) Combs?" In the interview, Trump was seemingly referencing Combs' expletive-filled 2017 comments in The Daily Beast, essentially saying that "(Black people) don't really" care about Trump.
"The tomfoolery that's going on in D.C., that's just regular everyday business to Black folks," Combs told the left-leaning outlet in-part, adding later in the interview that he had to "keep it focused on that self-love that we need to give our race."
Trump first weighed in on the possibility of pardoning Combs on May 30 in the Oval Office. "Nobody's asked" about a pardon, the president said. "But I know people are thinking about it. I know they're thinking about it. I think some people have been very close to asking." Trump added, "I haven't spoken to him in years. He really liked me a lot."
Trump 'should not pardon' Sean 'Diddy' 'Diddy' Combs, Megyn Kelly says
Despite last month's verdict, Combs' legal saga continues. On Wednesday, July 31, lawyers for Combs requested his acquittal, or a new trial altogether, in court documents reviewed by USA TODAY.
A day earlier, conservative host Megyn Kelly urged Trump against potentially pardoning Combs. Kelly said in an X post on July 30 that "Trump should not pardon Diddy" because "he doesn't deserve it."
"He's a Trump hater. He's a woman abuser. MAGA is already upset over elites seeming to cover for each other. This would not help. GOP struggling w/young female voters, most of whom will HATE a Diddy pardon," Kelly wrote.
Contributing: Taijuan Moorman
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Will Trump pardon Diddy? We may have the answer
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