Trump: No pardon request yet for Diddy, will review case
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said on Friday that no one has asked him to pardon Sean 'Diddy' Combs but that he would look at the facts of the hip-hop mogul's case. Trump's comments at a White House news conference came as Combs attended the 13th day of testimony in the rapper's criminal sex trafficking trial. The Bad Boy Records founder has pleaded not guilty to five felony counts of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.
During a press conference at the White House, Fox News reporter Peter Doocy asked Trump whether he would consider pardoning Combs, noting that the businessman-turned-politician said during a 2012 episode of his 'Celebrity Apprentice' reality show that he was friends with the rapper.
'Nobody's asked. You had to be the one to ask, Peter,' Trump said. 'I think some people have been very close to asking. 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.' Since taking office on January 20, Trump has made extensive use of his power to pardon or commute the sentences of people accused of or convicted of federal crimes - a break with tradition as presidents normally wait until near the end of their terms before granting clemency. Trump, a Republican, said he had not seen or spoken to Combs in years. Combs could face life in prison if convicted on all counts. Also known throughout his career as Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, Combs is known for turning artists like Notorious B.I.G. and Mary J. Blige into stars. In the process, he elevated hip-hop in American culture and became a billionaire. The criminal charges filed last September, as well as dozens of civil lawsuits accusing Combs of sexual abuse, have left his reputation in tatters. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan say Combs over two decades coerced women to take part in drug-fueled sexual performances known as 'Freak Offs' with male sex workers. Two women have testified that Combs had raped them. Combs' lawyers have acknowledged that he was at times abusive in romantic relationships, but argued that the women who took part in 'Freak Offs' did so consensually.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
5 hours ago
- The Star
Australia calls US plan to double steel, aluminium tariffs "unjustified" act of "self harm"
FILE PHOTO: A giant kettle pours molten aluminum into moulds as an employee skims the skin off previously poured moulds at an Alcoa Inc. smelting plant at Point Henry, Australia, on Wednesday, July 30, 2008. Australia's Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell said the federal government would continue to advocate strongly for the removal of the tariffs. - Bloomberg CANBERRA: Australia's Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell on Saturday (May 31) described US President Donald Trump's plan to double tariffs on steel and aluminium as "unjustified" and an act of economic "self harm." Trump said on Friday that he plans to increase the tariff on steel and aluminium imports to the United States from 25 per cent to 50 per cent from June 4 to protect the domestic industry from foreign competition. Responding to the announcement, Farrell said in a statement that Australia's position has been "consistent and clear" and that the federal government would continue to advocate strongly for the removal of the tariffs. "These tariffs are unjustified and not the act of a friend," he said. "They are an act of economic self harm that will only hurt consumers and businesses who rely on free and fair trade." Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, whose Labor Party won a second term in government in a landslide at the May 3 election, in April described Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs as "not the act of a friend". The US administration in March decided against exempting Australia from the steel and aluminum tariffs. Albanese said at the time that the decision went against the "enduring friendship" of the two countries. - Xinhua
The Sun
7 hours ago
- The Sun
Nawrocki: Nationalist historian vying for Polish presidency
WARSAW: Karol Nawrocki, a nationalist historian who has written about the criminal underworld, heads into Sunday's presidential run-off tied with his opponent, pro-EU Warsaw mayor Rafal Trzaskowski. Nawrocki has been endorsed by the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party, which governed Poland from 2015 to 2023. The party is closely allied with outgoing President Andrzej Duda -- who has publicly backed Nawrocki -- and is a long-standing rival of the ruling Civic Coalition. Nawrocki campaigned under the slogan 'Poland first, Poles first'. While he has pledged to continue Poland's support for neighbouring Ukraine against Russia's invasion, he has denounced the benefits given to war refugees. He said in a campaign video in April that 'social benefits will be above all for Poles' and that 'in queues for doctors and clinics, Polish citizens must have priority'. In May, he claimed Ukraine 'has not shown gratitude for what Poles have done' and accused President Volodymyr Zelensky of 'insolence'. He opposes Ukraine's bid to join NATO. - Photos with Trump - Nawrocki is an admirer of Donald Trump and has said Poland should focus on shaping and leading Europe's relations with the US president. Nawrocki met Trump at the White House in May and claimed Trump had told him: 'You will win'. Some lawmakers from the governing coalition have accused Trump of election interference. US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem also endorsed Nawrocki when she attended a conservative conference in Poland, saying: 'He needs to be the next president.' Nawrocki has called for controls on the border with Germany to keep out migrants, and would like Berlin to pay wartime reparations to Poland. While wooing voters ahead of the razor-edge run-off, Nawrocki signed an eight-point pledge prepared by far-right leader Slawomir Mentzen. The election campaign saw Nawrocki embroiled in a series of scandals. While arguing against a property tax, he claimed to only own one flat. Later it was revealed he had acquired a second one through a convoluted deal with an elderly man. A bombshell news report also alleged he had arranged prostitutes for guests while working as a hotel security guard. Nawrocki called the accusations 'a bunch of lies' and said he would sue the news site. Born in the Baltic port city of Gdansk, Nawrocki boxed and played football in his youth before earning a PhD in history and an MBA. He served as the director of the World War II museum in Gdansk from 2017 to 2021. Since then, he has led the Institute of National Remembrance, which investigates Nazi and communist-era crimes. His research focuses on Poland's anti-communist opposition, organised crime during the communist era and sports history. Last year, Russia added Nawrocki to its wanted list for his alleged efforts to remove Soviet-era monuments in Poland. Nawrocki said he obtained a gun licence and firearm after winding up in Russia's crosshairs. - Dual identity - Nawrocki has written several books, including one under a pen name that landed him in an unusual controversy. In 2018, he secretly published a book about the communist-era gangster Nikodem Skotarczak using the pseudonym Tadeusz Batyr. That same year, a blurred and voice-altered 'Batyr' appeared on state television claiming Nawrocki had inspired the book. Nawrocki later wrote on social media that Batyr had sought his advice and 'thanked me with an interesting book, which I recommend'. But local media recently uncovered that Batyr and Nawrocki were one and the same. One TikTok user said: 'Maybe they'll substitute Batyr for Nawrocki in the runoff. In any case, the one backs the other. That's two votes already.' Political opponents seized on the revelation. Nawrocki has also faced accusations of ties to gangsters and neo-Nazis, which he has rejected as 'deep manipulation', insisting his contacts were for professional purposes. 'No one has ever heard a good word from me about Nazism,' he said. Nawrocki speaks English and still boxes in his spare time. He has said Poland needs 'a strong president for tough times'. He lives with his wife, Marta, and has two children and an adult stepson.
Malaysiakini
7 hours ago
- Malaysiakini
Zaid decries 'Trumpian politics' in Malaysia
'Trumpian politics', a term derived from US President Donald Trump, is characterised by the distortion of truth, the abuse of power, and the manipulation of public perception. According to former law minister Zaid Ibrahim, this is no longer an American phenomenon. 'It has...
