President Donald Trump has confirmed that he is not considering a pardon for music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, despite acknowledging that Combs asked for clemency.
During a two-hour interview with The New York Times on January 7, Trump was asked about several high-profile inmates and whether he would consider pardons. When Combs’ name came up, Trump said the Bad Boy Records founder had contacted him through a letter requesting a pardon, but made it clear he is not inclined to grant one. Trump even offered to show the letter but did not produce it during the interview.
After he told reporters that Combs “asked me for a pardon… through a letter,” the president was asked when the alleged communication was sent. Trump said, “Oh, would you like to see that letter?” but did not bring it forth.
Trump previously disclosed in October that Combs had asked for a pardon while serving a 50-month prison sentence in New Jersey and appealing both his conviction and sentence. At the time, the White House strongly denied reports that Trump was considering commuting Combs’ sentence, stating that there was “zero truth” to those claims.
In earlier comments, Trump suggested his strained relationship with Combs played a role in his thinking. In an August interview with Newsmax, Trump said he had once been friendly with Combs but felt the rapper became “hostile” during Trump’s first presidential term, making a pardon unlikely.
Combs’ legal troubles stem from a July verdict following a nearly two-month federal trial. A jury found him guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution involving former partners, but acquitted him of the most serious charges, including racketeering and sex trafficking.
For now, Trump’s stance appears firm: a pardon for Sean “Diddy” Combs is not on the table.
