President Donald Trump said he is unlikely to issue a presidential pardon to Sean “Diddy” Combs, citing past comments the music mogul made about him and referring to Combs as “half-innocent” following his recent conviction.
Source: JOE SCHILDHORN/Patrick McMullan/ Dimitrios Kambouris/ / Getty
According to Rolling Stone, Trump addressed the matter during an interview with Newsmax host Rob Finnerty on Friday, stating,
“Well, he was essentially, I guess, sort of half-innocent… but when I ran for office, he was very hostile… it makes it more difficult to do.”
Trump’s remarks follow Combs’ July 2 conviction on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. He was acquitted of more serious sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges. Each of the two remaining counts carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years. Combs is scheduled to be sentenced on October 3.
50 Cent Reacts Online
Rapper 50 Cent never shies away from sharing his opinion. Reported by Deadline, rapper and television executive Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson responded to Trump’s comments Friday night on social media. He posted an AI-generated image and wrote,
“Can you believe he thought he was getting pardoned? No Sir, you are not. You said very nasty things.”
Jackson, a longtime critic of Combs, had previously said he would attempt to dissuade Trump from granting a pardon.
Combs Remains in Custody
According to Rolling Stone, Combs’ legal team has filed a 62-page motion asking a judge to vacate his conviction or grant a new trial focused on the remaining prostitution counts. They also submitted a request for bail earlier this week. Prosecutors with the Southern District of New York filed a counter-motion requesting that Combs remain detained until sentencing.
Combs is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where he has been since his arrest in September 2024.
Pardon Campaign and Financial Offers
Rolling Stone reports that Combs’ associates began lobbying Trump’s allies shortly after the 2024 presidential election. Sources told the publication that Combs’ supporters offered mid-six-figure payments to political operatives and lobbyists with ties to Trump to advocate for a pardon.
While some of Trump’s associates considered the request, senior advisers reportedly expressed concern due to the nature of the charges and the potential political fallout.
Also in Rolling Stone, a group of survivors connected to the broader investigation is preparing a letter urging Trump not to issue a pardon. A draft of the letter reviewed by the outlet states, “A pardon would not be justice but a devastating message to survivors everywhere: that our lives, our pain, and our truth are still negotiable.”
Political and Legal Context
In Deadline, Trump’s considerations may also be shaped by his long-standing tension with the Southern District of New York and former FBI Director James Comey. Maurene Comey, the lead prosecutor in the case before being removed, is James Comey’s daughter.
Trump previously expressed a willingness to examine the case. On May 30, he said,
“I would certainly look at the facts if I think somebody was mistreated, whether they like me or don’t like me.”
During Friday’s interview with Newsmax, Trump reiterated that his decision was influenced by personal and political history.
“We’re human beings,” he said. “And we don’t like to have things cloud our judgment, right?”
Conclusion: Power, Petty, and Politics
Trump calling Diddy “half-innocent” might be the most passive-aggressive pardon denial we’ve seen in modern politics—and in typical Trump fashion, the statement says more about ego than evidence. Meanwhile, 50 Cent’s digital victory lap shows there’s no beef too big to bring to the timeline while Combs continues to fight for a reduced sentence and a shot at bail.
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