President Donald J. Trump reportedly suggested this week that he would consider a pardon for music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs if re-elected, though he emphasized no request has yet been made and that any decision would depend on the facts of the case.
Combs, a towering figure in the hip-hop industry, is currently facing a sweeping federal investigation that includes allegations of sex trafficking, assault, and racketeering.
Federal agents raided two of his properties earlier this year as part of the ongoing probe.
Combs has denied all wrongdoing, and no charges have been formally filed at the federal level.
When asked whether he would be open to issuing a pardon, Trump demurred but left the door open. “We’re going to take a look at a lot of things. It depends on what the crime is.
It depends on so many different things,” he said, speaking outside a campaign event. “I’ve known him over the years. I hope everything turns out well for him.”
The question arose amid growing speculation about how Trump, who granted clemency to multiple celebrities during his presidency, might use that power again if he were to return to office.
During his term, he famously pardoned or commuted the sentences of figures such as Lil Wayne, Kodak Black, and political allies like Roger Stone and Michael Flynn.
The conversation around a potential pardon for Combs has divided public figures.
Rapper and producer Kanye West has reportedly advocated on Combs’ behalf, while fellow rapper 50 Cent dismissed the idea, pointing to Combs’ past criticisms of Trump and the gravity of the allegations.
Gene Deal, a former bodyguard for Combs who has spoken publicly about the star’s inner circle, expressed doubt that Trump would intervene. “Puff talked bad about Trump too many times,” Deal said. “Trump don’t forget.”
Though Trump stopped short of endorsing a pardon, his remarks echoed a familiar refrain from his presidency: a blend of personal familiarity and case-by-case pragmatism. “A lot of people are asking me that question,” he said of the Combs case. “He’s got a lot of problems right now. I don’t know anything about the case, really. I just heard about it.”
As the investigation into Combs continues, Trump’s potential return to power—and the levers of clemency it would bring—adds a new dimension to an already high-profile legal saga.
Whether that power would ultimately be used to assist one of hip-hop’s most influential but embattled figures remains to be seen.
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