President Donald Trump stated this week that Diddy-pardon-a-smart-play-for-trump/”>Sean “Diddy” Combs personally sought a Diddy-combs-pardon-1236571716/”>presidential pardon, however he provided no indication he would grant it. The assertion got here because the music mogul started serving a four-year jail sentence following his conviction on two counts of transporting people for prostitution.

Speaking Monday from the Oval Office, Trump informed reporters that a number of individuals had requested clemency throughout his tenure. “A lot of people have asked me for pardons,” Trump stated. “I call him Puff Daddy. He has asked me for a pardon.”

His feedback marked the primary Diddy/”>public acknowledgment of contact between the president and Combs because the rapper’s sentencing.

Diddy-asked-for-a-pardon”>President Donald Trump Says Diddy Asked For a Pardon

Trump was additionally questioned about Diddy-targeted-by-ghislaine-maxwell-prosecutor-ex-fbi-directors-daughter/”>Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted sex trafficker and longtime affiliate of Jeffrey Epstein, whose Supreme Court attraction was denied earlier within the day.

“I’d have to take a look at it,” Trump informed CNN’s Kaitlan Collins. “I wouldn’t consider it or not consider it. Don’t know anything about it. I will speak to the DOJ.”

His noncommittal tone left open hypothesis about whether or not he may prolong clemency to different distinguished defendants convicted of sexual misconduct.

Reports surfaced in July suggesting Trump had privately mentioned the potential of pardoning Combs, although no formal request or documentation was confirmed. The problem resurfaced in August throughout a Newsmax interview, when Trump was pressed once more about Combs.

“Well, he was essentially, I guess, sort of half innocent,” Trump stated. “I was very friendly with him, but when I ran for office, he was very hostile. So, I don’t know—it’s more difficult.”

Combs, a significant determine in hip-hop and leisure for greater than 30 years, has confronted mounting authorized bother. His prison conviction adopted a number of civil lawsuits alleging sexual assault, coercion, and racketeering. The sentence capped a fast fall for an government as soon as hailed as a cultural innovator and enterprise chief.

Neither Trump’s representatives nor Combs’ authorized group have commented additional on any pardon discussions. For now, Trump’s remarks spotlight his continued affect over public conversations involving high-profile prison instances and his tendency to merge political technique with authorized spectacle.