Trump makes decision on pardoning P Diddy after conviction
In an interview with Newsmax on Friday, the former president addressed speculation that he might offer Combs a presidential pardon, revealing he had been 'seriously considering' the possibility. However, Trump ultimately suggested the answer would be 'more likely a no'.
'Well he was essentially, sort of, half-innocent. I don't know what they do that he's still in jail or something,' Trump said. 'He was celebrating a victory but I guess it wasn't as good a victory.'
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Combs, 55, was acquitted earlier this month of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges related to ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura and another woman referred to as Jane. But he was found guilty on two federal counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, which was a violation of the Mann Act, and now faces up to 10 years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for October 3.
Trump recalls having a friendly rapport with Combs in the past as they were both prominent figures in New York. But he claimed that their relationship soured after Trump entered politics, pointing to Combs' vocal support of Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential race.
'When I ran for office he was very hostile,' Trump told interviewer Rob Finnerty. 'He made some terrible statements, so I don't know — it makes it more difficult to do.' When he was pressed on whether a pardon was off the table, Trump replied: 'I'd say so.'
Behind the scenes, sources previously indicated that the idea of a pardon had moved beyond idle talk and was being taken seriously by the Trump team. One insider told Deadline it had progressed from 'just another Trump weave to an actionable event'.
Combs' legal team has already filed for either an acquittal or a retrial. In a strongly worded motion, his lawyers argued that his conviction under the Mann Act was unprecedented and should be overturned.
'This verdict is unsound. And this conviction, rooted in a misapplied, overbroad statute, should not stand,' they wrote, and maintained that all parties involved in the so-called 'Freak-Offs' were consenting adults and that no commercial sex acts had taken place.
They also claimed that Combs' activities were in the same vein as producing amateur adult films for private viewing, and therefore protected by the First Amendment.
'The men were paid for their time,' the motion continued. 'They enjoyed the activities and had friendships with Ms. Ventura and Jane and were not merely traveling to have sex for money.'
If a full acquittal isn't granted, Combs' attorneys argue a retrial should be ordered due to 'severe spillover prejudice' from the inclusion of inflammatory evidence during the trial, including surveillance footage from a 2016 incident showing Combs physically assaulting Ventura. Combs remains in custody at a Brooklyn detention centre.
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