President Donald Trump has speculated about Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking trial after being asked if he would pardon the rap mogul.
Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday, “Nobody’s asked, but I know people are thinking about it,” referring to a possible pardon for Combs.
“I think some people have been very close to asking. First of all, I’d look at what’s happening, and I haven’t been watching it too closely…I haven’t seen him. I haven’t spoken to him in years,” Trump said.
The president said that he believes politics got between him and Combs.
“He used to really like me a lot, but I think when I ran for politics, sort of, that relationship busted up from what I read…you become a much different person when you run for politics and you do what’s right…our country’s doing really well because of what we’re doing,” Trump said.
“If I think somebody was mistreated, whether they like me or don’t like me, it wouldn’t have any impact on me,” he added.
The president’s comments come as Diddy is on trial in a New York federal court. He is accused of sex trafficking and a host of other charges. Prosecutors say Diddy threatened, abused, and coerced victims “to fulfill his sexual desires” for two decades. Combs has denied any accusations of wrongdoing.
Allies of Combs have been trying to gain favor with people close to Trump in the hopes that the president would pardon the rap mogul, according to a Rolling Stone report that cited sources close to the individuals involved.
One source said that Combs is “willing to do anything to get out of jail.”
“He’s always been this way. He’s always going to do what he has to do to get out of a situation,” the source said, adding, “He doesn’t even like Donald Trump.”
Combs could get 15 years to life in prison if convicted of his sex trafficking charges.
This is a developing story…
