Donald Trump addressed the legal turmoil surrounding music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs. During a recent press conference, a reporter pressed Trump on whether he’d consider issuing a pardon if Diddy’s legal challenges escalated.
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“You mentioned once in 2012 that Diddy was a good friend,” the reporter noted. “Would you consider pardoning him?”
Trump didn’t dodge the question. “Well, nobody’s asked. You had to be the one to ask, Peter, but nobody’s asked,” Trump said. “I think people have been very close to asking.”
The President added that while he hasn’t followed Diddy’s situation closely, he’d be willing to review it. “I’d look at what’s happening,” he said. “If I think somebody was mistreated—whether they like me or don’t like me—it wouldn’t have any impact on me.”
Trump acknowledged that he and Diddy were once close, but the relationship soured once Trump entered politics. “He used to really like me a lot, but I think when I ran for politics, that relationship busted up,” he said. “I read some little bit nasty statements in the paper.”
As President, Trump holds the authority to issue federal pardons. Whether Diddy’s legal issues will rise to that level—and whether Trump will act on it—remains to be seen.
