President Donald Trump indicated he was unlikely to pardon Sean “Diddy” Combs following the rapper’s conviction for violating federal prostitution laws, despite his acquittal on allegations of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy.
Speaking with Newsmax on Friday, Trump described Combs’ legal situation as unusual, stating, “Well he was essentially, sort of, half-innocent.”
“I don’t know what they do that he’s still in jail or something,” he added. “He was celebrating a victory but I guess it wasn’t as good a victory.”
Trump revealed that although he and Combs shared a past as high-profile New Yorkers, their relationship cooled once politics came into play.
Newsmax: Sean Diddy Combs. Would you consider pardoning him?
Trump: Well, he was essentially, I guess, sort of half innocent.
What?
— Spencer Hakimian (@SpencerHakimian) August 2, 2025
“I was very friendly with him, get along with him great, seemed like a nice guy, didn’t know him well,” Trump said, before noting a shift in tone during his political rise. When I ran for office he was very hostile.”
“But it was hard with human beings and we don’t like to have things cloud our judgement, right? But when you knew someone and you were fine and then you run for office and he made some terrible statements, so I don’t know, it makes it more difficult to do,” he pointed out.
Trump confirmed he had been considering a potential pardon, but leaned against it. When pressed by interviewer Rob Finnerty, Trump replied, “I’d say so.”
Reports suggest that discussions surrounding a possible reprieve for Combs had been under consideration for some time, even advancing beyond mere speculation.
A source told Deadline that the notion had progressed “from just another Trump weave to an actionable event.”
As Combs awaits sentencing in a Brooklyn jail, he faces up to a decade behind bars, with sentencing scheduled for October 3.
Legal experts have highlighted how unique his conviction is, particularly with respect to the rarely used Mann Act.
Combs’ legal team filed a motion seeking to overturn the prostitution-related verdict or at least secure a new trial. “This conviction stands alone, but it shouldn’t stand at all,” the filing declared.
His attorneys argue that Combs’ case represents an unprecedented application of the Mann Act, which prohibits transporting individuals across state lines for prostitution.
According to the defense, Combs didn’t profit from the events, nor were the activities coercive.
“To our knowledge, Mr. Combs is the only person ever convicted of violating the statute for conduct anything like this,” read the filing.
“It is undisputed that he had no commercial motive and that all involved were adults. The men chose to travel and engage in the activity voluntarily. The verdict confirms the women were not vulnerable or exploited or trafficked or sexually assaulted.”
According to the motion, Combs merely engaged in consensual adult voyeurism as part of a swingers’ lifestyle, which the defense argues does not fall under the legal definition of prostitution.
The filing also asks Judge Arun Subramanian to dismiss the jury’s decision, or at least call for a retrial focused strictly on the Mann Act charges, arguing that prejudicial and inflammatory testimony about unrelated allegations influenced the outcome.
Trial testimony painted a graphic picture of Combs’ private life, with claims that over two decades, he organized “freak-offs,” extended drug-fueled hotel gatherings involving paid male entertainers and escorts.
These events, according to accusers like ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, sometimes included coercion, threats, and drugging.
\“Sean Combs has basically been convicted for using the services of a sex worker, and that’s just not really prosecuted anymore,” his attorney Marc Agnifilo told Variety.
“The Mann Act is not supposed to be applied to the user of prostitution services. … It’s supposed to be used for people who make money from the business of prostitution.”
When questioned about the possibility of a presidential pardon or communication with the Trump administration, Agnifilo was clear: “I am not involved in that in the least. I have literally no idea.”
“There are times I think there’s nothing to it, and there are times I think it’s just rumor mill stuff,” he noted. “But, I do not purport to know the president’s mind. I really don’t know.”
He added that pursuing a pardon was not part of their legal game plan. “No,” Agnifilo said. “My end of the business is very focused on the case alone — the merit of the case and what happened in the courtroom. I don’t do anything else.”
Despite earlier hints from Trump back in May that he was open to the idea, saying in the Oval Office that “nobody’s asked but I know people are thinking about it,” his recent remarks suggest the rapper’s political hostility may complicate any clemency.
“I haven’t seen him, I haven’t spoken to him in years. He used to really like me a lot, but I think when I ran for politics he sort of, that relationship busted up from what I read,” Trump said.
“I don’t know. He didn’t tell me that, but I’d read some nasty statements in the paper all of a sudden.”
Still, Trump insisted his judgment wouldn’t be clouded by past grudges. “I would certainly look at the facts. if I think somebody was mistreated, whether they like me or don’t like me it wouldn’t have any impact.”