Trump answers whether he would consider a Diddy pardon

Speaking with members of the press on Friday afternoon, President Donald Trump floated the possibility of issuing a presidential pardon to disgraced rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs, saying “it’s not a popularity contest” and “I would certainly look at the facts” if asked.

In a federal indictment unsealed on Sept. 17, Combs was charged with racketeering conspiracy (RICO); sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution. If found guilty, he faces a minimum of 15 years behind bars or a maximum sentence of life in prison.

He has maintained his innocence throughout the ongoing trial in which witnesses have testified to alleged rape, sexual assault, severe physical abuse, forced labor and drug trafficking. 

EX-ASSISTANT’S HARROWING TESTIMONY EXPOSES ALLEGED ABUSE, FORCED LABOR AND DRUG TRAFFICKING BY DIDDY: EXPERT

Speaking with members of the press on Friday afternoon, President Donald Trump floated the possibility of issuing a presidential pardon to disgraced rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs, saying “it’s not a popularity contest” and “I would certainly look at the facts” if asked. (Getty Images/Jane Rosenberg and Francis Chung/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

In response to a question by Fox News reporter Peter Doocy about his previous friendship with Diddy and whether he would consider a pardon of the former rapper, Trump indicated that he would consider “if I think somebody was mistreated.”

The president said that so far “nobody’s asked” for any such pardon, but noted: “I know people are thinking about it. I know that they’re thinking about it. I think 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, although it’s certainly getting a lot of coverage,” said Trump.

USHER, OBAMA NAME-DROPPED IN DIDDY’S TRIAL AS SEX TRAFFICKING CASE HEATS UP

Janice Combs, Diddy’s mother, arrived in court Tuesday for her son’s trial. (Seth Wenig/AP Photo)

“I haven’t seen him. I haven’t spoken to him in years,” he went on, adding that Diddy “used to really like me a lot, but I think when I ran for politics … that relationship busted up.”

Trump said that though he never had a falling out with Diddy per se, after entering politics, he would “read some little bit nasty statements in the paper all of a sudden.”

“It’s different,” he went on. “You become a much different person when you run for politics, and you do what’s right. I could do other things, and I’m sure he’d like me, and I’m sure other people would like me, but it wouldn’t be as good for our country.”

DIDDY EX-ASSISTANT CAPRICORN CLARK DELIVERS ‘MOST EXPLOSIVE’ TESTIMONY YET IN RAPPER’S FEDERAL TRIAL: EXPERT

US President Donald Trump, right, and Elon Musk, chief executive officer of Tesla Inc., during a news conference in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Friday, May 30, 2025. (Francis Chung/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“As we said, our country is doing really well because of what we’re doing, so it’s not a popularity contest, so I don’t know, 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 on me,” Trump concluded.

Fox News Digital’s Tracy Wright contributed to this report.