President Donald Trump has finally weighed in on whether he’d pardon music mogul **Sean “Diddy” Combs**, convicted last month on two federal counts of transporting individuals for prostitution. Speaking in a recent Newsmax interview, Trump described Combs as **“sort of half innocent”**, emphasizing political caution and personal history amid mounting public scrutiny as confirmed by UNILAD’s report.
Combs was convicted in July 2025 under the **Mann Act**—not of sex trafficking or racketeering—but of transporting commercial sex workers across state lines. Prosecutors have built a portrait of orchestration, alleging Combs hosted elaborate parties using drugs and coercion. His sentencing is scheduled for October, and he remains jailed after multiple bail requests were denied as covered in court filings and detail in his verdict summary from Wikipedia and trial recap.
Trump said he would **“certainly look at the facts”** if a formal pardon request reached his desk, but made clear that he had **not been asked yet** and hinted at growing discomfort from Combs’ political attacks—particularly after Combs endorsed Joe Biden and criticized Trump publicly during the trial as reported in reaction to their tense history, a dynamic also described in previous coverage in New York Magazine’s context piece.
“He called him ‘sort of half‑innocent’—but signaled likely NO clemency moving forward.”
**Critics—including legal experts and domestic violence survivors**—warned that pardoning Combs would set a dangerous precedent, effectively validating his alleged behavior. Megyn Kelly sharply criticized the idea, warning Trump that a pardon would alienate female conservatives and victims of abuse alike, citing public discomfort over Combs’ history and trial testimony as she spelled out on her show.
Also controversial: **50 Cent has emerged as a vocal opponent**, using social platforms to urge Trump not to grant Combs clemency. He circulated video clips of Combs criticizing Trump and framed the pardon issue as politically and personally fraught as covered alongside Trump’s statement and earlier commentary on the feud.
In a broader context, Trump’s approach to presidential pardons has drawn substantial criticism. His administration’s controversial clemency grants—often to connected individuals—led him to appoint **Alice Marie Johnson** as a newly created “Pardon Czar” to ostensibly vet future candidates. Still, skeptics say the process frequently bypassed traditional DOJ review, raising questions about fairness and precedent as Reuters detailed Johnson’s role and deeper analysis of pardon patterns from Wikipedia for context.
In summary, while Trump portrays Combs as partially exonerated, his tone suggests reluctance to issue a clemency. Until a formal request or compelling legal rationale emerges, the odds appear stacked against a pardon—despite public ties and entertainment industry pressure.
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