Donald Trump weighed in once more on rumors of a potential presidential pardon for Sean Combs, the hip-hop mogul convicted last month on two counts of transportation to interact in prostitution, calling him “half-innocent” however agreeing with a bunch who requested if it was “extra doubtless a no.”
Combs was discovered not responsible on July 2 of extra critical intercourse trafficking and racketeering conspiracy costs. But every of the 2 prostitution counts may technically land him in prison for as much as 10 years when the mogul is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 3. (Authorized consultants, nevertheless, inform Rolling Stone they count on him to get a lot much less.)
“Effectively, he was primarily, I suppose, type of half-innocent,” Trump advised Newsmax host Rob Finnerty Friday evening. “[He’s] nonetheless in jail or one thing, however he was celebrating a victory. However I suppose it wasn’t pretty much as good of a victory.”
Trump and Combs have had an up-and-down relationship within the many years since they first met within the Nineties. Through the years, the real-estate magnate has been noticed at quite a lot of Combs’ VIP events and occasions in New York Metropolis, together with the Unhealthy Boy founder’s blowout birthday bashes. Trump referred to as Combs “an excellent pal” throughout a 2012 episode of The Apprentice, whereas Combs referred to as Trump “a pal of mine” in 2015, not lengthy after Trump launched his first marketing campaign.
However when requested about Trump in 2017, Combs advised the Day by day Beast, “I feel that to be trustworthy, we don’t actually give a fuck about Trump, as a result of [black people are] in the identical fucked-up place. In order that’s not what we’re on.” Speaking to Charlamagne tha God in 2020, Combs mentioned, “White males like Trump should be banished. That mind-set is actual harmful. This man actually threatened the lives of us and our households about going to vote … The primary precedence is to get Trump out of workplace.”
When requested a few possible pardon in May, Trump mentioned, “I haven’t seen him, I haven’t spoken to him in years. He used to essentially like me rather a lot, however I feel after I ran for politics that relationship busted up … I learn some little bit nasty statements within the paper impulsively.” However he appeared at the least considerably sympathetic to Combs’ plight, telling reporters that he “would definitely have a look at the information” of the case. “I do know persons are desirous about it,” he added. “Individuals have been very near asking.”
Throughout Friday’s interview, Trump recalled that he was “very pleasant with him. I acquired together with him nice, and [he] appeared like a pleasant man. I didn’t know him nicely. However after I ran for workplace, he was very hostile. It’s onerous, ? We’re human beings. And we don’t prefer to have issues cloud our judgment, proper? However while you knew somebody and also you had been tremendous, and then you definitely run for workplace, and he made some horrible statements. So I don’t know …. it makes it tougher to do.”
As Rolling Stone reported in May, the mogul’s associates started contacting individuals near Trump shortly after he received the presidential election final November. In the course of the presidential transition and within the opening months of Trump’s second administration, a number of longtime buddies and allies of Combs, who’ve recognized the rapper for a few years, started reaching out to some Trump transition and administration officers, in addition to to others near the president, two sources aware of the matter and one other particular person briefed on it advised Rolling Stone.
The small variety of senior Trump officers who had been conscious of the talks expressed deep reservations about commuting a potential Combs sentence, given the severity of the costs. (A rep for Combs didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon Friday’s interview.)
It’s unclear if Combs’ acquittal on essentially the most extreme costs has modified the calculus among the many president or anybody in his administration. As Rolling Stone reported on Thursday, Combs’ workforce has intensified their behind-the-scenes marketing campaign in latest weeks, in accordance with individuals out and in of the Trump administration. “The pleading has gotten larger [this month],” a Trump adviser says, referring to a conspicuous uptick in Combs allies’ makes an attempt to woo Workforce Trump.
Previously few weeks, longtime Combs allies have supplied to pay political operatives, lobbyists, and others with shut ties to Trumpland and authorities officers giant monetary sums in change for assist with a possible Trump pardon, three individuals aware of the matter inform Rolling Stone. One of many sources says the supply they had been aware of was within the mid-six figures.
A number of Trump advisers nonetheless really feel it might be a deeply unforced error to pardon Combs whereas the administration continues to be embroiled in a scandal over their dealing with of the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.
There are additionally ongoing talks amongst survivors to ship a private letter to Trump urging him in opposition to the thought. Rolling Stone has reviewed a draft copy of the letter, which admonishes Combs for making an attempt to “reclaim management” and “rewrite historical past” following his conviction on prostitution costs. A pardon, the draft provides, “wouldn’t be justice” however a “devastating message to survivors in every single place: that our lives, our ache, and our fact are nonetheless negotiable.”
On Thursday morning, legal professionals for Combs submitted a 62-page filing asking a choose to vacate his prostitution conviction and absolutely acquit him or grant him a brand new trial “centered solely” on these two counts. Earlier this week, they filed a new motion asking that Combs be launched on bail. Southern District of New York prosecutors filed their very own movement Thursday evening arguing that Combs stay in jail till his sentencing.
