The White House has denied a report claiming that President Donald Trump was considering commuting the prison sentence of Sean “Diddy” Combs.
The denial followed a TMZ report citing a senior White House official who allegedly said Trump had been weighing the possibility of granting clemency to the Bad Boy Records founder.
Combs is currently serving a 50-month prison term after being convicted on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
Combs’ high-profile federal trial concluded in July with his acquittal on the two most serious charges — sex trafficking and racketeering.
Trump was first asked about the prospect of a pardon in May, at the outset of the music mogul’s trial. “I don’t know. I would certainly look at the facts,” he said at the time, according to ABC News. “If I think someone was mistreated, it wouldn’t matter whether they like me or don’t.”
In August, following the trial, Trump appeared to dismiss the idea of clemency when questioned again. “I got along with him great,” Trump told Newsmax. “Seemed like a nice guy. I didn’t know him well. But when I ran for office, he was very hostile. … It’s hard.”
“We’re human beings,” he continued. “We don’t like to have things cloud our judgment, 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’s more difficult. Makes it more, I’m being honest, makes it more difficult to do.”
