Donald Trump weighed in once more on rumors of a doable presidential pardon for Sean Combs, the hip-hop mogul convicted final month on two counts of transportation to have interaction in prostitution, calling him “half-innocent” however agreeing with a bunch who requested if it was “extra possible a no.”
Combs was discovered not responsible on July 2 of extra critical intercourse trafficking and racketeering conspiracy fees. But every of the 2 prostitution counts may technically land him in jail for as much as 10 years when the mogul is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 3. (Authorized consultants, nevertheless, inform Rolling Stone they anticipate him to get a lot much less.)
“Nicely, he was basically, I suppose, form of half-innocent,” Trump instructed 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 few Combs’ VIP events and occasions in New York Metropolis, together with the Dangerous Boy founder’s blowout birthday bashes. Trump referred to as Combs “a great good friend” throughout a 2012 episode of The Apprentice, whereas Combs referred to as Trump “a good friend of mine” in 2015, not lengthy after Trump launched his first marketing campaign.
However when requested about Trump in 2017, Combs instructed the Each day Beast, “I feel that to be sincere, 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.” Talking to Charlamagne tha God in 2020, Combs mentioned, “White males like Trump must 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 doable pardon in Could, Trump mentioned, “I haven’t seen him, I haven’t spoken to him in years. He used to actually like me lots, however I feel once I ran for politics that relationship busted up … I learn some little bit nasty statements within the paper swiftly.” However he appeared a minimum of considerably sympathetic to Combs’ plight, telling reporters that he “will surely have a look at the info” of the case. “I do know individuals are fascinated with it,” he added. “Individuals have been very near asking.”
Throughout Friday’s interview, Trump recalled that he was “very pleasant with him. I bought together with him nice, and [he] appeared like a pleasant man. I didn’t know him nicely. However once I ran for workplace, he was very hostile. It’s arduous, ? We’re human beings. And we don’t wish to have issues cloud our judgment, proper? However if you knew somebody and also you have been nice, and you then run for workplace, and he made some horrible statements. So I don’t know …. it makes it harder to do.”
As Rolling Stone reported in Could, the mogul’s associates started contacting individuals near Trump shortly after he gained the presidential election final November. Through the presidential transition and within the opening months of Trump’s second administration, a number of longtime associates and allies of Combs, who’ve identified 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 conversant in the matter and one other individual briefed on it instructed Rolling Stone.
The small variety of senior Trump officers who have been conscious of the talks expressed deep reservations about commuting a doable 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 probably the most extreme fees has modified the calculus among the many president or anybody in his administration. As Rolling Stone reported on Thursday, Combs’ staff has intensified their behind-the-scenes marketing campaign in latest weeks, in line 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 Crew Trump.
Prior to now few weeks, longtime Combs allies have provided to pay political operatives, lobbyists, and others with shut ties to Trumpland and authorities officers giant monetary sums in alternate for assist with a possible Trump pardon, three individuals conversant in the matter inform Rolling Stone. One of many sources says the supply they have been aware of was within the mid-six figures.
A number of Trump advisers nonetheless really feel it will 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 towards the concept. Rolling Stone has reviewed a draft copy of the letter, which admonishes Combs for trying to “reclaim management” and “rewrite historical past” following his conviction on prostitution fees. 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, attorneys for Combs submitted a 62-page submitting 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 movement 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.
