Rumors That Trump Was Considering Commuting Diddy’s Sentence Were Quickly Shut Down Amid the Music Mogul’s Four-Year Federal Prison Term
Any lingering hope that President Donald Trump might intervene in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ case has been firmly shut down.
On Tuesday, Oct. 21, the White House dismissed reports that the president was weighing a commutation for the 55-year-old music mogul’s federal prison sentence. The denial came after TMZ claimed a “high-ranking” White House insider said Trump was “vacillating” on whether to act and that a decision could come “soon.”
“There is zero truth to the TMZ report, which we would’ve gladly explained had they reached out before running their fake news,” a White House spokesperson told NBC News. “The president, not anonymous sources, is the final decider on pardons and commutations.”
Diddy’s Legal Troubles Continue
The rebuke follows Combs’ high-profile federal trial, which concluded in July with convictions on two counts of transporting women across state lines for prostitution. He was acquitted on more severe charges of racketeering and sex trafficking.
In October, a federal judge sentenced Combs to just over four years—50 months—in prison, along with a $500,000 fine and five years of supervised release. According to court filings, his post-release conditions include drug testing, mental health treatment, and participation in a domestic violence program.
Combs, who has maintained his innocence, filed an appeal this week seeking to overturn his conviction. He has requested to serve his time at the low-security Federal Correctional Institution in Fort Dix, New Jersey.
Trump’s History with Combs and Commutations
Throughout Combs’ legal battle, his attorneys and close associates have reportedly sought assistance from the Trump administration, but those efforts have gone nowhere.
Trump, who has a long and complicated relationship with celebrity pardons, has previously intervened on behalf of controversial figures such as former Rep. George Santos and reality TV personalities Todd and Julie Chrisley.
However, his stance toward Diddy appears unchanged. When asked in August about the possibility of a pardon, Trump said their once-cordial relationship soured after he entered politics.
“You know, I was very friendly with him. I got along with him great. And seemed like a nice guy, I didn’t know him well,” Trump said in a Newsmax interview. “But when I ran for office, he was very hostile.”
He added that Diddy’s attitude “makes it more difficult to do.”
