‘Nobody’s asked’: Trump weighs in on pardoning Diddy

Donald Trump has revealed he was once close to Sean “Diddy” Combs’ as the billionaire music mogul is accused of “threatening to kill” a former assistant.

Donald Trump has not ruled out pardoning Sean “Diddy” Combs if he is convicted of sex trafficking, revealing the pair were close before he entered politics.

Speaking at the White House, Mr Trump said nobody had formally asked him about a pardon for the music mogul but told reporters he would keep an eye on the case and weigh in if he believed Combs had been treated unfairly.

“I think some people have been very close to asking,” he said when asked if he would consider pardoning the music industry titan who was previously known as P. Diddy and Puff Daddy.

US President Donald Trump was asked if he would consider pardoning Sean “Diddy” Combs. Picture: AFP

“First of all, I’d look at what’s happening, and I haven’t been watching it too closely, although it’s certainly getting a lot of coverage.”

An ongoing trial in a Manhattan federal court has heard Combs’ preferred hotel to host “freak off” sex parties was the Trump Hotel in New York.

“I haven’t seen him, I haven’t spoken to him in years,” Mr Trump said.

“He used to really like me a lot. I think when I ran for politics, that relationship busted up, from what I read. I don’t know, he didn’t tell me that, but I’d read some little bit, nasty statements in the paper all of a sudden.

“You know, it’s different. You become a much different person when you run for politics and you do what’s right.”

Combs is in the midst of the third week of an eight week criminal trial in which he has pleaded not guilty to charges of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy.

“I could do other things, and I’m sure he’d like me, and I’m sure other people would like me, but it wouldn’t be as good for our country,” Mr Trump said of the apparent change in his relationship with Combs’.

“As we said our country is doing really well because of what we’re doing.

“So I can’t, it’s not a popularity contest, so I would certainly look at the facts. If I think somebody was mistreated, whether they like me or don’t like me, it wouldn’t have any impact.”

FOLLOW FOR UPDATES:

‘WHAT I SAID IS THE TRUTH’

Combs’ former assistant Mia didn’t back down when she was repeatedly pressed about the truth of her claims the music mogul sexually assaulted her, The New York Post reports.

“Isn’t it true that Mr Combs never had unwanted non-consensual sex with you?” Combs lawyer Brian Steel asked.

“What I said in this courtroom is the truth,” Mia responded. “I have not lied to anyone at all.”

“Isn’t it true, although unforgivable for any person to put their hands on a women, especially a man, isn’t it true it did not happen as many times as you’ve said to this jury?” Steel continued.

“Everything I’ve said in this courtroom is true,” she answered.

Steel then asked Mia why she made Combs a scrap book if she was his victim.

“It’s a lot more complicated than that,” she said.

For hours, Steel has been calling up Mia’s positive Instagram posts toward Combs, in an apparent effort to dispel her claims that she was a victim of his.

‘HE THREATENED TO KILL ME’

It comes as Sean “Diddy” Combs’ trial continued in New York. The mogul’s former assistant returned to the witness stand on Friday local time after spending hours describing how the music mogul physically, sexually and emotionally abused her during the eight years she worked for him.

The woman, who is being identified under the pseudonym “Mia” worked for the Bad Boy Records founder between 2009 and 2017.

On Thursday local time she alleged working for Combs was “toxic” and “chaotic”.

Sean “Diddy” Combs could face life in jail if found guilty. Picture: Splash News

“He’s thrown things at me, he’s thrown me against the wall, he’s thrown me into a pool, he’s thrown an ice bucket on my head,” she said.

“He has slammed my arm into a door and he’s also … sexually assaulted me.”

Her testimony has continued in that vein on Friday local time, describing a meltdown by Combs during a New Year’s Eve yacht trip in St Barts to usher in 2011 because she was taking too long to count $100,000 (A$155,000) in cash.

“You better learn how to walk on water like Jesus bitch, get the f*** out of here,” she said Combs told her.

Sean Combs’ ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura also testified against the mogul. Picture: AP

Mia said she was able to get a ride to land to escape the furious Combs but she later returned at his request.

She said on another occasion while she was asleep in a different time zone, she woke up to 48 missed calls and Combs’ threatened to kill or fire her if she didn’t answer him.

In another incident while she was with Cassie Ventura in South Africa, Mia said Combs again threatened her – he “was threatening my job and then threatening to kill me,” she said.

The woman said after leaving the company in 2017, she reached a legal settlement with Combs for $400,000 (A$623,000) but only received half of that because of lawyer fees.

As part of that settlement, she never spoke about her allegations she had been sexually assaulted by Combs.

“I was going to die with this,” she said.

On Thursday she told the court that she did not want to give evidence in the trial “because it’s the most traumatising thing”.

“The worst thing … shameful thing that happened to me.”

COMBS TRIED TO CONTACT ASSISTANT AFTER CASSIE SPLIT

Mia gave evidence that after Ms Ventura filed a civil lawsuit against Combs, her former boss tried to contact her for support.

The court heard Combs’ long-time security officer known as D-Roc contacted her in November 2023 after Ventura’s lawsuit surfaced.

Mia said D-Roc told her that Puff (Combs) wanted to talk to her and would call.

She said when he did eventually ring: “I threw my phone as far as it can go, and I ran outside.”

Kim Kardashian, Sean Combs, Khloe Kardashian, and Kylie Jenner at Combs’ 50th birthday party in 2019. Picture: Getty Images for Sean Combs

Mia gave evidence that she ignored a further message from D-Roc in February 2024 in which he seemingly offered her a bribe, writing: “I can send my sister a gift”.

Under examination from defence lawyers, Mia was asked to explain a social media photo taken of her with Combs at his 40th birthday party.

In it, she can be seen grabbing the rapper’s crotch.

The caption, written in November 2009, said: “Thank you for constantly inspiring me … you are one of my greatest friends. I love you.”

Asked if that was the same man who “terrorised” her, Mia said: “Instagram was a place to show how great your life was, even if it was not.”

The court heard Mia suffered from complex and severe PTSD as a result of her employment with Combs.

Combs is charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution across state lines.

He’s accused of using the resources of his vast business empire including staff and cash to ply women, including Ms Ventura, with drugs and coerce them to take part in days-long sex parties with male escorts that Combs directed and filmed and later allegedly threatened to release if they did not comply with his wishes.

He has pleaded not guilty and faces life in prison if convicted.

Originally published as ‘Nobody’s asked’: Trump weighs in on pardoning Diddy