Fez — US President Donald Trump has rejected a pardon request from music executive Sean “Diddy” Combs, confirming that Combs sought clemency after his federal conviction but indicating he will not intervene.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on October 6, 2025, Trump said: “A lot of people have asked me for pardons,” and added: “I call him Puff Daddy, [he] has asked me for a pardon.” The remarks were reported by ABC News.
Combs was sentenced in 2025 after a federal case in Manhattan. ABC News reported that he “was sentenced” to more than four years in prison and fined $500,000.
Trump confirms a letter request
In a separate development published on January 8, The New York Times reported that Trump told the paper Combs “asked me for a pardon,” adding that the request came “through a letter.” When pressed for details, Trump said: “Oh, would you like to see that letter?” according to The Times’s report, which cited the interview.
The New York Times report also noted that the White House confirmed Trump’s comments to the publication, while a spokesperson for Combs declined to comment.
The exchange adds to the political and cultural scrutiny surrounding the US clemency process, where high-profile requests can become public flashpoints even when presidents signal that relief is unlikely.
Other high-profile requests rejected
In the same interview, Trump said he also had no plans to pardon other high-profile figures when asked by a Times reporter, including former New Jersey senator Robert Menendez, cryptocurrency founder Sam Bankman-Fried, and Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro.
Asked separately about Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted in the killing of George Floyd, Trump said, “I haven’t been asked about it,” further clarifying the limits he is placing on the use of his pardon power.
