President Donald Trump isn't coming to Sean 'Diddy' Combs' rescue. After months of guessing games about whether the President would step in to help the Bad Boy Records founder, Trump has finally set the record straight: it's not happening. Despite a personal letter from Combs begging for clemency, the 79-year-old President confirmed he has no plans to use his power to get the music mogul out of jail.
The President Teases A Private Letter But Denies Request
This revelation dropped during a marathon two-hour interview with New York Times reporters on 7 January. The conversation turned to high-profile inmates, and when the 56-year-old Combs came up, Trump didn't hold back. He told the room that the rapper had indeed reached out to him, admitting that Combs 'asked me for a pardon' via a written letter.
Trump couldn't resist making a bit of a show out of it. He reportedly teased the journalists, asking, 'Oh, would you like to see that letter?', though he kept the paper to himself. It was a classic Trump move—confirming he had the direct line to the celebrity but showing he wasn't swayed by it. While Combs took the time to write the note hoping for a break, Trump's comments made it crystal clear that the request is going nowhere.
Bad Blood And A 'Hostile' Past Relationship
It seems the decision comes down to old grudges from Trump's first time in the White House. The two used to run in the same social circles, but things got icy once Trump traded business for politics. The President has been pretty open about why he's not rushing to help, and it's personal.
Back in an interview with Newsmax host Rob Finnerty on 1 August, Trump laid it out. He mentioned he used to get along 'great' with Combs, but the vibe shifted. 'I didn't know him well, but when I ran for office he was very hostile,' Trump said. He admitted those past attacks made it 'more difficult' for him to even think about a pardon. When Finnerty asked if that meant a pardon was unlikely, Trump didn't dodge the question: 'I'd say so.'
Donald Trump Says He Won't Grant Diddy's Pardon Request #diddy #trump #seancombs #riristea #rivetsoro pic.twitter.com/NrtyYEKM5S
— Rivet Soro (@Rivet_Soro) January 8, 2026
50-Year Sentence And The 'Split' Legal Victory
Combs' current legal nightmare began in earnest on 2 July 2025. A 12-person jury came back with a messy split verdict after a trial that dragged on for nearly two months. Trump himself called it a partial win, noting the rapper was 'celebrating a victory but I guess it wasn't as good of a victory' as he wanted.
The guilty verdict came after testimony from his ex-girlfriends, 'Jane' and Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura Fine. While the jury cleared him of racketeering and sex trafficking charges, they nailed him on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. Now, Combs is stuck serving a 50-year sentence in New Jersey, fighting to get both the conviction and the jail time overturned.
White House Stance On Commutation Rumours
Before Trump sat down with the Times, there was plenty of chatter that he might just shorten the sentence instead of wiping the slate clean. But his team has been shutting that down for a while. On 21 October, a spokesperson for the White House told USA TODAY there was 'zero truth' to the gossip that a commutation was on the table.
The official made a point to say that the President—not nameless insiders—is the only one who makes the call on pardons. Now that Trump has spoken up himself, the door looks firmly shut. You can read more about the ongoing legal saga in this latest report. For the foreseeable future, Combs is staying behind bars.
