NEWS
US President Donald Trump has said it would be “difficult” to pardon Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs as he was “very hostile” towards him.
The rapper and music mogul was found guilty on two counts of transportation for engaging in prostitution, but was acquitted of racketeering and sex trafficking in July. He pleaded not guilty to all five charges.
Combs is currently awaiting sentencing at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, where he has been held since his arrest in September last year. Last week (July 29), he asked a judge to release him on a $50million (£37.4million) bond as he waits to be sentenced in October.
In June, Trump said that he would look into a potential pardon for Combs, and that he would “certainly look at the facts”.
Now, though, he’s weighed in again, calling Combs “half-innocent” and saying it’s “more likely a no” that he would be pardoned.
“Well, he was essentially, I guess, sort of half-innocent,” Trump told Newsmax host Rob Finnerty on Friday (August 1). “[He’s] still in jail or something, but he was celebrating a victory. But I guess it wasn’t as good of a victory.”
Trump went on to recall that he was “very friendly with him. I got along with him great, and [he] seemed like a nice guy. I didn’t know him well. But when I ran for office, he was very hostile. It’s hard, you know? We’re human beings. And we don’t like to have things cloud our judgment, right? But when you knew someone and you were fine, and then you run for office, and he made some terrible statements. So I don’t know …. it makes it more difficult to do.”
It echoes comments he made in May, when he said about Combs: “I haven’t seen him, I haven’t spoken to him in years. He used to really like me a lot, but I think when I ran for politics, that relationship busted up. I read some little bit nasty statements in the paper all of a sudden.”
Referring to a possible pardon, Trump added at the time: “I would certainly look at the facts. If I think somebody is mistreated, whether they like me or don’t like me, it wouldn’t have any impact on me.”
The US President and rapper were once on good terms, with Trump attending a number of Combs’ VIP parties and events in New York City, and calling the rapper “a good friend” during a 2012 episode of The Apprentice, while Combs called Trump “a friend of mine” in 2015, shortly after Trump launched his first campaign.
But when asked about Trump in 2017, Combs told the Daily Beast, “I think that to be honest, we don’t really give a fuck about Trump, because [black people are] in the same fucked-up position. So that’s not what we’re on.”
Then, speaking to Charlamagne tha God in 2020, Combs said, “White men like Trump need to be banished. That way of thinking is real dangerous. This man literally threatened the lives of us and our families about going to vote … The number one priority is to get Trump out of office.”
Combs faces a maximum sentence of 20 years behind bars on the two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. However, he could receive less than this because it is a first-time conviction.
For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.
Elton John has shared his family’s yearly summer playlist on the latest episode of his Rocket Hour show on Apple Music, with songs chosen together with his husband David Furnish and their sons, Zachary and Elijah.
During his appearance on Apple Music 1, the musician revealed that the family puts every song suggestion to a vote at home, with a track needing at least three votes before making the final cut. The playlist is packed with energetic songs, matching the family’s love for lively and feel good music throughout the summer.
The playlist brings together different generations and musical styles, combining iconic names from previous decades with newer electronic artists and dance music producers.
Among the songs chosen are Stevie Wonder’s "Higher Ground," Bob Marley & The Wailers' "Could You Be Loved," and Tom Petty’s "Runnin' Down A Dream." John also praised Petty’s music, describing the 1989 album Full Moon Fever as one of the greatest rock albums ever made.
Zachary and Elijah’s musical tastes are also represented, with the playlist featuring current UK club tracks alongside familiar reggae and pop favorites. John singled out "Free Your Mind," the collaboration between Leeds dance duo Prospa and producer Cloonee, as one song his sons especially enjoy.
The broadcast also features a mix of electronic and crossover sounds, including Peggy Gou and Ayra Starr’s "Wo, man," Jamie xx’s "Baddy On the Floor" featuring Honey Dijon, Barry Can’t Swim’s "Return To Bhibo," and Fisher’s reworking of Bob Sinclar’s "World, Hold On." Other artists included in the selection are Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lykke Li, Groove Armada, Kacey Musgraves, Wiz Khalifa, and Role Model.
John noted that the songs played during the radio show are only part of the much larger playlist the family listens to during the summer.
The complete episode of Rocket Hour can be streamed on demand through Apple Music and Apple Podcasts.
