President Donald Trump has unequivocally dismissed the possibility of extending presidential clemency to Sean "Diddy" Combs, the prominent hip-hop entrepreneur currently incarcerated on federal prostitution-related convictions, marking a clear boundary in his administration's approach to high-profile pardon requests amid ongoing appeals and public scrutiny.
In an extensive interview with The New York Times released on January 8, 2026, Trump disclosed that the 56-year-old music icon had forwarded a personal letter directly appealing for a pardon, yet the president expressed firm disinclination to intervene, referencing prior public criticisms from Combs that had strained relations during Trump's initial tenure in office.
Combs was found guilty in a federal trial concluded in July 2025 on two counts of interstate transportation for prostitution purposes, resulting in a 50-month prison term being served at a correctional facility in New Jersey, notwithstanding his acquittal on graver allegations of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, with legal teams actively pursuing appellate remedies challenging both the verdict and sentencing severity.
Also Read: Trump Warns Iran of “Overwhelming Force” if Protesters Are Killed
The president's categorical refusals extended beyond Combs to encompass other notable figures seeking relief, including the recently apprehended former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro facing U.S. drug trafficking indictments, cryptocurrency fraud convict Sam Bankman-Fried serving a lengthy 25-year sentence, and ex-Senator Robert Menendez imprisoned for 11 years on bribery convictions, underscoring a deliberate and restrained exercise of executive pardon authority.
These decisions stand in stark contrast to Trump's proactive clemency actions earlier in his term, notably the November 2025 pardon of former Honduran leader Juan Orlando Hernández from a 45-year drug trafficking sentence and the sweeping inauguration-day absolutions granted to more than 1,500 individuals implicated in the January 6, 2021, Capitol disturbance, supplemented by additional pardons for steadfast political supporters throughout his presidency.
Also Read: Is India in Trouble? Trump-Backed Bill Threatens 500% Tariffs on Russian Oil?