Why Is He Even Considering It?
By all accounts, Sean "Diddy" Combs is a disgusting human being. So, why is Trump even flirting with pardoning him?
I’ll admit it. I’m not the kind of guy who follows rap culture. It’s not that I despise rap altogether. There are quite a few rap songs I enjoy actually (particularly “Amish Paradise”). But it’s not my favorite genre. So, when I heard about the scandal involving Sean “Diddy” Combs, I wasn’t too keen on paying much attention to the story.
That was until the President of the United States floated the idea that he might pardon the scumbag.
Donald Trump has been rather privy this second term of issuing inexcusable pardons. Just about as soon as he began his term, he issued full pardons to nearly 1,500 people who were involved in the riot at the Capitol on January 6. Many of these were people convicted of violent acts. He has also pardoned crypto moguls who were convicted of money laundering. His most recent pardons were those of former reality stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, who were convicted of bank fraud and tax evasion charges. Their daughter, Savannah, has been an outspoken supporter of Trump.
All of that is corrupt and gross, but now news has been floating around that Trump might actually give Diddy a pardon, too. Since November of 2023, Diddy has faced over 70 sexual assault lawsuits (some of which have been dismissed or settled). On top of that, he is now being prosecuted on federal charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation to engage in prostitution. What Diddy is being accused of is truly disgusting, and I have no desire to detail all the charges against the guy.
This all takes us to Trump. After being asked by Fox News’s Peter Doocy about whether his previous friendship with Diddy could play into him pardoning the rapper, Trump didn’t rule out the possibility. Trump said no one has asked him to give a pardon, but “I know people are thinking about it. I know that they’re thinking about it. I think people have been very close to asking.” However, Trump noted that he hadn’t seen Diddy in years, and that his relationship with him “busted” when he ran for president.
Nevertheless, “I would certainly look at the facts,” Trump went on. “If I think somebody was mistreated. Whether they like me or don’t like me, it wouldn’t have any impact on me.”
Why is this even a consideration? Sure, Diddy hasn’t been convicted of anything yet, but given the severity of the charges against him, why would the President of the United States think it might be in America’s interest to pardon him? It’s disgusting, disgraceful, and a national embarrassment that the idea is even being entertained.
Thankfully, a Trump ally is pushing to convince the president not to pardon Diddy. Rapper Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson has said that he will try to “reach out so [Trump] knows how I feel about this guy.” 50 Cent has had a relationship with Diddy in the past, but he’s had a feud with the now-disgraced rapper for years. Now, he’s slated to produce a docuseries with Netflix about Diddy’s downfall.
While I believe it’s a good thing that there is a pushback against Trump pardoning Diddy, I find even 50 Cent’s effort to throttle the pardon disgraceful, too. 50 Cent is not appealing for Trump to toss away any notion of pardoning Diddy because of the disgusting crimes he’s committed. No, 50 Cent is not acting as a patron saint of morality and decency. He’s lobbying against the pardon because Diddy has been disloyal to Trump.
“Donald doesn’t take well to disrespect, and doesn’t forget who chooses to go against him,” 50 Cent stated on social media. “While working tirelessly to make America great again there is no room for distraction. He would consider pardoning anyone who was being mistreated not Puffy Daddy.”
As mentioned earlier, Diddy no longer has the same benign relationship with Trump as he used to. Diddy mostly remained on good terms with Trump during his first term, but by 2020, Diddy soured on him. He was then openly endorsing Biden for president. So, in 50 Cent’s eyes, Diddy deserves no pardon because of this seeming betrayal.
50 Cent has been sharing clips on social media to reveal some of the “really bad things” he has said about Trump. He’s shared a clip of Diddy talking about founding his Black political party in 2020 to beat Trump and get Biden elected. 50 Cent captioned this clip, saying, “See Trump don’t like s*** like this buddy, you run your mouth to [sic] much.” He also posted another clip of Diddy provocatively saying, “White men like Trump need to be banished.”
I’m sure that 50 Cent has some degree of moral outrage over what Diddy is accused of doing. He’s been mocking Diddy over his charges and trying to make a docuseries about the scandal. But he’s exercised little to no effort to use his influence to highlight Diddy’s heinous crimes on this pardon issue. It’s all about Diddy’s lack of loyalty to Donald Trump. If Diddy was a vocal Trump supporter, I think you could place a safe bet that 50 Cent would overlook Diddy’s disgustingness and be at the forefront of lobbying for a pardon.
Speaking of betting, if I were to place my own bet, I’d wager that Trump won’t end up pardoning Diddy. Though I think 50 Cent’s motives are pretty warped, he is right that Trump doesn’t take kindly to disrespect. I think the fact that Diddy campaigned for Trump to lose in 2020 will be enough for him to turn down pardoning the depraved sicko in the end. But then again, maybe I’m expecting too much from Trump. Any bet wagering that Trump will make the honorable and sane choice carries a great deal of risk. Given his track record, it wouldn’t necessarily surprise me if Trump chooses to wallow in even more corruption by giving Diddy the pardon.
So, maybe it’s time to take a second look at the pardon power.
Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution grants the president the pardon power. The founders had good reasons to bestow this power to the president. As Alexander Hamilton wrote in Federalist 74, “The criminal code of every country partakes so much of necessary severity, that without an easy access to exceptions in favor of unfortunate guilt, justice would wear a countenance too sanguinary and cruel.” In other words, we need an easy route to address the cases when someone gets wrongly convicted.
According to the Founder’s judgment, giving this power to the president rather than a body of individuals was the wiser choice. “The reflection that the fate of a fellow-creature depended on his sole fiat, would naturally inspire scrupulousness and caution,” Hamilton wrote. A body of men, on the other hand, could build up an arrogant confidence in their numbers and be “less sensible” in deciding whether an individual deserves a pardon. So, one man in the office of the president, realizing the responsibility he alone has, is more likely to grant worthy pardons because someone was either wrongly convicted or because it brings stability and is in the interest of the nation (as when President Andrew Johnson pardoned those who served in the Confederate Army).
But now, looking back at how Trump and Biden have been abusing the pardon power, I believe there is a case for limiting this power via constitutional amendment. Many states have more complex processes for granting a pardon. Many governors decide who gets a pardon, but they have to go through different bodies to review the decision first. I think it would be judicious if the president had to go through similar processes with another body like Congress. The Founders may have preferred giving the pardon power to one man, but they didn’t entirely dismiss the wisdom in requiring other bodies’ involvement in the pardon process. (Hamilton discussed the pros and cons of whether pardoning one convicted of treason is best suited for one man or a body of men in Federalist 74.)
The original intent of the Founders has already been violated by modern presidents, and the very notion that Trump would even be considering a pardon for Diddy would, without a doubt, be repugnant to the Founders. Trump must not go through with this potential pardon. If he does, the case will grow stronger to limit the pardon power. Giving this power to one man who is just as prone to corruption as anyone else has led to disgraceful consequences. We need more checks and balances over this power.
With all that has transpired in modern history, I believe the Founders would agree with this analysis.