Trump's Pardon For Diddy Reportedly Hinges On Bail Hearing As President Feels Rapper Was 'Unfairly Targeted'
By Favour Adegoke on July 30, 2025 at 9:45 PM EDT
Updated on July 31, 2025 at 6:46 AM EDT

President Donald Trump is reportedly giving "serious consideration" to a presidential pardon for music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, ahead of the rapper's sentencing in October.
However, according to reports, this potential pardon hinges greatly on the outcome of the rapper's upcoming bail hearing. The music mogul has asked a judge to release him on a $50 million bond after several of his previous attempts to secure bail were denied.
Donald Trump previously hinted at the possibility of a pardon for Sean "Diddy" Combs, noting that he will have to "consider the facts" first.
Donald Trump Could Pardon Diddy Depending On His Bail Hearing

Trump is reportedly considering handing Diddy a presidential pardon following his court battle. Diddy has been in jail since September last year following his arrest by Homeland Security officers in Manhattan.
He was charged with sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution, but after nearly 6 weeks of trial, which kicked off in May, he was acquitted of the more serious racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges.
The rapper was convicted of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution and could face up to 10 years in jail for each count.
According to TMZ, sources claim Trump is "more than open" to pardoning Diddy, but that the decision hinges on Judge Arun Subramanian's final decision on the rapper's latest bail petition.
The news outlet reports that if Diddy is granted bail, Trump will hold off on his decision until Diddy's sentencing. If the judge denies him bail, a decision will be made immediately.
The President Reportedly Feels The Rapper Was 'Unfairly Targeted'

According to the news outlet, the insider explained that Trump resonates with Diddy's case because, like him, he feels the "Finna Get Loose" rapper was "unfairly targeted" by the feds, especially as the lead prosecutor in the case, Maurene Comey, was recently fired.
The source also added that the timing of the potential pardon would be "perfect" as it helps turn attention away from the Epstein scandal.
The possibility of a presidential pardon for Diddy has been a recurring topic since Trump first floated the idea in the Oval Office approximately two months ago.
"I would certainly look at the facts if I think somebody was mistreated, whether they like me or don't like me," he said at the time, per The Blast. "It wouldn't have any impact on me."
Donald Trump Said Diddy Used To 'Really Like Him A Lot' Until He Entered The World Of Politics

Trump weighed in on his relationship with Diddy, as they once walked in the same social circle in New York City many years ago.
The president hinted that the rapper may have stopped supporting him after he began his political journey.
"He used to really like me a lot, but I think when I ran for politics … that relationship busted up, from what I read," Trump said, per Page Six.
"I don't know — he didn't tell me that, but I'd read some little bit nasty statements in the paper all of a sudden," the president added.
Diddy's Latest Request For Bail

Diddy's attorney submitted a bail petition on Tuesday, demanding that the rapper be released until his October 3 hearing.
According to Fox News, his lawyers argued that the "swingers" lifestyle he had with his ex-girlfriends wasn't enough to keep him behind bars after he was acquitted.
"This was a lifestyle, one that both Ms. Ventura and Jane chose. One, they all, as grown adults, had a right to choose," the petition for release read. "Like many aspects of sex and intimacy, it was not without its complications, its bouts of jealousy, and, at times, its frustrations. But that is a hallmark of any serious romantic relationship, and that is what these were, serious, long-term romantic relationships."
They added that the underlying facts of Diddy's case have made his continued incarceration "unique."
"There has literally never been a case like this one, where a person and his girlfriend arranged for adult men to have consensual sexual relations with the adult long-term girlfriend as part of a demonstrated 'swingers' lifestyle and has been prosecuted and incarcerated under the Mann Act," the letter added.
Diddy's Lawyer Argues He Shouldn't Be Remanded

Judge Subramanian has already denied Diddy's several bail requests, including the recent $1 million bond he proposed following his conviction.
The judge noted that the rapper's propensity for violence was a contributing factor to his decision to keep him locked up, as it was impossible to guarantee the safety of others should he be released.
For his latest bail request, Diddy's lawyers proposed a $50 million bail package secured by his Miami mansion, which was raided by authorities last year.
They noted that his travels would only be between the Southern district of Florida, the Southern district of New York for attorney meetings, and the airport he'd have to use to travel between the two. Diddy would also give up his passport.
"Sean Combs should not be in jail for this conduct," the lawyers emphasized. "In fact, he may be the only person currently in a United States jail for being any sort of john, and certainly the only person in jail for hiring adult male escorts for him and his girlfriend, when he did not even have sex with the escort himself."