Media personality Megyn Kelly is speaking out to urge President Donald Trump against potentially pardoning Sean "Diddy" Combs. The call comes amidst a backdrop of public sentiment that "not every body is happy about his winning the RICO cases against him," and a general feeling that "Not everybody wants to see him out."
In an X post on "July 30," Kelly's message was direct and unambiguous: "Trump should not pardon Diddy" because "he doesn't deserve it." Referencing a "Deadline report published a day earlier" that had "considered the possibility of a pardon," Kelly laid out a multi-pronged political and moral argument against such an act. She cited Combs' alleged history, calling him a "Trump hater" and a "woman abuser." Furthermore, she warned that a pardon would be politically perilous, risking the ire of the President's base, noting that "MAGA is already upset over elites seeming to cover for each other." Most critically, Kelly argued that a pardon would be a significant misstep in courting a vital demographic, as the "GOP [is] struggling w/young female voters, most of whom will HATE a Diddy pardon."
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The conversation around a potential pardon for Combs has been in the public sphere for some time. On "May 30," President Trump weighed in on the possibility himself in the Oval Office. He stated that while "Nobody's asked" for a pardon, he knew that "people are thinking about it." Trump also alluded to his past relationship with the mogul, adding, "I haven't spoken to him in years. He really liked me a lot."
Kelly's public advice to the President is particularly notable given their own "complicated relationship... that spans more than a decade." Despite a well-documented falling out in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election, the two have "since patched things up." This was publicly showcased when they "embraced at a Pennsylvania campaign rally in November," where Kelly "proudly endorsed him for president in an enthusiastic speech."
Any decision on a pardon would also come at a time when the President is facing increased scrutiny himself, as "questions arise about his past relationship with former friend and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein." This adds a complex and sensitive layer to the public perception of any clemency for an individual facing similar accusations of sexual misconduct.
However, President Trump has a documented history of being willing to pardon imprisoned celebrities, a pattern that makes Kelly's warning all the more urgent. During his first term, he pardoned rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black, and more recently, in "May," he announced pardons for reality TV couple Todd and Julie Chrisley and rapper NBA YoungBoy. This precedent of granting pardons to high-profile figures, particularly from the music industry, highlights the difficult political calculus at play. A pardon for Sean "Diddy" Combs would not only be a significant act of presidential power but could also carry substantial political costs, as vividly articulated by Megyn Kelly.
