Perez Hilton claims commuting Diddy's sentence would be "the literal worst decision" of Trump amid reports of POTUS considering a pardon

Podcaster Perez Hilton weighed in on reports claiming that Trump was considering commuting Sean “Diddy” Combs’ prison sentence. In an October 22 article on his website, Hilton described the move as “the literal worst decision” POTUS could make, given the severity of the charges against the rapper.

In his website article, Perez Hilton recounted how POTUS was first asked about the possibility of “pardoning his old pal” Diddy on May 30, inside the Oval Office, before the rapper’s verdict was announced.

He noted that the two had been friends and that POTUS had “infamously defended the rapper on TV” in the past. At the time, Trump was also on what Hilton described as a “pardoning spree,” having then freed “the Chrisleys, all the January 6 insurrectionists, and more.”

Hilton detailed how, when asked the question, the president “gave a really non-committal answer” instead of issuing a direct “no” or dismissing it as a “nasty question,” as he often did.

“I know people are thinking about it. First of all, I’d look at what’s happening… I haven’t spoken to him in years. He really liked me a lot,” Trump had said (as cited by Hilton)

Moving to the details of Diddy’s case, the podcaster also reminded readers that the rapper had already avoided the most serious charges. He was acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering but found guilty on prostitution-related counts. This reduced his potential sentence from life in prison to just four years.

He then referenced an October 20 TMZ report claiming that a “high-ranking White House official” had tipped the outlet, revealing that POTUS was “actually considering commuting Diddy’s sentence” altogether. This would mean that Diddy could “walk, free and clear,” without serving the rest of his prison term.

The insider further claimed that the president was “vacillating” on the decision, essentially “on the fence” and “going back and forth” before making the final call. There was, reportedly, a “50/50” chance of him “freeing Diddy.”

Underscoring the gravity of the situation, Hilton noted:

“Diddy… has not only been convicted on these counts...but has also been accused by multiple plaintiffs of sexually abusing MINORS! For someone who is already annoyed whenever his connection with notorious billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein is brought up, freeing Diddy would be the literal worst decision the POTUS could make.”

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What else did Perez Hilton say about reports claiming Trump may pardon Diddy?

From L to R: Sean Diddy Combs and Trump

In his article, Perez Hilton shared several details from the TMZ report, which claimed that Trump was allegedly considering commuting Sean “Diddy” Combs’ prison sentence.

While expressing disbelief at the report, Hilton remarked that under POTUS's current administration, such a move “doesn’t exactly beggar belief anymore.”

“This is one of the craziest Donald Trump insider reports we’ve heard yet. But at this point, with this administration? Not exactly beggaring belief anymore, huh?” he wrote.

Hilton noted that, according to TMZ, POTUS's advisers had reportedly warned him against granting clemency to the rapper.

A high-level White House source told the outlet that though POTUS's team had strongly advised him not to proceed with the commutation, it was unclear whether he would actually heed that advice. According to the source, POTUS would “do what he wants.”

Hilton further argued that the president's track record of controversial decisions only made this possibility more plausible.

He pointed to Trump’s recent commutation of George Santos’s sentence, describing Santos as “the fraudster who tricked a constituency into electing him to Congress.” Hilton highlighted how Trump justified the move by saying Santos “ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN.” So, according to him, there was a chance that Trump would still “do what he wants for sure,” with Diddy.

Referencing the TMZ report about Diddy’s potential pardon, Hilton also noted that the White House had forcefully denied the claims. In a statement to NBC News, an official insisted there was “zero truth” to the story and criticized TMZ for failing to verify the information before publishing it.

“There is zero truth to the TMZ report, which we would’ve gladly explained had they reached out before running their fake news. The President, not anonymous sources, is the final decider on pardons and commutations,” the official stated (as per NBC News).

Hilton also quipped that the official’s phrasing “kinda sounds like they’re saying the same thing” TMZ had claimed, that Trump would ultimately “do what he wants” since he’s “the final decider.”

Hilton added that, according to the October 21 NBC report, TMZ had responded to the White House’s denial and stood by its story.

Commenting on the standoff between TMZ and the White House, Hilton concluded that the issue ultimately came down to public trust.

“We guess it comes down to this question… Who do you trust more at this point? TMZ or the White House? Not the easiest question, huh? Especially when journalists ask who made some diplomatic decision, and you have Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt answering, ‘Your mom did.’ Yeah, next to that, TMZ looks like Cronkite,” Hilton explained.

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Sean Diddy Combs was convicted in July on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. On October 3, a federal judge sentenced him to 50 months in prison, imposed a $500,000 fine, and ordered five years of supervised release.

His prison placement has yet to be finalized, and he is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in New York. The rapper has requested to serve his sentence at FCI Fort Dix in New Jersey.

On October 20, Combs had also filed an appeal challenging both his conviction and sentencing on the prostitution-related charges stemming from his sex crimes trial.

Earlier this month, Trump stated that Combs had reached out to request a pardon following his conviction (As per ABC News). While the latest TMZ report suggested that POTUS was considering commuting the rapper’s sentence, the President himself has not released any official statement regarding the matter.

Edited by Shayari Roy