President Trump stated on Friday that the government aims to “release everything” concerning Jeffrey Epstein, the notorious pedophile, hinting that he might consider a pardon for rapper Shaun “Diddy” Combs.
This remark followed a recent nine-hour interview conducted by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche with Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s convicted associate, in a federal prison in Florida.
“I think [Blanche] perhaps intended for us to release everything and just wanted to assess the situation, but we don’t want to hurt innocent people,” Trump mentioned during an interview with Newsmax host Rob Finnaty.
“I want everything to be released,” he continued, emphasizing his concern about causing harm. Trump added, “Todd wants to ensure that innocent individuals aren’t affected,” noting he hadn’t discussed Maxwell with the Associate Attorney General and was unsure about whether a transcript of the interview would be made public.
Trump, despite having imposed a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking, reiterated his stance regarding Maxwell’s possible pardon, particularly as she has recently been moved to a minimum-security prison in Texas.
“I have the authority to do that, but no one has requested it from me,” he stated. “I’m not familiar with the specifics, but I know I have the right.”
During the interview, Trump was also questioned about the potential pardon of Sean “Diddy” Combs.
“Well, he was somewhat like I was, half innocent,” Trump expressed regarding Diddy’s situation.
The president seems to be deliberating on whether to offer leniency to his past acquaintances while making it clear that he’s been approached about a pardon for the rapper.
“Maybe—yeah, I had a friendly relationship with him. He came across as a nice guy to me. I didn’t know him too well, but he seemed hostile soon after I took office,” Trump reflected.
“It’s complicated to judge people. You think you know them, but then they make troubling statements. He has made some concerning remarks.”
“It complicates things,” Trump admitted. “They brought up Sean to me.”
When asked by Finnaty if he was “likely to say no” to Diddy’s pardon, Trump replied, “I’d say that.”
Combs was charged in October and is facing a potential 20-year prison sentence.
