Donald Trump is once again drawing fire for cozying up to disgraced figures tied to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal this time by openly musing about pardoning convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell and newly sentenced music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs while continuing to block the public release of the long-demanded Epstein documents that reportedly include his own name.
Just hours after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review Maxwell’s conviction for helping Epstein sexually exploit underage girls, Trump told reporters he’d “take a look” at her case and “speak to the DOJ.” He also confirmed that Combs who was sentenced Friday to over four years in prison for running a years-long interstate prostitution ring personally asked him for a pardon. “I call him Puff Daddy he’s asked me,” Trump said, as if granting clemency were a casual favor for a club acquaintance.
The timing is no coincidence. For months, bipartisan pressure has mounted for the Justice Department to declassify and release the full trove of Epstein related files. Multiple reports, including from congressional investigators and former law enforcement officials, suggest Trump’s name appears in contact logs, flight manifests, or witness statements tied to Epstein’s operation. Yet Trump who once called Epstein a “terrific guy” has repeatedly refused to make those records public, even as his own supporters demand transparency.
The timing is no coincidence. For months, bipartisan pressure has mounted for the Justice Department to declassify and release the full trove of Epstein related files. Multiple reports, including from congressional investigators and former law enforcement officials, suggest Trump’s name appears in contact logs, flight manifests, or witness statements tied to Epstein’s operation. Yet Trump who once called Epstein a “terrific guy” has repeatedly refused to make those records public, even as his own supporters demand transparency.
His sudden interest in Maxwell’s fate despite her central role in enabling the abuse of minors reads less like compassion and more like political theater. Critics say it’s a calculated move to rally his base with performative loyalty while dodging accountability for his own documented associations.
Epstein died in a federal jail cell in 2019 under highly suspicious circumstances. Maxwell is serving a 20 year sentence. Combs’ empire has collapsed in disgrace. But Trump, who faces his own mounting legal troubles, appears more focused on shielding powerful allies than delivering justice for victims.
By flirting with pardons while sitting on explosive documents that may implicate him, Trump isn’t just testing the limits of executive power he’s betting the public has forgotten who was in Epstein’s orbit all along.
Additional reporting by Associated Press.
