Trump Says Diddy ‘Used to Really Like Me A Lot,’ Doesn’t Shut Door on Pardon If He Was ‘Mistreated’

President Donald Trump was asked on Friday if he would consider pardoning Sean “Diddy” Combs, who is currently in the middle of a criminal trial, and he said he would “look at the facts” and decide if he had been “mistreated.”

Combs is facing multiple felony charges, including racketeering, conspiracy, fraud, and sex trafficking related to an alleged decades-long criminal enterprise that abused, threatened, and coerced his victims. The serious nature of the charges against him, the alleged length of time and number of incidents involved, means that, if convicted, he could spend the rest of his life behind bars.

The president was asked about Combs during a press conference in the Oval Office Friday afternoon by Fox News’ Peter Doocy.

“This one’s a little bit more of a Page Six question,” said Doocy, “but back when you hosted The Apprentice, you mentioned once in 2012 that Diddy was a good friend of yours back then. He has since found himself in some very serious legal trouble.”

“Yeah, that’s true,” said Trump.

“Would you ever consider pardoning him?”

Replied Trump:

I, well, nobody’s asked — you gotta be the one to ask, Peter, but nobody’s asked. But I know people are thinking about it. I know they’re thinking about it. I think some people have been very close to asking.

First of all, I’d look at what’s happening — and I haven’t been watching it too closely, although it’s certainly getting a lot of coverage. I haven’t seen him, I haven’t spoken to him in years. He used to really like me a lot, but I think when I ran for politics, he sort of — that relationship busted up, from what I read — 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.

You know, it’s different. You become a much different person when you run for politics and you do what’s right. I could do other things, and I’m sure he’d like me, and I’m sure other people would like me, but it wouldn’t be as good for our country. As we said, our country is doing really well because of what we’re doing, so I can’t — it’s not a popularity contest, so I don’t know.

I would certainly look at the facts — If I think somebody was mistreated, whether they like me or don’t like me, it wouldn’t have any impact on me.

Watch the clip above via CNN.