Donald Trump will become the 47th president of the United States after the November 2024 election. Before Trump entered the political sphere, he had ties to the celebrity world. And he once attended Sean “Diddy” Combs’ parties. So, could Trump’s upcoming presidency impact Combs’ time in prison following his September 2024 arrest? Here’s what a prison consultant explained.
A prison consultant explained whether Donald Trump’s upcoming presidency will impact Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
Federal agents arrested Sean “Diddy” Combs in September 2024. The hip-hop mogul pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He currently resides at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, while he awaits his trial in May 2025.
Donald Trump has a connection to Combs. Combs invited Trump to his parties in the late ’90s. So, could Trump’s next term as president impact Combs’ time behind bars?
According to Sam Mangel, a federal prison consultant, “there’s been a lot of discussion” around how Trump might change the federal prison system.
“A conversation I had yesterday with one of them leads me to believe that a lot of the resources will be devoted towards private prisons,” Mangel told The Mirror US. “So, you know, the discussion is that he will bring back some of the private prison systems to house inmates, especially with the immigration problems. So, companies like [The GEO Group] and CoreCivic, which run private institutions, might be brought back in.”
Does this mean better prison conditions for Combs? Unfortunately for the media mogul, likely not. “I don’t think that Congress or taxpayers have that as a priority for them,” Mangel admitted.
However, the consultant added that Trump passed the First Step Act in 2018, aiming to decrease prison populations and increase safety measures. “I don’t see anything any additional resources being devoted to that,” Mangel noted.
The Metropolitan Detention Center is known for its poor living conditions
Donald Trump seemingly won’t be able to help Sean “Diddy” Combs with the poor living conditions he deals with in the Metropolitan Detention Center.
“Allegations of inadequate supervision, unbridled assaults, and lack of sufficient medical care are supported by an increasing body of evidence, with certain instances that are irrefutable,” Judge Brown said during the August sentencing decision for Combs, according to the BBC. “Chaos reigns, along with uncontrolled violence.”
US Congressman Dan Goldman also noted that the prison had issues with “chronic understaffing, perpetual solitary confinement, and widespread violence.”
Ghislaine Maxwell infamously stayed in the same prison and complained of rotting food and fluorescent lights that kept her up all night. “I don’t even have shoes which fit properly,” she said, according to the New York Post. “They feed me rotten food. One apple had maggots in it.”
Donald Trump and Sean “Diddy” Combs have a history. Trump and Combs were first publicly linked in 1998 when the 47th president attended Combs’ 29th birthday party. Trump also had a feature in the video invitation to the bash. In the clip, Trump called Combs “the legendary Puff Daddy.”
In 2015, Combs called Trump his “friend,” according to Newsweek. “Donald Trump is a friend of mine, and he works very hard,” Combs told The Washington Post at the time.
However, Combs seemed to change his tune in 2020. He condemned Trump as a presidential candidate in 2020. “White men like Trump need to be banished,” Combs said in an interview with Charlamagne tha God. “That way of thinking is real dangerous. … Say what you want about Biden; I can’t say I love the pick either. But we’ve got to get him in office, and then we’ve got to hold him accountable.”
How to get help: In the U.S., call the RAINN National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 to connect with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area.
For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, follow Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s Instagram.
