Nigerian Politicians Take Pen, Jotter to Learn Politics of Pettiness From Trump
In a striking cross-cultural twist, U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent comments on a possible pardon for music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs have inspired a flurry of tongue-in-cheek admiration among a faction of Nigerian politicians, who quip that they’re taking their “pen and jotter” to class at Trump University—studying the art of political pettiness.
In a Newsmax interview aired Friday night, Trump described Combs as “sort of half‑innocent” despite a federal conviction on July 2, 2025, for two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution—charges that carry up to ten years each. Combs was acquitted of more serious charges including sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy.
Trump acknowledged that while he once shared cordial relations with Combs, their relationship soured when the rapper voiced fierce criticism. In 2017, Combs stated he did not “really give a fuck about Trump,” and in 2020 called for the banishment of “white men like Trump,” urging listeners that “the number one priority is to get Trump out of office”.
Though calling Combs “half innocent,” Trump made clear that the rapper’s past hostility made any potential pardon “more difficult” to consider.
Combs remains detained at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center pending his sentencing on October 3, 2025, as prosecutors urge a prison term of 51–63 months while his attorneys argue for a reduced sentence or a new trial.
A $50 million bail request remains under legal scrutiny
Meanwhile, in Nigeria, political leaders embraced the drama with satirical seriousness. One Abuja-based legislator quipped, “We’re sketching every move in our notebooks—learning from the master. Trump denied his old friend, too, and if Combs couldn’t charm him back, what hope for us?” Others nodded in approval: in the theater of politics, they reasoned, grudges must be noted, archived, and wielded strategically—much like Trump’s treatment of Combs.
Political commentators in Lagos suggest this lip‑service to Trump’s tactics reflects broader frustration with political corruption and shifting loyalties at home. “If a celebrity mogul insults the president, and the president considers that grounds for denial, then our own—and much lower-profile—insults should count double,” one journalist mused.
Back in the U.S., Trump also addressed speculation surrounding pardons for other controversial figures like Ghislaine Maxwell and former Representative George Santos. On Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year sentence for her role in the Epstein sex-trafficking scandals, Trump affirmed that he has the authority to pardon her but said it would be “inappropriate to talk about it” at this time. Regarding Santos, who pleaded guilty to identity theft and wire fraud, Trump cast doubt on any clemency, noting that Santos “lied like hell” and denying that anyone had even asked for a pardon.
For Sean “Diddy” Combs, the path to a pardon appears increasingly unlikely. Trump concluded in the Newsmax interview, “They have talked to me about Sean… I would say so” when asked whether he was more inclined toward denial than clemency.
