US Presidential Election Top 10: How is Sean 'Diddy' Combs connected to Obama, Harris and Trump?

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The term "iconic" is often overused, but there’s no denying that Eminem’s "Lose Yourself" is a definitive post-2000 anthem, at least for those familiar with the King’s English. Therefore, it was hardly a surprise when Eminem’s performance at the 2020 Oscars (he won an Academy Award for it in 2003) was considered a post-modern musical classic.The entire audience, many of whom had grown up listening to Marshall Mathers’ songs, were in absolute awe. However, there was one gentleman in the audience who was not impressed at all: the legendary director Martin Scorsese. While his neighbours sang along, Scorsese sat stone-faced, as if he had been forced to sit through an MCU marathon while strapped to a rollercoaster.

It’s a sentiment that a lot of political watchers can probably sympathise with, as the name Sean “Diddy” Combs suddenly dominates the MAGA vs KHive conversation. What exactly is a Sean Combs? Is his name Diddy? And why is he suddenly in the news? How is he connected to Obama, Harris and Trump?
As entertainment journalists will tell their political counterparts, Sean “Diddy” Combs is a rapper and business mogul. In the last few days, both the Harris and Trump camps have been trying to link the rapper to their opponent. For the uninitiated, the rapper was recently arrested and accused of operating a criminal enterprise dating back to 2008, involving violence to coerce women into fulfilling his sexual desires.
The 14-page indictment charges Combs with racketeering, sex trafficking by force, and transporting individuals for prostitution. If convicted, he faces a potential sentence ranging from 15 years to life in prison. Court documents describe how Combs allegedly leveraged his celebrity status to lure women into extended sexual acts, referred to as "Freak Offs," during which he is accused of distributing controlled substances to ensure their compliance.
US prosecutor Damian Williams revealed that, during raids conducted six months ago at Combs’ residences in Miami and Los Angeles, authorities seized firearms, ammunition, and over 1,000 bottles of lubricant. Additionally, three semi-automatic rifles with defaced serial numbers were found, raising the possibility of further charges. Prosecutors, however, allege that Combs orchestrated a criminal enterprise whose members were involved in sex trafficking, forced labour, kidnapping, arson, and bribery.

Now both camps are hell-bent on tying Diddy to the other. Diddy’s connection to Kamala Harris emerged during the 2020 presidential campaign, when he hosted a town hall on racial inequality during the COVID-19 pandemic. Harris publicly thanked Diddy via Twitter for his efforts in highlighting racial disparities in healthcare, sparking discussions about their association.
Diddy also interviewed Barack Obama in the past, when the future Godfather of the Democratic Party was an aspiring senator from Illinois. In the video, a youthful Obama explains the importance of political representation to Diddy. At that time, there wasn’t a single black senator. Four years later, Obama would become POTUS.

In 2016, Diddy expressed some disappointment with Obama after his tenure ended: “My number one thing, to be honest, is black people – I feel like we put President Obama in the White House. When I look back, I just wanted more done for my people because that’s the name of the game. This is politics. You put somebody in office, you get in return the things that you care about for your communities. I think we got a little bit short-changed. That’s not knocking the President.”
Meanwhile, Diddy and Trump shared a longstanding connection, dating back to the 1990s when both were high-profile businessmen in New York City. Trump once described Diddy as "legendary" in an invitation to his 29th birthday party in 1998. Over the years, they were photographed together at several events, reflecting a social relationship between the two. Diddy has mentioned Trump in his lyrics, notably in his 2006 song "We Gon' Make It," where he boasts about having the same kind of wealth as the former president. However, Diddy's view of Trump soured, especially during Trump’s presidency. By 2020, Diddy expressed his disapproval, endorsing Joe Biden and stating that Trump’s thinking was dangerous, and that Trump made life worse for black communities.
Meanwhile, here are 10 other developments: