Images of Barack Obama laughing with Diddy have resurfaced on X amid the disgraced rap mogul’s sex trafficking arrest.
The producer’s accusation has sent shockwaves through the political world, and the numerous smiling images he took with powerful figures, including Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, have come back to haunt celebrities this week.
As for Obama, the future president first crossed paths with Diddy in 2004, when the music mogul rallied support for Democrats ahead of that year’s Democratic National Convention.
This included an interview with Obama for MTV, where Diddy praised “Puff Daddy for all the work he’s been doing” to get people out to vote.
Conservatives have resurfaced exchanges between Barack Obama and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs amid the disgraced rap mogul’s sex trafficking arrest, including a 2004 interview the disgraced rap mogul held with the then-Senate candidate at the Democratic National Convention (pictured)
During his MTV interview with Diddy, Obama praised ‘Puff Daddy for all the work he’s been doing’ to get people out to vote ahead of the 2004 presidential election.
As Diddy’s wealth soared to more than $700 million during the 2000s, he became a leading celebrity supporter of Democrats and used his platform to endorse the party in several election cycles.
In 2004, Diddy interviewed Obama (then a Senate candidate from Illinois) and Hillary Clinton.
Footage of his brief interview with Obama was widely circulated this week following Diddy’s arrest on sex crimes charges, with Obama praising the rapper’s efforts “because he doesn’t have to do this.”
“That’s part of what’s important about giving back,” the younger Obama said.
The exchange appeared jovial, as Diddy mocked Obama for sweating at the convention, saying he “wanted to apologize for not sweating,” while Obama jokingly dabbed his head with a napkin.
Diddy would go on to support Obama’s successful campaign for the White House in 2008, including organizing a “Last Chance for Change” rally for the then-candidate in Florida days before the election.
Much like what happened with Obama, conservatives pounced on an old tweet by Kamala Harris in the wake of Diddy’s arrest, in which she praised the disgraced rap mogul.
During their exchange, Obama and Diddy joke about “sweating” during the Democratic National Convention as the future president patted his head with a napkin.
Following Diddy’s arrest, conservatives resurfaced an old tweet from Kamala Harris in which she praised Diddy for holding a town hall on racial inequality during her previous campaign for the White House in 2020.
Diddy also supported Obama’s successful campaign for the White House in 2008, even hosting a “Last Chance for Change” rally for the then-candidate in Florida days before the election (pictured)
The message was sent during the vice president’s previous campaign for the White House in 2019, when she praised Diddy for hosting a town hall on racial inequality for her campaign.
“There is so much at stake for our communities right now and it is critical that we shine a light on how the coronavirus is perpetuating racial inequality and health disparities,” the tweet reads.
But while some tried to draw a connection between Harris’ past campaign and the accused sex trafficker, others pointed out that Diddy’s former status as a hip-hop icon put him close to many stars.
This included some shared images from a fundraising event Donald Trump hosted at Mar-a-Lago in 2005 for the Rush Philanthropic Foundation, where the former president was photographed with Diddy.
The photos of Diddy and Trump together surfaced at a time when Trump was a registered Democrat and a major fundraiser for the party.
Diddy has notably been photographed with several celebrities, including Donald Trump, seen at a fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago in 2005 for the Rush Philanthropic Foundation.
As a hip-hop icon, Diddy’s arrest has spawned a slew of images of him with famous faces (seen with Prince Harry) in the wake of his arrest.
This comes after Diddy, whose real name is Sean Combs, was arrested Monday night in New York City following an indictment by a grand jury.
Combs was arrested by Homeland Security officials at the Park Hyatt hotel in midtown Manhattan, and a judge on Tuesday ordered him held without bail.
At the heart of the allegations against Diddy are so-called ‘freak off’ sessions, in which the rapper allegedly forced and drugged women into long sexual marathons.
Diddy’s arrest came about six months after federal authorities raided his homes in Los Angeles and Miami.
In those raids, prosecutors said officers found more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant that had allegedly been used in his infamous “outbursts.”
Authorities said they have interviewed more than 50 witnesses and associates, and that their raids included the seizure of a large number of laptops, cellphones and hard drives.
Prosecutors also say they are in possession of footage they say proves Diddy coerced and manipulated the victims into engaging in lewd acts.
Diddy’s attorney, Marc Agnifilo, argued in court this week that his client does not deserve to be lumped with other high-profile figures accused of similar crimes, such as R. Kelly and Jeffrey Epstein.
Speaking about the allegation, Agnifilo said: ‘This is evidence, not of sex trafficking, but of being caught cheating… He was in a 10-year loving relationship through dark periods.’