Donald Trump Jr has peddled an unfounded conspiracy theory suggesting that Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was arrested so celebrities who were affiliated with him would endorse his father’s opponent, Kamala Harris.
Combs was arrested in September on sex trafficking and racketeering charges. Federal prosecutors allege that Combs and his associates threatened, abused and coerced women and others around him “to fulfill his sexual desires” – which allegedly included forcing victims into engaging in recorded sexual activity which he referred to as “Freak Offs.”
One lawsuit also alleges that Combs regularly hosted “sex-trafficking parties” with underage women and illegal drugs, and implies record label executives who looked the other way financially benefited from access to celebrities and dignitaries, including the British royal Prince Harry.
Now, the former president’s oldest son has claimed these celebrities are endorsing Harris for payment, or because they were on a “Diddy party list.”
“We’re seeing unprecedented amounts of pay-for-play again,” Trump Jr said on his podcast, Triggered, on Monday night. “Again, none of this is organic. It’s a paid influencer operation. Know that. The celebrities who aren’t getting paid are getting probably paid in another way because they’re either on an Epstein list or a Diddy party list or both.”
“We all saw that, how magically Diddy gets busted, and all of a sudden everyone’s endorsing the Democrat, just out of nowhere,” he added.
Trump Jr presented no concrete evidence to support this claim or to tie any celebrities to Combs. Further, many of the celebrities who endorsed Harris were signaling support for Biden and Democratic candidates long before Combs was arrested.
For example, Taylor Swift endorsed President Joe Biden in 2020 before encouraging fans to vote for Harris this year. Beyoncé, who spoke at a Harris rally last week, also endorsed the president four years ago. The same goes for Cardi B, Demi Lovato, Jennifer Lopez, John Legend, Madonna and dozens of other big names.
With just hours to go until voting centers close this Election Day, national polls indicate Harris and Trump are neck-and-neck.
The vice president has a .9-point lead over the former president, according to an average of national polls taken Tuesday morning. In the seven swing states, the final polls from The New York Times/Siena College show a mixed bag. In five states, both candidates are less than two points apart among likely voters, with no predictable win at this late stage.
In Nevada, Harris has a 3-point lead, just within the margin of error. Meanwhile, Trump has carved out a 4-point lead in Arizona, outside of the margin of error.
