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stated on May 20, 2025 in X posts:

The Sean “Diddy” Combs trial testimony revealed that former President Barack Obama was “caught in secret meetings with Diddy’s drug runner.”

By Loreben Tuquero May 22, 2025

No, Diddy’s trial did not reveal that Barack Obama used to meet with a drug runner

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This claim originated from a now-deleted X post, which included quotes that appeared to be testimony from Sean "Diddy" Combs’ former personal assistant, but were not real quotes.
The assistant did not testify about former President Barack Obama meeting with Combs’ drug runner.

See the sources for this fact-check

On the seventh day of Sean "Diddy" Combs’ trial on sex trafficking and other charges, one high-profile name popped up: former President Barack Obama.

Social media posts claimed that Obama had met with Combs’ drug runner.

"Shocker alert," read one May 20 X post that had more than one million views as of May 22. "Diddy’s freak-off trial drops bombshell: Obama caught in secret meetings with Diddy’s drug runner." Freak-off is a term used in Combs’ accusers accounts to describe the drug-fueled orgies Combs hosted.

(Screenshot from X)

Another May 20 X post read, "BREAKING NEWS: It was just revealed in the Diddy freak off trial that former President Obama used to meet with the man that used to pick up drugs for Diddy."

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These claims originated from a deleted X post, which included quotes that appeared to be from Combs’ former personal assistant, but were not real quotes.

The two posts cited screenshots of posts from the X account "Inner City Press," operated by Matthew Russell Lee, a reporter who is covering Combs’ trial.

According to the screenshots, Lee posted what appeared to be an exchange between assistant U.S. attorney Christy Slavik and Combs’ former personal assistant David James, who testified May 20. The screenshot of the Inner City Press post showed text that read:

AUSA Slavik: He met with a lot of people?

David James: Yes… even former presidents.

AUSA: Which one?

David James: Former President Obama…

The post is no longer on the Inner City Press X account, and Lee confirmed to PolitiFact that he deleted it. Lee told PolitiFact in an email that when reporting on any live event, "You do the best that you can, and if necessary delete (or) correct as needed."

Donald Trump

stated on April 29, 2025 in an interview with ABC News

Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia “had ‘MS-13’ on his knuckles tattooed. … He had ‘MS’ as clear as you can be. Not 'interpreted.’”

That exchange between Slavik and James never happened, based on the official court transcript. The only time Obama was mentioned during James’ May 20 testimony was during a discussion about Combs’ use of ecstasy, and the testimony didn’t implicate Obama.

James said there were times he was asked to pick up drugs for Combs, and said Combs had a drug dealer called "One Stop."

James said Combs took various ecstasy pills, including "one that was in the shape of a former president’s face." Slavik asked, "Which former president?" to which James responded, "President Obama." There was no further discussion about Obama, and nothing to suggest the former president met with James or "One Stop."

Lee told PolitiFact it was "never reported" that Obama met with Diddy’s drug runner.

The trial testimony did not reveal that Obama was "caught in secret meetings with Diddy’s drug runner."

We rate that claim False.

UPDATE, May 23, 2025: The story was updated to include additional comment from Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press.