News
Newly elected Representative Anthony Constantino urges Donald Trump to release Sean 'Diddy' Combs, calling the imprisoned music mogul a historic New Yorker during his election victory speech.
Newly elected New York Representative Anthony Constantino has asked President Donald Trump to consider releasing Sean “Diddy” Combs from prison, describing the music mogul as a significant figure in the state’s history. According to NJ.com, Constantino, during his election victory speech on Tuesday, played a new song titled NY 21 by his collaborator Greatness. He further defended his involvement in hip hop, arguing that some people had doubted a rapper could represent Northern New York in Congress. After that, he said, “I think President Trump should consider freeing Diddy. This is a historic New Yorker who did great things for New York State.” The Republican businessman secured New York’s 21st Congressional District in the 2026 midterm elections, defeating Democratic candidate Blake Gendebien by a narrow margin. His victory came as Democrats made significant gains nationally and secured control of both chambers of Congress. Constantino will succeed former Republican Representative Elise Stefanik, who held the seat for 12 years. Combs, also known as Puff Daddy, was convicted last year on two counts of transportation for prostitution involving a former girlfriend and male sex workers. He is serving a four-year prison sentence following a trial that included testimony about violence and sexual gatherings known as freak offs.
Anthony Constantino's victory speech sparks controversy as he attacks media and narrowly wins New York House raceAccording to NJ.com, Constantino also criticized journalists during Tuesday's victory speech. He accused sections of the media of misrepresenting Blake Gendebien's background as a dairy farmer, arguing, “I had to listen to you a**holes say dairy farmer Blake Gendebien, he’s not a dairy farmer. His parents were dairy farmers. All his neighbors told me this guy never gets on a tractor, ever. He doesn’t show up. His parents did it. He can’t even say what percent of the farm he owns. But you wouldn’t say that because you’re a bunch of f***ing a**holes.” He subsequently directed profanity towards reporters and accused the media of protecting individuals he considered unethical. Constantino reportedly asked journalists to leave the event. “And to those of you in the evil media that aren’t bad people, guess what? I got news for you. You’re evil too, because you won’t expose the bad ones amongst you. You all stayed quiet. Look at that a**holes right there. Him. Look at that guy. Take a picture of him. He was like, ‘I’m not evil.’ Did you ever expose any bad thing the other evil media was doing? a**holes. You didn’t do anything. You’re a bunch of a**holes.” According to LehighValleyLive.com, Constantino received 50.9% of the votes, amounting to 140,119 ballots, while Gendebien secured 48.9%, or 134,390 votes, as of Wednesday afternoon. According to Syracuse.com, the close result surprised observers because the district traditionally favors Republicans. Its electorate comprises approximately 41.6% registered Republicans, 25.7% Democrats and 26% voters unaffiliated with either party. Trump won the district by 21 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election. Constantino, 44, owns Sticker Mule, a printing, labeling, and manufacturing company based in Montgomery County. He previously attracted attention for his support of Trump and the Make America Great Again movement. He displayed a 100-foot Vote for Trump sign outside his company's factory in Amsterdam, New York. Constantino has also pursued a music career. Earlier in 2026, he released a full-length hip hop album titled Thank You, President Trump. The album featured pro-Trump tracks including MAGA Again, Art of the Deal and Fight, which referenced the 2024 assassination attempt against Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania. In a 2025 diss track targeting New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Constantino criticized the mayor through lyrics about terrorism and New York's reputation. Comedian John Oliver subsequently discussed the rapper on Last Week Tonight, mocking his songwriting and the repetition in his rhymes.
Constantino will represent all or parts of 15 New York counties, including the Adirondacks, Fort Drum and communities along the Canadian border. Stefanik announced in 2025 that she would not seek re-election and briefly pursued a campaign for New York governor.Trump endorsed Constantino during the congressional race. He also traveled to Upstate New York alongside Vice President JD Vance to campaign for Constantino and Republican House candidate Kailee Buller, who lost her election in Central New York. TOPICS: Diddy, Donald Trump