(Legal experts, however, tell Rolling Stone they expect him to get much less.) Trump called Combs “a good friend” during a 2012 episode of The Apprentice, while Combs called Trump “a friend of mine” in 2015, not long after Trump launched his first campaign. So, I don't know, it's more difficult. As Rolling Stone reported on Thursday, Combs’ team has intensified their behind-the-scenes campaign in recent weeks, according to people in and out of the Trump administration. “The pleading has gotten bigger [this month],” a Trump adviser says, referring to a conspicuous uptick in Combs allies’ attempts to woo Team Trump.