Promise made, promise kept. President Trump has once again proven that when he makes a promise, he keeps it. Less than 48 hours after reclaiming the Oval Office, Trump took to Truth Social to announce that Ross Ulbricht, the creator of the controversial Silk Road website, has received a full and unconditional pardon.
“I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbricht to let her know that in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly, it was my pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross,” Trump posted Tuesday evening. “The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern-day weaponization of government against me. He was given two life sentences, plus 40 years. Ridiculous!”
Ulbricht was sentenced to life in prison in 2015 for running Silk Road, a dark web marketplace that became infamous for facilitating the sale of drugs and other illicit goods. While Ulbricht himself never sold narcotics or weapons, prosecutors argued that he created a platform that enabled illegal activities, and a judge ultimately tied him to multiple drug-related deaths—despite shaky evidence and highly questionable legal proceedings.
Libertarians have long rallied around Ulbricht’s case, calling his sentence “excessive” and an example of government overreach. Many have argued that the punishment far outweighed the crime and that Ulbricht was made an example of by an overzealous justice system.
Trump’s move follows through on a pledge he made during a fiery speech at the Libertarian Party convention last May, where he promised to commute Ulbricht’s sentence to time served. The announcement was the highlight of the night and received thunderous applause, proving just how important the issue was to the Libertarian base.
Ulbricht, who has spent 11 years behind bars, thanked Trump at the time for his commitment, writing on X, “After 11 years in prison, it is hard to express how I feel at this moment. It is thanks to your undying support that I may get a second chance.”
This pardon marks yet another bold move by Trump in his effort to clean up the judicial overreach of past administrations. Alongside Ulbricht’s pardon, Trump has already issued sweeping clemency to January 6 defendants and launched an initiative to review cases of political persecution.
For many Libertarians, Trump’s action cements their belief that he is the only candidate who truly stands for justice and freedom—further expanding his coalition beyond the traditional Republican base.
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