Donald Trump fulfilled his campaign promise when he commuted the sentence to life of Ross Ulbricht. Ulbricht was convicted for running an illicit dark-web drug market.
Despite his repeated pledges to take extreme, punitive actions—including capital punishment—against people who sell drugs, Trump granted a full pardon to Ulbricht on Tuesday, effectuating his imminent release. Trump had previously announced plans to act in 2024. However, this is a week later than the day he initially promised to free Ulbricht on his first day as president.
In a speech to the Libertarian National Convention in New York, Trump said, “If you vote for my candidacy, I’ll commute Ross Ulbricht’s sentence on the first day of the convention into a sentence for time served.” This was met with a roaring applause.
Ulbricht has been sentenced to life imprisonment for running the Silk Road dark-web market from 2011 until 2013.
Ulbricht said, “It is difficult to describe how I am feeling at this time after 11 years of prison,” when Trump announced his promise. It is because of your unwavering support that I might get a chance.”
In a post on Tuesday, Trump revealed that he had called Ulbricht’s mother in order to inform her of the clemency decision.
Ross William Ulbricht, the son of Ross William Ulbricht, was pardoned unconditionally and fully by the President in his honor, and that of the Libertarian Movement who supported him so strongly. The same scum who worked to convict Ross were the lunatics involved in modern-day weaponization of the government against me. He received two life sentences plus an additional 40 years. Ridiculous!”
Trump’s promise to release Ulbricht seemed to contradict his extreme drug-policy platform that he had promoted during earlier stages of the campaign and his first term in office.
Trump said that in 2023 he would defend his position, stating that drug dealers should be quickly prosecuted and executed. Trump pointed to countries like China, Singapore and Malaysia for their enforcement of the death penalty. Trump stated that capital punishment was “the only thing you can do to end” addiction.
He seemed to be confused in that interview when confronted by the fact that he had pardoned a woman and cited her as a good example of criminal justice reform during his tenure.
The exchange served as another example of the enigmatic drug policy worldview of Trump, who at one point more than 30 years ago said that the country needs to “legalize drugs” to win the war on drugs but later campaigned on an aggressive drug warrior platform.
However, later into the campaign, he did pivot on marijuana-specific policies—endorsing a Florida cannabis legalization ballot initiative, federal rescheduling and marijuana industry banking access, for example.
Some lawmakers had pressured Trump to fulfill his promise to release Ulbricht.
Rand Paul (R) sent an open letter to President Obama on Tuesday, after it was revealed that he had failed to initiate clemency actions on his first day in office.
You’ve sent a message @POTUS Today, I sent him a note asking him to free @RealRossU! pic.twitter.com/yrc3zPx9Nt
— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) January 21, 2025
Thomas Massie of the Kentucky Republican Party celebrated Trump’s action afterward on Tuesday.
Ross Ulbricht is now free and President Trump has pardoned him in full! You have kept your promise to me, and those who have fought for Ross’s freedom. Thank you Mr. Trump! #freeRoss pic.twitter.com/wOJVFX1DaA
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) January 22, 2025
As one of his last acts as president, Joe Biden commutated sentences for another round of nearly 2,500 federal prisoners who were incarcerated for nonviolent drug offenses. This included several people serving prison time for marijuana-related crimes.
Although advocates have applauded Biden’s clemency over the last four years, frustration still remains that thousands of people remain incarcerated at federal prisons over marijuana-related crimes, even nonviolent cases.
Trump’s new DEA chief blamed Marijuana for School Shootings, and claimed the rescheduling effort was politically motivated
Image courtesy Wikimedia