[Editor’s note: At 6:56 PM, EST, Donald Trump announced that he pardoned Ulbricht. Trump described the federal prosecutors and law enforcement behind the Ulbricht conviction as “scum” and “lunatics.” Trump also described Ulbricht’s excessive sentence as “ridiculous.”]
Think about being sentenced to die in jail since you created a web site. That is the destiny of Ross Ulbricht. Whereas Ulbricht is presently serving his twelfth 12 months in jail, he might (thankfully) purchase freedom as soon as once more very quickly. “On day one, I’ll commute the sentence of Ross Ulbricht,” claimed Donald Trump amidst cheers from the viewers of the 2024 Libertarian Nationwide Conference. On October 31, 2024, Trump included “#FreeRossDayOne” in a pro-Bitcoin publish he wrote on X. Subsequently, Ulbricht wrote on X that he not solely trusted Trump to honor the pledge, however even added that he can “lastly see the sunshine of freedom on the finish of the tunnel.” January 20, 2025 has handed. Within the days main as much as Trump’s inauguration, many round america and the world at massive, together with myself, puzzled whether or not Trump would truly fulfill his promise and free Ulbricht, both on his first day in workplace and even usually.
Ten years in the past this month, the jury trial for Ulbricht, the creator of a significant darkish internet market named the Silk Street, started. In February 2015, Ulbricht was convicted of prices that included cash laundering, promoting narcotics, sustaining an “ongoing felony enterprise,” and extra. Ulbricht, a first-time offender, was finally sentenced to 2 life sentences plus forty years with out the prospect of parole. What possible compelled former US District Decide Katherine Forrest to ship the brutal sentence was Ulbricht’s libertarian outlook, which she ignorantly criticized as “deeply troubling, terribly misguided, and really harmful.”
A number of elements of Ulbricht’s case increase additional suspicions, together with the FBI finding the Silk Street’s servers with no warrant, Ulbricht being prevented from calling witnesses, main drug sellers on the Silk Street receiving far more lenient sentences, doubtful murder-for-hire allegations (which have been later dropped), two former federal brokers later being convicted of stealing Bitcoin, and so forth. Ulbricht’s punishment just isn’t solely exceedingly harsh, but additionally represents a considerable assault in opposition to freedom and justice all over the place. Trump’s present dedication to pardoning Ulbricht was undoubtedly the product of listening to in regards to the troubling elements of Ulbricht’s case from folks equivalent to Angela McArdle and Vivek Ramaswamy.
Nevertheless, Trump’s document partly sheds a adverse gentle on the chance that Ulbricht will truly be freed. For example, throughout his 2024 presidential marketing campaign, Trump repeatedly endorsed the dying penalty for drug sellers. These statements seemingly contradict Trump’s dedication to free Ulbricht, who helped arrange a significant drug market on the darkish internet. Additional, why didn’t Trump free Ulbricht throughout his first time period? On the finish of his first time period, Trump was contemplating releasing Ulbricht, however finally determined to not.
Basically, Trump’s first time period was marked by an recurring incapability to meet sure desired actions. For example, Trump promised that he would launch the JFK information in 2017. Quickly after, Trump succumbed to stress (from people equivalent to neoconservative Mike Pompeo) and determined to not launch the JFK information, citing nationwide safety causes. Much like his present pledge to Ulbricht, Trump has once more dedicated to releasing the JFK information. Since he didn’t fulfill his promise throughout his first time period, why ought to we belief Trump this time round?
As well as, Trump succumbed to stress and neither pardoned Julian Assange nor Edward Snowden throughout his first time period. In a 2021 interview with Candace Owens, Trump said that he was near releasing both Assange or Snowden on the finish of his first time period, though he was possible nearer to pardoning Snowden as a result of he felt extra strongly about him. In accordance with Glenn Greenwald, not solely did people equivalent to Pompeo (who beforehand contemplated assassinating Assange) stress Trump, however neoconservatives in Congress additionally utilized the impeachment trial to stress Trump from releasing both Assange or Snowden. Since Trump habitually yielded to stress throughout his first time period, it’s secure to imagine that Trump’s capability to meet guarantees is on the weaker aspect. Consequently, which means that Trump can’t be absolutely trusted to honor his pledge and commute the sentence of Ulbricht, actually not solely on day one, but additionally usually.
Nonetheless, Trump concurrently made some choices throughout his first time period which shed a optimistic gentle on the chance that he’ll truly free Ulbricht. However Trump’s present endorsement of the dying penalty for drug sellers, Trump granted clemency to Alice Marie Johnson in 2018, who was sentenced to life imprisonment with out the potential for parole resulting from her alleged position in cocaine trafficking. Furthermore, Trump signed the First Step Act in 2018, which supposed to cut back exceedingly lengthy federal sentences and enhance jail situations. The implementation of those choices represented an assault in opposition to exceedingly harsh punishments for drug crimes, and it’s very potential that Trump might prolong these insurance policies by releasing Ulbricht.
As beforehand talked about, stress largely contributed to Trump not fulfilling sure guarantees and desired actions throughout his first time period. Due to each the excessive probability that stress shall be largely absent and a few of the choices that Trump made throughout his first time period, I do imagine that Trump will free Ulbricht. Sadly, nevertheless, I don’t imagine that Trump will free Ulbricht on day one. Throughout his presidential marketing campaign, Trump made varied guarantees that he mentioned could be achieved throughout his first day in workplace, together with ending the warfare in Ukraine, securing the border, pardoning all January 6 rioters, and far more. It’s not possible for Trump to meet each one in every of these guarantees throughout his first day in workplace. It’s extra possible that Trump’s fingers shall be tied.
Towards the tip of the primary sequence of Financial Sophisms, French economist Frédéric Bastiat requested rhetorically, “…what could be extra injurious to trigger than that it must be on the identical time vigorously attacked and feebly defended?” Advocating for Ulbricht’s trigger is a part of the continual battle for freedom and justice. Failing to completely defend Ulbricht by not releasing him wouldn’t solely endlessly stain Trump’s legacy, however would even have devastating results to the motion advocating for Ulbricht’s clemency by obliterating the hope of many concerned.