Trump pardons Ross Ulbricht, founder of Silk Road drug marketplace
GuardianJAN 28
Trump Pardons Silk Road Founder After 11 Years in Prison
Above: Members of the Libertarian Party demanding the release of Ross Ulbricht during the party's national convention May 25, 2024. Image copyright: Chip Somodevilla/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Spin
Republican narrative
Trump has fulfilled his promise to the Libertarian Party, which supported him vigorously during the 2024 election. Now a man who has been a political prisoner from the minute he was convicted can go free, and the bitcoin community knows it has a friend in the White House.
Democratic narrative
Trump talked tough on crime during the campaign — even suggesting drug dealers deserve the death penalty. But now he's followed his pardons for the Jan. 6 rioters with a pardon for a well-known drug dealer and money launderer. This is a brazen move that doesn't put US safety first.