Trump pardons Silk Road founder, defends Jan. 6 acts
President Donald Trump makes good with libertarians and crypto enthusiasts in pardoning Ross Ulbricht


What happened
President Donald Trump Tuesday pardoned Ross Ulbricht, the founder of dark-web drug marketplace Silk Road, 10 years into his life sentence for conspiracy to traffic narcotics, money laundering and other crimes. Trump also defended his decision to pardon or free more than 1,500 participants in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol assault, claiming they had been "treated unbelievably poorly" and "served years in jail" they "should not have served."
Who said what
Trump said on social media he had pardoned Ulbricht "in honor" of the Silk Road founder's mother and "the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly." He called the life sentence "ridiculous" and the New York federal prosecutors who secured a jury conviction "scum." Prosecutors said Silk Road facilitated more than 1.5 million sales of heroin, cocaine and other illicit substances, contributing to the deaths of at least six people. A federal judge in Manhattan called Ulbricht "the kingpin of a worldwide digital drug-trafficking enterprise" at his 2015 sentencing.
But Ulbricht is a "cult hero in the cryptocurrency and libertarian worlds," The New York Times said. "Crypto enthusiasts" appreciated that he created "one of the first venues where people used Bitcoin to buy and sell goods," and libertarians generally oppose drug laws. Trump had promised to commute Ulbricht's sentence at the Libertarian Party national convention last May.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Congressional Republicans "struggled to defend" Trump's Jan. 6 pardons, especially for the rioters convicted of assaulting police officers, CNN said. Some said they disagreed with the pardons for violent rioters, but "most Republicans wouldn't weigh in on whether Trump had made the right decision."
What next?
Counterterrorism experts said Trump's clemency, especially for the Proud Boys and Oath Keeper leaders serving long sentences for seditious conspiracy, "could further embolden fringe groups" and boost political violence by far-right militias, The Washington Post said.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Why does the U.S. need China's rare earth metals?
Today's Big Question Beijing has a 'near monopoly' on tech's raw materials
By Joel Mathis, The Week US
-
When did divorce begin?
The Explaine Couples have always split up, but the institution has undergone major changes over the years
By David Faris
-
What are your retirement savings account options?
The explainer The two main types of accounts are 401(k) plans and individual retirement accounts (IRAs)
By Becca Stanek, The Week US
-
Hegseth reportedly shared war plans in 2nd group text
Speed Read The defense secretary sent information about an attack in Yemen to a Signal group chat that included his wife and brother
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
El Salvador's CECOT prison becomes Washington's go-to destination
IN THE SPOTLIGHT Republicans and Democrats alike are clamoring for access to the Trump administration's extrajudicial deportation camp — for very different reasons
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Supreme Court takes up Trump birthright appeal
Speed Read The New Jersey Attorney General said a constitutional right like birthright citizenship 'cannot be turned on or off at the whims of a single man'
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Court slams Trump, senator visits Ábrego García
Speed Read The case 'should be shocking not only to judges' but all Americans with an 'intuitive sense of liberty'
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
The anger fueling the Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez barnstorming tour
Talking Points The duo is drawing big anti-Trump crowds in red states
By Joel Mathis, The Week US
-
Judge threatens Trump team with criminal contempt
Speed Read James Boasberg attempts to hold the White House accountable for disregarding court orders over El Salvador deportation flights
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Why the GOP is nervous about Ken Paxton's Senate run
Today's Big Question A MAGA-establishment battle with John Cornyn will be costly
By Joel Mathis, The Week US
-
UK-US trade deal: can Keir Starmer trust Donald Trump?
Today's Big Question White House insiders say an agreement is 'two weeks' away but can Britain believe it?
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK