Free at Last! Trump Kept His Promise to #FreeRoss
After over a decade of unjust incarceration, Ross Ulbricht is finally free, but the fight is only beginning.
After more than a decade of unjust incarceration, Ross Ulbricht is finally free. Late Tuesday evening, Donald Trump delivered on his promise to pardon the founder of the Silk Road, a man who was sentenced to an egregious double life sentence for the “crime” of building a website. Though skepticism of Trump’s motives is warranted given his past actions, this decision marks a monumental victory for justice, individual freedom, and the fight against government overreach.
Ross’s mother, Lyn Ulbricht, has been the heart and soul of this battle, tirelessly campaigning for her son’s release while enduring unimaginable suffering. For years, she became the face of a movement, challenging the hypocrisy of a government that praises tech billionaires for their innovations while punishing her son for his. Now, her fight has paid off, and for the first time in over a decade, Lyn’s son is home. This is not just a personal victory for the Ulbricht family, but a testament to what unwavering resolve and grassroots activism can achieve.
The Story of Ross Ulbricht: More Than Just a Website
Ross Ulbricht’s story has always been about more than just the Silk Road. It’s about the growing realization that the U.S. government, through its weaponized judicial system, has targeted individuals who dare to challenge the status quo. Ross wasn’t convicted of violent crimes, as some mainstream outlets lazily reported over the years. In fact, the sensational accusations of murder-for-hire were dropped because there was no evidence to support them. But that didn’t stop prosecutors from using those baseless claims to muddy public perception and justify a sentence fit for a warlord—not a young entrepreneur who created an online marketplace.
The Silk Road was a revolutionary idea. It used Bitcoin, a nascent and misunderstood technology at the time, to facilitate voluntary transactions. Contrary to the fearmongering narratives, it wasn’t just a platform for illegal drugs—it was a proof of concept that decentralization could empower individuals and challenge authoritarian control. The Silk Road even arguably made drug use safer by providing user reviews and eliminating the violence of street-level drug trade. For that, Ross deserved a Nobel Prize, not a cage.
Trump’s Long-Delayed Justice: Skepticism Meets Gratitude
As someone who campaigned as an outsider in 2016, Trump hinted at freeing Ross during his first term. Yet, like so many of his promises, this one never materialized. Instead, Trump surrounded himself with warmongering advisors, ramped up drone strikes, and called for the removal of due process. His first term was a mixed bag of rhetoric and tyranny, leaving many of us skeptical that he would ever follow through.
However, this time, Trump kept his word. While it wasn’t “day one” as promised at the Libertarian National Convention, it was close enough. In a statement on Truth Social, Trump even called out the “lunatics” who prosecuted Ross, tying their weaponization of government to his own experiences. While his motives may be self-serving, the result is the same: Ross is free. And for that, we must give credit where it’s due.
This act of clemency could signal a paradigm shift, a moment where the country reexamines the prison-industrial complex, the war on drugs, and the blatant overreach of the surveillance state. It’s a white-pill moment in an otherwise bleak political landscape.
The Work Is Far From Over
But let’s be clear—this is just one step in a much larger battle. The system that locked Ross away for a decade is still alive and well. It continues to crush dissent, destroy lives, and protect its own corruption at all costs. If Trump is serious about dismantling this system, the pardons need to keep coming.
Roger Ver, a vocal advocate for personal liberty and cryptocurrency pioneer, should be next on the list. Like Ross, Roger has been targeted for his commitment to empowering individuals and undermining the state’s stranglehold on financial systems. His extradition case is a travesty of justice, and if there’s any hope of building on this momentum, freeing Roger must be a priority.
A Shift Toward Hope
For now, let’s celebrate Ross’s release. Let’s celebrate the end of Lyn Ulbricht’s agony, knowing her son is finally free to rebuild his life. Let’s take this as a reminder that change is possible, even in the face of overwhelming tyranny.
Trump’s decision to pardon Ross Ulbricht wasn’t just an act of justice—it was a challenge to a system that thrives on injustice. But the fight isn’t over. It’s up to us to keep pushing, keep exposing the lies, and keep demanding freedom for all who have been wrongfully persecuted by the state.
The road ahead is long, but with moments like this, we’re reminded that the light of liberty can shine even in the darkest of times. Welcome home, Ross. Let’s keep the fight going.
Those who want to join this battle can visit FreeRogerNow.org. Let’s make sure the next unjust prosecution story has the same ending.
