Trump ripped as he promises to ‘save’ Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht who is serving life in prison

PALM BEACH, FLORIDA: Former president Donald Trump has vowed to "save" Ross Ulbricht, the infamous creator of the darknet market Silk Road.

Trump took to social media shortly after Ulbricht reflected on a grim milestone. The 40-year-old enterpriser shared on X (formerly Twitter), “Here it is. The start of my 12th year in prison today. I intend to make the most of it and use my time wisely.” Trump subsequently a screenshot of Ulbricht’s post and pledged, “I WILL SAVE ROSS ULBRICHT!”

But who is Ross Ulbricht, and why does Trump want to save him?

Who is Ross Ulbricht?

Ross Ulbricht isn’t your average criminal. He’s the man who created Silk Road, a notorious darknet marketplace that made headlines for its sale of illegal drugs, according to Investopedia.

Silk Road operated under the cover of the Tor encryption network and utilized Bitcoin for transactions, providing users with the security and anonymity they craved. The platform allowed users to buy and sell everything from heroin and cocaine to LSD, along with other illegal goods and services, including firearms.

Ulbricht — operating under the pseudonym "Dread Pirate Roberts" — was arrested in 2013 after the FBI shut down Silk Road. He was charged with seven offenses, including conspiracy to commit computer hacking, conspiracy to launder money, conspiracy to traffic narcotics, and continuing a criminal enterprise, which earned him the infamous kingpin charge.

In 2015, Ulbricht was sentenced to an astonishing double life imprisonment plus 40 years, with no possibility of parole. His supporters argue that his punishment is excessive, especially when compared to others convicted of similar crimes. They say Ulbricht’s vision for the Silk Road wasn’t about drugs but about offering people the freedom to make their own choices.

Donald Trump's support and Ross Ulbricht's response

Donald Trump promised to commute Ross Ulbricht’s sentence while speaking at the Libertarian National Convention earlier this year.  “And if you vote for me, on Day One, I will commute the sentence of Ross Ulbricht,” he declared to cheers from the crowd.

The move, of course, was strategic. Libertarians have long been vocal about their desire to see drug laws relaxed and drug-related convictions commuted. Ulbricht’s case, in particular, has become a symbol for those advocating for personal freedom and the end of the war on drugs. Ulbricht’s supporters flooded the convention with black and white “Free Ross” signs, hoping to sway Trump’s decision in their favor.

“It’s one of the things we wanted from his first term,” Katherine Yeniscavich, a national committee member of the Libertarian party, said of Trump at the time. “He wants Libertarian voters, and if he agreed to free Ross he would get a lot of votes.”

Ulbricht hasn’t been silent on Trump’s promise. Taking to X, Ulbricht expressed gratitude to Trump for pledging to commute his sentence.

“Last night, Donald Trump pledged to commute my sentence on day 1, if reelected. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. After 11 years in prison, it is hard to express how I feel at this moment. It is thanks to your undying support that I may get a second chance,” Ulbricht wrote.

Donald Trump slammed on social media for his promise

Of course, not everyone was thrilled with Donald Trump’s vow to "save" Ross Ulbricht. Critics on social media argued that Trump is simply trying to win over the libertarian and crypto communities.

"Donald Trump is now promising to release Ross Ulbricht, the Kingpin of Silk Road, where people would go to on the Dark Web to buy sexually trafficked women & children, military-grade weapons, hire hitman, buy hard drugs and anything else you wanted in complete anonymity," one user posted on X.

"You’d think the ability to hire assassins would meet with Trump’s disapproval," another wrote.

"Sounds like Trump's kind of guy," read a comment.

"He’s trying to appeal to the entire crypto community. Silly game," someone else offered.

"Ross Ulbricht was in prison the entirety of Mr. Trump's term. And I thought we were against the drug trade? And that site also facilitated the trafficking of hacked credit card data. Those cards could have belonged to any of us. This seems like a deeply cynical ploy to me," another chimed in.

What is Silk Road?

Born and raised in Austin, Texas, Ross Ulbricht studied physics at the University of Texas before enrolling in Pennsylvania State University for a master’s in materials science. In 2011, he launched Silk Road, aiming to create a marketplace that could exist without government interference — using Bitcoin as a currency and Tor for anonymity.

Ulbricht envisioned the Silk Road as a "means to abolish the use of coercion and aggression amongst mankind," as he described on his LinkedIn page. He saw it as a way to offer people the freedom to make their own choices without the influence of the state.

But the website quickly surpassed its libertarian ideals—it became a hub for illegal activity. From 2011 to 2013, Silk Road grew into a $200 million empire with over 100,000 users buying and selling illegal drugs and other illicit goods.

In May 2015, Ulbricht was sentenced to two life imprisonment terms plus 40 years to be served concurrently.

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