The former POTUS said he would free Ulbricht if elected President this fall
Former US President Donald Trump said in a May 25 speech at the Libertarian Party National Convention in Washington, DC, that he will grant Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht a presidential pardon if he wins re-election to the White House in November.
“If you vote for me, on day one, I will commute the sentence of Ross Ulbricht,” said Trump. “He’s already served 11 years, we’re going to get him home.”
Silk Road is famous for being the first modern market on the dark web where users can make purchases with Bitcoin. Established in 2011, it was managed by Ulbricht from his laptop, which he used under the name “Dread Pirate Roberts.” The laptop was confiscated by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Oct. 1, 2013.
Ulbricht was sentenced in 2015 to two life terms plus an additional 40 years for his involvement in Silk Road by a US federal court.
Trump, who recently changed his stance on digital currency, also talked about his newly-found support for cryptocurrency. “I will ensure that the future of crypto and the future of Bitcoin will be made in the USA, not driven overseas.” He also vowed to protect investors who hold digital assets apart from centralized exchanges.
“I will support the right to self-custody, to the nation’s 50 million crypto holders I say this with your vote: I will keep Elizabeth Warren and her goons away from your Bitcoin,” said the ex-president, a complete turnaround from when he was in office and called Bitcoin a scam.
