Over the course of his campaign, President Donald Trump promised a series of unprecedented initiatives. He vowed to end taxes on tips, build “freedom cities” complete with flying cars, and secure the endorsement of the Libertarian Party. As part of his attempt to win over Libertarians, Trump made a significant promise at their convention: to commute the life sentence of Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the online drug market Silk Road. Trump stated, “If you vote for me, on Day One, I will commute the sentence of Ross Ulbricht. We’re going to get him home.”
Today, Trump made good on this promise, granting Ulbricht a full and unconditional pardon. Although Libertarians may be jubilant, this decision is a grave misstep that undermines the law-and-order and return-to-sanity platform that brought Trump back to the White House.
