The "Libertarian Movement" Freed Ross Ulbricht

#6 Thanks to his mother's relentless advocacy, the Libertarian Party, Rand Paul and more, Donald Trump just gave a victim of the state long overdue justice.

In 2013, Ross Ulbricht was arrested and went to jail.

In May 2015, he was sentenced to two life sentences plus 40 years for the crime of creating a website for commerce, some of it illegal. No illegality was directly attached to Ross. He just created and owned a platform.

The harsh, cruel and unusual sentence he was given was to make an example of this libertarian, pro-free market, Ron Paul supporter.

The government’s message was clear: the Ross Ulbrichts of the world - and the kind of freedom they seek - will not to be tolerated.

Lyn Ulbricht

Over the last decade, his mother Lyn Ulbricht could be found at almost every libertarian conference, trying to get support for son and his release, a thankless task with little hope for success or results.

“Free Ross” signs became a staple at libertarian events. Not at Democratic, Green Party or left-wing events. Not at Republican or conservative events.

Specifically, libertarians were the American ideological faction solely concerned with freeing Ulbricht from the injustice brought upon him.

And they won.

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump granted Ross Ulbricht a full pardon.

Trump said that he freed Ulbricht “in honor” of his mother who worked so hard for so long to set her son free, but also for the “Libertarian Movement.”

What is this “Libertarian Movement” as it pertains to freeing Ross?

It is first and foremost, his mother. Period.

Then there’s everything else.

Who is the “Libertarian Movement” that freed Ross?

This begins with Libertarian Party Chairwoman Angela McArdle. She made the decision to invite Donald Trump to the party’s national convention, negotiated what it would take to earn Libertarian (and even small “l” libertarian) support for his candidacy, with commuting the sentence of Ulbricht at the top of that list.

This upset many Libertarians (and small “l” libertarians). In fact, during his speech at the Libertarian National Convention, Trump was booed heavily.

But Trump was not booed that day when he vowed to free Ross Ulbricht.

The only other time Trump said he would free Ulbricht was at the Bitcoin Conference in Nashville in July.

Just twice. That’s it.

Still, McArdle claimed throughout that 2024 election that she was in touch with Trump’s campaign and maintained publicly her belief that Ulbricht’s sentence would be commuted or that he would be pardoned.

She was right.

The Libertarian Party’s Greatest Victory Ever

Freeing Ross Ulbricht is the greatest victory in the entire history of the Libertarian Party.

Shit got done.

Angela made the key decision that instead of merely remaining a minority party electorally, or an alternative or mere vote of conscience for many (I have voted Libertarian for president three times), that the LP could engage in coalition politics, with Trump’s candidacy being a unique opportunity.

It was definitely a different approach.

And it worked.

But the “Libertarian Movement” isn’t just the LP.

Mere hours before Trump pardoned Ulbricht, Republican Sen. Rand Paul, a Trump ally, asked the president to do so, something he had advocated for, for years.

Republican Congressman Thomas Massie had also rallied to free Ross for years.

Libertarian icon Ron Paul, former Republican and Libertarian Congressman Justin Amash, former Libertarian presidential candidates Gary Johnson and Jo Jorgensen, former Libertarian vice presidential candidate Spike Cohen, libertarian legend Lew Rockwell, former Mises President Jeff Deist, the Future of Freedom Foundation’s Jacob Hornberger, Free the People’s Matt Kibbe… and this is a short list…

Every libertarian voice imaginable sought this goal.

In my many years in this movement, I don’t know of a single libertarian who didn’t want to “Free Ross.” It was a constant slogan, second only to “End the Fed.”

Libertarians won

In the 2024 election and with that election’s result, libertarians had a new President-elect who had been the victim of a weaponized state, who not only promised to free Ulbricht as smart, practical politics that could benefit him, but also said he saw the same kind of government weaponization that vhad been used against Ross, used against him.

Trump even called the people who imprisoned Ulbricht “scum,” similar to the “scum” who pursued him.

As cold as it might sound now, Ross Ulbricht had little reason to ever expect to be free again. For most of his incarceration, it was him and his mother against a system that seemed forever insurmountable.

But then a certain kind of president disrupted that system.

And a certain kind of political movement helped direct that president as to where it should be disrupted.

Because of both those things, Ross Ulbricht is now free.

Ross, hug your mother, breathe fresh air… enjoy all the things a free man should.

“Libertarian Movement?”

Take a bow. You won.