The Robinhood scandal and surrounding GameStop stock controversy has gotten a whole host of eyeballs on it. Everyday gamers, the current American presidential administration, and everyone in between has had some sort of comment on the unfolding situation. But few scenarios like this have drawn such bipartisan criticism, which is becoming increasingly rare in the current polarized political climate. The Robinhood app has caught flak from politicians on the left like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to ones on the right like Ted Cruz for not letting its users trade GameStop stocks.
The Robinhood scandal hits both sides of the political aisle
Absolutely
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 28, 2021
House of Representatives member Ocasio-Cortez tweeted about how it was “unacceptable” that the app was halting users from trading GameStop stock. She later said that she would go live on Twitch at 8:30 PM ET to discuss the situation with a few undisclosed guests. Ocasio-Cortez is known to stream in the past and has also revealed how she likes to play League of Legends.
This is beyond absurd. @FSCDems need to have a hearing on Robinhood's market manipulation. They're blocking the ability to trade to protect Wall St. hedge funds, stealing millions of dollars from their users to protect people who've used the stock market as a casino for decades. https://t.co/CGkJxVfzkv
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) January 28, 2021
Fellow member of “The Squad” and Democratic House member Rashida Tlaib also voiced her concern with the halt. Calling it “beyond absurd,” she pointed out the hypocrisy of the situation as the system is designed protect the rich when they do the very same things the regular folks are trying to do now.
And while it is normal for progressive politicians to point out societal inequities, it’s quite bizarre to have members in the center and on the far right of the political spectrum who are in agreeance with those same points. Texas Senator Ted Cruz simply quote tweeted AOC, stating that he agreed. Tesla CEO, fresh off revealing a few The Witcher 3-ready cars, also tweeted that he was in the same boat as the New York rep. Even right-wing pundit Ben Shapiro said that this was putting a “hammer” on the free market.
You haven’t even apologized for the serious physical + mental harm you contributed to from Capitol Police & custodial workers to your own fellow members of Congress.
In the meantime, you can get off my timeline & stop clout-chasing. Thanks.
Happy to work with other GOP on this.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 28, 2021
But even this common ground has drawn its own criticism, as Ocasio-Cortez, in response to Cruz’s tweet saying that he agreed, said that she didn’t want his specific support after his role in the Capitol riots on January 6. Cruz, along with other elected Republicans, repeatedly raised unfounded and consistently debunked issues of voter fraud in the 2020 U.S. election, according to NPR. This “Big Lie” was one of the main motivators for those who stormed the Capitol building and one rioter was even captured on video (via The Daily Beast) saying Cruz “would want us to do this.” AOC has gone on the record, as reported by The Independent, saying how Congress “narrowly escaped death” from those attacks.
