AOC Tells Ted Cruz A Retweet Doesn’t Make Up For, You Know, Trying To Get Her Killed

The whole GameStop stock situation (more on that in a minute) has proven how corrupt Wall Street is — so corrupt, in fact, that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Ted Cruz are both in agreement about there being a need for an investigation into free-trading app Robinhood. After Ocasio-Cortez tweeted about the situation, Cruz retweeted her in a rare show of agreement — but Ocasio-Cortez rightly wasn't having this faux show of solidarity. As she quickly pointed out, one shared opinion doesn’t mean she’s forgotten about Cruz’s career-long lack of integrity, harmful political stances, and support for disgraced former President Donald Trump. And also? She definitely hasn’t forgotten that he played a prominent part in inciting the January 6 attack on the Capitol which threatened her life.

The exchange between Ocasio-Cortez and Cruz happened on Thursday, when Ocasio-Cortez responded to Robinhood’s movement to block investors from purchasing GameStop stock. “This is unacceptable,” she wrote. “We now need to know more about @RobinHoodApp’s decision to block retail investors from purchasing stock while hedge funds are freely able to trade the stock as they see fit.”

Robinhood’s decision came after GameStop’s stock rose by 1,500% in a matter of weeks, largely thanks to a sizable group of small investors who banded together on Reddit to short the stock. Ocasio-Cortez is one of many people who have pointed out the hypocrisy in blocking everyday people and novice investors from engaging in the same dubious but legal behaviour that leaders on Wall Street have also done.

Cruz retweeted Ocasio-Cortez's statement. “Fully agree,” he added. 

Minutes later, Ocasio-Cortez responded. “I am happy to work with Republicans on this issue where there’s common ground, but you almost had me murdered 3 weeks ago so you can sit this one out. Happy to work w/ almost any other GOP that aren’t trying to get me killed,” she wrote in the first of several tweets. “In the meantime if you want to help, you can resign.”

In her thread, Ocasio-Cortez pointed out Cruz’s continued failure to accept responsibility for his role in the attempted coup. Leading up to the Jan. 6 attack, Cruz had promoted Trump’s unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud, and he’s been widely accused of abetting sedition and insurrection, which reportedly caused his own communications director to resign. Ocasio-Cortez called for Cruz’s resignation immediately after the riot, citing his refusal to accept the election results and a disturbing fundraising message he sent while the Capitol was under attack, and she hasn't backed down since — nor should she. 

“Sen. Cruz, you must accept responsibility for how your craven, self-serving actions contributed to the deaths of four people yesterday. And how you fundraised off this riot,” she wrote. “Both you and Senator [Josh] Hawley must resign. If you do not, the Senate should move for your expulsion.”

This isn’t the first or second or even third time Ocasio-Cortez has schooled Cruz on Twitter, and at this point, it’s surprising he keeps trying — or maybe it isn’t. After all, his continued support for Trump proves that, like the rest of the GOP, he has a very short memory.