Jon Stewart speaks out on Reddit-GameStop frenzy in first-ever tweet
Former "Daily Show" host Jon Stewart officially joined Twitter on Thursday and had some thoughts about Reddit-inspired traders who helped spur the meteoric rise in the share price of GameStop this week.
"This is bullsh*t," Stewart said in his first ever tweet. "The Redditors aren't cheating, they're joining a party Wall Street insiders have been enjoying for years. Don't shut them down...maybe sue them for copyright infringement instead!!"
"We've learned nothing from 2008," he added, referring to the 2008 financial crisis.
Stewart's comments appeared to be directed at online brokerage Robinhood and other major trading platforms that temporarily banned trading on GameStop and other popular stocks that saw huge surges this week. While Robinhood eventually reversed its decision on GameStop, it still drew criticism from Republican and Democratic lawmakers, who plan to have hearings on the subject.
The financial drama drew Stewart to Twitter. Less than a day after his first tweet, Stewart had gained more than 700,000 followers on the platform.
"Thanks for the warm welcome! I promise to only use this app in a sporadic and ineffective manner," Stewart tweeted.
"The Late Show" host Stephen Colbert took notice and welcomed him.
"Well, one thing changed since 2008- a friend of mine joined Twitter," he said.
Stewart was a fan favorite for years as host of the "Daily Show." In recent years, he's been known for his activism and lobbying Congress to extend benefits for 9/11 first responders.
