CNBC’s ‘Crypto Trader’ Anchor Mocks McDonald’s Worker With Down Syndrome in Insensitive Tweet

To do so, he used an image of a McDonald’s worker, none other than Russell O’ Grady, an employee with down syndrome who worked at the company for 32 years, holding a trophy in a cheap blow to make fun of self-proclaimed experts in the space.

Instant Backlash

According to Crypto Deleted Tweets (@CryptoDeleted), Neuner deleted the tweet after only a minute, likely due to the criticism he received from multiple sources. The now-deleted tweet was screenshotted by @AltcoinSara and shared in a thread:

For reference: pic.twitter.com/Mz4bvYkMyO

— Crypto Sara (I also like Bitcoin so GFY) (@AltcoinSara) October 23, 2019

As one can imagine, Neuner has been experiencing backlash from different influencers. https://twitter.com/DanDarkPill/status/1187047068499509248?s=09

This classy tweet was deleted quickly… pic.twitter.com/eGB4op9Aba

— icebergy ❄️ (@icebergy_) October 23, 2019

Not only was the tweet classless and mean, but it’s also false, considering Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies have been around for about a decade now. To say that there aren’t cryptocurrency experts made out of all that time doesn’t make sense. While sure, there are tons of names in the space that draw negative attention, like, say, Justin Sun of TRON fame, or Craig Wright, there are just as many if not more people putting their efforts into making it better.

A Slew of Cryptocurrency Experts

BeInCrypto has reported on numerous names and projects attempting to push the industry forward. Brave Browser is one such example, with the platform and its founder, Brandon Eich, looking to provide a new way for content creators to receive payments without shoving ads in a user’s face. Vitalik Buterin’s Ethereum platform is still working on its upcoming hard fork, but since its launch, the project has been home to multiple successful projects like CryptoKitties that can help make cryptocurrencies and blockchain more accessible to the public. Even Twitter head Jack Dorsey, regardless of how you feel about him treating his social media platform, has made public efforts to improve the Bitcoin platform. Neuner’s attempted diss on the industry is baseless and quite simply out-of-touch. That said, by looking at his Twitter feed, it seems that the show host has made quite a few unfounded generalizations and complaints aside from this one, and that’s not to mention some of his old predictions or older news that painted Neuner as a potential fraudster.

In the bull run there were so many experts. Where are all the experts now?

— Ran Neuner (@cryptomanran) October 23, 2019

Other than exchanges , are there any companies in Blockchain making real money?

— Ran Neuner (@cryptomanran) October 16, 2019

If you see crypto people talking to themselves don’t be alarmed, they are getting expert advice!🤣

— Ran Neuner (@cryptomanran) October 4, 2019

All in all, his complaints are a little strange, considering Neuner’s job is to be some sort of cryptocurrency expert. While cryptocurrencies are volatile, and it’s impossible to make completely accurate predictions in terms of price, that doesn’t mean one can’t be an expert in the technology itself or make reasonably accurate predictions based on past activity. An elitist attitude like this will only bring more bad press to the industry. That and it will prevent outsiders from wanting to see what it’s all about. What do you think about Neuner’s remarks? Are they made in bad taste, and will they prevent more people from wanting to join the cryptocurrency space? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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Images are courtesy of Twitter, Shutterstock.