Editing Jim Cramer (section)

==Controversies==
===Fox News Channel lawsuit===
In 2000, Cramer and ''TheStreet'' settled a lawsuit with [[Fox News Channel]] in which Fox had claimed Cramer had reneged on a deal to produce a show for Fox, and Cramer had counter-sued. The conflict began when Fox complained that Cramer promoted ''TheStreet'' stock on its network without giving advance notice to the program's producer.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bernstein |first=Paula |date=October 9, 2000 |title=Fox, TheStreet settle lawsuit |url=https://variety.com/2000/biz/news/fox-thestreet-settle-lawsuit-1117787435/ |access-date=March 3, 2025 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref>

=== Cramer's investments===
====Performance====
As manager of his hedge fund, Cramer said he realized a "rate of return of 24% after all fees for 15 years," until he retired from the hedge fund in 2001. He self-reported a 36% return in 2000, at the peak of the [[dot-com bubble]].<ref>{{cite web |date= October 2021|title=Jim Cramer |url=https://www.cnbc.com/jim-cramer/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211001205745/https://www.cnbc.com/jim-cramer/ |archive-date=October 1, 2021 |access-date=March 3, 2025 |publisher=CNBC}}</ref> 

In January 2000, close to the peak of the dot-com bubble, Cramer recommended investing in technology stocks, and suggested a repeat of the stock performance of 1999.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Cramer |first=James |author-link=Jim Cramer |date=January 1, 2000 |title=To The Moon |url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,995808,00.html |access-date=March 3, 2025 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]}}</ref> In February 2000, the year in which Cramer said he produced a 36% return, Cramer said that there were only 10 stocks he wanted to own, and he was buying them every day. These stocks were 724 Solutions, [[Ariba]], [[Digital Island]], [[Exodus Communications]], [[InfoSpace]], [[Inktomi]], [[Mercury Interactive]], [[Sonera]], [[VeriSign]], and [[Veritas Software]]. He also dismissed the investing strategy of [[Benjamin Graham]] and [[David Dodd]], and said that [[price–earnings ratio]]s did not matter.<ref>{{cite news |last=Cramer |first=Jim |author-link=Jim Cramer |date=February 29, 2000 |title=The Winners of the New World |url=https://www.thestreet.com/story/891820/1/the-winners-of-the-new-world.html |access-date=March 3, 2025 |work=[[TheStreet]]}}</ref>

An August 20, 2007, article in ''[[Barron's (newspaper)|Barron's]]'' stated that "his picks haven't beaten the market. Over the past two years, viewers holding Cramer's stocks would be up 12% while the Dow rose 22% and the S&P 500 16%."<ref>{{cite news |last=Alpert |first=Bill |date=August 20, 2007 |title=Shorting Cramer |url=https://www.barrons.com/articles/SB118681265755995100 |url-access=subscription |access-date=March 3, 2025 |work=[[Barron's (newspaper)|Barron's]]}}</ref> Cramer was criticized for repeatedly giving erroneous advice during the [[2008 financial crisis]]. He recommended investing in [[Bear Stearns]], [[Merrill Lynch]], [[Morgan Stanley]], [[Wachovia]], and [[Lehman Brothers]] before the stocks fell in value significantly and several went out of business.<ref name="Carr NYT">{{cite news |last1=Carr |first1=David |date=October 19, 2008 |title=Jim Cramer Retreats Along With the Dow |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/20/business/media/20carr.html |access-date=March 3, 2025 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Worth of Jim Cramer's Advice |url=http://www.erictyson.com/articles/20080922 |url-access=subscription |access-date=March 3, 2025 |website=EricTyson.com}}</ref> On August 8, 2008, before the climax of the [[2008 financial crisis]], Cramer recommended investing in bank stocks.<ref>{{cite news |last=Cramer |first=Jim |author-link=Jim Cramer |date=August 8, 2008 |title=Look at the Facts |url=https://www.thestreet.com/story/10432612/1/cramer-look-at-the-facts-on-financials.html |access-date=March 3, 2025 |work=[[TheStreet]]}}</ref>

On October 6, 2008, on ''[[Today (American TV program)|Today]]'', when the [[S&P 500 Index]] was valued at 1,056, Cramer suggested to investors, "Whatever money you need for the next five years, please take it out of the stock market."<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/a-crisis-of-financial-faith/ | title=A Crisis Of Financial Faith | work=CBS News | date=October 12, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.fool.com/investing/general/2009/11/16/why-you-shouldnt-listen-to-jim-cramer.aspx | title=Why You Shouldn't Listen to Jim Cramer | first=Nick | last=Kapur | work=[[The Motley Fool]] | date=November 10, 2016}}</ref> Five months later, the market bottomed at 666, a 36.9% decline.<ref>{{cite news |last=Santoli |first=Michael |date=March 4, 2019 |title=10 years ago this week, the market hit the climactic bottom of the Great Recession |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/04/the-10th-anniversary-of-the-climactic-march-2009-market-bottom-arrives-this-week.html |access-date=March 3, 2025 |work=[[CNBC]]}}</ref>

A February 9, 2009, article in ''The Wall Street Journal'' said that trading against Cramer's Buy recommendations using short-term [[Option (finance)|options]] had historically yielded 25% in a month.<ref>{{cite news |last=Alpert |first=Bill |date=February 9, 2009 |title=Cramer's Star Outshines his Stock Picks |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB123397107399659271 |url-access=subscription |access-date=March 3, 2025 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]}}</ref>

On February 8, 2023, Cramer recommended viewers to buy [[Silicon Valley Bank]] stock, just a month before [[Collapse of Silicon Valley Bank|its collapse]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Zilber |first=Ariel |date=March 10, 2023 |title=CNBC's Jim Cramer touted Silicon Valley Bank stock |url=https://nypost.com/2023/03/10/cnbcs-jim-cramer-touted-silicon-valley-bank-stock/ |access-date=March 3, 2025 |website=[[New York Post]]}}</ref> On March 10, he praised [[First Republic Bank]] as a "very good bank" in a [[Twitter]] post.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Steer |first1=George |date=May 3, 2023 |title=Jim Cramer: luxury stockpicker |url=https://www.ft.com/content/0bba8214-dfe2-4d26-ab22-af0f99379aee |url-access=subscription |access-date=April 30, 2024 |work=[[Financial Times]]}}</ref> First Republic's stock dropped by more than 80% in the days following Cramer's tweet and on May 1, it also collapsed, becoming the third and final bank to collapse in the [[2023 banking crisis]].

====Performance of Action Alerts charitable trust====
Cramer says that, between 2002 and May 2009, the performance of his ''"Action Alerts PLUS"'' [[charitable trust]] outpaced the [[S&P 500 Index]] and the [[Russell 2000 Index]]. The charitable trust realized a return of 31.75%, the S&P 500 had a return of 18.75%, and the Russell 2000 had a return of 22.51%. On an annual basis, the trust outperformed the S&P 500 by 7.35%, and the Russell 2000 Index by 3.33%. Paul Bolster said that Cramer beats the market in part because of the excess risk in his picks. "If we adjust for his market risk, we come up with an excess return that is essentially zero", Bolster said, adding that "zero", in this case, means his returns are roughly in line with the risk he's taking on.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite news |last=Phillips |first=Matt |date=May 20, 2009 |title=Do Jim Cramer Stock Picks Beat the Market? Finance Profs Investigate |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/marketbeat/2009/05/20/do-jim-cramer-stock-picks-beat-the-market-finance-profs-investigate/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=March 3, 2025 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]}}</ref> Another criticism of Actions Alerts Plus was that it did not compare itself to indexes that include dividend reinvestment (as the SEC requires for stock-oriented mutual funds). According to Kiplinger's article "One recent [Action Alerts PLUS] and included a chart, under the headline "Action Alert PLUS is CRUSHING the S&P 500", showing that the picks returned about 39% from the portfolio's inception through last March 31, compared with 15.5% for the S&P 500 over the same nine-year, three-month period. But the S&P figure did not include reinvested dividends. With them, the S&P 500 returned 38.3%."<ref>{{cite news |last=Feinberg |first=Andrew |date=August 1, 2010 |title=Cramer's Murky Math |url=https://www.kiplinger.com/article/investing/T052-C018-S001-cramer-s-murky-math.html |access-date=March 3, 2025 |work=[[Kiplinger Personal Finance]] |archive-date=January 21, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250121025012/https://www.kiplinger.com/article/investing/t052-c018-s001-cramer-s-murky-math.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

A study by Wharton researchers Jonathan Hartley and Matthew Olson found that in the timeframe of August 2001 to March 2016, Cramer's charitable trust underperformed the S&P 500 primarily as a result of underexposure to market returns in years after the [[2008 financial crisis]]. As of March 31, 2016, Cramer's trust since inception had a cumulative return of 64.5%, whereas the S&P 500 fewer dividends returned 70% during the same timeframe. Wharton finance professor [[Robert Stambaugh]] said he didn't think the findings showed significant underperformance or outperformance when adjusting for a variety of factors, but did say "It's a commendable attempt to dig more deeply into the style that underlies Cramer's stock picks."<ref>{{cite news |last=Booton |first=Jennifer |date=May 16, 2016 |title=Jim Cramer doesn't beat the market |url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/jim-cramer-doesnt-beat-the-market-2016-05-13 |access-date=March 3, 2025 |work=[[MarketWatch]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite SSRN | title=Jim Cramer's 'Mad Money' Charitable Trust Performance and Factor Attribution | first1=Jonathan | last1=Hartley | first2=Matthew | last2=Olson | date=May 15, 2016 |ssrn=2778724 }}</ref>

===="Market manipulation"====
In a December 2006 interview, Cramer described activities used by hedge fund managers to manipulate stock prices—some of debatable legality and others illegal. He described how he could push stocks higher or lower with as little as $5 million in capital when he was running his hedge fund. Cramer said, "A lot of times when I was [[short (finance)|short]] at my hedge fund ... When I was positioned short—meaning I needed it down—I would create a level of activity beforehand that could drive the [[Futures contract|futures]]." He also encouraged hedge funds to engage in this type of activity because it is "a very quick way to make money."<ref>{{cite web | url=http://marketmanipulation.info | title=Cramer's TheStreet.com TV Recap: Games Hedge Funds Play | website=[[TheStreet.com]] | date=December 22, 2006 }}</ref>

Cramer stated that everything he did was legal, but that illegal activity is common in the hedge fund industry as well. He also stated that some hedge fund managers spread false rumors to drive a stock down: "What's important when you are in that hedge-fund mode is to not do anything remotely truthful because the truth is so against your view, that it's important to create a new truth, to develop a fiction."<ref>{{cite news |last=McKenna |first=Barrie |date=March 27, 2007 |title=Cramer flap says a lot about him, a little about hedge funds |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/rob-commentary/cramer-flap-says-a-lot-about-him-a-little-about-hedge-funds/article722359/ |access-date=March 3, 2025 |work=[[The Globe and Mail]]}}</ref> Cramer described a variety of tactics that hedge fund managers use to affect a stock's price. Cramer said that one strategy to keep a stock price down is to spread false rumors to reporters he described as "the Pisanis of the world", in reference to CNBC correspondent [[Bob Pisani]], whom Cramer insinuated was able to be manipulated, saying "You have to use these guys." He also discussed giving information to "the bozo reporter from ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]''" to get an article published.<ref>{{cite news |last=Boyd |first=Roddy |date=March 20, 2007 |title=Cramer Reveals a Bit Too Much |url=https://nypost.com/2007/03/20/cramer-reveals-a-bit-too-much/ |access-date=March 3, 2025 |work=[[New York Post]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Boyd |first=Roddy |date=March 21, 2007 |title=Cramer's Big Mouth: Clip Could Run Afoul of CNBC |url=https://nypost.com/2007/03/21/cramers-big-mouth/ |access-date=March 3, 2025 |work=[[New York Post]]}}</ref> Cramer said this practice, although illegal, is easy to do "because the [[U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission|SEC]] doesn't understand it."<ref>{{cite news |last=Krantz |first=Matt |date=March 24, 2007 |title=CNBC's Cramer boasts of manipulating markets |url=https://www.usatoday.com/money/markets/2007-03-23-cramer-usat_N.htm |access-date=March 3, 2025 |work=[[USA Today]]}}</ref> During the interview, Cramer referred to himself as a "banking-class hero".<ref name="drawsfire">{{cite web |last=Hamilton |first=Dane |date=March 20, 2007 |title=Jim Cramer draws fire over manipulation comments |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/cramer-interview/jim-cramer-draws-fire-over-manipulation-comments-idUKN2036292620070320 |access-date=March 3, 2025 |work=[[Reuters]]}}</ref>

===Recommendation regarding Bear Stearns (March 2008)===
On the March 11, 2008, episode of Cramer's show ''Mad Money'', a viewer submitted the question "Should I be worried about Bear Stearns in terms of [[liquidity]] and get my money out of there?" Cramer responded "No! No! No! Bear Stearns is not in trouble. If anything, they're more likely to be ''taken over''. Don't move your money from Bear."<ref>{{cite news |last=Brennan |first=Tom |date=March 11, 2008 |title=Mad Mail: Is Bear Stearns in Trouble? |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2008/03/11/mad-mail-is-bear-stearns-in-trouble.html |access-date=March 3, 2025 |work=[[Mad Money]] |publisher=[[CNBC]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Mason |first=Cliff |date=March 4, 2009 |title=Setting the Record Straight on Bear Stearns |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2009/03/04/setting-the-record-straight-on-bear-stearns.html |access-date=March 3, 2025 |work=[[CNBC]]}}</ref> On March 14, 2008, the stock lost more than half of its value on news of a Fed bailout and $2/share takeover by [[JPMorgan Chase]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ellis |first1=David |last2=Luhby |first2=Tami |date=March 14, 2008 |title=Bear Stearns bailout keeps firm afloat |url=https://money.cnn.com/2008/03/14/news/companies/jpm_bsc/index.htm?postversion=2008031416 |work=[[CNN Business|CNN Money]] |publisher=[[CNN]]}}</ref> On March 17, 2008, Cramer said his statements were made in regards to the liquidity of accounts held at Bear Stearns as opposed to the stock.<ref>{{cite news |last=Brennan |first=Tom |date=March 17, 2008 |title=Cramer Was Right About Bear Stearns |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2008/03/17/stop-trading-cramer-was-right-about-bear-stearns.html |access-date=March 3, 2025 |work=[[Mad Money]] |publisher=[[CNBC]]}}</ref> Cramer said he was not recommending the common stock, but allaying concerns about the account holder's liquidity held in a Bear Stearns brokerage account. Cramer later wrote about the incident: "I did tell an emailer that his deposit in his account at Bear Stearns was safe, but through a clever sound bite, [[Jon Stewart|(Jon) Stewart]], and subsequently [[Frank Rich|(Frank) Rich]]—neither of whom have bothered to listen to the context of the pulled quote—pass off the notion of account safety as an out-and-out buy recommendation. The absurdity astounds me. If you called ''[[Mad Money]]'' and asked me about [[Citigroup]], I would tell you that the common stock might be worthless, but I would never tell you to pull your money out of the bank because I was worried about its solvency. Your money is safe in Citi as I said it was in Bear. The fact that I was right rankles me even more."<ref>{{cite news |last=Cramer |first=Jim |date=March 10, 2009 |title=Cramer Takes on the White House, Frank Rich and Jon Stewart |url=https://www.thestreet.com/story/12802359/1/cramer-takes-white-house-frank-rich-and-jon-stewart.html |access-date=March 3, 2025 |work=[[TheStreet]]}}</ref>

An article by author [[Michael Lewis]] for [[Bloomberg News]] said that ''TheStreet'' listed Bear Stearns as a "Buy" at $62 per share on March 11, 2008, which was the same day as the caller's question and a day before the collapse of Bear Stearns.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lewis |first=Michael |date=March 27, 2008 |title=Bear Stearns proves bank CEOs don't have a clue |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/business/bear-stearns-proves-bank-ceos-dont-have-a-clue-about-credit-crunch-crisis-6627025.html |access-date=March 3, 2025 |work=[[Evening Standard]]}}</ref> During the [[Jon Stewart–Jim Cramer conflict]], on ''[[The Daily Show]]'' on March 12, 2009, Cramer admitted he made mistakes on his Bear Stearns calls.<ref name=dailyshowinterview/><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eSE7BAAAQBAJ&dq=cramer+advice+stearns+lehman+merrill&pg=PT54| isbn=9781612306308 | title=Jon Stewart: Beyond the Moments of Zen | date=August 5, 2014 | publisher=New Word City }}</ref>

====Criticism of President Obama's policies (March 2009)====
On March 2, 2009, Cramer said that President [[Barack Obama]] was on a "radical agenda", and said that was responsible for "the greatest wealth destruction I have seen by a president".<ref>{{cite news |last=Brennan |first=Tom |date=March 3, 2009 |title=Cramer to White House: Wealth Destruction Is Real |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2009/03/03/cramer-to-white-house-wealth-destruction-is-real.html |access-date=March 3, 2025 |work=[[Mad Money]] |publisher=[[CNBC]]}}</ref> In response to a reporter's question, Press Secretary [[Robert Gibbs]] replied, "If you turn on a certain program, it's geared to a very small audience. I'm not entirely sure what he's pointing to make some of the statements..... You can go back and look at any number of statements he's made in the past about the economy and wonder where some of the back-ups for those are, too."<ref>{{cite news |author=Kapsinow |first=Steve |date=March 3, 2009 |title=White House Knocks Jim Cramer For Calling Obama Budget "Greatest Wealth Destruction By a President" |url=https://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/white-house-knocks-jim-cramer-for-calling-obama-budget-greatest-wealth-destruction-by-a-president/24104/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=March 3, 2025 |work=[[AdWeek]]}}</ref>

On March 5, 2009, Cramer responded to the White House, saying, "Backup? Look at the incredible decline in the stock market, in all indices, since the inauguration of the president, with the drop accelerating when the budget plan came to light because of the massive fear and indecision the document sowed: Raising taxes on the eve of what could be a second [[Great Depression]], destroying the profits in healthcare companies, tinkering with the [[mortgage deduction]] at a time when U.S. house price depreciation is behind much of the world's morass and certainly the devastation affecting our banks, and pushing an aggressive cap and trade program that could raise the price of energy for millions of people." By the end of Obama's term in office, major stock market indexes had more than doubled from the levels of March 2009.<ref>{{cite news |last=Cramer |first=Jim |author-link=Jim Cramer |date=March 6, 2009 |title=Cramer: My Response To The White House |url=https://www.thestreet.com/story/10468397/1/cramer-my-response-to-the-white-house.html |access-date=March 3, 2025 |work=[[TheStreet]]}}</ref>

Referring to March 8, 2009, charges leveled against Cramer by ''The New York Times'' columnist Frank Rich, Cramer said that he does not understand how Obama and his staff planned to raise taxes, institute cap-and-trade limitations, and rework the healthcare system all during a recession. The article said: "It isn't that Cramer disagrees with Obama's vision for the country – he even agrees with taxing the rich – but now is not the time to put those plans into action. The president needs to solve our housing, employment, and financial problems, and only then turn his attention to healthcare and changing the mortgage deduction."<ref>{{cite news |last=Brennan |first=Tom |date=October 3, 2009 |title=No Respect: Cramer Criticizes His Critics |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2009/03/09/no-respect-cramer-criticizes-his-critics.html |access-date=March 3, 2025 |work=[[Mad Money]] |publisher=[[CNBC]]}}</ref>

===Controversy with Nouriel Roubini===
Cramer wrote in 2009 that [[Nouriel Roubini]] was "intoxicated" with his own "prescience and vision", and should realize that things are better than he predicted. Roubini called Cramer a "buffoon", and told him to "just shut up".<ref name="listen">{{Cite news |last=Keohane |first=Joe |date=January 9, 2011 |title=That guy who called the big one? Don't listen to him. |url=http://archive.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2011/01/09/that_guy_who_called_the_big_one_dont_listen_to_him/?page=full |access-date=March 3, 2025 |work=[[The Boston Globe]] |publisher=Boston Globe Media Partners}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Petruno |first=Tom |date=April 8, 2009 |title=Roubini to Cramer: 'Just shut up' |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/blogs/money-company/story/2009-04-08/roubini-to-cramer-just-shut-up |access-date=March 3, 2025 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] }}</ref> Cramer responded by inviting Roubini to appear on his show, and say that to his face.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dealbreaker.com/2009/05/cramer-still-rattling-saber-in-roubinis-direction|title="Cramer Still Rattling Saber In Roubini's Direction"|date=January 14, 2019 }}</ref> In 2021, Roubini called Cramer "a total f---ing idiot".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Daniel |first=Will |date=February 11, 2021 |title=The fundamental value of bitcoin is negative given its environmental impact, says 'Dr. Doom' economist Nouriel Roubini |url=https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/the-fundamental-value-of-bitcoin-is-negative-given-its-environmental-impact-says-dr-doom-economist-nouriel-roubini/articleshow/80791642.cms |access-date=March 3, 2025 |website=[[Business Insider]]}}</ref>

===Debate with Jon Stewart (2009)===
{{Main|Jon Stewart–Jim Cramer conflict}}
On March 12, 2009, Cramer appeared on ''The Daily Show with Jon Stewart''.<ref name=dailyshowinterview/> Stewart reiterated earlier claims regarding the CNBC host's "silly and/or embarrassing and/or stupid financial observations."<ref name=dailyshowinterview/> Moreover, he said CNBC shirked its journalistic duty by believing corporate lies rather than being an investigative "powerful tool of illumination".<ref>{{cite news |last=Coyle |first=Jake |date=March 12, 2009 |title=Stewart hammers Cramer on 'The Daily Show' |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-tv-stewart-cramer-showdown-031209-2009mar12-story.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=March 3, 2025 |work=[[The San Diego Union-Tribune]] |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> Cramer disagreed with Stewart on a few points, but acknowledged that he could have done a better job foreseeing the economic collapse: "We all should have seen it more."<ref name=dailyshowinterview/>

Stewart also said [[short-selling]] was detrimental to the markets and investors. Cramer agreed that short-selling was detrimental, stated his opposition to it, and said that he had never engaged in it. This contradicted earlier statements in which he described going short while managing a hedge fund. In a December 2006 interview from ''TheStreet'''s "Wall Street Confidential" webcast, Cramer said, "A lot of times when I was [[short (finance)|short]] at my hedge fund. ... When I was positioned short—meaning I needed it down—I would create a level of activity beforehand that could drive the [[futures contract|futures]]."<ref name=drawsfire/> He said, "I will say this: I am trying to expose this stuff, exactly what you guys do, and I've been trying to get the regulators to look at it."<ref>{{cite news |last=Yee |first=Stan |date=November 21, 2008 |title=Out with Cox, in with Uptick Rule |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2008/11/21/out-with-cox-in-with-uptick-rule.html |access-date=March 3, 2025 |work=[[Mad Money]] |publisher=[[CNBC]]}}</ref> However, Stewart played several video clips from 2006 where Cramer discussed the spreading of false rumors to drive down stock prices and encouraged short-selling by hedge funds as a means to generate returns.<ref>{{cite web |last=Mccormack |first=Karyn |date=March 12, 2009 |title=Brawl Street: Jon Stewart vs. Jim Cramer |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2009-03-11/brawl-street-jon-stewart-vs-dot-jim-cramer |url-access=subscription |access-date=March 3, 2025 |work=[[Bloomberg News]]}}</ref> At one point in a clip from December 22, 2006, he said, "I would encourage anyone in a hedge fund to do it." He called it a very quick way to make money and very satisfying. He continued, "By the way, no one else in the world would ever admit that, but I don't care, and again, I'm not gonna say it on TV."<ref name=dailyshowinterview/> Stewart responded, "I want the Jim Cramer on CNBC to protect me from that Jim Cramer."<ref name=dailyshowinterview/> Cramer again admitted that he could do better and that he should try to change. The interview ended when Stewart pointedly suggested: "Maybe we can remove the 'financial expert' and the 'In Cramer We Trust' and start getting back to fundamentals on the reporting, as well, and I can go back to making fart noises and funny faces." Cramer responded: "I think we make that deal right here".<ref name=dailyshowinterview>{{cite web | url=http://www.cc.com/video-clips/qtzxvl/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-exclusive---jim-cramer-extended-interview-pt--3 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923005129/http://www.cc.com/video-clips/qtzxvl/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-exclusive---jim-cramer-extended-interview-pt--3 | url-status=dead | archive-date=September 23, 2015 | title=March 12, 2009: Jim Cramer Unedited Interview Pt. 3 | date=March 12, 2009 | publisher=[[Comedy Central]]}}</ref>

===Criticism of the Federal Reserve (2007–08)===
On August 3, 2007, in what was described a "rant" Cramer made a plea for the [[Federal Reserve]] to cut interest rates.<ref>{{cite news |last=Gurdus |first=Lizzy |date=August 3, 2017 |title=Cramer's Rant, the Anniversary |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/03/cramers-they-know-nothing-rant-from-2007-the-complete-transcript.html |access-date=March 3, 2025 |work=[[Mad Money]] |publisher=[[CNBC]]}}</ref> Cramer said of the Fed Committee, "They're nuts. They know nothing. This is a different kinda market. And the Fed is asleep."<ref>{{cite AV media | title=Cramer: Bernanke, Wake Up | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOVXh4xM-Ww  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/rOVXh4xM-Ww| archive-date=December 12, 2021 |url-status=live| via=[[YouTube]]| date=August 3, 2007}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Carney |first=John |date=January 18, 2013 |title=Jim Cramer Was Right—They Knew Nothing! |url=https://www.cnbc.com/id/100392107 |access-date=March 3, 2025 |work=[[CNBC]]}}</ref> When the transcript from the August 7, 2007, meeting of the Federal Reserve Open Markets Committee was subsequently released on August 28, 2007,<ref>{{cite web |title=FOMC: Transcripts and Other Historical Materials, 2007 |url=https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/fomchistorical2007.htm |access-date=March 3, 2025 |website=[[Federal Reserve]] |publisher=[[Federal Reserve Board of Governors]]}}</ref> it showed that Cramer's comments elicited laughter from participants during a comment from [[Dennis Lockhart]], president, and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. "I believe that the correct policy posture is to let the markets work through the changes in risk appetite and pricing that are underway, but the market observations of one of my more strident conversational counterparts—and that is not Jim Cramer [laughter]—are worth sharing."<ref>{{cite web |date=August 7, 2007 |title=Meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee on August 7, 2007 |url=https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/files/FOMC20070807meeting.pdf |access-date=March 3, 2025 |publisher=[[Federal Reserve Board of Governors]]}}</ref> Cramer was vindicated for his negative outlook when the [[2008 financial crisis]] and the [[Great Recession]] took hold.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Cassidy |first1=John |date=December 1, 2008 |title=Anatomy of a Meltdown Ben Bernanke and the financial crisis. |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/12/01/anatomy-of-a-meltdown |access-date=March 3, 2025 |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |publisher=[[Condé Nast]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Weisenthal |first1=Joe |date=January 20, 2013 |title=Jim Cramer Got The Ultimate Vindication This Week |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/fed-transcripts-show-that-jim-cramers-they-know-nothing-rant-was-right-2013-1 |access-date=March 3, 2025 |work=[[Business Insider]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Stevenson |first=Abigail |date=August 3, 2015 |title=Cramer: 2007 Fed rant—has anything really changed? |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2015/08/03/cramer-2007-fed-rant-has-anything-really-changed.html |access-date=March 3, 2025 |work=[[Mad Money]] |publisher=[[CNBC]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title=Jim Cramer's famous rant about the "know nothing" Fed. | url=https://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=808465173&play=1 | work=CNBC | date=July 29, 2007}}{{dead link|date=November 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title=Cramer: Bernanke, Wake Up | url=https://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=452808336 | work=CNBC | date=March 8, 2007}}{{dead link|date=November 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

On ''[[Hardball with Chris Matthews]]'' on September 19, 2008, Cramer blamed the Federal Reserve for the [[United States housing bubble]].<ref>{{cite news |date=September 22, 2008 |title='Hardball with Chris Matthews' for September 19, 2008 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna26841599 |access-date=March 3, 2025 |work=[[NBC News]]}}</ref>

===Calling House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "Crazy Nancy" during interview===
On September 15, 2020, during a TV interview with [[U.S. Speaker of the House]] [[Nancy Pelosi]], Cramer addressed her as "Crazy Nancy", and then sent several tweets in which he defended his actions. He later apologized for using the phrase, which was also employed frequently by President [[Donald Trump]].<ref name="The Washington Post">{{cite news |last1=Sonmez |first1=Felicia |date=September 15, 2020 |title=CNBC's Jim Cramer calls Pelosi 'Crazy Nancy' to her face in live interview |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/pelosi-trump-cramer-interview/2020/09/15/4b5fae88-f785-11ea-89e3-4b9efa36dc64_story.html |access-date=March 3, 2025 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Levin |first1=Bess |date=September 15, 2020 |title=Jim Cramer Is Offended People Didn't Get the Subtle Nuance of Him Calling Nancy Pelosi 'Crazy Nancy' to Her Face |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/09/jim-cramer-nancy-pelosi |access-date=March 3, 2025 |magazine=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Marcos |first1=Cristina |date=September 15, 2020 |title=CNBC's Cramer calls Pelosi 'crazy Nancy' in live interview |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/516493-pelosi-says-trump-calls-other-people-crazy-because-he-knows-he-is |access-date=March 3, 2025 |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] }}</ref>  During a discussion about the likelihood of a coronavirus relief bill, Cramer expressed doubt over the deal saying, "I mean, what deal can we have, Crazy Nancy?"  He then quickly added "I'm sorry, I—that was the president. I have such reverence for the office, I would never use that term." "But you just did," Pelosi replied.<ref name="The Washington Post"/>

==="Inverse Cramer" ETF===
In 2022, in response to a long-running series of unrelated humorous social media comments suggesting to invest against Cramer's stock recommendations, ''[[Financial Times|The Financial Times]]'' published SEC filings which revealed that Tuttle Capital Management –the same firm behind [[Tuttle Capital Short Innovation ETF]] (which bet against [[Cathie Wood]]'s [[Ark Invest]]) fund– had filed to launch two funds with one labeled "LJIM" and the other "SJIM", representing "Long Cramer" (which would bet with all of Cramer's recommendations) and "Inverse Cramer" (betting against everything that Cramer recommended) respectively. The Inverse Cramer ETF listed in its filings that aside from jokes or obviously meritable investment recommendations, in general, the fund would bet against all of Cramer's recommendations both on ''Mad Money'' and Cramer's Twitter feed, and the fund estimates to have a "high turnover rate".<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Elder |first1=Bryce |last2=Wigglesworth |first2=Robin |date=October 6, 2022 |title=The Inverse Cramer ETF might soon be a thing |url=https://www.ft.com/content/1ce4242f-c096-43e2-bbc8-92c47e098952 |access-date=November 8, 2022 |work=[[Financial Times]]}}</ref> The fund gained additional coverage upon [[Meta Platforms]]' Q3 2022 earnings miss and Cramer's subsequent apology, which outlined another loss for the company and was seen by some that Cramer's apology was seen as a sign to buy Meta stock.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mollman |first=Steve |date=October 27, 2022 |title=Jim Cramer said Meta shares had 'nowhere else to go but up' in June and now he's really sorry |url=https://fortune.com/2022/10/27/jim-cramer-meta-shares-investing-stocks-apology-zuckerberg-metaverse-facebook/ |access-date=November 8, 2022 |website=[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]] }}</ref>