Tensions are rising in the crypto world as Ripple finds itself under renewed fire from some unexpected quarters — this time, from deep within U.S. political circles. Will Cole, the son-in-law of Senator Cynthia Lummis, recently reignited controversy by openly slamming XRP and its parent company Ripple, calling the project a “centralized joke of a scam.”
Cole, who has been vocal in the past, doubled down on his criticism by claiming Ripple’s security fraud troubles are only the tip of the iceberg. He also took direct aim at the company’s leadership, accusing Ripple’s founders of being excessively greedy and dishonest about their connection to the XRP token.
Why Senator Lummis Might Be Avoiding Ripple?
Crypto lawyer Bill Morgan weighed in and said that if Senator Lummis shares even a fraction of her son-in-law’s views, it could explain her recent avoidance of Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse.
Recently, Brad Garlinghouse had planned to meet Senator Cynthia Lummis in Washington, D.C. to discuss crypto regulations, but she cancelled and hasn’t rescheduled. To this, Brad expressed his disappointment, since Lummis plays a major role in shaping crypto policy as head of the Senate Digital Assets Subcommittee.
Morgan speculated that a public meeting with Garlinghouse could invite backlash within her political and personal circles, potentially triggering accusations of favoritism or conflicts of interest — something politicians are typically keen to avoid.
Some in the crypto community called her out for favoring Bitcoin and not supporting a level playing field for all digital assets. But Bitcoin proponents, like Troy Cross, praised her for “keeping the scammers at bay,” showing distrust toward XRP.
Bitcoiners Slam XRP as “Fake Token” Targeting Retail Investors
Adding to the debate, Pierre Rochard, CEO of Catholic Bitcoin, took a shot at Garlinghouse, saying that he ruined his reputation by backing CBDCs and attacking Bitcoin. He called his comments childish and said that the crypto space needs more serious leaders.
Also, Cole has recently reshared some strong critiques of XRP from Pierre Rochard, highlighting that holding XRP could be a major mistake. He believes that XRP isn’t a serious asset for institutions and even calls it a “fake token” targeting retail investors.
Earlier, Bitcoiners were upset when President Trump announced a crypto strategic reserve for the US that included XRP among several other altcoins. JAN3 CEO Samson Mow slammed the move, calling it “hypershitcoinization,” accusing the reserve of enriching project founders like Ripple, Vitalik Buterin, and others.
All these comments show how some key voices in the crypto community still remain very skeptical about XRP’s value and legitimacy.
