A newly surfaced report linking Sen. Ted Cruz to a secretive, invitation-only group led by billionaire tech investor Peter Thiel has Texas asking a question that appeared again and again across social media: “Why am I not surprised?”
The report, first published by Wired and later highlighted by the San Antonio Current, alleges that Cruz appears in a leaked directory for Dialog, a private organization co-founded by Thiel that hosts exclusive retreats attended by politicians, government officials, tech executives, academics, and business leaders.
For many Texans discussing the story online, the revelation was not treated as a bombshell. Instead, it was met with a collective shrug and a familiar dose of cynicism.
“In other news: BBQ is popular in Texas,” one commenter joked. “I mean, how would this actually surprise anyone?”
Another simply wrote: “Who is surprised?”
The leaked directory reportedly includes more than 200 attendees expected at an upcoming retreat in Dublin, Ireland. Topics allegedly range from artificial intelligence and battlefield technology to more unusual discussions including “How’s Your Sex Life?” and “How to Build a Cult.”
Cruz’s inclusion drew particular attention because of his role as chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, which oversees areas affecting major technology companies.
One Texas Reddit user pointed to Cruz’s recent push for federal AI legislation and questioned whether regulators should be socializing with industry figures they are tasked with overseeing.
“When the regulators are in a secret society with those they are meant to regulate we should be concerned,” the commenter wrote.
“Nobody Accidentally Includes Cruz”
While the leak named a wide range of political figures from both major parties, much of the discussion centered on Cruz himself and his long-standing reputation among critics.
“Weirdest part is that he was invited at all,” one user joked. “I was less surprised to see Cory Booker than ol’ Raphael Cruz.”
Another commenter added: “Maybe he ended up in the group chat by accident. Who am I kidding, nobody accidentally includes Cruz on anything.”
Others questioned who would even want the Texas senator involved.
“Who the hell wants this dirt bag in their in group?” one commenter asked.
The comment section then evolved into a broader debate about Texas politics and voting habits. Several commenters expressed disbelief that Cruz continues to win elections despite years of criticism from both Democrats and Republicans. One user referenced former House Speaker John Boehner’s famous description of Cruz as a “snake in the grass,” while others revived old quotes from lawmakers who openly admitted they disliked working with him.
“I’m still waiting to find someone who actually likes Ted Cruz,” another commenter wrote.
The response that followed summed up much of the thread’s mood: “I don’t think anybody does. They may just find him useful.”
Whether the Dialog leak ultimately leads to further scrutiny remains unclear. What is clear is that many Texans following the story were far less shocked by Cruz’s alleged involvement than they were by the fact that anyone expected them to be shocked at all.
As one of the most upvoted reactions put it: “Why am I not surprised?”
