--- title: "Ted Cruz Baffled by How Wikipedia Works" description: "Amid an prolonged attack on Wikipedia for perceived \"ideological bias,\" crackshot legal expert Ted Cruz has waded into the fray." date: "2025-10-09" modified: "2025-10-09" authors: - name: "Joe Wilkins" job_title: "Correspondent" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jwilkins" url: "https://futurism.com/future-society/ted-cruz-wikipedia-confused" categories: - "Future Society" --- # Ted Cruz Baffled by How Wikipedia Works ![Amid an prolonged attack on Wikipedia for perceived "ideological bias," crackshot legal expert Ted Cruz has waded into the fray.]() *Illustration by Tag Hartman-Simkins / Futurism. Source: Kayla Bartkowski / Getty Images* When it comes to turning petty grievances into major scandals, there may be no one as dedicated as long-time Texas Senator Ted Cruz. Over the past few years, Cruz has used his extremely powerful position to platform all kinds of baffling political causes, including [Sesame Street's vaccine literacy program](), [Sidney Sweeney's jeans](), and of course the pressing threat of [space piracy](). Never one to pick an easy battle, Cruz's latest cause célèbre is a doozy. His target is none other than Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, which has been [under siege]() by various right wing forces since Donald Trump returned to the White House earlier this year. There's just one problem: Cruz is having a heck of a time understanding what Wikipedia even is. Speaking [to *Ars Technica*]() about a confused letter [Cruz penned]() to the Wikimedia Foundation, the organization's attorney Jacob Rogers said the Senator has some homework to do. "The foundation is very much taking the approach that Wikipedia is actually pretty great and a lot of what's in this letter is actually misunderstandings," Rogers told *Ars*. He added that the Foundation is "more than happy" to explain how it works. Cruz's main concern with Wikipedia is "ideological bias," a longstanding right wing complaint with [limited basis in reality](). In his letter, he called on the Foundation to produce "documents sufficient to show what supervision, oversight, or influence, if any, the Wikimedia Foundation has over the editing community." He also accused the Foundation of imposing the will of wealthy donors onto its content. Without a [hint of irony](), Cruz shared his concern about the "influence of large donors on Wikipedia's content creation or editing practices." Of course, Wikipedia is a volunteer project — anyone with an internet connection can sign up to lend a hand. The only caveat for contributors is that they follow the encyclopedia's [editorial guidelines](), known as Wikipedia's "Five Pillars," which explicitly stipulate that the project retain a neutral point of view based on reliable sources. Whether being willfully obtuse or just characteristically dense, Cruz is only the latest voice to wade into the fray. Earlier this year, the Heritage Foundation, the extremely powerful think tank behind [Project 2025](), said it would "identify and target" Wikipedia editors over their [perceived political bias](). Despite [Republican probes]() and [bizarre accusations]() by culture warriors, Wikimedia has had no problem weathering the storm. Unless Cruz really steps up his game, that's unlikely to change. **More on Ted Cruz:** ****[Confused Senator Rages That Self-Driving Cars Are Woke]()**** ## Author At Futurism, I focus on the intersection of technology and power — examining the economics, history, and politics behind today’s dystopian headlines. As a writer, I’m interested in topics ranging from AI’s impact on labor to startups nobody asked for. My prior work includes bylines in Jacobin, Verso, and Blue Labyrinths. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Forbes, The Guardian, MIT Technology Review, Time, The Nation, Mother Jones, The Verge, and Wired. I grew up in Michigan, attending Central Michigan University as well as Ball State University, where I earned a master of music. I now live in Brooklyn with my girlfriend and our cat Ziti. On weekends, you can find me hunched over a cold pint arguing geopolitics with the other transplants. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()