While Ted Cruz hopped on a flight with his family to warm Cancun, millions of his constituents are caught in a fight for survival without power, heating, and plumbing.
Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas was lambasted on social media after photos of him at the airport heading to Cancun on Wednesday afternoon surfaced online. Cruz's decision to fly with his family to Cancun — where it is mostly sunny and in the low 80s — while his constituents are caught in a fight for survival without power, heating, and plumbing, led to many calling for his resignation.
Just confirmed @SenTedCruz and his family flew to Cancun tonight for a few days at a resort they've visited before. Cruz seems to believe there isn't much for him to do in Texas for the millions of fellow Texans who remain without electricity/water and are literally freezing. pic.twitter.com/6nPiVWtdxe
— David Shuster (@DavidShuster) February 18, 2021
Unsurprisingly, Cruz came up with several lame excuses for abandoning the state in a crisis, including blaming his daughters for proposing the trip. Speaking to reporters outside his home Thursday night following a hasty return, Cruz claimed to have had second thoughts from "the moment I sat down on the plane."
Well Senator Cruz is flying to Cancun while millions of Texans do not have electricity #Priorities #ThanksforNothingSenator @ProjectLincoln @keithedwards @shannonrwatts pic.twitter.com/X1fRqOie6l
— Juan Gomez (@Juan_Gomez18) February 18, 2021
"Leaving when so many people were hurting didn't feel right and so I changed my flight to come back today," Cruz said. "When it became more and more of a firestorm it became all the more compelling that I needed to come back."
Q: Did you come back because you felt guilty or because you got caught?
— Sara Cook (@saraecook) February 19, 2021
Cruz: "It was obviously a mistake and in hindsight I wouldn't have done it."
But he also tried to deflect some blame: "We're in a strange time where Twitter is going crazy and the media is going crazy."
While it took the entire duration of the flight and a Twitter backlash for Cruz to realize the severity of the crisis at home, here's what Texans across the state were dealing with:
😢We are heartbroken to report that last night our family’s Meemaw went to heaven. Her assisted living facility in Austin had no electricity so we are furious and heartbroken at the same time💔 We all feel so helpless here in Texas!#TexasWinterStorm2021 #TexasFreeze pic.twitter.com/4gqfPeXsV6
— Latte & Bruno (@latte_bella) February 18, 2021
It’s seriously so ridiculous here rn. We haven’t had power for a full day in like 4 days now. And yesterday we woke up to this in our kitchen. My roommates room also got flooded from a busted pipe as well. Our infrastructure was not built for this shit 😭 pic.twitter.com/rtvchyxfW5
— 𝒞𝒽𝑒𝓁𝒷𝓎 🐱 ♡ (@ChelbyGriffin) February 17, 2021
Damn never thought about this. 🤔
— ⚖️ 💛I HONOR VETERANS (@veterans_i) February 17, 2021
Pro tip compliments of my neighbors: if your water is shut off or pipes are frozen, fill your bath tub with snow and use the water for your toilets 🚽
To all my northern friends, don’t judge us. We are learning the hard way 😂 pic.twitter.com/dg69dU1mbE
Since @SenTedCruz is off to Cancun, I thought I’d share a thread of some videos of what he’s leaving behind by fleeing his freezing constituents and his home state of Texas. Some people are making light of a terrible situation the best they can. pic.twitter.com/HCms6fdzGG
— Lev Parnas & Igor Fruman LLC💎 (@KurisuS) February 18, 2021
Some people are burning their furniture to stay warm. I’m sure they’d rather be in Cancun with @SenTedCruz. pic.twitter.com/Onpo1bFIAz
— Lev Parnas & Igor Fruman LLC💎 (@KurisuS) February 18, 2021
My niece in #Texas . Burning kids toys and furniture to keep the kids warm. They went 2 days w/o power. Got a hotel room yesterday afternoon. #GregAbbottFailedTexas pic.twitter.com/kCKzYodV3R
— GOP Failed Texas (@HallYeah73) February 17, 2021
There’s hundreds and hundreds of videos of people’s houses flooding and pipes bursting from the freezing conditions. I’d be tempted to jet off to Cancun like @SenTedCruz if my home was destroyed like these poor people. pic.twitter.com/zm8Zgyk8EG
— Lev Parnas & Igor Fruman LLC💎 (@KurisuS) February 18, 2021
I bet there aren’t food shortages and lines around the block for groceries for @SenTedCruz in Cancun. pic.twitter.com/W3eqWy4XtF
— Lev Parnas & Igor Fruman LLC💎 (@KurisuS) February 18, 2021
Kroger in Arlington TX, throwing stuff out in the cold. pic.twitter.com/Ym3BoHNitD
— Ron Stor (@ronstor) February 18, 2021
This is not a third world country. This is Houston, Texas. I spotted a line of people filing up buckets of water from a spicket at Haden Park. Why? Millions either have no water or are under a Boil Water Advisory. pic.twitter.com/VHYH5Hbqjj
— Erica Simon (@EricaOnABC13) February 18, 2021
My grandma— a 100 year old lifelong Republican(turned Democrat in 2016), wife of WWII veteran, freezing in her own home #AbbottFailedTexas pic.twitter.com/97uPgQVxb5
— ikigai1944 (@ikigai1944) February 18, 2021
FREEZING IN TEXAS: Water cascades down the stairs and out the doors of an apartment building in Austin after pipes burst amid winter weather. https://t.co/taQ0jgniiT pic.twitter.com/FOPWwgLwBj
— ABC News (@ABC) February 18, 2021
A woman’s car is frozen because of a burst pipe leaking water inside her Downtown Dallas parking garage. She’s grateful that it’s just a vehicle — and spoke of some Texans evacuating homes and apartments because of similar issues. Hear from her on @FOX4 at 9/10. #TexasFreeze pic.twitter.com/zsihmWJneQ
— David Sentendrey (@DavidSFOX4) February 18, 2021
Keeping our little precious warm during these #houstonpoweroutage - my little Cherlene snuggled up in our tent pitched in our living room - staying warm during #houstonfreeze - this has been some trying times being 37 weeks pregnant... #Houston pic.twitter.com/SylX1pXxru
— Warrior Princess Cosplay (@realtamipotter) February 18, 2021
Texas Health Presbyterian in Dallas pic.twitter.com/xmELjIIVOs
— BB Elyse (@blaireelyse) February 18, 2021
Now on 40 hours without electricity. Everything in our fridge is ruined. We put some food outside to stay frozen. Our only candle for light is almost out.
— poyu.☆ (@bellepoyu) February 17, 2021
Texas ain't doing so hot right now especially us about an hour out from Dallas.
This was our bedroom window. pic.twitter.com/Omra2b8oxp
This was a major highway in Monday, after the snow stopped. Now everything is ice. No salt. No plows. pic.twitter.com/j5erEr9lWj
— TexasBetsy, M. Ed. (@TexBetsy) February 18, 2021
It is 43 degrees inside my apartment and it’s looking like I might not have power until tomorrow. I’m losing about a degree every hour or two inside. Luckily I have an all-season tent that (kinda) fits in my living room where I plan to sleep so this is where we’re at #TexasFreeze pic.twitter.com/4xEbHNQB6b
— Sarah Asch 🦇 (@sarahradinasch) February 15, 2021
Another night in the living room tent with no power. Sad little starter burning as we only have one firelog left. pic.twitter.com/0d2V9QjMhC
— Raven Darkholme (@justexpressive) February 18, 2021
@HannaBattahFox4 I am so thankful my nephew took me in after staying 2 days in apartment without power only to be waken by early call apartment flooding from pipe burst so rushed home. Now homeless while insurance try to find me lodging. pic.twitter.com/22tJD8IfMX
— Tonnett Davis (@TonnettD) February 18, 2021
People are purchasing wood at Home Depot to stay alive! You need to move faster. pic.twitter.com/areP5lJwbB
— Al Ayala 🇺🇸 (@albertayala75) February 18, 2021
The hotel I’m at in Houston #prayfortexas #AbbottFailedTexas pic.twitter.com/haq5B5RmT8
— KINGBO (@bobadazzz) February 18, 2021
this is exactly why those “it’s just some snow” jokes are not fucking funny. we get it, but texas doesn’t have the capabilities/infrastructure for this kind of weather. it’s entirely bigger than other states think. i’m gonna post his cash app in the thread pls, anything will help pic.twitter.com/djGrTZLxkG
— uh-LAY-nuh | BLM (@ahylaina) February 16, 2021
Day 5 still no improvements. Still losing power every few hours pic.twitter.com/4MS8nq5zrF
— V-40 (@DopeChubbyChick) February 18, 2021
Honestly you’re right. We were without power two days, pipes burst, apartment flooding, and apartment maintenance came rushing in and there were 6 of us now altogether mask-less. Real-time worries superseded long term worries at that moment 😞 pic.twitter.com/wWFWIwpscw
— Eric (@Ekydoog_Cire) February 18, 2021
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