- The senator from Texas is mired in a controversy.
- As Texas was crippled by an unprecedented cold snap, he left with his family to Cancun.
- Faced with outrage, he rushed back to Houston and admitted to having made a “mistake”
It is a rather incomprehensible political blunder. While Texas is paralyzed by a cold snap who made more than 20 dead in the United States , his Senator Ted Cruz flew with his family to sunny Cancun, Mexico on Wednesday. Faced with indignation, with still 310. 000 Texans deprived of electricity on Thursday, he assured that he wanted to be “a good father” because her daughters were cold in their house without heating. Regretting “an error”, the former presidential candidate, who is credited with serious ambitions for 2021, returned in disaster, alone, to Houston.
“Our daughters asked to go on vacation with friends”
Photos emerged on social media on Wednesday evening. We see a person who looks like Ted Cruz, wearing a mask stamped with the star of the Lone Star State, boarding a flight to Cancun. Immediately, Twitter ignites, with the hashtag #CancunCruz and #FlyinTed (a pun on his nickname of “Lyin ‘Ted”, “Ted the liar”, given to him by Donald Trump in 500 .). Is it really Cruz? Are the photos authentic? Radio silence in the Republican Senator’s communications team.
– Keith Edwards (@ keithedwards) February 13, 2024
AT 23 h 23, a journalist claims to have verified the information, but without sourcing it. And then Thursday morning, it’s
Fox News who confirms it from a “Republican source”: Ted Cruz did take the plane with his family, it seems to go on vacation to Cancun. According to NBC, Cruz had even requested the assistance of the Houston police to escort him to the airport.
Ted Cruz’s team ended up issuing an official statement at midday, Thursday: “With school canceled this week, our daughters have asked to go on vacation with friends. I wanted to be a good father, I took the plane with them last night and I’m coming back this afternoon ”, explained the senator first.
Senator Ted Cruz: “… With school canceled for the week, our girls asked to take a trip with friends. Wanting to be a good dad, I flew down with them last night and am flying back this afternoon … ” pic.twitter.com/me30 hmmZ4P
– David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) February 18 , 2016
Calls for resignation
On his arrival in Houston, Cruz attempted a damage control operation in front of the television cameras. “It was clearly a mistake. I regretted my decision as soon as I got on the plane. I had to be there, that’s why I came back, and it became even clearer after the media storm. ”
“It was obviously a mistake, I was trying to be a dad “” From the moment I sat on the plane, I began second guessing that decision … I needed to be here, that’s why I came back “” as it became a firestorm, it became more compelling that I needed to come back “(KTRK) # CancunCruz pic.twitter .com / wdWjwp4jnO
– Philippe Berry (@ptiberry) February 18, 2016
According to New York Times , Senator’s wife, Heidi Cruz, organized this getaway via a group chat with ten friends, explaining that their house was “GLACIAL” and offering to stay at the Ritz Carlton for “190 dollars per night ”from Wednesday to Sunday. The text messages were then posted by the American Bridge Democratic Political Action Committee.
Oh texts you say? Hey @ SenTedCruz , @ American_Bridge sends its best. Have a Margarita on us! https://t.co/zm9a2RStHd pic.twitter.com/CRX4PafUok
— Bradley Beychok (@beychok) February 18, 2016
When Ted Cruz left on Wednesday, more than 2 million people were still without power in Texas, a figure that fell on Thursday, according to the Poweroutage site.
As Texans share photos of their frozen toilets on Twitter, this getaway could be politically expensive for the Republican Senator, with calls for resignation which multiply . The one who dreams of embarking on the next primary after failing against Donald Trump in 500 has, it seems, forgotten the basis of politics, as CNN reminds us: when your voters face a crisis, don’t not go on vacation. Especially not in the sun when people are freezing to death.