Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is facing backlash after he again appeared to be fleeing Texas ahead of a major winter storm.
Political strategist Shea Jordan Smith reported on Tuesday (January 20) that Cruz appeared to be traveling to Laguna Beach, California, as forecasts warned of a “very impactful winter storm” moving toward Texas. Cruz was spotted boarding a flight from Texas, immediately reigniting criticism rooted in the senator’s past travel during emergencies in his home state.
“Here we go again,” Democratic strategist Kaivan Shroff wrote on social media, echoing critics who have repeatedly accused Cruz of abandoning Texas during times of crisis.
Cruz’s travel plans drew comparisons to February 2021, when he was widely condemned for flying to Cancun, Mexico, as Texas endured a catastrophic winter storm that collapsed the state’s power grid. That storm left more than 4.5 million homes without electricity and was linked to at least 246 deaths, with some estimates placing the toll as high as 702.
The senator has faced similar criticism for other trips. In 2020, Cruz traveled to Jamaica during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, despite public health guidance urging Americans to avoid nonessential travel. In July 2025, he was again criticized for remaining on vacation in Athens, Greece, for days after deadly flooding struck Texas, killing at least 135 people. Although Cruz’s office said he returned “as fast as humanly possible,” flight data later showed his return was delayed by at least two days.
Political commentator Tara Dublin wrote on X, “I wonder if another 8-year-old will freeze to death in his own bed while Senator Wheelie Bag is nice & warm in Laguna Beach,” referencing child deaths during the 2021 storm.
Cruz’s office hasn’t publicly confirmed or denied the reported California trip and hasn’t commented on whether the senator plans to return to Texas ahead of the storm.
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