Alex Carson
Our thoughts are with the people of Texas as they deal with one of the worst snowstorms in recent memory. However, one Texan who briefly escaped the harsh conditions was none other than Senator Ted Cruz.
He flew down to sunny Cancun with his family. Since schools in Texas had closed, his daughters wanted to take a trip. Wanting to be a good father, the senator flew down to enjoy a vacation in Cancun.
But this one day off will linger in Texan’s minds for years to come. Soon enough, news got out that Ted Cruz had flown to Cancun while his fellow Texans were stuck at home ─ trapped by the unforgiving snow.
Millions of Texans don’t have access to electricity, running water, or food.
So what happens when the senator of a state in crisis enjoys the warm weather of Cancun while his constituents need him now, more than ever?
Americans are watching with trepidation as we see our fellow citizens in Texas experiencing one of the greatest tragedies in recent memory. The snowstorm has led to tragic consequences for many Texans and there are fears that this is only the beginning.
It’s during times like these where we can feel vulnerable and depend on our leaders to be by our side. So when senator Ted Cruz flies off to Cancun, one can understand the frustration that many Texans are feeling.
From February 13th to 17th, a snowstorm traveled from the Pacific Northwest to the Southern states, affecting the Lone Star state. This led to heavy snowfall, tornadoes, and blackouts for many Texans.
For days, Texans were stuck in their homes – held hostage by the snow that surrounded their homes. Many went without food, without being able to contact others, without electricity and running water. Sadly, many Texans died as a result of this harsh weather.
Senator Ted Cruz was among the Texans who had lost power in his home. Yet, rather than staying put to help his fellow Texans he immediately fled the state to enjoy a respite in sunny Cancun.
Perhaps he wanted to travel conspicuously, but in the age of social media, this isn’t possible for an American senator. As the Cruz family boarded their flight, photos snapped and shared across social media.
As more and more Americans saw these images on their social media platforms, one wonders if Ted Cruz knew what he was in for…
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Upon his arrival in Cancun, Ted Cruz realized that all of America knew about his whereabouts. The backlash was instant. Many ordinary citizens, celebrities, and politicians alike began expressing their anger at Ted Cruz’s actions.
Ted Cruz had to act fast. He had to find a way to cool the tension as if it was possible to make his fellow Texans feel at ease.
Ted issued a brief statement explaining why he was down in Cancun. He stated that his daughters wanted to take a trip since school had closed. Ted felt that by taking his family on the trip, he was being a good father.
But his words fell flat. He realized that he had made a horrendous blunder and would have to make it up to his constituents.
The day after arriving in Cancun, he flew back to Texas. Initially, there’s a controversy on whether his rapid return was planned or whether it’s a spontaneous decision after the blowback.
Later on, it revealed that the trip to Cancun had been spontaneous. Ted Cruz’s wife Heidi couldn’t stand how her house was “freezing!” She invited a few friends to come along with her to Cancun to stay at the luxurious Ritz Carlton resort.
It also later revealed that the Houston police helped arrange for the Cruz family to travel to Cancun.
As these revelations came out in public, the furor back in the US continued to grow. Before his flight back to Texas, Senator Cruz gave a brief interview to journalists at Cancun airport. To protect against COVID-19, he wore a face mask with the flag of Texas emblazoned on it.
But this was a futile gesture and couldn’t convince anyone that he was truly concerned about his fellow Texans. What made matters worse how the senator dressed. He wore a short-sleeved polo shirt and jeans.
No doubt this was appropriate attire for sunny Cancun. But back in Texas, you needed much more than a short polo and jeans to protect against the fierce weather.
Upon returning to Texas, Ted Cruz gave a new statement. He stated that it was necessary as a father to keep his daughters safe from the horrendous weather conditions in Texas. But he also stated that he had to return as he had a responsibility toward his fellow Texans.
But no matter how many times he tried to defend his actions, no one was buying it.
The Twitter mob was quick to attack Cruz for his decision to flee the country. Journalist Ana Navarro-Cárdenas chastised him for leaving for Cancun while his constituents were taking drastic measures to stay warm.
Model Padma Lakshmi also joined in to criticize Ted Cruz for enjoying the sun while Texans were freezing to death. Former House Member Beto O’Rourke expressed his disapproval of the senator vacationing when his state needed him the most.
Eventually, Cruz realized he couldn’t keep defending his actions. He stated that his actions were “obviously a mistake,” and that it was his duty to help Texans get back power and get life back to normal.
While we have yet to see what actions Ted Cruz will take to improve conditions in Texas, one wonders whether this controversy will die down anytime soon.
Politicians are never without their controversies. But in recent years we’ve seen many American politicians enforce rules without following the same rules themselves.
We’ve seen California Governor Gavin Newsom enjoying a meal at a restaurant without a mask ─ after ordering mandatory masks and restaurant shutdowns. This is just one of many examples of politicians being hypocrites after preaching rules to Americans.
Just before leaving for Mexico, Senator Cruz gave an interview where he urged Texans to “stay at home and hug their kids,” while braving the snowstorm. Yet the very next day, he left for warmer pastures in Cancun!
Apart from his career as a Senator, Ted Cruz was also a recent presidential candidate. It’s also been speculated that he plans to run again in 2024. With these actions, one wonders whether he’ll still consider running at the next election.
Criticism of Ted Cruz didn’t just come from his Democratic opponents. Republican strategist Ray Sullivan stated that Cruz’s decision to travel was an “error in judgment.” He further stated that “people expect their elected officials to be fully engaged during a crisis.”
Upon his return to Houston, the police department began monitoring Ted Cruz due to any potential threats he might receive. At this moment, it’s also unclear if he’ll self-quarantine for a week before getting back to work.
While the snowstorm has thankfully passed, the after-effects still continue to be a heavy burden for millions of Texans. Many Texans remain without electricity, running water, or access to food.
Our energy has to be directed at helping the people of Texas first. As Americans, we must put our focus on being charitable to our vulnerable citizens. We must use this horrific incident as a learning lesson on how to prepare for future natural disasters.
Unfortunately, in recent years much energy has been spent on politicians lambasting each other while ignoring the plight of ordinary Americans. We must make sure that the people of Texas aren’t ignored.
But as the dust settles and Texas returns to normal, there’ll still be questions about Ted Cruz’s actions. Some people will attempt to kill the controversy, while others will do their best for it to resurface.
As of now, we can only speculate on what Ted Cruz’s future as a senator and politician is. Will he continue being senator with his one-day trip being a mere blip in his career? Or will this event become the straw that broke the camel’s back?
Will we indeed see Ted Cruz run for President in 2024? Will this controversy be brought up? Or is the damage so severe, that he’d have to be overconfident to try to become our next Commander-in-Chief?
Regardless of what happens, the people of Texas remain the biggest victims. They’ve been let down by their prominent leader during a severe crisis. We can only hope that they and other Americans don’t have to deal with their leaders bailing on them during troubling times.
Sadly, we can only hope that things will get better…
So what do you think the future holds for Ted Cruz? Is this just a minor controversy that all politicians face? Will Texans move on and forget about it? Or will this be a blight on his career and his reputation among both his supporters and detractors?
What this does tell us, is that we must keep an eye on all our politicians regardless of their party. We must demand more and call them out when helping their fellow citizens becomes an inconvenience to them.
Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments.
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