Cruz defends California trip as Texas braces for arctic cold

A representative for U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz clarified on Wednesday that the Texas Republican was on a previously arranged work trip to California and is expected to return before an impending arctic storm hits the state. This statement comes in response to online backlash following the emergence of a photo depicting him on a flight departing Texas.

The statement emerged after an image of Cruz on a commercial flight early Wednesday circulated widely, attracting millions of views and renewed scrutiny amid the state's impending winter weather.

“He is expected to return to Texas ahead of the storm’s anticipated arrival,” the spokesperson stated. The office refrained from disclosing the specifics of Cruz's travel destination in California or the intent behind the trip.

Houston city officials issued a warning on Wednesday about the impending drop in temperatures this weekend, which may reach the low 20s or upper teens. Wind chills are expected to dip into the low teens or potentially single digits as an arctic front approaches the area.

Shea Jordan Smith, a former aide to the late U.S. President, shared a photograph of Cruz aboard a plane. A picture of Cruz on a plane was posted by Houston Democrat Representative Sheila Jackson Lee. Smith reported that Cruz was seen “on a plane heading to Laguna Beach as Texas prepares for an unusual ice threat and an arctic cold front.”

By midday, the image had garnered over 3 million views on X, formerly Twitter. A user commented, “You can always expect (Cruz) to hop on a flight to a warm and tropical destination at the first hint of bad weather.”

The backlash brought to mind Cruz’s infamous 2021 journey to Cancun amid a catastrophic winter storm that left countless Texans without power and water. Cruz mentioned that he had journeyed with his daughters following several days spent without heat.

“I had two girls who have been cold for two days and haven’t had heater power,” Cruz stated. “People are expressing, ‘Look, we have no school, so why not go?’”

He subsequently admitted that the trip was an error in judgment.

Cruz later acknowledged, “It was clearly a mistake and looking back, I wouldn’t have made that choice.”

Cruz’s office noted that the trip to California was scheduled weeks in advance and confirmed his intention to return to Texas before the onset of severe weather.

Officials at both the state and local levels are advising residents to prepare for the potential of freezing rain, hazardous travel conditions, and severe cold as the weekend approaches. Utility crews and emergency managers throughout Texas are actively deploying personnel and resources in preparation for the impending storm.

The potential for Cruz’s travel to become a political liability hinges on the severity of the storm and the timeliness of his return to Texas, as he has pledged to do.

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