Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz found himself in turmoil on Thursday as he flew to the Mexican resort of Cancun as his state battled a deadly cold wave.
Also read: Cold continues to disrupt the United States, and a storm is expected in the Northeast
The senator traveled to Cancun with his family on Wednesday, leaving his electors in the midst of an unprecedented crisis. Faced with the torrent of criticism, he cut short his stay.
The controversy began when photos were circulated showing him at Houston airport, then on a plane to the famous tropical tourist destination, located in the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula.
- Hear international political columnist Loïc Tassé with Benoit Dutrizac on QUB:
The senator said in a statement that due to the school’s cancellation for this week, his daughters have expressed a desire to travel with friends.
He said, “I want to be a good father. I traveled with them last night.”
“I, like my team, are in constant contact with local officials to determine what happened in Texas,” he said, referring to the blackout that hit the state.
A few hours later, he admitted that was “an obvious mistake.” He added, “Looking back on the past, I wouldn’t do that.”
In a radio interview, today, Monday, Cruz warned residents of his condition of upcoming serious air disturbances, stressing that they may cause many casualties.
“Don’t take risks. Make sure your family is safe, and don’t leave your home and take care of your children.
- Hear Guillaume Lavoie columnist specializing in American politics
More than 300,000 homes were left without electricity on Thursday in Texas as polar temperatures caused a massive increase in electricity consumption.
With so many water treatment plants paralyzed, more than 10 million Texans struggled with a supply problem and most had to boil their water to make it drinkable.
Across the United States, the storm has claimed at least 30 lives.
Flyin TED
The one who for a while earned Donald Trump’s satirical “Lyin ‘Ted” (“Ted the liar”) nickname soon got a new title on Twitter: “Flyin’ Ted” (“Flying Ted”).
Ted Cruz, the candidate during the Republican White House primaries in 2016, was regularly cited as a potential candidate for the “old big party” in 2024.
He was first elected to the Senate in 2012, and narrowly reelected in 2018 against Beto O’Rourke, then a rising figure in the Democratic Party.
Gilberto Hinojosa, the president of the Texas Democratic Party, has called on the senator to step down.
“That Ted Cruz travels to Mexico while Texas is dying in the cold is not surprising but very annoying,” he wrote, expressing his regret that he was “giving up” his state.
When asked by Jane Psaki, a White House spokeswoman, during her daily press conference about the Republican senator’s leave of the Sun, she was sarcastic.
She replied, “I don’t have any details to give you about the exact location of Ted Cruz.” “We are focusing on mobilizing against this winter storm.”
Comedian Trevor Noah, who hosts The Daily ShowOn Twitter he told him a “heartbreaking” scene: “A Texas resident had to travel more than 2,700 kilometers to find water, electricity and heating.”
