Evidence gathered steadily overnight that Senator Ted Cruz of Texas — the state currently undergoing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis as a result of extreme winter weather, leaving millions of people without power, water, and access to food — flew to Cancun, Mexico, yesterday as his constituents faced freezing conditions, hundreds of thousands of them still without electricity. Now, it’s been confirmed: Cruz really went on vacation while Texas was in crisis.
Rumors began circulating on Twitter that Cruz had left the country when a man looking very similar to him was spotted with his family at the Houston International Airport on Wednesday, then on a flight to Cancun, then at the Cancun airport. Users combed photos of the Cruz-like man, connecting his signature strange haircut, glasses, mask, and sneakers to other recent photos of Cruz taken in Washington, D.C.
Hours later, neither Cruz himself, who is typically prolific on Twitter, nor anyone from his team had confirmed or denied the fact that he had gone on an international vacation during one of the worst moments in his state’s history. It has since been confirmed by multiple news outlets, including the New York Times, which also reported that a member of Cruz’s staff had contacted the Houston Police Department to provide “assistance” upon his arrival at the airport. Today, a United Airlines upgrade list shows a “Cruz, R” (Cruz’s first name is actually Rafael) already scheduled to return from Cancun to Houston today. He just narrowly missed the upgrade.
As the pictures circulated, some found the rumors hard to believe — despite the fact that Cruz, a widely detested senator, has spent the past two months refusing to apologize or take responsibility for stoking the deadly Capitol riot and abdicating his duties as an elected official by voting against coronavirus relief in Congress.
How is it possible that someone tasked (ostensibly) with taking care of the people who live in their state would choose this moment, with 20 people dead and the toll climbing, with his constituents boiling water to drink and poisoning themselves by running their cars for warmth, to go on vacation? Never has his neglect of his office been so utterly, despicably literal. Even the excuses that Cruz will reportedly offer are shaping up to be shockingly pathetic — one reporter said that a forthcoming statement will claim “Senator Cruz was always flying back to Texas today. He merely accompanied his family for the night.”
That Cruz would choose now to go on tropical vacation is appalling, but it wouldn’t be surprising if confirmed. Ted Cruz is the embodiment of a political party with no discernible ideology left apart from the consolidation of power and profit at the expense of ordinary people — what’s happening in Texas is a direct result of decades of deregulation, privatization, and climate-change denial that Cruz has run on as a political candidate time and time again. There is no explanation for his behavior other than contempt for the Texans he is supposed to serve. The only real surprise is that someone known for cowardice would be so brazen.
This post has been updated.
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