After facing backlash, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz is expected to be back in Texas Thursday after flying to Cancun on Wednesday as millions of Texans boil their water and struggle to heat their homes.
Cruz went for a long-planned trip and was expected to return almost immediately, the Associated Press reported. The noise of Cruz's trip sparked backlash and left many criticizing the Republican lawmaker for leaving Texas while its residents go through an unprecedented crisis.
In a statement hours after various news outlets tried to reach him, Cruz said his daughters wanted to go on a trip with their friends since school has been out for the week.
"Wanting to be a good dad, I flew down with them last night and am flying back this afternoon. My staff and I are in constant communication with state and local leaders to get to the bottom of what happened in Texas," he said. "We want our power back, our water on, and our homes warm. My team and I will continue using all our resources to keep Texans informed and safe."
The senator was spotted at the airport and a photo of him was immediately uploaded to social media. Criticism ensued from every corner of the internet calling for his resignation and others tweeting their struggles during the storm while Cruz went away.
Texas Democrats are once again calling for the Senator's resignation for leaving the state.
"Ted Cruz jetting off to Mexico while Texans remain dying in the cold isn't surprising but it is deeply disturbing and disappointing," party chair Gilberto Hinojosa said in a statement. "Cruz is emblematic of what the Texas Republican Party and its leaders have become: weak, corrupt, inept, and self-serving politicians who don't give a damn about the people they were elected to represent."
Democrat Julián Castro wrote on Twitter that Cruz should've been on the phone with federal agencies, not on a trip to Mexico.
Cruz didn't go without members of his party defending him, though.
Dinesh D'Souza, a far-right political commentator, tweeted that there was nothing Cruz could've done if he stayed in Texas.
"If he's in Cancun, that means he's not using up valuable resources of energy, food and water that can now be used by someone else," D'Souza said.
