Senator Ted Cruz has been having a pretty terrible week. And he only has himself to blame.
Yesterday, the antigay senator from Texas gave a disastrous press conference after he was busted sneaking off to Cancún, Mexico (during a global pandemic) and abandoning his constituents (and his family’s poodle, Snowflake) during a deadly winter storm.
Cruz initially tried blaming his 10 and 12-year-old daughters for the whole thing, issuing a statement that said, “With school cancelled for the week, our girls asked to take a trip with friends. Wanting to be a good dad, I flew down with them last night and am flying back this afternoon.”
Then a group text sent by Cruz’s wife leaked to the press. In it, Heidi Cruz told friends and neighbors she was “FREEZING” then invited them along for a quick getaway at the Ritz-Carlton, where she noted that the price for a room was $309 (plus tax.)
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“Anyone can or want to leave for the week?” she reportedly wrote. “We may go to Cancun there is a direct flights at 4:45pm and hotels w capacity.”
And just like that, the jig was up.
Speaking to reporters last night, Cruz, who days earlier had encouraged Texans to “just stay home” during the storm, said he regretted everything and that the trip was a mistake.
“In hindsight, I wouldn’t have done it,” he groveled, adding that “from the moment I sat on the plane, I began really second-guessing that decision.”
“It had been my intention to be able to work remotely, to be on the phone, to be on the internet, to be on Zoom, to be engaged, but I needed to be here and that’s why I came back.”
The end. Right?
Wrong!
Things took yet another turn when news emerged that the senator had actually taken another unreported vacation to Jamaica back in July, violating CDC recommendations during the pandemic.
The Washington Post reports:
Cruz also traveled to Jamaica during the Senate’s Fourth of July holiday break last year, flouting public health recommendations to minimize travel during the coronavirus pandemic, said two people with knowledge of Cruz’s schedule, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the senator’s private travel plans. Cruz was visiting a longtime friend from college, the people said. At the time, the CDC had issued a recommendation that Americans ‘avoid all nonessential international travel,’ in an attempt to minimize the risk of contracting the virus. Cruz’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
A few months later, Cruz took to Twitter to lambast Democrats who flouted coronavirus restrictions, calling them “hypocrites” for violating CDC recommendations, specifically putting Austin Mayor Steve Adler on blast for, wait for it, taking a trip to Mexico.
Hypocrites. Complete and utter hypocrites.
And don't forget @MayorAdler who took a private jet with eight people to Cabo and WHILE IN CABO recorded a video telling Austinites to "stay home if you can…this is not the time to relax." pic.twitter.com/KSvkiwxgga
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) December 2, 2020
Now, Cruz is being dragged by Democrats and Republicans alike, along with late night comedians, newspapers, TV pundits, and, of course, everyone on Twitter…
Ted Cruz really blamed his 10 and 12 year old daughters for abandoning MILLIONS of citizens in a state of emergency lmfao what a bitch
— Maya Angelique? (@moneyymaya) February 19, 2021
Impeach Ted Cruz’s daughters!!!
— Randy Rainbow (@RandyRainbow) February 19, 2021
I thought it couldn’t get worse for Ted Cruz then I learned he ditched his pet poodle at home named Snowflake when he left town
— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) February 19, 2021
Live look at Snowflake when Ted Cruz comes through the door: pic.twitter.com/st3AstAA8l
— ?MeltLikeButta? (@JWButta) February 19, 2021
In the span of two months, @tedcruz put his own self-interest over the interests of his country, his state, his daughters, and his poodle. (1/6)
— James Talarico (@jamestalarico) February 19, 2021
Did Ted Cruz think Snowflake should just pull herself up by her boot straps and figure it out when he left her in the ‘FREEZING’ house for the week? @SenTedCruz
— Hamish Mitchell (@H_MitchellPhoto) February 19, 2021
My favorite new line: there are two kinds of people. Those who hate Ted Cruz, and Ted Cruz. @tedcruz #TedFled
— ??KatGram?? (@Gram_Kat) February 19, 2021
Finding out ted cruz’s daughters are 10 and 12 makes this story even more unhinged
— Natalie Walker (@nwalks) February 18, 2021
It's so funny because Ted Cruz wants us to believe that his daughters would ever ask him to go on vacation with them like this video doesn't exist pic.twitter.com/aV0MQWkCa3
— Tukach Shakur ?? (@its_kachi) February 18, 2021
Ted Cruz blames his daughters for his getaway to Cancun
I, too, blame my future kids for all my disastrous decisions
— Lindy Li (@lindyli) February 18, 2021
I stand with Snowflake #TedCruz pic.twitter.com/5UtmiZV3W1
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) February 19, 2021
Ted Cruz let Trump call his wife ugly and say his dad killed JFK, with no repercussions. Now he blames daughters for his abandonment of Texans during a deadly crisis. Ted, you have no dignity, you are a disgrace and you will never be President, let alone Senator for much longer.
— Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) February 18, 2021
Graham Gremore is the Features Editor and a Staff Writer at Queerty. Follow him on Twitter @grahamgremore.
Jim
Alas Senator Snowflake is my Senator
Herman75
Be glad he’s not your dad. What a nightmare!
Cam
Typical Republican Senator.
No concern for his voters as long as he can line his pockets and his donors get their money. They diverted money from the infrastructure in Texas to save their donors money and now are trying to blame Democrats, Renewable Energy, anything else.
Cruz is typical. Meanwhile, the woman they keep attacking, AOC raised something like a million dollars to help people in Texas.
jsmu
It was indeed over a million that AOC raised for TexASSholes.
Cruz is not actually typical; even Leningrad LindseyC*NT said if Cruz was murdered on the Senate floor in front of one hundred witnesses, NO ONE would have seen anything. LOL!
Mister P
Ted Cruz had made it very clear that he will not do the right thing in any circumstances.
fur_hunter
Ted Cruz is a LYING, Scumbag, Arrogant, Self-Centered, Self-Ingratiating, F*ckTard, Hypocritical, @$$ Hole, Piece of $H!T. Maybe the folks in Texas will wake up and see that…..but I doubt it. Why? Because…..You can’t fix STUPID! That’s why.
voyy
if he was only in mex 0ne day did he vilolate the law …need a covid19 test within 3 daqys to fly to usa now
fur_hunter
You are correct. I retired and moved to Mexico on the SW coast in 2014. To go to the US, you have to have a COVID test done within 3 days of going there, regardless of your status as a visitor or citizen.
Den
Are you defending him?
He only came back the next5 day because his stupidity and hypocrisy was revealed to all.
Regardless of whether he broke any laws (which is not even at issue here), this was yet another demonstration of his lack of ethics, lack of actual care for his constituents, willingness to lie when convenient, and total self-serving nature.
Perhaps that is what you (and other republicans) prefer from their representatives, but it is not what the majority of Americans prefer.
KyleMichelSullivan
The GQP has controlled Texas for 26 years, and look what it’s wrought. And it’s not like this is the first time the power grid’s gone down (see 2011).
They are the party of “Never my fault, even when it is, and always blame Democrats and Liberals, even when they had nothing to do with it.” But so long as people keep voting for those who put profits ahead of even providing the services being paid for, things will continue to get worse.
Lightbulb
The Dems are always too quick to apologize or resign They need to take a god look at the GOPQ…Never Apologize, No There There, No Regrets that’s what the GOPQ Always Does and Always will do.
Nothing will happen here. For God’s sake they can even hold the Draft Dodger and others accountable for an Insurrection that killed and mamed many in DC.
WSnyder
For even a better laugh, read the Tweet from Donald Trump Junior attempting to ‘Defend’ Cruz. In it Jr. [the older moron brother] called the Texas Governor a ‘Democrat’, yet Gov. Abbott is a staunch Republican.
These idiots are their own worst enemy. I love it!
cuteguy
I agree that the Dems need to get tough and stop apologizing all the time. Ted Cruz is representative of the GQP. Calling Dems hypocrites last summer when he was doing the same exact thing. Just like Donald Chump criticized Obama for playing golf when he was prez and yet Chump played more golf in his one disastrous term as prez than Obama did in two terms. The GQP never apologizes and wins elections. Yes the Dems have control (barely) for now, but look all the damage the GQP has done in the past four years with Chump and ugly turtle McConnell at the helm. The Dems have to get tougher and fight fire with fire
pbrownatl
“Cancun Ted”
gregg2010
Ted Cruz is and always has been an embarrassment.
MISTERJETT
TED, YOU WILL NEVER BE PRESIDENT!!!!!
Lancealot
I want to know more about this “longtime friend from college”.
Richpontone
Not a psychiatrist but read a short description of a sociopath which includes the words, “deceitful, impulsive, anti-social personality, ignores responsibility, and having no conscience”.
Fit description for “Canine, Cancun Cruz”.
Also fits Trump.