Hundreds of thousands of Texans continue to endure freezing temperatures without electricity after a cold snap decimated its independent power grid, which wasn't sufficiently winterized, booting energy sources of all types offline.
Every county in the state was put under winter storm warnings earlier this week, urging Texans to refrain from driving on the icy roads unless absolutely necessary. Untold numbers of residents are without water due to frozen pipes and with no avenues for a hot meal.
The situation in the Lone Star State remains dire, especially for unhoused Texans and others without emergency resources and no means to get them due to dangerous road conditions.
But as his constituents endure these frigid temperatures without heat, food, or water, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) was spotted flying to Cancun, Mexico where the weather is a sunny 84 degrees Fahrenheit.
After some debate on whether the man in the viral photos was actually Cruz, the Senator's "Come and Take It" mask was the same one he wore for President Joe Biden's inauguration last month.
The Associated Press later confirmed the man at the airport was Cruz, and now reports are trickling in that Cruz is returning from the trip early due to the backlash.
The Senator is facing widespread rebuke from his constituents in Texas, his colleagues in Congress, and Americans across the country.
It doesn't look like his early return will redeem his vacation.
UPDATE (2/18/2021, 1:38 PM):
Senator Cruz has issued a statement regarding his travel to Cancun, claiming that his daughters asked for a vacation since school was out. Cruz claims he was simply accompanying them to the destination and is flying back to Texas Thursday afternoon.
Read below.
According to Edward Russell of Skift, Cruz's return flight was originally scheduled for Saturday, but was rebooked around 6 AM on Thursday.
