Texas Senator Ted Cruz has faced widespread criticism after flying to Cancun, Mexico, with his family as a winter storm left millions in his state without power and water. Photographs of the Republican at an airport on Wednesday fuelled outrage that he had left Texas during a severe crisis.
Freezing temperatures have caused power blackouts at water treatment facilities and burst pipes, leaving about 13 million Texans under orders to boil water. Reservoirs are near empty, and many homes face water shortages despite attempts to insulate pipes.
Mr Cruz defended the trip, saying he had planned it for his young daughters who wanted a holiday while schools were closed. However, he later called it 'a mistake' and cut his trip short, telling broadcaster ABC13 that leaving 'didn't feel right' and he understood why people were 'upset'. He flew back on the first available flight.
The senator also drew fire for reportedly leaving his dog, Snowflake, behind at home, with a security guard caring for the canine. Critics on social media accused him of diverting police resources to get through the airport faster. Democratic Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal tweeted: 'People in Texas are literally freezing to death and yet Ted Cruz went on vacation to Cancun.'
Some conservatives came to his defence, with author Brigitte Gabriel calling him 'one of the hardest working men in the country'. But the chairman of the Texas Republican Party, Allen West, said Mr Cruz 'has to answer to his constituents'. Meanwhile, parents at his daughters' private school noted a policy requiring a seven-day quarantine after foreign travel, raising concerns about COVID-19 protocols.
