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Ted Cruz, senator from Texas, flees to Cancun in the middle of a storm

In hindsight, I would not have done it. Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who flew to Cancun with his family on Wednesday February 17, had to cut his stay short in the face of the controversy. His state is going through a deadly cold spell. And this tourist getaway quickly caused a stir. Faced with the avalanche of criticism, he decided to return. The controversy began when photos circulated showing him at the Houston airport, then on a plane to the famous tropical tourist destination, located in the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula.

In a statement, the senator explained that because school was canceled for the week, his daughters had expressed a wish to travel with friends. “Wanting to be a good father, I flew with them last night,” he said. “I am, like my team, in constant contact with local officials to determine what happened in Texas,” he continued, referring to the power cuts that hit the state. A few hours later, he admitted that it was “obviously a mistake”.

Over 300,000 Texas homes still without electricity

In a radio interview Monday, Ted Cruz warned residents of his state of serious weather disruptions to come, stressing that they could cause many victims. ” Do not take any risk. Make sure your family is safe, don’t leave your home and take care of your children, ”he said.

More than 300,000 homes were still without electricity Thursday in Texas where polar temperatures caused a spectacular surge in electricity consumption. With many water treatment plants paralyzed, more than 10 million Texans suffered a supply problem and a majority of them were forced to boil their water to make it drinkable. Across the United States, the storm claimed the lives of around 30 people.

Texas Democratic Party Chairman calls for Ted Cruz’s resignation

The one who had for a time been given the mocking nickname of “Lyin ‘Ted” (“Ted the liar”) by Donald Trump was quickly given a new nickname on Twitter: “Flyin’ Ted” (“Flying Ted”) . Candidate during the Republican primary for the White House in 2016, Ted Cruz is regularly cited as a possible candidate for the “Grand Old Party” in 2024. Elected for the first time to the Senate in 2012, he was narrowly reelected in 2018 against to Beto O’Rourke, then a rising figure in the Democratic Party.

Gilberto Hinojosa, president of the Democratic Party in Texas, called on the senator to step down. “For Ted Cruz to fly to Mexico while the Texans die in the cold is not surprising but is deeply disturbing,” he wrote, lamenting that he is “abandoning” his state.

Asked during her daily press briefing on the Republican senator’s getaway to the sun, Jen Psaki, spokesperson for the White House, wielded irony. “I have no details to give you on the exact location of Ted Cruz,” she replied. “We are focusing on mobilization in the face of this winter storm”.

Comedian Trevor Noah, who hosts the Daily Show, told him on Twitter a “heartbreaking” scene: “A resident of Texas forced to travel more than 2,700 kilometers to find water, electricity and heat. ”


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