Senator Ted Cruz got a mixed reaction to a photograph he posted online poking fun at the 2021 backlash he faced after flying to Cancun for a winter break while Texas was facing power outages during record-cold temperatures.
Cruz is featured in the photo standing next to a neon sign for the Cancun Grill restaurant in Midland, Texas, on Friday.
In 2021, the retaliation against the senator caused him to fly back to Texas almost immediately after he landed on his sunshine vacation.
People in Austin and Houston spent days coping with blackouts and in some cases, a lack of running water, as subzero temperatures gripped the region.
There were hours-long queues at grocery stores, and emergency services were overwhelmed and overstretched.
It appears that Cruz feels enough time has passed for him to find some humor in a restaurant named after the Mexican resort destination where his family hoped to escape the winter freeze.
But some social media users were not amused by the tweet.
One Twitter user said: “People you represented died, but whatever.”
Another said: “Good lord. The first time this ran across the feed I thought it was a parody.”
A third mocked: “I fled and left them to die while I only thought about me and those sweet, sweet bottomless margaritas… but hey look! Let’s laugh about it!”
And a fourth shared their own trauma from the storm: “I still have nightmares from that week. Anytime the power flickers I go into shock.”
However, others have seen the humor in his post, with one supporter tweeting: “You are out here slaying tonight, sir. I’m here for it.”
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
This is not the first time Cruz has tried to joke about his brief time in Cancun. In November 2021, he responded to a tweet about California Gov. Gavin Newsom vacationing in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, by tweeting back that “Cancun is much nicer than Cabo.”
The Cancun trip made Cruz the butt of many jokes, such as when he was called a hypocrite for criticizing Joe Biden for taking a tropical vacation.
A statement released by Cruz at the time of the 2021 storm said: “This has been an infuriating week for Texans. The greatest state in the country, in the world, has been without power.
“We have food lines, gas lines, and people sleeping at the neighbors’ houses. Our homes are freezing and the lights are out. Like millions of Texans, our family lost heat and power too.
“With school canceled 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.
“My staff and I are in constant communication with state and local leaders to get to the bottom of what happened in Texas.
“We want our power back, our water on, and our homes warm. My team will continue to use all our resources to keep Texans informed and safe.”
Newsweek has contacted Sen. Cruz’s office by email to ask if he has any further comment.