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Sen. Ted CruzRepublican from Texas, returned to the Lone Star State on Friday after a photo went viral on social media of him boarding a plane as the state prepares for a potentially historic winter storm.
The senator appeared to poke fun at himself Friday as conversations circulated online in recent days about whether he would once again be absent while his constituents sheltered during a major weather event.
“I came home from my work trip. It’s 66 degrees and beautiful. A storm is expected tomorrow night,” Cruz wrote in an X post on Friday.
“But Twitter has reliably informed me that if I simply raise my hand Texas soilThe storm will change and rays of sunshine, rainbows and unicorns will emerge. So be it,” he continued.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, during an oversight hearing in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
In 2021, Cruz was criticized for travel to cancun, mexicowith his family the same week Texas faced a winter storm that left millions of people without power and ultimately caused 246 deaths, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Cruz later admitted that the decision was “obviously a mistake.”
His comments on Friday came after a photo was posted on X on Tuesday showing Cruz aboard a plane supposedly headed to Laguna Beach, California.
FOX WEATHER TO PROVIDE EXTENDED LIVE COVERAGE OF WINTER STORM IMPACTING NATION
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, returned to Texas before the state was hit by what was forecast to be a major winter storm. (Heather Diehl/Getty Images)
The post quickly went viral, garnering more than 9 million views, with users defending and criticizing the senator.
“I’m noticing a pattern,” one person responded.
A spokesperson for Cruz confirmed to FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth that the senator left Tuesday on a pre-planned trippromising that the senator would return before inclement weather.
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winter storm It is expected to affect 235 million Americans in 40 states this weekend, according to FOX Weather, with many areas experiencing life-threatening cold weather, heavy snow and devastating ice.
