Senator Ted Cruz is facing heavy criticism after a photo showing him boarding a flight out of Texas went viral. The timing has upset many people because the state is getting ready for a dangerous winter storm. The controversy started when Shea Jordan Smith, a political strategist from Houston, shared the picture on social media.
According to Newsweek, Smith said the image was taken on January 20, 2026, and showed Cruz heading to Laguna Beach for a vacation. The photo came from a traveler named Raina Esterbrook, whose friend Jake took it on a flight from Houston to John Wayne airport in California. The post has gotten over 8.5 million views on X.
Smith criticized Cruz directly, expressing what many Texans feel as they watch the weather forecast. He said it’s “the worst feeling in the world to now know that whenever I see my junior senator boarding a plane in advance of a weather emergency, that people in the city and state that I love so much are about to face extreme circumstances.”
Cruz’s departure timing raises concerns given Texas’s approaching severe weather
Texas is preparing for truly dangerous conditions. The National Weather Service is warning that a major winter storm is coming with “significant and hazardous winter weather.” Heavy snow, freezing rain, and sleet are expected to start this Friday. The Weather Prediction Center says the extreme cold will make the impact of ice and snow last through the weekend.
Cruz’s team quickly tried to address the situation. A spokesperson said this was a “pre-planned work travel that was scheduled weeks in advance.” They also promised he will be back in Texas before the storm hits. One day before the photo went viral, Cruz had posted on X saying he and his team would be “monitoring” the situation ahead of the storm’s arrival.
People are skeptical because Cruz has done this before. Almost exactly five years ago, millions of Texans were freezing without power or heat during a winter storm, and photos showed him traveling to Cancun, Mexico. That incident was a major scandal for him. The backlash comes as Texas educators face concerning classroom challenges that have sparked viral discussions.
He was heavily criticized over the Cancun trip. Even nearly a year later, whenever a storm approached, people joked about whether he had packed his bags again. For his critics, leaving for warmer places now looks like abandoning his duties, no matter what the official explanation says about “work travel.”
Smith didn’t hold back in his criticism about the timing and the need for accountability. He ended his public statement with a harsh comment that captures how many people feel: “Texas deserves a full-time Senator. Not a part-time podcaster and vacation blogger.” Similar viral moments from Texas have sparked debate about service quality across the state recently.
Published: Jan 22, 2026 02:00 pm