Cruz back in Texas after photo of him boarding plane sparks backlash ahead of winter storm

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, returned to the Lone Star State 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 on Friday as online chatter swirled over the past few days about whether he would once again be absent as his constituents hunkered down during a major weather event.

“I’ve returned home from my work trip. It’s 66 degrees & beautiful. A storm is expected tomorrow night,” Cruz wrote in an X post Friday.

“But I am reliably informed by Twitter that if I simply raise up my hand on Texas soil, the storm will turn around & sunshine, rainbows & unicorns will emerge. Let it be,” he continued.

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In 2021, Cruz was slammed for traveling to Cancun, Mexico, with his family the same week that Texas dealt with 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 Friday came after a photo was posted on X on Tuesday showing Cruz aboard a plane that was reportedly heading to Laguna Beach, California.

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The post quickly went viral, gaining more than 9 million views, with users both defending and blasting the senator.

“I’m noticing a pattern,” one person responded.

A spokesperson for Cruz confirmed to FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth that the senator had left Tuesday on a pre-planned trip, vowing that the senator would return ahead of the inclement weather.

The winter storm is expected to impact 235 million Americans across 40 states this weekend, according to FOX Weather, and many areas will experience life-threatening cold weather, heavy snow and crippling ice.