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By Jack Beresford and Andrew Stanton
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Senator Ted Cruz has issued a statement after a photo surfaced on social media allegedly showing him on a flight heading out of Texas as his home state prepares for the arrival of a major winter storm.
Shea Jordan Smith, a Houston‑based liberal political strategist and digital communicator, took to X and Threads, posting under the handle @shea_jordan to share what he claimed was a picture of Cruz on his way to a vacation at Laguna Beach.
“Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) was spotted earlier today, January 20, 2026, on a plane heading to Laguna Beach as the state of Texas braces for a rare ice threat and arctic cold front," The text accompanying Smith’s post reads:
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The post has already been viewed over 2.3 million times on X and 1.1 million times on Threads.
Why It Matters
Cruz's apparent departure has drawn criticism among those interacting with Smith's post in the context of events in Texas.
Texas is bracing itself for the imminent arrival of a winter storm, bringing with it the potential for what the National Weather Service describes as “significant and hazardous winter weather." The Weather Prediction Center (WPC) is warning of heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain in some areas of Texas from Friday onwards, with the “extreme” cold weather conditions potentially extending the impact of snow and ice in these regions through the weekend.
Cruz leaving for sunnier shores now would be viewed by many of his critics as a dereliction of his duty to Texas. He has previous form, though. Almost exactly five years ago, pictures surfaced on social media revealing Cruz was traveling to Cancun, Mexico, while millions back home in Texas were without power or heat amid freezing temperatures.
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Cruz was widely derided over the incident. So much so that, nearly a year later, when Texas was facing another winter storm, his detractors wondered if he had packed his bags in preparation for another trip.
What To Know
A spokesperson for Cruz told Newsweek: “Senator Cruz is currently on pre-planned work travel that was scheduled weeks in advance. He will be back in Texas before the storm is projected to hit.”
The viral photo and the statement by Cruz's spokesperson come a day after Cruz took to X to assure followers he and his team would be "monitoring" the situation ahead of the arrival of the winter storm.
Smith, who posted the photo to X and Threads, told Newsweek: “It’s the worst feeling in the world up 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 they I love so much are about to face extreme circumstances.”
He added: “Texas deserves a full-time Senator. Not a part-time podcaster and vacation blogger.”
Smith revealed the original source of the photo was an image shared to TikTok by Raina Esterbrook. “Ted Cruz spotted leaving the city (1/20/26) looks like Houston is about to get artic blasted,” she wrote alongside an image posted to the platform under the handle raina_esterbrook.
You can see it here.
Esterbook told Newsweek: "My best friend Jake snapped the picture yesterday on his flight from Houston to John Wayne airport in California. He was in fact on that plane, it was Ted."
What People Are Saying
Ted Cruz on X on January 20: "My team and I are monitoring the incoming cold front that could bring snow, ice, and disruptive weather conditions to parts of the Lone Star State later this week."
**A spokesperson for Ted Cruz told Newsweek: "**Senator Cruz is currently on pre-planned work travel that was scheduled weeks in advance. He will be back in Texas before the storm is projected to hit.”
Shea Jordan Smith, a Houston‑based liberal political strategist and digital communicator, told Newsweek: “It’s the worst feeling in the world up 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 they I love so much are about to face extreme circumstances. Texas deserves a full-time Senator. Not a part-time podcaster and vacation blogger.”
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