‘Obviously a mistake’: Sen. Ted Cruz flies back again to frozen Texas just after criticism above Cancun trip

DALLAS (NewsNation Now) — Senator Ted Cruz stated Thursday that his spouse and children journey to the Mexican resort town of Cancun through a deadly wintertime storm was “obviously a mistake” as he returned to Texas amid a flurry of criticism.

Immediately after his travels ended up 1st reported as hundreds of 1000’s of Texans remained without ability or protected ingesting water, the 50-calendar year-outdated Republican lawmaker organized to board a flight household while his Senate business office issued a assertion stating he was continuing to work for his constituents.

As he returned stateside, Cruz explained to reporters he started 2nd-guessing the vacation given that the instant he 1st bought on the aircraft Wednesday. “In hindsight, I wouldn’t have finished it,” he explained to reporters.

The high-profile Republican, a potential White Dwelling candidate in 2024, said in a assertion that he had accompanied his relatives right after his daughters questioned to go on a vacation with buddies.

“With school canceled for the week, our girls asked to just take a trip with friends,” Cruz said in the statement.

“Wanting to be a fantastic dad, I flew down with them very last night and am traveling again this afternoon. My team and I are in regular communication with condition and nearby leaders to get to the bottom of what took place in Texas,” Cruz stated. “We want our electric power back, our drinking water on, and our houses warm.”

Cruz advised reporters Thursday night that he returned to the U.S. due to the fact he realized he needed to be in Texas.

“I didn’t want all the screaming and yelling about this excursion to distract even one particular minute from the true challenges that I assume Texans treatment about, which is trying to keep all of our people secure,” Cruz claimed.

“It was clearly a slip-up, and in hindsight, I wouldn’t have completed it,” he mentioned.

Cruz confronted calls for his resignation from Democrats just after pics emerged on social media displaying him in an airport line, in a passenger lounge, aboard an airliner and departing an airport in Mexico.

“Resign,” the Texas Democratic Celebration tweeted.

“That’s some thing that he has to response to his constituents about,” point out Republican Social gathering Chairman Allen West explained when asked no matter whether Cruz’s journey was suitable though Texans are with no electrical power and h2o.

“I’m here trying to just take treatment of my household and look soon after my pals and some others that are continue to devoid of ability,” West reported. “That’s my concentrate.”

White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki, speaking before Cruz was noticed at Cancun International Airport, said tongue-in-cheek: “I never have any updates on the correct place of Senator Ted Cruz, nor does anybody at the White Property.”

Hundreds of 1000’s of persons in Texas woke up Thursday to a fourth working day devoid of energy, and a drinking water disaster was unfolding following winter season storms wreaked havoc on the state’s power grid and utilities.

In his statement, Cruz reported that his family had shed warmth and electricity as very well.

“This has been an infuriating 7 days for Texans,” he stated.

Texas officers purchased 7 million persons — 1-quarter of the population of the nation’s 2nd-greatest point out — to boil faucet water just before drinking the water, soon after days of document low temperatures that weakened infrastructure and froze pipes. 13 million experienced disruption to their water company.

In Austin, some hospitals faced a decline in drinking water tension and in some cases, heat.

Cruz’s workplace declined to solution distinct thoughts about the family vacation, but his team reached out to the Houston Police Department on Wednesday afternoon to say the senator would be arriving at the airport, in accordance to division spokeswoman Jodi Silva. She claimed officers “monitored his movements” while Cruz was at the airport.

Silva could not say whether or not this sort of requests are regular for Cruz’s travel or irrespective of whether his workers built a comparable ask for for his return flight.

U.S. Capitol Law enforcement officials and the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms have inspired lawmakers and their staff to be aware of prospective threats and to think about advising regulation enforcement about their travel at airports and other transportation hubs.

Cruz’s business office did not instantly say whether or not the senator would self-quarantine. The Facilities for Ailment Control and Avoidance advises individuals who have traveled to get a coronavirus check three to five times after their return and to quarantine for a whole week, regardless of the take a look at outcomes.

Cruz has been demonized by the remaining even ahead of he ran for president in 2016. In a lot more modern yrs, he has positioned himself as a Trump loyalist with an eye towards a probable 2nd White House bid.

The Texas senator championed the-then president’s contact to block the certification previous thirty day period of Democrat Joe Biden’s election victory. That stand led to calls for Cruz’s resignation after a violent mob stormed the Capitol as Congress was affirming Biden’s earn.

“Ted Cruz had presently confirmed to be an enemy to our democracy by inciting an insurrection. Now, he is proving to be an enemy to our point out by abandoning us in our biggest time of have to have,” Texas Democratic Celebration Chair Gilberto Hinojosa reported Thursday. “For the 21st time, the Texas Democratic Celebration calls on Ted Cruz to resign or be expelled from workplace.”

Cruz’s place of work dismissed calls for his resignation earlier in the month.

“The left – and some grifters on the correct – are consumed by partisan anger and rage,” his office environment mentioned in a prepared statement. “Sen. Cruz will carry on to function for 29 million Texans in the Senate.”

Cruz checked in for his return flight Thursday afternoon in Cancun and walked briskly via the terminal pulling a roller bag to security. He wore a golfing shirt, jeans and a confront mask in the model of the Texas state flag.

Cruz informed reporters that he planned to “go dwelling and maintain operating to get the grid reopened, to get electricity restored, to get the drinking water back on.”

“A lot of Texans are hurting and this crisis is disheartening. It is aggravating for tens of millions of Texans. It should not take place,” he explained.

The Connected Press and Reuters contributed to this report. All reporting by Reuters’ David Morgan and Susan Heavey and the AP’s Steve Peoples and Jake Bleiberg