Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is back in his home state after a brief trip to Cancun as thousands were without power in Texas, which ignited a firestorm on social media.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) says there is one way the Texas senator could have avoided the controversy while still taking a trip to Cancun.
“If Sen. Cruz had resigned back in January after helping gin up a violent insurrection that killed several people, he could’ve taken his vacation in peace. Texans should continue to demand his resignation,” she wrote on Twitter.
She added, “But don’t blame me for this, my points are on Amtrak!”
If Sen. Cruz had resigned back in January after helping gin up a violent insurrection that killed several people, he could’ve taken his vacation in peace. Texans should continue to demand his resignation.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 18, 2021
But don’t blame me for this, my points are on Amtrak! 🚊 https://t.co/CAWCgtxQ73
Cruz offered an explanation for his trip as he said in a statement, “This has been an infuriating week for Texas. The greatest state in the world has been without power. We have food lines, gas lines, and people sleeping at the neighbors’ houses.”
He claimed his house lost power and added that his daughters asked to take a trip and, “Wanting to be a good dad, I flew down with them last night and am flying back this afternoon.”
However, his explanation did not appear to satisfy his critics who gathered outside his Texas home with signs demanding his resignation.
Protesters await Sen. Ted Cruz's arrival at his Texas home. pic.twitter.com/9eHPlUGBqC
— The Recount (@therecount) February 18, 2021
The New York Times reported, based on leaked text messages between Cruz’s wife and a friend, that the family originally intended to stay in Cancun through Sunday.
Ocasio-Cortez has called for Cruz to resign over what she says was his role in inciting the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
She has also claimed that he “almost had me murdered.”
Though she has since claimed that she did not allege Cruz tried to have her murdered.