Ted Cruz Responds to Photo of Him Leaving Texas Before Winter Storm

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Newsweek

Published Jan 21, 2026 at 01:48 PM EST updated Jan 21, 2026 at 05:44 PM EST


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:

The post has already been viewed over 2.3 million times on X and 1.1 million times on Threads.

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/ted-cruz-leaving-texas-again-before-winter-storm-photo-appears-to-show-11394787

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And away he goes AGAIN!

Link to tweet

Shea Jordan Smith
@shea_jordan
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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.
Image
11:49 PM · Jan 20, 2026

Just like the last time -

[fujiyamasan]

1. Is he actually vacationing in Laguna beach? No airport there...

Hard to say where he’s heading to. Didn’t see the destination airport. But of course it’s convenient he would be leaving just as they face another winter storm. And coming to California of all places…WTF?

Go home ass hole. We don’t want you here.

[hlthe2b]

2. Run him out of town on the proverbial rail (box car on a freight train). I'm sure whomever

else is onboard will not be his choice of box car-mates)

[BumRushDaShow]

4. He could just fly into LAX and get shuttled to the hotel

or John Wayne Airport, which is closer (the plane in that pic looks jammed so might be a regional jet). I'm thinking he is too haughty to be in a hotel and might be staying in a rental for privacy but I'm sure someone might try to spot him somewhere.

And the irony of CA IS rich.

[CTyankee]

3. AGAIN! Buddy, you never learn do you?

[Godot51]

5. Poor little ted...

... he should have known better and announced his "business" travel plans earlier and widely.

I suppose it really doesn't matter. He's still a cretin creep.

[Grammy23]

6. Has the man never heard of cancelling

Your business trip for an emergency situation? Once it became known that this winter storm promises a repeat of what happened in 2021 for Texas along with many other states, Cruz should have immediately cancelled his plans. Failing to do that once was a mistake that was embarrassing. Failing to cancel a second time is unforgivable.

[3Hotdogs]

14. and do we expect him to show up at his hometown's Main Street and begin shoveling snow?

Yes, he's an asshole. But what would he be expected to accomplish if he stayed in Texas?

[DeeDeeNY]

7. People don't seem to care. He keeps getting reelected.

He's on his 3rd term.

[AllyCat]

8. Pre planned work travel to Laguna Beach?

He’s from TX, no? So taxpayers are paying for him to skip town?

[surfered]

9. His movements are more accurate than the weather forecasts

[mwmisses4289]

10. The last time, he left a day or too after the storm hit

and he first tried blaming his daughters (iirc, they were 8 and 11 at the time), got rightly excoriated for that stupid move, then claimed it was a vacay his wife had planned. I believe what came out was one of them (ted or his wife) couldn't stand the cold or being in the dark in their fancy river oaks mansion, and fled to cancun. What really iced the cake, though, was they left their dog behind, and had someone come in a couple of times a day to look after it. My memory is a little fuzzy of when they returned: I think there was enough of an outcry that ted returned and did a couple of photo ops, and wife and daughters returned once power in their area had been restored and back on for a few days.
Our other guy, cornyn, stayed in d.c., was in the hospital, i think.

[TexasBushwhacker]

21. If losing power is their worry

buy a damn generator. They're rich enough to afford one.

[Javaman]

11. more over. his wife and kids are no where to be seen.

that tracks with sociopath.

cruz was millers prototype.

[DinahMoeHum]

12. Why does this tune come to my mind. . .

. . .everytime I hear the name Ted Cruz???

&list=RDtNm7MKFouPs&start_radio=1

[Bengus81]

13. Those idiots in his district would vote for him if he had the power shut off to everyone

As long as he stands up for your right to an assault rifle he can do anything he wants

[LtTx]

19. He's a senator

So all Texas voters either vote for him or against him. He is scum, but we have a lot of low-info voters. His name sounds Hispanic, so he picks up that vote and the Cuban votes. We keep trying to get rid of him. Maybe he could just stay in California. He could be Darrel Issa's buddy.

[Botany]

15. Bottom Picture what a bag of trans fats and no muscle.

He needs some p.t. in Laguna Beach. Walking 2 miles a day, free weights, and maybe a salad or two.



Keep it up Ted maybe Texas can have a special election after your heart stops.

[EuterpeThelo]

16. GTFO

of my beautiful state, you sniveling coward. You helped turn your own state into a climate nightmare (with apologies for anyone who lives there and didn't vote for any of this!), so don't come crawling to us where we've done everything we can to fight off what your ilk has voted to have happen.

[TheRickles]

17. Here's what his spokesperson said:

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.”

[Scalded Nun]

18. Why should he worry? He did this the last time and they reelected him anyway.

[Clouds Passing]

20. Again!?

[highplainsdem]

22. So he supposedly was on unspecified "pre-planned work travel" - but there's no reason to believe

that without proof from another source.

[LtTx]

23. This is how we Texans know that winter is coming...

[mahina]

24. Did he leave the dog locked up in the house again?

The picture of his little face last time looking out the front door was definitely memorable. I guess at least he didn’t strap him into the roof of the car in a crate like Romney.

Also, a Laguna Beach “work trip”? Please. Fundraising maybe.

[cstanleytech]

25. Surprised he didn't cruise to Cancun.

[Traildogbob]

26. What about his dog, home alone 😱, again!

So sick of fat boys with shaggy beards that believe they are the masculine poster boys.

[LudwigPastorius]

27. Oh, shit.

"Ted Cruz Leaving The State" is the highest level of severe weather alert.

I wish I'd bought a generator after 2021.