The Story:
Rafael Edward (“Ted”) Cruz, more than two years into his second term as a US Senator from Texas, is in some political trouble as the result of a trip he took to Mexico when millions of his constituents were struggling with the consequences of Winter Storm Uri, including loss of power and/or the loss of potable water.
Background:
On Wednesday, February 17, the Senator, his wife Heidi, and their two daughters flew to Cancun. It appears, from Mrs. Cruz’ texts, that the plan was for the whole family to stay there through the weekend. Photos of his departure went viral, and the outrage was immediate, intense, and visceral. Cruz left the family in Cancun and returned to Texas alone Thursday, conceding that the whole idea had been a “mistake.”
A Fox News correspondent, Trace Gallagher, said that while Democrats in Texas are “furious” at the trip, even Cruz’ fellow Republicans are “a bit baffled.”
The Thing to Know:
Cruz doesn’t have to run for re-election again until 2024, and other issues will likely be forefront in the public mind by then. But the bipartisan outrage over “fled Ted” will surely knock Cruz, who was a front-rank contender for the Republican nomination for President in early 2016, down a rank or two on the national political scene.
