‘Kind of like a Texas groundhog’: Ted Cruz just fled Texas again – do people have to deal with another winter storm without him?

Senator Ted Cruz has once again found himself facing intense public scrutiny after a photo of him flying out of Texas started making the rounds online just as the state prepares for a rare and potentially dangerous winter storm. This isn’t just a routine flight, either. The image immediately brought back unpleasant memories of his infamous 2021 trip to Cancun during a deadly freeze.

It’s tough to believe this is happening again, but here we are. This recent sighting only adds to a growing pattern of the senator leaving Texas right when severe weather hits. He faced major outrage back in 2021 for the Cancun incident, and he also took a vacation to Greece in July 2025 during deadly flash floods in Kerr County, per Daily Dot.

The photo itself originated from a TikTok user whose friend snapped the picture while on a commercial flight. Political strategist Shea Jordan Smith shared the image to X, noting that Cruz was spotted leaving as the state braced for an arctic cold front. That post alone drew more than 8 million views really quickly, which tells you how sensitive people are to this issue.

Ted Cruz is running for greener pastures again

While the initial post incorrectly claimed the destination was Laguna Beach, that detail was quickly clarified by the original poster. The person who took the photo was heading to Laguna Beach, but an update confirmed that Cruz landed at John Wayne Airport. Regardless of the exact city, the fact remains that he was seen leaving Houston just as the arctic blast was inbound. He’s good at calling out danger, but not at doing anything about it.

Cruz’s team was quick to try and tamp down the criticism. A spokesperson explained that the senator was on “pre-planned work travel that was scheduled weeks in advance.” They assured everyone he would be back in Texas before the storm is even projected to hit. Meanwhile, Cruz addressed the weather on X that same day, telling followers that his team was monitoring the incoming cold front and directing them to emergency agencies for updates.

He didn’t mention his travel plans at all, which you’d think he would if it were truly harmless work travel.

You’d think people online would be shocked by this consistency, but honestly, the main reaction was just pure sarcasm. Users treated the sighting as totally predictable, almost like a dark joke. One user joked that this behavior is “like the houston version of the waffle house index,” which is a perfect comparison for predicting disaster.

Others saw the humor in the timing. “People are mad at him but personally I think it’s nice to have our own early warning system for snow storms,” one person wrote. “Kind of like a Texas Groundhog.” That’s a top-tier observation.

Another user loved the senator’s consistency, tweeting, “When there’s a crisis in Texas, he sprints out of town.” One TikTok comment echoed this tone, saying, “If I had a nickel for every time my senator left the state due to a potentially deadly arctic blast, I’d have two nickels! Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice!”