Facts about Ted Cruz's Cancun Trip: Call Resign, Statement and Latest News

Facts about Ted Cruz's Cancun Trip: Call Resign, Statement and Latest News

Sen. Ted Cruz's statement: ‘to be a good dad’ but'obviously a mistake'

In a statement on Thursday, the Republican senator said he was returning to Texas. He accompanied his family to Mexico a day earlier, he said, only after his daughters asked to go on a trip with friends, given that school was canceled for the week.

“Wanting to be a good dad, I flew down with them last night and am flying back this afternoon,” Cruz wrote.

“My staff and I are in constant communication with state and local leaders to get to the bottom of what happened in Texas,” he continued. “We want our power back, our water on, and our homes warm.”

Sen. Ted Cruz said that flying to Cancun, Mexico, as a winter disaster in his home state left millions without power or water "was obviously a mistake" and that "in hindsight I wouldn't have done it.", CNN report.

With protesters audible outside his home, Cruz said he understands the anger many Texans feel toward his decision.

"Of course, I understand why people are upset. Listen, we're in a strange time where Twitter's been going crazy and the media is going crazy and there's a lot of venom and vitriol that I think is unfortunate frankly on both sides," Cruz said. "I think everyone ought to treat each other with respect and decency and try to understand each other more particularly at a time of crisis."

Images of Cruz and his wife, Heidi, boarding a flight at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston first appeared on Twitter late Wednesday night.

After days of snow, ice and record low temperatures, nearly 500,000 homes remain without power in Texas as of early Thursday.

Sen. Ted Cruz prepared to board a flight home while his Senate office issued a statement saying he was continuing to work for his constituents. Cruz arrived at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport later Thursday, according to a source who was on the flight with him.

Texas Democrats Call On Ted Cruz To Resign

Cruz, viewed as a presidential hopeful in 2024, faced calls for his resignation from Democrats after photos emerged on social media showing him in an airport line, in a passenger lounge, aboard an airliner and departing an airport in Mexico.

The Texas Democratic Party is calling on Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to resign or be expelled from office after the Republican lawmaker flew to Cancun, Mexico, for a family vacation in the middle of a deadly winter storm that has left millions of Texans without water and electricity, NPR report.

In a statement issued Thursday, Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa called the senator's trip to Cancun "deeply disturbing and disappointing."

He further described Cruz as "an enemy to our democracy" for challenging the certification of the Electoral College vote before and after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and as "an enemy to our state" for "jetting off to Mexico while Texans remain dying in the cold."

"The Texas Democratic Party calls on Ted Cruz to resign or be expelled from office," Hinojosa said.

The party said this is the 21st time it has called for Cruz's resignation.

*Read More: Who is Ted Cruz: Biography, Career, Family, Nationality and Personal Profile

Ted Cruz's staff asked for security aid

As first responders dealt with Texas' statewide power and water crisis, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz's office asked Houston police for a security detail at the airport ahead of his family trip to Cancun, Mexico, the department confirmed on Thursday afternoon.

"The Houston Police Department (HPD) can confirm that a member of Senator Cruz's staff contacted HPD personnel at IAH on Wednesday afternoon, February 17th, and requested assistance upon the Senator's arrival at the airport," Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said in a statement.

Who is Ted Cruz: Biography, Career, Family, Nationality and Personal Profile Ted Cruz cites “wanting to be a good dad” for traveling to Cancún during Texas power outages. Who is U.S. Senator Ted Cruz: Biography, Career, ...

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