U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz is traveling out of Texas days before a winter storm is projected to hit the Lone Star State, his office confirmed to Houston Public Media while noting that Cruz is expected to be back in the state before the storm hits.
Cruz, a Republican, has been criticized in recent years for leaving Texas or being out of the state during weather emergencies.
“Senator Cruz is currently on pre-planned work travel that was scheduled weeks in advance,” a spokesperson for Cruz said Wednesday. “He will be back in Texas before the storm is projected to hit.”
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. pic.twitter.com/lVTcqP8LR4
— Shea Jordan Smith (@shea_jordan) January 21, 2026
A photo appearing to depict Cruz boarding a plane, reportedly heading to Laguna Beach, California, was circulating on social media on Wednesday.
Asked by a Houston Public Media reporter if Cruz’s office could confirm whether he was flying to Laguna Beach, a spokesperson said, “You have the tweet with the pic.”
An arctic cold front is expected to push its way into Texas late this week, with chances for freezing rain and ice in several parts of the state.
In 2021, prior to the deadly winter storm that left millions without electricity, Cruz was spotted flying to Cancún. He later said in a statement that he did so “wanting to be a good dad.”
Last July, when the deadly floods struck Kerrville and Central Texas, Cruz had been vacationing in Greece and “took the first flight home,” according to his office.
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