Is Senator Ted Cruz back in Texas for the winter storm?
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is back in Texas after making headlines — again — for travel aligning with a winter storm in his home state, but is back home ahead of the Artic weather.
A photo making the rounds on social media seems to show Cruz, a Republican, on a plane on Jan. 20. It was shared by political strategist Shea Jordan Smith on X, where he posted that Cruz was seen “on a plane heading to Laguna Beach as the state of Texas braces for a rare ice threat and arctic cold front.”
(Some commenters have noted that Laguna Beach doesn’t have an airport, the closest being the John Wayne Airport in Orange County near Irvine, California.)
The image has evoked memories of the February 2021 winter storm, when Cruz was criticized for going to Cancún as deadly, bitter cold swept the state. Cruz said at the time that leaving was “obviously a mistake” and that he wouldn’t have left in hindsight, according to The Texas Tribune.
Cruz has also previously drawn attention for being in Greece on vacation in July 2025 when floods devastated parts of the Texas Hill Country. Cruz’s office said he returned to the state as soon as possible and helped coordinate response to the floods from abroad, The Texas Tribune reported.
In a statement reported earlier this week, including in USA Today, Cruz’s office said the senator was on “pre-planned work travel that was scheduled weeks in advance” and would be back in Texas ahead of the storm.
And Cruz on Friday afternoon posted on X that he was indeed back in Texas.
“I’ve returned home from my work trip. It’s 66 degrees & beautiful,” Cruz said in the post “A storm is expected tomorrow night. But I am reliably informed by Twitter that if I simply raise up my hand on Texas soil, the storm will turn around & sunshine, rainbows & unicorns will emerge. Let it be. “
The post is punctuated by sunshine, rainbow and unicorn emojis, and features a picture of Cruz outside, his arm extended and palm upturned.
In North and Central Texas, the National Weather Service predicts Arctic air and wintry precipitation starting Friday evening that will last throughout the weekend.
Cruz urged Texans to prepare for the storm in a Jan. 22 post on X.
“With winter weather approaching the Lone Star State, now’s the time to get ready,” the post reads. “Build your emergency kit, make a family plan, and stay informed.”
This story was originally published January 23, 2026 at 1:41 PM.
