While devastating floods swept through central Texas over the Fourth of July weekend, GOP Senator Ted Cruz was reportedly vacationing in Greece, according to The Daily Beast. The outlet reported that Cruz was sightseeing at the Parthenon in Athens on Saturday evening, just as rescue teams were scouring floodwaters for missing people, including girls from a summer camp near the Guadalupe River.
Photos posted online showed the Texas senator visiting Athens alongside his wife, Heidi. According to The Daily Beast, Cruz and his wife were spotted lining up outside the iconic tourist site around 11 a.m. ET on Saturday, a day after the Guadalupe River burst its banks and hours after Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration due to severe flooding.
An eyewitness at the Parthenon told The Daily Beast, "He was with his family and a lone security guard. As he walked past us, I simply said, ‘20 kids dead in Texas and you take a vacation?’
“He sort of grunted and walked on. His wife shot me a dirty look. Then they continued on with their tour guide.”
This isn's the first time Cruz has faced backlash for vacationing during a crisis. In 2021, he drew widespread criticism for taking a family trip to Cancun, Mexico, while a brutal winter storm left millions of Texans without power, heat, or water.
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{{/usCountry}}This isn's the first time Cruz has faced backlash for vacationing during a crisis. In 2021, he drew widespread criticism for taking a family trip to Cancun, Mexico, while a brutal winter storm left millions of Texans without power, heat, or water.
Reactions
{{/usCountry}}As photos from Cruz's Greece trip began circulating online, many social media users criticized the senator's timing.
One person wrote, “This is inexcusable. I'm saying this as a huge Ted fan.”
Another wrote, “Wow, he picks very convenient times to go on vacation.”
A third person commented, “Dude is always gone when his State actually needs him. How does he keep getting elected.”
Another user wrote, “This is on Texas. They vote for guys who don’t care so tada…. The reward.”
Ted Cruz's Office Responds
In response to the backlash, Cruz’s office issued a statement saying he was already on a pre-planned family vacation when the flooding began and returned to Texas as quickly as possible.
“The Senator was already in the middle of preplanned family vacation travel overseas when the flooding occurred on July 4. Within hours, he spoke by phone with Governor (Greg) Abbott, Lt. Governor (Dan) Patrick, Texas Emergency Management Director Nim Kidd, and President (Donald) Trump, working to ensure that the maximum federal assets were available for search and rescue,” Cruz’s office said in a statement to CNN.
“He and his team worked closely with local officials and with families of missing girls throughout that time. He promptly booked a flight back home. Given the time difference, he left Athens on Sunday morning and was back in Texas that night. And he was in Kerrville on the ground early Monday morning,” the statement continued.