As Texas braces for another round of severe winter weather, a viral social media post has reignited scrutiny of one of the state’s political figures.
On the night of Jan. 20, political strategist Shea Jordan Smith shared an image on X that appears to show U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz aboard a commercial airplane.
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The post alleged Cruz was flying to Laguna Beach, California, as winter weather threatens parts of Texas.
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
KPRC 2 is working to independently verify the context of the image. We have contacted sources in the Harris County and Texas GOP for information and will update this article as more context becomes available.
Sen. Cruz has not personally commented on the matter. However, he commented on the upcoming weather through his official senator account, saying he and his team were “monitoring the incoming cold front.”
My team and I are monitoring the incoming cold front that could bring snow, ice, and disruptive weather conditions to parts of the Lone Star State later this week.
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) January 20, 2026
You can stay up-to-date by following @TDEM and @NWS to keep you and your loved ones safe and warm. https://t.co/dl8Yz70vSS
According to Steven Dial with FOX4 in Dallas, a spokesperson for Cruz appeared to confirm the image was authentic but rejected claims that the senator was fleeing the state or acting irresponsibly.
In response to Sen. @tedcruz seen on a recent flight.
— Steven Dial (@StevenDialFox4) January 21, 2026
Senator Cruz spokesperson, “Senator Cruz is currently on pre-planned work travel that was scheduled weeks in advance. He will be back in Texas before the storm is projected to hit.” @FOX4 https://t.co/JAhGvA7wCI
The image circulating online appears to have been taken on a United Airlines flight and was claimed to be from Jan. 20.
Flight data from FlightTracker24 shows two nonstop United flights departing Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport and landing at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana—the closest airport to Laguna Beach—at 11:21 a.m. and 2:07 p.m. that day.
The renewed attention comes nearly four years after Cruz faced widespread backlash during the historic Winter Storm Uri in February of 2021, when he was photographed at an airport and later confirmed to have traveled to Cancun as millions of Texans lost power and water.
That incident sparked sharp criticism and led to nicknames such as “Fled Cruz,” “Flyin’ Ted,” and “Cancun Cruz.”
Despite the controversy, Cruz’s political standing has remained largely intact. In 2024, he defeated Democratic challenger Colin Allred to secure his third term in the U.S. Senate.