Ted Cruz seen on flight to California ahead of winter storm in Texas
- - Ted Cruz seen on flight to California ahead of winter storm in Texas
James Powel and Doyle Rice, USA TODAYJanuary 22, 2026 at 4:42 AM
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Sen. Ted Cruz was spotted on a flight from Texas to California as his home state braces for a severe winter storm.
Shea Jordan Smith, a political strategist, posted a photo of the Texas Republican on a Jan. 20 flight to Southern California on X later the same day.
Cruz's office said in a statement to USA TODAY that the trip was, "pre-planned work travel that was scheduled weeks in advance."
The statement added that the senator would be back in Texas ahead of the storm's arrival.
The post claims that the flight was destined for Laguna Beach, however the tony beach town south of Anaheim does not have an airport. John Wayne Airport in Orange County is the nearest airline hub. USA TODAY has reached out to Smith to clarify the flight's destination.
The photo drew comparisons to a 2021 incident in which the senator fled the state for Cancún, Mexico, in the midst of an ongoing winter storm. Cruz said at the time the trip was "obviously a mistake."
Cruz was out of the country on a pre-planned vacation to Athens, Greece, when devastating flash floods hit the Texas Hill Country in 2025. Cruz "promptly" booked a return flight, his office said at the time.
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz attends the Texas Department of Transportation and the Ports-to-Plains Alliance ribbon cutting and signage unveiling ceremony of adding U.S. Highway 87 to Interstate 27 on April 14, 2025 in Lubbock, Texas.Winter storm threatens wide swath of nation
Forecasters are warning of a sprawling winter storm that's predicted to spread a mess of ice and snow over a 2,000-mile stretch of the nation later this week, from Texas to the Northeast.
"Confidence continues to increase on an expansive major winter storm impacting much of the southern and eastern portions of the country Friday (Jan. 23) through Sunday (Jan. 25)," the National Weather Service said on Jan. 20.
fierce Arctic blast of bitterly cold air is poised to overtake much of the central, eastern and southern U.S. over the next few days, dropping temperatures well below average as far south as Florida. See the impact.
" style=padding-bottom:56%>A fierce Arctic blast of bitterly cold air is poised to overtake much of the central, eastern and southern U.S. over the next few days, dropping temperatures well below average as far south as Florida. See the impact.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/ETTLPU8uNTg4lxvJpfwrXA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNTEx/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/6f21303c3e78e1e7a591a3d5a504a0ee class=caas-img data-headline="Photos show heavy snow, frigid weather from Arctic blast" data-caption="
A fierce Arctic blast of bitterly cold air is poised to overtake much of the central, eastern and southern U.S. over the next few days, dropping temperatures well below average as far south as Florida. See the impact.
">A fierce Arctic blast of bitterly cold air is poised to overtake much of the central, eastern and southern U.S. over the next few days, dropping temperatures well below average as far south as Florida. See the impact.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/ETTLPU8uNTg4lxvJpfwrXA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNTEx/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/6f21303c3e78e1e7a591a3d5a504a0ee class=caas-img>
1 / 14Photos show heavy snow, frigid weather from Arctic blast
A fierce Arctic blast of bitterly cold air is poised to overtake much of the central, eastern and southern U.S. over the next few days, dropping temperatures well below average as far south as Florida. See the impact.
Warming shelters, salt stockpiles: The South braces for winter storm
Specifically, the wide-ranging winter storm will produce great swaths of heavy snow, sleet and treacherous freezing rain from the southern Rockies/Plains and Mid-South starting Friday and shifting toward the East Coast through Sunday.
Exactly where the storm sets up and tracks will determine where the snow and ice will be, according to AccuWeather. Residents from Colorado and Wyoming through the Mid-Atlantic and New England coasts are urged to stay on alert for forecast updates, especially with the threat of ice becoming a possibility.
Contributing: Savannah Kuchar, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ted Cruz seen on flight to California as Texas preps for winter storm
Source: “AOL Breaking”
