After Ted Cruz was photographed fleeing Texas for Cancun after a winter storm wreaked havoc on millions of households in the state, he is reportedly now volunteering to help out and check on his neighbors and constituents.
And how do we know that? From the pictures he shared. Over the weekend, the Republican senator posted photos to his social media accounts which featured him holding cases of water bottles and shaking a woman’s hand.
Read More: Texts reveal Ted Cruz, wife wanted to flee ‘freezing’ home amid Texas crisis
Social media erupted after Cruz posted the photos, which he captioned, “#texasstrong.” Many users on Instagram replied with comments of clown emojis and calls for the senator to quit and “leave Texas.”
On Twitter, droves of people accused him of volunteering just so that he could take photos. “@tedcruz. I guess you see yourself as above the law. What happened to the 7 day quarantine?? BTW, your stagged photo op handing out water is WEAK,” wrote one Twitter user.
Cruz also met with first responders and served them lunch to thank them for their work during the unprecedented cold-weather crisis in Texas. Critical social media users blasted him for the meal, noting that many are still grappling with crucial issues that stemmed from the storm and contending lunch with law enforcement does nothing to help.
To add to the issues Cruz faced following social media photos capturing him in the airport and his family in transit, texts that Cruz’s wife, Heidi, sent to neighbors, asking if they’d like to join them on their last-minute trip to the luxury resort Ritz-Carlton in Cancun, Mexico, were leaked to The New York Times.
Senator Cruz said, after the backlash, that he went to Cancun to escort his daughters. He returned to Texas the day after he was photographed leaving.
Cruz wasn’t the only member of Congress to volunteer in Texas this weekend. Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez raised over $4 million and worked at a Houston food bank on Saturday.
“One of the places it’s going is the Houston Food Bank. I’m visiting Reps. @JacksonLeeTX18 & @LaCongresista with volunteers to pack meals. The bank REALLY needs helping hands,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted.
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast, “Dear Culture?” Download our newest episodes now! TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. Download theGrio today!