Newly arrived from a trip to a Mexican beach resort, Texas Senator Ted Cruz seemed eager to show he was helping others during the state emergency he temporarily left behind this week.
The Republican lawmaker has been criticized for his decision to fly to Cancun because a winter storm – and a grinding electrical grid – has left millions of people without electricity and lately without drinking water across the state.
Two days after he admitted his “mistake” and returned home, new photos of Cruz were posted to his official Twitter account.
In them, Cruz – his sleeves rolled up and with the face of the Texas flag – handed out bottles of water to the needy. The photos came with the caption “#TexasStrong”.
But some commentators have suggested that Cruz’s gesture seemed somewhat hollow.
Writer Melissa Ryan, a former digital strategist for Democratic campaigns, accused Cruz of showing “false compassion”.
“I’m happy that someone in Ted Cruz’s Senate office finally instructed him on how to pretend compassion, humanity and create the illusion that he cares about the people he was elected to serve,” she wrote.
I’m glad that someone in Ted Cruz’s Senate office finally instructed him on how to pretend compassion, humanity and create the illusion that he cares about the people he was elected to serve. https://t.co/6JuuzUzpf2
– Melissa Ryan (@MelissaRyan) February 21, 2021
Lawyer Bradley Moss suggested that Cruz would still prefer to be in Cancún.
CNN analyst Jessica Huseman observed official guidelines on returning from a trip abroad. “Stay at home and stay in quarantine for 7 full days after your trip,” advises the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
While TV personality Keith Olbermann joked: “I suppose you are taking advantage of these waters.”
Democrats are also eager to promote their own efforts through social media.
Beto O’Rourke, who narrowly lost to Cruz in the 2018 Senate race, has helped organize emergency supplies and calls to residents.
Others, like New York City representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have been tweeting about their fundraising efforts.
“Charity is no substitute for good governance,” AOC tweeted earlier this week. “But we will not stop helping people in need when things go wrong.”
Cruz said on Friday that the trip to Mexico was “obviously a mistake” and that he was accompanying his daughters on vacation with friends.
In a later friendly interview with Fox News’ HannityCruz was later asked about the “quick trip” to Mexico.
“I initially planned to stay until the weekend and work remotely there, “said Cruz.
“But while I was going down there, you know, I started having doubts almost immediately, because the crisis here in Texas, you need to be here on the ground.
“And as much as you can do over the phone and Zoom is not the same as being here.”
Electricity has been restored to most Texas homes affected by power cuts, however, almost half of the state’s population is still under boiling water warnings.
MEGA / GC images