Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fl.) inanely chimed in on the ongoing controversy surrounding Ted Cruz’s recent trip to Mexico this week.
The Texas Republican Senator left his home state amidst dangerous winter weather, as millions of his own constituents struggled through compounding problems like power outages and a lack of running water because of burst pipes. Cruz attracted steep criticism for his departure from Texas, which made him seem largely uninterested in the deadly plight of the people who he represents. Eventually, Cruz acknowledged that the trip was a “mistake,” and he also acknowledged that he cut his original plans short after originally claiming that he was merely accompanying his kids for a journey with friends.
Gaetz, true to form, insisted that Cruz shouldn’t have expressed regret. Very early on Friday morning, he posted the following message on Twitter:
‘Ted Cruz should not have apologized.’
Ted Cruz should not have apologized.
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) February 19, 2021
The post went up at 1:27 a.m. Eastern time on Friday, and a middle-of-the-night social media post in defense of a fellow Congressional Republican who seemingly abandoned his constituents in the middle of a historic natural disaster isn’t exactly a solid look, to say the least. Cruz isn’t exactly known for his contrition in response to criticism, but even he acknowledged wrongdoing on his part.
On Thursday, Cruz commented, in part, as follows, discussing his trip:
‘Really from the moment I sat on the plane, I began really second-guessing that decision and saying ‘look, I know why we’re doing this, but I’ve also got responsibilities.’ And it had been in my intention to be able to work remotely, to be on the phone, to be on internet, to be on Zoom, to be engaged. But I needed to be here. And that’s why I came back.’
Although Cruz initially suggested that he was merely accompanying his kids for a journey, he eventually acknowledged that he originally planned to stay in Mexico beyond Thursday, when he returned to the U.S. The New York Times revealed that they received copies of texts including messages from the Senator’s wife, Heidi, in which she invited family friends to join the Cruzes for a trip to Mexico in order to escape the “freezing” conditions. Upon his return to the U.S., Cruz faced protesters at the Houston airport and outside of his house, and he’s also faced calls for his resignation.
Check out Twitter’s response to Gaetz below:
