Ted Cruz Comes Under Fire For Reported Incident At The Airport

Ted Cruz may never live down the mockery of his Cancun, Mexico trip in February 2021. The Texan senator was skewered over social media for viral photos of him sporting luggage at an airport amidst his state's massive energy crisis. Texas State Representative Gene Wu even tweeted a photo of Cruz, seemingly plane bound, on February 17, 2021. Former MSNBC anchor David Shuster, meanwhile, "confirmed" as he wrote in his tweet that Cruz was en route to a favorite Cancun resort, adding, "Cruz seems to believe there isn't much for him to do in Texas for the millions of fellow Texans who remain without electricity/water and are literally freezing." 

Cruz attempted damage control immediately, with him and his family sighted flying back one day later (and with Cruz rocking a state-themed mask), per The Washington Post. The senator also offered an explanation to ABC News that same day, alleging that, "Like millions of Texans, our family lost heat and power too," and that "wanting to be a good dad" he was simply escorting his daughters on their trip to Mexico. Many, still dubious (at best) about the senator's travel reasons, blasted Cruz for seemingly deflecting blame onto his daughters. As one Twitter user quipped, "Ted Cruz lands back in Texas (after blaming his kids when caught vacationing in Cancun while his state is in a huge crisis)."

Cruz might want to stay away from Twitter again for a while, as he seemingly has been caught again in another airport debacle.

In Episode 2 of "Sen. Ted Cruz's Airport Melodrama," Cruz was captured in a video posted to Reddit, arguing with officials at Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport in Montana on March 20. Wearing glasses and a COVID-19 mask, Cruz is first seen bickering with two United Airlines representatives at check-in. According to the video's caption, "Law enforcement had to be called when he wouldn't calm down," as Cruz is then captured speaking with an airport security officer.

In a statement to the Daily Mail, Scott Humphrey, deputy director for the Montana airport, revealed that Cruz had missed his flight's check-in window and alternative flight options were "limited out of Bozeman due to Spring Break." Humphrey also confirmed that airport security did not know whom Cruz was while dealing with the senator. "Once travel options were explained to the passenger, he was rebooked and departed Bozeman later that evening," Humphrey explained. All's well that ends well for Ted, as the Texan senator was expected back in Washington, D.C. the next day for the first day of confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson (per the Daily Mail).

Of course, Twitter couldn't help but liken this to the senator's other airport incident, with one user joshing, "Poor little Ted missed his flight from Montana to Cancun." CNN's Keith Olbermann had his own snarky response as well, tweeting, "So [Ted Cruz] was apparently so out-of-control abusive ... that law enforcement had to get involved. It must've been snowing."