Senator Ted Cruz is under fire for vacationing in Greece while his home state of Texas was hit by one of its most devastating floods in over a century. Flash flood emergencies struck on the 4th of July. Up to 20 inches of rain descended in just a few hours and rose more than 25 feet.
In Kerr County at least 75 people died, including 27 campers and counselors at private Christian girls camp, Camp Mystic. Dozens more remain missing.
He and his wife visited the Parthenon on July 5 at around 6 p.m. local time—some 24 hours after the Guadalupe River surge began. One witness recalls shouting at them: “20 kids dead in Texas and you take a vacation?”
- He was inflight when the storm hit. It was devastating because the flooding was unexpected. Cruz can’t reasonably be criticized for taking this vacation.
- It’s a story because in 2021, when Texas was hit with a hundred year snowstorm during which the state’s power grid buckled and many residents were without power for several days (and 246 people died), Cruz left and took his family to Cancun.
Re: the Ted Cruz/Cancun thing, this is the photo that unlocks the whole thing. He's in a United terminal. In the top left you can that it's 4:10 pm (or 4ish PM at least). To the left of that, you can see that he's near gate E11, with its destination being Ft. Lauderdale. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/hUuUqSNBze
— Nesler (@thatnesler) February 18, 2021
He claimed to have just been escorting his daughters there, intending to return right away, but an overstuffed carry-on bag and a leaked travel itinerary from United belied that explanation.
NEW: The Daily Beast reports Ted Cruz was seen vacationing in Athens, Greece on Saturday, one day after Camp Mystic announced campers had gone missing in the devastating Texas floodwaters pic.twitter.com/pU2UhAfAt7
— Marco Foster (@MarcoFoster_) July 7, 2025
Cruz landed in Athens July 3, just as Texas authorities activated emergency protocols. The Senator says he remained “on the phone” with Governor Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, the head of the Texas Department of Emergency Management, as well as President Trump. He did cut his trip short and return home Sunday evening, appearing in Kerrville on Monday morning, and appearing on Fox & Friends.
Governor Abbott was also traveling when flood warnings went up, but it’s fleeing the state for warmer climes in 2021 that makes this a story. He’ll weather this storm (!) despite the image of Cruz at the Parthenon – he was re-elected last fall despite becoming a meme three years earlier, and is only just beginning his third six-year term.
1. This was an absolutely horrible event for all caring human beings.
2. Bad stuff can happen back home whenever any of us goes on holiday.
3. Unless TC’s own home was damaged, or a member of his family is missing, injured, or died, then his trip insurance for Greece will not provide trip interruption/cancellation benefits. But he may have other government resources available to return home.
3. Do you really want TC to get involved in this disaster—like hands on? If so, then how do you see him making things better by his presence?
@inLA – He can boost morale and make people feel good that their senator is at least present and trying to help. Versus being on vacation when his constituents are dying, which will only infuriate people.
@1990 – I was 100% agreeing with you and just providing some more fodder. The title and premise of this story is ridiculous, would it be any better if this was the 3rd worst flood in TX history?
Everyone, bash the guy if you must but tying these 2 events together is just looking to start the hate.
@Brad Whitford — I’m still human, and I do like to travel. As for Greece, at least Ted got to visit the Parthenon with his family. That’s a nice experience, and the Greeks do have a good museum nearby, too. If they had plans to visit some of the islands, that’s a shame to miss out because it’s lovely, especially those sunsets in Santorini. Can be a bit crowded, touristy, but still special.