U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz was on vacation in Europe during Texas flood

“Cancun Cruz” has done it again.

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, was on vacation in Greece when his home state was struck by the historic July Fourth flood that claimed at least 90 lives, the Daily Beast reports.

Cruz was spotted Saturday visiting the Parthenon in the Greek capital of Athens along with his wife Heidi and their kids, according to the online news site. Back in his home state, emergency personnel searched for missing children swept away in the floodwaters of the Guadalupe River.

Cruz began tweeting about “weather conditions” at 8:58 a.m. on July 4, hours after the worst of the flood’s damage had been done and the death toll was already climbing.

While vacationing in Greece, Cruz continued tweeting about the natural disaster, adding “Heidi and I continue to lift up in prayer the families of the victims.” However, it’s unclear whether this was before, during or after surveying the ruins of fifth-century Doric columns.

“He was with his family and a lone security guard. As he walked past us, I simply said ’20 kids dead in Texas and you take a vacation?'” a reported eyewitness told Daily Beast. “He sort of grunted and walked on. His wife shot me a dirty look. Then they continued on with their tour guide.”

For many, the Parthenon will call to mind the PR nightmare Cruz created for himself in 2021 when he flew to Cancun, Mexico, with his family as Texas grappled with Winter Storm Uri, which killed hundreds and left millions left without power. At the time, Cruz defended his choice by saying he “wanted to be a good dad” but ended his vacation early to return to Texas.

Continuing the pattern of aborted vacations, Cruz once again seems to be back from his ill-timed escapade. Monday morning, he was interviewed on FOX about the flooding, encouraging viewers across the nation to “hold grieving families while they weep.”

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This article appears in Jun 26 – Jul 9, 2025.