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Conservative Pundit Absurdly Defends Cruz's Cancun Trip as 'the Best Thing He Could Do for' Texas
Conservative pundit and convicted felon Dinesh D'Souza is one of the Republican party's most vocal defenders, especially since receiving a pardon from former President Donald Trump in 2018.
D'Souza's dedication to the party sometimes results in him going to absurd lengths to justify deplorable behavior. His most recent defense of Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) is no exception.
As hundreds of thousands of Cruz's constituents in Texas face power outages amid freezing temperatures, with no access to heat or sanitary water or hot meals, Cruz was spotted taking a flight to Cancun, Mexico, where the weather is a sunny 84 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cruz was met with widespread condemnation for leaving the state during an unprecedented crisis that has Texans cowering in their cars for warmth and walking miles down icy roads for needed supplies. Eventually, the Senator rebooked a flight to return to Texas on Thursday—two days earlier than planned.
D'Souza was one of the few people to defend Cruz, absurdly claiming that Cruz—a United States Senator—was helpless to assist his constituents amid the humanitarian crisis.
What could @tedcruz do if he were here in Texas? I’m hard-pressed to say. If he’s in Cancun, that means he’s not us… https://t.co/7mA7CKVZ6F— Dinesh D'Souza (@Dinesh D'Souza) 1613664333.0
He went on to say that Senators are unable to do much more than vote on bills.
The simple truth is that Senators don’t do a whole lot other than VOTE. The rest of it is mainly fundraising, postu… https://t.co/iMnZ3Zj3w2— Dinesh D'Souza (@Dinesh D'Souza) 1613675734.0
But as many pointed out, Senators are uniquely positioned to advocate for their constituents and secure assistance for them.
Former Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke—a Texan who lost a Senate bid to Cruz in 2018—is one example of that, using his following to get the word out about warming centers and other resources during the storm.
O'Rourke is also using his broad following to provide assistance to Texans.
We made over 151,000 calls to senior citizens in Texas tonight. One of our vols talked to a man stranded at home w/… https://t.co/G9C3pTG0Yo— Beto O'Rourke (@Beto O'Rourke) 1613627841.0
We’re calling as many Texas seniors as we can today to check in on them, connect them to resources, and try to help… https://t.co/WTZbswXA4S— Beto O'Rourke (@Beto O'Rourke) 1613603060.0
D'Souza's stretch to defend Cruz was quickly rebuked.
Look. Look at what they make you give. Everything. Dinesh has become THIS for the right wing movement. It's sad. https://t.co/7IMiNkzvhu— Wajahat Ali (@Wajahat Ali) 1613672701.0
So you're saying the very best thing Ted Cruz could have done for Texas was never be born. https://t.co/x2zTRDiHV8— 🌊 Rebecca Makkai 🌊 (@🌊 Rebecca Makkai 🌊) 1613669678.0
100% agree here. this is the reason firefighters are instructed to NEVER enter a burning building because they coul… https://t.co/DuNirjGcxu— Rajat Suresh (@Rajat Suresh) 1613677844.0
What could the captain do if he stayed on the Titanic? I’m hard-pressed to say. If he’s on a lifeboat, that means h… https://t.co/TeNCVtA3Gy— Bess Kalb (@Bess Kalb) 1613668713.0
The captain who abandons a sinking ship is helping the passengers because his absence causes the vessel to rise inc… https://t.co/k99BP7IMRz— Josh Gerstein (@Josh Gerstein) 1613666471.0
Top Republican commentator says Ted Cruz is completely useless & is incapable of fixing the issues Republicans caus… https://t.co/ykFB25mNXL— William LeGate (ig: @legate) (@William LeGate (ig: @legate)) 1613675321.0
People were certain D'Souza would be singing a different tune if Cruz had been a Democrat.
If he were a Democrat, you’d be raising hell. And you know it. https://t.co/QffXiBIP32— Joe Walsh (@Joe Walsh) 1613665999.0
Trying to picture the response of Republicans if a Democrat did the exact same thing Cruz did. https://t.co/KI9HUOjRoA— Ben -BJJ isn't real- Kohn (@Ben -BJJ isn't real- Kohn) 1613666075.0
does anyone think he would be saying this about a Dem? https://t.co/rTl3rUGgrN— Jan Wolfe (@Jan Wolfe) 1613666124.0
If it was a Democrat y’all wouldn’t have this energy lmao https://t.co/8rsaqUuvs0— Ale (@Ale) 1613676264.0
After the backlash, Cruz released a statement claiming his daughters asked to take a trip and he acquiesced, "wanting to be a good dad." He'll return to Texas on Thursday afternoon.