The Ted Cruz-inspired Cancun tourism commercial practically writes itself. And if it didn’t, the writing staff at “The Daily Show With Trevor Noah” did.
“Need to get away from it all but only for, like, four hours?” the fake ad begins. “Then come to Cancun, the perfect vacation spot for your half-day getaway. Grab a taxi from the airport for the whole family, then grab a moped for when you have to speed back to the airport in shame.”
“Enjoy our. beaches, night clubs and– uh oh, your chief of staff is calling!” it continues. “And with our new ‘bad optics’ package you’ll get same-day roundtrip tickets, enough sunscreen to protect you for four minutes and a pre-written statement saying you were always planning on being in Cancun just for breakfast.”
The spot has the perfect tagline for Cruz’s trip amid the Texas storm disaster: “Cancun: What the f— were you thinking?”
Watch the video above.
Cruz bailed on Texas as the state experienced massive power outages amid freezing temperatures — the latter of which are unusual for the southern state. After initially staying mum on the subject as other passengers shared photographs of what appeared to be Cruz and his family on a plane to Cancun, the Lone Star State senator said his home “lost heat and power too,” but that he went on the trip to essentially chaperone the transportation for his daughters.
“With school cancelled for the week, our girls asked to take a trip with friends. Wanting to be a good dad, I flew down with them last night and am flying back this afternoon,” Cruz said in a statement.
Leaked texts from Cruz’s wife, however, point to a different story — and so do an NBC News report. Cruz booked the return leg Thursday at 6 a.m., after initially planning on a Saturday return, NBC News reported, citing a source with knowledge of the situation.
Cruz may have (temporarily) escaped Texas, but he could not escape becoming the internet’s favorite (OK, least-favorite) target for memes.