Ted Cruz under fire for 'photo ops' in Houston following controversial Mexico trip

Only days after he had been criticized for taking a controversial visit to Mexico as countless Texans endured in arctic temperatures amid power and water outages, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz came under fire for posting photographs of himself assisting with relief efforts in exactly the exact same time among his most notable opponents came to the country to provide help.

Cruz visited some websites from the Houston region on Saturday and Sunday, bringing bottled water to residents and supplying meals to responders. The social networking articles, that featured the senator at a mask using the Texas flag, were fulfilled with tens of thousands of answers and tweets slamming Cruz for what many called a"photo op" to offset the bad press that he got for carrying his excursion.

"My components made me cut short my Holiday to Cancun and all I got was shamed to carrying out their own water," actress Patricia Arquette tweeted at a response to Cruz.

Cruz took a trip to Cancun with his family Wednesday while several areas of the country were out of electricity, water and other gear.

Cruz had been scheduled to reunite Saturday but flew back to Texas on Thursday after the backlash. The senator's office put out a statement asserting the trip was because of both daughters, Caroline and Catherine, along with their buddies. He later told me he had second thoughts and, in hindsight,"I would not have done it"

"Ted Cruz revealed the whole planet who he is if he awakened Texas throughout our greatest time of need. No quantity of pandering will change this," he explained in a statement.

Agents for Cruz did not immediately return messages into ABC News for remark about his actions this weekend.

Critics were essential to emphasize that Cruz's social networking articles and charity activities happened in precisely the identical period that U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., among Cruz's staunchest criticsflew to Texas to assist with relief efforts.

Even the New York congresswoman awakened with Texas congresswomen Sylvia Garcia, Penny Morales Shaw and Shelia Jackson Lee to assist the Houston Food Bank and raised more than $5 million to assist families impacted by the storm.

The Democratic congresswomen also helped distribute water and food and talked with families impacted by the storm.

"Charity can not replace coverage, but solidarity is the way we will confront climate change and build a better world," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted.

The non-profit praised the congresswomen due to their own efforts and outreach.

"Their attempts to amplify the consciousness of demand in southeast Texas has been a massive assistance," that the Houston Food Bank said in a statement.

Rahman said the Texas Democrats are also thankful for the help from Ocasio-Cortez.

"Texas will not forget who had been there for us throughout our very best time of need and we're going to hold those accountable that were not," he said in a statement.