MAGA-aligned U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) is being criticized for slamming New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani‘s request to the city’s 8.58 million residents to conserve energy during this week’s extreme heat wave.
Mamdani wrote: “New York: it’s hot out there, and the power grid is working overtime to keep us cool. Set your AC to 78 degrees, turn off lights/electronics you’re not using, and unplug what you can. Our City is doing its part too: maintaining the 78 degrees rule in our buildings, dimming/turning off our lights during peak electricity demand, asking private partners to do the same, and powering down non-essential equipment. A stable grid means the AC stays on, and lives are saved. Let’s ease demand — and get through the heat — together.”
Cruz replied: “In a first-world country, you could turn on the A/C….”
In a first-world country, you could turn on the A/C…. https://t.co/J1PELJOTzx
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) July 2, 2026
Community Notes on X pointed out that “Ted Cruz’s own state has made the same request on numerous occasions,” and provided links to articles about the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) recommending that the public set their home thermostats to 78 degrees and avoid using large appliances during a similar extreme heat wave in 2022.
Many on X are replying with ERCOT links while berating Cruz for hypocrisy, with reminders that in February 2021, during a deadly winter storm that left millions of Texans without power and water, Cruz fled Texas to go on vacation with his family in Cancun, Mexico.
Retired US Navy Intelligence Officer and social media influencer Travis Akers replied to Cruz: “You are the absolute LAST person to weigh in, Captain Cancun.”