Top Trump ally is reunited with his two young daughters after harrowing rescue from horrific Texas floods
The floods took 95 lives as of Monday, including dozens of girls at summer camp. Rep. Pfluger's two young daughters were among those in attendance who were rescued.
'Camille, Vivian and I are now reunited with Caroline and Juliana who were evacuated from Camp Mystic. The last day has brought unimaginable grief to many families and we mourn with them as well as holding out hope for survivors,' Rep. Pfluger wrote in a weekend post, in which he thanked the 'incredible work' of the federal response. 'Please join us today as we pray for miracles.'
Pfluger's post was met with will wishes from a slew of his congressional colleagues.
Florida Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna wrote 'Glad they are okay. So heartbreaking what happened.'
Iowa Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks responded that she was 'praying for [Pfluger's] family and everyone in Kerr County.'
Rep. August on X
Rep. August Pfluger speaks remotely as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken testifies before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on The Biden Administration's Priorities for U.S. Foreign Policy on Capitol Hill on March 10, 2021 in Washington, DC
But others closer to the calamity on the ground had harsher assessments of what transpired and began pointing fingers.
In a Monday interview with Fox News, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said that 'something went wrong' when Camp Mystic staff weren't warned of rising floodwaters on the Guadalupe River.
'The fact that you have girls asleep in their cabins when the flood waters are rising — something went wrong there. We've got to fix that and have a better system of warning to get kids out of harm's way,' Cruz told Fox.
Cruz was seen vacationing in Athens, Greece, over the weekend when news of the flooding first broke.
Crosses hang from a wall with flood marks, following flooding on the Guadalupe River, at Camp Mystic, Hunt, Texas, U.S. July 7, 2025
Aerial view of the wreckage left in the wake of the flooding in Kerr County, Texas, on Sunday, July 6, 2025. USCG MH-65 helicopters have conducted multiple flights to the flooded area, rescuing 15 campers from Camp Mystic in Hunt and aiding in the evacuation of 230 people
People sift through children's belongings at Camp Mystic on July 07, 2025 in Hunt, Texas. Heavy rainfall caused severe flash flooding along the Guadalupe River in central Texas, leaving more than 90 people reported dead, including children attending the camp
A search and rescue team looks for people along the Guadalupe River near a damaged building at Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, on July 7, 2025, following severe flash flooding that occurred during the July 4 holiday weekend
He was spotted touring the Parthenon on Saturday evening - a full 24 hours after floodwaters had swept through Camp Mystic and camp-goers started being reported missing.
Photos of the vacationing senator and his wife Heidi were first published by the Daily Beast.
'A bull*** piece published by a bull*** rag outlet with no credibility, and with no regard for the tragedy in Texas,' Cruz's spokeswoman Macarena Martinez wrote on X, sharing the Daily Beast's story about Cruz.
'The senator is on the ground in Texas and arrived as fast as humanly possible,' Martinez added in her reply.
After learning of the tragedy striking his home state and making his way back to America, Cruz participated in a briefing with other Texas officials Monday.
It is unclear when Cruz arrived back in Texas after departing Greece.
After this weekend's deadly floods, some Democrats quickly blamed President Donald Trump for crippling a critical agency tasked with alerting Americans to impending natural disasters because of his recent government slashing efforts.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has called for a federal investigation into the National Weather Service's (NWS) response.
Critics have pointed to proposed budget reductions and early retirement buyouts at the NWS, but even some critics of the president role in the disaster have said the cuts did not play a pivotal role in this disaster.
The disaster was primarily driven by extreme weather conditions and the risks posed in one of the worst flooding regions in the country. While emergency warnings were issued, the speed and scale of the flooding was overwhelming.
Democrat Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro noted during an appearance on CNN Sunday that he was unsure if NWS employees taking the buyout had a direct impact on the flood preparation and response.
"No, I can't say that conclusively,' Rep. Castro first responded when asked by anchor Dana Bash if local NWS personnel taking buyouts from the Trump administration played a role in the devastation of the floods in Texas.
However, then Castro added that he didn't 'think it's helpful to have missing key personnel from the National Weather Service not in place to help prevent these tragedies.'
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