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Ted Cruz and Beto O'Rourke Turn Chance Airport Encounter into Moment of 'Inspiration'

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In an airport exchange shared widely via social media, two high-profile political foes expressed a desire to work together following a hard-fought midterm campaign.

A week after a bitter U.S. Senate battle resulted in the re-election of Texas Republican Ted Cruz, he and Democratic rival Beto O’Rourke found themselves booked on the same flight out of George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston.

Tiffany Easter, a student at Texas A&M University’s Bush School of Government and Public Service, witnessed the chance encounter Tuesday she shared in a popular Facebook post.

“Low quality pic, HIGH quality encounter,” Easter began.

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She wrote that her party arrived at the airport and realized Cruz and O’Rourke were both on their flight.

Did this encounter give you hope for the future of American politics?

“Beto noticed Ted sitting down and walked over to congratulate him on his re-election and campaign,” Easter wrote. “It was the first time they had seen each other since the election and the entire conversation was both of them talking about how they could move forward TOGETHER.”

Describing the Senate race as “one of the most contested and most watched in the nation,” Easter went on to celebrate the fact that they chose to demonstrate unity after the campaign was over.

“This is America,” she wrote. “This is good. This is wholesome. This is why I love and do what I do. The humility y’all. I’m in awe.”

She shared a similar photo and sentiment in a widely shared tweet.

Easter thanked Cruz and O’Rourke “for showing us the best of America” during their airport encounter.

“Post-election doesn’t mean the conversation and civic engagement stops — in fact, it means the opposite,” she wrote. “Thanks for your public service!”

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Her posts inspired several national headlines and a number of prominent social media accounts, including her college.

Texas A&M University Government Relations recognized Easter “for capturing and sharing this awesome moment” between the Cruz and O’Rourke.

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Chris Agee is an American journalist with more than 15 years of experience in a wide range of newsrooms.
Chris Agee is an American journalist with more than 15 years of experience in a variety of newsroom settings. After covering crime and other beats for newspapers and radio stations across the U.S., he served as managing editor at Western Journalism until 2017. He has also been a regular guest and guest host on several syndicated radio programs. He lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with his wife and son.
Birthplace
Virginia
Nationality
American
Honors/Awards
Texas Press Association, Best News Writing - 2012
Education
Bachelor of Arts, Journalism - Averett University
Professional Memberships
Online News Association
Location
Arizona
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Entertainment




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