Republican Senator Ted Cruz visited a Dallas salon on Friday to get his hair cut. The salon is owned by Shelley Luther who defied coronavirus lockdowns orders and was sent to jail the previous week.

Cruz flew up from Houston to get his first haircut after he previously spent fourteen days in self-isolation after coming into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.

In a post on one of his official social media pages, Cruz thanked Luther and her team for "standing up for liberty and common sense." He claimed her action helped other Texas business owners to reopen, allowing for more residents to get back to work.

The Salon a la Mode became a rallying cry for conservative protests in Texas after Luther was jailed for refusing to keep her business closed despite a cease-and-desist letter from local authorities. She walked out of jail on Thursday to the cheers of supporters.

Walking Free

Luther spent less than 2 days in jail after Dallas Judge Eric Moye sentenced her to seven days behind bars. She wore a mask while leaving prison.

In a recent interview, she said she was overwhelmed by the number of people who chanted her name. In April, she joined a rally in the suburbs where demonstrators were calling for Texas' reopening. During the protest, she ripped a cease-and-desist letter in front of the TV cameras.

Support from Republicans

Texas Governor and Republican Greg Abbott previously warned residents who did not follow his coronavirus orders could face up to half a year in jail. He, however, rushed to the salon owner's defense and removed jail time as a possible punishment for disobeying stay-at-home policies.

Senator Ted Cruz said the punishment was "ridiculous." He refused to answer questions on what might have been the appropriate response to the violation. Judge Moye sent her to jail after she declared she would continue to defy the order.

Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick also paid for a fine Luther owed.

U.S. President Donald Trump also came to Luther's defense, calling her "an incredible representative" of a group of people who may want to reopen their businesses as well.

A GoFundMe page was set up for Luther where her supporters have already raised more than $500,000. They labeled her a "hero" for "resisting tyranny."

Hypocritical

Abbott's decision to eliminate jail time for violating coronavirus lockdown orders drew backlash from the Texas District and County Attorneys Association. In a released statement, they said the ever-changing punishments and laws would make it more difficult to enforce orders that could very well be invalidated the following day.

Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo also slammed Abbott for being "hypocritical." He cited the governor criticizing the local governments' steps to enforce the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders.

On his Twitter account, the police chief said issuing orders to jail violaters and then turning it around and blaming the local law enforcement officials to avoid a political backlash is hypocritical.

Abbott's turnabout on the penalties came after Luther's punishment sparked massive publicity. His actions frustrated law enforcement officials while earning praise from fellow Republicans and civil rights groups.