Photogs caught up with the Texas politician outside the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C. -- where he encouraged Tinseltown's biggest names, many of whom are Democrats, to take a closer look at the Republican party ... claiming they actually represent what people want.

As Senator Cruz put it ... the Democratic party saw a big loss on election night as they don't "actually understand what working people are like."

He added ... "It's hard to speak to America if you don't like the American people. And I gotta say, the American people spoke overwhelmingly on election night. The path we're on, it's not working and they're ready to change."

Though, the senator doesn't necessarily predict this means Hollywood liberals will switch parties soon ... noting they're "rich and protected," leaving them continuously ignorant to the needs of everyday people.

He continued ... "The Republican party now is the blue collar party. You look at the old conventional wisdom ... Republicans were the party of the rich and Democrats the party of the poor and working class. That's been turned on its head."

According to Senator Cruz, the Democrats are now the party for the "rich, coastal elite" and the Republicans represent people who work for a living ... including "truck drivers, steel workers, cops, firefighters, waitresses."