Reprinted with permission from American Independent

In an interview recorded on Monday, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) urged Texans to "stay home and hug your kids" during ongoing winter storms in the state.

The comments were made before reports that Cruz took his family on a trip to Cancun, Mexico.

Millions of people in Texas have gone without power during the weather event. The New York Times reported that residents "have resorted to stoves, barbecue grills, gasoline generators and their vehicles to keep themselves warm."

Warning that the storms were "dangerous" during a February 15 appearance on The Joe Pags Show, Cruz told citizens, "if you can stay home, don't go out on the roads."

"I was speaking this weekend with a meteorologist expert who was saying the combination of these two storms — we could see up to a hundred people lose their lives this week in Texas, so don't risk it, keep your family safe, and just stay home and hug your kids."

After reports circulated online alleging that Cruz had left the state, his office was initially unresponsive to several reporters' inquiries about the purported trip to the tropical vacation destination. He later confirmed the trip.

From the Feb. 15 edition of iHeartRadio's "Joe Pags Show":

TED CRUZ: This storm is dangerous and there's a second storm expected to hit this week, which would make things even worse, so if you can stay home, don't go out on the roads, don't risk the ice. I was speaking this weekend with a meteorologist expert who was saying the combination of these two storms – we could see up to a hundred people lose their lives this week in Texas, so don't risk it, keep your family safe, and just stay home and hug your kids.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.