Ted Cruz, the new chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on Africa, recently met with a group of African ambassadors to try and reassure them that under the Trump administration, the U.S. will remain a steadfast partner with African countries.

The Texas Republican’s statements during a February 18th roundtable with African ambassadors may come as a surprise given the recent turmoil in U.S.-Africa relations following the cessation of U.S. humanitarian assistance, surging tensions with South Africa, doubts about the renewal of the free trade agreement AGOA, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s decision to stay away from last week’s G20 foreign ministers in Johannesburg.