Ted Cruz: “I write to urge your administration to formally recognize…”

“This last week, I wrote a letter to President Trump urging the President to recognize a new country in Africa. I'm going to read you the letter. Dear President Trump, I write to urge your administration to formally recognize the Republic of Somaliland as an independent state with sovereignty within its 1960 borders. Somaliland first gained independence and international recognition in 1960 before voluntarily uniting with Somalia later that year. Since moving to reclaim its independence in 1991, it has functioned as a stable, self governing, democratic nation.” (26:10–26:21)

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.