US: Trump seeks out loyal donors in West Texas fracking fields

President Donald Trump's visit to a U.S. fracking hub on West Texas plains comes during state’s fierce coronavirus outbreak and a global oil and gas glut that is putting squeeze on his loyal dors in petroleum industry.

Trump is combining some fundraising Wednesday with his first trip to an oil and gas rig and to his first visit as president to Permian Basin. He'll pull in up to $100,000 a person at a roundtable with supporters.

“ amount of money might be slightly off because markets are down and y’re suffering a bit,” said Bill Miller, a prominent lobbyist and consultant in Austin. “But it’s kind of industry that remembers ir friends through thick and thin, and Trump has been ir friend."

Texas over past month has experienced a dramatic spike in newly confirmed coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and fatalities. state became one of nation's hot spots as Texas politicians debated masks and or measures.

pandemic and intensive oil and gas production that Trump encourd have contributed to a stark drop in global energy demand and to market oversupply, driving down oil and gas prices and hitting industry and ecomy.

Trump’s government has exerted itself for oil and gas industry at least as hard it has any or sector. That includes rolling back environmental and public health protections while promoting a techlogy-driven surge in U.S. oil and gas production — begun under President Barack Obama — as part of what Trump describes as an American march to global energy dominance.

His ministration has moved to open up vast wilderness areas to oil and gas interests over objections of environmental groups. Trump also has sought to override various regional objections to oil and gas pipelines with executive orders.

And next month, ministration is expected to anunce its latest effort blocking regulation of industry’s emissions of methane, a potent nt of climate change. West Texas activists say methane emissions are part of a too-little-regulated industry’s assault on air, water and public health in region’s yearslong expansion of oil and gas production. Successful legal challenges stopped ministration's earlier attempts.

When one is flying at night into West Texas city of Odessa, among areas Trump is due to visit, "it looks like a huge birthday cake, re are so many flares out here” from facilities burning off methane as an oil and gas byproduct, said Rev. Gene Collins, a civil rights and environment and public health activist in city.

“re’s alrey methane emissions like you wouldn’t believe in West Texas,” Collins said. He ded that he was one of many in his town using a nebulizer to deal with breathing problems he blames on oil and gas operations. “re’s a definite effect on health of individuals here.”

Texas-based environmental vocates like Sharon Wilson, who uses rmography imaging to capture methane emissions t visible to eye, describe environment-damaging oil and gas emissions surging during fracking boom and w.

American Petroleum Institute tre group during this presidential election cycle — featuring Democrats calling for country's most aggressive action yet to slow climate change — has stepped up efforts to highlight what it says are industry efforts to cut methane.

Frank Macchiarola, tre group’s senior vice president for policy, said emission rates in Permian Basin have fallen despite boom. It “demonstrates how industry is meeting this challenge and strengning its environmental performance,” Macchiarola said.

Texas’ oil country has long been a reliable well of fundraising for Republican presidents. But in this campaign, state itself may be a battleground.

Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden are in a closely fought race in what has been a Republican stronghold. For years, Democrats have been watching Texas demographics — it has growing populations of Latis, young people and ex-Californians — and pining for election cycle when it would be in play.

Though Trump won state comfortably in 2016, former Democratic Rep. Beto O’Rourke gave Republican Sen. Ted Cruz a scare two years ago, and Democrats have used that race to try to build an organization that could swing state blue. Sensing an opportunity, Democrat Joe Biden has begun airing vertisements in Texas as coronavirus cases surge in state.

When it comes to battleground state claims here, “ proof is in amount of money campaigns spend” going forward, said Miller, Austin lobbyist and consultant.

Losing Texas, Republicans fear, would completely scramble ir party’s ability to obtain needed 270 electoral votes to capture White House. Though privately Trump campaign officials concede need to spend time and money in Texas, assets y would prefer to spend elsewhere, y remain confident about ir ability to retain state and have expressed hope that Democrats will waste resources trying to obtain a prize that is out of reach.

But Trump campaign does w have plans to frequently visit Texas. Trump’s visit Wednesday will allow him to raise needed money — Biden has cut into president’s fundraising vant — as well as showcase both his ministration’s deregulation nda and its attempts to get ecomy roaring again.

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Knickmeyer reported from Oklahoma City.