Trump to discuss energy, tour oil rig, raise money in Texas

President Donald Trump will shift his focus to American energy dominance during a stop in Texas later this week that will include his first visit to an oil rig.

During the stop Wednesday at Double Eagle Energy in the west Texas city of Midland, Trump will discuss how the U.S. is achieving energy dominance by cutting regulations, simplifying permitting and encouraging private investment in energy infrastructure, the White House said.

Trump will also tour an oil rig in Midland, the city where former President George W. Bush was raised and where he met his wife, Laura, who was born there.

While in Texas, Trump will raise money for the Republican Party and his reelection campaign at a fundraising luncheon with supporters in nearby Odessa.

It will be Trump’s 16th visit as president to Texas, the White House said. He won the state in 2016 by 9 percentage points over Democrat Hillary Clinton, and Democrats are hoping for a more competitive race this year against Biden — if not an outright Biden win.

Double Eagle Energy says it is one of the largest operators in the Permian Basin, covering parts of western Texas and southeastern New Mexico.

The White House said Trump has taken steps to help the energy industry recover after the coronavirus outbreak caused demand for energy — and prices — to plummet as people stayed home to avoid becoming infected.