Trump's Texas visit aimed at boosting GOP, 2020 re-election bid

Oct. 25 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump will make a trip to Dallas on Wednesday for a fundraising event aimed at his 2020 re-election bid and shoring up Republican support.

Trump, who was supposed to visit Texas in September before Hurricane Harvey hit, will be welcomed at Dallas Love Field by Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and will be briefed on hurricane recovery efforts shortly after.

The president is scheduled to attend a roundtable discussion with Republican Party officials and attend a fundraising reception before he returns to Washington, D.C.

Tickets to the fundraiser cost as much as $100,000, with most of the proceeds going to the Republican National Committee. The first $2,700 of each ticket goes to Trump's 2020 re-election fund.

Trump's Texas visit comes amid some tensions within the GOP. The president's administration was recently criticized by one of Dallas' most prominent Republicans, former President George W. Bush.

"Bigotry seems emboldened. Our politics seems more vulnerable to conspiracy theories and outright fabrication," Bush said last week. "Bullying and prejudice in our public life set a national tone, provides permission for cruelty and bigotry, and compromises the moral education of children."

This week, Trump has been targeted by two GOP senators -- Sens. Jeff Flake of Arizona and Bob Corker of Tennessee.

After announcing he won't seek re-election next year, Flake lamented Trump's "reckless, outrageous, and undignified behavior." On Twitter, Trump called Corker a "lightweight" and "incompetent."

"Jeff Flake, with an 18 percent approval rating in Arizona, said 'a lot of my colleagues have spoken out.' Really, they just gave me a standing O!" Trump tweeted Wednesday.

Protesters are expected to turn out for the presidential visit.

A Texas Tribune poll found 45 percent approval for Trump among Texas voters, with Republican support at 78 percent -- a mark considered low for a Republican president in a GOP state.

"This guy's polling horrendously," Texas Democratic Party chairman Gilberto Hinojosa said. "A state that's considered to be solid red, is a sign of problems. ... It's a product of the messes he's created."