The Latest: Trump signs orders on energy projects
President Donald Trump waves as he arrives at Ellington Joint Reserve Base, Wednesday, April 10, 2019, in Houston. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Gov. Greg Abbott greets President Donald Trump as he arrives at Ellington Joint Reserve Base, Wednesday, April 10, 2019, in Houston. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
The Latest on President Donald Trump's trip to Texas (all times local):
5:45 p.m.
President Donald Trump has signed two executive orders that he says will accelerate the approval of energy infrastructure projects in the United States.
Trump signed the executive orders Wednesday before applauding union workers at a training facility in Crosby, Texas.
Trump says energy infrastructure is too often held back by special interest groups and others.
He particularly took aim at the state of New York, saying "obstruction" on a gas pipeline "does not just hurt families and workers like you, it undermines our independence and national security."
Trump is trying to make it harder for states to block pipelines and other energy projects due to environmental concerns.
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5:40 p.m.
President Donald Trump is heaping praise on Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush, saying he's the "only Bush that likes me."
Bush was in the crowd in Crosby, Texas, where Trump was speaking to pipeline workers and signing two executive orders.
Trump called out: "Where's George? Come here, George. This is the only Bush that likes me."
Workers in the crowd laughed and shouted in approval for the oldest child of former Florida Governor Jeb Bush.
Bush walked up on stage, shook Trump's hand and the two exchanged a few words.
Trump called him a great guy, introduced him as the "Bush that got it right," and said he was going to go far in life.
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5:25 p.m.
President Donald Trump tells union workers at a training facility in Crosby, Texas, that "American labor will always have a friend in the White House."
He says crude oil production is at a record high in Texas. Still, he believes more can be done. Trump is preparing to sign two executive orders designed to speed up oil and gas pipeline projects.
He says badly needed energy projects are being held back by what he calls "special interest groups, entrenched bureaucracies and radical activists."
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2:30 p.m.
President Donald Trump is turning a roundtable with supporters in San Antonio, Texas, into a forum for venting about illegal immigration, human trafficking and safety concerns on the border.
Trump says people in border states are living in tremendous danger and that nobody has any idea how bad the problem is.
He says when it's hot, migrants are dying — he claims some ranchers are finding scores of dead bodies on their land.
Another supporter told Trump that gang members are entering the country.
Trump says all the people he's speaking with want a wall because if there was a border wall, migrants wouldn't come and people wouldn't die.
The president also chastised the media for not writing "straight" stories about the situation on the border.
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1:05 p.m.
President Donald Trump has arrived in Texas to raise re-election money in two counties that backed Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Trump will appeal to donors at separate events Wednesday in San Antonio and Houston. Republican Party Chair Ronna McDaniel said at least $6 million would be raised and shared by Trump's re-election effort and the Republican National Committee.
In between fundraisers, Trump was signing energy-related executive orders.
One directive could make it harder for states to scuttle pipelines and other energy projects over concerns about the effect on water quality. A second order aims to streamline the process for energy infrastructure that crosses international boundaries.
Trump won Texas in 2016. But Clinton won Bexar and Harris counties, where San Antonio and Houston are located, respectively, by double digits.
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10:40 a.m.
President Donald Trump is heading to Texas to raise re-election money in two areas that backed his Democratic opponent in 2016.
Trump is to stroke donors at separate events Wednesday in San Antonio and Houston.
Republican Party Chair Ronna McDaniel said the pair of fundraisers would bring in at least $6 million to be shared by Trump's re-election effort and the Republican National Committee.
In between fundraisers, Trump planned to sign a pair of energy-related executive orders.
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12:37 a.m.
President Donald Trump will announce an executive order during a trip to Texas on Wednesday that could make it harder for states to scuttle pipelines and other energy projects based on concerns about their impact on water quality.
Trump has made it a priority to expand energy development, in part by rolling back government regulations.
Pointing to Washington state and New York, Republican lawmakers have complained about states using the permitting process to stop energy projects.
Trump will order the Environmental Protection Agency to issue new guidance that states will have to follow to comply with the Clean Water Act.
A second executive order will streamline the process for infrastructure projects that cross international borders. The move follows Trump's decision to issue a new permit for the Keystone XL oil pipeline.